City of College Station Seeks Feedback on Congestion and Traffic

Increased Congestion in College Station

On the evening of August 9, 2024, the City Council of College Station, Texas conducted a meeting to address the increasing traffic congestion and traffic issues within the city limits. It was conveyed that, as the city continues to grow, the number of vehicles on the city’s roadways keeps increasing. To tackle this, both the City of College Station and the Bryan College Station Metropolitan Planning Organization (BCSMPO) have started seeking solutions to relieve the congestion.

Monitoring Roadway Activity

To stay ahead and prepare for increasing traffic, the city plans to study 50 intersections to develop a blueprint to efficiently handle the anticipated surge in traffic. This is initiated to address the growing concerns among residents regarding traffic congestion, which is traced back to rapid area growth. Intersections such as Texas Avenue and George Bush Drive, Texas Avenue and Holleman Drive, and Texas Avenue and University Drive have been included for analysis.

Impact of Growth on Traffic

Dan Rudge, the Executive Director of BCSMPO, said, “Roadways can reach their capacity in terms of volume. When this happens, traffic congestion takes over and leads to halt-and-move traffic movements . Our goal is to control this before it reaches that point.”

Public Feedback and Surveys

As part of this ambition, the city is seeking feedback from residents and commuters through a ‘traffic congestion and mobility analysis’ survey. Jason Schubert, the Transportation Planning Coordinator with College Station, explains, “We aim to understand the residents’ experiences with the transportation system, whether they’re commuting by car, bike or foot.”

Schubert emphasizes the importance of this survey in understanding the present state of the transport system, addressing potential and ongoing problems, and strategizing ways to enhance mobility and safety while concurrently reducing congestion.

Future Planning

With the help of the collected surveys and BCSMPO’s Travel Demand Model, the city aims to forecast the state of roadways in 2035. Through this, the city can identify which streets will experience the highest traffic, what projects will most effectively enhance mobility in the region, and estimate the number of people expected to use the city’s roadways.

Upcoming Projects and Deadlines

BCSMPO also announced plans to initiate projects in the coming year to alleviate congestion at some major crossroads. The survey will stay open until the end of August for residents to share their thoughts and experiences.