Community members are encouraged to submit comments about the study to Rodriguez Transportation Group by Dec. 7. All comments will be included in the final report, which will be finalized by the end of 2022, and then presented to Bee Cave City Council in January.
“The purpose of this study is to determine the impacts of potential new local roads and their ability to reduce reliance on the existing state road network for local destination-oriented trips,” Bee Cave Director of Communications Jenny Hoff said.
The proposed roadway would consist of 12-foot travel lanes in each direction, a 12-foot-wide continuous turn lane for left-turning traffic, shared-use paths on both sides of the road and a 4-foot buffer to separate pedestrians from traffic, according to the study.
“Based on concerns raised about cut-through traffic through the Bee Cave West neighborhood, the consultants analyzed the efficiency of various routes between Hwy. 71 and Hamilton Pool Road,” Hoff said.
There are four options being considered for how to build out Hamilton Pool Road for local access.
The first option leaves the Hamilton Pool Road part of the project unchanged, but it would turn Twin Acres Drive into a cul-de-sac in order to remove the conflict between cars at Hwy. 71, Hamilton Pool Road and Twin Acres Drive. This option does not solve issues relating to safety and efficiency in front of Bee Cave Elementary School, according to the study’s analysis. Visibility may also be reduced in certain areas because of the severe angle of the proposed intersection.
Option two would realign Hamilton Pool Road and create a roundabout to access the southwest collector road.
“The existing portion of Hamilton Pool Road would serve as a low-speed access road for the school, thereby separating higher speed-through traffic and reducing associated delays,” Hoff said.
The third option would be very similar to option two, but instead of a roundabout, drivers could access the southwest collector road, Hamilton extension and the school access road through three new signalized intersections.
Option four is also similar to option two and would include a roundabout. The primary difference is the proposed realignment of Hamilton Pool Road is a lower-speed right-angle intersection as opposed to a sweeping curve. One of the disadvantages to this option would be that the right-angle intersection would reduce speed at the Hamilton extension, according to the study.
The proposed southwest collector road, when built, would be located west of Hamilton and east of Palermo Drive. This road is currently included in the city's adopted thoroughfare plan, Hoff said. The proposed Hamilton Pool Road extension will be located east of Hamilton and west of Bee Cave Road and is not currently included in the city's thoroughfare plan.
Community members can submit comments to Rodriguez Transportation Group at [email protected] or by visiting the city of Bee Cave's website to fill out a road survey. All comments must be submitted by Dec. 7.
