Highways are a detriment to Texas' large cities... (Houston, Dallas: college, store)

[JJG]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Look at any urban highway. Next to it is ghetto or at least very run down.

I can look at my town. I-820/20/35W

Some parts do look rundown. But other parts look decent, pretty well kept, brand new, or you even see some open land. In a city with over 720,000, I think we do pretty well. In fact, I can say some of the same about Dallas, Austin, and Houston. Probably San Antonio.

Yes, there are some rundown parts next to major interstates. And then there AREN'T. So I think the "instant ghettoizer" comment is a bit extreme.

[HtownLove]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Look at any urban highway. Next to it is ghetto or at least very run down.

I can name quite a few areas in Houston where there are nice parts of town next to highways.

Not all urban highways are butted up by ghettos.

I would agree on the elevated highways though.

There are many nice neighborhoods that butt up against 59 south, but 59 south is below ground in these areas. I don't know why they didn't trench or tunnel 59 for its entire run through the loop. 288 too is trenched in parts. 45 and I10 are the major eyesores flying high through downtown

[ReppingDFW]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Look at any urban highway. Next to it is ghetto or at least very run down.

Dallas North Tollway in Dallas runs through the Park Cities.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Look at any urban highway. Next to it is ghetto or at least very run down.

Define ghetto
you sound like the people that call any area that is not upper class a ghetto.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by Dopo

Define ghetto
you sound like the people that call any area that is not upper class a ghetto.

Yeah, a lot of people throw that word/term around waaaaaaay too much.

Like "swag", it's been misused so much, it's starting to lose its meaning.

[Saintmarks]

A ghetto is a ghetto because it is a ghetto. Freeways don't make an area a ghetto or not. It helps people get through it quicker without having to worry about the ghettoness of the ghetto.

There, did I use the word ghetto enough?

This forum is kind of silly, IMO. Most of the major expressways in DFW were laid out years ago. Development came and left the area where the road would come undisturbed, i.e. the George Bush Tollway thru Plano/Carrollton/ Richardson. I remember years ago when this big wide swath of land was empty and development was already taking place on both sides of it. Same for 121 further north.

I love the freeway system in DFW, it does get bogged down at times, but there is usually a way around it if you know your map. In a major metro area of over 6 million, it would be ridiculous not to have this system.

[cubssoxfan]

I think a balance of transit options are needed. Not transit only and not highway only. It depends on the density of an area. (Public) transit won't work if there isn't enough density and ridership to support it.
Many cities in the US have expressways running through them. This is due to the initial planning. Then cities that had the earlier expressways built were used as a model for towns that didn't yet. Once it became known that the social cost was more than the benefits of building the road, many inner city expressways were cancelled. I-40 in Memphis, an inner city expressway in Baltimore, the Crosstown expressway in Chicago are just a few examples. In San Francisco and Boston they successfully tore down expressways that proved to block accessibility between neighborhoods.
I just don't understand those that say "All highways are bad" or those that say "All transit is bad". ANd dismissing what is done in Europe is not wise. I'm not saying everything they do will work in the U.S. or certain parts of the U.S., but the best combination of walkable, drive-able and bike-able cities I have visited are in Europe. Learn from others and use what makes sense instead of blithely dismissing it.

[Dallaz]

You have to realize that the Interstate System was built for a purpose. President Eisenhower thought the Interstate system would help deploy troops in case of an emergency or if we had foreign invasion (that's why the full name is Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways) If we didn't have them, how could a massive amount of people evacuate from a hurricane? Even though you may not like them, they are needed.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by ReppingDFW

Dallas North Tollway in Dallas runs through the Park Cities.

Let's not forget Central Expressway (US 75)

[JJG]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

You have to realize that the Interstate System was built for a purpose. President Eisenhower thought the Interstate system would help deploy troops in case of an emergency or if we had foreign invasion (that's why the full name is Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways) If we didn't have them, how could a massive amount of people evacuate from a hurricane? Even though you may not like them, they are needed.

^^^ And with that, you could close this thread.


Although, I know it'll keep going....