The big lesson from Austin’s City Council elections (Portland: best city, to move)

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

Yeah, you don't want to scrape all the SFH in the central city at all, do you?

All of that would go on new land. I have no interest in scraping all SFH in the center city at all. No idea where you get this moderator cut: inappropriate language from.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

I thought you were talking about rezoning.

The best use for a cap over I-35 would be the restoration of East Avenue. You wouldn't get near 150 acres of buildable space.

Yes you would. Probably a bit more.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

You wouldn't get near 150 acres of buildable space.

About 1/5 of that:

DANA’s Placemaking Committee recently reviewed Sinclair Black’s proposal to submerge IH-35 below grade and “cap” it with a four lane, landscaped, pedestrian- and cyclist-friendly boulevard. This plan would recapture approximately 30 acres of land above the interstate to productive, tax-producing use.

The last part is a laugher. Does anyone seriously think that this won't be predominantly open space? The cries have already started.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Komeht

As to how to deal with deplorable existing condition:

1. One thing has been shown to work with congestion - tolls. Have to tax the congestions. I would immediately put a toll on I-35.

Great plan. Except that it is against federal law.

Tolling the additional capacity proposed by the I 35 Corridor Mobility Study can be done. But what you want - the financial underpinning of your entire idea - is blocked by federal law, and would also never be approved by TxDOT on 35 or Mopac.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by scm53

About 1/5 of that:



The last part is a laugher. Does anyone seriously think that this won't be predominantly open space? The cries have already started.

That proposal is for downtown 1 mile. I said central Austin - about 5X's as long. So yeah, about 150 acres.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by scm53

About 1/5 of that:



The last part is a laugher. Does anyone seriously think that this won't be predominantly open space? The cries have already started.

You asked what I would do. That's what I would do. You think seriously anyone is going to build a crosstown freeway across Allandale? It's insane and it will never happen.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by scm53

Great plan. Except that it is against federal law.

Tolling the additional capacity proposed by the I 35 Corridor Mobility Study can be done. But what you want - the financial underpinning of your entire idea - is blocked by federal law, and would also never be approved by TxDOT on 35 or Mopac.

Actually tolling is likely coming for interstates, sooner rather than later. The FWHTF is broke and not getting any less broke. The make it solvent you would have to raise the gas tax to about 77 cents a gallon - total political impossibility.

Oh, BTW, legislative blocks are the easiest and cheapest ones to overcome - it's just a new law. It's a lot harder to expand a highway through a city - and a ****tton more expensive. Also happens to be a political impossibility to do anything significant. Mobility 35 is proposed to add a single lane on I-35 in each direction - then what? I can tell you what's definitely not happening - widening it further.

[lndigo]

it'd be nice if there was room to make a limited access highway from the east directly to downtown to encourage growth that does not have to go through i-35 in order to get to downtown (which right now applies to not just drivers coming in from the north/south suburbs but also from 290 east and maybe even 71).

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by lndigo

it'd be nice if there was room to make a limited access highway from the east directly to downtown to encourage growth that does not have to go through i-35 in order to get to downtown (which right now applies to not just drivers coming in from the north/south suburbs but also from 290 east and maybe even 71).

Which east side neighborhoods would you have destroyed?

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Komeht

You asked what I would do. That's what I would do. You think seriously anyone is going to build a crosstown freeway across Allandale? It's insane and it will never happen.

But it won't prevent you from tossing it - or any other of a dozen dystopian nightmares - out there to scare people into your ultimate goal of removing all freeways.

Besides - the congestion problem in Austin isn't caused by, nor will be made materially better by more crosstown expressways. But they are great for scaring the heck out of people.