AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[austin242]

If that's house bill 3000 something in Texas, will it get signed or will they just never actually get to it?

[electricron]

Originally Posted by austin242

If that's house bill 3000 something in Texas, will it get signed or will they just never actually get to it?

The Governor can not sign it until it passed by the Senate.
While the news agencies like to point out successes as bills flow through the political and legislative meat grinder call the Texas Legislature, it really is a disservice to not even mention what the bill's chances are in the other house or from the governor.
Just because one house passes a bill does not mean the bill actually becomes the law of the land.

[AustinYIMBY]

The numbering of the bills doesn't really matter. What really matters is the political will behind certain measures. If they want it passed (and especially if Abbott wants it passed) they will move it through relatively quickly.
For reference, in the last Leg session, 7,324 bills were filed, 1,429 were passed, and 56 were vetoed. But one thing to keep in mind is that a large number of bills filed are rather frivolous (for example Congratulating the Hutto Hippos on their state championship...") which only get filed and typically no other action is taken.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by J78704

I like high speed transit so I’ll probably keep voting for every proposal. But I’m gonna start getting bitter if they build any more central expansions north of the river before they build more south.

Did you get a new account? Dude, the river is not the dividing line for Austin. The East/NE side of Austin should get 1 high capacity system before south Austin gets a 3rd.

[KevinFromTexas]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Uh, south Austin is getting two light rail lines, while the north is only getting one. Despite the fact that the majority of Austin lives north.

If anyone has any reason to be “bitter” it’s those north of the river.

North Austin does have the commuter rail. South Austin has felt left out since that happened. Also, if the 2000 LRT plan had passed, we'd be ~20 years deep with rail transit in South Austin, but we all know that didn't happen.

[freerover]

Just a reminder the center of metro population is North Loop Blvd and Burnet Road. That will likely shift east a little bit when the new numbers come out in September but the idea that the river actually represents the north side and Southside is extremely superficial and anti-reality. I'm not sure what the center of population is for the city itself but it sure as hell is not the river.

[KevinFromTexas]

True, however, South Austin is geographically closer to downtown, but there's also the psychological sense that you're close since the skyline looms big in places. It also feels logical that South Lamar, South First, and Congress would become major corridors - both for density and transportation. They're every bit as important as say North Lamar or Guadalupe or Burnet, etc. I also feel like there is huge potential for some of the big shopping centers to bite the dust - Brodie Oaks will be huge if it gets redeveloped. And then there's all the industrial stuff south of Ben White between I-35 and South Pleasant Valley and Congress that could be redeveloped. It even has the potential for a rail connection to the airport. I could also see that greater area pushing farther west close to South Austin Medical Center as that area is already trending toward being a medical district of sorts. By the way, on my last bike ride home, I had a pretty sweet view straight down Radam Lane (which passes by the CapMetro park and ride alongside the railroad tracks) of Starflight's helicopter landing on the roof at South Austin Medical Center. I didn't realize they built a helipad on the roof during their expansion. It's had a pad in the parking lot near James Casey Street for years. It was pretty neat riding down the street and having a perfect view of it landing up there.

The river dividing the city was accurate at one time for sure. As a lifelong South Austinite, I can't think of anything we ever did in North Austin on a regular basis when I was growing up. Sure, there were things we went there for, but it was never a frequent thing. Even now North Austin doesn't actually feel like Austin to me, and I'm mostly talking about way north where it actually does mesh with the suburbs up there. If I'm within sight of the Williamson County line, then it isn't Austin to me, even if our population center is trending that way.

[drummer]

I found this:

2010 Population Center of Metropolitan Austin

Does anyone have a more recent version?

[freerover]

Originally Posted by KevinFromTexas

True, however, South Austin is geographically closer to downtown, but there's also the psychological sense that you're close since the skyline looms big in places. It also feels logical that South Lamar, South First, and Congress would become major corridors - both for density and transportation. They're every bit as important as say North Lamar or Guadalupe or Burnet, etc. I also feel like there is huge potential for some of the big shopping centers to bite the dust - Brodie Oaks will be huge if it gets redeveloped. And then there's all the industrial stuff south of Ben White between I-35 and South Pleasant Valley and Congress that could be redeveloped. It even has the potential for a rail connection to the airport. I could also see that greater area pushing farther west close to South Austin Medical Center as that area is already trending toward being a medical district of sorts. By the way, on my last bike ride home, I had a pretty sweet view straight down Radam Lane (which passes by the CapMetro park and ride alongside the railroad tracks) of Starflight's helicopter landing on the roof at South Austin Medical Center. I didn't realize they built a helipad on the roof during their expansion. It's had a pad in the parking lot near James Casey Street for years. It was pretty neat riding down the street and having a perfect view of it landing up there.

The river dividing the city was accurate at one time for sure. As a lifelong South Austinite, I can't think of anything we ever did in North Austin on a regular basis when I was growing up. Sure, there were things we went there for, but it was never a frequent thing. Even now North Austin doesn't actually feel like Austin to me, and I'm mostly talking about way north where it actually does mesh with the suburbs up there. If I'm within sight of the Williamson County line, then it isn't Austin to me, even if our population center is trending that way.

Downtown is IN south Austin based on every definition of the word south except how you feel. geographically, center of the city is around MLK, Demographically it's much higher. The reality is when you say "south Austin" what you are really saying is the southern half of south Austin.


How about we look at the numbers and invest in corridors that can serve the most along of people.

Originally Posted by drummer

I found this:

2010 Population Center of Metropolitan Austin

Does anyone have a more recent version?

It won't be updated until September.

[KevinFromTexas]

I'm talking about what the historic definition of what South Austin is, and that's always been south of the river. It doesn't matter that the population has shifted. That doesn't change the definition of the boundary lines. I'm talking about a time when those places in what is now North Austin were cow pasture and couldn't even be thought of as North Austin then as they were outside of the city limits.

I don't take public transit really, so trying to define the city based on it won't matter much to me.

City boundary lines are arbitrary, especially when they can be expanded by annexation or secession if they whine enough.

[Armybrat]

Correct. I lived south of the river from ‘59-‘67, and everything north of about 45th, between the Lamar/Burnet corridor and East Avenue/Interregional Highway was North Austin. 1st Street up to 45th was Central Austin... at least to me.

[Echostatic]

South Austin = South of Colorado

Central Austin = Colorado to 2222

North Austin = North of 2222

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by Armybrat

and everything north of about 45th, between the Lamar/Burnet corridor and East Avenue/Interregional Highway was North Austin. 1st Street up to 45th was Central Austin... at least to me.

That’s what I’ve always done too.

[chinchaaa]

Originally Posted by kingkirbythe....

That’s what I’ve always done too.

same. I think that commenter probably lives in like Cedar Park and tells himself the center of population is farther north so he feels like he doesn't live in the suburbs.

[KevinFromTexas]

For me, it's less about the population center and more about the geography. I was reading a post on Facebook today, and someone was talking about a neighborhood off Manchaca Road back in the 50s, and at the time that area was thought of as Southwest Austin. That seems crazy to me as that area definitely is not what I would think of as Southwest Austin today. Still, there are churches in that area that carry the words Southwest Austin in their name because at the time that area was Southwest Austin. Now, I think of Southwest Austin as south of the river and west of Mopac, but who knows, that might change, too.

Funnier still, I was talking with a guy at a store in Buda a couple of weeks ago who is from Houston. We mentioned we had been in Houston over the weekend, and he was saying that to him that Buda might as well be South Austin. Not because to him Buda represented anything related to the population of Austin, but rather he said it was because Houston is so big so that even Buda being as far as it is doesn't really feel that far away.

[hookem]

Originally Posted by Echostatic

South Austin = South of Colorado

Central Austin = Colorado to 2222

North Austin = North of 2222

So Far West, Anderson Lane, not in central yet? I would think they would be by now.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Echostatic

South Austin = South of Colorado

Central Austin = Colorado to 2222

North Austin = North of 2222

Sure, if those are the definitions you want to use.

Then that means “north Austin” is getting 1.7 miles of light rail, while “south Austin” is getting 12.

So the claim that “south Austin should be bitter” is even more bullshit.

[chinchaaa]

You guys - downtown will always be central no matter how sprawled out the city gets.

[ahealy]

It's so fun to hear all these interpretations of North/Central/South. I do believe rail will finally erase the "i DoNt dRiVe nOrtH oF ThE rIvER" stuff--that cracks me up when I (rarely) hear it today.

Being a native San Antonian, I never really paid too much attention to where someone lived in the city or why I wouldn't want to travel there....and they have about the same traffic congestion.

NOTE: Not trying to start a North VS. South thread. lol.

[The ATX]

I35/US183 interchange implosion this morning. The link has the video.


https://www.kut.org/transportation/2...ed-on-saturday