City speeds up process to slow drivers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Anyone who's tried to get speed bumps added to their neighborhood streets in Austin knows getting an answer from the city takes time -- a lot of time.

City of Austin Assistant Transportation Director Gary Schatz said in the past it has taken two to three years just for the city to review a neighborhood's request.

"We're just not really answering the mail in terms of answering demand," said Schatz.

There are other aspects that could put the brakes on a plan to add safety measures to streets. If the majority of neighbors did not want what maybe a few fellow neighbors requested then it did not happen.

That was the old way. On Jan. 18, the city will roll out a new plan to start taking street by street requests from the public and responding much faster.

"Within 6 months we will be able to tell you 'yes' or 'no' your street segment is eligible for consideration and if it is eligible, 'yes' or 'no' your project got funded," said Schatz.

During the review process, the city will study how fast drivers are going compared to the posted speed limit, and city traffic engineers will get to decide what type of traffic device will work best for each street - not neighbors.

If all goes well, the city hopes to process 300 to 400 requests a year.

How to make a request

On Jan. 18, the city of Austin will post a special one-page request form on their website . The form cannot be submitted online, it must be mailed or hand-delivered to the city of Austin.