Oak Cliff roundabout closer to getting permanent fix after crashes rattle neighbors
A crash‑prone Oak Cliff roundabout is a step closer to getting a permanent fix. The traffic circle on Tyler Street near the Bishop Arts area has been the scene of several crashes.
"It's been scary," homeowner Jeanette Barrett said. "Right after we moved in is when the car jumped over and ran into the first townhouse. Later, it happened again at the second townhouse."
It didn't take long for homeowners to demand a fix.
"So, on one hand, you think like, 'what are they gonna do on the city side to kind of protect these homes?'" homeowner Simon Waranch said. "So I feel safe, and I feel protected, but I also feel bad for the people, you know, a couple hundred feet away."
Temporary barrier becomes permanent plan
After neighbors rallied, a temporary barrier was put in place. This week, work began on a permanent solution.
"That feels good," Barrett said, "because we have been to several meetings, several neighbors here. We've all been working together to try to get the city to hear us and listen to us: that we're scared sitting in our own homes."
Motorists now navigate around a wooden framework that went up this week. Eventually, a concrete traffic barrier will replace it in the center circle of the roundabout. The city said that it could happen within weeks.
"So seeing the progress out here feels excellent," Barrett said, "that we're being heard and that they're doing something about it."
Homeowners describe close calls
Barrett admits she's glad her family bought a home on the other corner. Waranch said much the same. He's an artist with a home gallery filled with delicate glass pieces.
"It's my showroom. It's my...everything," Waranch said. "It's my life."
He has also witnessed the collateral damage of motorists driving too fast toward the roundabout and then becoming confused about how to navigate it.
Drivers struggle with roundabout rules
Both homeowners agree that the road design is only part of the issue.
"I also think it shows how little Texas drivers know about roundabouts," Waranch said. "It's interesting, to say the least."
Barrett was even more blunt.
"Don't know how to drive, and everyone's just in too much of a hurry," she said. "No one wants to yield to anyone. And that's the whole point of a roundabout."