A multiagency partnership launched an app to help drivers better navigate traffic disruptions in Central Texas.<\/p>\n
The Central Texas Construction Partnership Program, a collaboration between several Texas government entities, including the city of Austin and the Texas Department of Transportation, launched the free app earlier this month. The app, called CTXGO, provides Central Texas residents with real-time construction updates, alternative transportation options and roadside assistance resources. It is available on mobile devices and through a companion website.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cOur goal with CTXGO was for our community to have all of the agencies who manage the various roadways around Central Texas to have all that information in one place,\u201d said Kristin Pipkin, a division manager in Austin\u2019s Transportation and Public Works Department. \u201cSo, construction work, roadway closures from multiple agencies is captured within one app.\u201d<\/p>\n Craig Scott, chair of UT\u2019s Department of Communication Studies, commutes from near San Antonio four days a week. To avoid rush hour traffic, Scott said he often arrives on campus around 10 a.m. and leaves around 7 p.m. He said CTXGO\u2019s construction alerts could be helpful.<\/p>\n \u201cI usually have about an hour and a half commute,\u201d Scott said. \u201cDefinitely the worst part of it is once I get close to Austin.\u201d\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n However, Caleb Moynihan, a senior communication studies major who commutes from Fredericksburg twice a week, expressed concerns about the app\u2019s usefulness after exploring it.<\/p>\n \u201cI think, primarily, it is built for people living on the I-35 corridor,\u201d Moynihan said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t expand greatly east or west outside of Austin.\u201d\u00a0<\/a><\/p>\n