BrykerWoods Neighborhood

Traffic Calming Update - 04/29/08 meeting notes

The traffic associated problem areas of the neighborhood were grouped into 3 final groups of priority focus. These groups were placed on the planning area neighborhood map along with EMS and fire truck routes. Important to note that the emergency “first response” routes happen to be on corridors placed in the highest priority grouping. The city also finally presented a “Download city_tc_proposal_draft_one.pdf ” of potential traffic calming for our neighborhood. This first draft only focused the highest priority grouping of neighborhood roads and because many of these roads are first response routes, the only means of traffic calming used on the first draft were speed cushions. The only traffic calming devise permissible on first response routes are speed cushions – the cushions are designed so that the axles of ambulances and fire trucks traverse the speed cushion. Another reason an initial “speed cushion” draft was presented is that speed cushions do not require parking restrictions unlike some of the other traffic calming techniques. In short, the initial city proposal is a proposal of the least “intrusive” traffic calming devices. Further, the initial proposal is a FIRST DRAFT and NOT final. So at this time neighborhood representatives are meeting with their groups to see how the initial city proposal is received and explore possible alternatives for non first response routes. Such alternatives include modification of existing intersections to improve pedestrian safety (e.g. Wooldridge and 29^th Street intersection.) As always, please let your neighborhood area representative know should you have traffic calming concerns/ideas - see the map and listing of neighborhood traffic calming representatives. More detailed information on the BrykerWoods & Pemberton traffic calming initiative (including methodology, FAQ’s and the ultimate neighborhood voting process) maybe found at our neighborhood traffic calming website! http://www.trafficcalmingproject.org Everything you wanted to know and more.

Traffic Calming Update - 04/08/08 meeting notes

We are still in the identifying problem stage. Seventy 75 traffic associated problems were identified for the neighborhood planning area. The problems ranged from speeding, running stop signs, “blind” corners, unsafe pedestrian crossings etc. Categorizations were made and the items out of traffic calming scope (e.g. running stop signs) were placed on another action item list. The remaining traffic related problems, were placed into 2 general tiers (“must have” and “desired”) both being addressed with various solutions explored in earnest. The solution identifying stage will be coming soon (the part we are ALL waiting for) – perhaps at the next meeting scheduled for April 29th. The group is anxiously awaiting on the recommendations from the traffic engineers given the problems the group has identified. Once the suggestions have been made by the traffic engineers, the group of neighborhood representatives will begin tailoring to what the neighborhood thinks will be the most viable traffic calming plan proposal.

Regarding the area of BrykerWoods west of Jefferson (representative Edward Tasch) – the intersections of Northwood & Jefferson, 29th & Jefferson and 34th & Jefferson all received tier one status. Oakmont & 34th received a tier two status. The parking issues around 34th & Oakmont are out of scope for this traffic calming initiative (parking enforcement is to be notified/reminded of this problem area) and improvement to the pedestrian crossing of Jefferson at 34th is to be explored with another neighborhood initiative.

Edward Tasch will update when traffic calming solutions are presented and explored for the area of BrykerWoods west of Jefferson. As always, please let your neighborhood area representative know should you have traffic calming concerns/ideas - see the map and listing of neighborhood traffic calming representatives.

More detailed information on the BrykerWoods & Pemberton traffic calming initiative (including methodology, FAQ’s and the ultimate neighborhood voting process) maybe found at our neighborhood traffic calming website! http://www.trafficcalmingproject.org Everything you wanted to know and more.

BrykerWoods Traffic Calming Initiative (update)

BrykerWoods neighborhood residents, the traffic calming task force will be meeting next week. Please see link below to learn more of the project and learn who your neighborhood representative. I am the BrykerWoods representative for parts the the neighborhood WEST of Jefferson Ave. Please let me know if you have any particular traffic concerns for this part of the neighborhood. If you have traffic concerns for other parts of BrykerWoods, please refer to the http://www.trafficcalmingproject.org website to learn how to contact your neighborhood contact.

Website --> http://www.trafficcalmingproject.org

Thanks and best regards,
Edward A. Tasch
voice/fax 512.478.1337
http://www.BrykerWoods.org

Neighborhood Traffic Calming Initiative

Folks, the web site is up: http://www.trafficcalmingproject.org.

Briefly, the site is intended to be a resource for objective information and announcements
about the traffic calming project. It is not a pulpit for advocating or defeating traffic calming
in our neighborhood. By keeping the web site neutral, we can give everyone a fair chance to
digest all the available facts and make their own decisions. I also hope that keeping the web
site neutral will lend our working group some credibility.

We also have a newsgroup, the "Project Forum". That is where you can go to express your
own opinions about our traffic problems and how we should solve them. There is a link from
the web site to the Project Forum. Anyone with an Internet connection can read what is
posted there, but only those who have registered with the newsgroup can add their own
posts.

Thanks so much to Edward Tasch and Elizabeth Cash for all their help in getting the site up
on a aggressive schedule.

Best Regards,
Bill Smith
1509 Northwood

Initial Traffic Calming meeting notes

Initial Traffic Calming meeting notes courtesy of Elizabeth Cash.

Gordon Derr and Alan Hughes from the City ran the initial general meeting on Dec. 11th. We are the #1 neighborhood for traffic calming based on our having the worst volume and speed problems in Austin. Traffic calming can be done only on residential streets with more than 300 vehicle trips/day.

See a data sample of Central West Austin map of 24 hour traffic count. Download traffic_count_data.pdf

At this meeting, a Working Group was formed of 10 neighbors and 10 alternates drawn from various sectors of the neighborhood. Data is being collected both from neighbors and from various engineering studies. That data will be provided to the Working Goup, which will meet 4 to 6 times. They will devise a plan, which will be represented on a map and as a narrative. The plan will be mailed to every household and entity in the traffic calming area for a yes/no vote on the plan in its entirety. If 60% of the respondents approve, the plan passes. Then there will be an open house to showcase the plan. Then temporary traffic calming devices will be installed, followed by permanent devices. A post-traffic calming study is done to make sure there are no unintended results.

Traffic calming devices:
1. Speed cushions (different from speed bumps).
2. Medians.
3. Traffic circles.
4. Chicanes. These are bulges coming out from the curbs along the street in an alternating manner, so that cars must drive down the road going back and forth. Converts runway type roads to undulating S type roads.
5. Partial street closures. Traffic can go in or out but not the opposite.
6. Diagonal diverters. Takes a 4-way intersection and barricades it along the diagonal, re-routing traffic.
7. Permanent installations to indicate speed. The city did not present this as an option but some neighbors asked about it and the city said it is possible but expensive.

Note: 4-way stop signs may not be installed unless certain TxDOT requirements are met. These aren’t really traffic calming measures.

The first Working Group meeting has not yet been set.

Traffic Calming for BrykerWoods (first meeting Dec. 11th)

The city of Austin has selected the BrykerWoods and Pemberton Heights neighborhoods as a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Project Area!

The goal of the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program is to enhance the quality of neighborhoods through the implementation of techniques that will reduce speeding and cut-through traffic problems on residential streets.

The first general and introductory meeting where city staff will present traffic calming techniques, project timeline, and process will be Wednesday evening 6:30pm December 11th at the Senior Activity Center on Shoal Crest (29th and Lamar.) Also at this meeting a volunteer working group of neighborhood residents will be created – this group will develop the traffic calming program with the assistance from city staff during the next several months.

A letter from the City was sent last week to every household in BrykerWoods and Pemberton Heights regarding this traffic calming initiative. Also included with the letter was a survey, asking for opinions about areas of the neighborhood experiencing traffic issues. Please bring this survey completed to the meeting Wednesday evening 6:30pm December 11th.

Download the letter Download 112607_traffic_calming_ltr_and_survey.pdf sent to neighborhood residents with survey. And learn more about the City of Austin Traffic Calming program at http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/roadworks/toolbox.htm

Formal Appeal to the City's Traffic Calming Department (archived content)

Request made to help slow & control MoPAC cut-through traffic

The BrykerWoods Neighborhood Association has formally requested to be evaluated for a potential traffic-calming project. Our neighborhood was a final candidate last year in the city’s list of neighborhoods eligible for traffic calming initiatives; BrykerWoods finished 2nd place (right behind the CherryWood neighborhood).

The BrykerWoods neighborhood continues to be hammered with cut-through traffic, with most of the traffic stemming from MOPAC. And when the neighborhood streets are not packed with rush hour traffic, the cut-through traffic frequently travels at high rates of speed directly through the heart of the neighborhood. The BrykerWoods neighborhood is also quite concerned about the additional loads (and speeds!) of cut-through traffic accessing MOPAC on the neighborhood streets resulting from the University Neighborhood Overlay development plan.

Read the letter [PFD 76k] sent to the City of Austin's Traffic Calming Department and click here to learn more about BrykerWood's traffic problems.