BY KAROLINE PFEIL
Raised medians on RM 620
What they’re saying
The response
Several median break locations were added following public feedback, but some residents are concerned about the current plans. Falconhead neighborhood resident Geoff Perlman compared the project to Lakeway’s 1.4-mile median project on RM 620. “[RM] 620 is far more dense in terms of businesses than [Hwy.] 71,” Perlman said. “The council and the chief of police seem very concerned about traffic getting worse as Bee Cave’s population grows.” Others, such as Melissa Takamatsu, owner of collision repair center Epps Body & Paint, argue that medians will provide benefits.
Semora said at a March 11 special council meeting that the department’s highest priority is safety, followed by mobility. “The [Hwy.] 71 traffic study that we did, it did a very in-depth dive on statistics, heat maps, where the crashes were, what types of crashes, the severity rate,” Semora said. “What you see is that medians aren’t always the easiest to implement but what you see is they have the best long-term return for severe crashes.” When the city of Bee Cave requested help from TxDOT to reduce crashes and fatalities in the Bee Cave corridor of Hwy. 71, TxDOT decided that, based upon its 2019-22 traffic study, medians would be the best solution. Since then, traffic has increased in the city, likely leading to the increased complaints regarding traffic, council member Andrea Willott said. “We’re just trying to deliver on a safety need,” Semora said. “If the city is saying that we wanted it back then but we don’t want it anymore, then administration has to hear that, and it has to come from council in writing.” No written opposition to the project has been issued by the city as of press time.
I run a collision repair shop, I don’t need any more business. If I wanted more business, I’d say, ‘no, forget the medians, that’s fine.’ ...
No, [the current traffic flow] is bad news for everybody. MELISSA TAKAMATSU, OWNER OF EPPS BODY & PAINT
PHOTOS BY KAROLINE PFEIL/COMMUNITY IMPACT
RM 620 crashes
What’s next?
In comparison
Number of crashes, 2020 Number of crashes, 2024
Following public and City Council feedback, the Highway 71 Safety Improvement Project is continuing to move forward, with work expected to begin in late summer or fall and last from 10-12 months. “We ask for the public’s patience during construction—this project will ultimately solve safety and mobility concerns community members have brought up,” Lujan said.
In Lakeway, a similar initiative by TxDOT was completed in 2020, adding raised medians to a 1.4-mile stretch of RM 620 between Bella Mon- tagna Circle and Lohmans Crossing Road. Senior Planner Charlie Sullivan said that the project was implemented in response to high traffic volume and crash rates in the corridor and as a prepara- tory step for the larger RM 620 widening project, which is expected to begin in 2028 following delays related to funding prioritization. Results of the project show that crashes have been more evenly distributed along the road rather than centralized at specific “hotspots,” Sullivan said. “Comparing 2020 data to 2024, traffic volumes increased by 33%, but the number of crashes increased by only 8%,” Sullivan said. “So in general, the data shows that the median proj- ect has been a modest success: The intensity of Lohmans Crossing as a crash hot spot has decreased, crashes are more evenly distributed, and crashes have increased at a slower rate than traffic volumes.”
Lakeway Blvd. 4 9 Lohmans Spur 2 0
Lohmans Crossing
Project timeline Fall 2024 • TxDOT public workshop Spring 2025 • Revision of plans finalized Fall 2025 • Construction starts Fall 2026 • Construction ends
32
24
Flintrock
10
13
Medical Pkwy. 8
15
SOURCE: TXDOT/COMMUNITY IMPACT
SOURCE: CITY OF LAKEWAY/COMMUNITY IMPACT
15
LAKE TRAVIS - WESTLAKE EDITION
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