AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[freerover]

The central one is missing about 4 billion in funding.

[plutonicpanda]

Originally Posted by freerover

The central one is missing about 4 billion in funding.

Hopefully it gets funded next year as planned.

RE: Burnet RD, good stuff but I don't like the above ground power lines. More cities in the US need to underground utility lines!

[freerover]

TxDot is going to make some much needed merge improvements to 183 between 35 and Mopac. These changes will all minimize vehicles forcibly merging with one another and slowing down all traffic.

-Constructing a northbound auxiliary, or merge, lane from southbound I-35 to the Ohlen Road-Payton Gin Road exit ramp
-Constructing a northbound auxiliary lane from the entrance ramp near Lamar Boulevard to the US 183 exit ramp at Burnet Road
-Constructing a southbound auxiliary lane from the entrance ramp near Burnet to the Lamar exit ramp
-Adding a main lane from the southbound I-35 exit to the Cameron exit
-Adding a left-turn lane and pedestrian accommodations at Lamar on the northbound frontage road
-Closing the northbound US 183 entrance ramp at Georgian Drive (This entrance won't be needed once the flyover from 35S to 183 North is finished.)

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by freerover

TxDot is going to make some much needed merge improvements to 183 between 35 and Mopac. These changes will all minimize vehicles forcibly merging with one another and slowing down all traffic.

-Constructing a northbound auxiliary, or merge, lane from southbound I-35 to the Ohlen Road-Payton Gin Road exit ramp
-Constructing a northbound auxiliary lane from the entrance ramp near Lamar Boulevard to the US 183 exit ramp at Burnet Road
-Constructing a southbound auxiliary lane from the entrance ramp near Burnet to the Lamar exit ramp
-Adding a main lane from the southbound I-35 exit to the Cameron exit
-Adding a left-turn lane and pedestrian accommodations at Lamar on the northbound frontage road
-Closing the northbound US 183 entrance ramp at Georgian Drive (This entrance won't be needed once the flyover from 35S to 183 North is finished.)

I'm guessing they will re-stripe the lanes to create the auxiliary lanes?

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Mopacs

I'm guessing they will re-stripe the lanes to create the auxiliary lanes?

Hope so. That won't take too long. Demolishing the entrance ramp will be a bit of work though.

[atxsnail]

Hadn't seen this posted: the city has a tracking tool for the bicycle network.

All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network

[freerover]

Open House – I-35 Capital Express South
I-35 from SH 71/Ben White Boulevard to SH 45 Southeast.
Thursday, Oct. 17, 2019
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Akins High School



Open House – I-35 Capital Express North
SH 45 North to US 290 East.
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2019
5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
John B. Connally High School


Here is the schematic for the 183 Central improvements:







Here are the full size. Spoildered for Size.

[Jdawgboy]

Any word on when they open up the new sections of 35 between Oltorf and 290/71? Looks like it should be soon.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by freerover

Here is the schematic for the 183 Central improvements:

I plan to give them my feedback that they need to do significantly more to improve pedestrian access in that section. I encourage everyone else to do the same.

They don't even have complete sidewalks along the frontage road in this (very urban) section of 183.

Like here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3553...7i16384!8i8192

They claim that they're "adding pedestrian improvements, where needed."

http://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot...fact-sheet.pdf

https://www.txdot.gov/contact-us/form.html?id=aus-email

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

Any word on when they open up the new sections of 35 between Oltorf and 290/71? Looks like it should be soon.

Last update was they were opening southbound Woodland Avenue entrance ramp, and temporary southbound Oltorf Street entrance ramp soon. That project only runs from West of Oltorf to just west of Woodword.

[Geographer]

What rail lines are under planning right now? What is a timeline for their approval, funding, and construction?

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Geographer

What rail lines are under planning right now? What is a timeline for their approval, funding, and construction?

The Blue and Orange lines might be rail. We don't know yet.

Orange line runs from N. Lamar and 183 too S. Congress and 71.
Blue Line runs from the UT stadium to the Airport.


The Green Line is being explored but it's a long way from being approved. It would run from the downtown train station to Manor, Tx and eventually Elgin. Stations would be at Pleasant Valley and 4th, 183, Loyola, Colony Park, and Manor.

[atxsnail]

Anyone out there who can explain this exchange between CapMetro's Dave Couch and the Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee?

Dave Couch is described as a Program Officer for Project Connect.

It can be found on Packet Page 5 of the 9/23 CapMetro Board Meeting Agenda Packet

Oct 30 is the next joint board/city council meeting at the convention center. We have over 10k people a day taking the 801.

Jean – Will the Orange Line be accessible?

Dave – Accessibility will totally be there. There will be ADA accessible ramps as well as ramps to get to the platform level. Depending on if it is BRT or light rail there are rules on how close you can be to the ramp.

CSAC – Tunnel from Caesar Chavez to where you said is that being considered?

Dave – Yes, it is.

CSAC – You said preference is Guadalupe, does that mean it will be converted to a 2-way street?

Dave – That is a part of the conversation that we are having with the city.

CSAC – The tunnel will accommodate vehicles from Orange & Blue so that’s where they can intersect?

Dave – It is possible. The beauty of the tunnel is that the tunnel gives you operation characteristics as well.

CSAC – Are you looking at tunneling at UT?

Dave – UT has their own concerns that we are looking into.

[Echostatic]

That little snippet of conversation covers a lot. The start just talks about how the Orange Line will be accessible. However the next part is very interesting - it shows that the proposed Guadalupe/North Lamar tunnel segment is still under consideration.


Roughly this segment of the Orange Line could be a tunnel under the existing roadway. The Guadalupe preference is just talking about the alignment of the Orange Line. If the line is surface level, then Guadalupe will be converted to a two-way street.

The next tunnel would be on the Blue Line Connector.

This is almost certain to be a tunnel due to the Congress Capitol View Corridor. Surface-level transit for the connector hasn't been a serious consideration due to the heavy vehicle traffic and very heavy ridership.

This segment of the Blue Line runs through UT Campus, hence the "concerns" mentioned in that meeting.

This segment could be simple surface-level transit or elevated, but it is good to know that a tunnel is still being considered. The purple line won't be a major line like the Orange or Blue, so it will be surface-level.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

Anyone out there who can explain this exchange between CapMetro's Dave Couch and the Customer Satisfaction Advisory Committee?

Dave Couch is described as a Program Officer for Project Connect.

It can be found on Packet Page 5 of the 9/23 CapMetro Board Meeting Agenda Packet

This was also an interesting quote from that:

"g. For
Autonomous vehicles, they aren’t something that will be a primary mode for PC. We are looking
to future proof the system and be able to retrofit in the future as technology develops."

For a while there, CM seemed to be presenting "ART" as a 3rd option. Seems like they no longer are (personally, I think it has a lot of promise, but I wouldn't bet on it being fully available early/mid 2020s).

[freerover]

The Red River swap was approved. Here are the highlights:



-UT will pay for everything except traffic lights

-Project will fix Red River alignment at 15th street so street is continuous 

-North Segment of New Red River Street" is the new alignment and configuration of Red River Street to be built within the New RR ROW from the northern boundary of MLK Boulevard to East Dean Keeton Street as described and shown in Exhibits A and .!1to this Agreement. The North Segment of New Red River Street includes a traffic signal at the intersection of Clyde Littlefield Drive, a traffic signal at Deloss Dodds Way, and may, at the discretion of UT Austin, include a pedestrian hybrid beacon, a pedestrian rapid flashing beacon, or alternative pedestrian beacon or alert (PHB) in between Deloss Dodds Way and Trinity Street. (the traffic signals but not any PHB are collectively referred to as the "Traffic Signals"). The North Segment of New Red River Street is located wholly within the UT Austin campus.



-South Segme11t of New Red River Street" is the re-configuration of the traffic signal and the intersection at MLK Boulevard and existing Red River Street and the re-alignment and configuration of a segment of Red River Street south of MLK Boulevard as described and shown in Exhibit A to this Agreement.

-UT Austin shall be responsible for all costs and for the management of the design and, as applicable, permitting of the Project including (i) the development of the engineering design and plans and specifications for the New Road, Relocation of Existing Utilities (including remediation of asbestos-cement lines and replacement of concrete steel cylinder water lines), and the University Improvements, (ii) the surveying required for the Project, and (iii) any required environmental assessments and clearances and other approvals associated with the Project.

-The Project plans and specifications for the New Road shall comply with COA Complete Streets policy for the area between the curbs to the extent reasonably feasible and not in conflict with the other terms and provisions of this Agreement.

-UT Austin estimates that the Red River Street Closure will occur on or about December 2, 2019. UT Austin will provide the City with at least 30 days advance written notice of the date UT Austin requires the Red River Street Closure and the City will implement the Red River Street Closure as of that date.

-UT Austin shall notify the City of Substantial Completion, which shall occur no later than thirty (30) months following UT Austin's submission to the City of its Affidavit of Commencement, subject to Force Majeure Delays.

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by Echostatic

That little snippet of conversation covers a lot. The start just talks about how the Orange Line will be accessible. However the next part is very interesting - it shows that the proposed Guadalupe/North Lamar tunnel segment is still under consideration.

Extremely helpful, thank you. Heartening to see that we are not aiming low with the 2020 vote. I wonder if we could end up with some kind of Seattle Transit Tunnel-like setup under the drag and downtown, with mixed LRT and bus access. I suppose we might still end up with BRT on Orange and Blue, but I'd hate for us to go to the trouble and expense of grade separation just to leave a ton of the capacity unused.

That bit about the tunnel being about to accommodate vehicles from both the orange and blue lines raises my eyebrows a bit. Would they travel along the same section of tunnel for a stretch? I really wish they had shown us a few illustrative examples of how the lines could possibly interact. Leaving us to our collective imagination has, I think, resulted in a lot of premature criticism from the armchair planner crowd.

I think the ART thing has promise as well - if the units are electric drive and have the ride and capacity of trains, ultimately I don't care what the wheels look like. It just looks like we're a decade too early for that. My uneducated guess is that we become one of the last "largish" US cities to build a brand new LRT system. The biggest cities will continue to expand theirs, but the other second tier, bus-only cities will probably be better timed and situated to jump into ART when it happens.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

That bit about the tunnel being about to accommodate vehicles from both the orange and blue lines raises my eyebrows a bit. Would they travel along the same section of tunnel for a stretch? I really wish they had shown us a few illustrative examples of how the lines could possibly interact. Leaving us to our collective imagination has, I think, resulted in a lot of premature criticism from the armchair planner crowd.

Instead of having the blue line cross the lake straight northward to Trinity, they are considering an alternate alignment that would have it cross the lake near/at first street alongside the orange line. It would then head east to 4th and Trinity before heading north toward campus.

I prefer that alternate alignment. I believe it would make transfers easier and both lines more useful. Hopefully anyway. If they implement it properly.

[Austin1971]

Originally Posted by echostatic

that little snippet of conversation covers a lot. The start just talks about how the orange line will be accessible. However the next part is very interesting - it shows that the proposed guadalupe/north lamar tunnel segment is still under consideration.


roughly this segment of the orange line could be a tunnel under the existing roadway. The guadalupe preference is just talking about the alignment of the orange line. If the line is surface level, then guadalupe will be converted to a two-way street.

The next tunnel would be on the blue line connector.

this is almost certain to be a tunnel due to the congress capitol view corridor. Surface-level transit for the connector hasn't been a serious consideration due to the heavy vehicle traffic and very heavy ridership.

This segment of the blue line runs through ut campus, hence the "concerns" mentioned in that meeting.

this segment could be simple surface-level transit or elevated, but it is good to know that a tunnel is still being considered. The purple line won't be a major line like the orange or blue, so it will be surface-level.

h

[We vs us]

Is there a sense yet of where the blue line connector will actually cut across from Guad to Trinity? Does it follow 4th street to align with the red line tracks? If it cuts across earlier (say at 2nd street) it will have to find a way under/through the convention center expansion to actually hit Trinity.