AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[austintilIdie]

Any thoughts

[austintilIdie]

Any thoughts on Hwy 183 - Bergstrom Expressway's potential to be a crucial tech corridor? There are emerging opportunities for infill, office, retail and residential enclaves from 290E down to the airport. There's reasonable proximity to lot of tech areas downtown and elsewhere provided Bergstrom Expressway keeps traffic moving.

[Mikey711MN]

Originally Posted by austintilIdie

Any thoughts on Hwy 183 - Bergstrom Expressway's potential to be a crucial tech corridor? There are emerging opportunities for infill, office, retail and residential enclaves from 290E down to the airport. There's reasonable proximity to lot of tech areas downtown and elsewhere provided Bergstrom Expressway keeps traffic moving.

Not sure about whether infill will develop along it, but once the DCs open to connect I-35 SB-to-US 183 SB and US 183 NB-to-I-35 NB as well, this will become the de facto downtown bypass that will get a ton of use once the I-35 rebuild gets underway.

[SimplySeb]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Looks like Capmetro put up a "virtual open house" for the Orange Line meeting they had yesterday.

https://www.capmetroengage.org/en/voh

I know it's early in the process, but I'm glad to see they're attempting to get some real feedback. It'll be very interesting to see what comes out of this process. My gut tells me that they'll recommend BRT for the Orange Line since the 801 Rapid already exists, but I'm still holding out hope for a LRT line from the airport to downtown.

[The ATX]

When this week's AULCC files were uploaded they included a dynamic wayfinder plan for public parking along Cesar Chavez. The plans have since been removed, but I had already downloaded a copy.
Electronic signs will be placed along Cesar Chavez between Lamar and I-35 with the current number of public parking spaces available in nearby garages, i.e. Seaholm. Silicon Labs, City Hall, Convention Center, etc.

Anything that gets cars off of Cesar Chavez ASAP is an improvement.

[freerover]

The Corridor Construction program is almost ready to go into the design phase. Some highlights:

-CAMPO gave about 23 million for Multi-Modal improvements to Slaughter from Mopac to Brodie and William Cannon from Running Water Drive to McKinney Falls
-MultiModal improvements will also be done to South Lamar from Riverside to Barton Springs and as previously planned: East Riverside from Shore District Dr to Monotopolis Dr
-Some projects will be fast tracked (early-out) like the 18th St/Guadalupe Bus lane (Plans below) which will start construction this year.
-New Schematics might be released sometime before council next Thursday. Some on the website are more updated than others




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[Novacek]

Originally Posted by freerover

The Corridor Construction program is almost ready to go into the design phase. Some highlights:

-CAMPO gave about 23 million for Multi-Modal improvements to Slaughter from Mopac to Brodie and William Cannon from Running Water Drive to McKinney Falls
-MultiModal improvements will also be done to South Lamar from Riverside to Barton Springs and as previously planned: East Riverside from Shore District Dr to Monotopolis Dr
-Some projects will be fast tracked (early-out) like the 18th St/Guadalupe Bus lane (Plans below) which will start construction this year.
-New Schematics might be released sometime before council next Thursday. Some on the website are more updated than others

-

where'd you find the updated corridor info?

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Novacek

where'd you find the updated corridor info?

Mobility committee.

[lzppjb]

Originally Posted by freerover

-CAMPO gave about 23 million for Multi-Modal improvements to Slaughter from Mopac to Brodie and William Cannon from Running Water Drive to McKinney Falls

I'm assuming this will coincide with AISD's Bowie plan for changes to the exits onto Slaughter at Wolf Trap and the Bowie parking lot. I'm interested to see what is done to the rest of Slaughter in that area. It needs a lot more throughput.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I'm assuming this will coincide with AISD's Bowie plan for changes to the exits onto Slaughter at Wolf Trap and the Bowie parking lot. I'm interested to see what is done to the rest of Slaughter in that area. It needs a lot more throughput.

It will have 3 lanes in each direction and giant shared use paths on both sides of the road for people to walk and ride their bikes.

The City of Austin Corridor Program Office and community partners invite you to attend the fiesta-themed Slaughter Lane and William Cannon Drive Public Open House. Attendees will have an opportunity to learn more about how the City is working to improve safety and mobility along Slaughter Lane between FM 1826 and Bluff Springs Road and William Cannon Drive between Southwest Parkway and McKinney Falls Parkway as part of the Corridor Mobility Program.
Date: Saturday, May 4
Time: 11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. (stop by anytime)
Location: Palm Elementary School (7601 Dixie Dr. Austin, TX 78744)
During this free, public event, families can enjoy free food and music performed by Crockett High School Mariachi de Oro. No formal presentation is planned, and you are welcome to come and go at your convenience.

[freerover]

City Council will vote to move the corridor project into design from prelim-engineering. It's pretty impressive the amount of improvements they've been able to identify with the money spread across so many miles of city streets. I wish FM 969 got a little more money but I hope the item is approved without anyone bickering too much.

[H2O]

Originally Posted by freerover

City Council will vote to move the corridor project into design from prelim-engineering. It's pretty impressive the amount of improvements they've been able to identify with the money spread across so many miles of city streets. I wish FM 969 got a little more money but I hope the item is approved without anyone bickering too much.

FM 969 won't need a lot of bond money.

[freerover]

Blue Line Pre – Scoping Open House
Austin Central Library 710 W Cesar Chavez Street
May 20th, 2019 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Cap Metro is voting to approve a designer for the Blue Line. There will be an open house in May similar to the one earlier this month for the orange line. It'll be really interesting to see the options and potential costs with crossing the river.

Cap Metro is also moving forward with double track on the Red Line from Plaza Saltillo to 35 which will connect to the new double track being put it for the downtown station.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by freerover

Blue Line Pre – Scoping Open House
Austin Central Library 710 W Cesar Chavez Street
May 20th, 2019 3:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Cap Metro is voting to approve a designer for the Blue Line. There will be an open house in May similar to the one earlier this month for the orange line. It'll be really interesting to see the options and potential costs with crossing the river.

Cap Metro is also moving forward with double track on the Red Line from Plaza Saltillo to 35 which will connect to the new double track being put it for the downtown station.

I definitely expect a new bridge crossing. Certainly study all options, but the cost/benefit of a new bridge is just so high it's basically a no-brainer.

1. The blue line on the Congress bridge seems to be a non-starter. The Congress Avenue planning document already had the vehicle lanes on that bridge cut down for bike/pedestrian space.

2. A new bridge adds additional bike/pedestrian connectivity. It also adds connectivity directly to the South District Waterfront land.

3. Due to (1), the other option presumably is coming all the way west to the 1st street bridge, crossing there with the orange line, and then going all the way back East to Trinity. That does have the advantage of connecting the two lines and allowing transfers, but that just seems like way to much backtracking.

4. The new boathouse (which was a concern during the 2014 planning) will be less-new.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by Novacek

4. The new boathouse (which was a concern during the 2014 planning) will be less-new.

It was always surprising to me that, when building the new boathouse, they didn't consider that a bridge crossing might someday come through that site. At least, it seems they didn't consider that possibility.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Novacek

I definitely expect a new bridge crossing. Certainly study all options, but the cost/benefit of a new bridge is just so high it's basically a no-brainer.

1. The blue line on the Congress bridge seems to be a non-starter. The Congress Avenue planning document already had the vehicle lanes on that bridge cut down for bike/pedestrian space.

2. A new bridge adds additional bike/pedestrian connectivity. It also adds connectivity directly to the South District Waterfront land.

3. Due to (1), the other option presumably is coming all the way west to the 1st street bridge, crossing there with the orange line, and then going all the way back East to Trinity. That does have the advantage of connecting the two lines and allowing transfers, but that just seems like way to much backtracking.

4. The new boathouse (which was a concern during the 2014 planning) will be less-new.

I hope so. There might be more support for it now because people see all the development on Downtown's east side. It would be nice if there was an easier way for people on Rainey to get there. Hopefully future development creates a giant sidewalk along Cesar.


I hope they also identify the strategy for the airport connection even though the first phase will likely terminate at Montopolis. My GUESS is that they deviate from the 2014 plan and turn the line to run along 71 instead of following Riverside to tunnel under the west runway. The Airport floated the idea of a transit facility located near 71 that people would get off at and then they would transfer to a new autonomus airport transit system. This would allow the blue line to one day continue east on what might be a surprisingly busy corridor in the next 30 years.

[freerover]

This graphic in the 183 update illustrates why it's such an awesome project:



Private toll money used to build free lanes, sidewalks, bike lanes, pedestrian bridges, safety lighting and valuable utility work.


There was also a financial brief and the next couple years could lead to an even better credit rating for CTRMA which will make financing more projects a lot easier.

[StoOgE]

I'm really excited we're getting all of these new high capacity bus lines. And I can't wait to turn them all into light-rail in 10 years

[freerover]

General concepts are out for 35 reconstruction but no schematics yet. I doubt anyone knows how they are going to fund the central portion as it won't include tolls and likely cost 5-6 billion.


Capital Express North - North of 2222/290 - 400 million - Target Start Q1 2022




Capital Express Central - 71 to 2222/290 - Not Cost Yet






Capital Express South - South of 71 - 300 million - Target Start Q1 2022



The Mainlanes will lowered under east-west cross streets between MLK Blvd. and Cesar Chavez St. and construction would require a new "signature bridge" over the lake.

[We vs us]

No cap.