Speed Trap

Slow down on Allen Parkway, they're watching you

Admittedly, I slowed down to snap this picture. Expect many more traffic ticketsbeing given out in the coming weeks.
Photo by Caroline Gallay
The speed limit on Allen Parkway is 40 mph
Photo by Caroline Gallay

Drivers on Allen Parkway might have noticed two seemingly innocuous speed detectors situated at Taft and Waugh Drive.

Be warned: they're not so innocuous. Although they may appear to merely encourage self-control (in case you didn't notice, you're going 55 mph), they're also data collectors that the Houston Police Department is using to evaluate whether there should be heavier ticketing on the parkway.

All signs point to yes. Car crashes and injuries have risen significantly (47 percent and 154 percent, respectively) in the last year, while speeding tickets have been on the decline.

The violent crash that killed attorney John O'Quinn and Johnny Lee Cutliff in October has drawn increased attention to the problem. City officials insist speeding, distractions and driver carelessness are causing the wrecks, not any inherent flaws in the parkway.

So be careful, folks, and expect intense enforcement beginning next week.

unspecified

This Week's Hot Headlines

Austin restaurant chain bowls over River Oaks and more popular stories

Photo by Becca Wright

undefined

Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week, including restaurant openings and a major acquisition for MFAH. Plus, where to celebrate New Year's Eve in Houston. Catch up on our most popular stories below, then visit this guide to the best Christmas weekend events.

1. Meet the men behind River Oaks' new destination for bowls and broth. On this episode of “What’s Eric Eating,” Honest Mary’s founder Nelson Monteith and COO Andrew Wiseheart joined CultureMap editor Eric Sandler to discuss the Austin-based restaurant that just opened its first Houston location in the River Oaks Shopping Center.

2. Houston's only Michelin-recognized Tex-Mex restaurant now open in Bellaire. It didn’t take Sambrooks Hospitality Group long to turn Mandito’s into Candente. First announced in September, the restaurant’s second location officially opened December 22.

3. 25 Houston restaurants celebrating New Year's Eve with caviar, bubbles, and more. Houston restaurants are ringing in the new year with indulgent menus featuring caviar, lobster, and steak, along with plenty of bubbly.

4. Houston museum acquires historic Masonic lodge property for new greenspace. The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston has acquired a prime parcel to expand its campus in the Museum District.

Holland Lodge masonic building The building at 4911 will be torn down for the new greenspace. Holland Lodge No. 1, A.F. & A.M./Facebook

5. Houston's richest residents, best suburbs, and more top city news in 2025. As 2025 comes to a close, we're looking back at the stories that defined Houston this year. These are the City Life stories that captured Houston's attention.