7 /2 Salvation Army Founders Day

7 /26 National Cowboy Day

To join the COVNA Email List, click below and send an email
with your name(s) to Doug at
tabonyproductions@austin.rr.com
Now 100+ households strong!

Find out the latest neighborhood news and developments.
Receive recommendations for service providers.

(Print and clip)

Based on the desires of the area neighborhood associations and the City’s roadway plan, the following goals are identified in this area:

• Improve access, mobility, & safety by widening Davis Lane from Brodie Lane to Zeke Bend
• Improve access to Cowan Elementary by providing turn lanes on Davis @ Kentish (West Gate)
• Create AISD's requested circulation areas at Cowan Elementary
• Improve north-south mobility by constructing the missing portion of West Gate Boulevard between Cohoba Drive and Cameron Loop

Two projects are currently underway on Davis Lane, one from Corran Ferry to Brodie and one from Huebinger Pass to Leo. In addition, the Public Works Department recommends that West Gate be constructed as a four-lane divided roadway between Cameron Loop and the existing end of pavement north of Cohoba. These three projects address the goals for the area through the following:

Davis Lane improvements -

1. In conjunction with the project west of Brodie, reconstruct approximately 500 feet of Davis east of Brodie to provide two westbound lanes for traffic approaching Brodie.
2. Construct left turn lanes eastbound and westbound at West Gate Boulevard as part of the West Gate construction project.
3. In conjunction with the project west of Leo, reconstruct approximately 500 feet of Davis east of Leo to provide two westbound lanes for traffic approaching Leo.
4. Overlay portions between Brodie and West Gate that are not reconstructed as part of the above projects.

West Gate Boulevard improvements -

1. Construct the entire missing section of this roadway between Cameron Loop and Cohoba.
2. Coordinate with AISD to improve circulation at Cowan Elementary through construction new of driveways to West Gate with limited purpose median openings.

These projects address most of the needs cited in the neighborhood association resolution. However, they do not provide for the reconstruction of the entire section of Davis between Brodie and Manchaca. There are insufficient funds to do so at this time but we anticipate this reconstruction will be included on the list of proposed projects for the next street bond program. The planned improvements on Davis at Leo, West Gate, and Brodie will address many of the existing traffic problems on Davis. This combination of projects is considered to best meet the combined needs of the overall roadway system, area residents, and AISD. We plan to present this to the Urban Transportation Commission meeting at their July 8 meeting.

Earlier this week, we received the above information from the city of Austin. It is their response to the resolution we endorsed and submitted.

You will remember that our priorities were VERY clear. Given the limited funding available for the area, and that there was likely to be no additional money anytime soon, we prioritized improvements for the western portion of Davis Lane from Leo Street to Brodie with special emphasis to improve circulation at Cowan. The consensus among all stakeholders was that the West Gate extension would exacerbate problems on Davis Lane and would not help with this dangerous stretch of road.

So it was shocking, to say the least, that the city came back with this proposal. I am not sure what is more insulting: a) that it completely ignores the clear expression of our priorities; or b) that it took them 2 months to come up with this plan—which you will recall if you attended the meeting last October was one of the plans displayed on a board.

The short story is this: our partners are not pleased with this development and I am certain it does not meet the will of COVNA. So we are planning a team meeting next week to discuss our next steps. The Urban Transportation Commission is scheduled to meet July 8 to discuss this plan. So our timeframe is short

It is clear that this process, which neighbors actually had to organize, was completely short-circuited by the developers awaiting the West Gate extension. Our side had only a handful of hours to commit to this process. Their side has high dollar lobbyists who can work the city and its process constantly. In fact, I have learned that on the north side of the current terminus of West Gate, there are signs of a new development that is about to start as we speak. Any coincidence?

Folks, the extension of West Gate will eventually be necessary. We are now experiencing cut-through traffic on Curlew and other roads in our neighborhood because it does not exist. BUT, to move on West Gate BEFORE the dangerous sections of Davis are improved is unacceptable. Not only will it open up more development and drive more traffic onto Davis, we will be stuck with a large volume on traffic on a narrow two-lane road that is a threat to commuters and neighbors alike. They will try to tell us that we can add the project to the next bond issue. But they might as well tell us we will never get money. It took us 8 years to get this project lined up from the 2000 bond election, and now because of the economic downturn they are stopping 2006 bond projects. Do the math, it will not happen for a long time. This is why Davis is so critical!

We need to show them that there are a lot of folks out here that are tired of this type of treatment. The type of treatment where even when neighborhoods work in good faith to conduct a very methodical evaluation process for a project and develop a CONSENSUS among various parties so as to make it easier for the city to move forward (as opposed to having neighbors fighting each other), we can still be completely ignored.