Alamo Ranch Residents - Need Traffic Solution (Spring, Timberwood Park: mortgage, new house)

[TexasTeq]

Hey all,

Any ideas who we can contact about getting some relief from the traffic congestion at Culebra road.
-Traffic backs up on 1604 at that spot.
- The access road is way to congested with everyone trying to turn onto Culebra
- The turn-around lane is too short, and they post police to issue tickets if your tire touches dirt

When if ever are they going to connect Wiseman with Lonestar?

There has to be a short term solution to this problem.
-How about extending the turn around lane.
-Allowing us to make a turn from 1604 onto Alamo Ranch Parkway?
I"ve been here for a year and a half, so I'm not used to Texas politics. But Texdot seems to be a joke.

I defer to the more learned posters. Does anyone have any suggestions? Its so frustrating to get within 5 walking minutes from my home, but in my car it takes me over a half and hour to cover the same distance. We have thousands of new homeowners of Culebra, but we are being ignored, can we get a grassroots effort started?

[the_dimwit]

Construction has started on the 151 interchange, and once the Culebra widening is completed (later this year, I think) that will also help matters. The 151 interchange will have the biggest impact, though, due to the addition of frontage roads on the AR side of 1604.

<cynicism>
As for a grassroots effort, I have no idea. I'm new here as well, and from what I have heard TXDot couldn't care less about our problems--all the TX Government wants to do is build toll roads.
</cynicism>

--Dim

[SnappyBob]

By the time road improvements are completed there will be more new housing developments and thousands upon thousands more home owners and you will still have traffic problems. Traffic problems are going to be a way of life in that and many other popular areas of SA. As far as the city and txdot are concerned the traffic is not a problem. If it was the new developments wouldn't fill up so quickly because of it. The tax base is rising. That's what they see. Road improvements cost money. They don't make money.

[dvlpr]

I concur with Snappy Bob.

If you don't like the sort of traffic you described, then you shouldn't buy a house in an auto-centric, auto-dependent neighborhood with substandard road infrastructure. Did you not see what traffic was like out in this part of town when you bought your house? And did you truly believe it wasn't going to get worse as more people move into this subdivision?

[Living Near Shamu]

This is the same thing that's happening to Potranco Rd at the 1604 intersection. There are tons of subdivisions just outside the loop and a single lane each way is not enough to get all those cars out of there. TXDOT has said they don't have enough money to supplement the infrastructure needed, as more and more builders simply over-develop. Also, the reason why you don't see the city acting on those roads its because that's county property, which is maintaned by Bexar County. That's one of the negatives of moving to an area that advertises "No City Taxes!" on their flyers. Yeah, I may live inside the city and pay a little bit more on taxes, but at least my subdivision was well planned.

[the_dimwit]

Here's a thought: Force the developers to build the infrastructure! They're making major money without really doing much to the surrounding roads. Surely there is a way to fix that...

--Dim

[Living Near Shamu]

Originally Posted by the_dimwit

Here's a thought: Force the developers to build the infrastructure! They're making major money without really doing much to the surrounding roads. Surely there is a way to fix that...

--Dim

+1

Hit it right on the spot.

[dmarie123]

They are also going to widen 1604, add express lanes, get rid of stoplights between braun and military, add access roads, etc. It will get better. The only area where there doesnt' seem to be traffic is 151. On 410 it's insane, 1604 is insane, I-10 is insane. It drives me nuts but you can't avoid it. Get a book on tape... it helps with the anger :-)

[nrlatsha]

Originally Posted by dmarie123

They are also going to widen 1604, add express lanes, get rid of stoplights between braun and military, add access roads, etc. It will get better. The only area where there doesnt' seem to be traffic is 151. On 410 it's insane, 1604 is insane, I-10 is insane. It drives me nuts but you can't avoid it. Get a book on tape... it helps with the anger :-)

Exactly, and traffic is bad during construction, but complaining about it wouldn't help at this point.

Us: Hey, the traffic is bad
City: It's under construction now.
Us: Oh, well ok then, good day to you...

[dvlpr]

"Force the developers to build the infrastructure!"

What a fantastic idea! I’m sure all the people who buy houses in the suburbs are ready to pay an additional $5,000-$15,000 (or $40-$120 per month in a mortgage payment) for these improvements. Because that’s ultimately who pays for these costs………..not developers………….

It’s maddening that the people who buy houses in places like Alamo Ranch expect “someone else” to subsidize the decision they made (namely, to buy an inexpensive new house in a remote, auto-dependent subdivision). Much in the same way that people who choose to buy a house in Stone Oak or Timberwood Park or Spring Branch expect all of us to subsidize the staggering costs of improving U.S. 281 (north of 1604).

But here’s a poorly-kept secret: TXDOT/COSA/Bexar County doesn’t have nearly enough funds to maintain the status quo (and those funds will continue to be reduced over the next 10-20 years). Our government (in other words, WE) simply can’t afford to construct and maintain the massive infrastructure required to keep the suburbanites happy. And it’s only going to get worse.