Some city of West Lake Hills staffers and residents who are part of a subcommittee are gauging what kind of traffic-calming measures citizens would like to see implemented on Redbud Trail.
Following a request by citizens in March, West Lake Hills City Council formed the subcommittee along with several citizens to study traffic patterns on the roadway and conducted a traffic study. The study showed 78 percent of vehicles tracked in an 11-day period were speeding on Redbud.
At the July 13 council meeting, Council Member Darin Walker said the study tracked 9,649 vehicles—approximately 1,136 vehicles per weekday and 517 vehicles during the weekend—at two locations on Redbud, with some vehicles exceeding 60 mph.
Council Member Jim O’Connor said about 78 percent, or 7,526 vehicles, exceeded the posted 25 mph speed limit. About 5 percent of the traffic, or 572 vehicles, exceeded 35 miles per hour, he said.
Subcommittee member Mieko Akutsu, a resident whose home is located on Redbud, said the study showed 97 vehicles driving between 45 and 84 mph.
“At those speeds, it only takes one accident to seriously injure or maim somebody, or actually kill them,” she said.
Subcommittee members plan to go door-to-door to alert area residents of the citizen survey that questions residents’ concern for the volume and speed of traffic on the road, whether citizens are interested in traffic-calming measures and what kind of measures should be taken, Akutsu said.
City Administrator Robert Wood said the survey is open until Aug. 14 and is limited to those who live on or near Redbud Trail. He said he expects survey results to be shared at the Aug. 24 City Council meeting.
Council member Brian Plunkett also drafted suggested resident guidelines and procedures for requesting traffic-calming measures. He said residents of several neighborhoods—including those on North Peak Road and Westlake Drive —have approached City Council in the past asking for a change in the speed limit on these roads. The draft provides a suggested list of procedures for residents to follow when seeking traffic-calming measures—including identifying the traffic problem, approaching City Council, forming a traffic study and initiating a citizen survey.
“We just thought it was good to try to make the process uniform,” Mayor Linda Anthony said.
Requesting traffic-calming Measures
West Lake Hills City Council has been approached numerous times in recent years by citizens requesting traffic-calming measures in their neighborhoods. Here is the council’s suggested guidelines and procedures for these types of requests.
1. Residents identify a speeding/cut-through problem 2. Residents contact the city manager and request to add the item to an upcoming City Council agenda 3. If City Council chooses to study the issue further, a subcommittee is created 4. A survey is conducted of all residents along the specified section of roadway to determine the level of interest 5. If there is enough neighborhood interest, a traffic study may be conducted 6. The subcommittee creates a proposal with requested changes and locations of signs, speed cushions, or other aids 7. The city planner creates a formal proposal, typically using an engineering firm 8. The subcommittee reviews the proposal 9. The proposal is distributed to affected residents and posted to the city website 10. The proposal is presented to City Council 11. City Council decides to accept, reject or modify the proposal 12. City staff implements approved actions if approved by City Council
