SH130 to be the new I-35? (Houston, Dallas: homes, neighborhood, buying)

[jobert]

Originally Posted by eepstein

I actually think that is a good idea. Start tolling I-35 and get a good amount of truck and through traffic onto 130. That might actually work. Oh wait, let's take a look at the city's past track record when it comes to sensible, efficient, and environmentally friendly transportation alternatives. Well an idea, is better than nothing I guess.

Diverting traffic out of town makes the most sense. I think I-35 would have to become a tollroad, or the entire effort would be a waste of time. It's not as easy as "let's switch" signs..the function of these two roads needs to be interchanged. You can drive by Austin, but if you want to get into Austin, you pay a toll. I have absolutely no problem with that. I would pay $2-3 to get to downtown from OC during rush hour if it took a 1/3 of the traffic (and ALL the thru-freight traffic) off the road. The commute would probably change from 25 minutes to 10 minutes during rush hour.

[ImOnFiya]

Originally Posted by jobert

Diverting traffic out of town makes the most sense. I think I-35 would have to become a tollroad, or the entire effort would be a waste of time. It's not as easy as "let's switch" signs.. whoever said that was retarded and missed the point. The function of these two roads needs to be interchanged. You can drive by Austin, but if you want to get into Austin, you pay a toll. I have absolutely no problem with that. I would pay $2-3 to get to downtown from OC during rush hour if it took a 1/3 of the traffic (and ALL the thru-freight traffic) off the road. The commute would probably change from 25 minutes to 10 minutes during rush hour.

I can't believe my ears! What you and TxDot are suggesting is MADNESS !

Tolling I-35from Georgetown would essential produces a PRICE PREMIUM for anyone trying to get into the City of Austin, Bee Cave, Briarcliff, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, Jonestown, Leander, Lakeway, Lago Vista, Spicewood, and San Leanna.


From the north: in order to reach a FREE road, commuters would have the frontage road on Tolled I-35 down to already tolled SH-45 to reach N. MoPac.

From the south: in order to reach a FREE road, commuters would have to take the Tolled I-35 frontage from far southern Travis County to Ben White Blvd west to reach MoPac.


What is being asked of Austin residents is that TxDot toll an ENTIRE CITY ! Austin would the ONLY CITY in the country with this type of restricted access. Everyone would need to buy a TxTag and the cost of delivering goods and services to the Austin (and all points west) would skyrocket.

Economic development within the city of Austin would grind to a halt.

The beneficiaries of a Tolled I-35: the suburbs OUTSIDE of the toll(s), who would have LOWER transportation and cost of living expenses, and the long, mismanaged coffers of TxDot.


Say "NO!" to this outrageous plan which would destroy the economic vitality of Austin and western Travis and Williamson Counties.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by jobert

Diverting traffic out of town makes the most sense. I think I-35 would have to become a tollroad, or the entire effort would be a waste of time. It's not as easy as "let's switch" signs.. whoever said that was retarded and missed the point. The function of these two roads needs to be interchanged. You can drive by Austin, but if you want to get into Austin, you pay a toll. I have absolutely no problem with that. I would pay $2-3 to get to downtown from OC during rush hour if it took a 1/3 of the traffic (and ALL the thru-freight traffic) off the road. The commute would probably change from 25 minutes to 10 minutes during rush hour.

Once I-35 is switched to a non-toll 130, through truck traffic can be prohibited, just as it is on MOPAC today. That alone would have a tremendous affect on congestion downtown.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by ImOnFiya

I can't believe my ears! What you and TxDot are suggesting is MADNESS !

Tolling I-35 from Georgetown[/B] would essential produces a PRICE PREMIUM for anyone trying to get into the City of Austin, Bee Cave, Briarcliff, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs, Jonestown, Leander, Lakeway, Lago Vista, Spicewood, and San Leanna.

You misunderstand the plan:

"one of the existing lanes on each side of the “old” I-35 through Central Texas would become a “managed” lane with tolls that would fluctuate in size depending on the traffic load. "

[ImOnFiya]

[

[feconi]

Originally Posted by jobert

Diverting traffic out of town makes the most sense. I think I-35 would have to become a tollroad, or the entire effort would be a waste of time. It's not as easy as "let's switch" signs.. whoever said that was retarded and missed the point. The function of these two roads needs to be interchanged. You can drive by Austin, but if you want to get into Austin, you pay a toll. I have absolutely no problem with that. I would pay $2-3 to get to downtown from OC during rush hour if it took a 1/3 of the traffic (and ALL the thru-freight traffic) off the road. The commute would probably change from 25 minutes to 10 minutes during rush hour.

Here's the rub: it WON'T take 1/3 of the cars off the road. It also won't take all the trucks off the road, as many of them have stops within Austin.

In reality, you might see traffic volumes drop by 1/5 and that's not nearly enough of a change to solve our congestion problems when I-35 is operating at double to triple its design capacity.

Making one lane into a managed lane (instead of making the "old" I-35 into a fully-tolled facility) might make traffic worse since you are effectively the freeway down to 4 general purpose lanes.

The more I think about this, the worse the current proposal sounds.

[feconi]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

Once I-35 is switched to a non-toll 130, through truck traffic can be prohibited, just as it is on MOPAC today. That alone would have a tremendous affect on congestion downtown.

Good luck with that. There's about a thousand businesses along I-35 that might have something to say about closing off truck traffic along that corridor. That would be a sure-fire way to accelerate sprawl along the "new" I-35 (and then we'd just be in the same predicament in 10 years instead of 15).

[feconi]

So in summary, as it stands the committee's proposal will:

(1) probably make traffic worse on the current I-35 (since a general purpose lane will be converted to a managed lane and the traffic volume decrease on the "old" I-35 will be insignificant), and (2) intensify sprawl along SH 130, eventually leading to congestion along that corridor.

Maybe the city of Austin was on to something with the "do nothing" option after all.

[HappyTexan]

130 didn't work out so well.
What makes anyone think swapping will work ?
Might as well put stop lights at the entrance ramps and call a California highway then.

[FueledByBlueBell]

I think this is a fabulous idea seeing the # of cargo trucks/18 wheelers on 1-35 today. Remember, this isn't just a local road but the primary artery through the middle of the county and beyond. The trucks are very dangerous and are the cause of many wrecks. In the NE, along 1-95, there are separate lanes for large size/cargo trucks and I've always wondered why we don't have the same.