Funding pulled for SH45 SW (Austin, Shady Hollow: 2015, how much, house)

[jobert]

News regarding the future of suburban development in SW Austin:

Travis County pulls support for Texas 45 Southwest

The funding for the SW SH45 (toll)way is off the table until 2015 at the earliest - when CAMPO meets to approve their CAMPO 2040 plan. I have my opinions on the matter, but would like to here what others think of this....

[eepstein]

That shouldn't have really come as a surprise to anyone. I find it rather insteresting that many of the people in Buda and South Austin are complaining because their commute is so bad. I guess I don't understand why you would move there in the first place if you KNEW the road system was horrible. I have been in Austin for 7 years and lived in 4 different locations. EVERYTIME I made sure where i moved there was a decent freeway or tollway that would insure that I rarely if ever sat in traffic.

Originally Posted by jobert

News regarding the future of suburban development in SW Austin:

Travis County pulls support for Texas 45 Southwest

The funding for the SW SH45 (toll)way is off the table until 2015 at the earliest - when CAMPO meets to approve their CAMPO 2040 plan. I have my opinions on the matter, but would like to here what others think of this....

[CptnRn]

Officials have been promising to build that road for years, they even partially funded it to get design and preliminary work started. Some people moved to that area based on the promises the road would be built.

Also when the opened up through traffic to South Brodie Lane that neighborhood, Shady Hollow, was promised that SH45 would be built so that excess traffic would not be funneling through that neighborhood.

This is a real betrayal of those promises. This does not personally effect me, but if I lived in Shady Hollow I'd be P.O'd. I've seen how much worse the traffic is on Brodie since they did that.

[lemonegg]

I think a better use of money is to build a direct connection from 290W to Mopac north and south

[CptnRn]

Originally Posted by lemonegg

I think a better use of money is to build a direct connection from 290W to Mopac north and south

That is what the long term plan is for SH45 SW.

I don't have a problem with them deciding to postpone funding SH 45. I agree that improving the Y intersection is probably more important right now.

But this motion they approved completely removes SH45 SW from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 's 2035 plan and transportation improvement plan. Which means it won't even be considered in the future.

[jobert]

I think it will obviously stunt development in some parts of SW Austin and overall it will be a good thing as it will stop the spread of our urban boundaries, but there will be winners and losers.

The losers will be those areas that don't have immediate access to a highway and must use a clogged Brodie lane (and an eventually clogged Manchacha Rd): Shady Hollow, Hays, far west Buda and Manchacha. The winners of this will be Circle C as now they can continue to let traffic percolate through Shady Hollow as not to overload their beloved Mopac. I think people will think twice about building a house in SW Austin, but many will continue to do so anyways, which a bit disconcerting. Things could get really bad over the next decade.

[jobert]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

But this motion they approved completely removes SH45 SW from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 's 2035 plan and transportation improvement plan. Which means it won't even be considered in the future.

I think Shady Hollow might have to buck up and take the ROW on either side to expand Brodie between 1626 and Slaughter. It's the nuclear option for them, but might need to be done, or the neighborhood will be strangled to death.

[achtungpv]

Originally Posted by jobert

I think it will obviously stunt development in some parts of SW Austin and overall it will be a good thing as it will stop the spread of our urban boundaries, but there will be winners and losers.

History has shown that the "don't build it and they won't come" mentality hasn't prevented growth from happening anywhere in Austin. This idea in the 80s has led to the current hodgepodge undersized highway network. 1 million people later, you'd think elected officials would understand this.

Originally Posted by jobert

The winners of this will be Circle C as now they can continue to let traffic percolate through Shady Hollow as not to overload their beloved Mopac.

Probably 90% of the Brodie traffic gets on Mopac at either Slaughter or Deer Ln. I don't know how the traffic on Mopac would be any different for Circle C other than on the south end below Slaughter.

[Jennibc]

About a year ago we under contract to purchase a house in Shady Hollow but after the inspection the owner wouldn't make any concessions for repairs. We didn't go through with the purchase as a result. After reading this I am especially relieved we didn't go through with buying that house.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by achtungpv

History has shown that the "don't build it and they won't come" mentality hasn't prevented growth from happening anywhere in Austin. This idea in the 80s has led to the current hodgepodge undersized highway network. 1 million people later, you'd think elected officials would understand this.



Probably 90% of the Brodie traffic gets on Mopac at either Slaughter or Deer Ln. I don't know how the traffic on Mopac would be any different for Circle C other than on the south end below Slaughter.

Most of Circle C IS below Slaughter. There's just CC North, Vintage Place, and Park Place which are all really tiny little neighborhoods. If you look at a map it seems like 80 percent or greater of the neighborhood is south of that. It's not just the traffic that people sit in because for most people that's only a three mile stretch at most (if the exit on Escarpment onto 45 and then north on Mopac). I imagine it is the noise too. Less Mopac traffic means less noise for the main part of Circle C.