Texas State Traffic Study In Limbo

By Tara Pohlmeyer
Assistant News Director

It’s unclear whether Texas State will move forward in conducting a traffic study at the intersection of North Guadalupe and West Woods streets after the San Marcos City Council declined to share the costs involved with the analysis on Tuesday night.

The intersection, located in front of the university’s Undergraduate Admissions Center, is a hub for traffic. From pedestrians, to buses, to drop-offs, there’s a lot going on.

Facilities Associate Vice President Juan Guerra Jr. said the university has been monitoring the congestion at the intersection for about two years.

“It’s creating the potential for accidents or for people to get hurt,” Guerra said.

Because the intersection isn’t symmetrical, he said there is some confusion about where pedestrians are allowed to cross.

The city staff proposal to the council stated that the university and the city would split the $49,000 cost of the study and also share the costs of any short or long-term repairs. The intersection contains both university and city-owned streets, but is part of the 10-year campus master plan.

Guerra said the council’s decision was disappointing.

“I think the study would’ve given us a lot of good information about near-term and long-term solutions,” he said.

 With the Sessom Drive closure that occurred last summer, Guerra is worried about the added traffic to the intersection.

“I think we definitely need to do some kind of an analysis of, ‘How do we improve the safety for everybody moving through that intersection?’ Not just students but the entire San Marcos community,” he said.

For now, a study is not planned for the intersection.