By Krusee                                            H.C.R. No. 193
         77R6944 RVH-D                           
                             HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
 1-1           WHEREAS, Williamson County and the City of Round Rock
 1-2     collaborated for several years with the Texas Department of
 1-3     Transportation (TxDOT) to acquire the Missouri-Kansas Texas
 1-4     Railroad Company right-of-way (MKT right-of-way) for the western
 1-5     alignment of State Highway 130; however, now that an eastern
 1-6     alignment has been selected as the preferred route, these entities
 1-7     are requesting that TxDOT release the right-of-way for the western
 1-8     alignment to them so that they may develop their own local road
 1-9     projects to meet the mobility needs of this rapidly growing area;
1-10     and
1-11           WHEREAS, According to 1998 population estimates by the United
1-12     States Census Bureau, Williamson County was the ninth
1-13     fastest-growing county in the nation, with high net migration
1-14     adding more than 10,000 people to the county total that year alone;
1-15     the Census Bureau also estimates that between July 1, 1998, and
1-16     July 1, 1999, the population for Williamson County increased by 7.7
1-17     percent, the highest rate of growth for any county in Texas; and
1-18           WHEREAS, Total population estimates released by the Texas
1-19     State Data Center show a 72.6-percent increase in population for
1-20     Williamson County between 1990 and 2000; in addition, population
1-21     estimates for the City of Round Rock show a 103.5-percent increase
1-22     in population for the same period; this phenomenal growth is
1-23     challenging the capacity of the current transportation
1-24     infrastructure to meet the area's mobility needs; and
 2-1           WHEREAS, TxDOT and the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning
 2-2     Organization (CAMPO), as part of updating the region's long-range
 2-3     plan, have extended the boundary of Austin's travel demand model to
 2-4     include all of Williamson County; therefore, it is important that
 2-5     Williamson County and its communities continue to identify and plan
 2-6     for their own needs to ensure that those needs are addressed in the
 2-7     larger, regional transportation program; and
 2-8           WHEREAS, In October 2000, the Commissioners Court of
 2-9     Williamson County and the City Council of the City of Round Rock
2-10     each passed a resolution requesting that TxDOT release to them the
2-11     former MKT right-of-way that lies along the western alignment of
2-12     State Highway 130; now, therefore, be it
2-13           RESOLVED, That the 77th Legislature of the State of Texas
2-14     hereby direct the Texas Department of Transportation to release
2-15     Parcel 4, the land originally obtained as the right-of-way for the
2-16     western alignment of State Highway 130, to Williamson County and
2-17     the City of Round Rock to use for other transportation
2-18     infrastructure projects; and, be it further
2-19           RESOLVED, That the secretary of state forward an official
2-20     copy of this resolution to the chair of the Texas Transportation
2-21     Commission and to the executive director of the Texas Department of
2-22     Transportation.