Originally Posted by IrvineNative (Post 9502787)

The closest I've been to Austin is Dallas, so I'm not an expert, but here's my impressions of Austin:

1. Austin is proof positive that even if your city is super-NIMBY, you'll still grow gangbusters with good weather, low crime, low cost of living (relative to SF/LA), low taxes, and a strong corporate economy.

2. It's a myth that Austin has an inadequate expressway system.
Austin actually more expressway lane-miles per capita than Los Angeles and Sacramento. But when you're the fastest growing major metro area in the country, no matter how fast you build freeways, you're not going to keep up with demand.

3. Austin drivers avoid toll roads like the plague, so the toll roads end up being nearly empty while the free roads get clogged like hell.

4. People keep complaining about SH 130 being too far from Downtown to be useful. But SH 130 was literally built as a bypass, and a bypass is literally designed to go around the edge of the city. The problem with SH 130 is that tolls are too damn high, so no one uses it and instead clogs up I-35 and MoPac.

5. Lowering tolls on SH 130 to divert all thru traffic off I-35 onto SH 130 would work wonders. The Texas Transportation Institute studied that at the busiest portion of I-35, 14 percent or so of traffic is thru traffic (i.e. just passing through Austin). Now that sounds minute, but reducing car count by 14 percent would likely reduce traffic congestion by a whopping 45 percent. Because it turns out that decreasing vehicle count by 10% often reduces traffic congestion by three or even four times the factor (30-40%).

6. I have extremely high hopes for Project Connect. I believe that, after Los Angeles and Seattle, it will, hands down, have the highest ridership of any light rail system in the US once complete. Why? Because not only is Austin proper densifying like a weed, Metro Austin employment is highly concentrated in Downtown. Metro areas with the highest concentration of jobs in Downtown do the best with transit ridership.

Originally Posted by R1070 (Post 9502875)

Good points, but DFW is the fastest growing metro in the country.

Originally Posted by The ATX (Post 9503023)

Fastest growing implies a growth rate percentage, and Austin is the fastest growing large Metro by that measure.
Dallas/FW has been having the biggest increase in raw numbers. It has a slower growth rate but a much larger Metro population. That means it can have a bigger increase in raw numbers. So it depends which metric is used.

Originally Posted by wwmiv (Post 9503046)

Put more simply:

Austin has the fastest growth, Dallas has the largest growth.

Originally Posted by IrvineNative (Post 9502787)

The closest I've been to Austin is Dallas, so I'm not an expert, but here's my impressions of Austin:

1. Austin is proof positive that even if your city is super-NIMBY, you'll still grow gangbusters with good weather, low crime, low cost of living (relative to SF/LA), low taxes, and a strong corporate economy.

2. It's a myth that Austin has an inadequate expressway system.
Austin actually more expressway lane-miles per capita than Los Angeles and Sacramento. But when you're the fastest growing major metro area in the country, no matter how fast you build freeways, you're not going to keep up with demand.

3. Austin drivers avoid toll roads like the plague, so the toll roads end up being nearly empty while the free roads get clogged like hell.

4. People keep complaining about SH 130 being too far from Downtown to be useful. But SH 130 was literally built as a bypass, and a bypass is literally designed to go around the edge of the city. The problem with SH 130 is that tolls are too damn high, so no one uses it and instead clogs up I-35 and MoPac.

5. Lowering tolls on SH 130 to divert all thru traffic off I-35 onto SH 130 would work wonders. The Texas Transportation Institute studied that at the busiest portion of I-35, 14 percent or so of traffic is thru traffic (i.e. just passing through Austin). Now that sounds minute, but reducing car count by 14 percent would likely reduce traffic congestion by a whopping 45 percent. Because it turns out that decreasing vehicle count by 10% often reduces traffic congestion by three or even four times the factor (30-40%).

6. I have extremely high hopes for Project Connect. I believe that, after Los Angeles and Seattle, it will, hands down, have the highest ridership of any light rail system in the US once complete. Why? Because not only is Austin proper densifying like a weed, Metro Austin employment is highly concentrated in Downtown. Metro areas with the highest concentration of jobs in Downtown do the best with transit ridership.

Originally Posted by TexasPlaya (Post 9503667)

Austin has just hit a major bottleneck these last couple of years between growth and supply as housing/rent has had some of the largest increases.

Austin still has plenty of space. You mentioned SH130, but 183S (the section which runs parallel between I35 and SH130) has recently been upgraded along with a toll road. The issue is greater east Austin never really develop until recently, but I feel like it's about to blow up with houses, apartments, and retail.

Originally Posted by Echostatic (Post 9505243)

In Phase 1 of Project Connect, which is what is currently funded, the darker portions here will be grade-separated:

Editing to add in the commuter rail; the Red Line, which already exists, and the Green Line, which is partially funded in Phase 1 and will be extended Eastward in Phase 2. All at grade - it's only commuter rail, after all.

Originally Posted by The ATX (Post 9505517)

Site prep is already happening for the 98 Red River supertall. But a long term right of way closure permit for construction was filed today. The scheduled start date is 04/04/2022!

https://abc.austintexas.gov/public-s...rtyrsn=2019189

https://i.imgur.com/4MCCJR1.png
https://i.imgur.com/cUcp1yb.png

Originally Posted by R1070 (Post 9506085)

I'm excited for Austin to get this, but it's just so awkward looking.

Originally Posted by Urbannizer (Post 9504683)

Hanover Brazos Street

https://i.imgur.com/xE0pgygh.jpg

]

Originally Posted by R1070 (Post 9506085)

I'm excited for Austin to get this, but it's just so awkward looking.

Originally Posted by AviationGuy (Post 9507249)

Agree...very awkward design. Unattractive, and it is embarrassing that it will be built here.

Originally Posted by ILUVSAT (Post 9511205)

Following the recent announcement by American to serve Cozumel and Montego Bay from AUS I thought I'd put the following together (posted in the Austin thread).


Pretty impressive list being developed by AUS!


14 International Destinations:
-Nassau, Bahamas (AA)
-Calgary, Canada (WS)
-Toronto, Canada (AC)
-Liberia, Costa Rica (AA)
-Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (AA)
-London, England (BA, VS)
-Frankfurt, Germany (LH)
-Montego Bay, Jamaica (AA)
-Cancun, Mexico (AA, B6, WN, NK, SY)
-Cozumel, Mexico (AA, WN)
-Mexico City, Mexico (AM)
-Puerto Vallarta, Mexico (AA, WN)
-San Jose del Cabo, Mexico (AA, WN)
-Amsterdam, Netherlands (KL)


PLUS:
-Honolulu, Hawai'i (HA)
-San Juan, Puerto Rico (AA)


**Sadly, Norwegian's long haul service has ceased operations. They were about to commence AUS-CDG and were heavily contemplating a AUS-BCN route prior to the Pandemic. Ugh... Maybe someone else will initiate a AUS-CDG route soon. Also, I hope a AUS-NRT or AUS-ICN route will be announced in the coming few years.

Originally Posted by Urbannizer (Post 9494638)

415 Colorado


https://zieglercooper.com/projects/c...ntial-project/

https://i2.wp.com/zieglercooper.com/...6%2C2500&ssl=1

Originally Posted by colemonkee (Post 9513638)

Both those dorm buildings turned out much better than I had expected. Good stuff! Man, if I ad a rooftop pool in college, I don't think I would have graduated!

Originally Posted by clubtokyo (Post 9514444)

Lol exactly. These kids are spoiled.

Originally Posted by R1070 (Post 9506085)

I'm excited for Austin to get this, but it's just so awkward looking.

Originally Posted by myBrain (Post 9531280)

Source: atelierwong on instagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CZxyHHPFqWu/

https://i.imgur.com/Ggel52W.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/mzLgovC.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/TJY0Pxc.jpg

Originally Posted by colemonkee (Post 9542243)

^ Nice! The Republic screams of Pickard-Chilton, in a good way. Is that who designed it?