Residents concerned about growing traffic congestion along FM 407 are organizing a community meeting to call attention to transportation issues and push for road improvements. The meeting, hosted by a grassroots group called 407 Matters, is scheduled for Thursday, July 31 at 7:30 p.m. at the Front Porch in the Harvest neighborhood (1690 Treeline Drive, Argyle).
According to the group’s website, the goal of the meeting is to “raise awareness about the urgent need for improvements to FM 407” and to better understand how regional transportation planning decisions are made.
FM 407 has seen increased congestion in recent years due to rapid residential and commercial development.
Confirmed speakers at the event include Denton County Commissioner Dianne Edmondson and Argyle Mayor Ronald Schmidt. Representatives from the Justin City Council and Northlake Town Council will also be there.
“This isn’t just another meeting. It’s about helping all of us understand how FM 407 actually gets expanded and why it takes so long,” said Mike Montes, the organizer behind 407 Matters.
County and municipal leaders have previously acknowledged FM 407 as a major concern, but significant infrastructure updates remain years away without additional funding or prioritization.
Shortly after the event was announced, Northlake Mayor Brian Montini issued a detailed statement outlining his take on the project’s history and obstacles. Montini cited past efforts to reach interlocal agreements on FM 407’s expansion and noted that a lack of unified support between Northlake and Justin in 2020 contributed to delays.
In response, leaders developed the 407 Breakout Project, a scaled-down improvement plan that expands FM 407 from Cleveland Gibbs Road in Northlake to Gateway Drive in Argyle.
Although the breakout project is fully funded at the local level, Montini said TxDOT has delayed construction in a way that “was never projected, nor expected.”
Montini and other local officials say they’ve been working with utility providers like Atmos and CoServ, developers like Hillwood Communities, and TxDOT to speed up efforts and help move the timeline forward.
“We are all committed to pulling every lever, talking to anyone who will listen, and trying to find any solution possible to speed up this project,” Montini wrote.
For their part, the organizers of 407 Matters hope to create a resident-led movement to make a difference. “We’ll continue organizing, meeting with officials, and giving residents tools to take meaningful action,” reads the website. “This isn’t a one-day event — it’s the beginning of sustained pressure for real change.”
