Transportation News
TxDOT Hosting Open House & Formal Hearing on RM 620 Widening Project
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is holding an open house and public hearing to discuss improvements to RM 620 south on Thursday, February 20, 2020 at the Lake Travis High School. The open house will begin at 5:30 p.m. and the formal hearing will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the same location. Follow this link to the full story.
December 18, 2019
The following image contains recommendations by the Transportation Steering Committee and was presented to City Council on December 16, 2019 for evaluation.
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July 31, 2019
December 17, 2018
Addressing the future of transportation in Lakeway requires a collaborative effort as the major roads that course through the city are operated and funded by state agencies.
Lakeway City Council hosted a transportation work session Dec. 17 with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to get updates on the status of road improvement projects and funding.
At the session, councilmembers heard presentations on TxDOT’s RM 620 widening plan and safety improvements, internal road connectivity and financial options, and CAMPO’s arterial study.
Lakeway City Council is focusing its transportation initiatives on:
- Near-term Goals – Safety & Connectivity
- Medium-term Goals – RM 620 Widening Project
- Long-term Goals – 2045 CAMPO TIP
Near-term Goals
RM 620 Safety Improvements
Ranch-to-Market 620 in Lakeway is lined with side streets and business driveways, resulting in frequent unprotected left turns on the roadway to enter and exit the center turn lane that increase the likelihood of collisions due to the high number of conflict points.
Currently, a median exists on RM 620 between the intersections of Lohmans Spur and Lohmans Crossing/Ameno Drive..
TxDOT is modeling median extensions in order to improve roadway safety by reducing unprotected left turns and creating right-in, right-out turning only.
| RM 620 Median | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| No-Build vs. Build* | ||||
| RM 620 Intersections | No-Build Delay - AM (seconds/vehicle) | Build Delay - AM (seconds/vehicle) | No-Build Delay - PM (seconds/vehicle) | Build Delay - PM (seconds/vehicle) |
| Lakeway Boulevard | C (29.9) | D (35.0) | C (27.6) | C (30.5) |
| Dave Drive | A (8.5) | A (8.3) | A (7.5) | A (8.3) |
| Main St./Glen Heather | B (17.7) | B (19.7) | C (20.3) | C (23.3) |
| Lohmans Crossing | C (25.5) | C (27.2) | D (39.7) | D (44.3) |
Flint Rock Road restriping
Flint Rock Road lanes at the RM 620 intersection will be repainted to left-only, left-forward-right, and right-only. TxDOT expects modifications to the striping, signs and traffic signal to be complete by mid-February 2019.
Medium-term Goals
RM 620 Widening Project
TxDOT, which maintains and operates RM 620, plans to widen the state road from four lanes to six lanes by adding two lanes - one northbound and one southbound - from SH 71 to Hudson Bend Road.
Consulting firm Rodriguez Transportation Group (RTG) is scheduled to present a preliminary concept schematic to TxDOT on Jan. 4, 2019.
TxDOT would then meet with representatives from the cities of Lakeway and Bee Cave before hosting a second open house either March 5 or March 7, 2019, in Bee Cave.
The project timeline calls for RTG to present a draft environmental assessment in October 2019 with a final enviromental assessment provided in March 2020.
The letting process for this improvement project would begin in late 2022 with completion scheduled for September 2024.
According to TxDOT data, RM 620 from RM 2222 at Four Points to SH 71 in Bee Cave ranks as the 291st most-congested road section out of 1,830 ranked sections in Texas in 2018.
The 12.84-mile stretch of state road experienced an annual delay per mile (person-hours) of 93,848.
Long-term Goals
CAMPO 2045 Regional Transportation Plan
Development of CAMPO’s 2045 Regional Transportation Plan is underway and is using a comprehensive, detailed multimodal transportation planning process for CAMPO’s six-county region.
Recommendations from plans completed through the planning program will be used in CAMPO’s 2045 Regional Transportation Plan, and certain projects may be eligible for future CAMPO-allocated Federal funding.
Planning elements include:
Multimodal and Mixed-Use – Create connections to housing, jobs, and services through dynamic mixed-use environments, well-connected street grids, high-quality transit options, and safe and useful pedestrian/bicycle accommodations.
Housing – Develop an appropriate mix of housing types and price points that provide living options to accommodate a variety of incomes, abilities, and familial types.
Environment – Create a healthy environment that proactively protects and enhances air, water, land, and people.
Economic Development – Promote the economic competitiveness of the study area to yield positive impacts on the local tax base, high-quality jobs, and community services.
Equity – Create positive social, economic, and environmental outcomes for all residents and stakeholders in the study areas while minimizing adverse impacts.
CAMPO's board of directors will take action on this plan in May 2020.
As part of the 2045 plan, CAMPO is developing a Regional Arterials Plan to provide mobility choices that are safe, convenient, reliable, and efficient. Arterials are roadways that connect to freeways, local streets, and destinations. The plan will build on local planning efforts and take a regional focus on these roadways that serve as major corridors and a vital role in connecting people and places.
CAMPO Executive Director Ashby Johnson said he sees the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) as an organization with the potential to construct operate bridges and ferries over Lake Travis.
In spring 2019, CAMPO will conduct additional public outreach on the Arterials Plan to gather more feedback. In January 2019, CAMPO will begin work on its Regional Transit Plan.
City Council and CAMPO officials also discussed the Capital Area Rural Transportation System and Chariot programs as programs that could provide some relief of traffic congestion in the Lakeway area.
CAMPO also will launch its 2021-2024 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) and issue a call for transportation projects that would receive a portion of $250 million to $300 million in federal transportation funding.