Application sought for more Flock cameras
After hearing stories of death and heartbreak along a dangerous 12-mile stretch of Texas 46, Kendall County commissioners Tuesday added their pleas to other agencies urging the state to make the road safer.
Just as Bandera County commissioners did earlier this month, counterparts in Kendall County April 28 unanimously approved a resolution pressing the Texas Department of Transportation to address roadway safety on 46 West.
Meanwhile, Kendall County officials also voted to seek additional funding for more surveillance cameras in town.
The measure regarding the tragedy- plagued 46 was sponsored by commissioners Jennifer McCall and Andra Wisian, who both cited concerns regarding the twisting, mainly two-lane roadway from Texas 16 near Pipe Creek to Interstate 10 West at Boerne.
“At the end of the day, this is about saving lives,” Wisian said.
The resolution, read by McCall, in part states: “Whereas the safety of all roadway users within the boundaries of Kendall County is of paramount importance to the governing body, and constitutes a primary responsibility to protect lives and reduce injuries…TxDOT has responsibility for the state road design, safety improvements, traffic operations and related infrastructure within its district and collaborates with local governments.”
The resolutions by commissioner courts in both Bandera and Kendall counties have no binding effect on TxDOT, a state agency headquartered in Austin with regional engineering districts.
Though state officials were unavailable for comment at deadline, they have said in the past safety issues are taken very seriously. No major improvements are slated for 46 at this time.
During the Tuesday meeting in Boerne, one resident told commissioners about a fiery accident on 46 last year that continues to haunt a family member.
“My husband had to watch a woman burn to death.”
— Karen Schaefer “My husband had to watch a woman burn to death,” Karen Schaefer said. “You cannot travel that way without fear.”
Nikki Dobson, another resident and mother, cited statistics pulled from TxDOT’s database: Over a 10-year period, the stretch of highway resulted in 550 crashes and 13 deaths.
“One hundred of those crashes involve vehicles traveling in the opposite direction,” Dobson said. “Eight of those 13 people died because someone crossed the center line.”
Kendall County commissioners also heard from a local therapist, Gillian Rodriguez, who said she has worked with several families affected by the fatal accidents.
“The injury to these families is not just physical,” Rodriguez said. “It carries mental and emotional scars that last a lifetime.”
Meanwhile, in other business, commissioners approved applying for a grant of up to $200,000 to purchase and install more Flock surveillance cameras to help with crime control.
The county so far has 17. The funding would be funneled from the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority.
Commissioner Chad Carpenter cast a dissenting vote.
