Council approves first reading to lower Nola Hasse speed limit to 25 mph amid divided views
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Summary
The Fair Oaks Ranch City Council voted 5–2 in favor of a first-reading ordinance reducing the maximum speed on Nola Hasse to 25 mph after staff presented resident survey results and radar data; opponents cited low survey response and a desire to defer to TSAC.
Fair Oaks Ranch — On Jan. 15 the City Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to reduce the prima facie speed limit on Nola Hasse to 25 miles per hour.
Assistant City Manager Carol Van Zandt told council that TSAC (Traffic Safety Advisory Committee) had recommended 25 mph earlier in the process, staff collected radar data in May and July showing 80th-percentile speeds below 30 mph (29 mph in May, 24 mph in July), and a resident questionnaire mailed to about 53 households produced about 20 responses, 17 of which supported lowering the limit.
Council debate split between members urging deference to TSAC and the committee’s process and members pressing for action to address residents’ safety concerns. Opponents noted the survey’s low response rate and cautioned against making one street’s limit inconsistent with the rest of the city. Supporters said the road’s curves and hills create hazards and that the average speeds reported suggest 25 mph better matches how drivers use the street and could encourage speeders to slow down. “I run on that road a lot, and I often encounter cars that are going quite fast, and it is a dangerous road with curves and hills,” a council member said during debate.
A motion to approve the first reading was moved by Ruben and seconded by Emily. By voice vote the mayor announced the motion passed 5–2; the transcript explicitly named Scott Parker as one of the two dissenting votes. The transcript does not record the full name of the other dissenting speaker.
The ordinance will return for a second reading at a later meeting; staff noted council could specify limits (for example, making a temporary lower limit during road reconstruction and expected detours) and said TSAC bylaws and procedures are being reviewed so future referrals are clearer.
Why it matters: lowering the posted limit would give police an enforceable standard at 25 mph and may change signage and enforcement; the council also flagged that future road reconstruction and detour traffic could alter driving patterns on Nola Hasse.
Next steps: second reading of the ordinance will appear on a future council agenda for final approval and any edits the council wishes to make.
