Lower speed limits are on the way to some of Dallas' most dangerous roads after a series by NBC 5 Investigates revealed the scope of the dangers, sparking changes.
The Dallas City Council voted Wednesday to reduce speed limits on several stretches of Loop 12 in Southern Dallas, where the road is also known as Ledbetter Boulevard, Great Trinity Way and Buckner Boulevard.
A nearly year-long NBC 5 series, “Driven to Death,” shined a light on how Loop 12 has become the city’s most deadly roadway, with a dangerous mix of high speeds, heavy pedestrian traffic, and a lack of convenient crosswalks.
The Dallas City Council also voted Wednesday to reduce the speed limit on a dangerous stretch of U.S. Highway 75/Central Expressway north of downtown Dallas, where NBC 5 Investigates’ reporting highlighted a stunning number of speed-related crashes. Our team also clocked cars above 120 mph and 130 mph, prompting a city councilman to call on the Texas Department of Transportation to help the city reduce the speed limit.
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Along Loop 12, speeds will be reduced in some spots from 45 mph to 40 mph, including on a small, roughly one-mile stretch of Ledbetter near Bonnie View/Sunnyvale Road, where NBC 5 has reported six pedestrians were struck and killed in just 17 months.
A review of TxDOT crash data shows 15 fatal crashes on Loop 12 in the first eight months of 2024 alone.
Some council members hailed Wednesday's speed limit change as an important step toward safer streets.
“This is an extremely important piece of policy that is going to hopefully save lives of Dallasites," said Councilmember Adam Bazaldua.
Arthur Fleming, whose sister Betty Sue Fleming died trying to cross Loop 12, believes it is a move in the right direction.
“I'm just glad that her death would be a part of getting something done so that we can stop the killing,” Fleming told NBC 5 Investigates.
Some council members emphasized that the speed limit change is just the first step in what they hope will be a renewed push to improve traffic safety under the city’s “Vision Zero” program, launched years ago and aimed at reducing traffic deaths.
“I think it's important for people to understand that lowering the speed limit is not a cure-all. This is just one aspect of the comprehensive approach to addressing this problematic issue”, said council member Jaime Resendez.
That more comprehensive change is already in the works.
After NBC 5 reported on Loop 12, State Sen. Royce West, D-Dallas, pulled together regional transportation officials to find solutions, including TxDOT, which shares responsibility for Loop 12 because it’s also a state highway.
The state, city, and other agencies, including the North Central Texas Council of Governments, are now working to implement dozens of other safety strategies.
TxDOT also conducted speed studies, which gave the city the green light to lower the speed limit on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, on U.S. 75/Central Expressway, the council voted to reduce the speed limit from Mockingbird Lane to Woodall Rodgers Freeway. The limit currently is 70 mph and will be lowered to 65 mph. TxDOT said in a statement to NBC 5 that it would install new signs following the council’s vote, and the 65 mph speed limit would then become enforceable.
Councilmember Paul E. Ridley petitioned the state to conduct a speed study on Central Expressway after NBC 5 Investigates clocked drivers at speeds above 120 and even 130 mph on a Monday evening.
Last fall, the NBC 5 Investigates series “Driven to Death” revealed that at least 18 people died and 78 more were seriously injured in speed-related crashes alone on Central Expressway in Dallas in less than five years.
Road safety experts interviewed by NBC 5 Investigates said the 70 mph speed limit was unusually high for a freeway running into the heart of a major U.S. city. TxDOT increased the limit from 65 mph to 70 mph nine years ago, saying the higher speeds would help alleviate congestion.
Central Expressway also received national attention for high speeds in March after a crash involving Kansas City Chief’s wide receiver Rashee Rice. Police said Rice was driving a Lamborghini at 119 mph in the seconds before a crash that injured at least four people.
NBC 5 investigates has reported the number of speeding tickets written on Central Expressway declined 70% from 2019 to 2021. That number increased in the year following but was still down about 30% compared to 2019 numbers. Dallas police chief Eddie Garcia has said the department has stepped up enforcement on Central recently but still lacks the staffing levels the department needs to enforce speeds as consistently as he would like.
Road safety experts said speed limit changes may not be enough to change driving behavior on roads like central and that roadway design improvements and increased enforcement may be necessary to gain more compliance. But a lower speed limit will allow police to write more substantial tickets at a lower speed threshold. With a 65 mph speed limit, for example, drivers could be arrested and their vehicles impounded for traveling above 95 mph.
