California seeing a sizable influx of new residents relocating from Texas

[jd3189]

If I had to choose between California and Texas, I would pick Cali every time.

[austlar1]

Just curious, what did these numbers look like in a pre-covid year like 2016, 2017 or 2018? What did they look like in a peak covid year like 2020? How many folks moved in each direction in those years? I know there has always been a significant number of Texas residents moving to California in years past. Are the numbers this year really that out-sized? In spite of out migration, it still appears that Texas is attracting over two times the number who are moving from Texas to California. What has that ratio looked like in other years?

[gochujang]

Originally Posted by JManc

For a transit system in just one metro. Plus I don't think something like this would totally subsidized by the federal government but local and state taxes and bonds. The Bay Area is still pretty auto oriented unlike cities in Japan. I would never be without a car anywhere outside SF proper.

Two metros. In fact they are the #2 and #3 metros in the country by total GDP.

It would seem wise for a country to invest in its biggest money making cities.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by gochujang

Two metros. In fact they are the #2 and #3 metros in the country by total GDP.

It would seem wise for a country to invest in its biggest money making cities.

True but for all intents and purposes, it acts as one and there is a lot of overlap (Caltrain, BART, etc) among the systems but again, $70 billion might not be much compared to the federal budget but it's well over 2x what the Big Dig cost after 20 years including cost overruns and delays. If the Bay Area requests that kind of money so will virtually everyone else.

[gochujang]

Originally Posted by JManc

True but for all intents and purposes, it acts as one and there is a lot of overlap (Caltrain, BART, etc) among the systems but again, $70 billion might not be much compared to the federal budget but it's well over 2x what the Big Dig cost after 20 years including cost overruns and delays. If the Bay Area requests that kind of money so will virtually everyone else.

Originally Posted by homebucket

All that is fine and dandy and every urbanist's dream, but who's going to pay for it? Things like the Sepulveda Transit Corridor is projected to cost at least $10.8 billion, Vermont Subway at least $8 billion, BART SJ extension at least $12.2 billion, The Portal at least $8.25 billion, a Second Transbay tunnel at least $29 billion. These are things that should've been done yesterday, and are only a small fraction of what we need to come remotely close to Tokyo's rail network.

Vision is easy. Funding and execution is the hard part.

The bolded are LA projects. Zero overlap with the Bay Area projects.

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by homebucket

I'm not sure why people are freaked out about BART tbh. The trains are new and clean and the vast majority of the riders are "normal" people. Now that they've reduced trains from 10 car trains to 6 car trains, packing "regular" people in even closer, there's supposedly even less crime or something from what I saw somewhere. Even before then it wasn't that bad. There was maybe the occasional unsavory encounter but they were usually pretty fleeting and not particularly remarkable, even later at night. The problem is people only report the occasional bad encounters, and no one cares to reports their normal experiences. The main issue I see is fare evasion but BART is working on replacing the fare gates.

I live in SF so I take Muni to work when I go to office. All my co-workers come from the East Bay and take BART. They do share their horror stories but since the grew up here they are used to it and would never drive across the Bay Bridge to work regardless of their experience. This new co-worker never used transit having lived in Houston her whole life and though we may feel BART is not all that bad for her it was, but she has been using it more often now since coming across the Bay Bridge and paying for parking is taking its toll.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by dktshb

I live in SF so I take Muni to work when I go to office. All my co-workers come from the East Bay and take BART. They do share their horror stories but since the grew up here they are used to it and would never drive across the Bay Bridge to work regardless of their experience. This new co-worker never used transit having lived in Houston her whole life and though we may feel BART is not all that bad for her it was, but she has been using it more often now since coming across the Bay Bridge and paying for parking is taking its toll.

I've never ridden BART and most of my co-workers said there was no issue with it until it gets dark. The only reason I would take it is to go into SF and that's usually only for leisure and I leave pretty late so I just drive. Muni is great though and very underrated.

[dktshb]

Originally Posted by JManc

I've never ridden BART and most of my co-workers said there was no issue with it until it gets dark. The only reason I would take it is to go into SF and that's usually only for leisure and I leave pretty late so I just drive. Muni is great though and very underrated.

Muni is pretty darn good. Busses are always good, clean and reliable. There used to be reliability issues pre-covid where there were delays and issues with the trains, but not so much anymore. The only time I need to take BART is if I go to either OAK or SFO.

[R1070]

I like my life in Texas, but I'd live in California if it were more livable.

[Riverranchdrone]

Native Texans blame all their problem on Californians. They really dislike anything from California. I do not believe a large number are moving to Cali when Texas has so much more to offer.

[twinpeaks]

Originally Posted by Riverranchdrone

Native Texans blame all their problem on Californians. They really dislike anything from California. I do not believe a large number are moving to Cali when Texas has so much more to offer.

Texas has so much more to offer…..???? More guns and religion, no thanks. I suggest to travel more and see the world.

[twinpeaks]

People are leaving Texas over rising costs, partisan politics, and a sense of disenchantment

“In Austin, some tech workers who flocked to the city during the pandemic just can't seem to get out fast enough.

Nick Thomas, 30, moved to Austin from downtown Los Angeles in January 2021 and told Business Insider in August he hoped to move back to California soon. He called Austin is a "watered-down" version of places he's previously lived like Los Angeles and San Francisco.”

https://www.businessinsider.com/leaving-...dom-property-taxes-housing-costs-2023-11

[JManc]

Originally Posted by twinpeaks

Texas has so much more to offer…..???? More guns and religion, no thanks. I suggest to travel more and see the world.

You obviously know little about Texas if guns and religion are your only take-away.

[Dariusb]

Originally Posted by JManc

You obviously know little about Texas if guns and religion are your only take-away.

Right, I agree.

[38 Geary]

Originally Posted by JManc

You obviously know little about Texas if guns and religion are your only take-away.

Can say the same thing about Riverranchdrone‘s knowledge of California if “Texas has so much more to offer” is his only take away.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by homebucket

Can say the same thing about Riverranchdrone‘s knowledge of California if “Texas has so much more to offer” is his only take away.

Agreed. The California v. Texas thing is tired. Have to admit, it's more directed towards CA by Texans than the other way around. Based on my experience...

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by JManc

Agreed. The California v. Texas thing is tired. Have to admit, it's more directed towards CA by Texans than the other way around. Based on my experience...

Agreed on both counts. Coloradans are the people who don’t generally like Texans, not Californians. When I lived in Denver, I routinely had people bring up my accent negatively and even had a few people explain to me how they won the Battle of Glorietta Pass.

[twinpeaks]

Originally Posted by JManc

You obviously know little about Texas if guns and religion are your only take-away.

I forgot about high school football. I travel for work to Dallas/Houston and visit friends in Austin. I’m familiar with it somewhat. Since Riverranchdrone indicated it has so much more to offer, would love to learn what’s positively good and unique that Texas has. I don’t live there, so I’m curious.

[craigs]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Agreed on both counts. Coloradans are the people who don’t generally like Texans, not Californians. When I lived in Denver, I routinely had people bring up my accent negatively and even had a few people explain to me how they won the Battle of Glorietta Pass.

Part of that is probably proximity and familiarity. Texas is next door to Colorado, and much larger and more populous.

Meanwhile, California is basically its own world, and Texas seems far away.

[JManc]

Originally Posted by twinpeaks

I forgot about high school football. I travel for work to Dallas/Houston and visit friends in Austin. I’m familiar with it somewhat. Since Riverranchdrone indicated it has so much more to offer, would love to learn what’s positively good and unique that Texas has. I don’t live there, so I’m curious.

I'll let Riverranchdrone speak for himself but the problem is boiling a huge state down to a few stereotypes. Like any place, Texas has its upsides and downsides. Life in Houston is not all that different than life in the Bay Area.