Raised medians added on Dyer St. after 281 crashes in 5 years

EL PASO, Texas — Safety measures put in place to reduce the number of traffic fatalities on El Paso roads is creating some frustration for businesses.

“It’s been a huge headache,” Josue Garcia, the manager of Famous Barber Shop in northeast El Paso, explained as he was cleaning his storefront. 

The barber shop has been open for three years, and Garcia says business on walk-in clients has stagnated ever since construction crews put in raised medians along Dyer Street where the shop is located. 

“Every client that I get everyday tells me everyday, ‘Oh man the middle concrete they just added to Dyer makes things harder,’” Garcia explained. 

The Texas Department of Transportation installed raised medians on Dyer Street and along 11 other areas around the Borderland to help with safety concerns. According to a TxDOT presentation, 281 crashes happened on Dyer Street between Van Buren and Thomosan avenues over a 5-year period. Those crashes resulted in five deaths. 

The raised medians replace the bi-directional turn lanes from the middle of the road. TxDOT says those turn lanes create conflicts with cars, pedestrians and cyclists. 

“The goal in mind with these raised medians is to end this. It’s to stop this,” Jennifer Wright, a spokesperson for TxDOT, said during an El Paso City Council meeting. 

During that same meeting on Tuesday, city Rep. Alexsandra Annello said she had heard complaints from many business owners and homeowners about the raised medians. 

TxDOT did not receive public comment before installing the medians on the roads.