TxDOT has recently announced plans to expand US Highway 290 between Dripping Springs and Oak Hill by 2045. The state transportation agency had received over 1,400 responses opposing their initial design of an interstate styled highway, with 6-lanes, overpasses, underpasses and access roads. This type of design would be disastrous for safety, connectivity and environmental impact to our community.
We have until June 22nd to offer input into how this expansion could best serve the community. Please copy, paste and add any points you feel important and send them to: US290W@txdotaustin.com
~~~
Hello TxDOT,
We appreciate the opportunity to collaborate on the design of the proposed expansion of 290 between Dripping Springs and Oak Hill. Considering the growth of the region, and the unique way we use this thoroughfare, we believe we can come to a solution that accomplishes improvements in safety, mobility and emergency response times while minimizing cost, impact to the community and the surrounding environment.
We understand that the growth projections that guide these projects are influenced by development permits submitted to local entities. This can be problematic, as these developments are not always built, or are often scaled back. Not only is this inaccurate, but it puts the expectation on the current residents to pay for the future infrastructure to support this population growth.
With the improvements scheduled for local serving highways like FM 150, 1826 and the addition of a high school on Darden Hill, we believe that traffic flows along 290 will continue to change.
We would like to propose a six-lane, divided highway with medians utilizing bioswales. We support creative intersection solutions such as Michigan left turns, or diverging diamonds that would increase the flow of traffic while mitigating the necessity (and cost) of overpasses/underpasses and access roads.
Interstate styled highways with access roads do a great job at insulating faster moving traffic from slower moving traffic, but these highways also isolate the traffic from their surrounding community, posing a threat to small, local businesses. With so many businesses and neighborhoods along this route, a superhighway would fragment our community in favor of maintaining high speeds through our town. When Hwy 290 was originally constructed to bypass Mercer Street, Dripping Springs' tourism traffic suffered for 50 years while similar Hill Country communities like Wimberley and Fredericksburg thrived while the main thoroughfare went through their central business districts, instead of around.
In the mutual interest of providing a solution to our mobility and safety needs, while maintaining the integrity of the community, we appreciate the opportunity to engage thoughtfully on our transportation plan.
Comments