Circle C Neighbors

CAMPO staff will present the 2nd Review Draft of the CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan (the 25-year long range road plan for Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties)

Austin
Wednesday, February 16
6:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m.
Carver Branch Library
1161 Angelina Street


I have a hard copy and a CD version of this plan, if anyone needs to look it over. I will not be able to attend this meeting, as I have a conflict that night.

The Carver center is in East Austin, about 3 blocks from I-35. It's a beautiful new libary center on 11th street. You exit on 6th street and then just ease up to the 11th street crossover bridge.

This is what used to be a really ugly part of Austin, but a couple of years ago, the city condemed about 3 square blocks of crack houses and bulldozed them down. Then they got an Enterprise center grant and rebuilt the neighborhood.

ACAC has a permenant studio in this building which broadcasts live programming.

This is a great excuse to go check out something the city did to clean up east Austin in a major way. If you have't been over there in a few year, you'll be truely impressed.


Again, call or write me if you want to look over the draft 2030 CAMPO plan.

It DOES NOT INCLUDED ANY TOLL ROADS !!

How strange is that ?


As for things to ask TxDOT (which is usually represented by the big guy - Bob Daight - same TxDOT guy who tried to support the Toll Road plan here at Kiker last summer). He's never got straight answers, which isn't all his fault - that's how TxDOT is used to operating - telling lies, half-truths, and highly misleading theories.

In short, TxDOT serves to confuse the public, to keep doing business the good-ole boy way. They continue to lie or refuse to comment to CAMPO on a regular basis, which is why the Feb 14th meeting was sooooo frustrating.


On Feb 28th, there is an entirely different TxDOT meeting. This is our only local opportunity left to comment on the massive Trans Texas Corridor project. Yes, Hwy 130 is their pilot Corridor Toll way project, but it's different in many ways (has many more crossings than they expect for the full project that goes from Mexico to Oklahoma). When it's built, it will divide Texas into East and West Texas, with very few crossings.

Road changes

Our community is experiencing very heavy growth, which is compounded by increased traffic loads on Hwy 290 and Hwy 71, which converge in Oak Hill.

The TxDOT plans for the Y will help thru traffic skirt Oak Hill, but at the expense of turning our little shopping area into a new ghosttown.

A a result, OHAN has launched a neighborhood planning project to help show the city of Austin what our local priorities are and to help define the socio-ecconomic and cultural value that Oak Hill holds for us. In turn, the Mayor has express his personal vision of identifying Oak Hill as one of 15-20 unique cultural centers in the Austin area, that deserve special attention.

It's also possible that Oak Hill has just enough local charm to attract corporate giants like AMD, Freescale, and Silicone Labs to consoldate and expand in our area. These corporations offer the high paying jobs that we need in south Austin.

The danger is that the new highway projects designed to upgrade the two major highways might actually kill the very community we treasure.

There are other ways to upgrade these roads, however, which TxDOT has not seriously considered. There is still time to alter their plans, which would allow easier access to the Oak Hill business community, traffic calming and simplification, which would make it easie to get in and out of those commercial centers, and still route the highspeed through traffic past the Y.

TxDOT has just started a 6 month detailed study of the area and their project, so there is time to make some adjustments.

In that effort, OHAN has started a fund to pay for a business impact study, which will go to a UT traffic engineering gradutate student. They will need about $5K to complete the project so if you know anyone or business that is open to helping share that cost, please get them in touch with me or anyone at OHAN (board@ohan.org).

We can save the Y.

We don't have to let it crumble into ruines like Ben White Blvd did over the past 10 years.