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Jun 13, 2023

Neighbors along ‘Dead Man’s Curve’ on Northwest Side promised traffic light to stop speeders

Patty Santos, Reporter Matthew Craig, Photojournalist SAN ANTONIO – Prue Road between Babcock and Bandera roads has been nicknamed “Dead Man’s Curve” because of the high number of traffic crashes

Patty Santos, Reporter

Matthew Craig, Photojournalist

SAN ANTONIO – Prue Road between Babcock and Bandera roads has been nicknamed “Dead Man’s Curve” because of the high number of traffic crashes along the winding road.

Residents who are fed up have been trying to get someone to hear their concerns for two years.

Michelle Martinez, a resident of the Westfield neighborhood on Prue Road, said it’s been two years of frustration and waiting for something to change. It started when she tried walking the sidewalk on her way to a nearby trail while pushing a stroller.

“I don’t feel safe with these speeding cars,” she said.

She documented every crash she saw along the stretch of road. Neighbors said speeding cars have crashed through their backyard fences at all hours of the day.

After several attempts by the city to lower the number of crashes using new traffic signals and deploying officers to issue tickets to speeders, nothing worked.

District 8 Councilman Manny Pelaez said changes are on the way.

“We have pulled from every lever to get to people, to slow down, and, you know, nothing has seemed to work,” he said.

The next step is to install a four-way traffic signal on Prue and Westfield roads, starting at a cost of half a million dollars. It will be part of the upcoming budget, which will need city council approval.

“This is so dangerous that our Public Works Department and I agree that this one is going to be bumped to the top of the list,” Pelaez said.

In the meantime, the speed limit has been lowered to 35 miles per hour.

Martinez urges residents with problems in their neighborhoods to stay on top of their complaints and be outspoken to their city representatives.

Starting in August, the city will host a series of budget town hall meetings to give residents a chance to voice their concerns about their streets and communities.

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