THE CYCLING OF THE SEASONS
When summer's heat and humidity subside, it’s time to crank your pedals and spin your wheels! Fall is the year's best time to get outside and bike our region’s trails.
ACTIVE INVESTMENT
It’s our mission to keep Central Texas moving, be it by car, by bike, or on foot. We’re committed to delivering sustainable, multimodal transportation options that enhance the experience for all who use our facilities.
With more than 70 lane miles in place or planned, we continue to design, construct, and implement pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly facilities as part of every project whenever feasible – working to create a comprehensive regional transportation network.
OPEN TO TRAFFIC
Along our open roads (183A Toll, 290 Toll, 71 Toll Lane, MoPac Express Lane, 45SW Toll), you’ll find adjacent shared use paths for recreational cycling, commuting, and walking. Separated from the roadway, these paths ensure that all Central Texans can travel our roads safely. They also connect to local trails, helping close the gaps in our region’s active transportation network.
On the 45SW Trail, we installed 14 informative and highly-visual signs that share the rich history and natural wonders of the Hill Country and Edwards Aquifer. In addition, we introduced a new mobile app; Trail Explorer by CTRMA, which enhances the signs by offering a narrated experience of the trail in English and Spanish, as well as six augmented reality animations.
While we continue to plan for more shared use paths and innovative trail experiences, we recommend visiting our website for more information on our open active transportation facilities.
STEPPING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Did you know that more than $25 million is being invested into shared use paths, sidewalks and cross-street connections as part of the 183 South Project? When the project is complete, residents will have use of:
- A 10-mile, 10-foot-wide, continuous shared use path along the northbound non-tolled general-purpose lanes from US 290 to SH 71;
- 7 miles of six-foot-wide sidewalks;
- 16 miles of five-foot-wide bike lanes along both the northbound and southbound US 183 general-purpose lanes;
- Major bicycle and pedestrian trailheads at locations like 51st Street and the Colorado River.
- The historic Montopolis steel truss bridge over the Colorado River as a dedicated pedestrian bridge.
The good news is that many improvements have already been completed! Right now, the shared use path is open from north of Springdale Road all the way down to Alleyton Drive. This includes pedestrian bridges at Manor Road/Springdale Road and 51st Street, as well as several connections to the City of Austin’s Southern Walnut Creek Trail.
BIG BENEFITS
Shared use paths and bikeways hold several benefits for our community as they’ve been shown to increase property values and the development potential of a region. Plus, local businesses benefit from added foot/bike traffic and increased access.
Research shows that there are real quantifiable gains from implementing such facilities. A study conducted in Indianapolis determined homes located closer to shared use paths sell for an average of 11 percent more than similar homes in other locations without a nearby path. An impact study performed by the Southern California Association of Governments found that for every dollar spent on active transportation like bike paths, $5.20 was added in value to the region from savings in both transportation and medical costs.
And as we continue to fight the pandemic, we’re reminded of just how important it is to get outside and to take care ourselves. Cycling, running or walking are all great ways to improve both physical and mental health – and to share valuable time with family.
GET BIKING!
See below what a few residents have to say about the 183 South Project bicycle and pedestrian improvements so far. And for more information and real-time updates on the project, please visit our project website.
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Questions or Concerns about your Toll Bill?
Contact us at 833-762-8655 or visit our website. We're here to help!
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THE RAY WILKERSON TOLLWAY
If you’ve traveled on the 183A Toll road recently, you might have noticed a new sign.
Ray Wilkerson was appointed as the Chairman of the Mobility Authority’s Board of Directors by the Governor of Texas in 2009. He served in that capacity for 10 years until his retirement last year, dedicating his time and expertise to delivering a comprehensive transportation network for Central Texas. His leadership was instrumental in creating a vision for the agency that we continue to follow today.
We're proud to honor him with this dedication on our first open roadway. The permanent sign is visible to motorists traveling northbound along 183A after they pass Whitestone Boulevard/RM 1431.
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183A PHASE III PROJECT
CONTRACT AWARDED
The design-bid-build contract for the 183A Phase III Project was awarded to The Lane Construction Corporation. A U.S. subsidiary of the global construction leader Webuild, The Lane Construction Corporation specializing in highway and bridge construction.
The 183A Phase III Project consists of a 6.6-mile extension of the 183A Toll Road from Hero Way to north of SH 29 in south-western Williamson County. The project will include the addition of two tolled lanes in each direction and significant non-tolled improvements, including a shared use path from Hero Way to the proposed Seward Junction Loop project.
This $277.3 million project will not use state funds but rather will be financed by the Mobility Authority using available and flexible funding mechanisms such as the sale of toll revenue bonds.
Roadway construction is expected to begin April 2021. For more information, visit www.183A.com.
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LEADING BY EXAMPLE
As the driving force behind preserving and enhancing quality of life in Central Texas, we hold our agency to a high standard. We value analytics, innovation, and our community. Our philosophy, at its core, is to evolve with the changing regional landscape, engage with the communities we serve, and to protect the environment we all share.
By adhering to these values, we not only strive to hold ourselves accountable but we exemplify the gold standard within the transportation industry, as demonstrated by the awards and recognitions below. We’re proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish this year and look forward to the opportunities that 2021 will bring.
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MoveFWD: Connecting skilled workers with careers in Central Texas
The Mobility Authority established MoveFWD, a Workforce Collaborative of Central Texas together with several local collaborating partners. This unique life skills program combines workforce training, job placement, and social services support to help disadvantaged community members achieve life-changing, long-term employment, and career-building opportunities in the roadway construction and customer service fields.
The MoveFWD program provides Customer Service Representative training and courses in Commercial Drivers Licenses training at Austin Community College. Roadway Construction training courses are in development and will be geared to the operation of heavy equipment, such as skid steers, front loaders and back hoes.
In August, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) announced MoveFWD as the winner of the 2020 Transportation Education Council Innovation in Education Award.
To learn more about the program, please visit movefwdctx.com.
45SW TOLL: An award-winning corridor
Acting as our first Innovation Corridor – a testbed for new technology, this is the first road in Central Texas to feature intelligent wrong-way driving (WWD) detection technology. The system actively monitors and detects wrong-way entrants at four locations, deploys countermeasures, and alerts drivers, first responders and the Mobility Authority’s Traffic and Incident Management Center. The Mobility Authority is planning WWD for other facilities as connected vehicle telecommunication technology continues to advance.
Another great project achievement has been in environmental preservation and stormwater management. From conception through design and construction of the expressway, the Mobility Authority used both temporary and permanent Best Management Practices (BMPs) meant to protect the sensitive Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone and ensure water quality protection. The roadway was also constructed using permeable friction course pavement, a porous roadway surface with filtration, glare reduction, and other benefits that have already proven effective on some of our other projects like the MoPac Express Lane.
The 45SW Toll Road has received seven industry awards this year, bringing the total number of awards received to date to ten —a testament to the high standard of quality that guided the development of this innovative project.
AGENCY LEADERSHIP
The Mobility Authority is run by transportation, engineering, tolling, operations, maintenance, communications, and finance experts – and our agency’s standing as an industry leader is a direct result of this dedicated staff.
This year, Tracie Brown, Director of Operations, was honored with the Rosa Parks Diversity award by Women in Transportation (WTS), Heart of Texas Chapter. This award honors those who contribute significantly to promoting diversity, inclusion and multi-cultural awareness, as well as exhibit extraordinary efforts in facilitating professional opportunities for women and minorities.
Congratulations Tracie; thank you for all you do to advance the careers of women and minorities in the transportation industry!
CONNECTED COMMUNITIES
The concept of “Connected Communities” refers to both the physical and digital connection of residents through road, vehicle, and tolling technology. It’s a field that has grown rapidly in the last decade and continues to develop in complexity and capabilities.
We pride ourselves on being early adopters of these innovative advancements, continuing our long-standing position in the industry as a leader in emerging mobility technology. This year, Mobility Authority awarded two contracts allowing for the adoption of two new telecommunication innovations.
Partnering with Waycare Technologies, Inc., we’ll be implementing an advanced transportation and incident management/prediction system across all our toll facilities by the summer of 2021. And with Kapsch TrafficCom USA and Ford Motor Company, our facilities will be used to test next generation connected vehicle technology, capable of providing real-time toll rates, confirming toll payments, and offering a wider range of payment options. With this technology, vehicles will also be capable of communicating with roadside equipment to provide drivers with real-time information about roadway conditions including accidents, congestion and lane closures, even changing weather conditions.
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HAPPY HALLOWEEN
FROM THE MOBILITY AUTHORITY
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Need more information?
Visit our website
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