OFFICE OF THE ATTORNEY **GENERAL** OF TEXAS AUSTIN

Hanorable Stansell Bryan 

### 424

### 425

B0mrable Stanssll -ml, Page %

Ths authority of the State Bl(Eway Comlsslon, **tou6Mn.g t&6**  **subject-matter** of your letter, reatr in the following prorlsiona of Eousa Bill 99r

*The Stats Highway Oomlssion shall havs the power and **authority upon**  the **basis of**  **an engineering**  **an8 traffic**  **invwti&Aon** to determiida~~ 

### zix the IMX~IUWI, rsaaonable and "udee: s road or hlnhway interseotlons, - way gradcarom **OurYea, hi114**  

### r **u on**  **an other**  **mart or**  a y*.less than #is-h& hereinbafore **fixed** by 618 ,Actt, taking into oonsideration th6 width an4 oolndltlon of the pavement and other oirmmstaaoas on suoh portion ,of ssdd k&&wapa6 well 88 the usual traffio themon. That whumver ths Stats lIlgb*ay Copaisslon shall ate ei aapwd **at** any maid **.at** a lasp rate **0r** sp*d 

### bofom **net** 

### ferth In **this Aat**  and shall dealare the aaximuzz~, reasonable snd 

### prudeat

~pesd 1Aai.t

thusat by psopu order 

### of the Comnlasion entsrsd an its mlautss, auah T&6 Of spO6d **Bhdl** b6Nab 6mOti79 VA& **Op6Tm** tire at maid point~on aaid highways when ap roprlate slgam glring .not i@e ther6of are eree eod under the sdez of the O&mlsslon at saah laea- ~eotlon or portion of the hi&h~&~.~ (hpharir t%W)
'Xt is abiened that Hous* BUl. 99 do68 sot the term *State desl@mted hl@wa~ or the srprsraian ways whlah are a part of ths State k&&way System* or term8 

### of si,mUar 

### restrfetirsLaport. Xmtead, the term *pub116 hlghwaya",%ighway-, *a highway" **and** *'any highway" as rU@d. ft 1s **our** oplnian that tbs Legislaturs did not Intend to reatricrt

tha pxwvlelaar,

of &taae Bill IQ .rsluting to the quertion **before** us, 

### ~a State deslgnatsd highways as dlstingulshsd **from** oouaty hf%hways and road*.

**The term**  %ighway* is 

### gm.mrlo, lnaludlng al5 pabU@ ways, 

### The phrase *pub110 hl&waya is a tautolo&loal sxpmssion sinoa all hi(ghwaya are n~oa~sarily **publie.** It, wea held in Viilliaas v. Carroll 108 S. W. 89, 90, (rsvsrsed in part on other grounds, 208 &. Pi. M)4) that

, ~,.. -,A L--Honorable StanselL 

### Bryan, Pa&e S

alStreet* generally means a Pammgeway wlthiu the bo~nda **of** e municipal coz-poratlon, whi a *roe49m-8 a oounty hi&way **forming** a Ooiamunlcatlon between the olty llmit8 

### of one olty or town anrl

the city llmlto of another city or town* aab, further, that mhlle a street 1s a highway, it 1s not naoessarllg true that a hlgbway is a rtreet.

In Fletcher 7. Bordelon, 56 8. $i. (84) 313, 319, it wea saldr

"The 6treets of oitia8 

### are publla highways, end under the primary eo*rol

# or

the &gislatUta.w Ill wood V. state, 45 a. 111. (aI) WI?, the CourtI **of** Criminal Appasls of Texas 

### oonrtdereit appellslant '8 ooatantlon that the road upon whloh he wae alla x!ad to have 6rlvtm an automobile wh1111e

In a ststa of.lnto Oation ~8% not a pub110 

### roadwlthln the amtempletion of the law. In t&a BOllTIe **of** its opinion the court observed es fsfiows!

n~ur em statutes throw light upon the quaat1on. xt will be obcerma that the omb2ws of WhlOi &%llsat Is oQnvlotea i&l Qrn of %hO8. ", ambraoeil

lo Chapter 1, Title 13 of the Penal Code. Artlole **8900** Is found lo cbaptar 1, **Pit14** ,ll6,' R. C, 8. **relisting** to &ate highwar8. In the 6ama chspter and title, AEt10&3 MO1 ~a0tlon (g), 3a **found** the ftilo.oring langt~$a: {Publiehuhwe@ shall **inelude enp**  matI, rtrest, **wag,** thoreughfma or brldp in thlr Btoto not privately owned or oontrollbd, for the use o? rshlolos 4ov6rwhlah the state has leglrlatlvo jurisdlat~oa 

### under it8 pollee powerr*
In Phllllpa t. &nron, 30 8. N. (gd) lGBS, 1060, 3136 MO. Z0.2,It wa8 hbld that the w@rd whfghwayW, as Orad ln statute8 reqtiring persons operating motor vahlalaa to uue the highest degree of esr8, lnOludad all hlgbwa~ traveled by the publlo, regardless of their lagal statue.

& UOOd v, Town of %ntmrd, 1e9 *.B. $11, SlE, aI8 Mass. 3.86,

it was held that the woti "highway" connote6 In soms conmotions, end perhapr taohaioally, a prrbl.iO way,,Ort- &nal jurladlcti-On to lay out which 1s ln oomty eotilglonars, but in other cannactions 1s uaad eomprehenslvelly to 180&d* all kinds of public wsy0.

### 427

IbnorableStem&l Brym, Pago 1

I$ Croakert. Jett,MO. ti~p., 93 3. W* (en)74, 70, ltrer 

### held that the 

### aord whlghwey'@, as used in a stat

### ute relatingZL)

the operaclonOC automobileson pub110 hlgh- =YsD 

### was used in i&s popular,ratherthan in Its teohnlcel, sense, and was lntrntied to lnoludeall highnay traveledby the publicreg~~rdlt~ss of their 

### legal status.
In i~owoll

Broa.Truck Line T. Platt, C. C. A. Oklahom, EP!

Bed, (&I)879 8C+Fi, It was held that the tins "highwey" 

### io a xxme for aL.f kldnds of pub110ways, inaludlng a# unty blid

townshiproads, streetsend alleys, **turnpikes** 

### nnb plank roads, rallrqedsand trmya, brld.ger 

### gad ia~rlea, canalsand navigablewaters; in short, that everypublie thooror;ghfare

fa a highway.
In liallowuy

v. SyatthWa1 k BoilerYolb, I.61 SO. 187, 189 La. 837 it was 

### pointedout that 

### hl$hway8nra publie 

### waya aa 

### dietiaguished from privatewaya, the dlrtlmguiehiag mark of a highwaybeiw that it Is open generally 

### to publlo use. There isr no langus@ in the quOt4d prOvi6fOXW Of 

### Bouse Bill,77of the Party-seventh Legislatureindfoatieg any intenton the 

### part of the 

### Legislatureto restrlotthe ~34 

### d the twz whighway*. In the abaenc# of any mush lla&t

### ationw4 

### are lidvi;lling tu attributete the LegisAatara w iatent to regulateonly titata deeignatedhighwayaa~ to the rate 

### or speed or vehiolesand BP te ruaonabls drivlq r&galatione,end lev.ve unregulatedand unreatrieted the drlvleg of ~wtor 

### vehlcleeon oounty roads or countyhlghwayanot lrtriatly

9 part oi thfi

StnteBlghway tiystea. 8.8 conoslvethe purposeof the Iagislaturein the euaotnmntof House Bill 77, and of ltaprovlaionaapplicable to the qu4stfoc at hun&, to 

### be to aehielrrearet~ on the hlghwags and road8 

### in Tu-me. t:e believethat the LeglsLatureIntendedto empowerthe Gtste ElghweyC~amiseion, upon,thObaeia of 811 englncerlngand traffic investigation, to doters&&eand fix the reasonablesndprudent speed of wtor vehiolu On oounty 

### hlghwtyean& Oountyroadswhen such beoomesueeeauary end deslrabl.@

for the surety of all the usersthereof. It Is thsrerfore 

### the opinionof thisdepaptarant, in answer 

### to your sp44ffio question, that 

### the titats Hlghuay 

### Departmentdoes have autbrity, 

### under irouse Bill 77 Of the

### 428

HonorableSternsell Bryan, 

### Page 8

Forty-seventhLe.@leture, and in accordmoe therewith,to fix the rate of speed **of** 

### motor vehicleson countyroads and oountyhighwaysIn MeLeman Countywhich conneatwith deslgnated Statehif;hways at lees than the maximumprovidedfor by House Bill 77. Yours very truly