The City’s Barton Springs Road Safety Project Works. Where Should It Go Next?

Improving Barton Springs Road Safety

In response to a history of severe car accidents, including a stunning accident in 2022 that injured 10 people, the City of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department embarked on a one-year safety pilot on Barton Springs Road, one of the city’s most frequented streets by cyclists and pedestrians alike. The project’s primary goal was to achieve a safer section of the roadway by narrowing the road to one car lane in each direction between Azie Morton Road and South Lamar Boulevard, amplifying the physical security of bike lanes in the area, and introducing several other pedestrian-friendly modifications. All these efforts were aimed at ensuring the road became a safer place without significantly disrupting the flow of traffic.

Pilot Success

Firsthand observations of Barton Springs Road, along with the general observation that road diet projects tend to serve their purpose effectively, have borne out these expectations. New insights are expected with the recent release of a mid-pilot report from the Transportation and Public Works Department. The report not only highlights the positive impact of these infrastructure changes but also sheds light on the growing public support for the modifications, especially given that their effectiveness is now evident.

Data Backing the Success

A comprehensive data analysis carried out with traditional tube counters and Dynamic Speed Display Devices has revealed a significant 64-73% drop in high-risk speeding, translating into more than 470 fewer people driving at 10 mph over the speed limit each day compared to pre-pilot data. Median speeds now hover 1-4 mph lower compared to levels recorded before the pilot project implementation. The pilot project also led to a decrease in crashes, with two reported crashes in the first six months (with one attributed to illegal parking and the other to an impaired driver), well below the six crashes predicted from pre-pilot data.

Impact on Travel Times

According to the mid-pilot report, travel times through the pilot region are nearly identical to those from the previous year, regardless of slight increases in queue lengths at signaled intersections. The variations range between 2.8 minutes and 3.5 minutes. Of the six travel periods studied on Barton Springs Road, three recorded a drop in travel times, while one remained steady, and the remaining westbound and eastbound morning peak periods saw a limited surge of only 4-8 seconds.

Where to Next?

With the evident success of the pilot project on Barton Springs Road, the big question is: where should the city implement this approach next? South First Street, lined with delightful shops and restaurants but challenging to navigate without a car, seems a prime candidate. Implementing Barton Springs-style improvements along the stretch between Gibson and Oltorf Streets could help curtail the five severe injuries and one unfortunate fatality recorded over the past four years. The primary upgrade might entail the introduction of protected bike lanes and a reduction in vehicle lanes from two to one in each direction.

With the continued success of implementing ‘road diet’ projects, it is only a matter of time before more of Austin’s roads become safer and better adapted to the needs of all road users.