Tomorrow's Transportation
Tomorrow's Transportation
By Beth Wade Friday, 08 May 2009
Download a copy of Tomorrow's Transportation map (pdf, 6.1 Mb.)
By Tiffany Young
Austin ranks highest in traffic congestion of all medium-sized population groups, or cities with fewer than one million people, according to the Texas Transportation Institute’s biannual Urban Mobility Report. And the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce’s 2007 Take on Traffic campaign reports 70 cars are being added to Central Texas’ roadways each day.
“Austin grows a lot faster than most cities our size ... so if we continue to grow without building more capacity, congestion will only get worse,” said Sheryl Cole, Austin city councilwoman and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization board member.
The City of Austin is looking at several ways to reduce traffic congestion:
- Add bike lanes — As part of an overall transportation plan for Austin, the 2020 Bicycle Plan will be brought to the Austin City Council in May.
While Austin was recognized as a Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists in 2007, less than 1 percent of commuters bike to and from work. This might be because only 4 percent of Austin’s roadway network has bicycle lanes. The proposed network of bicycle lanes would put Austin at 21 percent, which would cost $3 million per year in funding. - Close sidewalk gaps — Austin’s recently approved Sidewalk Master Plan prioritizes the problem of absent sidewalks and recommends a funding schedule for improvements. The highest priority sidewalk gaps were in the downtown and east Austin areas where the highest foot traffic is.
“I believe a healthy, active city needs multimodal transportation solutions to diminish the need for cars and parking. In my mind, all of these plans work together to create more mobility for residents,” Cole said. - Create rapid bus routes — MetroRapid, a type of limited-stop bus service using high-tech vehicles to keep traffic signals green as they approach major intersections, would connect to MetroBus and MetroRail services reducing travel times up to 20 percent. Capital MetroRapid, could receive up to $37 million through the Federal Transit Administration’s Very Small Starts Program. Initial service would include North Lamar Boulevard/South Congress Avenue and Burnet Road/South Lamar Boulevard routes.
By Suzanne Haberman
No single governmental entity is responsible for road construction in Williamson County. The state, county and cities each play a part. To complete improvements on Williams Drive in Georgetown, for example, Williamson County and the City of Georgetown have joined funds and forces to get the job done when state money failed.
“Citizens don’t care if it is a city, county or state road, they just want [their roads] fixed,” said Cynthia Long, Williamson County precinct two commissioner.
Williams Drive improvements
Williamson County and the City of Georgetown have collaborated to widen and add a turn lane to Williams Drive between D.B. Wood Road and FM 3405. The cost of the project’s first phase is $17 million. The city and county are splitting the construction costs that remain after receiving $8.8 million in federal funds via the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization. The city will pay 65 percent of the remaining cost to complete the section within city limits, between D.B. Wood and Jim Hogg roads. The county will fund the remaining stretch to FM 3405. The second phase of construction from FM 3405 to Ronald Reagan Boulevard will be funded by the county and repaid by TxDOT. 
Why the team works
The collaborations between the city and county governments to widen Williams Drive began when TxDOT withdrew funding as state transportation resources shrank. Plans to change the road in phase one, which goes from five to two to five lanes over the course of 3.3 miles, into a consistent four-lane road got put on hold. Valerie Covey, Williamson County precinct three commissioner, spearheaded the effort to finish the project, suggesting that the county pay to complete the renovation and the city reimburse 65 percent to cover the stretch of road in city limits. She said safety concerns made construction a No. 1 priority.
How it gets done
The two governing bodies made sure their priorities were aligned with an inter-local agreement. The contract outlined each bodies’ responsibilities. The county agreed to hire the lowest bidder and manage construction. The city agreed to give input, pay the county back and maintain the road upon completion in 2010.
By Mark Collins
Urban rail is a proposed $625 million, 15.3-mile track that would originate in the Mueller Development, go down Manor Road, through the University of Texas campus and past the state capitol to connect with the MetroRail Red Line. It would then cross Lady Bird Lake before running down Riverside Drive to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.
“This project is two, if not three different routes all in one,” City of Austin Transportation Director Rob Spillar said.
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s transit working group, a team charged with evaluating the potential for rail in Central Texas, approved the City of Austin’s initial plans Jan. 12. The group voted 11-1 in favor, moving the project into the next phase, which involves more detailed funding sources and engineering plans.
“Phase one is very feasible, and I think it is very necessary,” transit working group member Wade Cooper said. “And I think scaled to the right size it is very economically feasible as well.”
Former Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty was the only group member to vote against the project.
“People are convinced that in order to be an urban city we have to have rail,” Daugherty said. “If you don’t build a comprehensive road system first, it doesn’t matter what you do with alternate modes of transportation.”
Funding
“Unlike roads that usually have two or three sources of funding, this may have up to 20 different sources of funding, which is very common for rail,” Spillar said. “Unlike roads there is no single budget that funds rail.”
To offset the cost the city is looking to identify partners who might benefit from such an investment, including major employers and large landowners, as well as Travis County, the state and the University of Texas.
Once built, the additional challenge is funding the $21-23 million in annual operating costs. Spillar said Capital Metro is a strong option to take on the responsibility.
“It depends on how the city wants to set the system up and how they want it to be run, but I think it would be a good partnership,” Capital Metro Communications Specialist Misty Whited said.
The next step
Spillar and his team are busy preparing detailed construction and funding plans. He said he hopes to be able to get the bond proposition on the ballot in either May or November of 2010. He is optimistic that Austinites will get behind the idea of urban rail as they learn more about it.
By Eric Pulsifer
Proposed to cover 112 miles from Georgetown to San Antonio by 2012, the Austin-San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District would cost an estimated $613 million for construction, with half coming from the state and half from local entities. As much as $1.8 billion is needed to relocate the existing freight system.
Although that relocation would not be the responsibility of the rail district to fund, progress on the project is now dependent on the state legislature financing the Rail Relocation and Improvement Fund, approved by voters in 2005. The Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security voted in April to send a bill to the full Senate that would generate funds for the account.
Relocation
If financing for the fund passes, it could be used to relocate Union Pacific’s through freight to a different track outside of town. This would allow the district’s passenger rail to run on the existing Union Pacific line that partially parallels MoPac while providing Union Pacific a faster route for through freight. Local freight would share the line with the rail district.
If the Legislature approves the bill this session, preliminary engineering and environmental study work could begin as early as June. This process would include locking down final station locations and gathering public feedback.
Route
As planned now, the ASA line would travel along Union Pacific right-of-way north from San Antonio to Round Rock, where it would switch to the MoKan right-of-way. Four miles of new track would be built to reach Georgetown, and upgrades would be made along the line to improve safety.
Studies by ASA rail district say the commuter train system would get 3.2 million riders on board by 2030, with riders having the option to transition between rail and other public transit options. Trains would travel at speeds of up to 79 miles per hour, with trip times equal to or less than traveling the same distance by car.
The line could become part of a network of rail in Central Texas, tying into Capital Metro’s MetroRail line and future long-distance rail projects to Dallas.
by Eric Pulsifer
The construction of Toll 45 SW, a short stretch of highway that would serve as one of the final pieces in a partial loop around the Austin area, is on schedule after facing several delays due to funding problems and opposition from environmental groups.
Construction of Toll 45 SW may be put up for bid as early as December 2010, with building beginning in spring 2011.
The 3.6-mile facility is planned to be a six-lane divided roadway, with the two innermost lanes on each side reserved as tolled express lanes. The outer lanes would not be tolled and will be separated from the inner lanes by a concrete barrier. There will be no connecting streets or stoplights, but there will be one exit at Bliss Spillar Road. The project will cost an estimated $76 million.
Toll 45 SW is one of five projects — tolls 183, 290 E, 290 W, 71 W, 71 E and 45 SW — with a total price of $1.5 billion approved by CAMPO in October 2007. Those five tolled projects are being handled by the Texas Department of Transportation and the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, an agency created in 2002 to expedite mobility projects in Williamson and Travis counties. TxDOT will build the road, but CTRMA, which also manages Toll 183A, may run it. Any extra funds generated from those toll roads may only go toward projects within a designated proximity of each road, keeping the money in the Austin area.
Hays and Travis counties purchased the necessary right-of-way for Toll 45 SW in the late ’90s, but setbacks left many who would use the road confused about when, or if, it would be coming. Originally, TxDOT planned to begin construction on Toll 45 SW this year, but budget issues in 2008 brought the project to a halt.
Steve Pustelnyk, CTRMA director of communications, said the agency is focusing on the projects that have the most potential to relieve traffic congestion first.
“We have five main projects that we’re working on right now, and I’d say that 45 SW and the Y in Oak Hill are probably at the end of the priority list at this point,” Pustelnyk said. “As we get through those projects and as the environmental work gets done on the southwest projects, then we’ll be able to turn our priority to those.”
With funding issues now ironed out, TxDOT has completed the design process for Toll 45 SW and is working on a biological evaluation to examine the project’s effect on nearby wildlife and water.
The evaluation is part of the environmental assessment, which will be submitted to TxDOT for approval in late 2010.
By Kara Vaught
Capital Metro President and CEO Fred Gilliam said he will provide an update on the status of the MetroRail by May 15.
The March 30 opening date was cancelled after employees of Veolia Transportation, the contractor providing train operators, allegedly committed safety violations during training.
The Red Line is divided into two zones. The Kramer, Crestview, Highland, MLK Jr., Plaza Saltillo and Downtown stations make up Zone One and the Leander, Lakeline and Howard stations are in Zone Two. The zone boundary is Parmer Lane between the Howard and Kramer stations.
Future lines
Other commuter rail lines are being studied. The proposed Capital Metro Green Line would run 28 miles from downtown Austin to Manor and Elgin on existing tracks owned by Capital Metro.
Round Rock is considering a commuter rail to connect with Capital Metro’s Red Line at the southwest corner of Toll 45 and MoPac and run east to Meister Lane, then veer north to Georgetown within the existing MoKan right-of-way. Proposed stops are near Dell Inc., Dell Diamond and Avery Centre. Pflugerville has suggested that the rail route continue farther east into Pflugerville along Toll 45, with proposed stops near the Toll 45 and Toll 130 intersection and near the intersection of Toll 130 and Pecan Street.
Two-hour tickets — Two-hour tickets are available for travel in one zone ($1) or two zones ($1.50). Passengers riding on a two-hour ticket may catch a Rail Connector bus, available at the Downtown and MLK Jr. stations, for no additional cost.
MetroPlus Day Pass — Day passes ($3) are good for 24 hours on all MetroRail and MetroBus rides.
MetroPlus 31-Day Pass — These passes ($36) are valid 31 days from activation on all MetroRail and MetroBus rides.
Free — Senior citizens (65 and older); uniformed law enforcement, fire and military personnel, children younger than 6 and Disability Fare Card holders ride free with a Capital Metro-issued ID, as do University of Texas students, faculty and staff.
By Amy Stansbury
A small general aviation airport just outside Pflugerville built in the 1960s will soon become a major reliever airport in Central Texas. Asphalt was laid in February on the first part of the eventual 6,025-foot runway at Bird’s Nest Airport, which is expected to open early next year.
In September 2007, Ron Henriksen, founder and president of the Houston Executive Airport, bought the 134-acre tract of land that included a small runway. Henriksen also purchased the surrounding 440 acres, with plans to build a runway four times as wide and more than twice as long as the original.
Henriksen said with the tremendous growth in the Austin area during the past decade, the demand for a public-use airport is greater than ever.
“Sadly, general aviation facilities are closing around the country, despite the real need for airports,” he said. “Austin is no different. Hundreds of airplanes were displaced when Robert Mueller and Austin Executive airports were closed. I want to help solve the serious shortage of general aviation facilities in Central Texas and build an airport that will be used for generations to come.”
Austin is one of the largest cities in the U.S. without a general aviation reliever airport.
Pflugerville Economic Development Director Charles Simon said there will be three levels of economic development driven by the new airport: jobs created at the airport, new businesses attracted to the area such as aircraft service companies and companies established nearby that are heavily dependent on air transportation.
General aviation airport
- Bird’s Nest Airport
- 15012 Fuchs Grove Road, Manor
- 272-5337
- www.birdsnestaviation.com
- 6,025 ft. x 100 ft. runway on 574 acres
- Expected completion: Early 2010
Area municipal airports
- Georgetown Municipal Airport
- 500 Terminal Drive, Georgetown
- 930-3666
- www.georgetown.org/departments/airport
- 5,000 x 100 ft. runway on 600 acres
- Taylor Municipal Airport
- 303 Airport Road, Ste.1, Taylor
- 352-5747
- www.ci.taylor.tx.us/index.asp?nid=514
- 4,000 x 75 ft runway on 77 acres
By Beth Wade
In May, Williamson County commissioners are expected to begin approving pieces of its 2035 long-range transportation plan. Once approved, the plan will be sent to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to be included in its 2035 master plan document.
The county’s plan was first prepared in 1999 to serve as a transportation master plan for the entire county, including city and Texas Department of Transportation projects. At the time it was written, only portions of Williamson County were in CAMPO’s district that now includes all of Williamson County.
Last May, commissioners hired transportation consultants with URS Corporation to assist in updating the plan. Consultants met with planners from each of the county’s cities to determine what roads were planned or under construction.
“This is a living document, and it has to be,” Williamson County Precinct Two Commissioner Cynthia Long said. “[The plan is amendable] so we can respond to economic development situations like hospitals. This model is the best we can do today.”
Costs
In its report, URS estimated that more than $1.8 billion is needed in transportation spending. Of that, the majority would be for TxDOT system improvements. The county’s road system would require approximately $388 million.
The county’s plan lists proposed projects by precinct, but does not list funding sources.
Growth and congestion
Population estimates suggest the county could reach more than 900,000 residents by 2035, and while job growth is expected to continue proportionally, county consultant Mike Weaver said that a large number of county residents are still expected to commute to jobs outside of the county. Currently only 27 percent of residents live and work within Williamson County.
The plan proposal suggests construction of approximately 116 miles of new roadway and an additional 354 miles will receive additional lanes. The county is currently at 17 percent congestion. If no improvements are made as suggested in the plan, 59 percent of roadways are expected to be congested during peak traffic hours by 2035.
Proposed road projects
- Precinct one
- Anderson Mill Road
- Construct a 2.7-mile, six-lane roadway with median from west of Howard Lane to MoPac
- Jurisdiction: City of Austin and Williamson and Travis counties
- Precinct two
- FM 1431
- Widen 1.1 miles of road from four lanes to six with median from Anderson Mill Road to Bagdad Road
- Jurisdiction: TxDOT and City of Cedar Park
- Precinct three
- D.B. Wood Road
- Widen 2 miles of roadway from Williams Drive to Cedar Breaks from two lanes to four lanes with a median
- Jurisdiction: City of Georgetown
- Precinct four
- Gattis School Road
- Widen 1.2 miles of road from Red Bud Lane to Priem Lane from two to four lanes to four lanes with a median
- Jurisdiction: Williamson County
More at www.roadbond.org
