Austin, TX

Austin traffic increased after state workers returned to office, but travel speeds barely changed

Published

1 month ago

May 14, 2025

Austin traffic increased after state workers returned to office, but travel speeds barely changed

Traffic volumes on Austin’s highways climbed after state employees were ordered back to the office full-time March 31, according to new data obtained by KUT News. But average travel speeds during morning and afternoon rush hours were little changed on Interstate 35, MoPac and U.S. Highway 183.

City streets showed even less fluctuation in travel times, aside from some construction zones.

Perhaps it shouldn’t be a surprise. Government employees make up less than 2% of the 1.5 million workers in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos metro area, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The mixed results also reflect a complicated reality: traffic congestion is shaped by overlapping forces — everything from crashes to signal timing — not just the number of vehicles on the road.

Nathan Bernier

KUT News

Construction zones can sometimes play a bigger role than traffic volumes. Travel times on Cesar Chavez Street by the Austin Convention Center slowed by 37%, but only during permitted construction hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“When you start talking about traffic, there are lots of things in play besides what you’re thinking about,” said David Schrank, senior research scientist at the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. “We can look in generalities at what’s happening, but it’s very difficult to pinpoint.”

KUT News requested Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) data comparing the first week of the state’s return-to-office mandate with the first week of March to avoid muddying the numbers with the spring break slowdown.

The week of March 31, highway traffic volumes increased most on I-35 at Onion Creek Parkway. About 5% more cars and trucks traveled on weekdays in both directions, suggesting more people commuting from suburbs south of Austin.

But during the morning commute, defined as 6 to 10 a.m., average weekday travel speeds on I-35 at Onion Creek actually increased from 18 to 28 miles per hour. The afternoon commute saw a more predictable drop in southbound travel speeds from 28 to 25 miles per hour.

One factor could be that workers now have more flexibility to decide when they hit the road.

“They might take a call at the house before they leave,” Schrank said. “And then, ‘OK. I’m going to drive in now. Traffic sort of died down.’”

City traffic data — supplied by the traffic analytics company INRIX — shows little change on local streets.

A graph showing an orange line and a blue line basically almost following the exact same path. There's a little bump for the morning rush hour and a bigger bump in the afternoon. — Two lines comparing average travel times on dozens of roadway segments in Travis County as measured by the traffic analytics company INRIX. This data excludes highways. The orange line is the first week of April 2024. The blue line is the first week of April 2025. There is little change.

That’s not to say certain pockets could be worse.

“I think the data doesn’t necessarily indicate where hotspots may be,” said Brian Craig with the city of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department. “So that is something that we are actively looking for.”

The city monitors intersections with cameras and adjusts traffic signal timing as needed, especially in areas where return-to-office orders might put more cars and trucks on the road.

One focus has been the TxDOT campus on Stassney Lane, where state employees returned to a site where they struggled to find parking.

“We’ve made [traffic signal] timing adjustments,” Craig said. “We know if we had not, it certainly would have become a very hot spot as far as congestion goes.”

Cesar Chavez Street to the west of I-35 was another trouble area. Construction at the Austin Convention Center slowed travel times by as much as 37%, but only during permitted working hours of 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

One of Austin’s most reliably jammed roads didn’t change much. I-35 at Lady Bird Lake averaged about 10 miles per hour during the afternoon commute before the state’s return-to-office mandate.

The week after? Still 10 miles an hour.

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Related Topics:Austin congestion Featured I-35 Mopac return to office rush hour state of texas traffic

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Austin, TX

Texas lawmakers warned of

Published

17 hours ago

June 14, 2025

Press Room

The Texas Department of Public Safety warned state legislators of a “credible threat” against them during Saturday’s “No Kings” protest at the state capitol building in downtown Austin.

The Texas State Capitol and grounds were evacuated at 1 p.m. local time Saturday due to the threat and remain temporarily closed. Texas DPS said that the evacuation was out of an abundance of caution. No further details were provided.

“Just today, a credible threat was made to possibly kill members of the Texas Legislature at the Capitol,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a post on X. “Death threats are sadly a part of serving in public life today.”

Patrick called on the public to remain cautious and to “heed the warning of the Texas DPS until the threat is no longer active.”

The protest at the Texas Capitol was scheduled for 5 p.m., according to the “No Kings” website. It was not immediately clear if the event would continue.

While such threats are not often discussed, Patrick said the state handles many each month. He noted that most come from individuals who “go too far in their emails or calls,” and that they frequently retract their statements when confronted, insisting they didn’t intend harm. Still, he stressed that “all have to be taken seriously.”

Patrick highlighted the need to differentiate between acceptable discourse and unlawful threats.

“There’s a difference between free speech complaints, which we welcome, and making death threats,” Patrick said in his statement. “The latter can be a crime.”

Minnesota lawmakers targeted

The bulletin to legislators also mentioned the targeted attacks against two lawmakers in Minnesota. State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband were killed, and state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were wounded in politically-motivated shootings overnight, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said Saturday morning.

A manhunt is underway for the suspect, who remains at large.

“Currently, it seems to be an isolated incident. However, we’re always concerned about copycats and those who this attack might inspire. Your safety is our top priority, and we are taking all necessary precautions to address any potential threats,” the bulletin said.

“What happened today in Minnesota was an absolute criminal act and a tragic loss of life,” Patrick said in his statement. “Our prayers go out to those in Minnesota.”

Steven Rosenbaum

Steven Rosenbaum is a digital producer for CBS Texas. A versatile journalist, Steven writes, edits and produces content for the CBS Texas digital platforms.

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Austin, TX

MATCH PREVIEW: North Texas SC vs. Austin FC II | 06.14.25 | North Texas SC

Published

2 days ago

June 13, 2025

Press Room

MATCH PREVIEW: North Texas SC vs. Austin FC II | 06.14.25 | North Texas SC

North Texas SC hosts Austin FC II on Saturday, June 14 from Choctaw Stadium. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the game.

How to Watch
The match will be available to watch on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV and kicks off at 7:45 p.m. CT.

North Texas SC Record: 6-4-2 (21 points)
Austin FC II Record: 2-4-5 (13 points)
All-time Series: 2-1-3 (10 GF, 10 GA)

Extending Early Dominance

Since Austin FC II joined the league in 2023, North Texas SC holds a 2-0-1 record when hosting them at Choctaw Stadium. In total, North Texas has only lost once in six meetings between the two sides since Austin’s inception. Head coach John Gall’s side will look to continue that dominance Saturday night in its only home match of June and the only meeting between the teams in Arlington this year.

Bouncing Back

North Texas SC’s last outing a 2-0 road loss to St. Louis was not the team’s best performance. Gall’s side will look to use that disappointment as motivation to reignite the form it had before the defeat. Saturday’s match against Austin provides an ideal bounce-back opportunity, with several favorable factors in play: a return home and a rivalry atmosphere. A win could help the team regain momentum heading into the midpoint of the season.

Austin FC II

The in-state rival from the capital is led by third-year head coach Brett Uttley and currently sits 13th in the Western Conference standings. Austin enters the match following a 1-0 road loss to Colorado Rapids 2. The last meeting between these two sides ended in a 1-1 draw at Parmer Field, with North Texas earning the extra point in the post-match shootout. Austin’s main attacking threat is forward Peter Grogan, who leads the team with three goals, one of which came against North Texas earlier this season.

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Austin, TX

Evening Briefing Austin June 12

Published

2 days ago

June 12, 2025

Press Room

Good evening, Austin. We’re wrapping up the day for you with the most important stories you need to know and your weather outlook.

Your Weather Planner

After rushing floodwaters in and around San Antonio this morning, finally we begin our trend toward calmer skies. Gradually this unsettled patterns lifts and rain chances slip below 20% into the upcoming weekend. Don’t get too excited about this shift though as heat index values burst on the scene, making it suddenly feel like 102-108 in the afternoon.

Get your 7-day forecast: Austin | San Antonio | Dallas

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Today’s Big Stories

1. City of Austin to rename road with Confederate ties

The Austin City Council voted on June 5 to rename a South Austin street with Confederate ties.

In southwest Austin, Plantation Road connects Brodie Lane and Longview Road within Kincheonville, a freedmen’s settlement established by Thomas Wesley Kincheon and his wife Mary in 1865.

2. Abbott says over 5,000 Texas National Guard members deployed ahead of ‘No Kings Day,’ immigration protests

Ahead of protests against President Donald Trump and ongoing federal immigration raids, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Thursday he has ordered the deployment of over 5,000 Texas National Guard troops and 2,000 state police officers across the state.

Protesters block the driveway to a federal building as police stand guard in Santa Ana, Calif., on Monday, June 9, 2025. (Jeff Gritchen/The Orange County Register via AP)

3. Troops begin detaining immigrants in national defense zone at border in escalation of military role

U.S. troops have begun directly detaining immigrants accused of trespassing on a recently designated national defense zone along the southern U.S. border, in an escalation of the military’s enforcement role, authorities said Wednesday.

4. Kennedy names 8 vaccine committee replacements, including COVID shot critic

U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday named eight new vaccine policy advisers to replace the panel that he abruptly dismissed earlier this week.

They include a scientist who researched mRNA vaccine technology and transformed into a conservative darling for his criticisms of COVID-19 vaccines, and a leading critic of pandemic-era lockdowns.

Notes for Tomorrow

Friday, June 13

Parole hearing for brothers Erik and Lyle Menendez
ULA rocket launches, carrying batch of Amazon’s Project Kuiper internet network constellation

In Case You Missed It

Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers (5) poses for photos during a WNBA basketball media day in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, May 7, 2025. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Paige Bueckers becomes 2nd rookie in WNBA history to score 35 points in single game

The Dallas Wings fell to the Phoenix Mercury 93-80 Thursday night, but that didn’t stop Paige Bueckers from having a reason to celebrate. Just one month into her first season in the WNBA, the Wings guard became only the second rookie in league history to score 35 points in a single game.

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