AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[Novacek]

agenda packet for next ATP board meeting

https://www.capmetro.org/docs/defaul...-packet_v2.pdf

Seems like the power system may still be up in the air.

Page 67 shows a diagram of a tunnel with "OVERHEAD CONTACT RAIL (OCR)"

But page 69 mentions discussions with manufacturers on "Catenary Free Capabilities" and "Battery & On-Board Energy Management"

[valhalla]

Has anyone else seen the new I-35 updates? https://www.austinchronicle.com/news...y-wide-enough/

Horrible, horrible news. TXDOT has played us all.

It sounds like any plans to submerge the highway and allow for possibility of caps are out the window.

TXDOT got us all interested. It promised it would change. But those promises were always fake. And now TXDOT is going to do the only thing it knows how to do--build a 20 lane highway through the middle of Austin.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by valhalla

It sounds like any plans to submerge the highway and allow for possibility of caps are out the window.

Nope, the capable portion remains exactly as it was, a few section downtown (but someone else would have to pay for it). TxDot never committed or even proposed burying the highway from the river to Airport.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Nope, the capable portion remains exactly as it was, a few section downtown (but someone else would have to pay for it). TxDot never committed or even proposed burying the highway from the river to Airport.

" We been knew for decades that I-35 is racist and toxic and unsafe and obsolete, and....... "

When you start talking like this, you lose a lot of people. Especially the racist part. The east side of I-35 is just as white as the west side. come on man....

In the end, money rules everything. I'd love to have it capped as much as the next guy, but really, if we think hard, there are ways to connect east and west w/o the cap. it wont' be as grand, but there are ways. Even as it sits right now. first, it has to "FEEL" safe to walk from one side to the other. That would go a LONG way. And then you can take it from there. Ya, I know all you tough guys around here will walk under the bridges day or night, but ya'll a rare breed. I know LOTS of Ladies who feel otherwise. Yes, the fairer sex. They count too, YA know. So do folks with children. ect, etc. So get out of your head, and into the other 98%.

OH, BTW - could you decipher the article for me. I'm still not sure what his conclusion was. Gotta move on with my life, no time to go back and read it again.

[Echostatic]

Existing I-35 is ridiculously antiquated with awful use of space. Huge embankments reducing vehicle and pedestrian mobility, stupidly short ramps, way undersized overall. The improvements are needed and looking at the renderings will improve vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, and transit mobility. The throughput should be more than doubled although travel time will obviously not increases quite so much.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by JAM

" We been knew for decades that I-35 is racist and toxic and unsafe and obsolete, and....... "

When you start talking like this, you lose a lot of people. Especially the racist part. The east side of I-35 is just as white as the west side. come on man.

Let me stop you right there. East Austin today is not what it was when 35 went in. In 1928, the city seized land from black people around the city and basically forced them into East Austin. Then the highway went in adding a huge barrier between the white part of the city and East Austin. Now, the East Side is developing and people who had lived there originally due to racist policies are being priced out and are having to move to the far suburbs to afford a place.

I get what you’re trying to say, but let’s not act like there isn’t a long history of racism in East Austin, and let’s not act like the interstate highway system also doesn’t have a problematic history.

If you know the history and the problems locals are facing and you’re still “lost”, then that is really sad.

[lonewolf]

i just don't like the idea of anything cutting our city in half!

[JAM]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Let me stop you right there. East Austin today is not what it was when 35 went in. In 1928, the city seized land from black people around the city and basically forced them into East Austin. Then the highway went in adding a huge barrier between the white part of the city and East Austin. Now, the East Side is developing and people who had lived there originally due to racist policies are being priced out and are having to move to the far suburbs to afford a place.

I get what you’re trying to say, but let’s not act like there isn’t a long history of racism in East Austin, and let’s not act like the interstate highway system also doesn’t have a problematic history.

If you know the history and the problems locals are facing and you’re still “lost”, then that is really sad.

I'm well aware of the historic issue. However, it has nothing to do with present day covering of I-35. Can no longer use that as an excuse. its not going to repair the mistakes of years long gone. Quit using it as a reason to cover I-35. People are not buying it, and it weakens the argument of why it should be done.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by lonewolf

i just don't like the idea of anything cutting our city in half!

What about Mopac? Never hear anyone crying to have that covered. It's as ugly as I-35.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by Echostatic

Existing I-35 is ridiculously antiquated with awful use of space. Huge embankments reducing vehicle and pedestrian mobility, stupidly short ramps, way undersized overall. The improvements are needed and looking at the renderings will improve vehicular, pedestrian, bicycle, and transit mobility. The throughput should be more than doubled although travel time will obviously not increases quite so much.

I wish they would post a speed limit of 35 thru central austin. then all these yahoos trying to weave in and out of traffic causing an even bigger slow down might have their brains click that they need to let off the accelerator for a few minutes.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by JAM

I'm well aware of the historic issue. However, it has nothing to do with present day covering of I-35. Can no longer use that as an excuse. its not going to repair the mistakes of years long gone. Quit using it as a reason to cover I-35. People are not buying it, and it weakens the argument of why it should be done.

It absolutely is relevant today. Listen, if you don’t get it then goodbye. I don’t why you would be against it? Such a ridiculous take.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by JAM

What about Mopac? Never hear anyone crying to have that covered. It's as ugly as I-35.

I've wondered this as well at times. Likely do to the railroad? However, there also isn't much of a grid in that area on either side that makes sense to connect anything beyond the major roads that already cross over or under it. One difference I see is that I-35 took out huge chunks of an existing grid; Mopac was built alongside an existing railroad ROW that did split development in a way, but the community developed around said ROW. From an environmental, noise, and aesthetic standpoint, I would still love for it to be remedied, but that's just an opinion I have with any expressway.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by chinchaaa

Such a ridiculous take.

What, that someone has a different opinion than you? Go over to the Bickering thread and we can hash it out over there.

[JAM]

Originally Posted by drummer

I've wondered this as well at times. Likely do to the railroad? However, there also isn't much of a grid in that area on either side that makes sense to connect anything beyond the major roads that already cross over or under it. One difference I see is that I-35 took out huge chunks of an existing grid; Mopac was built alongside an existing railroad ROW that did split development in a way, but the community developed around said ROW. From an environmental, noise, and aesthetic standpoint, I would still love for it to be remedied, but that's just an opinion I have with any expressway.

ya, good point on the RR. I cross over Mopac all the time via bike, or even foot. It certainly feels more civilized, my wife will even do it. Crossing over I-35 tho, she's out - certainly not thru the immediate downtown area anyway.

[Sigaven]

Originally Posted by JAM

What about Mopac? Never hear anyone crying to have that covered. It's as ugly as I-35.

Mopac doesn't run directly through downtown. Furthermore it runs along a set of train tracks that existed long before so it didn't really do much in dividing the city.

[We vs us]

Originally Posted by Sigaven

Mopac doesn't run directly through downtown. Furthermore it runs along a set of train tracks that existed long before so it didn't really do much in dividing the city.

TBH, many of the Mopac crossings don't feel precarious or dangerously overtrafficked, or surrounded by homeless encampments, etc. Though, to be fair -- you get out of the certain radius from DT and the Mopac crossings are just as janky.

[valhalla]

As the person who opened this can of worms, I will try to correct course. My original point was that of the 3 initial options for the i-35 project, it appears that TXDOT has ruled out the most pro-urbanist/anti-highway of the 3. It sounds like they are moving forward with a plan that would significantly widen I-35 thru downtown. If this ends up just being a highway widening project with little room for caps or other beautification, count me the heck out.

See latest news: https://www.kut.org/2021-08-19/txdot...central-austin

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by valhalla

As the person who opened this can of worms, I will try to correct course. My original point was that of the 3 initial options for the i-35 project, it appears that TXDOT has ruled out the most pro-urbanist/anti-highway of the 3. It sounds like they are moving forward with a plan that would significantly widen I-35 thru downtown. If this ends up just being a highway widening project with little room for caps or other beautification, count me the heck out.

See latest news: https://www.kut.org/2021-08-19/txdot...central-austin

Neither of the options (significantly) widens downtown. This whole argument is immaterial to the feasibility of capping.

The widening is happening further north, north of Dean Keaton. Where there was never going to be any capping.


The downtown section (especially where capping was on the table, CC to ~15th) is almost entirely within the existing RoW. Look for the cyan lines on the schematic.

https://capexcentral.mobility35openh...LT2-080621.pdf

https://capexcentral.mobility35openh...LT3-080621.pdf

[Armybrat]

Originally Posted by drummer

One difference I see is that I-35 took out huge chunks of an existing grid; Mopac was built alongside an existing railroad ROW that did split development in a way, but the community developed around said ROW. From an environmental, noise, and aesthetic standpoint, I would still love for it to be remedied, but that's just an opinion I have with any expressway.

I-35 was built on the existing expanse of the old East Avenue. I know, because I watched it being built, and had traveled over the original street many times.

[Lobotomizer]

Great, I can see where this is heading. With billions of dollars earmarked for I-35 to finally be modernized, something many thought essentially impossible, a vocal minority will do everything imaginable to derail the needed project because it is not exactly what they want.

The funding will be reallocated to other regions of the state, and Austin will be stuck with a narrow, ugly, and unsafe I-35 built for a city 1/4 the size it is today.

"Progressives" will disagree, but it will be a decision regretted and mocked for the next half century.

Yaaaaaay!