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A national motorcycle-safety organization has joined the call for more protective measures along accident-prone Texas 46 West.
In a June 30 letter to Texas Department of Transportation Executive Director Marc Williams, a Motorcycle Safety Foundation officer urged the state highway department to step up enhancements along the deadly 11-mile stretch of roadway between Texas 16 near Bandera and Interstate 10 in Boerne.
The organization joins a host of other concerned groups including the commissioners courts of Bandera and Kendall counties, as well as local school districts, in calling for the betterments to 46.
“MSF supports TxDOT’s proposed safety improvements for the corridor, which include a four-foot centerline buffer, jersey barriers at Webster’s Corner and centerline rumble strips,” said Scott Schloegel, the group’s senior vice president for government relations.
The MSF official called the planned improvements “consistent with roadway safety strategies” and said they will provide additional protection at high-risk locations.
Schloegel said the MSF understands 46 is a heavily traveled corridor for motorcyclists and other road users, and cited statistics showing how dangerous the lanes can be for motorists.
“The safety concerns on this route are well documented,” Schloegel said. “ TxDOT reported 244 crashes on this portion of State 46 from 2021 through 2025, including six fatal crashes.”
He added, “For motorcyclists in particular, roadway design, visibility and unpredictable behavior by car drivers have a direct impact on crash avoidance and injury severity.”
Making the improvements sooner rather than later could save lives, Schlegel said, noting MSF is the country’s leading safety resource and advocate for motorcyclist safety.
The MSF “urges that these improvements be implemented as quickly as possible in the interest of all road users, including motorcyclists,” he added.
MSF is a nonprofit organization sponsored by BMW, BRP, Harley- Davidson, Honda, Kawasaki, KTM, Polaris, Suzuki, Triumph and Yamaha, members said.
MSF guidelines are utilized in 46 states and by the U.S. military and the federal government.
