Albany, Texas Speed Traps

When passing through Albany going through downtown via State Highway 283 the locals work that pretty hard. Got me coming in from Abilene for doing 38 in a 30 although my speed was dropping. As soon as he wrote me the ticket he got back in his cruiser and got another guy coming from the other way within a few seconds of pulling off.

Albany has one school zone at least several blocks from a school. The zone is located east of downtown on hwy 180. When school is let out early or not in session, the school zone flashing lights are on with the cop waiting at the usual time to write tickets. If heading east, the flashing lights are located on a very big curve in the road. This curve is the frequent site for accidents due to excessive speed and misjudging the curve. Sign is easy to miss if you are watching for cars approaching the curve from the opposite direction. Also, if you happen to enter hwy 180 from one of the side roads between the two school zone signs, there is no warning you have entered a school zone. Info i was given was that Abilene controls the lights and the local cop doesn’t have children so he may not know school is not in session. Info is readily available on AISD website. General consensus of locals is that out of towners are frequently given more tickets than locals.

After leaving Albany down town at 30 mph you cross the river bridge heading to Abilene. You want to pick up your speed , but it stays 30 mph for another 1/10 of a mile before it turns to 45 mph. The police sit off to the right waiting to get you in that 1/10 of a mile spot !

While driving through Albany, TX, on my way from Carlsbad, NM to Dallas, a sheriff’s patrol car pulled out of a convenience store parking lot. I was obeying the speed limit (45) at the time. However, I was driving a car not real common in rural Texas (Pontiac Vibe), with a logo of a Dallas dealership. The deputy followed behind me, first right behind me, then hiding behind a pickup truck in back of me, all the way to the east line of Shackelford County, where he turned around. It was obvious he was trolling for a speeding ticket from a city man.