ATD to address 13 dangerous roadway sections

The Austin Transportation Department will soon begin work on traffic signal improvements at three high-injury roadway sections, including segments of Slaughter Lane, Pleasant Valley Road and Cameron Road. The improvements will supplement an ongoing effort using highly visible signage to slow traffic and prevent dangerous behaviors like failure to yield and distracted and impaired driving along the city’s high-injury network. In total, the department’s Vision Zero program has analyzed five years of crash data to select 13 roadway sections in urgent need of low-cost safety improvements such as signage, signal upgrades, pedestrian hybrid beacons, fresh crosswalks and roadway markings, street lighting, bus stop adjustments, and design changes like new crosswalks or bike lanes. According to city data, the 13 selected roadway segments contain over half of the city’s 100 most costly crash sites – locations that have the greatest negative impact on the local economy and quality of life. Transportation Director Robert Spillar said there were over 350 combined traffic deaths or serious injuries at these segments over the last five years. The proposed improvements are intended to provide cheap and quick safety enhancements for all road users, including drivers.