Build the Road (620/2222)

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Komeht

What kind of emergency are you envisioning here exactly? Invasion? Is this a Red Dawn kind of evacuation?

A fire, and they'd just evacuate to the grounds . . .wait for the emergency trucks to arrive. I take it this isn't in any flood plain (surely LISD wouldn't build a damn school in a flood plain). What kind of emergency requires students to be rapidly evacuated to a remote area?

Fire refers to wildfire - like the one that happened here in 2011 when much of the area was evacuated.

[earthisle]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

Fire refers to wildfire - like the one that happened here in 2011 when much of the area was evacuated.

A road would create a wildfire risk by presenting a large span of the preserve to passing cars, especially considering high school students tend to do stupid things like a) smoke and b) throw their butts out the window

Currently there is minimal exposure of vegetation to this risk judging from the aerial photo

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by earthisle

A road would create a wildfire risk by presenting a large span of the preserve to passing cars, especially considering high school students tend to do stupid things like a) smoke and b) throw their butts out the window

Currently there is minimal exposure of vegetation to this risk judging from the aerial photo

According to the CDC, teenagers have a lower smoking rate than adults.

Also, the wildfires in the area in 2011 were caused by electrical wires and the City of Austin was found liable. Nothing to do with smoking. The Bastrop fire at the same time (which destroyed over 1000 homes, was not caused by a cigarette. There are a lot of causes of fires. Wildfires spread, hence the reason for evacuation. So even without the road, a fire could easily start elsewhere (like along 2222) which would force the evacuation of the area. All of Steiner Ranch had to be evacuated in 2011 - and the fire didn't actually start in Steiner Ranch. The wind carried it here.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

According to the CDC, teenagers have a lower smoking rate than adults.

Which is meaningless, since the proposed road would not be limited in any way to only teenagers.

[Novacek]

Again, the whole "evacuation route in case 2222 gets cut off both ways by fire" thing is just a completely phony made up reason.

If they were seriously concerned about building an evacuation route, it wouldn't be a 4 lane (2x2) roadway with sidewalks.

It would be a single lane, out-only lane never used except in emergencies.


But that's not the proposal, so you can immediately tell it's just a convenient cover. Oh the humanity, won't someone please think of the children!

[earthisle]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Again, the whole "evacuation route in case 2222 gets cut off both ways by fire" thing is just a completely phony made up reason.

If they were seriously concerned about building an evacuation route, it wouldn't be a 4 lane (2x2) roadway with sidewalks.

It would be a single lane, out-only lane never used except in emergencies.


But that's not the proposal, so you can immediately tell it's just a convenient cover. Oh the humanity, won't someone please think of the children!

Plus if you look at the aerial photo on Google Maps there is already a dirt trail that can be used in an emergency

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Which is meaningless, since the proposed road would not be limited in any way to only teenagers.

Well, it won't go farther than the schools, so logic will dictate that the majority of the people using it will be to go to/from the schools. And any of those students could toss a cigarette out the window along McNeil Blvd on the way to school and the fire would easily spread to the preserve. Or someone on one of the houses just built right next to the preserve (like within feet of it) could easily start a fire with their grill, a candle, firepit, cigarette, etc.

I understand a lot of the arguments against the road, but honestly there really isn't an increased risk of fire. That has never been brought of, even by staunch opponents, because it's not a realistic concern. If anything, it will create a sort of natural fire break if a fire does occur in the area which could actually protect part of the preserve.

[Komeht]

Originally Posted by CarnivalGal

Fire refers to wildfire - like the one that happened here in 2011 when much of the area was evacuated.

Oh - well, let's consult a satellite image to see if need a road to safely evacuate students in the event of a wild-fire:

https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3978.../data=!3m1!1e3

Nope.

Next issue?