Tag: Traffic

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Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (TAPS) Newsletter – Fall 2020

  • The Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (TAPS) Committee completed a survey of city sidewalks that includes sidewalk issues reported by our community residents. This survey resulted in the documentation of 80 significant city sidewalk safety issues with sidewalk mismatches noted up to 4.5 inches. The survey found significant sidewalk issues on 26 different streets in our community. A list of these documented mismatches was submitted to the City of Austin in late 2019. Based on our request, a city crew repaired (considered “temporary repairs”) most of these noted sidewalk mismatches in May 2020. Our goal is to make the use of our neighborhood city sidewalks safe for all pedestrians and to offer a safe alternative to jogging on our city streets, which is not only unsafe but also illegal when a sidewalk is available. We will continue to work with City of Austin staff to further improve our city sidewalks.
  • The CC HOA board is continuing to utilize off-duty Travis County deputy constables to patrol our neighborhood streets to promote awareness that traffic and pedestrian safety is a high priority in our community. These paid deputy constable patrols are in addition to non-paid patrols by other law enforcement agencies such as APD and Travis County Sheriff’s Department. These patrols are performed at random times every week and have resulted in many citations for traffic violations, primarily speeding. The purpose of these citations is for traffic calming and safer, more cognizant drivers, not monetary punishment.
  • Austin City Council passed a new speed limit ordinance (# 20200611-045) that was signed by Mayor Steve Adler on June 11, 2020. The new ordinance restricts speed limits on all Austin neighborhood streets to 25 mph max after posting of new speed signs unless a different speed limit is determined by the City of Austin Traffic Engineer. The only basic exception is for larger neighborhood streets and major arterials such as Boulder Lane. New speed limit signs will be placed on hundreds of Austin neighborhood streets starting early next year, but central Austin will get priority on installation of the new speed limit signs. We will advise our residents when we get updated info on when CC may get new speed limit signs.
  • After reviewing the most recent data from the two radar speed units installed on Boulder, the Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Committee finds a couple of stand-out issues. The first is that during the period January 01, 2020 through July 20, 2020 there were 7 vehicles on north Boulder that were recorded traveling between 70 mph and 99 mph. There were an additional 9 vehicles on south Boulder recorded traveling between 70 and 90 mph. This is reckless driving and totally unacceptable behavior! Hopefully most of these egregious speeders are not residents of Canyon Creek. The second observation is that the average number of vehicles recorded traveling daily on Boulder Lane dropped around 40% in mid-March through July 20, 2020 due to Covid-19 related increase in work-from-home and virtual learning. We will continue to monitor this radar speed unit data as it is made available to us from the Austin Transportation Dept.
  • We have some good news to report! City council member Jimmy Flannigan’s D6 office has awarded funding to our Canyon Creek neighborhood on two different City of Austin mobility/safety fund projects (note: no expenditure or matching funds required by our HOA). Canyon Creek applied for this funding money from this special program, which is called the ¼ Cent Program (city ¼ cent sales tax for mobility improvements), to be used for local neighborhoods. One of the projects is for an additional radar speed unit (“DSDD”) to be installed for traffic calming on Chestnut Ridge Rd in the early December 2020 timeframe (see pic below). The specific location for this radar speed unit is under review. The second project award is for painted white “curb extensions” at the Boulder/Ember Glen intersection (pic of typical curb extensions is shown below) in front of the Canyon Creek Elementary School. We believe these painted curb extensions will offer a visual signal to drivers to slow down and watch for pedestrians at the school crossings before stopping at the posted stop sign. This project should be complete by November 2020.

  • Reminders:
    • Respect the right-of-way of pedestrians in our neighborhood – Note: it is state law that vehicles must yield the right of way to pedestrians standing at the entrance of or in crosswalks. To yield, vehicles must come to a complete stop and wait while pedestrians enter, cross and exit the crosswalk.
    • Drive within the posted speed limits for safety (trying to save a few extra seconds by speeding is not safe or smart and it can cost you a lot of money). Note speed limits are set based on ideal driving conditions so wet roads, heavy traffic or pedestrian presence warrants reducing speed below the posted limit.
    • If you see someone driving recklessly or if you experience “road rage”, call 911 immediately and report as many details of the reckless driving as possible such as the nature of the event, license plate number, make/model/color of vehicle, location, driver description, etc. Please do not chase or confront the driver.
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Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Newsletter – Fall 2019

The Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (TAPS) Committee has completed a survey of city sidewalks that includes sidewalk issues reported by our community residents. This survey resulted in the documentation of 80 significant city sidewalk safety issues with sidewalk mismatches noted up to 4.5 inches. The survey found significant sidewalk issues on 26 different streets in our community. A list of these documented mismatches was submitted to the City of Austin the week of Nov 11, 2019.

Our committee has been notified that a city official will be coming to our neighborhood in the near future to observe and confirm our noted sidewalk issues. We expect the city to repair these noted issues after an assessment and a written plan is developed to mitigate these issues. Our goal is to make the use of our city sidewalks safe for all pedestrians and to offer a safe alternative to jogging on our city streets, which is not only unsafe but also illegal when a sidewalk is available.

  • The CC HOA board has approved a 2020 budget that includes doubling the frequency of paid deputy constable patrols starting in January 2020 from one patrol every two weeks to one patrol every week. These patrols have been taking place since November 2018. This should result in further traffic calming and should promote awareness that traffic and pedestrian safety is a high priority in our community. These paid deputy constable patrols are in addition to patrols by other law enforcement agencies such as APD and Travis County Sheriff’s Department. On average, 3-4 vehicles are ticketed per patrol for speeding and other moving violations.
  • Many of you may have noticed two new radar speed signs (officially called “Dynamic Speed Display Devices or “DSDD’s”) installed on Chestnut Ridge Rd. These DSDD’s are temporary and will be removed after collecting speed data for around six weeks. After these DSDD’s are removed, Austin Transportation Dept (ATD) personnel will analyze and evaluate the data. Our TAPS committee and the HOA board will be given access to this data and a decision will likely be made by the 1st quarter of 2020 on whether future additional traffic calming measures are justified. The purchase and installation of two permanent DSDD’s on Chestnut Ridge Rd is one possible outcome. However, the TAPS committee and HOA board will solicit feedback from homeowners concerning issues such as acceptance and possible placement locations before proceeding with any additional DSDD’s.

Reminders:

  • Respect the right-of-way of pedestrians in our neighborhood
    Note: it is state law that vehicles must yield the right of way to pedestrians standing at the entrance of or in crosswalks. To yield, vehicles must come to a complete stop and wait while pedestrians enter, cross and exit the crosswalk.
  • Drive within the posted speed limits for safety (trying to save a few extra seconds by speeding is not safe or smart and it can cost you a lot of money). Note speed limits are set based on ideal driving conditions so wet roads, heavy traffic or pedestrian presence warrants reducing speed below the posted limit.
  • If you see someone driving recklessly or if you experience “road rage”, call 911 immediately and report why it was reckless and with as many details of the vehicle as you have such as license plate number, make/model/color of vehicle, location, driver description, etc. Please do not chase or confront the driver.

Page Revision History:

  • 2020-04-23 (jmw): Page moved to WordPress platform.

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TxDOT Presentation made at the Canyon Creek Town Hall Meeting on Sep 16, 2019

RM 620 CORRIDOR Refinement Study.

This presentation was made by Bruce Byron, Public Information Lead, of TxDOT and explains some plans for improving mobility on and around RM 620. The main takeaways from this presentation are:

  • The 620/2222 bypass road is planned for completion in late 2020 and will relieve some traffic congestion on both 620 and 2222 when completed
  • RM 620 is already stretched way beyond its original design vehicular capacity, especially near the 620/2222 intersection and the 620/Anderson Mill intersection
  • The 620/Anderson Mill Rd intersection improvement project is now funded and construction of an overpass is planned to start in late 2023 after engineering and purchase of right-of-way properties are completed

Page Revision History:

  • 2020-04-23 (jmw): Page moved to WordPress platform.
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Spring 2019 Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Newsletter

Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Newsletter Spring 2019

Link to PDF Version

 The Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (TAPS) Committee is working with the City of Austin to address the numerous sidewalk safety hazards. TAPS needs your help to identify specific uneven, mismatched, or broken sidewalk locations. Please report any specific sidewalk hazards to traffic@canyoncreek.net. Be sure to include the specific street address / location and nature of the hazard. After this list is compiled, the committee will formally request the city to repair the noted hazards. Note: The city will likely make temporary repairs first, followed later by a more permanent fix as city ATD crew schedules allow.

 The Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (TAPS) Committee is working with the City of Austin to address the numerous sidewalk safety hazards. TAPS needs your help to identify specific uneven, mismatched, or broken sidewalk locations. Please report any specific sidewalk hazards to traffic@canyoncreek.net. Be sure to include the specific street address / location and nature of the hazard. After this list is compiled, the committee will formally request the city to repair the noted hazards. Note: The city will likely make temporary repairs first, followed later by a more permanent fix as city ATD crew schedules allow.

 The Canyon Creek HOA board authorized paid patrols starting last year by off-duty Travis County deputy constables to provide and promote traffic calming and more awareness of traffic and pedestrian safety in our neighborhood. In addition, other law enforcement agencies, such as City of Austin police and Travis County Sheriff’s Department deputies patrol our community (they are not directly paid for by the CC HOA). Here are a few examples of what a traffic citation can cost you from Travis County:

  • +15 mph over posted 35 mph speed limit $257 ($107 court cost + $10/mph over)
  • +10 mph over posted 20 mph speed limit in a school zone $307 ($107 court costs + 20/mph over)
  • Failure to fully stop at a stop sign: $257

 The two radar speed signs (officially called DSDDs) installed on Boulder Lane are indeed calming traffic. There has been a noted general speed reduction according to actual recorded data provided by the city of Austin (ATD). The CC HOA board has allocated money for the possible addition of two new DSDDs to be installed on Chestnut Ridge sometime in 2020. In addition, the TAPS committee has recently made an official request to the Austin Traffic Department (ATD) to add our community to the waiting list for two temporary (mobile) DSDDs on Chestnut Ridge to collect data and determine if Chestnut Ridge is a candidate for future DSDDs. If these temporary mobile DSDDs are approved by ATD, it will likely be several months before actual availability and placement. The TAPS committee and the HOA board will canvas and solicit feedback from homeowners on Chestnut Ridge and surrounding streets concerning the desirability, acceptance, and possible locations of potential permanently installed DSDDs before any final decision is made on the purchase and installation of these additional units.

 The TAPS committee encourages children and adults to cross the streets near Canyon Creek Elementary School only at designated crosswalks whenever possible and specifically only at crosswalks that have crossing guards, when available. Crossing the streets at intersections without a crossing guard, when a guard is available, is discouraged for safety reasons.

 Reminders:

  • Respect the right-of-way of pedestrians in our neighborhood. Note: it is state law that vehicles must yield the right of way to pedestrians standing at the entrance of or in crosswalks. To yield, vehicles must come to a complete stop and wait while pedestrians enter, cross, and exit the crosswalk.
  • Drive within the posted speed limits for safety (trying to save a few extra seconds by speeding is not safe or smart, and it can cost you a lot of money). Note: speed limits are set based on ideal driving conditions, so wet roads, heavy traffic, or pedestrian presence warrants reducing speed below the posted limit.
  • If you see someone driving recklessly or if you experience “road rage”, call 911 immediately and report why the driving was reckless and with as many details of the vehicle as you have, such as license plate number, make/model/color of vehicle, location, driver description, etc. Please do not chase or confront the driver.
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Fall 2018 – Canyon Creek Neighborhood Pedestrian & Traffic Safety News

Traffic Safety Alert:

Drivers, slow down when approaching the crosswalks in Canyon Creek.

Prepare to stop for pedestrians crossing the street!

Neighborhood Pedestrian & Driver Safety Reminders:

• Respect the right-of-way of pedestrians throughout the entire neighborhood.

• Slow when approaching crosswalks and school zones and always look for pedestrians.

• Remember, there are children playing and walking throughout Canyon Creek.

• The speed limit along sections of Boulder, is 35 mph. At 35 mph, it takes 136 feet to come to a complete stop. There is a 50% chance of a severe injury if a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle at 31 mph, and there is a 25% chance of a fatal injury if a pedestrian is struck by a vehicle at 32 mph. So, drive carefully.

• It’s not cool to speed through a neighborhood, especially one which has children walking to school, going to bus stops, and biking to the parks. Drive cool, not fast.

• Set an example for the student drivers and others driving through the community. Drive at or below the speed limit and always yield to pedestrians.

• If you’re a parent of a student driver, remind them to drive responsibly.

• The best “power trip” is a fast jog or walk through the neighborhood, it’s not speeding or tailgating other drivers to pressure them to speed up.

• If you see someone driving recklessly or you experience road rage, call 911.

• Let’s work together to keep Canyon Creek safe and pedestrian friendly!

• Remember, we’re all in this neighborhood together. Be neighborly.

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Canyon Creek Traffic Safety Announcement

The CC HOA board has reviewed data provided by the Austin Transportation Dept (ATD) for the two radar speed units (formally called Dynamic Speed Display Unit or DSDD) installed in July on Boulder Lane. (see chart below) There is some good news and some quite shocking news. The good news is that average vehicular speed recorded on both the N. Boulder and S. Boulder radar speed units was 35 mph (in 35 mph posted zones). The shocking news is that there were 789 vehicles recorded on N. Boulder at speeds exceeding 45 mph and 15 vehicles exceeding 60 mph. One vehicle on N. Boulder was recorded at a speed of 73 mph. The data for S. Boulder was questionably better where 733 vehicles were recorded exceeding 45 mph and 9 vehicles were exceeding 60 mph. One vehicle on S. Boulder was recorded at 77 mph.  This is shocking and verifies what essentially all residents in Canyon Creek already knew: we have a significant and unacceptable traffic safety issue.

Canyon Creek Traffic Safety Announcement:

The CC HOA board is currently investigating options to provide further traffic calming such as requesting additional Austin police patrols and asks every driver in the community to make an effort to slow down to the posted speed limits. Additional police patrols alone will not fix this problem, it can only offer some degree of traffic calming. Traffic safety is even more important now that our schools are back in session and more children will be walking along Boulder and other neighborhood streets. Again, we ask that all residents in Canyon Creek do their part to help mitigate this traffic safety issue to prevent a vehicular tragedy from occurring.

Slow down, watch pedestrians, yield to those in crosswalks and stop for school bus loading and unloading on undivided streets.

The DSDD units will be left place and data will continue to be studied going forward in order to determine further actions by the appropriate authorities.

Please contact the Canyon Creek board at board@canyoncreek.net or the CC traffic safety group for questions or comments:

Randy Lawson: randylawson96@gmail.com

Dave Marshall: dave.marshall.austin@gmail.com

Mark Weaver: JMarkWeaver@gmail.com

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Update on Parke 27 Retail and Office Development on FM 620

Randy Lawson

At the Canyon Creek regular HOA board meeting on last Monday evening (May 14), a limited amount of time was devoted to discussing the planned new retail/office complex that will be located on the west side of FM 620, located essentially between the existing CVS at 620/2222 and the Home Depot near Vista Parke Dr. As previously reported, while this will bring some desirable new retail and other services to our community, this will have a significant potential impact on traffic congestion and traffic safety when completed. The HOA is carefully monitoring this planned development and has been in several meetings to date with both the developer rep’s as well as City of Austin staff. The developer has made a very significant concession at our request. Namely, that only right-in/right-out turns will be allowed into the three shopping center driveways planned to face FM 620. This will prevent left turns against oncoming traffic that will cause mayhem at peak traffic periods.

The following is a quick update on what is currently being planned for this retail/office center:

-Staybridge Suites (3-story hotel)
-Discount Tire Center
-CleanFreak car wash
-Playhouse Pre-School
-An unidentified bank
-An unidentified restaurant (3750 sq. ft.)
-Chick-Fil-A
-Starbucks
-Panda Express
-A four building retail office complex (approx. 100k sq. ft.)
-Various smaller retail shops

This development site plan is expected to be resubmitted to the city planners by mid-June 2018 with construction anticipated to start in 2019 after receiving city approvals. We will post future updates to the community on this development as newsworthy events take place.

Randy Lawson

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Traffic Safety Issues in Canyon Creek

Many Canyon Creek residents have expressed concerns over some noted traffic safety incidents in our community in recent weeks. The Canyon Creek HOA board would like to assure concerned residents that we have also noted speeding and other unsafe acts and we share those concerns. The HOA board has been actively investigating possible solutions to noted traffic issues. In a conversation this month with City of Austin traffic engineers, they have advised that the city will not be taking any applications or considering new traffic calming measures such as “speed humps” for the remainder of 2018 while they review and adopt possible new regulations. However, the HOA board is actively looking into other possible solutions such as permanently installed radar speed signs.

Radar speed signs will not totally cure the speeding and unsafe acts, but it has been proven in traffic studies that they do have a positive general effect in reducing speeding and promoting traffic safety. If installed, these radar speed signs will not take photos of vehicles passing by, but all of the data obtained by the on-board computer system will be available for the board to review and analyze. The board will be discussing this topic further at our regular board meeting next Monday the 14th at 7:00 p.m. at The Church at Canyon Creek (9001 N. FM 620). All community residents are invited to attend this regular board meeting and speak publicly to the board if so desired. Residents can always contact the board through at board@canyoncreek.net  on this or any other topic.

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CAMPO Update on RM 620 Improvement April 10, 2018

Here is an update on last night’s (4/09/2018) CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) meeting of the (TCB) Transportation Policy Board. There were many high powered board members present including:

  • CoA Mayor Steve Adler,
  • Dist 6 Council Rep Jimmy Flannigan,
  • Dist 10 Council Rep Alison Alter,
  • Dist 5 Council Rep Ann Kitchen,
  • Travco Judge Sarah Eckhardt,
  • Travco  Commissioner  
  • (Precinct 3) Gerald Daugherty,
  • Travco Commissioner (Precinct 2) Brigid Shea,
  • Cedar Park Mayor Matt Powell
  • Will Conley – TPB Chair
  • And others.

Speaking to the TCB board on behalf of road improvements for RM620 from US 183 down to Mansfield Dam were the following:

  • Myself (Randy Lawson) on behalf of Canyon Creek HOA,
  • Scott Crosby on behalf of River Place HOA,
  • Brian Thompto on behalf of Steiner Ranch (SRNA),
  • Morgan Briscoe on behalf of West Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Despite our heartfelt and rational arguments for the RM620 road improvement funding, the TCB has publicly announced that 34 projects have been recommended for funding approval for the 2019-2022 time frame and our RM620 project did not make the list.

Improvements to the south section of RM620 from Mansfield Dam down to SH71 did make the final recommendation list primarily because both the City of Lakeway and Bee Cave have offered to contribute $5 million each to the roadway improvement project, if approved.

I can provide more detailed info, including the list of recommended approved projects, if anyone cares to see it. While this is not the result we had hoped for, this ongoing RM620 road improvement project is more analogous to running a marathon rather than a 100 yard dash. It takes a lot of time, effort, and political persuading to make this happen, but we will not give up because of a temporary setback.

Randy Lawson