TxDot hosts roundabout meetings in Kyle, San Marcos

1. http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/san-marcos-buda-kyle/TxDOT-hosts-roundabout-meeting-in-Kyle/

2. Category of Issue: Transportation/Roads

3. Level of Problem/Issue: Local

4. Article Concerns: This is a potential policy/plan being considered to remedy the current traffic flow that drivers face in Kyle and San Marcos, TX: Roundabout intersection vs. Signalized Light intersection.

5. Importance/affect on families/individuals: Many of the smaller cities surrounding Austin are going through a period of exponential growth. The residents and policy makers are now being challenged with what decisions to make in order to most economically deal with the outcomes of rapid change/growth. Transportation is a hot topic in central Texas because our roadways are filling up and new construction projects are needed in order to absorb this growth. Families and individuals (in particular commuters) will be impacted by any new improvements made to local streets and interstates.

6. Personal Input/View: I personally feel that roundabouts have served a purpose for roadways in Europe since the beginning of modernized history. Reasons for their continued use could be attributed to their time saving design, ease of installation, and interesting aesthetic appeal. The people of Kyle and San Marcos who do have concerns have voiced they are worried about providing adequate walking conditions to pedestrians (especially around the new ACC campus), the higher speed of traffic flow, confusion (to drivers), and the financial economics of the policy/decision. It has been estimated that there are higher upfront costs to constructing a roundabout compared to a signalized light intersection; however the cost is lower long term when maintenance over time is taken into account. I feel that a roundabout is a much better alternative for the cities of Kyle and San Marcos, just looking at the sheer facts about safety for families and residents. When assessing the conflict points of an intersection with standard signalized lighting, a driver has the potential of 32 conflict points. When assessing the conflict points of an intersection with a roundabout, a driver has the potential of only 8 conflict points. I think its important to weigh the pros and cons and most importantly, for the cities to listen to the concerns of its tax payers and take them into account when devising a plan. This project isnt estimated to be under construction until December 2016. By that time, I feel families will be clamoring to have any improvements made in effort to speed up their traveling time amidst the population growth.