Georgetown City Council members heard Tuesday what will likely be the final update on the Williams Drive Corridor Study, which seeks to balance improvements to relieve traffic congestion with increased bicycle and pedestrian accessibility on the busy roadway.

Georgetown Transportation Analyst Nat Waggoner said during a council workshop that a final draft plan should be ready for a council vote July 11.

The final draft plan recommends Georgetown focus within the next four years on improving traffic congestion, circulation and operations within the Williams Drive corridor from Austin Avenue to Jim Hogg Road. The study’s final version also recommends that initial improvements address bicycle and pedestrian upgrades, aesthetic enhancements and improved land-use planning to bolster economic development.

District 7 City Council Member Tommy Gonzalez said during the workshop that he believed relieving traffic congestion in the corridor should take priority over other matters when the first improvements to Williams Drive begin.

“For me, the focus is mitigating the traffic right now on Williams Drive,” Gonzalez said.

Members of Georgetown’s Transportation Advisory Board, which approved the final study draft earlier this year, had concerns over whether addressing traffic on Williams Drive was a strong enough component of the study, said District 3 Council Member John Hesser, who is a member of the advisory board.

Hesser said the board would like the city to complete a comprehensive bicycle master plan before bicycle improvements are made in the Williams Drive corridor.

The final draft plan includes a recommendation for a bicycle master plan to be completed within the next four years.

District 6 Council Member Rachael Jonrowe said she thought the proposed plan had a good balance of recommendations. Jonrowe added that she would support a citywide bicycle master plan as well.

The final draft plan includes recommendations near the intersection of Williams Drive and I-35 as well as improvements that could be addressed in later years.

Georgetown has worked since 2016 in partnership with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization to set the parameters of the corridor study and recommend improvements.

Georgetown City Manager David Morgan said the Williams Drive plan will serve as a guiding document as City Council prepares to set the city’s fiscal year 2017-18 budget later this summer.

The final draft plan for the Williams Drive Corridor Study can be viewed on the city’s website at https://transportation.georgetown.org/williams-drive/.