Austin eyes safety upgrades to Cameron, Dessau Road amid high crash volumes

Cameron Road and Dessau Road could soon undergo a safety upgrade, courtesy the City of Austin's proposed corridor project.

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AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Cameron Road and Dessau Road could soon undergo a safety upgrade, courtesy the City of Austin's proposed corridor project.

The potential improvements could come along Cameron Road from 51st Street to Rundberg Lane and on Dessau Road from Rundberg Lane to Parmer Lane. The possible project is years in the making after city leaders first held a listening session and launched a community survey back in 2019.

At issue is safety concerns with the corridor, where almost 100 people have been injured or killed in crashes each year, per project proposal documents. Elements of the possible corridor revamp include:

• New or upgraded pedestrian crossings.
• Expanding the separation between motor vehicle traffic and sidewalks.
• Installing "physically protected bicycle facilities" along the project corridor.
• Improving street lighting.
• Situating bus stops closer to safer street crossings.

Not only is the city considering safety enhancements, but possible lane reconfigurations. Austin transportation leaders are eyeing reconfigured vehicle travel lanes between U.S. Hwy. 290 and Parmer Lane, with a possible reduction from three lanes in each direction to two lanes.

If the city proceeds with the project, those changes could begin as soon as late 2024 or early 2025, with construction lasting between 12 and 18 months. The proposal would be funded courtesy the City of Austin's 2022 Safe Streets and Roads for All grant as well as dollars from the 2020 Mobility Bond.

Those interested in giving feedback on the proposal can do so via an online survey, which is open through Sept. 3.

Past safety improvements made to the proposed project area

Austin's Vision Zero team added safety upgrades to the intersection of Cameron Road and Ferguson Lane, as well as lowered speed limits at the following locations:

• Cameron Road between U.S. Hwy. 290 and U.S. Hwy. 183: Speed limit lowered to 35 miles per hour.
• Dessau Road between Rundberg Lane and Meadowmear Drive: Speed limit lowered to 40 miles per hour.

Within the proposed corridor, crews have altered traffic signals to enhance safety measures, including adding flashing yellow arrows, protected left turns and pedestrian head-starts. Crews also relocated bus stops near St. Johns Avenue so that they were closer to the intersection in an effort to minimize the number of people crossing the roadway in the middle of the block.

High crash volumes detected

Between 2019 and 2023, city data found almost 2,400 crashes happened on Cameron Road and Dessau Road between East 51st Street and Parmer Lane. Among those total crashes, 12 people were killed, 77 were seriously injured and 397 people suffered minor injuries as a result.

Trends found in the crash data noted high vehicular speeds and that many crashes happened at major intersections or involved cyclists or pedestrians. Almost one in every five crashes happened at night in dimly-lit areas, and the crashes disproportionately impacted communities of color.

More details on the proposed project and initial findings are available online.