AUSTIN | U.T. & West Campus Development Thread

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by Vexal

I think it is unfair to say that free parking encourages driving. It makes it sound like driving is bad behavior. Some people just like driving and consider it to be superior to taking a bus. Adding parking doesn't encourage parking, it just allows people to live a lifestyle they're more comfortable with. We shouldn't force citizens to conform to any specific city structure. We should find ways to accommodate our growth in a way that doesn't intrude on existing ways of living. We don't even have enough public transportation options for people who would rather take public transport than drive. We should expand public transport and take care of people who want to use it before taking a stance that we should instead penalize those who don't want to use it.

It is pretty clear that free parking encourages driving, but I don't think that claim by itself makes a moral judgement on driving.

For the record, driving alone to work or anywhere else IS bad behavior and should be reduced when possible. It is environmentally destructive just by itself and that does not even take into consideration the effect our driving culture has had on housing development patterns, highway construction, pedestrian safety, and cost of living.

It is this sort of attitude, while often well-meaning, that precludes any sort of action to materially improve transit or reduce climate impact. We cannot improve transit without adding travel lanes at huge cost (not feasible w/in city plus eminent domain is hard), taking away car lanes, or elevating/burying the whole thing (astronomical cost).

Driving alone doesn't need to be punished per se, but it definitely does not deserve to be given automatic default status.

[SMC]

Originally Posted by Vexal

I think it is unfair to say that free parking encourages driving. It makes it sound like driving is bad behavior. Some people just like driving and consider it to be superior to taking a bus. Adding parking doesn't encourage parking, it just allows people to live a lifestyle they're more comfortable with. We shouldn't force citizens to conform to any specific city structure.

Then they should have to pay the costs associated with that lifestyle, including parking costs. Free parking subsidizes this cost for drivers, which encourages driving. If you weigh the full cost of driving and parking and still determine that it's better for you than a bus or other transit mode, then drive. But don't ask others to pay for your parking.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by SMC

Then they should have to pay the costs associated with that lifestyle, including parking costs. Free parking subsidizes this cost for drivers, which encourages driving. If you weigh the full cost of driving and parking and still determine that it's better for you than a bus or other transit mode, then drive. But don't ask others to pay for your parking.

Especially when it comes at the expense of new transit lines or bike lanes being built. The people complaining about taking away street parking on the drag so that a light rail line would have room down the center is so extremely frustrating. The fact that people can say that ~50 parking (maybe less?) spots are more important than a transit line is mind blowing.

[papertowelroll]

Originally Posted by SMC

Then they should have to pay the costs associated with that lifestyle, including parking costs. Free parking subsidizes this cost for drivers, which encourages driving. If you weigh the full cost of driving and parking and still determine that it's better for you than a bus or other transit mode, then drive. But don't ask others to pay for your parking.

(Apologies to this thread.. this convo should probably be moved to the transportation thread.)

Where is parking free? Businesses, residents, and visitors all pay a lot for downtown parking. They do it because it's worth it. A punitive solution (additional taxes on parking) would simply make businesses locate themselves outside of downtown into suburban office parks.

I am for improving transit and attempting to reduce the demand for parking, but I think trying to artificially limit the supply of parking is a bad idea. The fact that so many people want to drive on our congested roads shows you what they think of the other options: they suck.

Austin is interesting because like other Texas cities, it has minimally invested in public transit. However, unlike other Texas cities, it hasn't really invested much in car infrastructure either. I'm hoping that with the continued growth of the city the former will change and the latter will remain, but we'll see in 2020.

[lzppjb]

Buses aren't an option for me. Neither are trains. They'll never come out my way.

I love driving my pickup. I want a muscle car, too. When people are overhead in their flying cars, I want to be cruising in a '69 GTO.

[jbssfelix]

Originally Posted by papertowelroll

Where is parking free?

Any metered spot after something like 6pm, any street parking outside the core of downtown, Triangle, N Lamar Transit Center, City Hall if you drop in for any meeting and punch your ticket, etc etc etc.

[Vexal]

Originally Posted by SMC

Then they should have to pay the costs associated with that lifestyle, including parking costs. Free parking subsidizes this cost for drivers, which encourages driving. If you weigh the full cost of driving and parking and still determine that it's better for you than a bus or other transit mode, then drive. But don't ask others to pay for your parking.

Drivers also pay the cost of buses and trains. I live off of 2222 and 360, and there is no hope for a bus ever stopping near me (I chose to live here because it's right across from my office). But I am still happy for my taxes to contribute to public transportation that improves the city as a whole.

Living in a city is a group effort where everyone contributes to funding the overall infrastructure that makes it a comfortable place to live for everyone.

[drummer]

^^ Your last point is the toughest sell for a lot of folks in Texas especially. While I respect the view that folks shouldn't have unrestrained access to your hard-earned money, I do think that there ought to be a willingness to help out the community at large - and transportation is one of the most obvious ways to do that.

I have several friends up in the North Austin suburbs who are fairly conservative fiscally, and most of them don't have issues with public transportations projects, per se, it's more how they're run (i.e., "money pits" with constant issues, etc.). I can't say I disagree with them, but if a good plan was put out, it may actually get approved.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by drummer

I have several friends up in the North Austin suburbs who are fairly conservative fiscally, and most of them don't have issues with public transportations projects, per se, it's more how they're run (i.e., "money pits" with constant issues, etc.). I can't say I disagree with them, but if a good plan was put out, it may actually get approved.

What local transit project has been a money pit? I’m pretty sure your conservative, suburban friends have probably never been on a bus, so not sure how in touch they are with the everyday reality of our local system.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

What local transit project has been a money pit? I’m pretty sure your conservative, suburban friends have probably never been on a bus, so not sure how in touch they are with the everyday reality of our local system.

I'm not arguing with you, I'm simply stating the opinions I've heard of folks who are active voters. Most of them look at numbers only, and many like don't have real experience on buses, etc., in the U.S. That said, some have experience on rail and other transport in Asia and Europe, so anytime you come back to the U.S., you want to see that level of connectivity or nothing at all.

Most of my public transport experience has been in Asia, though that has led to me taking advantage of it much more as I've come back to the States for work trips or to visit family. Exposure and experience can change a person's views on what is convenient and worthwhile. Prior to moving to Asia for work, I didn't use public transport much other than the city bus in college a bit.

[lzppjb]

I think he's saying they see CapMetro as a gigantic failure. They don't exactly have a large cache of good will amongst longtime Austinites, for whatever reasons.

I rode buses around UT when I was a student, and I depended on them when I'd visit Ottawa for weeks at a time. Ottawa is better than what we have, but I still wouldn't say I enjoyed it.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by lzppjb

I think he's saying they see CapMetro as a gigantic failure. They don't exactly have a large cache of good will amongst longtime Austinites, for whatever reasons.

I rode buses around UT when I was a student, and I depended on them when I'd visit Ottawa for weeks at a time. Ottawa is better than what we have, but I still wouldn't say I enjoyed it.

CapMetro is not a failure, especially when their landmark projects have to go to a public vote and people who don’t depend on or even use the system hold the purse strings. I think it’s ridiculous for a first phase to serve everyone in the city.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

I think it’s ridiculous for a first phase to serve everyone in the city.

I absolutely agree with this. That's why it's so hard, however, to get things passed - people often can't see the forest for the trees.

West Campus, blah blah, something or other - my attempt to bring this back on topic.

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by drummer

...
West Campus, blah blah, something or other - my attempt to bring this back on topic.

Nice try. But I think we'll need some photo updates from Urbannizer before that happens.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by The ATX

Nice try. But I think we'll need some photo updates from Urbannizer before that happens.

When I contribute to taking the discussion in another direction, I just do what I can. Unfortunately, my photo submissions will be limited to a Google Earth screenshot in which the image is dated 1/14/2018. That's the most I can do from the other side of the world.

[AusTxDevelopment]

Here are some West Campus photos. Lots more here: https://imgur.com/a/zkqYgHK

[We vs us]

Great shots!

[KevinFromTexas]

Really great shots. Thanks for doing West Campus.

This one in particular really shows off our density and bulk.

[Urbannizer]

Villas on Nueces

[heliophobicdude]

Originally Posted by Urbannizer

Villas on Nueces

Are they behind schedule to open before school starts?

I remember talking to their leasing manager a while ago about if they would finish in time. At the time they had confidence they would. They said that they had some 3 weeks cushion between finishing and first move ins. Otherwise, they said, it would cost them $50,000 per day in hotels for all their residents.