Original Plans and Importance of the Project

In 2017, a bond was passed to extend Harold Green Road between SH130 and Austin Colony Blvd. The original plan was for a two-lane road with bike lanes and sidewalks, intended for alternative access for this portion of Travis County. Also mentioned in this document is the plan to work with CapMetro to address future transportation needs in this area. TxDOT indicates that two-lane-two-way roadways have a crash rate ~56% higher than four-lane divided roadways in any setting. 

The Harold Green Road extension (HGE) was voted for by this area because another means of access has been necessary for years. 969 connects several neighborhoods to SH 130 with few alternatives in place. 969 merges into two lanes in several places, creating significant congestion during peak traffic hours. Plans to expand 969 into 4 lanes was approved in 2011. This project has been in design status since 2013, and plans for construction are to start in Q4 2021 (please note: this will be completed over one decade after its initial approval). Two-lane, two-way roadways cannot continue to support the known and projected growth in Hornsby Bend.

2017 vs. 2021: Changes to Hornsby Bend with Few Infrastructure Improvements

In 2017, at the time of the bond passage for HGE, Martin Marietta owned the property that now houses the Tesla factory and the endpoint of Harold Green Road.

Low-income housing apartments were built in 2018 with 302 units on the property to house at least that many residents. This has added more cars to the road since public transit is unavailable. The Hornsby Bend Feeder bus that operated on an as-needed basis was discontinued. Unmeasured growth has occurred in this community due to more homes built in several neighborhoods connecting to 969 (Tiermo, Forrest Bluff/Kennedy Ridge, Austin’s Colony, and The Beckett apartment complex). A 2014 Executive Summary by Austin Mobility estimated an additional 40,000 new residents on this stretch of 969 within the next 15 years, and the projected growth is evident as these new neighborhoods are established. The pain is felt by all in our morning commutes because the roadways connecting to 130 are inadequate for the volume of cars. However, comparable affordability drives the growth in this area despite the lack of infrastructure support. In a 2017 Environmental Assessment, TxDOT and City of Austin acknowledge that Hornsby Bend lies within Travis County’s fastest growth category.

The opening of a much-needed community center at the end of Austin Colony Blvd has been delayed because HGE progress has stalled, creating a risky and potentially expensive construction loss. Travis County scuttled all of the original plans for HGE and made an agreement with Tesla’s Colorado River LLC project for them to take over the construction and location of the extension. This impacts the planning, expense to community center owners (Austin’s Colony HOA), and paying HOA members. Travis County Commissioner for Pct. 1’s office and Tesla representatives continually refuse to include the owners and their representatives in any stakeholder meetings or share any information about a timeline and final location of the HGE connection to Austin’s Colony Blvd.  The owners have been forced to move forward with building a required Fire Lane (to get the Occupancy Permit to open the center) on the Travis County Right of Way (ROW). The owners received verbal approval to build on the ROW after much correspondence and meetings with the original contracted engineer for Travis County (HTNB) and HGE project manager. Owners were told they could submit a permit request and saw no impediment to its final approval. This posed a risk due to an unknown construction timeline and thus possible loss of construction costs (tens of thousands of dollars) if the HGE connection is built at the southernmost end of Austin’s Colony Blvd, next to this center. However, they cannot wait for the HGE extension that might satisfy the Fire Marshall’s requirement of a paved “fire lane,” as the final chosen entry point for the extension is still unknown. The Austin’s Colony HOA representatives need to be included in required stakeholder meetings. They also need the HGE project to move forward without delay to meet community needs and for the HGE project to select an entry point other than the proposed one at the south end of Austin’s Colony Blvd.

Per CapMetro, needs for the area will be assessed, but no future plans are currently in place for public transit. Travis County HTNB, HGE project manager Miguel Villareal, and Tesla representatives continue to refuse inclusion of Hornsby Bend community members in any plans or provide updates. County officials have been contacted for updates by Hornsby Bend Alliance committee members with no response. 

Demand for Accountability

Despite easier access to public services and comparatively more substantial roadways, Austin’s cost of living is impossible for many to consider living in the city limits. The county has not prioritized alleviating stresses to the outdated infrastructure in Hornsby Bend/Eastern Travis County.

The HGE is still listed as a two-lane road with no updated plans to address the growth in the area. This is still in design phase, however Tesla access has been established at Harold Green/130 with a 4 lane road and other updates to the roadways, such as a light at 973 and Harold Green. Other two-lane roads in the area (973, 969, and others) are insufficient to handle the congestion, which strongly suggests that the growth in this area requires further expansion on the original plans. The only advantage to this project still in the design phase 4 years after approval is that these accommodations can be considered. 

Hornsby Bend voted on the HGE because we have several needs for this community, and so far, our elected officials have not prioritized this project’s progress in the four years since its approval. Tesla’s presence and needs have certainly received much higher prioritization by the county in its one single year of land ownership. Now that Tesla’s Colorado River project is handling this extension, it is imperative that the county keep the organization accountable and ensure transparency so the community can move forward with its much-needed progress. To say that Hornsby Bend feels ignored by its elected officials is an understatement, and we expect better from those that serve us. 

References: 
https://www.austintexas.gov/edims/document.cfm?id=311501
https://www.traviscountytx.gov/tnr/public-works/all#91
https://ftp.txdot.gov/pub/txdot/get-involved/aus/fm-969/102317-ea.pdf 
https://www.austintexas.gov/sites/default/files/files/Transportation/COA_969_2_6_2014_Executive_Summary.pdf