Williams Drive Enhancement Project
The City of Georgetown is designing enhancements to safety and traffic operations along Williams Drive from Austin Avenue to Jim Hogg Road. This effort builds upon the findings and recommendations of the Williams Drive Study completed in 2017 and the small area plan adopted in the City’s 2030 Comprehensive Plan. The project includes constructing raised medians, street lighting, intersection and signal improvements, driveway reconfigurations, turn lanes, and improved bike and pedestrian facilities along this corridor.
Project Goals
- Improve safety through reduced crashes, injuries, and fatalities
- Improve traffic operations and congestion by better planning how vehicles, pedestrians, and cyclists move throughout the corridor
- Improve accessibility by promoting safer travel to adjacent businesses and neighborhoods
- Preserve public investment in the existing transportation network
- Engage the public throughout the project development process and develop a community supported plan
In Spring 2023, the City began collecting technical data along the corridor such as aerial surveys, traffic counts, information on crashes and a sidewalk inventory. The City also conducted a survey to gain insights on the community’s experiences traveling along the corridor. A public open house was held in August 2023 as part of the Gather Round Georgetown Expo to share initial concepts with the community. More information about the public engagement program can be found on the Public Engagement link on the upper left menu.
Study Findings and Technical Reports
Using the findings from the technical analysis and public feedback, the City has developed initial concepts for improvements along Williams Drive. These proposals include constructing raised medians, installing safety lighting, intersection improvements, signal timing, reconfiguring driveways, adding turn lanes and improvements to bike and pedestrian facilities.
View the proposed improvements by clicking the links below.
Segment 1 Jim Hogg Drive to Woodlake Drive:
Segment 2: Cedar Lake Boulevard to Wagon Wheel Trail:
Segment 3: Western Trail to Austin Avenue:
Timeline
The City encourages participation from the community throughout this process and input will be used to enhance and benefit project development.
Project Funding
- 2021 Road Bond $10 million for Austin Avenue to D.B. Wood Road
- $1.7 million safety lighting from TxDOT
- Traffic Impact Analysis (TIA)
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Williams Drive Progress to Date:
- Initial access management and improvement concepts developed
- Initial technical analysis and environmental review in progress as part of the Williams Drive Enhancement Project
- City Council acceptance of Study and adoption of the short-term implementation plan
- Traffic signal coordination, installation of flashing yellow arrows to alleviate turning conflicts and improve light wait times
- Award by Central Texas Transportation Plan of the Year, 2017
- Award of $1.38M in Federal transportation funding for access improvement, award of $1.76M for safety lighting
- Rivery Boulevard and NW Boulevard Bridge completion
- Adoption of the Williams Drive Gateway Plan in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan
- Intersection improvements at Williams Drive/Lakeway Drive/ Bootys Crossing Road
- Voter approval of median improvements from I H 35 to Lakeway, more information here
- Approval of a Planned Unit Development for catalytic site in the Centers Area
The City encourages participation from the community throughout this process and input will be used to enhance and benefit project development. Engagement events and opportunities to date are noted below along with information the City has gathered from the community to date. Additional opportunities will available as design progresses and announced on the website and via email to those who have signed up to receive updates
Engagement Activities to Date
February 15, 2023 – Williams Drive Open House at the State of the City event
April 29, 2023 – Red Poppy Festival Pop-up
April 29 – June 3, 2023 – Williams Drive Enhancement Project Survey
July -August 2023 – Meetings with Property and Business Owners
August 1, 2023 – Presentation to Planning and Zoning Commission
August 3, 2023 – Williams Drive Open House at the Gather Round Georgetown Expo
August 1-31, 2023 – Office Hours Held Thursday Mornings
August 22, 2023 – Presentation to City Council View presentation
Williams Drive Enhancement Project Survey & Interactive Mapping Tool
The City asked the community to participate in a survey and use an interactive map to provide input from April 28 – June 3, 2023. 1,241 survey responses were received and 471 comments were mapped.
What We Heard
View the interactive map comments
Williams Drive Open House #2
The City hosted an open house to share preliminary design concepts with the community as part of the Gather Round Project Expo on Thursday, August 3, 2023, at City Hall.
Meeting Exhibits
Williams Drive Exhibit 1
Williams Drive Exhibit 2
Williams Drive Exhibit 3
Williams Drive Overview Exhibit
Williams Drive Today Exhibit
What We Heard Exhibit
Open House Summary
Project Contact
williamsdrive@georgetown.org
Phone: 512-354-2627
Williams Drive Study (2017)
In 2017, the City and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) completed a comprehensive review of traffic operations and land development between Austin Avenue and Jim Hogg Road. The Study was accepted by the City Council in July of 2017. The adopted Study proposes context sensitive multimodal operational improvements, streetscape changes, and mixed-use development concepts that will transform how people travel and live within and along the corridor.
Planning Context
The Williams Drive Study was informed by a number of local plans, policy documents, and guidelines. Specific recommendations and concepts were developed within the context of CAMPO’s Platinum Planning Program that prioritizes multimodal transportation, mixed land use, housing choices,
environment, economic development, and equity. Key planning documents and guidelines that were reviewed include:
• 2003 Williams Drive Corridor Study
• 2005 Williams Drive Gateway Redevelopment Study
• 2006 Williams Drive Gateway Redevelopment Master Plan
• 2014 Overall Transportation Plan (Now called the Future Mobility Plan; as of Oct. 2022)
• The Mobility35 Implementation Plan
• 2015 Sidewalk Master Plan
• 2020 (2030) Comprehensive Plan
• 2040 CAMPO Regional Transportation Plan
Key Findings
Traffic Congestion/Circulation
• Traffic congestion and circulation is a significant concern. Congestion, particularly at the intersection
with I-35, is a key challenge and is currently under design through a separate TxDOT initiative. The lack of
alternative connections also highlights the constraints that Williams Drive operates under on a daily basis.
Traffic Operations & Safety
• Traffic Operations & Safety along the corridor is highlighted by a lack of access management, with
corridor-wide center turn lanes and over 150 curb cuts. The unsynchronized traffic signal timing leads to
an interrupted vehicle flow and underutilized capacity.
Redevelopment and Reinvestment Barriers
• Redevelopment and reinvestment opportunities are challenged by City and State development
requirements, as well as fragmented ownership amongst neighboring parcels. The current zoning also
presents barriers, as it is not tailored to suit the corridor and its land use potential.
Pedestrian/Bicycle Improvements
• Multimodal transportation opportunities along Williams Drive will be enhanced with transit service
beginning in 2017. Transit will operate within the southeastern section of the corridor with a single route
circulating from Downtown out Williams Drive on an hourly headway.
• Pedestrian activity and bicycle ridership are almost non-existent along the corridor today. Fast-moving
traffic dominates the street, creating an unpleasant environment for other users. Williams Drive does not
currently have any bicycle lanes, but wide shoulders are present along sections of the corridor. Sidewalks
are narrow and intermittent. The vehicle-oriented design of the corridor has limited the attractiveness of
biking and walking. Major barriers, such as I-35, also present both a physical and psychological obstacle.
Aesthetic Enhancements
• Development along the corridor has evolved through various iterations of zoning codes, leaving signage,
landscaping, frontage usage, parking, etc. that do not conform to current code.
Progress to Date:
- Initial access management and improvement concepts developed
- Initial technical analysis and environmental review in progress as part of the Williams Drive Enhancement Project
- City Council acceptance of Study and adoption of the short-term implementation plan
- Traffic signal coordination, installation of flashing yellow arrows to alleviate turning conflicts and improve light wait times
- Award by Central Texas Transportation Plan of the Year, 2017
- Award of $1.38M in Federal transportation funding for access improvement, award of $1.76M for safety lighting
- Rivery Boulevard and NW Boulevard Bridge completion
- Adoption of the Williams Drive Gateway Plan in the 2030 Comprehensive Plan
- Intersection improvements at Williams Drive/Lakeway Drive/ Bootys Crossing Road
- Voter approval of median improvements from I H 35 to Lakeway, more information here
- Approval of a Planned Unit Development for catalytic site in the Centers Area
Study Links:
