| Maintenance of Roads & Streetlights |
Who will maintain roads, including medians, after annexation?The City will maintain all roads that are currently maintained by the County. Private roads, such as those currently maintained by condominium homeowners' associations, will not be maintained by the City.In the city limits, medians are maintained by the Parks and Recreation Department. In the parks section of the service plan, the City has agreed that services will be provided at their current levels by the City directly or by service providers under contract with the City. The service plan refers to the MUD’s current parks service document dated March 2008, which also includes medians, as documentation of the current level of service. Irrigation systems would be included in the maintenance program. Who will repair streetlights after annexation?Austin Energy and/or PEC will repair the street lights depending on the type of street light.How quickly will lights be repaired?Austin Energy will respond to requests for repair of street lights maintained by Austin Energy within 3-5 business days. The actual repair time frame cannot be guaranteed because Austin Energy does not maintain all the street lights. PEC is responsible for some of these repairs, particularly where there is a problem with the electricity itself rather than simply the light fixture or bulb.We desire more lighting on our public streets and in our parks. Will Austin Energy do an illumination study to evaluate our need for additional lighting?If individual property owners or the homeowners' association desire the installation of additional streetlights on public streets, Austin Energy will survey the area to see if it requires more lighting. They also will determine the best location for the lighting. If the homeowners' association prefers to have streetlights with underground wiring, the homeowners' association must pay the cost difference between overhead and underground wiring.Due to the size of the annexation area, more specific information is needed about the locations where additional lighting is desired, such as specific streets, blocks, intersections, or parks. Outside of Austin Energy's service area, Austin Energy must coordinate with PEC to ensure that electrical conduit is available. If the existing electric lines are located behind the houses, it may be necessary for Austin Energy to obtain easements from individual property owners between houses in order to place lights along the streets. Please be aware that if overhead streetlights are installed, tree trimming may be required. Does the City repair sidewalks?Yes. Request a sidewalk repair by calling 311 or submitting an online service request. (Many other types of requests may be submitted through this online system as well.) Sidewalk repairs are planned by the Street and Bridge Division of Public works and currently funded by the bond program. Isolated incidents that present a safety hazard can be repaired in a short time frame with an asphalt patch. More wide-ranging problems, such as an entire block, street, or neighborhood with widespread sidewalk damage, will require a more detailed assessment.When will the City add the bike lanes and sidewalks in Anderson Mill to the City's Bicycle and Pedestrian Plans? Must a bike lane or sidewalk be in the plan in order to be maintained?The City's Bike Plan is currently being updated. Inclusion in the plan in the not a prerequisite for the maintenance of bike lanes in public right-of-way. Striping and marking of the public right-of-way is handled by Public Works Department.At the next update of the Pedestrian Plan, the sidewalk inventory would be updated. Sidewalks do not need to be in the Pedestrian Plan to be maintained. Contact Project Manager Annick Beaudet at (512) 974-6505 for questions about either the Bicycle or Pedestrian Plan. Will a traffic signal be installed at Pecan Creek Parkway and Anderson Mill Road? It is difficult to turn left here due to heavy traffic on Anderson Mill Road.Travis County anticipates completion of the improvements to Anderson Mill Road in late May. After completion, Travis County will initiate a signal study for major intersections within the reconstructed segment of the road within three months. If a signal is warranted based on standard criteria, it will be installed within three to six months. A signal cannot be installed if it does not meet warrants because the signal would not be enforceable and could create a liability for the City. For questions about the signal study, you may contact Travis County staff David Greear at (512) at 854-7650 or Chiddi N’jie at (512) 854-7585.Will the City mow the grass and prune landscaping along Anderson Mill Road from RM 620 to US 183?Property owners are responsible for keeping their property and any associated sidewalk, alley or street adjacent to the property free of trash, debris and tall grasses. Property owners must also trim trees that overhang the street so there is at least fourteen feet of clearance at the curb line. Most of Anderson Mill Road, except for a short segment of the road along the southwestern edge of the MUD in Travis County, is planned for annexation concurrent with the MUD. If vegetation is blocking a sidewalk, call 311 for assistance.Will the City provide landscaping between the new rock wall, being built by the MUD, and the street along RM 620 and Anderson Mill Road?RM 620 is a state-maintained road, and the state will continue to maintain this road after annexation. Regarding Anderson Mill Road, the City has no plans to install additional landscaping at this time. The City will maintain this right-of-way at or above the current level of maintenance for the life of the service plan.Will the City contract with the Anderson Mill Limited District to maintain rights-of-way, including medians, within our neighborhood as now done by Williamson County?The Parks and Recreation Department may be interested in contracting with the Limited District but would need an opportunity to review the terms of the proposed contract.What can be done about parking in the neighborhoods near Westwood High School?Installing diagonal parking may not be feasible depending on the width of the road. However, residents near the high school may wish to consider participating in the Residential Parking Permit Program. In this program, a neighborhood association issues permits to residents for a small fee, and signage is placed along the street restricting on-street parking to permitted residents and their guests during certain times of the day on certain days of the week. |