AUSTIN | Projects & Construction II

[Downtown_Austin]

Originally Posted by priller

Sooooo glad most of those freeway plans from the early 60's never happened.

Amen amen.

[KevinFromTexas]

Riverside Drive has turned into a parkway now. It would be horrible to turn it into a freeway. Can you imagine?

I think Austin's downtown and South Congress probably would have developed differently had that been built. I think the pedestrian friendliness of SoCo wouldn't be there, and downtown wouldn't be the destination that it is now. I think had that freeway been built, people probably would have just driven by downtown and wouldn't have stopped. It probably would have affected Lady Bird Lake, the Hike and Bike trail, Butler Park, Auditorium Shores, Zilker Park and the other parks to the point that some of them might have been developed for commercial use, rather than for parkland. I am so glad it didn't happen. Central Austin wouldn't be the same.

[OU812]

well regardless of how everyone feels about freeways, which is always a contentious topic, downtown Austin could really use an east/west expressway. there is no efficient way to get from one side of town to another when you're in the "middle" of town. you have to go all the way north to 183 or all the way south to Ben White. how many miles is that in between? anyone, anyone?

as Austin grows, congestion will just get worse for the current east/west arteries. all of which are stop light filled surface streets. some of them residential. such a shame how congested the residential streets of 35/38th and 45th get.

[KevinFromTexas]

Meh, you can take several other major streets. I've never understood the need Americans feel that they have to drive on highways to get somewhere. Highway driving is fine, but it should be reserved for less than crosstown travel, and more for cross metro traveling, or from city to city. Our city has for years grown in a linear pattern, mostly because our metro is stretched along I-35, so as a result the city itself isn't very wide. The distance between Mopac and I-35 is maybe 4 miles at best, which surprise, is about the same distance from downtown to Ben White. What should happen in the central part of the city, is instead of worrying about building more freeways (yeah, that always fixes the problem) is to build up our public transportation. We need real lightrail to help with the connectivity of the inner city. Highways don't connect cities, they divide them.

[KevinFromTexas]

11/2





I would not miss these powerlines if they got rid of them!

[PartyLine]

I liked the SH 45 loop plan though kinda like 1604 in SA I wonder why they didn't just make loop 360 a complete loop around Austin.

[tgbAustinite]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Meh, you can take several other major streets. I've never understood the need Americans feel that they have to drive on highways to get somewhere. Highway driving is fine, but it should be reserved for less than crosstown travel, and more for cross metro traveling, or from city to city. Our city has for years grown in a linear pattern, mostly because our metro is stretched along I-35, so as a result the city itself isn't very wide. The distance between Mopac and I-35 is maybe 4 miles at best, which surprise, is about the same distance from downtown to Ben White. What should happen in the central part of the city, is instead of worrying about building more freeways (yeah, that always fixes the problem) is to build up our public transportation. We need real lightrail to help with the connectivity of the inner city. Highways don't connect cities, they divide them.

i couldn't agree more. i couldn't imagine an east/west highway going through the core. just upgrade what's already in place and get going with lrt.

[migol24]

Originally Posted by OU812

yeah and to think Riverside was intended to be an expressway back during Austin's road planning of yesteryear. imagine: a downtown east/west high speed corridor. the "Riverside Freeway". has a nice ring to it, but will never happen now. too much development on either side. i guess it could go underground and be a tunnel, but those suck. no views.

hey, but coming out of those tunnels and all of a sudden running into an impressive skyline right in front of you doesn't sound so bad.

[WestAustinite]

Regarding the Austonian crown....does anyone know the purpose of that "white railing" (for lack of a better descriptor) on the top of the crown? Is this simply an architectural element or perhaps an additional lighting feature? i.e. neon

[Downtown_Austin]

Originally Posted by WestAustinite

Regarding the Austonian crown....does anyone know the purpose of that "white railing" (for lack of a better descriptor) on the top of the crown? Is this simply an architectural element or perhaps an additional lighting feature? i.e. neon

Yes, 99% certain that will support the neon trim.

[OU812]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

Meh, you can take several other major streets. I've never understood the need Americans feel that they have to drive on highways to get somewhere. Highway driving is fine, but it should be reserved for less than crosstown travel, and more for cross metro traveling, or from city to city. Our city has for years grown in a linear pattern, mostly because our metro is stretched along I-35, so as a result the city itself isn't very wide. The distance between Mopac and I-35 is maybe 4 miles at best, which surprise, is about the same distance from downtown to Ben White. What should happen in the central part of the city, is instead of worrying about building more freeways (yeah, that always fixes the problem) is to build up our public transportation. We need real lightrail to help with the connectivity of the inner city. Highways don't connect cities, they divide them.

yeah i KNOW you can take several others;-) i cited 35/38 and 45 because they are residential streets being completely over-run by non neighborhood traffic. and during rush hour it's brutal. not to mention very dangerous for the people living around there. i certainly would never purchase real estate along those corridors. BTW, Enfield is another one. winding east west residential road with no center divider = dangerous.

"Americans" build freeways because this country is not as old as Europe and Asia (assuming that's what you're comparing it to). much of America has been weened on car culture from a young age. statistically, high speed freeways with a separated median, are safer to drive on (reduces or eliminates the possibility of head on collisions). they also consume less gas for long distance driving (VS. small undivided country type roads w/stop lights). but yes they do invite development and sprawl. i don't necessarily feel that's a bad thing: lots of cities i have visited or lived in, with heavy suburban sprawl are fine cities with actual nice downtown's. some people choose to live outside the urban core because they can't afford or don't want to live downtown. but maybe they work downtown and need to get around efficiently. freeways provide that alternative.

BTW, using your analogy: public transportation does not solve the problem either. it merely provides an alternative, like freeways do. i am ALL for more public transportation around here. i'm still pissed light rail didn't pass back in 2000, because sooner or later we'll get it here. it would have been better to have it built sooner (even with low ridership to start). ultimately i'd like to see monorail for downtown, light rail for the city, and commuter rail for long distance outer city areas. but that's just me. OK i'm done on this topic. late

[KevinFromTexas]

I wondering if that white trim up there is for the glass on top of the crown. I'm not sure if the mechanical penthouse/roof will be open air, or if it will be completely enclosed with glass. If so, it doesn't look like there's any other type of framing up there between the concrete mechanical penthouse structure and those red steel beams on the side of it.

By the way, those large red beams look to be the same type they used in the crown on Frost. The only difference is on Frost, they painted them white.

Anyway, I doubt new highways in Central Austin would invite sprawl. At this point though the biggest issue would be a lack of space for them. Some major east/west street would have to be cannibalized for it. So one of those residential streets might even be gobbled up for it. Didn't Texans just vote for the State to have the right to buy private property for public use (public domain). Either way some neighborhood would pay the price.

Also it's shortsighted to think that all density belongs downtown. That is another American way of thinking, but the funny thing is many of our cities are dense citywide, and even metro-wide. California and the Northeast come to mind here.

[PartyLine]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

I wondering if that white trim up there is for the glass on top of the crown. I'm not sure if the mechanical penthouse/roof will be open air, or if it will be completely enclosed with glass. If so, it doesn't look like there's any other type of framing up there between the concrete mechanical penthouse structure and those red steel beams on the side of it.

By the way, those large red beams look to be the same type they used in the crown on Frost. The only difference is on Frost, they painted them white.

Anyway, I doubt new highways in Central Austin would invite sprawl. At this point though the biggest issue would be a lack of space for them. Some major east/west street would have to be cannibalized for it. So one of those residential streets might even be gobbled up for it. Didn't Texans just vote for the State to have the right to buy private property for public use (public domain). Either way some neighborhood would pay the price.

Also it's shortsighted to think that all density belongs downtown. That is another American way of thinking, but the funny thing is many of our cities are dense citywide, and even metro-wide. California and the Northeast come to mind here.

I agree I would like to see some density up in the North Burnet/Gateway redevelopment "second downtown" area taller buildings and all kinda like the Uptown/Galleria area of Houston

[Mopacs]

Here are a few more shots taken yesterday (11/4)....



From the Lamar Blvd bridge











From the Butler Park observation hill

[migol24]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

The distance between Mopac and I-35 is maybe 4 miles at best, which surprise, is about the same distance from downtown to Ben White.

you sure about that? i can take about 25-35min walking from mopac to i-35... but downtown to benwhite will take about an hour, at least, most likely longer.

[austin242]

just looked at it on google maps and I-35 to Mopac is about 2 miles apart if you go thru downtown, 4 if you go down ben white, and ben white is about 2.75 miles from downtown.

[Strayone]

I have always wondered why the city didn't build an elevated crosstown drive around 35th or Koenig. It would be a massive job but it could also incorporate a rail into the design and with it would come stations and foot traffic in areaa where people are literally just racing E to W. We are probably 20 plus years from a decent system.
Anyone notice that the Ashton looks like nobody lives in it? It looks cold and lonely and nearly haunted from some views.

[AustinSkyscrapers]

Wow, I haven't realized that the Austonian got all the way up to near completion in to its crown lately. The W looks fantastic too, with the 3000 type of glass. Anything else, is still amazing, except for power lines, of course. Need be taking a photo myself and everybody someday. BTW, does the Austonian rendering on my avatar old? Or is it still the same?

[Jdawgboy]

From my house it is exactly 4.5 miles. I live a few blocks south of the Ben White area.

[priller]

So the W is putting up the outside cladding for the transition floor between the hotel and condos. The rest of the floors on up will be quite a bit different looking on the outside, with lots more glass. Will be interesting to see how that looks.