County adopts safety action plan and greenway framework after public outreach

The Williamson County Commission unanimously approved a countywide roadway Safety Action Plan and received a companion multimodal greenway plan March 9, a step county staff said will unlock eligibility for federal implementation grants.

Consultants from AECOM and Design Workshop summarized findings identifying that roughly 20 percent of county roads account for about 88 percent of fatal and serious-injury crashes, with lane-departure and angle crashes predominating on higher-speed corridors. The safety plan sets targets including a 30% reduction in fatal and serious-injury crashes over the next 10 years.

"We identified high-risk corridors and recommended systemic strategies such as rumble strips, shoulder improvements and improved crosswalks," the consultant said. Commissioners praised the robust public outreach and the plan's utility for grant applications.

Separately, the multimodal greenway plan proposes corridors and design guidelines to expand off-road access across unincorporated parts of the county, with initial work showing 67% of residents are within a 10-minute drive of a greenway but only 5% within a 10-minute walk. Design Workshop proposed 21 initial greenway corridors with refinement to improve walking access and connect parks and local amenities.

The commission adopted Resolution 3-26-20 to commit to the safety action plan and pursue funding; the vote was 21-0.

What happens next: municipalities and county staff will coordinate project prioritization and pursue grants; design-level concepts and cost estimates prepared by the consultants will serve as the basis for applications when federal notices of funding opportunity are released.