Austin Transportation and Public Works recently completed safety and transit improvements along the Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Springdale Road and Heflin Lane intersection, holding a ribbon-cutting Feb. 25 to celebrate the completed improvements.
The action taken
According to TPW, the improvements:
- Added a dedicated northbound left-turn bay on Springdale Road
- Converted Heflin Lane to right-in/right-out only to reduce conflict points
- Relocated and upgraded CapMetro bus stops
- Added raised bike lanes, restriped high-visibility crosswalks and new shared-use paths
Why it matters
TPW Assistant Director Anna Martin said there were 77 crashes between 2019 and 2023 along this intersection, including four serious injuries, three of which involved pedestrians.
"These crashes cost our community over $16.5 million in medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering," Martin said. "Our safety analysis that we initiated back in 2022 showed things like uncontrolled driveway access, limited visibility and driver confusion at Heflin Lane were some of the contributing factors. ... These changes help streamline signal timing and reduce vehicular delays overall at MLK and Springdale."
Something to note
Martin said the project's design began in 2022, and construction broke ground in June 2025.
The project was funded by the city of Austin's 2020 Mobility Bond and is part of Vision Zero, a citywide initiative to reduce the number of people hurt or killed by traffic accidents to zero.
According to TPW, the program has completed major intersection safety projects at over 20 intersections across the city since 2016. In 2025, TPW officials said analysis showed that these projects have reduced serious injury and fatal crashes by 22% and reduced comprehensive crash costs by $28.5 million.
