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HomeMy WebLinkAboutreporter.dec07© City of Georgetown, 2007 VOL. 5 • NO. 12 A Publication of the City of Georgetown December 2007 Southeast Arterial 1 (SE 1) A three-mile long, two-lane road to connect the 130 Tollway with SE Inner Loop. SE 1 will become a segment in the planned 29 Bypass. Status:The City of Georgetown and Williamson County are working on an inter-local agreement for the project. Cost:$10 million funded by 0.5 percent from City of Georgetown (0.5 percent sales tax for new roads) Texas 29B or 29 Bypass Planned 11-mile southern bypass alternate for Texas 29. Current projected route is from a point 0.7 miles west of DB Wood Road to a point 0.5 miles east of Mankins Crossing. Sections of the 29 Bypass will include SE Inner Loop (between I-35 and Maple Street) and SE 1, which is detailed below. Status:A $690,000 route study for 29 Bypass is funded for this year. RM 2338/Williams Drive widening Widen RM 2338/Williams Drive from two lanes to four-lane divided road from DB Wood Road to Ronald Reagan Boulevard Status on segment from DB Wood to FM 3405: TXDOT funding was recently cut; seeking $8.8 million in state or federal funds with local match of $2.5 million from Williamson County Road Bonds and $2.5 million in City revenue Status on segment from FM 3405 to Ronald Reagan Blvd: Funded with $13.5 million in pass-through financing (Williamson County Road Bonds to be repaid with state and federal tax dollars based on traffic counts) Lakeway Drive Bridge Construct new Lakeway Drive bridge over I-35. New bridge will be south of current bridge, and Lakeway Drive will be realigned with bridge. Status:Engineering in-process, construction expected to begin in 2008, if funded by TXDOT. Cost: $5.5 million from TXDOT and $2.5 million from City of Georgetown (0.5 percent sales tax for new roads) College Street Bridge Build new bridge over San Gabriel River in San Gabriel Park just down- stream from the Morrow Street low- water crossing. Bridge will be above the 100-year floodplain. Low-water crossing will become part of hike- and-bike trail. Status:Design and engineering nearly complete, projected to begin construction in 2008 Cost:Approx. $5 million in funding from TXDOT and $120,000 in funding from City of Georgetown Oak Tree Drive Bridge Build new bridge over Berry Creek on Oak Tree Drive in Berry Creek neighborhood to replace existing low-water crossing. Bridge will be above the 100-year floodplain. Status:Preliminary engineering cost of $49,000 approved by City Council in October, construction projected to begin in mid-2008 Cost:$1.2 million in City of Georgetown FY 2008 budget I-35 turnarounds at Texas 29 Northbound-to-southbound and southbound-to-northbound turnarounds on I-35 access roads at Texas 29 Status:Construction began in October, projected completion in August 2008 Cost:$4 million in pass-through financing (Williamson County Road Bonds to be repaid with state and fed- eral tax dollars based on traffic counts) Transportation New RoadProjects Discover the latest news about the city at www.georgetown.org The Georgetown City Reporteris a publication of the City of Georgetown Public InformationOffice located in City Hall, 113 E. Eighth Street, Georgetown, Texas, 78626. For questions or comments, contact KeithHutchinson, Public Information Officer for the City of Georgetown at (512) 930-3690, or by email at pio@georgetowntx.org. Additional transportation updates Holiday events, entertainment, and shopping in Georgetown. Find it all at: www.GeorgetownHoliday.com. Holiday Happenings The Palace Theater A Christmas Carol, weekendsNov. 23 – Dec. 23 Details atwww.TheGeorgetownPalace.org,or call (512) 869-7469. Christmas Stroll,December 1 Entertainment, photos with Santa,horse-drawn carriage rides, and the Stroll parade. Details atwww.DowntownGeorgetown Association.org. First Friday,December 7 Downtown shops, galleries, andrestaurants open 6 – 8 p.m. Market Days,December 8Handmade arts and crafts, jewelry, woodcrafts, ironworks, and moreon the Square Breakfast with Santa,December 8 Fire Station 1 at 301 IndustrialAvenue: sessions at 8:30 & 10:30 a.m. Benefits needy families inGeorgetown. Williamson CountyCourthouse Re-dedication, December 8Ceremony begins at 11 a.m., Courthouse tours and entertainment until 3 p.m. For details, visit www.wilcogov.orgor call (512) 943-1663. Holiday Home Tour,December 8 & 9 Georgetown Heritage Society, 12 to 5 p.m. Details at www.GeorgetownHeritageSociety.org Holiday Closings City offices closed Dec. 24-25 and Jan. 1, 2008 Regular trash pickup on Dec. 24, 2007 No trash pickup on Dec. 25,2007 and Jan 1, 2008 Collection slides one day for remainder of week. Downtown marketing campaign wins statewide award Marketing efforts to bring people to Georgetown’s historic downtown were honored as the best in the state by the Texas Downtown Association in October. The Best Marketing Program Award from TDA recognizes excellence in marketing of downtown or commercial districts. Above are Cari Miller, Shelly Hargrove, and Marcy Henry, employees with the Georgetown Convention and Visitors Bureau, with promotional items. Earlier this year, Mayor Gary Nelon took at seat the table on the region- al planning board that decides the allocation of billions of dollars in federal transportation funding. The transportation policy board for Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, or CAMPO, changed its bylaws earlier this year to add representation for Williamson County and Hays County. Mayor Nelon was appointed by the Williamson County Commissioners Court as County’s small cities repre- sentative on the 19-member trans- portation policy board. CAMPO is a federally-mandated transportation planning board. Once Georgetown’s population reaches 50,000, which will likely occur in 2009, then Georgetown will have an automatic seat on the CAMPO board for our mayor. Commuter Rail A commuter rail line from San Antonio to Georgetown is being planned by the Austin San Antonio Inter-Municipal Rail District. The commuter rail station in Georgetown would be located at SE Inner Loop and Maple Street along City-owned right-of-way designated for a commuter rail use. City is plan- ning for retail, residential, and office development near the commuter sta- tion. Patty Eason, Georgetown city council member for District 1, became a member of the Rail District’s Board of Director’s in 2005 when the City joined the Rail District. Status:Rail District is seeking Legislative funding for rerouting of Union Pacific freight traffic. Alternative is freight and commuter joint-use agreement on existing track. A section of new track will need to be constructed from Round Rock to Georgetown. Projected launch date for commuter service is 2012. Details at www.asarail.org. Cost: Unknown at this time, but will likely include federal, state, and local government as well as private funding. Mayor Joins CAMPO Board Bus Service in Georgetown Fixed-route bus service in Georgetown is to be provided by Capital Area Rural Transportation Service, with connections to inter- city routes. Status:Route alternatives to be pre- sented at public meetings in December and finalized by February (see www.georgetown.org for details). Transit station for inter-city CARTS bus service with connection to intra-city bus service is planned for location on S. Austin Avenue at location of current Park-and-Ride. Details at www.RideCARTS.com. Cost: $1.2 million for transit station funded in FY 2008 with federal transportation revenue; other costs not yet determined. CAMPO Capital Area MetropolitanPlanning Organization