Council directs staff to draft ordinance lowering FM 423 speed limit to 45 mph

The Colony City Council on a work‑session item directed staff to prepare an ordinance to reduce the posted speed limit on FM 423 from Lake Highlands Drive to the northern city limits from 55 miles per hour to 45 miles per hour in both directions.

City traffic staff presented a TxDOT speed study that covered a short corridor of FM 423 in The Colony and noted requests from Frisco and Little Elm to lower speeds along the wider corridor. Staff described three options: keep the existing 55 mph, lower only the northern segment to 45 mph, or lower the entire stretch to 45 mph to maintain uniform limits across city boundaries. "They'll put up all the new signs. We just — once I get your final direction, I'll bring an ordinance back ... and they'll change all the signs," staff member Hartline said.

Council members who spoke said having an inconsistent short stretch of 55 mph surrounded by sections of 45 mph could confuse drivers. One councilmember noted Frisco plans to reduce a nearby segment to 45 mph and Little Elm's section is expected to be 45 mph as well; another said posted speeds often track driver behavior and that enforcement would take time.

City staff said implementing the change would not carry a direct cost to the city because TxDOT would install the new signs after the ordinance is adopted. The 85th‑percentile speeds from the study were cited as roughly in the mid‑50s, meaning drivers may continue to exceed posted limits until enforcement or driver adjustment occurs.

The council gave direction to take the full section to 45 mph and asked staff to return with a drafted ordinance at a future council meeting.

The council did not hold a formal roll‑call vote on this direction during the work session; staff will place the ordinance on a subsequent agenda for formal action.