Austin growth will absolutely overwhelm roads and highways starting in 2011 - new study (Georgetown: luxury, property taxes)

[mimimomx3]

I dont' feel like quoting several of the posts that responded to my whine about whining, but I will, as one poster suggested, bow out.

I don't have a problem with commuting, or 'traffic', because I made certain concessions to avoid it. I sacrificed house space, land space and quiet to live in the city close to where I work and school. I have no interest in paying more taxes than the enormous amount I already do to shorten someone else's commute- someone who paid less to live far away. I'm all for toll roads in that situation, and I think that's the best solution for traffic issues.

[TexasHorseLady]

So, your roads are paid for by the rest of the population, but you don't want to pay for theirs?

I personally think toll roads are a blight that should never have come to Austin, and I will never ever forgive Governor Good Hair for the things he's done to this city and this state and the things he tried to do, toll roads among them.

[love roses]

I love the toll roads and maybe it's because it's closer for me than 35 is, not to mention I cut my "driving teeth" on them when I lived in Houston and was a beginner driver learning to drive on freeways.

[capcat]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

...I will never ever forgive Governor Good Hair for the things he's done to this city and this state and the things he tried to do...

Wow, do I ever agree with that.

[TexasHorseLady]

I don't have a problem with the freeways, I have a problem with them being toll roads. (And I cut my driving teeth on the Tollway between Dallas and Fort Worth.

If the toll roads were of the kind where, at a certain point, they would no longer be toll roads because they would be paid for, and if they didn't turn roads into toll roads that had already been paid for with money we voted in, theoretically, and if they didn't make it harder for people to use regular roads rather than toll roads than it was before the toll roads were built, just in an attempt to force people onto the toll roads, and if they didn't have rules against building non-toll roads or improving/maintaining the roads near the toll roads because the folks getting the money from the toll roads want to force people to use them, I probably wouldn't have so much of a problem with them.

Especially the part about, okay, it's costing X much to build this toll road, we'll collect tolls until that's done and then it will revert to a regular freeway. That's a really important part of toll roads being okay, in my book.

[TedH71]

What's more annoying to me is that the toll roads were built and owned by a foreign company that is not even a U.S. owned company! They are the ones raking in the bucks not the Texans....

[TexasHorseLady]

Exactly. And, in essence, a blank check!

[twange]

Originally Posted by mimimomx3

I dont' feel like quoting several of the posts that responded to my whine about whining, but I will, as one poster suggested, bow out.

I don't have a problem with commuting, or 'traffic', because I made certain concessions to avoid it. I sacrificed house space, land space and quiet to live in the city close to where I work and school. I have no interest in paying more taxes than the enormous amount I already do to shorten someone else's commute- someone who paid less to live far away. I'm all for toll roads in that situation, and I think that's the best solution for traffic issues.

I know you probably won't read this(since you are bowing out) but I take exception to your simplification of this matter(not personally, just for debate's sake). Not everyone "paid less to live far away". And it's not only a rush-hour commuter issue, it's a general city-wide infrastructure issue. Do you never use any of the roads here? Shop anywhere other than your own neighborhood? Go to a park. A game? A friend's house? I encounter terrible traffic just going anywhere in Austin at ANYTIME.

Situations change, often after someone has made concessions and sacrifices. Since Austin is growing so rapidly, employment opportunities open up in disparate parts of the city, often contrary to what many of us would like or choose. In an economy such as this one, most people don't have the luxury of picking up and moving across town every time they accept a new position. In fact, many people can't even find jobs.

Hypothetical: You are part of a dual income marriage that requires a very short commute for both workers - maybe even a car-share situation (you planned your home purchase with location and convenience in mind). What would happen if you lost your job but had an excellent career opportunity that required you to drive farther? Would you tell your husband he needed to quit his job? Would you immediately look to sell your house and move between, thereby increasing his commute? While that would even the two commutes, the cost of moving might offset any savings you might gain in commute time/cost.

I don't think that asking for better highway connections and quality PT in the GREATER AUSTIN AREA is too much to ask. Nor do I think it whining to have this discussion. It's a very important issue for many Austinites and one that isn't going away anytime soon. I guess I'm of the belief that city-wide infrastructure improvements are better for the city as a whole, helping it to function more efficiently and safely- even if they don't directly affect my day-to-day operations. And I'm willing to pay more taxes for that. Different ideals, I suppose.

Don't be so quick to judge people. Be thankful of your situation, but know that things can change very quickly. As John Lennon once said: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

[nomore07]

Originally Posted by twange

I know you probably won't read this (since you are bowing out) but I take exception to your simplification of this matter (not personally, just for debate's sake). Not everyone "paid less to live far away". And it's not only a rush-hour commuter issue, it's a general city-wide infrastructure issue. Do you never use any of the roads here? Shop anywhere other than your own neighborhood? Go to a park. A game? A friend's house? I encounter terrible traffic just going anywhere in Austin at ANYTIME.

Situations change, often after someone has made concessions and sacrifices. Since Austin is growing so rapidly, employment opportunities open up in disparate parts of the city, often contrary to what many of us would like or choose. In an economy such as this one, most people don't have the luxury of picking up and moving across town every time they accept a new position. In fact, many people can't even find jobs.

Hypothetical: You are part of a dual income marriage that requires a very short commute for both workers - maybe even a car-share situation (you planned your home purchase with location and convenience in mind). What would happen if you lost your job but had an excellent career opportunity that required you to drive farther? Would you tell your husband he needed to quit his job? Would you immediately look to sell your house and move between, thereby increasing his commute? While that would even the two commutes, the cost of moving might offset any savings you might gain in commute time/cost.

I don't think that asking for better highway connections and quality PT in the GREATER AUSTIN AREA is too much to ask. Nor do I think it whining to have this discussion. It's a very important issue for many Austinites and one that isn't going away anytime soon. I guess I'm of the belief that city-wide infrastructure improvements are better for the city as a whole, helping it to function more efficiently and safely- even if they don't directly affect my day-to-day operations. And I'm willing to pay more taxes for that. Different ideals, I suppose.

Don't be so quick to judge people. Be thankful of your situation, but know that things can change very quickly. As John Lennon once said: "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans."

Excellent post twange!

It doesn't help that employers are turning into clinical sociopaths. It's not unusual for a company to choose a candidate according to where they live, and be extreme about it. I was turned down from one company for living a whopping 5 miles away. At another company, the manager repeatedly "advised" employees to live in his subdivision. Wonder if he was getting a sales commission. My response? You're not paying my mortgage or rent, nor can you guarantee job security for the length of a mortgage, therefore you are not telling me where to live.

[nomore07]

I don't have a problem with commuting, or 'traffic', because I made certain concessions to avoid it. I sacrificed house space, land space and quiet to live in the city close to where I work and school. I have no interest in paying more taxes than the enormous amount I already do to shorten someone else's commute - someone who paid less to live far away. I'm all for toll roads in that situation, and I think that's the best solution for traffic issues.

Then be thankful and have some empathy for those who do not have the option. The world does not bow to every person's wish and these things are not always feasible. It sounds as though you may be resentful over sacrificing the space and quiet, and jealous of those who didn't. I can understand that, but take it easy on your fellow citizens.

There is no need to be bothered with other people, right? Just buy a cabin in the hills where there are no roads and you can get around on horseback. Oh and stay out of my neighborhood... I have no interest in paying taxes for someone else to drive through it