Drivers on Highway 90 through Katy will need to slow down after the City Council approved a new 50 mph speed limit on two stretches of the road.

The council voted Monday, Aug. 24, to pass an ordinance lowering the limit from 55 mph to 50 mph on two segments within city limits, Community Impact Newspaper reported. The change follows a traffic study by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) that recommended the reduction. The source article did not detail the study's methodology or specific findings.

The affected segments run from 2.5 miles east of Woods Road to the western section of Schlipf Road, and from 0.33 miles east of Choctaw Lane to the eastern section of Tubular Road, according to agenda documents. The rest of Hwy. 90 outside those two stretches is not addressed by the ordinance.

Violating the new limit is a misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $200.

When it takes effect

The lower speed limit won't be enforced immediately. City Engineer David Kasper said "the ordinance will go into effect once the state replaces the current speed limit signs with the updated ones."

TxDOT had not announced a date for the sign replacement as of Aug. 27. The council's vote did not include a deadline for the state to complete the work, meaning enforcement hinges on TxDOT's installation schedule.

The source article did not record how individual council members voted, only that the council approved the ordinance. The city posted the meeting agenda and livestream link on its official X account ahead of the Aug. 24 session.

Katy commuters who use the corridor between Woods Road and Tubular Road should watch for new signage from TxDOT in the coming weeks or months.