The City of San Marcos will close two IH35 exit ramps near the San Marcos Outlet Malls for traffic control during the upcoming Black Friday weekend.
For outlet mall access, southbound motorists will need to use Exit 201 at McCarty Lane and northbound motorists should use Exit 200 at Centerpoint Road.
Police presence will also increase at the outlet malls beginning Thursday evening and continuing through Sunday evening with additional officers providing traffic control on Centerpoint Road.
The San Marcos Outlet Malls are open air malls, and stores have implemented COVID-19 safety precautions.
Shoppers are reminded that facial coverings are required, occupancy limits will be enforced, and social distancing should be observed while at the Malls. Motorists are also reminded to drive safely, to watch for pedestrians and police officers directing traffic, and to follow all traffic control signage.
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I'd like to know the PD's explanation of how fewer on/off ramps prevents accidents near the outlet malls. More cars, fewer exits. That sounds like a recipe for disaster.
Are they going to post police to provide traffic control at the crosswalk between the malls? What about on I-35? People will be jumping the median and using parking lots to avoid the wait. Cracker Barrel and Outback will have highways on two sides. And some creative few might even try using Trace to backdoor.
Shutting down the McCarty exit isn't going to prevent accidents. Leaving cars are still going to assume people are going to take the right into the Premier side. Now they are just going to do it higher speeds because they don't have to slow down for traffic exiting I-35.
So I'd like to hear their thinking. The malls are a problem It will probably be a madhouse. But, how does funneling more cars into fewer areas, agitating them, and encouraging unsafe practices increase safety? There might be an answer but I don't see it.
Years ago before they started closing the exits the traffic would back up on the interstate now it goes onto the access road. Making a line on the access road and leaving the interstate clear. (I'm not a police officer just a longtime resident)
I'm thinking this has less to do with getting people in than it does about getting people out.
Especially on the northbound side. Check out Google Earth. Its imagery was taken on 21 December 2018. The lots are full. From the exit to Centerpoint is a bit over 4,200 feet. At a 20 foot separation, you are only fitting 210 cars in that area. Use both lanes and you're talking less than 400 cars (because people won't play nice.
For perspective, the far end immediately in front of Neiman Marcus has parking for about 300. I'm eyeballing that at about 1/11th of the total capacity. So it would traffic entering would back up either way. But if you can get them out easier, that might be a gain.