New stop signs on Fallbrook Drive reduce speeds after KHOU 11’s report highlighted drivers reaching freeway speeds.
HOUSTON — New stop signs have been installed on Fallbrook Drive in North Houston after KHOU 11’s June reporting revealed drivers were reaching freeway speeds on the residential street that intersects I-45. The safety measures were implemented following community outcry and media attention that highlighted cars traveling up to 65 mph in a 20 mph zone.
Now, neighbors say their persistence, combined with KHOU 11’s coverage, helped accelerate change. This week, Harris County Precinct 2 installed brand-new stop signs at key intersections, and drivers are finally slowing down.
When KHOU 11 first brought out a radar gun in June, cars were clocked going 50, with one topping out at nearly 65 mph, freeway speeds in a 20-mph zone. This week, when we returned with the radar gun, average speeds had dropped to just under 24 mph, about six miles slower than before the stop signs went up. The fastest driver we clocked was going 40 mph.
“Finally, we’re getting some action,” said 81-year-old Alejandro Matamoros, who first reached out to KHOU 11 after years of frustration, which he says started with Fallbrook Drive was extended to the North Freeway, “All of a sudden we got some action, so thank you to Channel 11 for that.”
Darrell Henderson, another longtime neighbor, said the change has been immediate.
“The first day they put them up I was able to bring out my grandchild and let her play in the front yard,” Henderson said. “It is lovely, it is lovely, look people are driving like they got sense now.”
Both men also thanked Precinct 2 Commissioner Adrian Garcia for stepping in. Garcia said his office inherited this section of Fallbrook during redistricting but knew something had to be done quickly.
“Hearing the outcry from the community, I wanted to make sure that we were being responsive and doing what we can in the short term while we’re looking for long term solutions,” Garcia said.
Garcia also noted that community feedback, combined with KHOU 11’s story, emphasized the urgency to act.
He also shared longer-term solutions are being studied as part of the “Reimagine Fallbrook and Veterans Memorial Corridor Study,” which aims to improve safety and mobility for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists.
The next community meeting is scheduled for Sept. 11.
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