Ground-level, toll-free parkway as a long term fix for the Y at Oak Hill

City Council wants regional and state transportation authorities to reconsider a smaller-scale traffic solution along West Hwy. 290.

At its Aug. 28 meeting, the Council recommended the Texas Department of Transportation, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and the Federal Highway Administration include a nonelevated, nontolled parkway with minimal frontage roads in the final stages of its Oak Hill Parkway environmental study.

Authorities are reviewing twoconcepts—neither of which are ground level or toll-free—for the study, which is expected to be completed in 2016.

The parkway design was not given further consideration because of its lack of frontage roads, according to the city.

In its recommendation, the Council said the project area would benefit from minimizing the [Hwy.] 290 physical footprint due to environmental sensitivities, and that an elevated roadway could significantly affect the cohesiveness of the Oak Hill community.

Giving the parkway design further consideration would provide anadditional alternative that would more sharply define the issues at hand and offer a clearer choice, according to the recommendation.

The design is the preferred option of grass-roots group Fix290, a group ofresidents who are concerned about potential effects on a segment of the Barton Springs/Edwards Aquifer.