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 […]
CAMPO
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is the regional planning organization for Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson Counties. Its membership is drawn from the elected officials of those municipalities, as well as various cities that fall within the region, including the City of Austin. CAMPO’s focus is on regional transportation issues.
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation, Travis County
County asks for ‘loop’ road project studies
Travis County is asking the area’s transportation authorities to step back and take a look at the big picture. In a controversial 2-1 vote, the Travis County Commissioners Court is asking the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority to institute broader studies. The studies would look at the effects of proposed State Highway 45 Southwest and its […]
Posted inTransportation
Hundreds gather to sound off on MoPac plan
On Tuesday, several hundred Austinites crowded the cafeteria of Austin High School in order to weigh in on plans for MoPac Boulevard. The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority has proposed a $352.8 million project that would add four tolled express lanes to MoPac Boulevard from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane and two raised lanes […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Politics
Council members still skeptical about SH45 SW
City Council members raised several questions during Tuesday’s work session about the effectiveness and environmental sensitivity of the Texas Department of Transportation’s recommended route for State Highway 45 Southwest. The conversation took place as part of a joint briefing by the Transportation and Watershed Protection departments on a report that Council requested in a May […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Politics, Transportation
Riley, Cole continue to oppose SH45 SW in CAMPO’s 2040 Plan
Austin Council Member Chris Riley and Mayor Pro Tem Sheryl Cole voiced continued opposition to State Highway 45 Southwest toll road project at the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board meeting Monday. Riley and Cole opposed including SH45 SW in the CAMPO 2040 Plan. Riley was carrying Council Member Bill Spelman’s proxy and […]
Posted inLocal Government, Transportation
Capping I-35 could provide substantial economic benefit for city
A study commissioned by city staff shows that one plan floated recently to cut traffic congestion – taking a portion of Interstate 35 underground through central Austin – could bring the city millions of dollars in new property tax revenues, and should be the subject of further study. The project, known as Capping I-35 […]
Posted inDevelopment, Local Government, Transportation
Hays County Commissioner says plans for SH 45 SW ‘done deal’
Construction on the estimated $100 million State Highway 45 Southwest toll road connecting northern Hays County to southwest Austin is expected early next year. “It’s been in the works for 26 years now,” Hays County Pct. 2 Commissioner Mark Jones said. “I’ve been involved with it since I became commissioner three years ago; and when […]
Posted inLocal Government, Transportation
CAMPO ponders some 800 projects for 2040 Transportation Plan
A massive list of proposed transportation projects filled out a packed agenda at Monday night’s meeting of theCapital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board. More than 800 proposed transportation projects for the region filled 36 pages of the meeting agenda. Each project, including actions like lane-widening and new sidewalks, was submitted by CAMPO’s […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Politics, Transportation
Critics say taxpayers, not drivers will have to pay for SH45 SW
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority says a preliminary Traffic and Revenue Forecast for the planned State Highway 45 Southwest it released recently will stand as the final report, showing that the road project is financially feasible. But critics of the project say the numbers in the report just don’t add up. The Capitol Area […]
Posted inDevelopment, Environment, Local Politics, Transportation
Travis Commissioners vote to spend $15 million on SH45 SW
The Travis County Commissioners Court approved spending $15 million in county funds Tuesday toward a plan to extend the southwest portion of State Highway 45 from the end of MoPac Boulevard to FM 1626. The vote fulfilled Travis County’s part of a plan to accelerate construction of the road by the end of this year […]
Posted inLocal Government, Transportation
Money questions continue to divide members of CAMPO Board
Worries that local funding policies might not meet federal requirements were front and center at the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization meeting Monday night. Earlier this year, CAMPO’s Transportation Policy Board set up a funding mechanism to distribute $104 million between local and regional projects for 2014 through 2018. The local portion of $47.77 […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics
City Council meetings to move to Travis County this summer
The City of Austin is moving. The City Council, at least, will be moving up Lavaca Street to the Travis County building this summer while renovations take place in council chambers to accommodate a larger membership. The Travis County Commissioners Court chambers will serve, at least temporarily, as City Hall in August and September. […]