Report: Austin’s State Roads Deadlier Than City Roads

A rise in traffic deaths in Austin, Texas is linked to state-owned roads, according to a new report published by the city.  As Michael Brady explains in Smart Cities Dive, “Fatal crashes occurring on State-owned roadways increased substantially while those occurring on City-owned streets remained relatively flat.”

According to the report, “In 2021 and 2022, there were 71 and 83 fatal crashes in Austin, far outpacing the average of 46 during the four years before the pandemic. At the same time, there were 35 and 28 fatal crashes on city-owned streets in 2021 and 2022, after averaging 30 per year from 2016 to 2019.”

The report notes that although “larger vehicles, speeding and impaired driving, and reduced traffic enforcement are partly to blame for the rise in traffic deaths and serious injuries,” road design is a major factor in the severity of crashes.

“The city is working with the Texas Department of Transportation to reduce traffic deaths in Austin, the report says, inviting state representatives to review fatalities and participate in design workshops for the nearly $1 million ‘cap and stitch’ program to reconnect communities divided by Interstate 35.” However, TxDOT is acting on its plans to widen I-35 even as local leaders call for a different approach.