281 superstreet a superFailure? (Houston, San Antonio, Marshall: 2014, house, taxes)

[chud]

I think the SuperStreet is a failure.

I live in Stone Oak and my brother lives just on the other side of 281, off of Evans Road.
I used to be able to get on Evans Road in Stone Oak, cross 281 at the light, and get to his house in a minute.
Now I have to go through THREE lights and make a U-turn in the process.

It's crazy.

Only government could design something that stupid.

[amexicano]

Originally Posted by chud

I think the SuperStreet is a failure.

I live in Stone Oak and my brother lives just on the other side of 281, off of Evans Road.
I used to be able to get on Evans Road in Stone Oak, cross 281 at the light, and get to his house in a minute.
Now I have to go through THREE lights and make a U-turn in the process.

It's crazy.

Only government could design something that stupid.

It may not work for your specific case, but seems like for most people who drive north-south is a much better experience. I have a colleague who commutes from Evans/281 to Quarry Market and he says that his average time is down at least 20 minutes each way from before the superstreet.

[pobre]

I cross 281 everyday. I cannot really say that it takes longer. I may have to go through 2 lights instead of one, BUT, the light cycles are much longer. Previously, I could have sat through 2-3-4 cycles (crossing at both Evans and Stone Oak Parkway, between 4:00-5:30). Now, I usually make it through on the first cycle.

[HillCountryHotRodMan]

I like it. Friday on the way out of town on 281N we had minimal stops and breezed through the Stone Oak debacle. I appreciate that Superstreet. This was at 6 pm rush hour traffic.

[Boghaunter]

Probably what we're seeing is an improvement followed by the later slowdown due to more people choosing the "uncongested" route. Studies would likely show more traffic flow than before - that's pretty common for infrastructure improvements. Of course, then that leads to further growth in the area because the improvements are there.

The question is whether we can build enough roads quickly enough. Experience in big US cities says "no." The best answer for commuting is to decide whether we want a big house/yard farther out or a smaller/older house close in with a short commute.

[amexicano]

Originally Posted by Boghaunter

Probably what we're seeing is an improvement followed by the later slowdown due to more people choosing the "uncongested" route. Studies would likely show more traffic flow than before - that's pretty common for infrastructure improvements. Of course, then that leads to further growth in the area because the improvements are there.

The question is whether we can build enough roads quickly enough. Experience in big US cities says "no." The best answer for commuting is to decide whether we want a big house/yard farther out or a smaller/older house close in with a short commute.

Big house. Big yard. Better schools. Decent commute.

[Newk]

Originally Posted by amexicano

Are we reading different articles? This is what I read following your link:

The average Texas homeowner pays more in property taxes than the national average, according to an analysis of U.S. Census Bureau data conducted by the Tax Foundation.
The Washington, D.C.-based advocacy group ranked Texas third in the nation for its tax burden relative to home value.
The median annual property tax payment in Texas last year was $2,275 – 14th highest in the nation and above the national average of $1,917.
When calculated as a percent of home value, Texans paid 1.81 percent of their home’s value in property taxes – the third highest burden in the country, behind New Jersey and Connecticut.

It says that Texans pay one of the highest taxes both in absolute and percentage terms. Furthermore, as the article estates, different counties/cities have different rates. Here in San Antonio, my tax bill is about 2.6% which is probably one of the highest in the nation.

I come from Northern Virginia, take your house, and drop it in Fairfax, Vienna, or McLean and see how much it costs. The cost of homes is ridiculous up there. My parents bought their house in 1987. If they were buying the same house that they are living today, they would not be able to afford it. Put that in your pipe and smoke it. Deal.....

[TexHwyMan]

Originally Posted by chud

I think the SuperStreet is a failure.

I live in Stone Oak and my brother lives just on the other side of 281, off of Evans Road.
I used to be able to get on Evans Road in Stone Oak, cross 281 at the light, and get to his house in a minute.
Now I have to go through THREE lights and make a U-turn in the process.

It's crazy.

Only government could design something that stupid.

This is a case of just not seeing the bigger picture. I encourage you to read the article below or my own superstreet page (DM me for the link) to see how and why they work. My site includes empirical before-and-after data from the 281 superstreet.

'Superstreet' concept shows promise in real-world test

[StanStelle]

Originally Posted by chud

I think the SuperStreet is a failure.

I live in Stone Oak and my brother lives just on the other side of 281, off of Evans Road.
I used to be able to get on Evans Road in Stone Oak, cross 281 at the light, and get to his house in a minute.
Now I have to go through THREE lights and make a U-turn in the process.

It's crazy.

Only government could design something that stupid.

It's working as designed - for the benefit of the majority travelling along 281. There is relatively little traffic going across 281 and by making you wait longer, those numerous vehicles travelling on 281 move through faster. I go across 281 to go to the Village of Stone Oak a couple of times a week and faced a similar delay, but hey it made a few unhappy and made many more happy, or less unhappy. :-)

[ChrisSA_wxatUIW]

Don't like Superstreet? Thank Terri Hall