TxDOT Enhancing Roadway Safety in Oil and Energy Boomtowns
| What: | The Texas Department of Transportation, the Texas Department of Public Safety and local officials will gather on Friday (March 8) to announce a public education initiative urging motorists to drive cautiously in high-traffic oil and gas production areas. |
| When: | Friday, March 8 at 1 p.m. |
| Where: | Johnson County Historic Courthouse, 2 N. Main Street, Cleburne, TX 76033 |
| Media: | Opportunity to interview Brian Barth, Deputy District Engineer, Fort Worth, TxDOT; Carol Rawson, Director, Traffic Operations Division, TxDOT; Texas Highway Patrol Major Michael Bradberry, Texas Department of Public Safety; and Judge Roger Harmon, Johnson County. |
AUSTIN — While the increase in oil and gas activity in the Barnett Shale has created new economic opportunities, it also has put more vehicles on the region’s roadways, creating new hazards for drivers who might not be used to the additional traffic. Preliminary TxDOT crash reports indicate that crashes and traffic fatalities in 2012 increased significantly in some of the state’s energy production areas. While the Barnett Shale has not experienced the double digit increases seen in parts of south and west Texas, state officials are reminding all motorists to obey traffic laws and drive with care.