Civil and Municipal - Jan 22

62 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 1 on campus. We know that, like in every other part of the world, EV vehicles are coming. We really want to make sure that we are prepared, and we will probably try to get at least the first chargers installed on campus within the next two years. As we start to build other facilities such as the agriculture complex, those kinds of EV chargers will be built in with the new facilities.” Water infrastructure upgrades are another area of focus in Commerce. As Lisenbee attests, “The State of Texas is very forward thinking in how we manage our water resources. If we look at the population projections for our city and our county, in the next 20/30 years populations could double or triple as migration continues to come into Texas. We are at the front edge of planning water resources and water projects. We have access to the water to meet that population growth. We have to invest in the infrastructure to produce that water and get it ready for when the people show up. We are very actively working on bicycle traffic happens. So that when we invest in infrastructure, we’re not building sidewalks to nowhere. We are responding to where the people are walking, to where the bicycles are going, and putting our investment in those locations.” He adds that although the street network has been under resourced for several years, that issue is currently being improved. As the city renovates and improves streets, pedestrian and bike pathways are being updated and introduced, creating a much more active transportation system for the community. With more residents making the move to electric vehicles, EV charging stations are also on the agenda for the city. The university is also actively planning to add EV chargers to their campus. According to Gassner, “We have submitted a grant application that would be at least a portion of the cost to install some EV chargers Bloomfield Homes is excited to build new homes in Commerce, TX! Maple St. E. Sterling Hart Dr. TX-11 178 Economic Dr. Commerce Elementary 4221 3218 Charity Rd. Coming 2023! b l o o m f i e l d h o m e s . c o m | 9 7 2 - 8 7 7 - 1 5 0 8 Quarter Page Ad -Commerce Magazine.indd 1 12/10/2021 10:13:14 AM