Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety Newsletter - Fall 2019

  • The Canyon Creek Traffic and Pedestrian Safety (TAPS) Committee has completed a survey of city sidewalks that includes sidewalk issues reported by our community residents. This survey resulted in the documentation of 80 significant city sidewalk safety issues with sidewalk mismatches noted up to 4.5 inches. The survey found significant sidewalk issues on 26 different streets in our community. A list of these documented mismatches was submitted to the City of Austin the week of Nov 11, 2019. Our committee has been notified that a city official will be coming to our neighborhood in the near future to observe and confirm our noted sidewalk issues. We expect the city to repair these noted issues after an assessment and a written plan is developed to mitigate these issues. Our goal is to make the use of our city sidewalks safe for all pedestrians and to offer a safe alternative to jogging on our city streets, which is not only unsafe but also illegal when a sidewalk is available.

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Typical Sidewalk Safety Issue (Mismatch) in CC

 

  • The CC HOA board has approved a 2020 budget that includes doubling the frequency of paid deputy constable patrols starting in January 2020 from one patrol every two weeks to one patrol every week. These patrols have been taking place since November 2018. This should result in further traffic calming and should promote awareness that traffic and pedestrian safety is a high priority in our community. These paid deputy constable patrols are in addition to patrols by other law enforcement agencies such as APD and Travis County Sheriff’s Department. On average, 3-4 vehicles are ticketed per patrol for speeding and other moving violations.

 

  • Many of you may have noticed two new radar speed signs (officially called “Dynamic Speed Display Devices or “DSDD’s”) installed on Chestnut Ridge Rd. These DSDD’s are temporary and will be removed after collecting speed data for around six weeks. After these DSDD’s are removed, Austin Transportation Dept (ATD) personnel will analyze and evaluate the data. Our TAPS committee and the HOA board will be given access to this data and a decision will likely be made by the 1st quarter of 2020 on whether future additional traffic calming measures are justified. The purchase and installation of two permanent DSDD’s on Chestnut Ridge Rd is one possible outcome. However, the TAPS committee and HOA board will solicit feedback from homeowners concerning issues such as acceptance and possible placement locations before proceeding with any additional DSDD’s.

 

Reminders:

    • Respect the right-of-way of pedestrians in our neighborhood
      Note: it is state law that vehicles must yield the right of way to pedestrians standing at the entrance of or in crosswalks. To yield, vehicles must come to a complete stop and wait while pedestrians enter, cross and exit the crosswalk.

    • Drive within the posted speed limits for safety (trying to save a few extra seconds by speeding is not safe or smart and it can cost you a lot of money). Note speed limits are set based on ideal driving conditions so wet roads, heavy traffic or pedestrian presence warrants reducing speed below the posted limit.

    • If you see someone driving recklessly or if you experience “road rage”, call 911 immediately and report why it was reckless and with as many details of the vehicle as you have such as license plate number, make/model/color of vehicle, location, driver description, etc. Please do not chase or confront the driver.