MOBILITY AUTHORITY DELIVERS ELROY ROAD SAFETY PROJECT FOR TRAVIS COUNTY
Project completed ahead of schedule, under budget
On March 9, the Mobility Authority joined Travis County officials at a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completion of the newly reconstructed Elroy Road, a joint initiative between Travis County and the Mobility Authority. The project was designed to address roadway safety concerns, relieve historic roadway flooding, facilitate safer bicycle and pedestrian movement, and to accommodate local traffic to nearby neighborhoods and schools, and travelers to Circuit of the Americas facility events.
This 1.12-mile section of Elroy Road from McAngus Road to Kellam Road has been transformed from a two-lane road to a five-lane road with a continuous center turn lane, bike lanes, and sidewalks. In addition, the project features a new bridge crossing Dry Creek to mitigate historic roadway flooding and allow safe access and an evacuation route.
|
|
|
Left: Del Valle ISD Color Guard presents the colors; Right: Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez remarks on the collaborative partnership between the County and the Mobility Authority
|
|
Travis County cuts the ribbon on the newly reconstructed Elroy Road.
A recording of the ceremony is available to view here.
|
|
The Elroy Road project is one of eight projects the Mobility Authority is delivering on behalf of Travis County. These are all efforts under the County’s 2017 Capital Improvement Program identified as high priorities for safety. This unique partnership allows the Mobility Authority to develop and construct the projects on an expedited timeline, while Travis County provides the funding, operation, and maintenance of the non-tolled facilities. The Elroy Road project was completed under budget and 62 days ahead of schedule.
Visit our website to learn more about these projects and the collaborative partnership between the Mobility Authority and the County that makes these improvements possible.
|
|
Questions or Concerns about your Toll Bill?
Contact us at 833-762-8655 or visit our website. We're here to help!
|
|
|
CENTRAL TEXAS
TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES
It Takes a Village
Between data forecasting and regional planning, the building and maintenance of roadways, and the strategic expansion of public transit, the seemingly simple act of getting Central Texans from point A to point B is dependent upon several agencies. And with the pace at which our region and transportation network has grown, it can be difficult to keep track of who is responsible for what, or which project is being implemented by who.
Below we’ve highlighted several agencies who, in tandem with the Mobility Authority, are responsible for the development of our transportation network in Central Texas.
|
|
Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)
CAMPO is a federally mandated regional planning agency responsible for studying transportation trends, identifying long-range transportation needs, and creating short- and long-range transportation plans, which ensure the region implements transportation improvements in a coordinated manner within established funding limits.
The agency's Transportation Policy Board, comprised of state and local elected officials, both adopts the region's long-range transportation plan and allocates funding of the projects within that plan. This includes projects by many different agencies, including the Mobility Authority, TxDOT, Texas Transit Association (TTA), Capital Metro, CARTS, and the member cities and counties. No entity can build roads that are not a part of the regional MPO plan.
As CAMPO is responsible for determining funding plans based on available financing, only when the Mobility Authority is asked by CAMPO to build a toll project do we take it on.
|
|
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
TxDOT uses federal funds, state gas tax revenue and other funding sources to implement projects in the Statewide Transportation Improvement Program (STIP). TxDOT oversees more than 100,000 lane miles of state roads and is responsible for most major transportation projects in the state including operation and maintenance of the interstate highway system. (Check out their online tracker for a more detailed look at their projects across Central Texas and the state.)
The Mobility Authority works closely with TxDOT during the various stages of our projects, beginning during the feasibility study process, and continuing through the environmental review process and during construction. (Remember, those general-purpose lanes adjacent to Mobility Authority roadways are owned and managed by TxDOT!) And sometimes, there are partnership opportunities – as was implemented on 290E Phase III, also known as 290/130 Flyovers Project in northeast Travis County.
The Toll Operation Division (TOD) is a division within TxDOT charged with implementing a statewide, toll-based urban mobility program. TOD has been closely involved in development of the Central Texas Turnpike System (CTTS), which includes the following roadways in the Austin area: SH 130, SH 45 North, SH 45 SE and Loop 1 North, and is responsible for the collection of tolls on these roadways. TOD operates the TxTag program, an electronic tag product accepted on toll roads throughout the state of Texas, as well as Kansas and Oklahoma.
|
|
|
Both TxDOT and the Mobility Authority operate their own toll roads and do their own billing. The Mobility Authority has no operational ownership of the TxTag product or accounts, and does not administer TxTag or any other electronic tag. Instead, we accept a variety of electronic tag options. Visit our website for answers to more Frequently Asked Questions about tolling and payments.
|
|
|
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro)
As Austin's regional public transportation provider, CapMetro provides bus, vanpool and car pool coordination services and leads the development of new public transportation options or incentives in the region.
And as one of our regional partners, CapMetro registered vanpools and MetroExpress buses ride toll-free on all Mobility Authority facilities.
CapMetro is also responsible for implementing a 32-mile commuter rail line service that runs from downtown Austin to Leander. Rail ridership has grown steadily every year, so the agency recently initiated the process to double the frequency and capacity of service in order to expand its commuter rail services. CapMetro is currently leading Project Connect, a comprehensive transit system expansion.
|
|
Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS)
Transit services outside the Capital Metro service area are provided by CARTS, which provides regional transportation for the non-urbanized areas of Bastrop, Blanco, Burnet, Caldwell, Fayette, Hays, Lee, Travis and Williamson counties in the Central Texas region, as well as the city of San Marcos urbanized area.
The Mobility Authority has partnered with CARTS on various initiatives, most recently through an interlocal agreement providing $2 million in funding for construction of the Richard A. Moya Eastside Bus Plaza.
|
|
City & County Government
Travis County, Williamson County and their cities are responsible for building and maintaining local roads including residential streets. Cities also have primary authority for regulating land use and development along transportation corridors.
The Mobility Authority works with local jurisdictions to ensure that new toll roads and lanes support economic development that is consistent with local growth management plans.
|
|
And last but not least...
Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (Mobility Authority)
We are the Mobility Authority, an independent government agency created in 2002 to improve the transportation system in Williamson and Travis counties. The Mobility Authority is overseen by a seven-member Board of Directors. The governor appoints the chairman, and the Travis and Williamson counties Commissioners Courts each appoint three members to serve on the Board.
For years, Central Texas has worked to address its diverse mobility needs with limited public funding. One way of closing that gap and expediting the delivery of a roadway network that keeps our region moving has been through tolling. Our current system of open roadways and projects are designed to bring you faster, safer and more reliable commutes.
The Mobility Authority operates 183A Toll Road, 290 Toll, the 71 Toll Lane, the MoPac Express Lane, the 45SW Toll Road, and the 183 Toll Road. The agency is also constructing the 183A Phase III and 183 North Mobility Projects.
But we also strive to improve the user experience for all who use our facilities by improving general-purpose lanes for non-toll users and increasing multi-modal connections. We construct pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly facilities like shared use paths, sidewalks and cross-street connections as part of every project whenever feasible, and work closely with partner agencies to help address other regional transportation needs like transit.
It should be clear now that we’re just one piece of a larger mobility puzzle. We’re committed to doing our part to move more people more efficiently throughout our region – delivering innovative, multimodal transportation solutions that reduce congestion and create transportation choices that enhance quality of life and economic vitality for our community.
|
|
Need more information?
Visit our website
|
|
|
|
|
