ATX-BAS: Impact 11/4/2025

Motorists traveling along Hwy. 71 in Bastrop County might notice less time spent at traffic lights after the Texas Department of Transportation made adjustments at the FM 1209 intersection.

The details: Jeffrey Barker, a spokesperson with TxDOT, told Community Impact that the adjustment came after TxDOT workers analyzed traffic patterns at the intersection.

“We made timing adjustments for a Harry Potter event back in November 2024, and then it was adjusted back shortly after the event,” he said. “Our signals team has since monitored the intersection quite frequently, recently made another timing adjustment and will continue to make minor adjustments as needed.”

What we know: TxDOT is also tackling several projects that will further enhance travel from Bastrop to Austin as part of Hwy. 71 East Corridor plan, including:

• Ross Road and Kellam Road (completed)
• Tucker Hill Lane (under construction)
• Pope Bend Road, with bids opening in October 2026
• FM 1209, with bids opening in 2030

Calvary Episcopal School will hold a ceremony to mark the laying of a cornerstone at the site of its new building Nov. 7.

What you need to know: The cornerstone laying ceremony will be held at 1 p.m. Nov. 7 at 107 Lost Oaks Trail, Bastrop. 

Construction of the new building is nearly complete, Head of School Catherine Bohot said, and the school is expected to move in over the Christmas holidays. 

The private school's new building will allow Calvary to serve up to 170 students in a centralized location.

It will include a multipurpose space, classrooms to serve pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade students, as well as reception and administration space.

City Council signed off on hundreds of millions of dollars of new spending related to the Austin Convention Center redevelopment this fall, as a campaign seeking to halt the project aims to put the process to a public vote next spring.

The details: The financing items and overall project were strongly backed this week by downtown business leaders and hoteliers, who cited the convention center as an "economic engine" supporting local jobs and Austin's place in the tourism industry. Council's Oct. 23 approvals came over the opposition of some residents promoting a campaign to halt the expansion, who said the project is unnecessary and pulling resources from cultural programs.

New spending will go toward the overall construction project, as well as a new Austin Energy facility, mobility improvements on Red River Street, and marketing of the convention center expansion.

Also of note: Some Austinites are pushing back on the overall project, and the public could end up considering whether to halt the redevelopment in a May election.

Election Day is Nov. 4. Polling places across Texas will be open from 7 a.m.-7 p.m., according to the secretary of state’s office.

The overview: Voters in the following counties can vote at any polling place within their county of residence through the countywide voting program: Bastrop, Bexar, Brazoria, Collin, Comal, Dallas, Fort Bend, Galveston, Guadalupe, Harris, Hays, Tarrant, Travis and Williamson. Registered voters in other counties are required to visit a polling place specific to their voting precinct.

On the ballot: Texas voters will decide on 17 proposed amendments to the state constitution during the Nov. 4 election. Each proposition was approved by at least two-thirds of state lawmakers this spring before being placed on the ballot.

Voters in various communities across the state may also see local propositions and races on their ballots, including a 20% tax rate increase in Austin, a congressional race in Harris County and a state Senate race in Tarrant County.

Learn more: To get to know the propositions and candidates on your local ballot, visit www.communityimpact.com/voter-guide.