Travis County Commissioners Court
August 28, 2007
Item 32
>> 32, consider and take appropriate action on letter to Texas department of transportation regarding critical traffic and public safety issues on state highway 71 west and consider and take appropriate action on resolution requesting the Texas department of transportation to reduce the speed limit to fwhief miles per hour on specific sections of highway 71 west.
>> the draft letter you have before you are the recommendations that we made in the past and the same recommendations we handed to bob daigh Friday a week ago. So he's familiar with the request. And so this is just really a formal transmission of the documents to txdot and accompanying that is the attachment on all the recommendations that we received from the community for improvements to 71.
>> does the obligation to redact include information regarding phone numbers? We have crossed out the e-mail addresses, but I notice a couple of these had the phone number, didn't it? Do we know that? If so, let's let joe know because we can easily do that. But I move approval of a.
>> second.
>> and in my view the importance of that is that it should come from the Travis County Commissioners court. And joe, if you look about five or six pages from the back are the phone numbers that kind of jump with out.
>> I see.
>> discussion? All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. And on b that was simply the request that we ask txdot to consider reducing the speed limit to 55 miles per hour on b?
>> along stretches that have high incidents of accidents.
>> and development where we know some accidents are going to start occurring.
>> and I have a question about that that perhaps is a legal one. Are there legal impediments to txdot reducing the speed to 55 miles per hour? Is looks like there's a lot of hurdles one must jump through in order to get that reduction.
>> I'm david greer with tnr, traffic engineering. There are guidelines that txdot follows that allow for reductions in speed limits based on accidents and other factors. So there is an ability to do that, yes, there is.
>> do we have to wait until there are accidents and deaths before we suggest that they look at the speed limit wherever those elements are?
>> we don't have to wait for it to happen. We've asked them to reevaluate the speed limit and do a study. It can be based on limited sight distance, hill, valleys, no shoulders, all sort of thing like that. So it's not just accidents.
>> this is mostly coming from I think constituents that want us to ask for something that is practical more than anything. That's what they've asked. And it does make sense. It make sense for me and I think it makes sense to Margaret that there are obviously area where we have some severe issues. And I think txdot is going to look at them. I think it's part of our obligation and duty to ask because that's what people have asked us to do.
>> that's kind of the way that I feel that I've got the responsibility and at least a duty to ask that they look at the areas where there are developments, and especially schools. And right across -- del valle schools where the school bus crosses at that slight, who is to say that everybody be is going to stop at a red light, especially in Travis County. And that I'd rather not wait until there's an accident. So when you asked about 71, but you didn't ask about 71 west where there's a school and there's a bus -- buses that cross in. So to me it kind of makes sense to ask for them to look at all these areas.
>> txdot will get its engineers to look at this anyway, right?
>> right, they will. And they have very specific guidelines they follow.
>> some give more flexibility than others and we would expect them to do the best they can and they've committed to do that anyway.
>> they've been doing that probably since the first time that we've talked. They probably are pretty soon to have the stu results for us.
>> I would like to throw down a marker and if they come down and say they can't do it for some statutory reason, I think we should ask that for our wish list for the next legislative session. I'll throw down a marker on that.
>> move approval?
>> second.
>> that's b.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. Thank you very much.
>> and here's too, do we think it's important to ask chairman krusee or senator watson -- at least send them a copy to keep them in the loop so they know what we're asking to the to do.
>> the Travis County delegation?
>> the Travis County delegation.
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Last Modified:
Wednesday, August 29, 2007, 18:30 AM