As the county’s population continues to climb, commissioners remain diligent in their studies of projected transportation needs for county residents and those who work within the county. During the Oct. 12 Collin County Commissioners Court meeting, commissioners received a second scenario of population and employment projections at build-out—numbers they say will help project travel demands. The first scenario, which came as part of the 2014 county mobility plan update, assumed the east side of the county would consist of low density, rural development at build-out.  Those assumptions were based on the difficulty of providing transportation and lack of planning for water and sewer. The presentation given this month assumed transportation, water and sewer would be available to the area and showed development on the east side of the county similar to the west side of the county. According to the study, the county’s population at build-out could reach 3.4 million residents, including 900,000 residents on the east side assuming transportation, water and sewer is available. The county's population in 2013 was 854,778. The study also showed that most of the east side’s development will occur near the proposed outer loop, a roadway commissioners say will help connect the county’s more rural cities in the northern portion of the county through a north-south connecter along the county’s eastern edge. No other agency has projected anticipated travel demands at build-out, therefore county officials are hoping this study will act as a useful planning tool. Commissioners requested travel demand models for both scenarios and is expecting an update in December. For information on the county’s mobility plan, visit co.collin.tx.us.