Green Initiatives

183 South: Sustainability By Design

The sustainable measures incorporated into the 183 South Project resulted in less construction noise, less intrusive glare and disruptive light pollution, reduced emissions, greater aesthetics, and assurance that the project design is reflective of community values. The 183 South Project included major investments in east Austin such as the restoration of the nationally-recognized historic Montopolis Bridge, which has been decommissioned from vehicular use and has been preserved for bicycle and pedestrian recreation and travel.

We are working to raise the bar industry-wide for what it means to design, build, and operate a sustainable roadway. The 183 South Project was awarded a bronze certification by the most widely-used transportation sustainability rating system worldwide — Greenroads®. This third-party system evaluates design and construction against a set of criteria, and assigns a rating to truly gauge environmental responsibility.

Read more information on Greenroads®.

45SW Toll: Environmental Champion

The Mobility Authority was honored to be the recipient of the 18th Annual Austin Chamber of Commerce Brookfield Residential Environmental Champion Award for our investment in sustainability, innovation, and leadership in the transportation industry, most notably on the 45SW Toll Road. The following best management practices (BMP) for water quality were implemented to manage the quantity and improve the quality of stormwater runoff with the goal of reducing contaminants collected by stormwater as it moves into streams and rivers:

• Permeable Friction Course (PFC): PFC was used throughout the 45SW Toll Road. PFC is a porous roadway surface used as an overlay on top of a conventional roadway surface. PFC comes with many benefits, including its ability to reduce water spray which improves visibility and safety.
• Water quality ponds: Water quality ponds provide stormwater control by retaining and treating stormwater runoff. The ponds’ physical, biological and chemical processes work to remove pollutants, particulates, organic matter and metals before water is released into the environment.
• Vegetative controls: In addition, grassy swales are included along the 45SW Toll corridor which work to channel and treat stormwater runoff. Vegetation decreases the speed at which the runoff moves to enable absorption into the soil, which acts as a natural filter. Linear sections of land called Vegetative Filter Strips were installed along sections of the project to act as a buffer between the project and the protected areas around it. Strips work similarly to swales by slowing runoff and filtering it through plants, roots and soil.
• Hazardous materials traps: Hazardous materials traps are located at all stormwater discharge points (or outfalls) to creeks and waterways to prevent the accidental release of hazardous materials into a waterway.
• Phased construction
• No use of herbicides
• Containment area for fuel and hazardous material storage during construction
• Minimum 200-foot fueling buffer from nearest sensitive karst feature and water crossing
• Educational signage along the 45SW Toll shared use path. 
  • Edwards Aquifer
  • Karsts
  • Protecting our Water
  • Regional Water Sources

Read more information on the environmental controls on 45SW Toll.

Expanding the Urban Tree Canopy

From 2016 to 2020, the Mobility Authority partnered with TreeFolks to preserve and expand the urban tree canopy here in Central Texas and along our project corridors. It is through this partnership that we’ve provided more than a dozen educational classes and tree planting events, installed two irrigation systems at local elementary schools, and have planted 10,000 trees throughout Central Texas.

In addition to this work, the Mobility Authority has sponsored some of TreeFolks’ online efforts including video workshops on tree management and Austin’s urban canopy. Check out the video below to learn about our efforts at Pecan Springs Elementary or visit the TreeFolks website for more information.

Community Cleanups and Good Neighbor Initiatives

The Mobility Authority is committed to being a proactive force in the communities we serve. We actively engage with and support local organizations, communities and neighborhoods by participating in and sponsoring events.

We’ve participated in numerous activities and initiatives to date, including community cleanups with Keep Austin Beautiful, tree planting events and mulch-spreading initiatives with TreeFolks to protect our environmental resources, and more.

We’ve had the opportunity make a meaningful impact on the communities we serve, in collaboration with the groups and neighbors who have called upon us. We value those trusted partnerships and thank all those who have welcomed our efforts.

If your organization has an event you’d like our support with, such as a park or stream cleanup, or other environmentally educational activity, please contact us!

Mobility Authority Stormwater Management Plan

In Central Texas, our surface and groundwater resources are precious commodities. Stormwater has the potential to carry pollutants from road right-of-way into Texas’s water bodies. That’s why the Mobility Authority, through our Storm Water Management Program, is implementing measures to help protect water quality and reduce pollution in stormwater from our roads and road projects.

The Mobility Authority demonstrates its dedication to stormwater management practices through a variety of activities including inspecting our construction projects to reduce sediment, installing water quality ponds to efficiently treat roadside runoff, and utilizing environmentally friendly materials to address snowy and icy winter roads.

The Mobility Authority Storm Water Management Program reduces pollutants in our stormwater system to improve the quality of water leaving our roadways into local lakes, creeks and rivers. The Storm Water Management Program addresses the following:

• Public Education, Outreach and Involvement
• Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination
• Construction Site Stormwater Runoff Control
• Post-Construction Stormwater Management in New Development and Redevelopment
• Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping for Municipal Operations

Questions? Contact Us!

If you have input on stormwater management or water quality, or if you have observed a spill or other environmental concern along one of our roadways, we want to hear from you.