General Manager’s Note — January 2007
General Manager’s Note — January 2007
Written by Claire Love Sunday, 07 January 2007
Growth plan, new feature
Imagine the intersection of US 183 and RM 620 as a four-way intersection with a blinking light at certain hours of the day.
Parmer Lane doesn’t reach this far north, Lakeline Boulevard is non-existent and FM 1431 east of 183 is barely a paved road. It’s difficult to fathom this was the life of Cedar Park and Leander residents less than 20 years ago.
The transportation improvements that have taken place in recent years help to accommodate the exponential growth we are experiencing. To keep the pace, local leaders are charged with determining which infrastructure improvements have priority and how the projects should be funded so the benefits aren’t overshadowed by the fiscal burden placed on taxpayers.
When we think about transportation planning, we typically have city council members, commissioners or TxDOT representatives at the top of the mind. Often overlooked are regional planners, like the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, that pull together the interests of the cities and counties to ensure an effective and efficient regional transportation system.
CAMPO’s 2035 Mobility Plan emphasizes an “intricate link” between transportation and land use. The location of transportation facilities and how they are designed, the report states, influences how land is developed. A prime example of this is FM 1431, on which we focus in our new feature, Community Corridors, with information on residential, commercial and transportation developments.
FM 1431 could also be home to a water resort that, if approved, is anticipated to make a big splash by bringing thousands of visitors to Cedar Park each year. The concept includes water slides, a lazy river and a tree house hotel. Officials have made it a priority to make Cedar Park a destination where people can come to have fun and this resort is a step in that direction.
We look forward to all the new and exciting stories 2007 holds, and we hope you find the way we cover those stories to be useful and informative. It is our New Year’s resolution to find ways to make each publication better and we encourage you to let us know how we’re doing.
General Manager Claire Love, clove@impactnews.com
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