Resident urges traffic calm on steep Unit Street after dog struck; city says public works investigating
November 06, 2025 | Lago Vista, Travis County, Texas
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Resident Sarah Stepka, who identified herself as the parent of five and a special investigator for the Department of Family and Protective Services, said vehicles often come down two steep approaches to her home, reach very high speeds, and that earlier the same day an out-of-control vehicle struck and killed her small dog in front of her house. Stepka told the council she measured the hill and calculated a vertical change of roughly 33.6 meters (110 feet) over a horizontal distance of about 0.2 miles (1,056 feet), yielding a grade of approximately 10.4 percent — above the Federal Highway Administration recommendation that residential streets remain below 7 percent.
Stepka urged portable radar speed-display signs, speed-limit signage, speed bumps or other traffic-calming measures in the neighborhood.
City response: The mayor said staff had already started an initial review; City Manager Charles West and public works staff will investigate options and return to the resident or council with findings. The mayor told Stepka the city had opened the matter with public works and would follow up.
What this means: City staff said they would examine existing traffic studies and the public works department’s options for noncapital measures (signage, speed displays) and, if necessary, longer-term engineering solutions. Councilmembers noted a prior comprehensive traffic and impact analysis had focused on intersections and that this particular grade or segment might not have been included, so further field review was warranted.
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