Lubbock City Council Postpones Texting While Driving Ban, Approves Erskine Street Design and Animal Shelter Expansion

At their meeting this week, the Lubbock City Council chose to indefinitely postpone an item that would ban texting while driving.

The ordinance that was originally up for consideration Thursday evening would have restricted the use of wireless communications devices while driving in the City of Lubbock to “address the possible hazards produced by a distracted driver as the result of creating, sending, or reading text-based communications; and to address the City’s interest in public safety in this area.”

The ordinance would have imposed a $200 fine on those convicted of texting while driving.

The ordinance’s sponsor, District 5 Councilwoman Karen Gibson said “I am going to ask to postpone this item tonight just so we can take another look at it.”

The Council also approved a resolution to help fund the design of Erskine Street from Indiana Avenue to Quaker Avenue.

The City of Lubbock will fund $150,000 of the $750,000 total cost of the design work, and the remaining $600,000 will be matched by the Federal Highway Administration. The City has another $50,000 budgeted for other areas of the Erskine project.

The item passed 6-0, with District 4 Councilman Jim Gerlt absent.

The City’s animal shelter will also grow, following initial action from the Council.

The Council approved the engineering services of Stiles, Wallace & Associates for an animal shelter extension at a cost of just over $56,500.

The engineering services, which will provide the design, plans, specifications, and construction estimates for the extension, will be approximately 4,530 square feet slated to be added to the northwest corner of the existing facility at 3323 South East Loop 289.

The City has allotted a total of $750,000 for the animal shelter expansion, which will likely result in the closing of the City's older animal shelter facility.

The measure passed 6-0.