Austin Lowers Speed Limits to Increase Traffic Safety

It's not quite citywide speed limit reductions that some Vision Zero cities are implementing, but the city of Austin has approved a suite of speed limit changes.

1 minute read

September 22, 2019, 9:00 AM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Austin

Andrew Nourse / Flickr

"The Austin City Council approved a round of speed limit changes, the latest tangible sign of the city’s efforts to make streets safer," reports Samuel King.

"The streets selected are mostly what the city classifies as Level 3 roadways or arterials," explains King. The changes, listed specifically in the article, involve a variety of new speed limits, with new speed limits posted at anywhere from 35 mph to 50 mph.  

"More rounds of speed limit changes are planned as the Austin Transportation Department continues to implement its new speed management program," as part of the city's Vision Zero initiative, according to King.

In 2016, speed limit news in Austin involved the need to overcome state preemption to implement actual speed reductions on city streets.

Thursday, September 19, 2019 in KUT

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Get top-rated, practical training

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

April 23, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

Close-up of "Apartment for rent" sign in red text on black background in front of blurred building

Trump Administration Could Effectively End Housing Voucher Program

Federal officials are eyeing major cuts to the Section 8 program that helps millions of low-income households pay rent.

April 21, 2025 - Housing Wire

Black and white photos of camp made up of small 'earthquake shacks' in Dolores Park in 1906 after the San Francisco earthquake.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees

More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

April 15, 2025 - Charles F. Bloszies

Missouri state capitol dome in Jefferson City, MO.

Missouri Law Would Ban Protections for Housing Voucher Users

A state law seeks to overturn source-of-income discrimination bans passed by several Missouri cities.

28 minutes ago - Missouri Independent

Los Angeles, California

Op-Ed: Looking for Efficiency? Fund Intercity Buses

Much less expensive than rail, intercity buses serve millions of Americans every year, but public subsidies are lacking.

1 hour ago - Smart Cities Dive

A bus stop in Philadelphia, where people wait under a glass shelter for a bus as it arrives.

Philadelphia Councilmember Proposes Transit Access Fund

The plan would allocate 0.5 percent of the general fund toward mobility subsidies for low-income households.

2 hours ago - Streetsblog USA