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Decision to Raise Speed Limits Raising Concerns

Has Frisco's decision to increase some speed limits compromised safety?

By Randy McILwain

| Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008 | Updated 8:30 AM CDT

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Decision to Raise Speed Limits Raising Concerns

KXAS

Frisco raised speed limits on neighborhood streets to 30 m.p.h. but some residents say that's too fast.

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Frisco Raises Speed Limits In Neighborhoods

Frisco city council raised speed limits in neighborhoods to 30 mph, some say that's too fast.

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Frisco Raises Speed
Limits In Neighborhoods

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The responsible thing to do: That is what Frisco was basing part of it's decision to raise speed limits on dozens of streets recently, a responsibility city leaders have to a growing community whose traffic congestion is growing out of control.

Frisco's city council voted to raise speed limits approximately 5 mph on many streets as part of its annual engineering review of traffic patterns, speed, and growth. The decision, no doubt, pleases many of the thousands of people caught in rush hour commutes where it can take more than an hour to move little more than a mile.

Not everyone is applauding the decision. Some residents said that neighborhood safety will suffer. The posted speed limits in residential areas is 30 mph and many homeowners said that posted limit is rarely respected by drivers on residential streets. "I'd say between 40-45 miles per hour" is the average speed, homeowner Troy Doucet said. Doucet, like many other homeowners, simply wants current speed limits enforced.

That opinion is not shared by everyone. Some residents have begun an organization called "Keep Kids Alive, Drive 25." The group is advocating that speed limits in neighborhoods be dropped to 25 mph. Their meetings with city leaders have not yet produced the desired outcome. Frisco has analyzed information related to fatality accidents and traffic accidents in general, and those occurring in neighborhoods represent a very small amount, not enough to justify a wholesale decrease in the speed limit for neighborhoods.

The city stands ready to work with any groups on safety issues and is meeting with KKAD to discuss its concerns, Frisco Mayor Maher Maso said. But for now, it appears drivers can pick up the pace in Frisco and it's expected that further engineering reviews will produce similar speed limit increases.