IN
IN 2040
IN 2040 -- THE POPULATION OF THE AUSTIN METRO IS EXPECTED TO DOUBLE.
BUT THE NUMBER OF ROADS THOSE
PEOPLE TRAVEL
ON -- WON'T.
SO KVUE'S ASHLEY GOUDEAU TOOK A
LOOK AT HOW
PEOPLE WILL GET AROUND IN
TOMORROW'S A-T-X.
TOMORROW'S A-T-X. COUNTLESS THINGS DRAW PEOPLE TO
AUSTIN. THE THRIVING JOB MARKET --
RENOWNED LIVE MUSIC SCENE --
'KEEP IT WEIRD' CULTURE.
BUT NOT EVERYONE WANTED THE
CAPITOL CITY TO
BE THE BOOMTOWN IT IS TODAY.
"I THINK THERE WAS A MINDSET
HERE AT ONE TIME THAT IF WE
DIDN'T MAKE A
WHOLE BUNCH OF IMPROVEMENTS TO
THE INFRASTRUCTURE,
THAT A LOT OF FOLKS WOULD NOT
COME HERE OR IF THE DID THEY
WOULDN'T STAY. AND THAT PROVED
TO
TO BE
TO BE WRONG." ASHBY JOHNSON IS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN
PLANNING
ORGANIZATION.
PLANNING ORGANIZATION. CAMPO IS REQUIRED -- BY THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT --
TO PRODUCE TRANSPORTATIO N PLANS
FOR THE REGION AND
DISTRIBUTE STATE AND FEDERAL
MONEY FOR ROAD
PROJECTS.
"SOME OF THE INFORMATION THAT
WAS PROVIDED, SAY IN THE '80'S,
EARLY '90'S, WAS IGNORED. AND SO
A LOT OF INFRASTRUCTURE
WAS NOT BUILT THAT SHOULD HAVE
BEEN BUILT, THAT WAS
RECOMMENDED."
FAST FORWARD TO 2019 --
AND IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S
MORNING -- NOON -- OR NIGHT --
WEEKDAY -- OR WEEKEND --
IF YOU'RE ON A HIGHWAY IN AUSTIN
-- CHANCES ARE --
YOU'RE GOING TO SIT IN TRAFFIC.
"WE'RE TRYING TO PACK 50 POUNDS
OF
OF POTATOES IN A 10 POUND SACK." 20 YEARS FROM NOW -- THERE WILL BE EVEN MORE
POTATOES!
THE POPULATION IN THE AUSTIN
REGION --
MADE UP OF TRAVIS, WILLIAMSON,
BASTROP, HAYS
AND CALDWELL COUNTIES -- WILL
NEARLY DOUBLE TO
ALMOST 4-MILLION PEOPLE.
"WHEN WE DO SOMETHING IN OAK
HILL, OR WE IMPROVE I-35 OR
LOOP 360, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE
THAT IT'S NOT ONLY IMPROVING THE
ROADWAY WHEN IT'S COMPLETED, BUT
20 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD."
BRAD WHEELIS IS A SPOKESMAN WITH
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF
TRANSPORTATION.
IN THE AUSTIN DISTRICT -- THERE
ARE MORE THAN 760
PROJECTS PLANNED.
OF COURSE THE BIG ONE IS
I-35.
I-35.
I-35. IT'S THE 10TH MOST CONGESTED HIGHWAY IN THE NATION -- THE
SECOND MOST CONGESTED IN TEXAS.
TXDOT IS PLANNING TO COMPLETE
MORE THAN 40 PROJECTS ALONG I-35
IN AUSTIN -- AND ADD LANES TO
THE HIGHWAY ITSELF.
"WE'RE PLANNING TO ADD ONE TO
TWO MANAGED LANES FROM SH-45
NORTH TO SH-45 SOUTHEAST."
THIS IS WHAT IT COULD LOOK
LIKE. THE GREEN LANES ARE THOSE
MANAGED LANES.
THEY WON'T BE TOLLS -- BUT HOV
LANES -- RESERVED FOR VEHICLES
CARRYING MORE THAN ONE PERSON.
CONSTRUCTION ON THE NORTH AND
SOUTH PORTIONS OF THE PROJECT
WILL START IN 2022. TXDOT STILL
NEEDS FUNDING FOR THE CENTRAL
SECTION -- THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UNTIL IT'S FUNDED -- STAFF CAN'T
SAY WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE.
AND THERE ARE PROJECTS PLANNED
FOR
FOR NEARLY ALL OF THE HIGHWAYS IN AND AROUND AUSTIN -- FROM 183 AND 71 --
TO LOOP 360 --
THE Y IN OAK HILL -- EVEN THE
130 TOLL ROAD. BUT THE
CONSTRUCTION ALONE WON'T BE
ENOUGH TO
EASE YOUR COMMUTE.
"BASED ON THE 2040 PLAN THAT WE
HAVE IN PLACE, WE EXPECT TO SEE,
IF EVERYTHING WAS BUILT OUT AND
WE KNOW THAT PROBABLY WILL NOT
HAPPEN, WE WOULD SEE ABOUT A
28-PERCENT INCREASE IN ROADS BUT
121 PERCENT INCREASE IN
POPULATION."
"THE PLAIN WAY TO EXPLAIN THAT
IS, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE MUCH
WORSE CONGESTION, ON A WHOLE LOT
MORE ROADS IN THE REGION, OVER
MUCH LONGER PERIODS OF TIME."
SO
SO TO
SO TO COMBAT CONGESTION -- TRANSPORTATION LEADERS SAY THEY HAVE TO GET PEOPLE OFF THE
HIGHWAYS.
"IF YOU HATE YOUR COMMUTE THIS
MORNING, I'M SORRY TO BREAK IT
TO YA, BUT THAT MIGHT BE THE
BEST COMMUTE YOU EVER HAVE."
RANDY CLARKE JOINED THE CAPITAL
METRO TEAM 18
MONTHS
MONTHS AGO AS PRESIDENT AND CEO. HE'S ALL ABOUT TAKING BOLD -- CALCULATED RISKS TO GET
MORE
MORE PEOPLE TO USE MASS TRANSIT. "THIS ISN'T YOUR GRANDFATHER'S BUS COMPANY ANYMORE." FROM
PICK-UP ZONES TO REDESIGNING THE
BUS
NETWORK AND TESTING ELECTRIC
VEHICLES --
CAPMETRO IS TRYING NEW THINGS --
AND THEY SEEM TO
BE
BE WORKING. RIDERSHIP HAS INCREASED EVERY MONTH FOR 12 MONTHS
STRAIGHT.
THE NEXT BOLD PLAN IS PROJECT
CONNECT --
CREATING AN EXPANDED TRANSIT
SYSTEM THAT CONNECTS THE ENTIRE
REGION.
BUT TO MAKE IT A REALITY -- IT
WILL TAKE A BIG INVESTMENT.
THE TYPE OF INVESTMENT AUSTIN
HASN'T MADE.
"I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, IN
2016, THE CITY OF AUSTIN PASSED
A MOBILITY
A MOBILITY
BOND
BOND FOR
BOND FOR $720 MILLION. SO AT THE TIME, THE LARGEST BOND IN THE HISTORY OF THE CITY AND THAT WAS
A BIG DEAL."
"THAT
"THAT SAME NIGHT, SEATTLE DID $54 BILLION FOR TRANSIT AND LA DID
$120 BILLION FOR TRANSIT."
PROJECT CONNECT IS STILL IN THE
PLANNING
PHASES.
PLANNING PHASES. SO THERE ISN'T A FINAL PRICE TAG
AND LEADERS
HAVEN'T DECIDED IF THE TRANSIT
SYSTEM WILL BE BUS OR
RAIL --
"THE KEY IS NOT THE TYPE OF
WHEEL PER SE, IT IS THE CAPACITY
OF
THOSE VEHICLES AND HAVING THEIR
OWN DEDICATED RIGHT OF WAY."
ADDING LANES DESIGNATED SOLELY
FOR BUSES -- IS PART
OF A BIGGER PLAN.
FOR THE PAST TWO YEARS -- CAMPO
STAFF HAVE BEEN
BUILDING
THE REGIONAL ARTERIALS PLAN.
LOOKING AT HOW CITIES IN THE
AUSTIN REGION CAN GET
PEOPLE OFF THE HIGHWAYS BY
INCREASING CAPACITY ON
THE MAJOR ROADWAYS THROUGH THE
CITY.
AND THAT PLAN COULD HAVE A HUGE
IMPACT ON YOUR COMMUTE.
"SO IF WE WERE ABLE TO REALIZE
THE RECOMMENDATION
S IN THAT DRAFT PLAN, WHAT WE
WOULD SEE IS A DOUBLING IN OUR
POPULATION BY 2045, BUT OUR
CONGESTION WOULD BE NO
WORSE THAN IT IS TODAY. AND
THAT'S A CONSIDERABLE
ACHIEVEMENT IF
WE CAN PULL IT OFF."
PULLING IT OFF LARGELY DEPENDS
ON THE CITIES --
AND
AND WHETHER TODAY'S LEADERS WILL LISTEN TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS -- UNLIKE WHAT
WAS DONE IN THE PAST.
TO MAKE SURE THE PEOPLE IN THIS
BOOMTOWN CAN GET
AROUND -- AND ENJOY THE THINGS
THAT MADE THEM
DECIDE TO CALL AUSTIN -- HOME.
ASHLEY GOUDEAU -- KVUE NEWS.