Addition of managed lanes and noise barriers recommended by MoPac 1 project team

TxDOT and the MoPac 1 project team met with nearly 200 interested citizens at two open houses in April to discuss a recommendation for improving mobility on Loop 1 from FM 734 (Parmer   Lane) to the Cesar Chavez   Street interchange. As proposed, the recommended alternative involves adding one managed lane in each direction, improving traffic flow across the Town Lake bridges by adding one more thru-lane each way, and adding approximately seven miles of noise barriers in residential areas throughout the central corridor.

Over the past several years, Loop 1 commuters, MoPac corridor residents, Austin-area elected officials, and other stakeholders have articulated several goals for future MoPac improvements, including:

• "Don't go up -- don't go out"
• Reduce noise and cut-thru traffic in adjacent neighborhoods
• Encourage mass transit and HOV use
• Don't reduce the number of general purpose lanes

Using these as parameters, TxDOT and the MoPac 1 project team developed a range of options on how to improve travel conditions along the highway. The alternatives were developed following dozens of meetings with a diverse cross-section of the Austin community, and then rigorously evaluated to identify a recommendation that would:

• comply with the CAMPO Mobility 2030 Plan
• retain all existing general purpose and auxiliary lanes
• eliminate the need to acquire additional right-of-way
• encourage bus and vanpool use
• accommodate ASA Rail District plans for commuter train service
• provide noise barriers and address other neighborhood concerns
• give commuters the choice of using a lane free of traffic congestion

Importantly, while all existing general purpose lanes would remain available to all travelers for use without charge, the addition of one new managed lane in each direction would offer drivers the choice of using a lane designed to keep traffic flowing steadily. Buses and registered van pools would use the managed lanes for free at all times, and private vehicles would pay a variable fee based on real-time traffic congestion.

Again, I want to stress that the recommended alternative would provide a new option for all of us when we need a reliably quick route into and out of central Austin. The recommendation includes improvements that would uncork the bottleneck that currently exists at the Town Lake bridges, and it will help extend the life of a critical part of the Austin area's transportation network. More detailed information about the recommended alternative is available at www.MoPac1.org

Questions about the Recommendation

Nearly everyone I spoke to at the open houses recognized that Loop 1 was not designed for the amount of traffic it carries today, and that improvements are needed. The conversations we had and the comments we received at the open houses revealed a broad range of concerns and opinions about how to improve Loop 1.

Overall, safety is one of the top concerns on the public's mind, and I want to assure everyone that safety is and always will be our top priority. Much has been made of the fact that in order to add two lanes within existing right of way boundaries, the general purpose lanes and shoulders would need to be narrowed in some parts of the corridor. What some folks might not realize is that several sections of Loop 1 and other highways in cities across Texas have 11-foot wide lanes that safely carry traffic today. Even so, the recommended design for Loop 1 includes a number of elements to enhance the safety of the traveling public, including improved traffic control devices, limited access points and extra-wide shoulders (where possible).

Some people have expressed concern that charging a fee to use a managed lane on MoPac is akin to charging a toll to use an existing public highway. There is an important distinction here: tolls are charged to all users of a road as a direct method of funding the road and the tolls remain the same regardless of the time of day. For the Loop 1 project, fees would be used as a tool to keep the managed lanes free of congestion and functioning at optimum capacity.

Some folks also questioned whether high occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV) wouldn't do a better job of encouraging mass transit use. Actually, HOV lanes by themselves are not as effective as managed lanes. Nationally, managed lanes have proven to be an excellent tool for improving the efficiency of roads, especially when resources are limited. In fact, several cities are now looking at ways to convert their existing HOV lanes to managed lanes in order to move more people through a specific traffic corridor more efficiently at a reasonable cost with minimum disruption to the surrounding area.

Another criticism I've heard is that this project simply involves re-striping the existing pavement. This criticism ironically stems from the project team's successful effort to keep the recommended improvements within TxDOT's existing right of way, so as not to intrude upon adjacent residents and other landowners. While the right of way width will remain unchanged, the roadway and several bridges will indeed be widened. In fact, the approach we have recommended involves widening the existing roadway and bridges the entire project length, laying down new pavement, making significant drainage system improvements, and adding nearly seven miles of noise barriers.

A closing thought . . .

In closing, I would like to emphasize that the recommended alternative we have presented evolved through a true partnership between TxDOT, the community and the MoPac 1 consultant team. We strongly believe this project will provide Austin-area drivers, local residents, and other stakeholders with numerous benefits, including:

• Encouraging the use of mass transit;
• Providing a safer and more effective alternative for avoiding congested conditions on Loop 1 (i.e., reducing neighborhood "cut-thru" traffic);
• Reducing traffic-related noise in adjacent neighborhoods, where feasible;
• Preserving and rehabilitating existing general purpose lanes; and
• Giving drivers the choice of using a lane that will provide them a quicker, congestion-free commute.

Again, regardless of which alternative is ultimately selected, TxDOT and the MoPac 1 project team will ensure that Loop 1 continues to be a safe and well-maintained component of Austin's transportation network. I can assure you, we wouldn't have it any other way.

John P. Kelly
Project Manager, MoPac 1
DMJM Harris