SAN ANTONIO – A road project aimed at making Pleasanton Road more pedestrian-friendly is causing frustration among residents.
Dozens of people spoke out against the Pleasanton Road Safety Improvement Project on Monday night, and the neighbors expressed the most concern about concrete medians.
“It’s causing congestion, it’s causing damage to vehicles and it’s causing injuries,” said Tomas Uresti, a former state representative and the current owner of Corner Coffee and More.
The project covers a 3-mile stretch on the South Side. It’s a joint effort by the City of San Antonio and Texas Department of Transportation.
More than 600 people have signed an online petition opposing the medians, and neighbors report collecting an additional 2,000 signatures in person.
Juan Mancha, owner of Cap’n Jim’s, said, “all you gotta do is drive down the street, and you will notice it’s impossible for anyone to go in or out.”
Last week, KSAT took a closer look at the project scope. It also involves the installation of three mid-block crosswalks with lights and putting up a traffic signal near the intersection of Pleasanton Road and Rayburn Drive.
Last November, KSAT reported on the death of a man who was hit and killed while crossing Pleasanton Road near Southwest Military Drive. That was one of more than 150 crashes along the section where the work is being done.
But neighbors say new crashes are happening because of the medians. Ariel DeLarosa said she totaled her car after noticing a median too late.
“The whole bottom of my car got messed up and it caused my airbags to deploy,” DeLaRosa said. “I’m sharing my story so that way the city can do something about this, and it doesn’t happen to anybody else.”
At the Harlandale-McCollum Neighborhood Association meeting on Monday night, neighbors read a statement from the District 3 City Council Office. It said, in part, that the office will explore solutions to concerns presented by the neighborhood about this project.
District 3 Councilwoman Phyllis Viagran sent KSAT a statement to address the potential issues surrounding the project.
“We are committed to providing residents with all relevant information regarding the origin of the project’s timeline and completion.
The City’s transportation department is actively engaging with constituents to address their concerns, with the primary goal of preventing accidents and ensuring safety for all.
Thank you KSAT, for your efforts in sharing with the community the problems and danger of this road throughout the years.”
Phyllis Viagran
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