AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[DoubleC]

Finally.

Now to rebuild it!

[KevinFromTexas]

Video.

https://www.facebook.com/kruemcke/vi...21968479535345

• Video Link• Video Link

[wwmiv]

This whole what regions and boundaries of those regions are so blurry here in central Texas because of the many layers of governments and quasi-governmental organizations, historic land use patterns, and overlayed decades of infill and redevelopment, that any attempt is going to be rife with personal bias (as is mine).

These images represent, to me, what are the broad strokes regions of non-farm non-rural commerce in and around Austin.

In the center, you have a color wheel of urban and suburban Austin and other centrally located jurisdictions. The closer in color are two areas, the more similar they are. Around them, in shades of brown, are the major suburbs or unincorporated development areas that have lately porous development boundaries with the city of Austin itself (I.E. together these two groups are roughly the “urban area”, though I am slightly more generous than would be the census bureau). Beyond that, in various shades of grey, are the rural communities and satellite cities and towns which surround Austin and dot Austin’s rural hinterlands. Additionally, I’ve included Austin’s primary resort and vacation towns in a selection of blues.

In all cases, darker colors represent more intense development and lighter colors both less intense and less consistent development patterns.

Also note that within the city are the primary urban clusters that rise to their own level of significant rather than simply being a commercial area situated within the broader context of a neighborhood area (think of the difference as being that SoCo is part of the broader South Austin context, but Mueller is distinct in development, history, connections, urbanity, and many other factors from East Austin). These are in shades of grey. Also, in burnt orange are the two UT areas.

[drummer]

Great maps, wwmiv. Thanks for putting those together. The only thing I would add is low-density for Lago Vista and Jonestown.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

Great maps, wwmiv. Thanks for putting those together. The only thing I would add is low-density for Lago Vista and Jonestown.

They’re included in a medium brown color region as a collection of north lake Travis communities with Nameless, Highland Lake Estates, Volente, Comanche Canyon, and Hippie Hollow. It’s a pretty contiguous band of suburban and exurban development along the north rim of the lake all the way from 620 until Cow Creek. There is a small patch of preserve/parkland on the interior of this section, but the contiguous low and medium development wraps back around into Leander. Hence, medium brown, rather than light brown.

Buda, Kyle, Leander, Pflugerville, Brushy Creek, and Georgetown are also medium brown. Cedar Park and Round Rock are dark brown.

[freerover]

Anyone want to guess where the 2020 Metro center of population will be? If 2010 was North Loop Blvd and Burnet Road, I think we are definitely moving north a little bit but East/West is harder to predict since we've seen so much growth in the far NW metro as well as the east metro. I'll say 183 and N Lamar.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

They’re included in a medium brown color region as a collection of north lake Travis communities with Nameless, Highland Lake Estates, Volente, Comanche Canyon, and Hippie Hollow. It’s a pretty contiguous band of suburban and exurban development along the north rim of the lake all the way from 620 until Cow Creek. There is a small patch of preserve/parkland on the interior of this section, but the contiguous low and medium development wraps back around into Leander. Hence, medium brown, rather than light brown.

Buda, Kyle, Leander, Pflugerville, Brushy Creek, and Georgetown are also medium brown. Cedar Park and Round Rock are dark brown.

Oh, that's right - I was looking to the west of Lago. Thanks for clearing that up.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by freerover

Anyone want to guess where the 2020 Metro center of population will be? If 2010 was North Loop Blvd and Burnet Road, I think we are definitely moving north a little bit but East/West is harder to predict since we've seen so much growth in the far NW metro as well as the east metro. I'll say 183 and N Lamar.

Yeah, that's tough to say because I'm not sure if NW or NE is growing more right now. It seems that NW is more dense, if we can call it that, especially right along 183.

I would guess just south of 183, between Burnet and Lamar. Maybe Woodrow Ave and Anderson Lane.

[We vs us]

The lack of density out east is still amazing to me. For a city that's seen so much prolonged growth, the same old north/south corridors have really seen most of the action.

And of course out towards Lakeway and Bee Caves and the Hill Country. But no one likes east!

[Novacek]

I'd say definitely moving north (lots of growth south, but even more north). Not sure E/W.

We'll probably still not yet be to to the point where Burnet County gets included in the metro. If/when that happens, it'll be a NW shift.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by Novacek

I'd say definitely moving north (lots of growth south, but even more north). Not sure E/W.

We'll probably still not yet be to to the point where Burnet County gets included in the metro. If/when that happens, it'll be a NW shift.

I’ve long believed that the Austin metro area is on the precipice of a rapid expansion of counties. Burnet and Llano (and Milam and Blanco) are all well within striking distance within the next 30 years.

That’s currently 100,000 people.

Part of the reason why is geography. On the north side of the river, Balcones Canyonlands hems development to south of 1431 for the remainder of the length of Lake Travis. In fact, on the north side there are only two Riverbends worth of development left before Burnet County (and after that Smithwick comprises two more... and then you’re in Marble Falls). On the south side of the river the riverside development is already in Burnet County and just needs to fill out a little toward 71. Eventually, a tipping point will be reached. Similarly, development is largely restricted to the area north of 71. The effect of this is that development in this corridor is funneled alongside the lake/river and that focus makes it more likely than not that Marble Falls is eventually connected via a complex mix of suburban, exurban, and other peri-urban features (urban parks, preserves, rivers, lakes, patches of lower intensity development or peripheral service districts that are otherwise unpopulated) to Austin.

Marble Falls itself is relatively well connected to the other highland lakes towns. There are only a few minor gaps, but development is consistently low intensity exurban residential throughout (at about 40% of the lots built). And the lots that haven’t been built are relatively cheap compared to the Austin area. It’s give-me land to newly Austin wealthy. The only problem? It lacks a direct freeway connection for commuters. 71 should be upgraded the entire way, frankly. Open up some of this land for development! It will bring prices down.

As for the town of Burnet, it happens to be the next town outside of Williamson County (one of the core counties in the metro area) on the 29 corridor. Liberty Hill is already connected and if Leander or Cedar Park ever attracts a major enough employer (or even as the Parmer employment corridor continues to grow), this suddenly becomes within commuting distance and that could help tip the scales in conjunction with the other things happening.

[H2O]

I have heard for quite some time that the center of population is Anderson and Burnet, so I was surprised that North Loop was shown. Or is that City of Austin population and metro is a little further south? That would also surprise me.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by H2O

I have heard for quite some time that the center of population is Anderson and Burnet, so I was surprised that North Loop was shown. Or is that City of Austin population and metro is a little further south? That would also surprise me.

I've never seen a city center of population and the metro one was from 2010.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by freerover

I've never seen a city center of population and the metro one was from 2010.

I've never seen one for the city either, come to think of it.

[drummer]

So on the topic of transportation, I did some digging in Williamson County recently to see what was being planned. Here are links to the pages with a lot of projects/potential projects for especially expansions and new roadways.

Precinct 1
Precinct 2
Precinct 3
Precinct 4

Of particular interest are a couple expressways that I came across. I would have to dig through the files on those links to find them again, but here's a brief description:

1. EW controlled-access highway along Hero Way / 2243 from 183A to SW Bypass, then following across to 130 and on east a bit

2. EW controlled-access highway starting at Gattis School Rd and 130, extending east and then northeast - my presumption is to eventually meet up with 79 or go to the loop around Taylor

Of course the extension of 183A north of 29 is largely known already.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

So on the topic of transportation, I did some digging in Williamson County recently to see what was being planned. Here are links to the pages with a lot of projects/potential projects for especially expansions and new roadways.

Precinct 1
Precinct 2
Precinct 3
Precinct 4

Of particular interest are a couple expressways that I came across. I would have to dig through the files on those links to find them again, but here's a brief description:

1. EW controlled-access highway along Hero Way / 2243 from 183A to SW Bypass, then following across to 130 and on east a bit

2. EW controlled-access highway starting at Gattis School Rd and 130, extending east and then northeast - my presumption is to eventually meet up with 79 or go to the loop around Taylor

Of course the extension of 183A north of 29 is largely known already.

https://www.wilco.org/rm2243
https://www.wilco.org/Departments/In...Southeast-Loop

[drummer]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

https://www.wilco.org/rm2243
https://www.wilco.org/Departments/In...Southeast-Loop

Thanks!

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by drummer

Thanks!

I couldn’t find an extension of the 2243/Hero expressway to 130. Just the western half.

Note that both of these two roads are being built as a two lane surface road at first. This surface road will eventually become the frontage road on one side. The design of these expressways is very similar to Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio, for anyone grasping for a real world visual tangible example of what to expect.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

I couldn’t find an extension of the 2243/Hero expressway to 130. Just the western half.

Note that both of these two roads are being built as a two lane surface road at first. This surface road will eventually become the frontage road on one side. The design of these expressways is very similar to Wurzbach Parkway in San Antonio, for anyone grasping for a real world visual tangible example of what to expect.

I saw it somewhere but I'd have to spend some time looking around again. Should have saved it. It extends the expressway along SE Inner Loop and then veers a bit south then east again along what is currently Sam Houston Ave., which will continue on to 130 and then past it, connecting with 29 somewhere a bit west of the small community of Jonah.


Edit: I can only find the SE portion now from about SE Inner Loop to 29 with the 130 connection. Click on either "Ultimate Schematic" or "Corridor C Schematic August 2019"
https://www.wilco.org/corridorc

[Novacek]

ATP board meeting agenda has a pretty detailed potential alignment for the blue line

https://capmetro.org/docs/default-so...nda-packet.pdf

At the end