Alarmingly, while we all experienced the tremendous traffic leaving the neighborhood in the wake of the 2011 fires, the congestion received very little media attention and even less documentation. Indeed, I can only find one photo of the congestion, this on an Amazon “Cloud” server (for those of you in the know about how cloud-computing works). Determined to do something about our future, I’m astounded, daily, by the individuals who have stepped up to make a difference in our community. From the residents volunteering to work through the Firewise program on our behalf, to the founders of the new Neighborhood Association, Steiner Ranch residents stand up to help themselves.
That’s why it came as no surprise, though a pleasant email, to hear from Connie Calvin. An MBA student at Concordia University and a resident of Steiner Ranch, Connie is looking into the congestion, traffic, and impact of the fire. To get to some answers, she’s asking a few things of us all:
- How far away do you live from the area that was actively on fire? (Street addresses are not necessary; rounding to the nearest mile will be fine)
- What time did you evacuate from your house (approximate times okay)?
- How long did it take you to get to your destination?
- Did you take more than one vehicle (assuming you own more than one)?
A resident of Steiner Ranch, having moved to Austin upon retiring from the Air Force almost six years ago, Connie is currently pursuing her MBA at Concordia University where she is conducting research for a Critical Thinking paper, the topic of which focuses around the traffic congestion that resulted from the wildfire evacuation last September. She and her husband Josh are active members of Austin Christian Fellowship, and their daughter Charlotte is a junior at Vandegrift High School.
The fire, which destroyed nearly 40 homes, may have left us directly but leaves a legacy of support for one another that will serve us well. A little insight in to our battle with traffic congestion is just what we need to have a positive impact on our next brush with fire.
Click here to take the survey
