SAN ANTONIO – Residents in the Jefferson neighborhood say stop signs and flashing lights have helped slow traffic, but not enough to make the area safe.
The northwest San Antonio neighborhood has about 3,000 homes, according to homeowner Jason Vasquez. He said Wilson Boulevard remains a traffic hotspot, in addition to Kampmann Boulevard and Lake Boulevard, with drivers sometimes failing to stop at the intersection.
Before the four-way stop signs were installed, several homes near the intersection were targets for vehicles.
“That house, that house, that house and this one have all been hit by cars prior to these stop signs being placed,” Vasquez said.
Vasquez said residents previously had trouble getting police enforcement in the area. He said the San Antonio Police Department is now stepping up patrols, but officers cannot always be there because emergencies take priority.
The stop signs and flashing lights have helped slow some drivers, but Vasquez said speeding and failure to stop remain concerns.
District 7 Councilwoman Marina Alderete Gavito said the city is considering additional enforcement and traffic-calming options.
“That’s when we have to double down with enforcement and let our police officers know, ‘Hey, speeding or passing of stop signs is a big problem in this area,’” Alderete Gavito said.
Possible solutions include speed bumps, cameras and physical traffic separators known as “armadillos,” which can be used to create protected bike lanes.
Alderete Gavito said residents have mixed opinions about speed bumps, but city leaders are considering all options, including cameras.
“We’ve talked, my council colleagues and I have talked at length about how we can use cameras to help there too,” she said.
Vasquez said the issue is especially important because children walk through the neighborhood before and after school. He also mentioned a person who was killed while riding a bicycle on Lake Boulevard as a reason for improved traffic calming measures.
Residents, including those who did not want to be formally interviewed, said they want a long-term solution to help protect people walking, biking and driving through the neighborhood.
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