County Planning Activities
Bastrop County Transportation Plan 2023
On December 27, 2023, the Bastrop County Commissioners Court adopted the Bastrop County Transportation Plan 2023, which creates a comprehensive roadway network that accommodates anticipated growth and development over a 25 year outlook and incorporates previous transportation planning efforts. The 2023 plan identifies 38 arterial corridor projects, 23 collector projects, 18 local projects, and provides typical cross-section configurations for all roadway classifications.
On January 8, 2024, Bastrop County requested to enter into an agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (“TxDOT”) under Transportation Code, Section 201.619, to identify future transportation corridors within the County derived from the Bastrop County Transportation Plan 2023, as adopted by the Commissioners Court on December 27, 2023. Following a review of the County’s Transportation Plan 2023, TxDOT determined that the corridors depicted within align with its current long-range transportation plans and subsequently provided a planning agreement under Transportation Code, Section 201.619, as requested.
Links to more information:
2020 Bastrop County Transportation Plan Update
Bastrop County partnered with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) to update its Transportation Plan. The updated plan incorporates select projects from the Regional Arterials Concept Inventory (RACI) along with projects previously adopted in the 2016 Transportation Plan. The Bastrop County Commissioners Court adopted the 2020 Transportation Plan Update on March 8, 2021.
The County’s transportation plan does not cover roadways within the city limits of Bastrop, Elgin, or Smithville. Please refer to the individual municipalities’ transportation planning documents for projects within these cities.
Bastrop County Transportation Plan
The Bastrop County Commissioners Court adopted the 2016 Transportation Plan on December 27, 2016. One of the key components of the Transportation Plan was the identification of 29 project corridors for development, subject to funding availability. The corridors address problems of safety, congestion and resiliency in the County road system. Landowners seeking to subdivide property which contains one of the indicative corridors may be requested to incorporate the Right of Way into their master plan under Section VI(2) of the Bastrop County Subdivision Regulations, and should contact Bastrop County Development Services early in the project planning process to discuss their options.
Links to more information:
Bastrop County Parks and Open Space Master Plan Update
Bastrop County is currently updating its Parks and Open Space Master Plan. The document is being developed in partnership with the National Parks Service, Texas Agri-life A&M Extension Office, and Keep Bastrop County Beautiful. The Master Plan will focus primarily on identifying short and long term needs of the County Park system which includes Cedar Creek Park, Stony Point Community Park and the Bastrop County Nature Park in Tahitian Village (see map of park locations here.)
Please visit the Parks and Open Space Master Plan webpage at https://www.co.bastrop.tx.us/page/par.openspace for further information.
Opportunity Bastrop Strategic Plan Progress Report 2017
In 2007, Bastrop County adopted “Opportunity Bastrop County” – a Strategic Plan which set out priorities for the County in the areas of Economic Development, Education, the Environment, Public Safety, Health Care and Transportation.
Ten years later, a progress report has been undertaken documenting the extent to which these objectives have been met. This report is not a plan, and does not adopt any additional actions, rather it aims to provide an objective overview of the progress of the adopted strategic plan and act as a reference point and basis for discussion going forward.
Regional Planning
The 2010 Census showed that over 50% of Bastrop County residents commute to Travis County for work. This number is likely to increase as growth and affordability issues in Central Austin cause more home buyers to look outside the City limits for somewhere to live. At the same time, Bastrop County employers now have access to a growing and diverse workforce, making the County an attractive place for businesses seeking growth and investment opportunities. Given these relationships, it is becoming more and more important to address planning and growth on a wider regional scale, and not only at the County level.
Bastrop County participates in a number of regional organizations for the Austin and wider Central Texas area, including the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) and the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG).
CAMPO 2045 Regional Transportation Plan
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) recently adopted the 2045 Plan, a long-range Regional Transportation Plan, to address transportation needs over the next 25 years in Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties. This multimodal plan includes a variety of transportation modes including driving, walking, biking, transit, and emerging technologies.
You can find more details on the 2045 Plan at https://www.campo2045.org/.
Air Quality Planning
Bastrop County is a member of the Capital Area Council of Governments Clean Air Coalition and a signatory to the Austin-Round Rock-Georgetown MSA 2019-2023 Regional Air Quality Plan, a regional initiative to reduce ozone pollution and ensure that the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) is not designated “nonattainment” under the Clean Air Act by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
“Nonattainment” occurs when the MSA fails to meet the National Air Ambient Quality Standards (often referred to as NAAQS) for any of the pollutants considered to pose a danger to public health by the EPA. There are six pollutants regulated by the EPA (including Lead, Sulfur Dioxide and Particulate Matter) however Ozone (O3) and Particulate Matter (P.M2.5) are the pollutants in the region which are closest to breaching the regulatory standard. The region’s Ozone “design value” in 2017 was 69 ppb, only 1 ppb less than the EPA standard of 70 ppb. Being designated “nonattainment” would mean additional restrictions for Bastrop County businesses and residents, and could potentially cost the Central Texas economy between $24 and $41 billion dollars. Further details can be found in CAPCOG’s Report The Potential Costs of an Ozone Nonattainment Designation to Central Texas.
Click on the Infographic below to be directed to the Air Central Texas website for more details on the different types of pollutants, their impacts, and what you can do to help tackle the problem.
As part of these air quality planning efforts, Bastrop County also
participates in the CAPCOG
Regional Transportation Demand Management Coordinating Committee who
oversee the implementation of the Commute Solutions program, a ”one-stop”
transportation resource in Central Texas promoting sustainable options that
reduce traffic and improve mobility. Please visit https://commutesolutions.com/ and https://mycommutesolutions.com for
further details.
Third Party County Wide Planning Studies
Below are links to some unaffiliated County wide plans and land use studies which have been prepared by third parties. Although not all of these documents have been formally adopted by the Commissioners Court, they nevertheless provide valuable information and context for those looking to develop in the County.
· Opportunity Bastrop County – Lower Colorado River Authority
· Bastrop County Greenprint – Trust for Public Land
· Healthy Parks Plan for Travis, Bastrop & Caldwell Counties - Trust for Public Land
· Bastrop County Community Health Needs Assessment – Seton Healthcare Family and Community Health Coalition of Caldwell County
· Camp Swift Joint Land Use Study – Camp Swift Military Installation
· Bastrop County Affordable Housing Assessment – Texas Target Communities/ Bastrop Community Cares