Fort Bend County voters approved the county's proposed $184.9 million mobility bond 73 percent to 27 percent out of a total of 22,023 votes on Nov. 5.
The bond outlines 62 projects throughout Fort Bend County, and the money is split up between the county's four precincts. When funds from the bond are disbursed Precinct 1 will receive $53.4 million; Precinct 2, $47.5 million; Precinct 3, $58 million; and Precinct 4, $26 million.
"We are set to begin preliminary work on many of these projects and hopefully will begin to see construction in the next two years," County Judge Bob Hebert said.
The mobility bond does not call for a tax rate increase, and it is structured so the county will pay 50 percent of the construction costs of the joint projects with cities, including Sugar Land and Missouri City.
Rapid population growth and the need for improved mobility in Fort Bend County prompted the Commissioners Court over the summer to call for the bond election. The bond is the third called since 2000.
Hebert said if residents want to avoid gridlock, he expects a mobility bond election to be held every six to eight years.
"There are 62 projects outlined in this bond, and all of them are vital to mobility in the county," Hebert said. "All of this money is earmarked for road improvements throughout Fort Bend County. I think it is vital that we continue to build on our infrastructure to meet the transportation demands of all Fort Bend County residents in addition to the 25,000 to 35,000 new residents that are moving here each year."
More than 625,000 people live in Fort Bend County, which is up more than 75 percent from 354,452 residents in 2000, according to U.S. Census data. The population is expected to rise to more than 1 million by 2020.