AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by freerover

Schematics and Virtual Open House for I-35 Capital South project are out. This is 35 from 71 to 45. Nothing really exciting here. I'm surprised they aren't doing any reconfiguring to the Slaughter underpass like elevated bypass lanes and a DDI intersection. My guess is that they are being as cheap as possible since there is no longer toll funding. They previously had that underpass as "under study" but there are no changes here.

https://capexsouth.mobility35openhouse.com

So if I'm seeing the first schematic correctly, the southbound flyover still has the two lanes merging into one lane entering I35? That is precisely why traffic backs up so badly. It's ridiculous to have the the traffic from both flyovers merge into one lane. Should be an easy fix so not quite sure why they can't incorporate it into the expansion.

If I'm looking at it wrong then disregard my rant lol.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Jdawgboy

So if I'm seeing the first schematic correctly, the southbound flyover still has the two lanes merging into one lane entering I35? That is precisely why traffic backs up so badly. It's ridiculous to have the the traffic from both flyovers merge into one lane. Should be an easy fix so not quite sure why they can't incorporate it into the expansion.

If I'm looking at it wrong then disregard my rant lol.

The problem now is all traffic from 183 has to merge with the existing 71 SB mainlanes. This keeps the lane coming from the ramps until the William Cannon exit. It'll be a huge improvement.

[freerover]

Now that the riverside rezone is done, the developer now has to donate 2.5 million toward the Longhorn Dam pedestrian bridge and 1.6 million for development of the PV Bus Rapid line.

They also have 5.5 million in offsite road and bus stop improvements to make but not all of them are a part of phase 1. They will have to make much needed improvements to PV and Cesar which is mostly adding and extending dedicated turn lanes which will help process more cars through the intersection per cycle.

[freerover]

Cap Metro is going all in on a downtown Subway with project connect. Hopefully board and council members don't walk them back and push them to do street level transit in downtown.

The tunnels would run from Trinity from Lake to 11th, 4th from Trinity St. to Guadalupe, and Guadalupe from Cesar Chavez to 9th for $2.3-$2.5B.

Excluding the tunnel on Trinity St. from 4th to 11th would save about 500 million but then you have to wonder what happens when they shut down 6th on weekends or festivals.

[Austin1971]

Originally Posted by freerover

cap metro is going all in on a downtown subway with project connect. Hopefully board and council members don't walk them back and push them to do street level transit in downtown.

The tunnels would run from trinity from lake to 11th, 4th from trinity st. To guadalupe, and guadalupe from cesar chavez to 9th for $2.3-$2.5b.

Excluding the tunnel on trinity st. From 4th to 11th would save about 500 million but then you have to wonder what happens when they shut down 6th on weekends or festivals.

c

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Austin1971

Can you send the link or resize the images?

https://capmetro.org/uploadedFiles/N...nda_Packet.pdf

[Syndic]

I had dinner with District 1 city council member Natasha Harper-Madison and her aide Caleb Pritchard on Monday. We were mostly talking about how to go about getting a sidewalk on the busy road by our neighborhood but in-so-doing we discussed the 2020 transportation bond quite a bit.

Obviously, urban rail is going to be the main component of that but Caleb said he wants to go big and push for a lot of sidewalk funding, knowing that there's going to be a big turnout of young, progressive, anti-Trump voters. So that's exciting.

He talked about how his friends/allies formed a new group called the Wheel Deal and they're proposing a huge plan. Found an article about it here: https://www.austinmonitor.com/storie...th-wheel-deal/

Anyway, I was wondering: if they do take the urban rail line down Guadalupe/Lamar, would it be above the street like this?



I actually kinda like that look.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by Syndic

He talked about how his friends/allies formed a new group called the Wheel Deal and they're proposing a huge plan. Found an article about it here: https://www.austinmonitor.com/storie...th-wheel-deal/

My biggest want is for more protected bike/scooter lanes in and around downtown. (Much like what already exists on 3rd St.)

Originally Posted by Syndic

Anyway, I was wondering: if they do take the urban rail line down Guadalupe/Lamar, would it be above the street like this?



I actually kinda like that look.

That looks like a photo of the Chicago "L". I imagine it would look more modern here and would have a single support column in the median holding up the elevated level.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by paul78701

My biggest want is for more protected bike/scooter lanes in and around downtown. (Much like what already exists on 3rd St.)


That looks like a photo of the Chicago "L". I imagine it would look more modern here and would have a single support column in the median holding up the elevated level.

We have 8 lane roads (i.e. S Congress) that will support these new lines. There is more than enough room to build it at street level.

[Syndic]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

We have 8 lane roads (i.e. S Congress) that will support these new lines. There is more than enough room to build it at street level.

Okay but that's not the case on Guadalupe.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Okay but that's not the case on Guadalupe.

Remove parking. Boom.

[paul78701]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Remove parking. Boom.

There's only one street lane of parking along the Drag. Parking would likely need to be removed just to build a median to support the elevated northbound and southbound lines. Two street lanes would be needed to make enough room for both a north and south line at grade.

[Syndic]

Yeah I'm betting we'll get an elevated rail line pretty much everywhere central, which is not the prettiest, I guess but it adds character?

[Syndic]

Oh, Caleb Pritchard (kinda the transportation brains behind Natasha Harper-Madison) said he wants to cut and cap 35 using this 2020 bond funding.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Oh, Caleb Pritchard (kinda the transportation brains behind Natasha Harper-Madison) said he wants to cut and cap 35 using this 2020 bond funding.

Yea Caleb plays fast and loose with tax money since he's always one tantrum away from moving to Chicago.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by paul78701

That looks like a photo of the Chicago "L". I imagine it would look more modern here and would have a single support column in the median holding up the elevated level.

That's the Bronx for sure.

[AusTex]

And if we really had our stuff together we would have a great plan with a central subway!

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

That's the Bronx for sure.

Yep.

Notice bxsportsny.com?

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by Syndic

Yeah I'm betting we'll get an elevated rail line pretty much everywhere central, which is not the prettiest, I guess but it adds character?

There's an orange line ridership forecasting document floating around that shows two build configurations, A and B, for the purposes of ridership estimates. It didn't seem to address the tunnel option downtown but I guess there's not a big difference in estimated ridership between elevated and tunnel?

I can't do much image editing at work but it's something like this:

A:

Tech Ridge __Parmer__ Braker__/¯¯Rundberg¯¯\__NLTC__/¯¯¯

¯¯Crestview¯¯Koenig¯¯¯Triangle¯¯¯Hyde Park¯¯¯Hemphill Park¯¯¯

¯¯¯UT Mall¯¯¯Capitol West¯¯\_Woolridge Sq_/¯Republic Sq¯¯

¯¯Auditorium Shores¯¯\__SoCo__Oltorf__St Eds__/¯SCTC¯\_

__Stassney__Will. Cannon__Slaughter



B:

Tech Ridge __Parmer__ Braker___Rundberg__NLTC__/¯¯¯

¯¯Crestview¯\_Koenig__Triangle__Hyde Park__Hemphill Park__

__UT Mall__Capitol West__Woolridge Sq__Republic Sq__

__Auditorium Shores__SoCo__Oltorf__St Eds__SCTC__

__Stassney__Will. Cannon__Slaughter


At first I was hesitant to support an elevated Orange Line because of NIMBY protest, but I've come around to rather liking the idea. I think the mayor and council have been relatively shrewd in publicly saying this won't take away from car travel lanes. The only thing NIMBYs love more than protecting SF zoning is protecting their driving habits. The vast majority of NIMBYs can't see Lamar/Guad from their houses and won't be impacted by the view except from their cars. If we tell them the alternative is that we take away an additional car lane then they'll fall in line even if it costs more.

The number of actual NIMBYs is way overstated anyway as seen by the last council elections. I think NHM and Caleb have the right idea if they're going to aim big. The general voting public is probably going to approve a big bond by a good margin if turnout is as expected.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

There's an orange line ridership forecasting document floating around that shows two build configurations, A and B, for the purposes of ridership estimates.

here's where you can find that document and others

https://assets.adobe.com/public/a3b4...sis%20(2019-20)