Thanks everyone!
I'll be polite and answer the questions first then make comments about your remarks.
#1) yes I drive. and I have had a license since 1987.
#2) (really #1) I have left the state, spent time travelling through and visiting places like California, Tennessee, Ilinois, Ohio, Wisconsin, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Indiana, Michicgan, New Mexico... etc.
3) mmm... regarding why other states don't have frontage roads? uhm.. that's because they don't have the money or land to accomdate them. Why not do a little research on the subject.
#1) Our country's freeway system was implemented and based on the Autobahn in Germany. Our soldiers coming back home after WW2 were left speechless and impressed with the road system they had in Germany. Our system is patterned after theirs.
#2) What states were you in that had these wonderful freeway systems? Please give examples. I am sure the demographics and geographic makeup of those states is quite different than Texas. If I live in Greenwich CT, I would be willing to bet most of my family doesn't live too far away.. and if they do... most people in the Northeast fly. In Texas we're used to driving .. why? because we don't have major cities every 100 miles or so we can fly to so we can avoid traffic. This state is used to travelling by car. If you've lived here long enough you can remember when the highway between San Antonio and Austin was pretty empty (back in the 80's) Those highways worked pretty good then. Have you driven to Corpus Lately on I-37? The problem is this: our state is booming, your seeing more and more improvements on frontage roads (see Kyle and Buda) because these towns grew up around these highways (unlike towns in the Northeast) they don't want people to drive on through. They want their business. They want them to pull over and stop and spend their money there. Just like every other city in the world would like. Would we spend money building a highway to Buda? The answer is no.
These frontage roads and overpasses and exits and onramps were all built and deisgned for towns and cities that were not as big as they are now. If you go to Europe where towns and cities have streets designed for horses instead of cars... it makes for a pedstrian friendly atmosphere. Their Highways aren't built through those towns they are designed to get you to those towns.
We are in Texas. Vehicles are a way of life. Our way of life. More so than you see in New York, Baltimore, DC, or Philly. Why? because our towns have only experienced a boom in population over the past 100 years or so. When Automobiles came on the scene. Our towns and ciites are designed to handle this form of transportation.
You can't expect this state to fall in line and copy other states that built light rail and subways because they didn't have the surface area to accomodate roads.
People in Texas like the personal approach. I have visited just about every nook and cranny in this state thanks to my job. (Tornillo, Menard, Fort Stockton, Athens, Tidehaven, Port Isabel, Olney, Post, DeLeon, Edna... just to name a few and I do name a few) I have driven through all those states mentioned above.. and when I do.. I CAN'T WAIT to get back to Texas and drive on our great Highway system that even has shoulders unlike most stated I've travelled in. (Louisiana is scary)
If I wanted to complain about having to deal with "scary" frontage roads, onramps and exits, (and believe me... i know plenty of poeple that get behind the wheel and are terrified every time they do it, and would love nothing better than to just have to drive straight and not have to worry about traffic around them) I could also complain about how power lines clutter my view in this city (but being reasonable I know that it's too expenesive to implement a plan to bury them... just as I know asking everyone in this state to sit still while we revamp a highway system that works to get rid of unsightly frontage roads will never fly) or how everyone should quit complaining about the Austonian because _THEY_ think it sticks out like a sore thumb and ruins our beautiful skyline (but of course they are entitled to their opinion even if I don't agree)...
I could...
but I realize that is something that will never change in my lifetime. It's a way of life in this part of the world. And you are a tiny minority (the squeaky wheel ... and I mean that in the nicest way) that believes frontage roads are a blight on society.
Personally having grown up in this state I have no problem with them... and have been on highways in other states where I miss my exit or get the wrong directions and due to their poor highway system have to drive 20 miles out of my way to reach my destination.... (I really miss our highway system then)
anyway... enough for now. I've been on this forum long enough to know that I won't ever get the last word (and I don't need to, because I don't believe having the last word will make me the winner of an arguement) so I've said my piece and that will be all I have to say on the subject!
Doug
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATXboom
Doug,
It will probably be relevant from a perspective standpoint that I've lived in Dallas and worked in Richardson. I've also lived in Miami, FL, Columbus, OH and Lexington, KY.
So I have seen major city traffic and development patterns with and without access roads.
I'd be interested, as I mentioned if you've lived out of state? When I first moved to TX I thought access roads were genious... now spending more time in NY, LA, SF, Chicago for work along with my living experiences I have reversed my opinion... ugly strips of development, expensive compared to traditional freeway dev, promote string along development rather than clustered and town center development. Most visitors of mine think driving on 35 or 45/10 in Houston looks like a 3rd world country... After just spending a good deal of time driving in Mexico I agree. There is no argument for cost... and i have seen not visually seen any for traffic through put.
|
Prev
Linear Mode
