The gist
Assistant City Engineer Carly Farmer presented the plan to New Braunfels City Council Dec. 9 after receiving a petition from residents citing safety concerns near Seele Elementary School, Landa Park and nearby baseball fields.
The plan includes installing speed humps at four locations along Wood Road at an estimated cost of $32,000, which is included in the city’s fiscal year 2024-25 budget.
Wood Road connects Walnut Avenue and Fredericksburg Road and is a shortcut for drivers avoiding the traffic signal at the Walnut Avenue and Landa Street intersection, Farmer said.
The breakdown
Traffic data collected in May 2024 revealed an 85th percentile speed of 32 mph on the road, exceeding typical speeds for similar streets in the city, according to Farmer.
Additionally, the daily traffic volume was measured at 1,502 vehicles, surpassing the 1,000 vehicles per day design limit for a local residential street.
Under the city's current speed hump policy, the 85th percentile speed must be at least 5 mph over the posted speed limit of 30 mph for speed humps to be recommended.
While the speed doesn’t meet the policy's threshold, the traffic volume and safety concerns led to the staff’s recommendation.
Who it’s for
During the public hearing, several Wood Road residents spoke about the need for traffic calming measures due to ongoing issues with speeding and reckless driving.
“We just need something to slow this traffic down,” said TJ Sheridan, a resident of Wood Road.
Sue Calvert, a resident since 2001, agreed with the concerns expressed by her neighbors. “I don't like walking down Wood Road anymore,” Calvert said. “Sometimes it terrifies me, the thought of [drivers] taking my dog out just because she's a couple feet away from me."
Ashley Buchanan, another Wood Road resident, shared a personal experience with reckless driving. “My husband's car got totaled, parked in front of our house by a drunk driver going at an unknown speed,” Buchanan said. “The driver hit my husband's car so hard that it bent the frame six inches. What if that was a person?”
What’s next
Farmer explained that as part of the street safety action plan, city officials are working on drafting a new speed management policy with updated criteria to better address speeding issues on residential streets.
The new policy will be reviewed and voted on by the council at a future meeting.
“We're trying to open up our options, but sometimes speed humps are the best option that we can go with,” Farmer said.
If approved, the speed humps will be installed, and residents can expect a reduction in speeding and cut-through traffic, which could also affect traffic patterns on other nearby streets.
