credentials bruce melton, p.e. texas a&m 1983 diversified experience: environmental, land...

Credentials

Bruce Melton, P.E.

Texas A&M 1983

Diversified experience: Environmental, land development and hydrology

Haynie & Kallman 1984: Land Development, Staff Engineer

Jones & Neuse 1986: Land Development, Staff Engineer

Lower Colorado River Authority Environmental Program 1990: Staff Engineer, Environmental Coordinator; Principal Investigator, Permit Writer

Bury Partners 1996: Project Manager

Loomis Austin 1998: Senior Project Manager

Melton Engineering Services Austin 2001: Owner

Planning

What is really in the middle of the road?

Major Concerns

1. TxDOT Traffic Counts show that, about the turn of the Century, on average, regional traffic stopped growing.

2. Is projecting past growth patterns into the future appropriate planning?

TXDOT Traffic Counts Regional Average Growth

Source: CAMPO Needs Assessment, February 2009

TxDOT Data - Regional Traffic Growth Superimposed

Brookings Institute Study

Why Has Traffic Growth Ceased While Population Continues to Grow?

Two bread winner family phenomena has maxed out

Aging population / birth rate trends

Economic concerns over the last decade of reduced earnings power

Younger Areas Age Faster

Long Term Economics

• Purchasing power has diminished

• Wages are not keeping up

• Inflation continues

• Not related to the current economic distress

• TxDOT traffic data ended before the recession

CAMPO 2030 is significantly disconnected from actual traffic counts.

Because traffic growth patterns have changed fundamentally.

Traffic will never grow like this again.

South and Southwest Austin

“Business as Usual” is No Longer Valid

Traffic on Brodie would be worse when SH45 opens than it is today.

(TxDOT Traffic Counts and CAMPO 2030 Plan)

Alternatives

Traffic on Brodie is bad and must be addressed

I35 Route Without Flyover

Brodie route takes more time compared to IH35 route without the flyover

Acquired Preserve Lands

Peak Hour Traffic Management

1. Reduce Peak Hour traffic

2. Telecommute

3. Flexible working hours

4. Demographic shift

5. New bus routes

6. More park and ride

7. Commuter rail

New Discoveries about the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer

Nico’s D Title Page

The final paragraph of the conclusions for the methodology section

The final paragraph of the conclusions for the methodology section

The previously reported assumption of uplands recharge

by Woodruff, 1984 was 1%

From Nico’s Dissertation

381 karst features

Groundwater flow in the Northern Edwards Aquifer

Note the locations of Barton, Slaughter, Onion and Bear Creeks and the intersection of the existing SH45 and MOPAC

Plan ahead

CAMPO memo to Council woman Kim October 2007