The Southlake Mobility Team partnered with the Texas Department of Transportation to conduct a traffic study for FM 1709 to enhance roadway safety for drivers and pedestrians. “The safety of drivers, their passengers, and pedestrians as they use Southlake Boulevard is always a top priority,” Southlake City Manager Shana Yelverton said. “TxDOT’s partnership on this project is vitally important as we work towards making any necessary changes to this widely used corridor.” The study came about after several accidents took place in 2020. The report covers the incident rate and volume spanning over the last 10 years and breaks down the responsibility between TxDOT and the City of Southlake. TxDOT is responsible for the day-to-day management and preventive and corrective maintenance; while the City serves as the customer advocate, selects equipment to improve mobility and conducts targeted studies. According to the study, enhancements will be made to the backup battery (BBU) infrastructure at 16 intersections on FM 1709. “The batteries that require replacement have no interconnection and do not offer remote notifications which delays the communications that the signal is experiencing a power issue. The new BBU infrastructure would allow all networks to be in sync by operating on the same system,” said Public Works Director Rob Cohen. Batteries usually last five years and 11 of the 16 intersections have batteries that have been in place for longer than five years. “In this study, we really looked at the issues and optimized technology with the purpose to improve travel convenience and safety,” Cohen said. “If a traffic signal goes out, a backup battery will help it function for at least 12 hours. By then, we will have time to access the situation and make repairs.” The BBU Replacement/Install Program proposed rollout will take place over the next three years. The total investment from the City of Southlake is estimated at $636,000 Funding for Phases II and III would be requested via budget proposals for FY2021-FY2023 through the Capital Improvement Program. For more information and updates about Southlake mobility projects, please follow us on Facebook or visit Connect Southlake webpage.
