CC71 - Citizens for Change on 71

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SH71 Travis County Commissioners Court Recommendations
Thursday August 30th 2007

August 28th, 2007

Robert B. Daigh, P.E.
District Engineer
Texas Department of Transportation
P.O. Drawer 15426
Austin, Texas 78761-5426

Re: SH 71 suggested improvements

Dear Mr. Daigh:

State Highway 71 from Oak Hill west to the Travis County line is a high-speed suburban roadway with many hills and curves. The combination of high speeds, hills, and curves have created a large volume of accidents along SH71, and these accidents are of dire concern to the Travis County Commissioners Court and to citizens who use this highway.

Travis County held a public hearing on August 7th, 2007 to receive constituent comments and hear staff recommendations for improving SH71, and staff has met with your office to present these findings. This letter is the County’s official request for TxDOT to evaluate the staff recommended improvements listed below and the compilation of constituent comments listed in Attachment “A”.

Travis County engineers have evaluated the location, intensity, and causes of these accidents and has prepared a list of recommended improvements to SH71 that could possibly mitigate the occurrence of these accidents. The recommendations are broken out into “short term”, “mid term”, and “long term” improvements. These improvements are as follows:

SHORT TERM IMPROVEMENTS: 0-3 years

1.) Restripe the double yellow centerline and white edgelines with profile edgeline markings. Profile edgeline markings are thermoplastic pavement markings with a 1" raised bump spaced every 12". This will warn errant vehicles or drivers who fall asleep, etc. that they are crossing the double yellow or the white edgeline and would allow them to correct their path before colliding with oncoming vehicles, or losing control when their right wheels fall off the pavement. When vehicle wheels drive over this marking, the bumps in the stripe create a high-pitched whine and/or vibrating noise. These profile edgeline markings can be found on several other state highways throughout the region.

2.) Re-pave sections of the roadway with a porous friction course that increases friction and prevents oils and water from sitting on top of the pavement. Water and oil filters through the porous asphalt down to the older asphalt layer and then runs off to the sides. This could be for the entire length of the roadway or just concentrated in locations where we have high numbers of wet pavement accidents. This is also a common application found on several other state highways throughout the region.

3.) Install additional Speed Measuring and Display Devices (SMADD's) at problematic locations. These are signs that can measure the traffic speeds and display that speed on a LED display right above the posted speed limit sign. There is already one of these for eastbound traffic on SH71 between Bee Creek and Hamilton Pool Road. The SMADD can be programmed to flash when speeds reach predetermined amounts (ie: 15mph over the speed limit), can collect speed data for analysis, and if legislation is ever approved, could be used for automated speed enforcement similar to the automated systems for red light enforcement.

4.) Install traffic signals at SH71/ Southwest Parkway, and at SH71/ Covered Bridge.

5.) Reduce the speed limit from 65mph to 55mph from Bob Wire Road to Pace Bend Park Road. This is the section where TxDOT has converted the 4 lane section into the 3 lane section with a continuous left turn lane. There is a higher concentration of accidents in this section of SH71, and is also the section with the highest posted speed limits. TxDOT may not have re-evaluated the speed limits after the 4-lane to 3-lane conversion.

MID TERM IMPROVEMENTS: 3-7 years

1.) Add a continuous left turn lane and 10' shoulders for the entire length.
2.) If bridge structures render this improvement cost prohibitive, then bring the road back to the original cross-section at the bridge structures, but continue the left turn lane for all other locations.
3.) Install deceleration lanes for right turns at all arterial intersections and intersections with limited sight distances, and/or high accident rates involving rear-end collisions.

LONG TERM IMPROVEMENTS: 7+ years

1.) Reconstruct portions of the roadway in order to mitigate the limited sight distances created by the crests, valleys, and curves. Alignments should be based on 70mph design speeds. This would involve cutting into hills, filling some crests, and removing the sharp curves in the roadway.
2.) Provide a 30' grass median between opposing lanes of traffic in sections were feasible.
3.) Create grade separation intersections at Thomas Springs, Southwest Parkway, Bee Caves Road, RM 620, Hamilton Pool Road, and Bee Creek.
4.) Construct direct connect ramps at Southwest Parkway, Bee Caves and RM 620.

Travis County has also requested roadway improvement suggestions and insight from constituents who drive SH71 on a daily bases. This list of constituent recommendations and insight can be seen in attachment “A” of this letter.

Please review all information enclosed and evaluate the effectiveness of all recommended improvements. We appreciate any and all feedback that your department can provide the County and it’s constituents with regards to these improvements and insight.