TXDOT LAUNCHES PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES AND INJURIES IN AUSTIN

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1 DECEMBER 2017 E-NEWSLETTER A monthly e-newsletter providing information about Mobility35, a regionwide effort to improve safety and mobility along I-35 in Williamson, Travis, and Hays counties. TXDOT LAUNCHES PEDESTRIAN SAFETY CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES AND INJURIES IN AUSTIN In 2016, 29 pedestrians died on Austin roadways after being struck by vehicles. On November 28, TxDOT launched the new Be Safe Be Seen pedestrian safety campaign to improve pedestrian safety and reduce the number of fatalities and injuries occurring along and around I-35 through the Austin area. Joined by State Representative Celia Israel, Austin Police Chief Brian Manley, and Austin Chamber of Commerce Senior Vice President Drew Scheberle, TxDOT unveiled the initiative to alert both pedestrians and drivers to the shared responsibility to keep themselves and others safe on the road. We know that if drivers can t see you, they won t know you are there, said TxDOT Austin District Engineer Terry McCoy. Our message of Be Safe Be Seen is crucial to saving lives on our roadways. To help in that endeavor, we are providing reflective bags to those most at risk -- our homeless population and our school children-- who live and travel along I-35 in high-traffic pedestrian areas and construction zones. TxDOT has six active construction projects on I-35 and will soon start the seventh. Those projects call for bridges to be torn down and rebuilt, displacing members of the homeless community. TxDOT contractors will be handing out the Be Safe Be Seen reflective bags with a resource card provided by House the Homeless that contains information on the services available to them. TxDOT will also be working with the Austin Independent School District to provide bags to students, like those at Webb Middle School, who must cross the St. John s bridge on I-35 to get to school. Safety messages will be placed in the bags to remind the kids to make smart choices. On average, 28 people are killed in auto-pedestrian crashes in Austin each year, and one out of every five pedestrian fatalities occurs along I-35. Aside from the inestimable value of loss of life, incidents involving pedestrian fatalities amount to an estimated $6.5 million annually in user delay and emergency services.

2 the road, said Austin Police Department Chief Brian Manley. We must all follow traffic laws, signs and signals and exercise caution. TXDOT COMPLETES SECOND MOBILITY35 PROJECT - I- 35 FROM RM 150 TO BLANCO RIVER CELEBRATED WITH RIBBON CUTTING With the help of Hays County Commissioners Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe, Ray Whisenant, Mark Jones and Lon Shell, TxDOT celebrated the completion of the ramp reversal project for I-35 from RM 150 to Blanco River. This is the second project to be completed under the Mobility35 Program. Hays County Commissioners Gather to Commemorate Completion of the RM 150 to Blanco River Project In 2011, our community came together to develop the Mobility35 Program to improve mobility along I-35 through Williamson, Travis and Hays counties, said TxDOT Austin District Engineer Terry McCoy. With the support of our transportation partners in Hays County, we were able to complete this project that does

3 The project included adding one new ramp and modifying five existing ramps between RM 150 and the Blanco River. Work on the $9 million project began in April 2016 and was completed on time and on budget. The Mobility35 Program is comprised of stand-alone projects that provide location-specific benefits, in addition to comprehensive projects that add improved ramps, frontage roads, and intersections along 79 miles of I-35. Six additional projects are currently under construction. To learn more about the I-35 from RM 150 to Blanco River project or other projects on I-35, visit My35Construction.org. OLTORF STREET BRIDGE PROGRESS CONTINUES Want to catch up on the progress of the I-35 at Oltorf Street project? A new short video is now available that shows the demolition and reconstruction of the Oltorf Street bridge over I-35. The I-35 at Oltorf Street project include improvements to frontage roads along I-35, construction of new, extended entrance/exit lanes for mainlanes and ramps, and the addition of U-turns in at Oltorf Street. OHL USA, Inc. Crews Gather to Celebrate a Milestone on the I-35 at Oltorf Street project The project will also provide additional bicycle and pedestrian enhancements along the I-35 frontage

4 Construction on the I-35 at Oltorf Street project began in February 2016 and is anticipated to be completed in spring 2019, weather permitting. The project cost is $42.6 million and is funded in part by Texas Clear Lanes, TxDOT s Congestion Relief Initiative. Construction of I-35 from Rundberg Lane to US 290 Begins Early 2018 Construction of the I-35 from Rundberg Lane to US 290 East project is scheduled to begin in January The $124.2 million project includes mainlane and frontage road reconstruction and the addition of three new flyovers at US 183 and I-35. The three new flyovers include: I-35 southbound to US 183 southbound US 183 northbound to I-35 northbound I-35 southbound to US 183 northbound The project also includes reconstruction of the St. Johns Avenue bridge, new north and south U-turns, intersection bypass lanes under St. Johns Avenue, extended entrance/exit lanes, and ramp and shoulder improvements. The project is partially funded by Texas Clear Lanes, TxDOT s Congestion Relief Initiative and anticipated to be complete mid CITY OF GEORGETOWN CELEBRATES NEW I-35 SIDEWALK WITH RIBBON CUTTING The city of Georgetown opened a new north-to-south connecting sidewalk from Leander Road to University Avenue in Georgetown along I-35 in early November.

5 I-35 Ribbon Cutting in Georgetown on November 10th The approximately mile-long sidewalk will provide a north-south pedestrian access from Leander Road at I-35, to University Avenue at Wolf Ranch Town Center. This new sidewalk will provide a key connection between residents who live around Leander Road to restaurants, shopping and jobs on Highway 29, and vice versa. Georgetown Mayor Dale Ross said. This investment allows people in Georgetown to have a safe and accessible route along a key corridor in our city. The $900,000 project was funded by the city of Georgetown. Texas Department of Transportation, All rights reserved 125 East 11th Street Austin, TX Contact Us (800)