This message was sent to Carlos Lopez, TXDOT Austin District Engineer as part of a followup to our meeting in June 2012 (see meeting notes here):

July 24, 2012

Carlos A. Lopez
Austin District Engineer
Texas Department of Transportation
P.O. Box 15426
Austin, TX 78761

Dear Mr. Lopez:
Thank you for the summary of action items related to our meeting of June 18th, 2012. We appreciate the attentive interest in the issues raised and the sound advice given toward getting them addressed.

We would like to reiterate that our long-term goal is to have TxDOT do the necessary studies of the RM 620 corridor to identify potential solutions for alleviating congestion along the corridor which includes Steiner Ranch and US 183. We understand that without the studies, and without the identification of acceptable, discrete and manageable solutions, we cannot expect to get projects “on the shelf” that would be easily implementable should funding become available.

I would like to correct the record insofar as Action Item (5) is concerned. We probably were not clear. We believe that overpasses at Anderson Mill and RM 2222 are the kind of individual projects that would be doable with relatively small amounts of funding. We are not opposed to the possibility of tolls to generate revenue for that purpose, but did not mean to imply that we thought the overpasses themselves should be “tolled.” We are agnostic with regard to sources of funding at this point, and view that issue as a distant fourth behind the studies, identification of projects, and plans. We will follow up separately regarding the other action items we have discussed.

We certainly appreciate the interest you have taken in our traffic concerns, and we hope that you or your deputy would be able to facilitate an introduction to your replacement as you embark on retirement so that we can continue the dialogue which has begun. Thanks again for your support, and congratulations on your retirement.

Sincerely,
Brian Thompto
Chairman, Steiner Ranch Neighborhood Association

cc: The Honorable Paul Workman, State Representative, District 47
Sarah Eckhardt, County Commissioner, Precinct Two, Travis County
Gary Schatz, P.E. PTOE, Assistant Director Trans. Management, City of Austin
John R. Wagner, P.E., Georgetown/North Travis Area Engineer, Austin District, TxDOT