Ord 2005-058 - Laserfiche WebLink

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1 right-lane truck restrictions would cause a significant reduction in operating speed at critical 2 segments within the lane restriction limits. Because the law allowing truck lane restrictions 3 requires that such a restriction have no negative impact on operations, a right-lane restriction 4 could not be uniformly applied in the 135 corridor in Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties. 5 6 Comment: Several commenters noted that truck drivers are trained to stay out ofthe left lane 7 and that there is no need to restrict trucks. 8 Response: Traffic studies performed by the department as part of the engineering assessment of 9 the proposed lane restriction showed that the percentage of trucks operating in the left lane 10 varied from between 10 and 40 percent (averaging approximately 23 percent). The department 11 believes that this statistic shows that the presence of trucks in the left lane cannot be attributed 12 solely to passing maneuvers. The restriction is being proposed as a safety improvement project. 13 Research has shown that a reduction in lane changes will result in crash reductions and a safer 14 driving environment. This restriction should reduce the number of lane changes. 15 16 Comment: One commenter noted that in Austin, especially in the downtown area, the 17 overpasses do not have sufficient height to accommodate large trucks if these trucks are 18 restricted to the right lane. 19 Response: While it is true that the bridges above the lower level of135 in central Austin do have 20 slightly higher clearances for the left than for the right lane, the bridge height above both lanes is 21 adequate for truck and truck/trailers approved for use on interstate facilities in Texas, including 22 135. Page 7 of7 27-May-04 Exhibit A