§ 45-361. Definitions.

As used in this article, the following words and terms shall have the meanings ascribed to them in this section unless the context of their usage clearly indicates a different meaning:

Applicant means one or more property owners or residents within a neighborhood area, a duly authorized representative of a neighborhood association or the director who makes a request for the construction of a project.

Designated street means that portion of a particular street within the right-of-way of which a device is proposed to be constructed under this article. Designated streets may include the rights-of-way of local or minor collector streets, but may not include any portion of a major collector street or a major thoroughfare.

Device means a traffic calming device, consisting of the physical structure or other improvement constructed, placed or located, whether on a temporary or a permanent basis, upon a designated street pursuant to this article.

Director means the Director of Houston Public Works or the traffic engineer or any other person designated by the said director to perform the director's duties under this article.

Interdepartmental review committee means a committee consisting of one representative each of the fire department, police department, department of planning and development, solid waste management department, and Houston Public Works.

Install or installation means the permanent placement of a device following approval by final action of city council as required pursuant to section 45-377 or 45-396 of this Code. Install or installation does not include the temporary placement of a device for test or evaluation purposes.

Local street has the meaning ascribed in section 42-1 of this Code.

Major collector street means a public street that accumulates traffic from local streets and minor collector streets for distribution to a major thoroughfare.

Major thoroughfare has the meaning ascribed in section 42-1 of this Code.

Minor collector street means a public street that accumulates traffic from local streets for distribution into a major thoroughfare or a major collector street.

Neighborhood area means any contiguous area within the city that generally has as its boundaries: (i) the interior right-of-way line of any major thoroughfare or major collector street; (ii) the interior boundary or right-of-way line of any railroad line, utility or pipeline corridor, river or waterway (not including drainage or flood control ditches not being traversed by other streets within the general locale); (iii) the corporate limits of the city; or (iv) any combination of one or more of the foregoing boundaries. A neighborhood area may consist of one or more subdivisions and shall include only those properties within and fronting on or taking their only access from a street within the bounded area. The director may adjust the boundaries of a neighborhood area at any stage of the neighborhood traffic management process upon the consideration of additional information including, but not limited to, public input from residents or property owners in the neighborhood area or findings made by the director as a result of the presence of special conditions affecting the neighborhood area.

Neighborhood association means any homeowners' association, property owners' group or civic association, whether incorporated or not, whose membership includes property owners and/or residents of a neighborhood area.

Neighborhood traffic committee means a committee, consisting of not more than five members drawn from the residents or property owners within a neighborhood area, selected as provided in section 45-371 of this Code, to assist in the processing of a request for a project.

Neighborhood traffic management program means the entirety of the processes and procedures as described in this article whereby one or more devices may be placed upon a designated street in a neighborhood area.

Project means the construction of one or more devices upon a designated street in the neighborhood area.

Property owner means the owner(s) of any tract or parcel of real property within a neighborhood area.

Resident means any person who resides in or owns or operates a home or business upon any tract or parcel of real property within a neighborhood area.

Speed control program means one or more projects intended to address speeding problems within a neighborhood area.

Volume control program means one or more projects intended to address cut-through traffic and speeding problems within a neighborhood area.

(Ord. No. 2015-587, § 2(Exh. A), 6-17-2015; Ord. No. 2018-11 , §§ 31, 49, 1-10-2018)