SAN ANTONIO — Big changes are coming to Culebra Road on the west side. City leaders rolled out some of the changes they're making through vision zero to cut down on accidents and fatalities.
"Within a block or so of where you're standing right now, we've had about a hundred crashes last year," San Antonio Transportation spokesman Joe Conger said at the city’s Vision Zero press conference today
Not far from where the, there are two lonely crosses watching traffic zip by on Culebra Road.
"There are too many white crosses, too many wreathes with flowers along that street," District 7 councilwoman Ana Sandoval said.
After taking a survey of residents, city leaders are rolling out the measures they believe will cut down on crashes and loss of life along Culebra.
"Taken from our residents’ comments, they speak of a lack of lighting, bumpy roads, hazardous turns, trash on the road,” said District 6 Councilwoman Melissa Cabello Havrda. “But most of all, they speak of speeding drivers and risky behaviors by pedestrians.”
The 13-mile stretch of road saw 600 accidents in 2021. The survey took place over three months, more than a thousand people responded. They said a common complaint was speeding and distracted drivers.
"What we're doing in partnership with law enforcement is enforcing what the laws are,” said Tomika Monterville, San Antonio Director of Transportation. “What we've learned in less than three months is that most people don't know what the posted speed limit is."
Some elements of the plan are already in plain view, like the billboards and bus ads reminding drivers and pedestrians alike how to be safe on the roads. A map of crosswalks along the road has been mailed to residents. Sandoval says more crosswalks are on the way.
"If you're walking and you have to walk a quarter of a mile or half a mile, almost half a mile to get to a crosswalk, you may not do that, especially if it's sunny and the cars are whizzing past you."
Other improvements in the works:
- clearing sidewalks and bike lanes,
- A review of lighting conditions and signal timing, and
- adding crosswalk medians for slower pedestrians.
As you can see, it's seven lanes wide. And they're not little lanes right there,” Sandoval said. “And what does that mean when you try to cross it? It's pretty far, you may not make it with that signal.
The effort is being rolled out in other thoroughfares in the city with the goal of having zero fatalities on San Antonio roadways.
"Some say that's unattainable, that we need to modify that number,” Conger said. “But then I ask the question: ‘Do you want your father, you son, your mother, your daughter? Who do you want me to say is not worth that effort?"