Austin, what's the deal? (Houston, Dallas: middle-class, middle school, to live in)

[capcat]

Originally Posted by eepstein

the roadsystem in Austin really hasn't changed much since...back in the 1800's when there was no vehicles, just horses on the trails.

How so?

[capcat]

Originally Posted by g grasshopper

...i don't think it's productive to compare the features of states as though it is a competition. Every state has it's own history and reasons why things are the way they are. We should use good ideas, where ever they come from, and not get too deep in to judging each other.

+1

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by far2fargo

Thanks to everyone who's taken the time to answer my questions.

I've got a better feeling of what the Austinite mentality is, it seems SOME, not all of you of course, hide behind laws or feel threatened when someone complains about a certain aspect, in this case, driving. Rather than to answer my question, I was lectured by many people on how to properly say mopac or reminded of how young I am. Talk about avoiding the question, I'm glad some of you gained some 'politician' ways to answer questions while living here in the capital. As I've said before, laws are often common sense, and they're enforced for you to retain that common sense. However, deliberately going the speed limit, while holding up traffic isn't common sense to me. If the traffic is going say 70, but it's a 65 zone, I would hope that you all would do your best to keep up with the traffic, or move to the right lane so others can pass you by. You must all remember that passing on the RIGHT is illegal, you must pass on the left, and the left lane is intended to be used only as a passing lane.

In all fairness, if I was a native Austinite and used to the way these people drive here, I'd hide behind these things as well, it's embarrassing to find myself stuck behind some driver not paying attention to anything but their cell phone, and it's that same embarrassment you'd feel if you were the one holding up the traffic.

I am honestly trying to enjoy your town while I am here, I don't walk into new cities with a negative connotation towards new places. I just found myself questioning about Austin a lot since I've been here, 4 years now. North Austin is absolutely beautiful with the rolling hills, and wildlife, and central is fantastic with your "Whole Paycheck" and many independently owned mom & pop stores. Every Austinite I've met has been absolutely kind, and coming from a city where there isn't a lot of 'love', I appreciate that, and I hope this love continues on.

So, good luck to you all. Thanks for the variety of responses, and please, slower traffic keep to the right.

No passing on the right:
Sec. 545.057. PASSING TO THE RIGHT. (a) An operator may pass to the right of another vehicle only if conditions permit safely passing to the right and:

(1) the vehicle being passed is making or about to make a left turn; and

(2) the operator is:

(A) on a highway having unobstructed pavement not occupied by parked vehicles and sufficient width for two or more lines of moving vehicles in each direction; or

(B) on a one-way street or on a roadway having traffic restricted to one direction of movement and the roadway is free from obstructions and wide enough for two or more lines of moving vehicles.

(b) An operator may not pass to the right by leaving the main traveled portion of a roadway except as provided by Section 545.058.

Driving in the left lane:
Sec. 545.051. DRIVING ON RIGHT SIDE OF ROADWAY. (a) An operator on a roadway of sufficient width shall drive on the right half of the roadway, unless:

(1) the operator is passing another vehicle;

(2) an obstruction necessitates moving the vehicle left of the center of the roadway and the operator yields the right-of-way to a vehicle that:

(A) is moving in the proper direction on the unobstructed portion of the roadway; and

(B) is an immediate hazard;

(3) the operator is on a roadway divided into three marked lanes for traffic; or

(4) the operator is on a roadway restricted to one-way traffic.

(b) An operator of a vehicle on a roadway moving more slowly than the normal speed of other vehicles at the time and place under the existing conditions shall drive in the right-hand lane available for vehicles, or as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway, unless the operator is:

(1) passing another vehicle; or

(2) preparing for a left turn at an intersection or into a private road or driveway.

(c) An operator on a roadway having four or more lanes for moving vehicles and providing for two-way movement of vehicles may not drive left of the center line of the roadway except:

(1) as authorized by an official traffic-control device designating a specified lane to the left side of the center of the roadway for use by a vehicle not otherwise permitted to use the lane;

(2) under the conditions described by Subsection (a)(2); or

(3) in crossing the center line to make a left turn into or out of an alley, private road, or driveway.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by atxcio

TxDot, the folks who design highways in Texas, don't seem to subscribe to the method of road building used in CA and a lot of other states. IMO, they are very behind the times, building large cheap highways that encourage sprawl and cause neighborhood decline.

With that in mind, I'm kind of glad Austin never got any real highway infrastructure... because it would have been the TxDot sprawly, crappy expressways. It would have ruined many of the central neighborhoods (Austin is unique in the sense that practically everything central has always remained good neighborhoods). Hopefully in the future TxDot will learn to build real, modern highways... and then they can upgrade the system here.

Why do we have to do everything California does? Why can't we modernize without following them?

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by love roses

Why do we have to do everything California does? Why can't we modernize without following them?

True, we can modernize without following them. I didn't mean to single out CA specifically, it just comes to my mind first. Really many states build highways better and less cheaply than TxDot. Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia... you lived in Colorado, right? What did you think of the highway infrastructure there?

[TexasHorseLady]

We don't have to. Some people (mostly from California) would prefer that we do, somehow thinking that everything California is superior, all evidence to the contrary. They're incorrect in that assumption.

TEXAS TRANSPORTATION CODE

SECTION 545.352 (a) (b) (3) PRIMA FACIE SPEED LIMITS

(a) A speed in excess of the limits established by Subsection (b) or under another provision of this subchapter is prima facie evidence that the speed is not reasonable and prudent and that the speed is unlawful.
(b) Unless a special hazard exists that requires a slower speed for compliance with Section 545.351 (b), the following speeds are lawful:
(3) 60 miles per hour in daytime and 55 miles per hour in nighttime if the vehicle is on a highway that is outside an urban district and not a highway numbered by the this state or the United States;

Also, the only exceptions I could find to the speed limit were for emergency vehicles. Nothing about exceptions to the speed limit for the left lane.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by atxcio

True, we can modernize without following them. I didn't mean to single out CA specifically, it just comes to my mind first. Really many states build highways better and less cheaply than TxDot. Arizona, North Carolina, Georgia... you lived in Colorado, right? What did you think of the highway infrastructure there?

Frankly, it wasn't much better, at least in the time I was there. They have the same style N/S Freeway named I 25. I 70 is East to West. I 70 is actually a decent freeway until you get into the mountains, especially around the tunnel on the way to Idaho Springs. 225 is a nice hwy. however, and pretty scenic. I 25 bites and it's always jam packed and just as dangerous as 35 is here. They finished the loop around the city finally, but for a long time it was a loop to nowhere and didn't circle anything

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by far2fargo

We have a lot of sensors, they're usually that rectangular cut out shape you see on the road that are pressure sensitive when cars drive over them. Not to be confused with the red-light sensors, which are two cut outs, one placed before the light, and one after, that feel that weight has been displaced from one sensor to another, causing the camera to take a picture. I've already called TxDOT on that issue and spoke to a man named Jonathan, feel free to give them a call as well, power in numbers.

Um, no. It's an electromagnetic sensor. Cars have lots of metal and trip it. Bikes, not so much.

[eepstein]

It was necessary to upgrade the horse and buggy system here back in the early 90's, but city leaders and the public voted against it. Austin has been against any kind of transportation upgrade for many decades now and it shows everywhere you go. TxDOT claims it has no money for any projects in Austin, yet mega freeway improvements continue to happen in San Antonio, Houston, and DFW totalling billions of dollars. Austin doesn't see a dime of any of that. They have built tollroads which is a positive, but they are wasting time building them where there is no point.
Extending mopac north, and SH 45 in the north area makes some sense, but 130 was pretty much a complete waste of money. Few if any truckers will use it, and it will eventually promote sprawl in some of the least desirable areas in the austin area.

To get this city back on it's feet and poise it for some smooth future growth, 10-15 miles of Mopac (from 183 to south William Cannon), and about 20 miles of I-35 (from Rundburg down to Ben White Interchange) must be completely gutted and rebuilt with HOV lanes, traffic cams, message signs, etc) Don't think it can be done?? Of course it can. Look at T-Rex in Denver, Hwy 60 in Phoenix, nearly every freeway in Metro Atlanta back in the 80's. PERFECT EXAMPLES. Anything can be done, just takes lots of tax payer money and a forward progressive thinking city.

Austin COULD become a really soild city with a solid future ahead of it. Unfortunately, the city leaders and TxDOT continue to neglect the transportation in this city and it WILL suffer in the long run because of it. No doubt about it.

When I think about Austin's answer to the "transportation crisis" in this city I nearly wet my pants laughing everytime. A dangerous, inferior, death trap, light rail system run by Capitol Metro who wouldn't know efficient transportation if it hit them in the face. Will people actually be stupid enough to ride this once it opens after years of delays due to not knowing what the hell they are doing??? I'll be on the side of the road watching you on the train plowing into a garbage truck!!

Originally Posted by jobert

We will improve the roads when absolutely necessary. Until then, how about we keep our tax dollars in our pockets and choose where we live responsibly? You may say we're backwards, or have poor planning, but that's okay - it's not that we are incapable, but rather choose not to. I don't understand the criticism. Don't people move here for the slower pace of life anyways? If we pave Austin until it looks like LA, then the point is lost and so are the reasons people moved here - to get away from that model. Should we pave everything 6 lanes each way, tear down freeways and replacing them with expressways with 15 ft wide lanes for our Hummers, so that we won't feel the pain of choosing to commute 80 miles a day to work? If the inadequate freeway system makes just one person reconsider moving here, then it has already worked.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by eepstein

It was necessary to upgrade the horse and buggy system here back in the early 90's, but city leaders and the public voted against it. Austin has been against any kind of transportation upgrade for many decades now and it shows everywhere you go. TxDOT claims it has no money for any projects in Austin, yet mega freeway improvements continue to happen in San Antonio, Houston, and DFW totalling billions of dollars. Austin doesn't see a dime of any of that. They have built tollroads which is a positive, but they are wasting time building them where there is no point.
Extending mopac north, and SH 45 in the north area makes some sense, but 130 was pretty much a complete waste of money. Few if any truckers will use it, and it will eventually promote sprawl in some of the least desirable areas in the austin area.

To get this city back on it's feet and poise it for some smooth future growth, 10-15 miles of Mopac (from 183 to south William Cannon), and about 20 miles of I-35 (from Rundburg down to Ben White Interchange) must be completely gutted and rebuilt with HOV lanes, traffic cams, message signs, etc) Don't think it can be done?? Of course it can. Look at T-Rex in Denver, Hwy 60 in Phoenix, nearly every freeway in Metro Atlanta back in the 80's. PERFECT EXAMPLES. Anything can be done, just takes lots of tax payer money and a forward progressive thinking city.

Austin COULD become a really soild city with a solid future ahead of it. Unfortunately, the city leaders and TxDOT continue to neglect the transportation in this city and it WILL suffer in the long run because of it. No doubt about it.

When I think about Austin's answer to the "transportation crisis" in this city I nearly wet my pants laughing everytime. A dangerous, inferior, death trap, light rail system run by Capitol Metro who wouldn't know efficient transportation if it hit them in the face. Will people actually be stupid enough to ride this once it opens after years of delays due to not knowing what the hell they are doing??? I'll be on the side of the road watching you on the train plowing into a garbage truck!!

Eep, I agree that they are not trying hard enough(Austin), BUT people do not want to pay for the roads either....no money = no roads....and now that the city coffers are dryer than ever, look for VERY crowded traffic next few years.....But, on the other hand, there IS no perfect interstate/freeway system...the concept IS the problem, just like the Medium IS the message...."Internal Combustion" Cars and roads are defunct, old school paradigms that can't be maintained in any guise.....If Austin wants to grow in the future, they have to do two things....
1.) Build great public trans that is everywhere dense in the city, not just near UT and DT....
2.) Focus growth in the central areas, and discourage sprawl....with all the developer bankruptcies in the news, you can see the funding is not there for the same anyway....
Combine the two above in viable form, and you have a game plan, and a very Green one to boot, for growth to maintain in Austin......Ignore the issues, and you will have metrowide gridlock, and one miserable metropolis.........with no growth as well.....