Westlake Picayune

By Will Pafford, Staff Writer

Area transportation experts gathered to explain the conditions that cause traffic congestion in West Lake Hills and offer strategies to solve the problem during the Transportation Commission’s Nov. 13 meeting at City Hall. 

Sean Moran, from the Center for Regional Development in the Capital Area Council of Governments, presented information on commuting trends in West Lake Hills and the surrounding area. 

“West Lake Hills’ challenges are not just West Lake Hills’,” he said. “They’re all of ours.” 

He showed a map that used U.S. census data to show the highest densities of jobs are located in downtown Austin and near the University of Texas. 

He said many people travel from western Travis County and West Lake Hills to commute to these jobs. 

Moran is also on the Regional Transit Coordination Committee, an organization that seeks to make the delivery of transit services more efficient by working with various transportation authorities. 

Moran said the RTCC’s highest priority is overcoming jurisdictional and boundary challenges to provide more transit options to commuters. 

The RTCC is also working with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to see if a bus stop in Rollingwood would be possible. 

The RTCC’s strategies are complex and bureaucratic, Moran said, but they are the necessary small steps to begin addressing traffic issues. 

Meredith Highsmith, from Capital Metro Transit, explained the various forms of public transportation available from Capital Metro.

She said Capital Metro is watching the West Lake Hills area for possible transit pilot programs opportunities.

Capital Metro considers density and infrastructure, such as sidewalks and ramps, when considering an area for transit service, Highsmith said. 

“We just kind of pay attention to how things are growing and changing so we can plan accurately,” she said.  

Robert Spillar is chair of Rollingwood’s Zoning and Planning Commission and director of the recently formed Austin Department of Transportation. 

Spillar said Austin, as the central city, is attempting to take the lead on transportation issues. 

He said the Austin DOT is considering a project to replace the Redbud Trail bridge, which would include adding shoulders and sidewalks to the bridge. 

Karen Huber, recently elected Travis County Precinct 3 commissioner, said growth in western Travis County has created problems like traffic congestion and a lack of clean water.

She said neighborhoods and communities need to learn about these issues to develop creative solutions.

“We can solve these problems but we’re really behind right now,” she said. “We may need to reevaluate how we grow.”