Sixteen days ago, 725 of you signed this petition and stood with us on one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in the Texas Hill Country. Today I want to tell you what has happened since — because a lot has happened, and you deserve to know.
Yesterday, Bandera County Commissioners Court unanimously passed a formal resolution demanding TxDOT fix SH 46 West.
Signed by County Judge Richard A. Evans and three Commissioners under the official seal of Bandera County, Resolution No. 26-0409-08 formally declares SH 46 West "totally inadequate" and demands that TxDOT provide a response with definite timelines. The final line of the resolution is underlined: "TOO MANY LIVES HAVE BEEN LOST."
This is the first formal government action on this road. TxDOT is now legally obligated to respond. Your signatures helped make this happen.
Here is what else has happened in 16 days:
TxDOT's own Traffic Safety Division provided us with their official crash database for this corridor — 2016 through March 2026. The numbers are worse than anything we had previously reported publicly:
550 total crashes on SH 46 West since 2016
13 people killed in 10 fatal crashes
44 people seriously injured
At least 151 people killed or injured in just over 10 years
More than half of all fatalities — 8 of 13 — were head-on collisions on a road with no center median
10 of 13 deaths occurred in just the last five years. The problem is getting worse, not better.
Senator Donna Campbell's office has contacted TxDOT engineers directly. Representative Ellen Troxclair's office is engaged and coordinating with Senator Campbell. TxDOT San Antonio District Engineer Charles Benavidez, P.E. is finalizing a formal written response — confirming his office has seen "a lot of interest in this issue from various parties." TxDOT Austin has committed to producing feasibility study documents by April 29.
Community members across Bandera and Kendall Counties are sharing this petition with their neighbors. Local and regional media have been contacted.
What we need right now:
We are pushing to get Kendall County Commissioners Court to pass a matching resolution. A joint resolution from both counties is the next critical step — it unlocks Senator Campbell's office writing a formal letter to TxDOT leadership and triggers proper notification of the TxDOT Commission.
Here is what you can do today:
Share this petition. Text it to five people who drive SH 46 West. Post it on Facebook. Forward it to your neighborhood group. Every new signature adds weight. — c.org/QqKM75WKpP
Contact your elected officials directly. A personal message from a constituent carries real weight. Copy and paste this:
"I am a constituent who travels SH 46 West. TxDOT's own data confirms 13 people have been killed and 550 crashes have occurred on this road since 2016. I urge your office to support a formal Road Safety Audit and a funded structural safety improvement — specifically a center median — before more lives are lost. 725 residents have signed the petition at c.org/QqKM75WKpP."
Senator Pete Flores (SD-24): pete.flores@senate.texas.gov | (512) 463-0124
Rep. Wes Virdell (HD-53): district53.virdell@house.texas.gov | (830) 730-5925
Senator Donna Campbell (SD-25): (512) 463-0125
Rep. Ellen Troxclair (HD-19): (512) 463-0536
If you live or work in Kendall County — contact Kendall County Commissioner Jennifer McCall (Precinct 1) at commissioners@co.kendall.tx.us or (830) 249-9343 ext. 370 and ask her to bring a resolution before the Kendall County Commissioners Court.
TxDOT has known about this corridor for years. Their own data confirms 13 deaths. They scheduled a repaving job. We are not going away until they commit to a structural fix.
Thank you for standing with us. Thank you for sharing. And thank you for caring about this road and the people who drive it every day.
Brad Dobson
BradDobson@outlook.com