The construction of SH 45 SW, a proposed 4-lane toll road that would connect FM 1626 in Hays County to Mopac in Travis County, was the focus of one of the panels at the Kent Butler Summit April 25. In March, Travis and Hays counties voted to commit $15 million and $5 million respectively to construction of the road, which is expected to have a total price tag of $70 million–$100 million. Carlos Swonke, director of environmental affairs for the Texas Department of Transportation, opened the panel with an explanation of TxDOT's environmental impact study into the effects the proposed tollway would have on the surrounding environment. The proposed road would be located within the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. The department is hoping to complete the environmental study by January 2015, and Swonke said it will be possible to build the road in such a way that the amount of total suspended solids—a measurement of water quality—could be reduced from current levels. "This project has a particular significance because of [the area's] sensitivity," Swonke said. "We want to make sure we're advancing this project with the most sensitivity." According to the results of a TxDOT study Swonke presented, travel time between FM 1626 and Mopac would be reduced by 26 minutes with the addition of SH 45 SW. Mike Brown, president of the Utah-based urban design firm Metro Analytics, provided the counterpoint to arguments in favor of building the road. Brown said the city of Austin, TxDOT and the other players involved in the project should focus on "shared solutions" including increased use of arterial roadways, increased transit ridership and better land use before committing $100 million to construct SH45 SW. "You can get by on Mopac as it stands for a number of years without building anything," Brown said. Population growth coupled with congestion on I-35 has made FM 1626 a popular thoroughfare for Hays County drivers entering Austin for work in the mornings and leaving the city in the evenings. That traffic has led to congestion on Brodie Lane near South Austin neighborhoods like Shady Hollow. Pam Baggett-Wallis, a Shady Hollow Homeowner's Association board member, was a panelist at the event and said the road, which has been discussed off and on for 25 years, was promised to residents of the Shady Hollow neighborhood before many of them moved to the area. Delayed construction has affected home values in the area, she said. "SH 45 SW has become an icon for environment's last stand," Baggett-Wallis said. "What it should be is an icon for a community working their tails off to make sure it is built right for everybody and the environment." Brigid Shea, a candidate for Travis County Commissioners Court, also sat on the panel for SH 45 SW. Shea said she was concerned that the construction of the new road would spur more growth in the area and exacerbate the congestion and traffic issues in the area. Shea said other options should be examined before assuming SH 45 SW needs to be constructed. "I want us to have a more complete and factual examination without a predetermined conclusion as to whether or not spending $100 million to build a 3-mile segment over our most sensitive aquifer is really going to solve this problem in the Shady Hollow area and on Brodie Lane," she said.