Austin reports 17% fewer crashes on Barton Springs Road since safety pilot

AUSTIN (KXAN) — More than a year after crews began work on the Barton Springs Road Safety Pilot in Austin, new data reveals the reconfiguration led to a 17% reduction in total crashes along the corridor.

Vision Zero will present its pilot findings to the Austin Mobility Committee at its meeting Thursday. City transportation officials also released a more robust report this month, breaking down data related to the project.

The analysis found there were no reported fatalities or serious injuries along the project corridor since work began on the pilot last August, along with a "substantial reduction" in dangerous speeding along the roadway. Prior to the pilot, there was an average of 12 crashes per 12 months within the project corridor that resulted in a crash report; afterwards, that number dropped 17%, down to an average of 10 crashes in the year timespan resulting in a report.

Prior to the project's installation, city data estimated 738 drivers each day were driving 10 or more miles per hour above the posted speed limit. Following the project's installation, that number dropped to an average of 264 drivers a day.

City transportation officials conducted a survey to gain insight into residents' reactions to the pilot earlier this year. Among more than 1,600 people surveyed, more than 70% said they supported or somewhat supported the pilot.

That followed a community engagement period held prior to the pilot's installation. In June 2023, 36% of people surveyed said they felt very or somewhat comfortable using Barton Springs Road. Following the pilot's installation in May 2024, that response rate grew to 66% saying they were very or somewhat comfortable navigating the roadway.

When looking at vehicular traffic patterns, officials found the pilot project did result in longer queues at traffic signals as expected, but overall average travel times remained similar along the project corridor. The report found two of the six travel periods studied along the roadway found a reduction of travel times after the pilot, while the westbound and eastbound morning peak traffic and westbound evening peak travel increased between five seconds and nine seconds.

Moving forward, city transportation experts said they are transitioning the pilot to a "more permanent state." They added they are looking to tweak signal timing to "optimize motor vehicle operations," as well as improve physical protections for bike lanes.

The 12-month pilot recap analysis did note a slight increase in the annual average of non-severe cyclist crashes, with Vision Zero officials attributing that to "increased exposure."

Other improvements to come include advancing multimodal safety and mobility access at the Barton Springs Road and South Lamar Boulevard intersection, and working with the Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS on emergency operations along the stretch.

The Austin Mobility Committee meeting will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, with streaming of the meeting available online.