City Council unanimously approved the drafting of an ordinance to lower the speed limit on Ridgewood Road from 30 miles per hour to 25 miles per hour at its June 25 meeting.



The decision came after a presentation in which Steven Widacki, an engineer with civil engineering firm Baker-Aicklen, told the council a reduction was not necessary for safety.



"If you want to reduce speed out there, that would be an elective procedure," he said.



A speed study showed traffic on the roadway was largely obeying the speed limit. Results of the study showed the majority of traffic followed the 30 mph limit, which is usually what decides the speed limit, Widacki said.



"For the most part [drivers] are doing very much what the signs tell them to do," he said.



Council also discussed the addition of radar signs, speed humps, speed tables and narrower road sections as a means to calm traffic on the roadway before ultimately deciding on a speed limit reduction.



The change in speed would only affect the areas of roadway in the West Lake Hills city limits. Portions of Ridgewood Road are also in the cities of Rollingwood and Austin.