DRIVING SA

As the number of deadly crashes continues to climb, TxDOT officials hope a new campaign will save lives.

New traffic signals are coming to several intersections in San Antonio. People who live and work nearby hope the changes will improve traffic flow and safety.

Local leaders hope changes along the Highway 16 corridor will create safer conditions for pedestrians and drivers.

The Schertz Police Department tracks all the issues along I-35, which can at times be a trouble spot.

This week’s rainy weather has already caused problems on the roads, and may lead to more in the future. According to experts, the more water there is on a roadway, the higher the potential for the pavement to become loose.

The water has receded, but the damage was done on the U.S. 90 frontage roads at Leon Creek after heavy rains Tuesday triggered massive flooding. With more rain expected later this week, crews are preparing in case more flooding occurs.

A capital improvement project that aims to improve the connection between downtown San Antonio and the city’s West Side is now underway. The city is beautifying the bridges on Commerce, Buena Vista and Guadalupe streets.

TxDOT has launched their "Click it or Ticket" campaign. The annual initiative aims to encourage drivers to buckle up before they get on the road.

A new University of Texas at San Antonio graduate hopes to one day bring a product to market that could help make roads safer.

Parts of South Texas have seen several inches of rainfall over the past week, and while there is a break now, more is in the forecast. Experts say now is the time for drivers to prepare their vehicles for the next round of rainy weather and for hurricane season.

The San Antonio City Council has signed off on a plan that will jump-start some improvement projects at the San Antonio International Airport.

TxDOT estimates 61% of fatal crashes involving motorcycles happened from May to October of last year.

One of the oldest streets in San Antonio is getting a makeover, as long-planned improvements to Commerce Street are underway.

There’s only 30 days left in this year’s session of the Texas Legislature, and some lawmakers and advocacy groups are hoping laws regarding new registration fees for electric vehicle can beat the clock.

Deaths from vehicle crashes in work zones increased by 9% in 2020 despite less traffic on the roads, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The agency is using National Work Zone Awareness Week to highlight its safety campaign, “Be Safe. Be Smart.”

Car sales are starting to turn around after the pandemic with seasonally adjusted sales in March hitting the highest rates since October 2017, according to CNN. And AAA is out with its new car guide with a focus on safety.

An innovation tested in San Antonio could mean less disruption when it comes to construction projects involving bridges.

For years, the Finesilver Curve in downtown San Antonio has caused headaches for drivers. And traffic engineers say a fix won’t be easy.

As more students head to in-person classes, school zones are a bit busier again. And that’s led to some questions about how speed limits in school zones are designated and how they’re enforced.

April is National Distracted Driving Month, and AAA Texas is reminding motorists that driving distracted can be as dangerous as driving drunk.

SAN ANTONIO – We’re expecting to hear more Wednesday about President Joe Biden’s infrastructure plan, which will likely include proposed investments in building new roads and bridges. But some San Antonio transportation projects won’t have to wait to get a funding boost. The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) is in the middle of a Call for Projects to distribute $300 million in federal funding already on the books. After the projects are submitted, AAMPO staff will score the proposed projects based on how likely they are to achieve those priorities. They also include the expansion of the Texas Department of Transportation’s HERO program to San Antonio, Blazoksy said.

SAN ANTONIO – Pedestrian deaths on Texas roadways continue to rise, and now account for one in five of all traffic fatalities, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. In 2019, the last year from when complete statistics are available, there were 5,975 traffic crashes involving pedestrians in Texas with 669 fatalities. In the 12-county San Antonio district, there were 754 such crashes with 72 fatalities. TxDOT is also investing in pedestrian safety improvements along the roadways it controls, including 120 such projects in the San Antonio district alone. The pedestrian safety campaign is part of TxDOT’s larger efforts to reduce the number of traffic fatalities on state roadways to zero.

SAN ANTONIO – Studies continue to show a major pattern about 2020 in terms of traffic and vehicle crashes: while the number of incidents declined, the number of deaths and serious injuries actually increased. The focus was not just the number of crashes, but also the number of fatalities and the amount and severity of injuries. AdIt was followed by Bandera Road and Loop 1604, Loop 1604 and U.S. 281, Loop 410 and San Pedro Avenue and I-10 and Loop 1604. He said clients also wondered how often road design factors play into the number of crashes on a roadway. “Crashes are a function of miles driven on a particular road,” Begum said.

SAN ANTONIO – Even as Congress is set to give final approval to President Joe Biden’s COVID-19 relief plan as soon as Wednesday, leaders are turning to another administration priority: improving the nation’s infrastructure. “It’s easy to take for granted but a city that doesn’t pay attention to its infrastructure is not paying attention to its future.”AdThe report identified several key priorities in San Antonio and Bexar County, including improvements at San Antonio International Airport and Port San Antonio, as well as public transit. “We need to put in some more rapid routes, what they call advanced rapid transit. Via Metropolitan Transit has some ambitious plans for more rapid transit routes and will have access to more local funding once a new sales tax allocation is approved by voters and takes effect in 2026. It’s also true, however, that we can accomplish a lot of other goals with better public transit,” Cisneros said.

The San Antonio City Council approved an agreement Thursday with the Texas Department of Transportation to fund upgrades for seven traffic signals at key intersections around the city. SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio City Council approved an agreement Thursday with the Texas Department of Transportation to fund upgrades for seven traffic signals at key intersections around the city. The upgrades are part of the federal Highway Safety Improvement Program, which aims to reduce the both the amount and severity of vehicle crashes. (KSAT)The intersections were selected based on Department of Public Works traffic studies and staff recommendations. AdContract for Salado Creek Hike and Bike Trail extension approvedSeparately, the council approved a $3.77 million contract with Davila Construction to extend the Salado Creek Hike and Bike Trail.

SAN ANTONIO – It’s a familiar problem to San Antonio drivers and it’s one that the winter weather and extreme cold earlier this month could make worse: potholes. The City of San Antonio’s Public Works Department is preparing for an increase in complaints about potholes now that the weather has thawed. And if the base has any other issues, that base will start to deteriorate,” said Paul Berry, spokesman for the public works department. “And once that base deteriorates and cars drive over the asphalt, that’s when you get your potholes.”Berry said crews already fix 250 to 300 potholes a day. The 16 crews spot most of them, but around 10 to 15 percent are reported by the public through 311.

SAN ANTONIO – For San Antonio drivers, their patience was running on empty after a week of obstacles. On Thursday, the latest problem was the search for gas. Several drivers told KSAT they had zero luck with their search along San Pedro Avenue. Drivers encountered the same issue at other gas stations along San Pedro. According to AAA Texas Weekend Gas Watch, the unusual winter weather and power outages led to a rise in fuel prices.

SAN ANTONIO – The tourism and hospitality industries in San Antonio have seen some of the biggest economic impacts from the pandemic, and that extends to the transportation sector. But news of the NCAA choosing to hold not just the Women’s Final Four in San Antonio, but also the entire NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament has those companies more optimistic about the year ahead. City Sightseeing San Antonio owner David Strange said his company had to shut down for three months last year, having a major impact on business. “The entire industry is glad to see that the NCAA has elected San Antonio to be the main host for the women’s tournament,” he said. The transportation companies we spoke with are all stressing safety protocols, and new federal rules mandate masks on all forms of public transportation.