OAK HILL - Traffic officials have said they are considering methods for an effective short-term solution to traffic congestion at the Oak Hill 'Y', and a TxDOT official told the Gazette that a continuous flow intersection model is the top solution being considered.
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is currently conducting a modeling study of the area's intersection design, which should be completed by the end of summer and give an early indication whether a solution is possible.
State Representative Valinda Bolton, an Oak Hill resident, told the Gazette: "I know everybody, including me, is being quiet about the specifics, but folks out here have been repeatedly promised a solution to the log jam at the 'Y,' and all the entities involved are sensitive to not raising hopes until all the modeling has been completed." However, she did add, "I've seen initial modeling and it looks very promising. One of the operational improvements being reviewed has the possibility of getting traffic moving as it should without the need for major construction."
Local resident Beki Halpin, chair of the Oak Hill Neighborhood Contact Planning Team, said the term "continuous flow" has been used several times in recent discussions about local traffic relief.
Engineering firm ABMB describes continuous flow intersections on its website. The purpose of these intersections is to take the left turns out of play, thus speeding up traffic. Instead of the traditional intersection, those turning left would have a separate signal well short of the main intersection. The light for this lane turns green after the main intersection light turns red. The lane then proceeds across and to the left of the oncoming traffic lane, to another signal at the cross street. This signal turns green immediately, causing no further delay for those making that original left-hand turn.
ABMB says according to traffic modeling software, continuous flow intersections dramatically outperform traditional intersections, reducing traffic delays by as much as 90 percent.
According to Carlos Lopez, TxDOT Austin District Engineer, the agency is partnering with the City of Austin, Travis County, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority to come up with an effective solution for the traffic congestion at the 'Y.' The city's portion of roadway improvements at the 'Y' are in the current Austin Mobility Bond package, with a projected price tag of $4 million. Lopez said the possible quick fix solution for the 'Y' is dependent on the $4 million in city of Austin bond money.
Lopez told the Gazette that the continuous flow intersection seems to be the most promising of several options available to the agency. He is not sure how many intersections will need to be changed, nor does he have a timeline, but he is hopeful that the modeling will determine a short-term fix for the area's traffic woes.
Whatever traffic model is selected — if any are determined to work — Lopez said multiple intersections are part of the solution. The 'Y' and William Cannon signals must be coordinated with those at Convict Hill and the Austin Community College campus at the Pinnacle. "We don't want to dump the traffic into the next intersection," said Lopez.
Rob Spillar, Transportation Director for the city of Austin, will present the current draft of the current Mobility Bond package at the Oak Hill Association of Neighborhoods (OHAN) meeting on July 14 at 7:00 p.m. at the ACC Pinnacle Campus, 7748 Highway 290 West, in room 1012.
Added Bolton, "Regardless of the interim solutions being evaluated, I continue to work with TxDOT and community leaders to get the big 'Y' project back on track. I'm pleased that we were able to get an additional $5 million in funding for the 'Y.' That means the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) can begin and the project can move forward. We have the potential for a solution that will get traffic flowing in the near future while the full road project is running on a parallel path."