Garland, Texas Speed Traps

I don’t know if he still camps out there after an influx of drivers contesting their tickets, but there is a cop that will park in the forest preserve parking entrance and give you a ticket for disregarding a traffic sign if you don’t slow all the way down to 20 mph for the temporary speed limit change for the construction zone. And the zone begins halfway down the steep slope, so it’s very difficult to slow down that far going down that sharp of a hill – especially will fast moving traffic coming up behind you not prepared to slow down. Even if it’s 10pm and pitch black with no sign of a contruction worker or even a lane narrowed or closed, he will get you. And he won’t clock you, either. He just pulls one over, hurries and gives the ticket and refuses to answer or ask questions, turns around and pulls over the next unfortunate motorist. Be careful. The ticket he gives is a bigger offense than just speeding – if you get one, hire an attorney or you’ll be paying almost $400.

Collin County Constable at the on ramp to Eastbound PGBT from the Toll entrance. Uses Laser with his door open pointed at vehicles coming over the top of North Garland Road. The constable does speed enforcement daily at this location so watch your speed approaching and passing North Garland Road on George Bush.

East Bound GWB 190 ends, merging with east bound service road. Speed limit drops from 60 to 40, Garland unmarked patrol car sits waiting w/radar in the Home Depot Entrance, Trap location hidden from open view about 100 yards from speed change sign and 50 yards from roadway end. Radar focal point is at the speed change sign, no allowing for adjusted slowdown. Observed six vehicles stopped within a 45 min time frame by the same officer on 2/22/08, all ticketed for speeding between 52-57 MPH in a 40 MPH zone.

Motorcycle officer hides in the entrance of the storage facility on the south side of Crist Rd., just west of the railroad crossing off Hwy 78/Lavon Dr. – usually at lunchtime, sometimes late afternoon. Crist connects Hwy 78 and First Street just north of Buckingham.

The officer is well-obscured in plain sight by the small size of the motorcycle, low contrast against light-colored buildings, and general visual clutter.

Enforcement is occasional – have only seen the motorcycle every couple weeks or so, but have seen cars pulled over by him. Hwy. 78 is 50 mph, Crist is 4 lanes but 35 mph and he’s ideally positioned to catch westbound drivers just after they’ve accelerated and before they realize they’re going too fast. Lunchtime is ideal because people are in a hurry to and from work and traffic is not dense enough to slow them eastbound before the tracks. Most cars pulled over have been eastbound.

78 Northbound heading towards Castle Drive, the speed changes from 40 to 50 mph. If you are not paying attention, they will hit you because they sit there at the transistion point between the two speeds and hit you for the 50 in the 40. Be very careful during that transition. Sames goes when you going southbound on 78 changing from 50 – 40. Once you go past Castle Drive, slow down or you will get pegged there.