"Berang" (berang)
01/25/2018 at 14:41 • Filed to: None
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"Berang" (berang)
01/25/2018 at 14:41 • Filed to: None | 0
| 10 |
There’s a semi-controlled intersection I pass on my way to work every day. I’ve seen numerous collisions and their aftermath here, and last night another, fatal accident involving a motorcycle and a pickup truck.
The intersection connects a road leading to a gated community (which despite what you might think that implies, it’s all bungalows and ranch homes that are decades old) and a 50 mph, four lane highway. There’s only a stop sign for the road, and there’s usually a line of cars here (for some reason I don’t think anybody here knows there’s a second exit from the subdivision a block further down the road). In true Texas fashion, people are always pulling onto the highway without looking, or just barging into the traffic. This has resulted in an endless stream of T-bone collisions, side-swipes, and even several roll overs that I have witnessed. When I pass I always have my hand ready to lay on the horn.
I see the intersection was the subject of a traffic study last year, but I haven’t found anything suggesting they’ve decided to put a light here. Only five years ago there would have been a lot less traffic in this area, but now things are getting pretty crowded, and going to become more crowded as the land across the street gets developed. The crashes keep happening, and happening more frequently.
TheRealBicycleBuck
> Berang
01/25/2018 at 15:25 |
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There’s an intersection near my house which is just a two-lane intersecting another two-lane, but one of the two had a stop sign and the other did not. Despite warning signs that cross-traffic did not stop, many people assumed it was a four-way stop and pulled out without checking. It didn’t help that the adjacent land owner let the trees grow up along the fence line close to the road, thereby blocking the view.
A woman with five(!) kids in the car pulled in front of a flatbed truck fully loaded with lumber a couple of years ago. The impact killed her and three of the kids. That’s when they decided to put in a four-way stop. Many of the locals didn’t realize the change, so they kept running through the intersection, causing wrecks. The state finally installed flashing warning signs ahead of the intersection in all four directions and stop signs with flashing red LEDs all around the perimeter of the signs. That finally solved the problem.
Anyway, good luck with your intersection. Maybe you should consider investing in a good set of air horns. If nothing else, it should scare the poop out of anyone pulling in front of you!
ttyymmnn
> Berang
01/25/2018 at 15:47 |
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This is actually pretty near where I live. It’s a fact that most improvements to roadways won’t take place until enough people die. The county installed a light in my neighborhood at a particularly nasty intersection, and it was at least a year before they turned it on. They also put a light near a new school after a girl got hit crossing the road, and it has yet to be activated.
I think your second paragraph hits the nail on the head. This part of Austin is growing faster than the infrastructure can handle, particularly the area east of 35, Wells Branch, etc. And they just keep building massive apartment complexes and housing developments with little to no concern for how the increased traffic is going to affect the roadways or safety. Ten or 15 years ago, the intersection in question was fine because Howard Lane was two lanes and it was out in pastureland. Now, the roads have been widened to allow for more development, speed limits have increased, traffic volume has increased, yet nothing has been done to make the area safer. It’s all build, build, build.
WRXforScience
> Berang
01/25/2018 at 15:58 |
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The best solution would be to close off the cross-over portion and force the intersection into a right turn only exit.
Couple of concrete barriers and you’re in business.
TysMagic
> Berang
01/25/2018 at 15:59 |
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We have a similar-ish intersection near my place, they ended up lowering the speed limit from 50 to 40 because so many people in the small town claimed they couldn’t judge the speeds at that level. Seems to have worked well enough. Still accidents, but seem to be fewer.
Different point, while no where near as intense of an intersection we have a roundabout with another being built that dump in to neighborhoods on some main surface streets. Traffic flows great (until some idiot full stops at the entrance to the roundabout for no reason) and there are very limited accidents considering how busy the streets are.
Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
> Berang
01/25/2018 at 16:47 |
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That really sucks. I hope they do something about it but...
I submit to you an intersection in the town I learned to drive in. Probably the worst of them, but the main road through town was like this across its length. The center section is a 4-lane divided highway with a ~50ish speed limit. The frontage roads on either sides are either 35 or 45, but both are bi-directional. Add in curb cuts that are WAY too close to the intersections and well...
Little Black Coupe Turned Silver
> WRXforScience
01/25/2018 at 16:48 |
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And then further down the road have a designed U-turn spot so people can then enter from that same direction of travel.
In Wisconsin when I lived there a highway was set up like that. You couldn’t cross the 4 lanes, if you were northbound approaching the highway and then wanted to go west, you had to go east a quarter mile and then use the U-turn lane and could then go west.
facw
> Berang
01/25/2018 at 17:26 |
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Seems like a perfect place for a roundabout!
Making it no left turn would also make things safer (they could add small lanes for acceleration and braking as well).
lothinator
> Berang
01/25/2018 at 19:09 |
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Texas seems to be against putting in lights on intersections. Stop signs are often the best you get. Must be that “Freedom” thing.
Big 4 lane T-Intersection near me here in Beaumont. They upgraded the old 2-lane winding road with a modern 4-lane one. Except they put a stop sign. On a huge intersection where the cars are all very far apart. Result is, nobody can decide whose turn is whose, everyone kinda just goes all at once. You just end up having to go and weave your way through other cars.
They justify it by saying there’s not enough traffic for a light. Even though you have to pray before you enter the intersection. Thankfully it’s low-speed traffic, so I haven’t seen “many” wrecks there yet. But lots of times have to stop mid intersection because someone’s going out of turn.
gmporschenut also a fan of hondas
> Akio Ohtori - RIP Oppo
01/25/2018 at 23:45 |
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That looks terrible.
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Berang
> ttyymmnn
01/26/2018 at 00:40 |
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On my way home today I saw a KXAN camera van out there, so maybe it’ll get more attention soon.