San Antonio Residents Prioritize Roadway Safety & Infrastructure Improvements in 2025 Survey
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A recent Transportation Department survey reveals San Antonio residents are deeply concerned about neighborhood safety, with improved roadway design and urgent infrastructure repairs topping the list of priorities. The findings, gathered in October 2025 using the FlashVote platform, offer valuable insight into public perception and will directly influence future transportation projects.
Public Perception of Safety Influenced by Design
“Survey responses show that residents are highly perceptive. They understand that street design, lighting, and activity influence how safe a place feels — not just how many cars travel through it,” a department blog post explained. The two-day survey focused on problems experienced on roadways throughout the San Antonio area and sought to identify transportation-related changes residents would prioritize.
The data collected will be instrumental in refining and prioritizing both current and future projects, according to department spokesperson Joe Conger. “We can utilize this approach on citywide plans (e.g. TOD), since the survey results provide insight on which recommendations may have potential hurdles to consider before the plan is adopted,” Conger stated. Transit-oriented development (TOD), a planning practice focused on maximizing growth around public transportation, will be carefully considered in light of the survey’s results.
Key Concerns: Pedestrian Safety & Road Congestion
Residents overwhelmingly identified pedestrian safety as a major concern. The most frequent response to a question about roadway problems centered on witnessing pedestrians crossing streets unsafely. This was closely followed by observations of drivers failing to yield to pedestrians and a general feeling that roads are “too crowded with cars.”
Notably, respondents reported feeling less safe walking in residential neighborhoods compared to more active areas like downtown. Half of those surveyed expressed concerns about safety while walking, citing both vehicular traffic and potential crime as contributing factors.
Infrastructure & Roadway Design Top Priority for Improvements
Beyond safety concerns, residents strongly emphasized the need for infrastructure improvements. Responses consistently pointed to the necessity of fixing existing issues, such as potholes, and proactively improving roadway design to enhance safe travel for all.
“Backed by science, it gives us insight into what the public at large thinks about the mission and direction of our Transportation Department and will help us in prioritizing future projects,” Conger added.
Renewed Focus on Vision Zero Initiatives
The survey feedback reinforces the need to expand Vision Zero efforts beyond major roadways and focus on local streets. San Antonio launched its Vision Zero program in 2015, and in 2024, the city created the first Vision Zero Action Plan in Texas, according to information on the SASpeakUp website.
Currently, five Vision Zero-focused projects have been completed, with an additional five under construction. Last year, the city also launched a High-Injury Network Dashboard, a million-dollar initiative utilizing crash data from the Texas Department of Transportation (2018-2022) to identify and address areas with a high incidence of severe and fatal crashes. While the recent survey data won’t immediately impact the dashboard, officials plan to update it with the latest crash statistics in the near future.
The city’s commitment to Vision Zero, coupled with direct feedback from residents, signals a proactive approach to creating safer streets for all San Antonians.
