BRYAN, Texas (KBTX) – A 2024 video shows the real-life impact of the medians on Texas Avenue.
The video shows a Bryan fire truck stuck trying to make a U-turn, forcing firefighters to abandon the vehicle and run down the road on foot to reach a three-vehicle crash.
It’s the kind of situation that raises a pressing question for Bryan residents: do the medians on one of the city’s busiest corridors slow down first responders.
“There’s no question that there’s calls that it could affect response time,” said Chris Lamb with the Bryan Fire Department.
Lamb said medians are simply one more obstacle crews are trained to navigate, no different than heavy traffic or a road closure.
“Our job is to navigate those things,” Lamb said. “The medians to us are no different than five o’clock traffic… it could be anything that delays our response.”
But Lamb said even if a median strands one truck on the wrong side of a crash, it doesn’t mean a delay in care. Every Bryan firefighter, he said, is also a trained paramedic.
“If the engine is coming, if that ambulance has to take a different route, the engine is going to get there first and still be able to provide the same medical care,” Lamb said.
Come November 3rd, voters hold the power to either remove the medians slowing down emergency crews or leave Bryan’s busiest corridor as it is.
Tuesday, the city released a confidential legal opinion warning that a “yes” vote would not guarantee the medians’ removal, since the Texas Department of Transportation controls the road and removing them could cost the city an estimated $8 million.
The debate comes as Bryan voters prepare to decide the fate of the medians at the ballot box. Early voting begins Oct. 19, with Election Day set for Nov. 3.
KBTX spoke with the city of Bryan for an in-depth look at the impact the medians have on our community. Stay tuned for that story which will air on Friday.
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