Confusion among newcomers, visitors and emergency response personnel in the Kyle area regarding Goforth Road has prompted the city to change the name.
The road will be named Philomena and Bunton Creek, depending on the location.
At a public meeting Thursday, Kyle city planner William Atkinson described why the change was being made and what effect it would have on residents.
Only two Kyle residents were in attendance at the gathering which included Kyle Fire Marshal Mark Schultz, Kyle Chamber of Commerce CEO Julie Snyder, Kyle Police Department Lieutenant Andre Marmolejo, Kyle Public information officer Kim Hilsenbeck and Kyle GIS Analyst Steve Clamons.
Atkinson explained that when Goforth Road was built, it was named for a community between Buda and Kyle and it was the main road in that direction.
“The reason we’re doing this is because Kyle has grown so much over the last couple of decades that we want to straighten out some street names so there’s less confusion, primarily for emergency services so they can improve response times,” Atkinson said.
Atkinson said because the road meanders through the Steeplechase area and then by Southlake Ranch, it causes confusion among residents and emergency responders.
The first section of Goforth Road is proposed to be renamed Philomena Road, after the Catholic Saint Philomena.
The name Philomena was submitted by Seton of Hays, a part of the Ascension Health Network. When the hospital facility land was purchased years ago, Seton acquired the naming rights to the road.
Philomena Road would begin at I-35, close to the Goodyear in Kyle. The road would remain Philomena until it intersects with Bunton Creek Road. The section of Goforth Road that ran southeast from the Bunton Creek Road intersection to just past the Safe-n-Sound Self Storage would be renamed as Bunton Creek Road.
Atkinson said if council voted to approve the agenda item, the city would start sending data packets updating the residents’ and businesses’ addresses with the post office, the Hays County addressing services and CAPCOG.
“With more medics and more ambulance services just trying to navigate this (Goforth Road) in an emergency gets to be really challenging,” Schultz said. “So, as a department, it’s very helpful for us to change these street names, it just makes sense to do it.”
Tim McHutchion with Safe n’ Sound Self Storage in Kyle asked if customers would still be able to Google his business and find them.
Snyder said that even though the city would provide data packets to all the major mapping companies, it could take up to six months for the change to be made through Google.
“If you are a verified business, the Chamber will make sure your location is ‘pinned’ so customers can locate you until the new address is updated with Google,” Snyder said, referencing the Chamber’s partnership with Google in “Putting Kyle on the Map.”
Marmolejo said new officers tend to have trouble navigating the growing city with the confusing current layout of Goforth Road.
The council voted to approve the road name changes by a 6-1 vote. Daphne Tenorio voted against.
See a map of the proposed change here.
