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Heath council urges TxDOT to study, install traffic signal at FM 550 and Rabbit Ridge after 11 crashes
Summary
The Heath City Council unanimously approved a resolution urging the Texas Department of Transportation to perform a warrant study and install a traffic signal at the intersection of FM 550 (McDonald Road) and Rabbit Ridge Road, citing 11 crashes — eight classified as major — and projected future development that will increase traffic volumes.
The Heath City Council on March 11, 2025, unanimously passed a resolution asking the Texas Department of Transportation to perform a warrant study and to install a traffic signal at the intersection of FM 550 (McDonald Road) and Rabbit Ridge Road.
The resolution says the city has recorded 11 accidents at the intersection between Jan. 1, 2022, and March 7, 2025, eight of which were classified as major. It also notes current growth and planned development that the city says will increase traffic volumes on those roadways. City staff read the resolution aloud during the March 11 meeting and then answered council questions before the vote.
Public commenters told the council the intersection is dangerous and urged the city to press TxDOT. Mike McLarty, a Heath resident, said the council should “work upfront with TxDOT” and pursue design features such as turn lanes to reduce backups at the intersection. Ashley Cross, who lives at 121 Gregory Drive, said she supports council action, adding that driving there feels unsafe: “I was scared, and I’m not usually a scared driver.”
City staff described the TxDOT process and options. A city staff member identified as Brian said TxDOT allows a jurisdiction to request a warrant study once every three years and that the last study found the intersection unwarranted; the city can resubmit. He also said an entirely city-funded installation is possible but costly: installing signal hardware and required lanes could run into the hundreds of thousands of dollars to about $1 million depending on lane work and electrical service, and the city would likely need to contract traffic engineers and equipment for the work and ongoing maintenance if TxDOT does not accept responsibility.
Council members discussed a multi-pronged approach: resubmitting the study, supplying engineers’ information about forthcoming development, and engaging county officials and state representatives to press TxDOT. Council members and staff noted that TxDOT’s warrant analysis focuses on measured traffic volume, crash data and speeds, and that future development is not always counted unless it's included in a recognized traffic-impact analysis.
The council adopted the resolution by voice vote. No additional funding or immediate construction plan was approved at the meeting; the resolution requests TxDOT to perform a warrant study and to pursue construction as warranted.
Votes at the March 11 meeting also included routine minutes approval and a board-nomination resolution (see Votes at a glance).
