At a November City Council meeting, a motion sponsored by Ibarra to create the committee was unanimously passed by council.

The group will be comprised of community representatives, including the volunteer fire department, churches, Magnolia ISD and others, Ibarra said.

“Each professional has a unique perspective,” Ibarra said. “From there we literally advise other stakeholders, which include the planning commission, administration and city council.”

“My role is to bring professionals to the table: DPS, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery County hospital district…see what they would say about us changing the traffic pattern.”

By getting input from entities that use the roadway often, such as emergency services and the school district, the committee will be able to make decisions that will take into account those groups and make informed decisions, Ibarra said.

Recently, concerns over Melton Street, which runs north from Buddy Riley Boulevard to FM 1488, prompted the decision to turn the road into a one-way street. That lasted for two weeks before the street was turned back into a two-way, enough time for Ibarra and The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to conduct a traffic study and bring the results to the most recent city council meeting.

“The study was to see traffic patterns,” Ibarra said. “We had a lot more problems created than problems solved. In fairness, we tried the approach, but in my opinion it didn’t work.”

Ibarra said to his knowledge, the City of Magnolia has not had a traffic safety committee before.

Currently, the committee has a handful of top priorities, including the Melton Street situation, “mostly because of the concerns brought by society to council,” Ibarra said.

Another item is the intersection of Smith Street and FM 1488, also discussed between TxDOT and stakeholders, of which they “have a number of recommendations for,” Ibarra said.

The condition of traffic signs in the city is also at the top of the list.

“We want to make sure they (traffic signs) are state compliant,” Ibarra said. “We’re doing a complete audit of the entire city.”

The committee will not have formal meetings, but will conduct one-on-one meetings between Ibarra and the group member.

Ibarra said this way people will feel more comfortable sharing how they feel about a situation.

“I’m literally reaching out to them because I’m their liason,” he said. “They feel at ease to discuss their opinion because they are in a private environment.”

Ibarra said the committee will also have a Web site set up where residents can voice their concerns about traffic problems.

For more information about the Traffic Safety Committee, visit www.cityofmagnolia.com.

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