Austin’s history of doubling its population every 25 years or so presents a huge challenge to regional elected officials trying to predict the area’s future transportation needs. Despite this issue, the Transportation Policy Board of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization threw its chips on the table Monday when it adopted its 2040 Regional Transportation […]
Roads
Posted inRoads, Transportation
Council formally weighs in on MoPac South plan
After weeks of mounting tension over what many call a “double-decking” of MoPac Expressway over Lady Bird Lake, City Council has formally asked the regional transportation planning body to modify a proposal to add four express lanes to a section of the highway in its upcoming plan. Council passed a resolution Thursday requesting that the […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
Council debates MoPac express lane resolution
Amid mounting opposition to a proposal to add four tolled express lanes to a section of South MoPac Expressway, City Council is considering a resolution that would ask the region’s planning organization to cut the project from its 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. Council went into detail at a Tuesday work session, in preparation for a […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
Opposition to MoPac lanes grows stronger
Opposition to the 2040 Regional Transportation Plan is escalating as members of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board prepare to take a final vote on the long-range plan next week. City of Austin and Travis County officials held a rally Saturday urging the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority to downsize the proposed […]
Posted inMonitor News & Media, Radio, Roads, Transportation
More lanes are coming to Austin’s highways, but they won’t be free: Audio from KUT
Travis County and the City of Austin take part in a regular fiscal dance with the State of Texas over who pays the costs of government. Over the next three days, KUT News and the Austin Monitor will look at key examples of that interaction in our series, “The Buck Starts Here.” Today, we take […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
CTRMA approves MoPac/Cesar Chavez study
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is taking a closer look at potential trouble spots on the proposed MoPac South Improvement Project, but not at the level some residents had hoped. At its regular meeting Wednesday, CTRMA’s board unanimously authorized the University of Texas’ Center for Transportation Research to begin a traffic impact study that will closely examine […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
CTRMA hopes variable tolls change driving habits
An official with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority hopes that variable tolls on proposed express lanes on MoPac Boulevard will serve as an incentive to commuters to change their driving habits. CTRMA’s Rick L’Amie says Capital Metro buses and registered van pools will drive the express lanes for free — a sight, he said, […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
Land Committee concerned over Zilker Park lanes
In response to pushback from members of the Land, Facilities and Program Committee last week, engineers said they are open to reconsidering the placement of elevated express toll lanes proposed as part of a MoPac South expansion plan. As the proposed plan stands, two elevated express lanes would start their rise north of Bee Caves […]
Posted inAustin, Hays County, Roads, Transportation, Travis County
US Fish and Wildlife concerned about SH 45 SW
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service sent letters to Mayor Steve Adler, Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt and others Wednesday, expressing concerns about the potential environmental impacts of the proposed State Highway 45 Southwest on the Balcones Canyonlands Conservation Plan, or BCCP. Eckhardt has called for a hold on current plans for the highway. In […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
MoPac South may only work with raised ramp
Whether it includes two or four express lanes, a proposed MoPac South expansion project would likely require the elevated ramp over Lady Bird Lake that has caused a stir in recent weeks. That is what Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority Executive Director Mike Heiligenstein said at Monday’s meeting of the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization […]
Posted inPublic Safety, Roads
Safety chair questions commitment to Vision Zero
A city planner Monday gave the Public Safety Commission an update on the Vision Zero Task Force work toward devising a traffic safety plan for the city. The task force’s name reflects the blueprint it’s tasked with drafting: a Vision Zero plan aimed at reducing the number of traffic deaths to zero. However, at least one […]
Posted inRoads, Transportation
City says SH45 SW environmental study unsound
Austin’s Environmental Board is looking at its options after hearing from city staff that the approved environmental impact study, or EIS, for State Highway 45 Southwest is not based on sound science. The EIS was prepared by TxDOT and CTRMA, with assistance from consultants. Chuck Lesniak, environmental officer with the City of Austin, presented the news […]