Press Briefing
Save Darden Hill — Driftwood, TX 78619 · Updated April 2026
Summary
Hays County is advancing a plan to widen Darden Hill Road in Driftwood from two lanes to a four‑lane divided roadway at 45 mph — despite the county's own 2013 and 2017 planning documents recommending only a center turn lane and two‑lane configurations. The 2024 road bond was voided by a judge in 2025 for violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. The county then approved up to $240M in Certificates of Obligation — debt that does not require voter approval — to continue advancing these projects. Residents are requesting a two‑lane alternative and will present their case at a public meeting on April 14 at 6 PM at the Driftwood Community Center.
Key Facts
The plan exceeds what the county's own studies recommended.
The 2013 Hays County Transportation Plan called for a center turn lane. The 2017 RM 150 West Character Plan specified two‑lane configurations. The current four‑lane proposal has no basis in either document.
The community's own input was documented and then ignored.
The county‑appointed Citizens Advisory Panel recorded a recurring sentiment: "Keep it just like it is — 2 lane undeveloped is rural, and that's the attraction."
Funding bypassed voters after a legal challenge.
The 2024 road bond was voided by a judge in 2025 for violating the Texas Open Meetings Act. The county approved up to $240M in Certificates of Obligation — debt that does not require voter approval — to continue these projects. Under Texas Local Government Code §271.049, a petition of 5% of registered voters can force a public vote on COs.
The four‑lane plan exceeds the county's own growth projections.
The county cites population growth as justification, but growth was anticipated when the 2013 plan recommended a center turn lane and the 2017 plan specified two lanes. A two‑lane road with turn lanes handles growth. A four‑lane divided highway at 45 mph creates a regional connector through a residential community.
45 mph traffic would run alongside new school campuses.
New Dripping Springs ISD campuses are being built adjacent to the corridor. The county plans bike paths for students alongside 45 mph traffic — a configuration that pedestrian safety research identifies as among the most dangerous road types in the United States.
No traffic noise study has been conducted.
TxDOT's noise analysis for the connecting RM 1826 corridor found traffic noise impacts at residential locations after widening, with predicted levels exceeding the federal 67 dB(A) threshold — and determined noise barriers are not cost‑effective. No equivalent study has been done for Darden Hill, a currently quieter road where the relative noise increase would be even greater.
The road sits in a sensitive watershed.
Darden Hill Road is within the Onion Creek watershed and the Barton Springs Contributing Zone, subject to TCEQ Edwards Aquifer protections (30 TAC Chapter 213). The corridor includes potential Golden‑Cheeked Warbler habitat (federally endangered) and karst features.
What Residents Are Requesting
- Complete a traffic noise study before advancing the design — TxDOT's own RM 1826 analysis found residential noise impacts exceeding the 67 dB(A) federal threshold, with noise barriers deemed not cost‑effective
- 35 mph speed limit — three schools sit on or adjacent to Darden Hill Road
- Truck weight limit — no heavy freight on a road where children bike to school
- Two lanes with turn lanes at intersections, as the county's own 2017 Character Plan specified
- Removal of the planned future extension — the community rejected a similar bypass in 2015
- Meaningful community re‑engagement before finalizing a design the community never approved
Timeline
Sources
- Hays County Darden Hill Project Page (improve150.com)
- RM 150 West Character Plan Archive (improve150.com)
- Save Our Springs Alliance
- Texas Local Government Code, Chapter 271, Subchapter C — Certificates of Obligation
- AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, "Impact Speed and a Pedestrian's Risk of Severe Injury or Death," 2011
- NHTSA, Traffic Safety Facts: Pedestrians, 2023
- Rothman et al., Accident Analysis & Prevention, 2015
Contact
Community Contact
savedardenhill.com
County Project Contact