I-35 Tops Gridlock Spots in Austin; N. Lamar Makes List

TxDOT has released their list of the 100 most congested roadways in Texas, and it will be no surprise to Austin drivers that I-35 from Hwy 71 all the way to Hwy 183 made the list. Not only was it the most congested roadway segment here in Austin, but it ranked #4 statewide.

But Austin's second-most congested spot isn't even a highway - it's North Lamar between 45th Street and 6th Street. This stretch of road, coming in at #24 on the statewide list, is the most-congested roadway segment that isn't a highway.

According to notes from the report, TxDOT doesn't have any current plans for improving the congestion on North Lamar. However, there is an idea to reconstruct the roadway to add managed lanes, and a hope that urban rail lines like Cap Metro Rail will help to alleviate some of the gridlock.

To view the entire list and read more on how TxDOT arrived at their conclusions, click here.

TxDOT: Safer Roads Mean Fewer Fatalities

The Texas Department of Transportation is crediting safer roads as a major factor in an 11% drop in road fatalities, according to a recent report.

In 2009, there were 388 fewer fatalities on highways in Texas. "This is great news for Texans, and evidence that the resources we’ve put into safety projects across the state are paying dividends in lives saved," Gov. Rick Perry said.

Over the past five years, TxDOT has concentrated $1.2 billion dollars on highway improvement projects that had the greatest potential to reduce crashes. 

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also attributes the decline to other factors as well, including improved seat belt usage, successful drunk driving and distracted driving campaigns, safer vehicles, and motorists cutting down on their driving.

The recent "Click It or Ticket" campaign has helped Texans set a new record of 93.8% statewide seat belt usage for 2010. Deirdre Delisi, Texas Transportation Commission chair, says the safety campaigns coupled with improved road safety have made a phenomenal difference.

"TxDOT and its law enforcement partners across the state conduct a variety of outreach campaigns encouraging motorists to drive safer. The agency's annual Click it or Ticket and the Drink, Drive, Go to Jail campaigns are examples of educational programs designed to change driver behavior," she said.