By CASSIE MCKEE, Four Points News
With traffic congestion in Four Points continuing to be a major concern, officials with the Texas Department of Transportation will unveil details for a new traffic plan concept for the RM 620 and RM 2222 area at the Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association community meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 28, at Steiner Ranch Elementary, 4001 Quinlan Park Rd.
The TxDOT concept includes new capacity and intersections to separate traffic flow at RM 620 and RM 2222, and improvements to RM 2222 and River Place Boulevard, said SRNA Chairman Brian Thompto.
Brian Thompto
“Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association is very pleased to announce that concept plans are finally ready to provide major improvements for 620 and 2222,” Thompto said.
“These improvements are designed to take the Four Points area into the coming decades with significant reductions in congestion and traffic delays,” he added.
TxDOT will present the plan details at the May 28 meeting along with facts, figures, and simulations of the proposal.
“We intend to show traffic modeling as developed for possible projects and improvements, for sharing and discussion with the local officials,” said Christopher Bishop, TxDOT spokesperson.
“The ideas are being presented for discussion and information only, with no final decisions having been made. We look forward to working with officials and citizens to develop feedback and ideas for future development,” Bishop said.
SRNA has actively worked with TxDOT and local officials for the past two years advocating for a comprehensive solution to address traffic congestion in Four Points.
“Despite interim successes such as improving light timings and the construction of some additional lanes at 620/2222, what our area desperately needs are some major improvements to our roads and intersections,” Thompto said.
SRNA was reassured last year when TxDOT hired HDR Inc. to help engineer a comprehensive solution for the area.
“It is exciting that TxDOT’s conceptual plans are now mature enough to share with the public,” Thompto said.
Public officials including Rep. Paul Workman, Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daugherty, and Commissioner Bruce Todd have been very supportive of this process, he added.
SRNA urges residents to attend the May 28 meeting, offer feedback and ideas, and to see how these proposed changes can become a reality.
“The changes being proposed at our annual meeting will have a direct affect on the quality of life of those in our community for years to come,” Thompto said.
“It will be important for our neighborhood to see what TxDOT has planned for our roads and to learn what it will take for us to make those changes happen,” he said.
In addition to the transportation update, officials with Leander ISD will also give an update at the meeting on the proposed Road to Vandegrift.
Pam Waggoner, LISD board president, has continued to lead the Four Points Traffic Committee, which is working with the city of Austin and Travis County to build an additional road to Vandegrift High School.
On Friday, Waggoner posted on the Four Points Traffic Committee’s Facebook page that she met with LISD staff and attorney Alan Glen on May 16 and received a “mixed bag” of news.
“Rep. Workman and Rep. Howard have not met with Mayor Leffingwell yet and that was disappointing,” Waggoner wrote. “Hopefully, this meeting gets rescheduled soon. We continue to gather information needed to apply directly to Fish and Wildlife. Again, this action should be happening within two weeks.”
“There was talk of bringing out the candidates for County Commissioner and City Council to discuss traffic and have each candidate on the record if they will or will not support our efforts to build this road,” she added. “I believe we will do this in conjunction with other committees in this area.”