In 2015, Austin hit a record high in road deaths: 102. In the two subsequent years, things have improved, with 79 and 76 people perishing in 2016 and 2017, respectively. By the beginning of December, 69 had died this year on Austin’s highways and roads. The improvement is not nearly good enough, said Laura Dierenfield, […]
Vision Zero
Posted inTransportation
When roads are built to prioritize cars, pedestrians are often faulted for getting hit
Part 3 of a three-part series A driver hit and killed Judy Romano’s son, Barry Friedman, while he was walking in Austin two years ago. According to the police report, Friedman tried to cross East Parmer Lane just before 6 a.m. on July 9, 2016. The driver said Friedman was in the crosswalk even though […]
Posted inTransportation
Housing Austin’s homeless will reduce road deaths, but that will require a big investment
Part 2 of a three-part series Mike Villegas learned his oldest child had died on Christmas Eve 2016. Villegas said he was doing work around the house with his 12-year-old son. When he went out to the front yard, he noticed a police car parked outside the house. “I knew immediately that this was not […]
Posted inTransportation
Two years after Vision Zero, when will Austin streets be safer for pedestrians?
Before he was killed, 14-year-old Alexei Bauereis had quit the backyard stunts like jumping from trees onto roofs and downhill skateboarding that defined his childhood. He was saving his legs for ballet. “Dance was so important to him,” said Eric Bauereis, Alexei’s dad. Just past 10 p.m. on June 7, 2016, a driver hit and […]
Posted inReporters' Notebook
Reporter’s Notebook: Zero vision
More, no doubt, to come… As we all well know, the second draft of CodeNEXT was released Friday. As usual, it’s a dense tome that land use enthusiasts studied in earnest over the weekend, and will continue to study in the weeks to come. However, we were gifted some initial impressions from local groups and […]
Posted inTransportation
Vision Zero reports detail progress; crash data mostly unchanged
A pair of documents delivered to city officials last week show that the plan to eliminate all Austin traffic deaths and serious accidents by 2025 is proceeding, and this year’s accident data suggests the effort hasn’t moved the needle in terms of reducing fatal accidents. The two reports – the Vision Zero Report Card and […]
Posted inTransportation
Pedestrian Safety Action Plan open for public comment
Austin’s road to eliminating traffic deaths will involve more planning and at least one new tool in the toolbox according to the draft version of the Pedestrian Safety Action Plan. The document – itself a recommendation of the Vision Zero Action Plan adopted by City Council more than a year ago – provides 21 recommendations […]
Posted inTransportation
City boosts traffic enforcement in areas with high crash rates
Austin officials are boosting roadway safety enforcement as part of the city’s Vision Zero Action Plan, which aims to eliminate by 2025 car crashes that kill and severely injure people. The Austin Police Department and the Austin Transportation Department kicked off an initiative yesterday called Vision Zero in Action, which includes additional enforcement of traffic […]
Posted inTransportation
Highways and interstates a top priority for pedestrian safety plan
Austin appears to have had some early success in recovering from an all-time high in road fatalities in 2015, with 76 in 2016 compared to 102 the year prior. But reaching zero fatalities and serious injuries by 2025 remains the city’s goal, which local planners say will require analyzing huge amounts of data and implementing […]
Posted inRoads
Council members consider ways to lower neighborhood speed limits
Testimony included talk of a birthday. “Ben turned 10 on Monday at a rehabilitation facility in Dallas,” Kathy Sokolic told members of the City Council Mobility Committee on Wednesday. As we’ve chronicled before, a car hit Sokolic’s nephew, Ben, outside his home in the Mueller neighborhood in September. He survived, but his injuries have left […]
Posted inTransportation
Six months in, Vision Zero focuses on pedestrian safety
Holding back tears, Kathy Sokolic told roughly 30 people seated outside City Hall the story of a bruised heart. “On the evening of Sept. 12, our 9-year-old,” began Sokolic, before pausing to gather herself. “Our 9-year-old nephew, Ben, was hit by a truck on the residential street just feet from his home.” Ben survived – […]
Posted inTransportation
In a city with many fatal car crashes, what will a $720 million bond do for road safety?
One hundred and two people died on Austin’s roads last year – the most in the city’s recorded history. There was the young woman killed around 5 a.m. while walking on the Interstate 35 frontage road; the 55-year-old unnamed bicyclist hit by a truck on Brodie Lane. Austin voters are now being asked to approve […]