Candidate for Mayor Josh Schroeder says he has talked to many people in the community about road needs; “I’ve come to believe our most pressing road needs are (1) Shell Road; (2) projects in Southeast Georgetown; and (3) alternate routes to relieve congestion on Williams Dr.”
The City is in the process of forming a citizen bond committee to come up with a recommendation to council for a bond package to take to the voters in November.
“One of the threshold issues the committee and council will have to address is the size and scope of the bond,” Schroeder says. “Do we want to pass a larger bond package that tries to cover the next ten years of transportation needs? Or do we want to limit the bond package to a smaller amount that addresses only our immediate needs?”
The Shell Road development has created a lot of traffic on that two-lane road, and Council Member Kevin Pitts says there is more to come. “While the City would need to work with the state to accomplish it, the intersection of SR195 and Shell is also an area that we need to look at closely.”
Schroeder believes the growth rate in Southeast Georgetown stands out. “The density in the area will require that we address the roads that were designed as rural county roads. It is one of my campaign priorities to encourage more commercial development in Southeast Georgetown, which will simultaneously help with traffic throughout the city and help build a sales tax base to complement the residential property tax base.”
On Williams Drive, which is the most pressing need for many in town, he says it is important to note there is little to be done to change the road itself. “What we can do is develop more alternate routes to relieve the current congestion. We can do this by building more north-south routes to get people to 195, 29, and Leander Road. We can also acquire and require the creation of parallel ‘slip streets’.”
Additional projects may include sidewalks in the downtown area. “We need to not only improve sidewalks for walkability, but we are in dire need of improvements for those with mobility challenges. The square is difficult to enjoy for those with mobility issues and all citizens should be able to enjoy our beautiful downtown.”
He says we can also expect to discuss Wolf Ranch Parkway to address the growth and development in Rivery, Wolf Ranch subdivision, and the commercial development with Academy Sports. “Those roads are only going to grow in traffic volume and be busier.”
Schroeder says transportation concerns echo the sentiments of his campaign in a general sense. “Addressing our transportation issues is integral to maintaining our small-town community feel. Council has stepped up to take action, and my campaign is committed to supporting council and our citizen committee in developing a bond package that our community can support.”
