Editor’s Note: The video above shows KXAN Live’s top headlines for Aug. 15, 2023
TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Travis County voters will weigh in on nearly half a billion dollars’ worth of transportation and parks projects this fall, after the Travis County Commissioners Court officially voted to call for a bond election Tuesday.
Last month, commissioners approved a list of projects to be included in the two propositions, divvied up into roads projects on one proposition and parks and greenspace projects on another.
Road projects included:
- Blake Manor Road from Taylor Lane to Burleson Manor Road: $16.83 million
- TxDOT right-of-way: $25 million
- Rowe Lane from State Highway 130 to Hodde Lane: $30.8 million
- Cameron Road east of SH 130 from Pecan Street to Fuchs Grove Road: $38.5 million
- Arterial A construction: $33 million
- Bee Creek Road from Lakehurst Road to Highland Boulevard: $16.5 million
- South Pleasant Valley Road (Phase 1) from City of Austin limits to SH 45: $29.7 million
- Active transportation safety projects: $15 million
- Pyramid Drive and O’Reilly Drive substandard roads: $15 million
- Howard Lane shared-use path: $11 million
Parks, greenspace projects included:
- Strategic parkland acquisition, conservation: $200 million
- Onion Creek Greenway, SAT 4 East to Moya Park: $6.6 million
- Onion Creek Greenway, SAT 4 West to McKinney Falls State Park: $8.8 million
- Gilleland Creek Greenway (Phase 1): $30 million
- Bee Creek Sports Complex: $8.4 million
- Southeast Metro Park Improvements: $15.6 million
- Arkansas Bend Pavilion: $5 million
Travis County officials will work on ballot proofing the language included on the bond propositions in September, with commissioners poised to vote Sept. 19 on approving the bond educational materials. Those materials include informational flyers and a map identifying project locations, descriptions and estimated amounts.
Those flyers will also include details on County bond elections in general, and tax impacts from the bond on the average Travis County homestead.
“At this time [the Travis County Transportation & Natural Resources Department] is not projecting a significant increase in operating and maintenance requests associated with the transportation related projects and therefore plan to absorb any increases within the approved operating budget for the year(s) in which the projects are completed and put into service,” Travis County backup documents read.
Early voting begins Monday, Oct. 23 and ends Friday, Nov. 3. Election Day is Nov. 7.
More information on Travis County’s upcoming election is available online.
