Austin traffic update: we're scr*wed (Beaumont, Round Rock: school, zoned, shop)

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Have you actually read the council meetings/staff recommendations in cases like this?

In most cases, it's either approved because it has to be or because the alternative is worse.

Is this the case you were complaining about?

Builder seeks zoning change to build 110 homes in River Place Added traffic could be up to 2,000 daily trips - Four Points News

In which case, it's not a variance and not even a real rezoning (it's currently DR, so any development would be a "rezoning", and again, preventing any use/development of the land isn't an option).

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Is this the case you were complaining about?

Builder seeks zoning change to build 110 homes in River Place Added traffic could be up to 2,000 daily trips - Four Points News

In which case, it's not a variance and not even a real rezoning (it's currently DR, so any development would be a "rezoning", and again, preventing any use/development of the land isn't an option).

Yes. From the article you linked, "Both zoning changes would have to be approved by the Austin City Council." So the city does have the power to prevent or delay the construction of these homes until the infrastructure can handle it.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

Yes. From the article you linked, "Both zoning changes would have to be approved by the Austin City Council." So the city does have the power to prevent or delay the construction of these homes until the infrastructure can handle it.

No.

The city has the power to try, at which point they then get sued by the developer.

Or by the original owner, Berta Bradley, for illegal takings. Basically by depriving her of her property by making her land "worthless".

[Nacho_Friend]

I love the call for building walls around Austin via toll taxes to prevent citizens from getting to their jobs but yet these same folks abhor the idea of stopping a massive influx of foreigners from flooding these very same roads.

Extranational Socialists unite!

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by sojourner77

It's probably time to make every road in Austin either tolled or HOV. We are past the point-of-no-return.

Agreed. The traffic cow has left the barn and is so far out in the field it will never return.

Originally Posted by earthisle

Unfortunately the city never had the ability to control development outside city limits, and now the city is paying the price for the suburbs' ballooning. Funny how that works.

Are highly regulated "no growth" cities that successfully "controlled" growth free of the effects of suburban sprawl?

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

I cut through downtown today, traffic was thicker than usual but my 20 minute trip on 35/local roads was only extended five minutes by relying strictly on local streets.

This is Texas! Pretty much the last place on earth where government-mandated carpooling would fly! A managed toll lane on 35 is in the planning stages but it won't be a quick fix and will cause short-term pain. My family long ago traded in the idea of a big garage, big house on a big lot for a smaller home very close in. For us, this pays off everyday. Our location in combination with flexible working hours and working from home at least 20% of the time keeps our exposure to Austin traffic at manageable levels

Agreed. I think you either have to be right inside the belly of the beast, or avoid it completely.

My personal solution is to eventually leave Austin. We already now live in a small 1,000 sqft 2/1 in Wimberley Thursdays through Sunday. As empty nesters, it's more than enough space. Once there, my wife and I don't even drive much as we can just walk to the few places we go on the Square.

Traffic has affected my business too. I routinely turn down new accounts north of downtown because I want to limit my driving, which preserves my serenity. I'll be shifting to Hays County, which just passed its own road bond. Once 45 SW connects to 1626, it will be much easier to get to Buda/Kyle from SW Austin than going into downtown Austin. I envision a day when I don't go north of Enfield Rd ever again, unless I absolutely have to.

[IC_deLight]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

I'll be shifting to Hays County, which just passed its own road bond. Once 45 SW connects to 1626, it will be much easier to get to Buda/Kyle from SW Austin than going into downtown Austin. I envision a day when I don't go north of Enfield Rd ever again, unless I absolutely have to.

Unless you have a reason to go to Enfield you might find yourself drawing the line around Brodie or Slaughter (depending upon your direction of travel). Plenty of shopping and plenty of parking.

[riaelise]

To be honest, with the exception of work, traffic doesn't bother me and definitely not to the point where I'd consider moving. Traveling within the northern suburbs is largely a breeze barring wrecks. We probably go into Austin once per month, and even then it is in the 183 and Lakeline area.

I deal with traffic by taking public transportation. Sure, it doesn't cut down on time. But I'm sleeping or tooling around on my ipad while in traffic instead of driving in it.

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by riaelise

To be honest, with the exception of work, traffic doesn't bother me and definitely not to the point where I'd consider moving. Traveling within the northern suburbs is largely a breeze barring wrecks. We probably go into Austin once per month, and even then it is in the 183 and Lakeline area.

I deal with traffic by taking public transportation. Sure, it doesn't cut down on time. But I'm sleeping or tooling around on my ipad while in traffic instead of driving in it.

Shhhhhh!!! Don't tell everybody!!!

[centralaustinite]

I think what seems to be happening is that everyone in Austin is narrowing their radius! I had to laugh at the idea that 183/Lakeline is "Austin" because that is practically off the map for me. I'm probably not out that way more than one or twice in a 2 year period.

We do pretty much everything within a 5 mile radius of our house, 8 mile radius for some things and hardly ever go past 10 miles in any direction on a regular basis -- exceptions for IKEA, Monument Cafe, the Dell Diamond, friends in Bastrop and business in NB.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by riaelise

Traveling within the northern suburbs is largely a breeze barring wrecks.

Well sure, nobody lives there.


Williamson has 1/3 the people in a (slightly) larger area. It's even worse as most of Travis's population is concentrated in Austin.


We'll see in 30 years, when Williamson's population starts to rival what Travis's now. Especially if several of those municipalities continue to resist public transit.


Same thing with job density.