CATC Mobility Headlines

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is soliciting comments on requested Surface Transportation Program Metropolitan - Mobility projects (STP MM), Job Access and Reverse Commute, New Freedom, and Transportation Improvement Program amendments. Comments may be submitted via On-line Questionnaire or by email to Art Zamorano by March 21.

Comment on the following categories:

• Fixed Route Mobility Fact Sheets (9.4mb)
• Operations and Safety Fact Sheets(13mb)
• Travel Demand Management and Studies Fact Sheets(4.3mb)
• Bicycle / Pedestrain Fact Sheets(19.4mb)
• JARC - New Freedom Fact Sheets(.4mb)
• CAMPOs FYs 2008 - 2011 Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Amendments (1.8mb)

The CATC Board of Directors endorsed the Howard Lane project and the TXDOT HERO program at the Mar 20 meeting. The following comments were submitted to CAMPO by CATC Executive Director Bruce Byron:

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Capital Area Transportation Coalition, I would like to express our total support for Project FRM-4 - Howard Ln. Phase II as our first priority. Howard Lane is a critical connection from northeast Austin to a currently unutilized grade crossing and ramps in SH130. The extra cost of the grade crossing and ramps were specifically added to facilitate this connection. Moreover, it leverages $11.5 million in local funds with only $6 million in Federal Funds. It is Travis County’s first priority as well as being a major priority for the City of Austin. It is clearly a regionally significant project.

Our second priority is the support of Project OS-3 - TxDOT’s HERO program which was recently unfunded due to TxDOT’s budget shortages. The HERO program is a very cost effective way of providing assistance to motorists that otherwise would cause a traffic problem. Such incidents are believed to cause the majority of congestion delay nationally and are clearly a problem locally. The region needs to expand this program not eliminate it.

CAMPO’s final public hearing before the February 12 vote on the TIP and CAMPO 2030 Plan amendments is this Monday, January 22.

Two ways to register your opinion:

1. Attend the January 22 CAMPO public hearing (map). [The meeting is being held at the University of Texas J. J. Pickle Research Campus in The Commons Building - please note that this meeting is not at the usual CAMPO Board meeting location.]
2. Submit comments to CAMPO: 

• Email the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board
• Fax a letter addressed to the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board to: (512) 974-6385
• Mail a letter addressed to the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board to: P. O. Box 1088
  Austin, Texas 78767