Cinco Ranch Car Accidents on the Rise as Houston Suburb Grows

Cinco Ranch, Texas, a small suburb of Katy in the Houston metropolitan area, has seen unprecedented growth and development in the last decade. As the population has increased, so has congestion on local freeways, interstates, and surface streets. Unfortunately, car accidents are at an all-time high with more drivers on the road. 

The traffic congestion issues haven’t gone unnoticed by the State, and improvements have been planned to create faster and easier access to roads like the 99 toll road (Grand Parkway) and Westpark Tollway.

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Cinco Ranch in Katy, Texas, Is a Growing Community

Located South of Katy, TX, Cinco Ranch spreads across 4.9 square miles on either side of the 99 toll road. This master-planned community features primarily new construction homes surrounded by lakes, lush landscaping, and mature trees.

Development in Cinco Ranch has increased by a whopping 60% since 2001. Cinco Ranch’s population has also increased by 61% since 2001, totaling 16,899 residents at the 2020 census. The median household income of $146,900 is more than double the median income in the State of Texas.

This neighborhood offers access to the big city of Houston without sacrificing the small-town feel and luxury amenities, like swimming pools, tennis courts, and the Cinco Ranch Beach Club.

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Many Cinco Ranch, Texas residents commute into Katy or Houston for work. As more and more people move to this up-and-coming neighborhood, traffic conditions have steadily worsened on freeways and tollways that have not yet expanded to keep up with the increased use. 

Traffic Congestion & Car Accidents on the Rise

For the past decade, Houston has regularly ranked as one of the worst cities for drivers in the United States. More than 6,200 miles of freeways, interstates, and surface streets connect the massive Houston metropolitan area. Unfortunately, as the Houston job market attracts more residents, traffic congestion only worsens, and car accidents are rising.

In the Houston area, 40,000 and 70,000 car accidents occur every year. Here’s another alarming statistic: crashes have increased by 50% since 2010. The most common causes of car accidents are speeding, distracted driving, and reckless driving.

The fatality rate of car accidents in Texas has increased to 7.54%, and Houston has the second-highest number of car accidents in Texas, after Dallas in the number one spot.

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Near Cinco, Texas, choke points exist on the 99 toll road at Cinco Ranch Boulevard, Fry Road, and the entire section of road between Westpark Tollway and I-10.

The average commute time from Cinco Ranch is 33 minutes on a light day but can creep up to 45 minutes or even one hour due to heavy traffic. The more time drivers spend on congested roads, the higher the risk of car accidents.

With only traffic worsening as Cinco Ranch, Texas, becomes more developed, residents eagerly await planned improvements to make roads safer, faster, and easier to access. However, the planned improvements to the 99 toll road have met delays.

99 Toll and Local Road Expansions Delayed

The Fort Bend County Toll Road Authority, in collaboration with the Texas Department of Transportation, has begun three projects to alleviate this congestion and improve access to the 99 toll road by:

  • Adding additional northbound and southbound lanes on the 99 toll road between Westpark Tollway and Kingsland Boulevard
  • Building frontage roads alongside the 99 toll road between Fry Road and Westpark Tollway
  • Constructing eastbound and westbound connector roads between Westpark and the 99 toll road

The Texas Department of Transportation reports that most car accidents occur at intersections involving turns, so state and local transportation authorities designed these improvements specifically to reduce eastbound to northbound left-hand turns in intersections.

These projects total $130 million, funded partly by Fort Bend County’s 2020 mobility and toll road revenue bonds.

Although construction on the Westpark–99 toll road connector roads were planned to start in mid-2020, work did not begin until January 2022. Officials say this project will complete by the summer of 2024 if no more delays occur. The other two projects—the expanded frontage roads and new east/westbound connector roads—plan to begin construction in winter 2022 but have no estimated end date.

Fort Bend County and the Texas Department of Transportation plan to break ground on more construction projects to decrease traffic congestion on the 99 toll road between 2023 and 2025. But in the meantime, Cinco Ranch residents find the 99 toll road to be a congested road with a high risk of car accidents.

If You Were Injured in a Cinco Ranch Accident, You Need a Local Attorney

Suppose you live in Cinco Ranch, Texas, or the Greater Katy area. You know just how dangerous these roads can be. If you or a loved one has been injured in a car accident, you need a local attorney experienced in car accident injury law.

Double board-certified personal injury attorney Joe Stephens lives in Katy with his wife and kids, so he knows what it’s like to drive on the 99 toll road and the surrounding roads. With more than 35 years of experience in automobile injury litigation in Texas, Joe Stephens and his team at the Stephens Law Firm handle car accidents, truck accidents, distracted driving, and drunk driving cases to pursue a fair settlement.

Stephens Law Firm is a small practice based in Katy that offers personal attention and dedication. The team of experienced attorneys takes on a small volume of clients to devote the time it takes to investigate each case thoroughly and pursue compensation to cover medical bills, lost wages, and more. If the settlement offer is too low, Joe Stephens will try your case to a jury and fight for your rights.

You can contact Stephens Law Firm for a free case evaluation. Mr. Stephens will personally review your case and determine if he is the right personal injury attorney in Cinco Ranch, Texas, for you.

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