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Speeding citations in Austin are down 90% since 2015.

2026-07-23 · 01:59 UTC ·@adrian_horning_ ·1 min read

Brief

Austin traffic enforcement has effectively collapsed, the author argues: speeding citations are down 90% since 2015 after APD disbanded its Motors unit and left those roles among 345 vacancies. A 2021 City Council cut of 150 sworn positions and a ban on cadet classes produced zero hires and 170 departures, leaving traffic policing to patrols; 406 traffic deaths occurred last year.

Why it matters

Speeding citations in Austin are down 90% since 2015.

Key details

  • APD's dedicated Motors traffic-enforcement unit was disbanded and those positions now sit among the department's 345 vacancies.
  • In 2021 the City Council cut 150 sworn positions and banned new cadet classes by law, leading to zero hires that year and 170 departures; traffic enforcement is now handled by patrol officers and Austin had 406 traffic-related fatalities last year.
Source evidence

Have felt like this is true for very long

We need more enforcement out there

Austin Justice (@AustinJustice)

Do people realize that Austin no longer has real traffic enforcement?

Speeding citations in Austin are down 90% since 2015.

APD once had a dedicated traffic enforcement unit called Motors unit. It was disbanded, and those positions now sit among the department's 345 vacancies. So now traffic enforcement in Austin is whatever a patrol officer happens to catch between calls.

In 2021, city council cut 150 sworn positions and banned new cadet classes by law. No officers were hired that year and 170 left.

With the department being short, they backfilled patrol first and stripped out the specialized units.

So now everyone in Austin drives among insane drivers.

There were 406 traffic-related fatalities in Austin last year.

— https://nitter.net/AustinJustice/status/2080054709495234659#m