According to information from Precinct 3 Commissioner James Noack’s office, the new plan will provide a map of proposed and existing thoroughfares and collector roads throughout each of the four precincts in Montgomery County. The study helps the county identify traffic flow patterns and predict future growth.
In an effort to increase public feedback, Precinct 3 made the information available online through June 11. The interactive map showed amendments to the previous plan, such as roads that were added, removed, realigned or reclassified from 2016 to 2021.
Local reaction
The Woodlands Township board of directors held a special meeting to discuss the proposed plan June 2.
Gordy Bunch, chair of The Woodlands Township board of directors, said at the meeting he was concerned about some proposed changes.
The board as a whole expressed concerns about how the 2021 thoroughfare plan may affect traffic, particularly with proposed projects going through residential communities such as a proposed collector road at Alden Bridge Drive to Egypt Lane.
The board of directors agreed to request traffic studies regarding how the proposed plan will affect The Woodlands following the June 2 meeting.
According to a news release from the township, the board commended the removal of some proposed roadway projects it had previously opposed, including the extension of Branch Crossing Drive north of Research Forest Drive to FM 1488 and the extension of Gosling Road north of Hwy. 242 toward the city of Conroe.
Regional perspective
The county is working with firm Brown and Gay Engineers Inc. to update the plan. BGE representative Megan Siercks told county commissioners during an April 27 meeting that the new plan includes more than just thoroughfares.
“There are collectors; there are local streets that all make up your mobility,” Siercks said. “We want to make sure we are capturing what is happening in the county today.”
According to a news release from Noack’s office, the updated plan will incorporate findings from the 2016 Precinct 3 South Montgomery County Mobility Study as well as the ongoing Precinct 2 and Precinct 4 mobility studies.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Charlie Riley has been working with the Houston-Galveston Area Council on a mobility study focusing on how growth around the Hwy. 249 toll road will affect traffic and crashes in the area.
The mobility study began in September 2020, and initial results indicate congestion, school traffic, hospital access, and the lack of north-south and east-west connectivity are factors, Barbara Koslov, senior transportation consultant with Gunda Corp., previously said.
Following the public comments, commissioners will consider final approval in July.
