By Meredith Canales
Staff Writer 

With traffic on the section of Wurzbach Road heading toward Bandera backing up during peak hours, Leon Valley has looked into some options for decreasing the number of accidents in the area and increasing safety for pedestrians.

Through the San Antonio-Bexar County Metropolitan Planning Organization, Leon Valley has applied for a grant through the Transportation Improvement Program.

“This particular grant is for an elevated center median with landscaping and designated turn lanes,” said Leon Valley City Manager Lanny Lambert. “This was generated because of the traffic accidents occurring from Ancira customers who drive out of the Ancira repair shop and get hit on Wurzbach.”

While the safety of the drivers is certainly at stake, the city has also been worried about VIA bus riders trying to cross the road after disembarking.

“The raised center median would create a safer way for the pedestrian to cross the street,” said John Hargis, an intern for the city manager. “There's a bus stop right there in front of some apartments on Wurzbach, and across from that is a shelter. VIA wanted to make sure the bus riders could cross it in segments rather than all at once.”

The city's share of the project would be 20 percent of construction costs, with the estimated cost coming in at $234,419 from the MPO and $58,605 coming from Leon Valley if the project were done in fiscal year 2012. Those figures are estimated to rise to $243,796 and $60,949, respectively, if the project waits until fiscal year 2013.

In addition to providing safety, the center median would include landscaping and irrigation for the aesthetic value of the road.

“This is one of three grants we've submitted,” said Lambert. “It's pretty important because about 25,000 cars a day drive down this road. We average three accidents a day, and we'd like to do what we can to cut down on that.”

The council briefly discussed the option of putting bicycle lanes on Wurzbach Road but ultimately decided it would be too dangerous for riders in a high-traffic area.

“One of the previous grants under the same program was for improvements on Evers Road,” said Hargis. “If the city is awarded that money, they discussed putting bicycle lanes there.”

According to Hargis, the final grants should be awarded by spring of 2009.