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Austin Transportation Department holds open house on proposed changes to Stassney Lane

The department wants to help make the South Austin road safer with a few proposed changes. Austinites had a chance to tell them how they felt about it Thursday.

AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin Transportation Department held an open house Thursday to show Austinites their proposed changes to Stassney Lane. The department said the proposed changes are to help make the road safer for everyone. 

“Stassney serves a lot of different uses for this part of our community. It’s a major east-west connector and it helps people where they need to go," said Laura Dierenfield, division manager at the Austin Transportation Department. 

The proposed changes would specifically happen from the corner of West Gate Boulevard and Stassney Lane, to South Congress Avenue and Stassney Lane. A map showing where the proposed changes are is pictured below. 

Credit: Austin Transportation Department
Proposed changes to Stassney Lane.

According to the Austin Transportation Department, the proposed changes include upgrading existing buffered bicycle lanes with physical protection on Stassney Lane from Menchaca Road to South Congress Avenue, modify the median at Emerald Forest Drive on the east leg to provide space for a crosswalk, and multiple traffic signal improvements. 

Another proposed change would be to consolidate bus stops and add new bicycle and scooter parking near bus stops. 

Another change would come to the West side of the stretch of road. Stassney Lane from West Gate Boulevard to Menchaca Road is currently two travel lanes in each direction with no bicycle lanes. The proposal reconfigures the road to one travel lane in each direction with protected bicycle lanes, maintaining the roadway median divided with left-turn pockets, according to the department. 

“It’s in an area of town where we have a lack of good connectivity for bicycling, we have a lack of good connections for walking and we also want to make sure as you get to and from high-quality, high-frequency transit, you can do so safely and comfortably," said Dierenfield. “We would certainly want to move forward with something that can, again, improve transit, improve walking and biking for everyone on Stassney Lane.”

Parts of Stassney Lane are also listed on the Austin High-Injury Network, a map showing roads that have relatively high numbers of crashes that result in fatalities or serious injuries. 

Credit: Luis de Leon
Stassney Lane

Keith Batton, who has lived just off of Stassney Lane for years, said he believes the road is fine the way it is for the most part when driving, but feels there could be improvements for those who bike and jog along the road. 

"... but I think, you know, always an extra turn lane or, you know, an extra protected bike lane and jogging lanes and better sidewalks – absolutely," said Batton. “It’s an OK idea. I think there might be some room for improvement on the idea.”

While he did not attend the open house, he told KVUE that he's seen an increase in traffic over the years on Emerald Forest Drive going onto Stassney Lane. 

“Every day for rush hour a couple hours a day, this backs up down the street probably like, you know, up to a quarter of a mile. And people go through the neighborhoods to get onto Stassney and they fly through," said Batton. 

According to the department, funding would be through the 2016 Mobility Bond Bikeways and Safe Routes to School programs, and Capital Metro.

You can take the survey on the proposed changes here. 

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