How Central Texas treasures are safe from Texas 45 SW toll road
It’s a familiar argument: Must we sacrifice our environment for growth? No. The recent commentary by Save Barton Creek Association Board president Clark Hancock and board member Stephen Beers regarding the Texas 45 Southwest toll road under construction seemed to defy that belief.
In writing that piece, Hancock and Beers were doing something they believed necessary to their mission of “working to protect and conserve the six watersheds of the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer” — words taken from their website.
They include this warning: “If we do not protect our fragile natural resources by thoughtful, long-term planning, we are in real danger of losing all that we hold of such great value.”
I couldn’t agree more, which is why I believe in presenting the facts of our area’s road construction.
For those who don’t know, Texas 45 SW is a four-lane toll road under construction between MoPac Boulevard (Loop 1) and FM 1626, and is critical to Hays and southern Travis counties. Many who work in Central Austin found affordable housing in northern Hays County and commute every day. For roads running through neighborhoods that cannot handle the increased traffic, SH 45 SW will offer an alternative.
With a lower cost of living than Austin but access to many of the same quality-of-life resources – such as higher education, health and entertainment – county officials expect continued growth. Safety concerns from increased traffic have prompted cooperation between county officials and the Texas Department of Transportation.
When completed, Texas 45 SW will feature extensive water quality protection measures, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations, and other collaborative approaches to develop a roadway that fits its physical setting. It’s built using the highest standards in environmental protection and a combination of structural and nonstructural best-management practices, such as water-quality ponds, vegetated controls, permeable friction course pavement, and hazardous materials traps at all creeks, waterways and culverted drainage ways.
Ninety percent of the project is built on top of fill, which means it will not require excavation of the area’s karst — the limestone-heavy landscape containing our life-giving aquifers.
The Texas 45 SW pavement represents 0.1 percent of the total area of the Barton Springs segment of the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone; yet the Mobility Authority’s water quality standards will fully protect this 0.1-percent segment.
In roadway construction, there is something called total “suspended solids.” This describes the particle measurement in storm water that, if released in high concentrations, can affect aquatic life. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality requires an 80-percent highway runoff of total suspended solids; we’ve designed Texas 45 SW for 92 percent — and 98 percent over the Edwards Aquifer.
There are no endangered salamander habitats within nor adjacent to the project right of way. The same is true for our beloved golden-cheeked warbler.
Central Texans care about their environment. The Save Barton Creek Association and other organizations give people an opportunity to participate in environmental issues; I encourage all participation in being responsible environmental stewards.
We also have a shared responsibility in how we safely and responsibly manage our growth through honest communication and transparency. For example, the city of Austin recently visited the Texas 45 SW construction site and complimented its environmental compliance.
The project has been studied from every logistical and environmental angle — and it adheres or exceeds all state requirements and environmentally sensitive components. An environmental compliance manager is on site to monitor construction and best management practices.
Stay informed and involved by following construction updates. Or pick up the phone and get the facts.
Every organization has a mission. When it comes to transportation and the environment, we must work together to protect all of our assets, including a mobile populace.
Shame on those who are condemning Kathy Griffin for exercising her First Amendment rights. Similar “speech” was used against President Barack Obama and by Donald Trump, no less. I sign on with Jim Carrey, who recognizes that comedians — and all the rest of us — must stand up to tyrants. We are beginning to look like Germany in the early
I write you today with a hopeful heart. I hope the U.S. senators of our great state of Texas will have the courage to do the hard thing. I hope they put American people before party and vote “no” on the current health care bill.
I’m acutely aware of how the senators view the Affordable Care Act, as I am that premiums are rising and people are finding it tougher to find a plan as insurance companies leave the market. Repair is an option that no one is discussing, to appease a boisterous base that currently isn’t as anti-American Health Care Act. Not after seeing the merits of what’s currently proposed.
I’m hopeful that my senators will take a big risk and invest in repairing what we have, rather than replacing it with this vile and inhumane suggestion.
You have lives in your hands. Please protect us.
Thank you for your service.