SH 130 plans announced

[David Lee]

This is from the Seguin paper, but if any or all of this commitee's plans come to pass, it will be of interest to Central Texas drivers.
---------------------------Posted: Tuesday, January 18, 2011 12:00 am | Updated: 6:29 pm, Mon Jan 17, 2011.
Bob Thaxton |
"SEGUIN - A committee formed to study transportation needs in the region has recommended that part of State Highway 130 be redesignated as Interstate 35 and that I-35 between State Highway 195 north of Georgetown and Buda south of Austin be converted to a state highway with a tolled lane and two non-tolled lanes in each direction.
The I-35 Corridor Segment 3 Committee also recommended that State Highway 130 between Mustang Ridge and Interstate 10 east of Seguin be widened to six lanes without tolls and that Interstate 10 between I-35 in downtown San Antonio and the SH 130 interchange east of Seguin, a distance of 42 miles, be widened to six lanes.
Local members of the Segment 3 Committee are Atlee Fritz representing the city of Seguin and Greg Webb representing Guadalupe County.
Other members of the 20-person committee include representatives of other cities and counties within I-35 Segment 3 which stretches from the Williamson/Bell County line to I-10 in San Antonio.
Fritz, who also is a member of the Seguin Planning and Zoning Commission, brought copies of the committee's recently published booklet outlining its recommendations to the Planning and Zoning Commission's meeting Jan. 11.
Fritz said that most of the committee's recommendations probably won't become reality during the lifetime of members of the planning commission.
The Texas Transportation Commission in March 2009 established four I-35 Corridor Segment Committees to assist the Corridor Advisory Committee.
The committee, along with a representative from each corridor segment committee, will use the four segment committees' recommendations to create the MY35 Plan for the I-35 corridor.
The Segment 3 Committee held organizational meetings in 2009 and started working on its recommendations during monthly meetings that began in January 2010.
To get public input on its recommendations, the committee held planning workshops in September 2010 at eight locations including a workshop at the Seguin-Guadalupe County Coliseum.
After receiving 370 completed questionnaires in the planning workshops, the Segment 3 Committee met in October 2010 to finalize its recommendations. The committee prioritized its recommendations into near-term (5-10 years), mid-term (10-20 years) or long-term (20 plus years).
"The entire section of the I-35 corridor in Segment 3, which extends from Austin to San Antonio, is urbanized and is functionally growing into one continuous urban area," the committee says in its booklet. "The committee ... recognized early on that the best they could hope for is to manage congestion on I-35."
Besides the projects mentioned earlier, the committee developed recommendations for operational improvements in the corridor.
Among those recommendations are:
• Reduce tolls on alternative routes to I-35 during times when I-35 is the most congested.
• Incentivize the use of SH 130 for all truck trips that are not destined for the cities between Georgetown and Seguin. For example, encourage truck drivers to use SH 130 to travel around congested areas by providing discounted toll fees.
The committee's highest priority among near-term projects was assigned to the project titled "I-35/SH 45SE/SH 130 Alternative." This project entails several actions:
• Converting one general purpose lane on I-35 in each direction to a minimum one dynamically priced managed lane and two non-tolled lanes in each direction from U.S. 195 to State Highway 45SE and redesignating the highway from an interstate to Business Route I-35.
• Widening State Highway 130 to six lanes from U.S. 195 north of Georgetown to State Highway 45SE in Mustang Ridge, removing the tolls and redesignating this portion of State Highway 130 as Interstate 35.
• Widening State Highway 45SE to six lanes from Mustang Ridge to northeast of Buda to I-35, removing the tolls and resignating SH 45SE as I-35.
• Widening State Highway 130 to six lanes from Mustang Ridge to I-10 in Seguin and removing the tolls; this portion would remain designated as SH 130.
The committee points out that any redesignation as an interstate highway (such as SH 130 from north of Georgetown to Mustang Ridge) will require approval by the Federal Highway Administration.
Another of the committee's recommendations calls for construction of a new four-lane controlled access highway from I-35 in New Braunfels to SH 130 north of Kingsbury.
Although no specific route is designated, a map in the committee's booklet shows this highway running north of Lake Dunlap, Clear Springs and Geronimo to connect with SH 130 northwest of Kingsbury. This project is listed as mid-term which puts it in the 10- to 20-year timeframe.
Only two projects are listed as long-term (more than 20 years) in the committee's booklet. Both are outer loops, one around New Braunfels and the other around San Marcos."

[WoodButcher]

In a way, I like the basic idea of swapping I35 and 130. That would move all the through trucking and other travel out of the middle of town.

[ed29]

Isn't there a law on the books in Texas that prohibits conversion of an existing freeway to a toll road? I seem to remember controversy here in DFW when a similar plan was offered up that would have placed an existing free access highway under management by NTTA as a toll road. I don't see who would manage the toll road in this case and therefore collect the revenue. I am curious about who gets the tolls in this plan.

The plan from here was scrapped when there was publicity about it violating the statute.

[kurt]

I think the bigger issue is that the 130 tollway is privately run. They might be willing to swap out for I-35 though. I'd be for that and a loop around Austin, conversion of 360 to a freeway and completion of 183 from 290 to south of Austin. And for the love of God, can't we build all the ramps when we build a road?

[Monkey Wrench Cycles]

Originally Posted by ed29

Isn't there a law on the books in Texas that prohibits conversion of an existing freeway to a toll road? I seem to remember controversy here in DFW when a similar plan was offered up that would have placed an existing free access highway under management by NTTA as a toll road. I don't see who would manage the toll road in this case and therefore collect the revenue. I am curious about who gets the tolls in this plan.

The plan from here was scrapped when there was publicity about it violating the statute.

I would certainly hope they couldnt convert an existing freeway into a toll road. I mean the whole purpose of a toll road is the tolls pay for the highway. How would you justify charging for a road thats already built and paid for...?

I heard something not long ago where they were wanting to convert the HOV lanes into tollways in dallas. Dont think that will happen...

[Chirpy]

I'm thinking the commercial property owners along 130 aren't happy with the lack of development along 130. Making that the "free" road should drive prices up enough that they can pay off their loans and pocket the change...

[bluedogok]

Originally Posted by kurt

I think the bigger issue is that the 130 tollway is privately run. They might be willing to swap out for I-35 though. I'd be for that and a loop around Austin, conversion of 360 to a freeway and completion of 183 from 290 to south of Austin. And for the love of God, can't we build all the ramps when we build a road?

They are building the missing flyovers at Ben White & I-35 and Mopac right now. One of those better late than never type deals.

[Meriden]

When I10 in west Houston was widened both a toll lane and an HOV lane were added.

[David Lee]

Originally Posted by bluedogok

They are building the missing flyovers at Ben White & I-35 and Mopac right now.

The whole intersection will be closed this weekend (Feb 12 & 13) and the Toll Road will be free during that time.

[tricepilot]

Soon I won't have to worry about road closures and tolls:

[kurt]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

Soon I won't have to worry about road closures and tolls:

They will find a way to toll you.