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Traffic study finds left-turn failures drive crashes at FM 2499 and Live Oak; council weighs $42,000 TxDOT coordination study
Summary
A consultant study identified 41 crashes from 2020'2025 at FM 2499 and Live Oak Marketplace, with failure-to-yield in left-turn movements the top contributing factor; staff recommended targeted signage, vegetation trimming and a mid-term TxDOT signal-timing coordination study estimated at about $42,000.
City staff presented the results of a traffic engineering study of the FM 2499 (State Highway) intersection at Live Oak Marketplace and Village Parkway, highlighting crash patterns and possible countermeasures.
Kristen, the project lead, summarized the consultant's findings: "There was 41 crashes identified in the intersection." She told council the most common contributing factor was failure to yield during left-turn movements, particularly northbound and southbound, and that peak-hour signal grading was generally "level C or better" since TxDOT returned signal operations to its control in September 2024.
The consultant proposed short-term measures including trimming 150 feet of vegetation that can obstruct sight lines and installing an MUTCD-approved signal-ahead sign if TxDOT approves it. For a mid-term fix, staff recommended a signal-timing coordination study with TxDOT (staff cited an order-of-magnitude figure of about $42,000).
Council members and residents pushed back on single remedies, noting driver behavior and queuing in left-turn lanes as key contributors. A resident who crosses the intersection daily called the location "a death trap," describing frequent near misses and urging stronger action.
Council debated protected-left signal phases, enforcement options and whether a design change (no-left-turn windows or revised phasing) would realistically change driver behavior. Staff said protected-left changes and right-of-way acquisitions would be more expensive and require TxDOT review, while the timing study would provide engineered recommendations and a path to TxDOT implementation.
What comes next: staff will collect additional crash and traffic-count data, explore a north-side pedestrian crossing as a possible pedestrian-safety improvement, discuss the $42,000 study with neighbors, and bring specific options back to council for direction and possible funding decisions.
