Brittany Kelley
KYLE — Kyle City Council listened to multiple presentations at its July 16 meeting on projects that will come back for formal approval at a later date.
Emergency audible outdoor warning system
After council direction and approved funding for a design element, staff recommended a $411,103 installation plan for eight outdoor warning systems. These “provide an essential redundant notification methodology in the event of an emergency,” according to agenda documents, which the city currently does not have.
The following city-owned properties are proposed: 208/246 Republic Drive; the Public Safety Center at 1700 Kohlers Crossing; La Verde Park or water tower; Goforth Road and Foster Place; Plum Creek water facility; Lehman water facility; Public Works at 520 RM 150; and Wastewater Treatment Plant at 941 New Bridge.
Kyle Senior Community Center driveway
The existing driveway has limited sight distance, which has created safety concerns; therefore, staff proposed two new location options to council: north side and south side.
The north side option was estimated to cost $154,409, had a minimal amount of pavement removal along Dacy Loop, required two to three Pedernales Electric Cooperative utility pole relocations and removed the existing area inlet.
The south option only required one utility pole relocation, but patterns indicate a drainage structure may be required to run underneath the proposed driveway and six parking spaces will be impacted. The estimated cost is $189,412.
Staff ultimately recommended the south option, due to the reduced number of complex utility pole relocations and better circulatory pattern within the parking lot for vehicles.
The current driveway will remain until construction is completed. A final design of the driveway will be finished in September, said Ravali Kosaraju, assistant director of traffic & transportation.
Safe routes to school
The Safe Routes to School program was developed with the goal to encourage children to walk, bike or roll to arrive and leave school, while prioritizing safety, read agenda documents. As a step toward pedestrian safety, the Transportation and Public Works Department, Kyle Police Department and Hays CISD conducted walk audits at Fuentes, Science Hall, Tobias, Negley, Hemphill, Kyle and Ramage elementary schools.
During these audits, it was observed that:
• Sidewalks were not wide enough
• There were no tactile ground surface indicators for vision-impaired pedestrians
• No shade was available
• No crosswalks were available
• No streetlights were installed
• Crosswalks were not visible or clearly marked
• No dedicated bike lanes, pedestrian crossing signage or signals or audible prompts were present
The next steps for the program include establishing a solutions implementation plan to be presented to council and incorporating necessary projects into the upcoming fiscal year budget, as well as completing audits for the middle and high schools.
More information on the projects can be found in the meeting’s agenda packet, located at bit.ly/4gPBxLX.
