Austin, Texas Speed Traps

They usually have 2-3 police officer standing by the side of the road on Convict Hill Road, approximately 1/2 mile to the west of Escarpment. They focus on getting people coming from the west (from Highway 290) and coming up over and then down the hill. The speed limit is 30, which means you have to ride your breaks coming down the hill if you want to stay under it.

Speed is 40 between in this area but signs are not frequent. Officers will sit on the north side passed hills to blindside cars. Most drive at 45 – 50 in this area. I was given a ticket for going 48 in this zone. Officers are here at least monthly.

Sometimes a sherrif’s vehicle will hide behind trees just at the base of the steep, curving hill after the light at 620. I usually see this during afternoon hours. Other times one or two sherrif’s vehicles will park off of the opposite side of the road facing vehicle about to approach the base of the hill. I have seen this at several different times of day.

Police patrol this stretch on a near-daily basis. Usually a couple of police cars or motorcycles. There are several bridges and hills that make for great hiding spots until it’s too late. Because it’s seeded for wildflowers, TxDOT usually leaves it unmowed. Plus it’s located between two Mopac bottlenecks so that people naturally tend to speed to make up lost time. Occasionally police will park an empty car in the median or behind the pillars near the 183 underpass to play mind tricks on motorists.

Police officers sit behind trees and use radar gun to catch speeders. Drivers are often going at a fast rate of speed because they have exited Loop 1 at 65 mph and the sign for 35 MPH is not easily seen on the four lane frontage road.