‘It’s bad’: Proposed changes for Parmer Lane to be presented Thursday

CEDAR PARK, Texas (KXAN) — Stretching between two counties and used by 38,000 drivers every day, Parmer Lane is a major route. And now transportation leaders are figuring out what to do about that stretch of road from MoPac to 1431.

“It’s always backed up. Always,” Brendan Townsend said.

She would know, too. As manager of the Jack Brown Cleaners off Parmer near Avery Ranch Boulevard, she has a front row seat to what happens there.

“It’s bad,” Townsend said. “There’s very seldom that I can look out to the [shopping center] exit that there’s no cars there.”

For drivers who have driven that stretch of road, it’s no surprise traffic is a problem.

“Parmer is just a busy, busy street. And the speed limit is 65 but people do more than that,” Towsend added.

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) expects traffic to get even worse. It predicts there will be 50% more cars by 2045. That’s why CAMPO has teamed up with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) to tackle it now.

“The open house is collecting input on potential short, mid, and long-term improvement concepts for Parmer,” Caroline Golden, a community engagement specialist for CAMPO, said.

People will have a chance Thursday evening to learn more about what’s being proposed to help lessen the headache.

“Considering bike and pedestrian improvements, like wider shoulders, dedicated bike lanes,” Golden said are part of those plans. They also include changing the timing of lights, and lowering the speed limit as you enter certain intersections.

That’s a welcome sign to Townsend and the thousands of other drivers who use that road every day.

“Anything they did, would make a big difference. Any little thing they did,” Townsend said.

All in an effort to clean up traffic troubles now as cities continue to grow.

The open house is scheduled for Thursday from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Round Rock Independent School District Performing Arts Center, 5800 McNeil Drive. There will also be a virtual open house at the same time, which you can see here .

How did we get here?

Thursday’s meeting is the second open house for a larger TxDOT and CAMPO study on Parmer Lane. The goal is to identify problems with the busy corridor and come up with the best solutions.

It began with data that was collected in fall 2023. TxDOT spent the spring coming up with potential improvements after public input. It’s those potential improvements the public will get to see and comment on during Thursday’s meeting.

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