Lufkin I-69 Project Is Coming Along Good!!!!!!

[ctk0p7]

Originally Posted by dee936

I live in Nacogdoches and traveling to Lufkin and I can tell you a 4 lane freeway with three lanes of frontage road being constructed in North Lufkin with two bypass ramps that are already up and long in coverage compares to Texarkana.I have been to both cities alot.
These cities including Beaumont have the best freeway system in east Texas period with Nac doing exspanion in the futre.Tyler and Longview need to know that freeways bring tons of growth.
A interstate passing above or below your city like in Longview and Tyler isn't a big econmic impact.Nacogdoches loop speed limit is 65 miles per hour and traffic moves quickly without stop lights.

Have you actually been to Texarkana, or just guessing that Lufkin automatically compares in your opinion?

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by dee936

I live in Nacogdoches and traveling to Lufkin and I can tell you a 4 lane freeway with three lanes of frontage road being constructed in North Lufkin with two bypass ramps that are already up and long in coverage compares to Texarkana.I have been to both cities alot.
These cities including Beaumont have the best freeway system in east Texas period with Nac doing exspanion in the futre.Tyler and Longview need to know that freeways bring tons of growth.
A interstate passing above or below your city like in Longview and Tyler isn't a big econmic impact.Nacogdoches loop speed limit is 65 miles per hour and traffic moves quickly without stop lights.

Dee, for the fourth of fifth time, Tyler has never, never really encouraged growth, I'm 68 years and know my stuff from being as interested Tyler happenings as you are about Nac/Lufkin. If growth came/comes to Tyler fine, but if not fine, in the past "the people will come anyway" was Mayor Joey Sieber's comment one day, not so any more, but since the 1995 election people voted NOT to spend anything directly on job growth, this, no convention center of note, not a lot of other things you would think Tyler would have. YesTyler does tax abatements on occassion.

As early as the early 50's interstate 20 could have been even closer Tyler but Tyler objected, thus no freeways and as no over passes today. As late as the early 1990's just before the West Loop SuperWalmart was constructed the State Highway department came to Tyler and asked if they wanted to participate in providing some small portion of money to construct overpasses on Loop 323 over highway 31 and 64, before major development in the area. Tyler said NO Thank You. So it has been Tyler Council and citizens past choices as to the congestion today, Tyler was never intended to be even the size it is today. This is really and embarrassment today, but hey, they got their low, low, property tax rate, the plan, and a burden, debt free, for 3 years, city.

Police say Tyler grows easily to 175,000 pop each work day.

[KathrynAragon]

Tyler's traffic issues are significant but that's because people WANT to live and work there so there you have it. I lived in Tyler for twenty years before moving to the Longview area. Now we're moving back to the Tyler area (Chandler to be exact). We chose the west side of Tyler because of the new 49 loop, the ease of traffic issues, the proximity to the airport (important to us) and it's five minutes to a boat ramp on Lake Palestine. Chandler's elementary and intermediate schools are very good as well, so that helps sustain value. We had originally strongly considered Whitehouse or Flint or Gresham but the traffic issues were absolutely daunting. It can take twenty frustrating minutes to get to the Loop from Flint. And to be honest, I was actually dismayed by the news of a new shopping complex on...you guessed it...south Broadway. Dang! Grow somewhere else!

I think Tyler has to grow west at some point. It's already doing so and I think that's a natural direction for growth. We'll see.

[ctk0p7]

Originally Posted by dee936

I live in Nacogdoches and traveling to Lufkin and I can tell you a 4 lane freeway with three lanes of frontage road being constructed in North Lufkin with two bypass ramps that are already up and long in coverage compares to Texarkana.I have been to both cities alot.
These cities including Beaumont have the best freeway system in east Texas period with Nac doing exspanion in the futre.Tyler and Longview need to know that freeways bring tons of growth.
A interstate passing above or below your city like in Longview and Tyler isn't a big econmic impact.Nacogdoches loop speed limit is 65 miles per hour and traffic moves quickly without stop lights.

Dee I actually agree that freeways bring a "ton of growth", but there is a downside to that. From what I have witnessed, cities that reroute traffic out of their cities to freeway bypasses see tremendous growth of service sector businesses along the new route. The downside is that the areas along the "old" highways through cities become a ghost town of closed businesses, or less desirable businesses. I think the term growth would be better described as a redistribution of businesses. In some cases, like Tyler, keeping traffic along an at grade boulevard has ensured a sustainable level of growth within the city. I noticed, from the years I lived in Lufkin, businesses such as car dealerships that moved from the center of town to the bypass, left in their wake a run down second hand car dealership. It's not always about what new is being built, but how well utilized and maintained existing roads and businesses are in a city. Another city I lived in, Texarkana, is absolutely covered with abandoned buildings along it's once main highway routes before all the interstates and freeways rerouted traffic.

[Mark Senior]

Originally Posted by ctk0p7

Dee I actually agree that freeways bring a "ton of growth", but there is a downside to that. From what I have witnessed, cities that reroute traffic out of their cities to freeway bypasses see tremendous growth of service sector businesses along the new route. The downside is that the areas along the "old" highways through cities become a ghost town of closed businesses, or less desirable businesses. I think the term growth would be better described as a redistribution of businesses. In some cases, like Tyler, keeping traffic along an at grade boulevard has ensured a sustainable level of growth within the city. I noticed, from the years I lived in Lufkin, businesses such as car dealerships that moved from the center of town to the bypass, left in their wake a run down second hand car dealership. It's not always about what new is being built, but how well utilized and maintained existing roads and businesses are in a city. Another city I lived in, Texarkana, is absolutely covered with abandoned buildings along it's once main highway routes before all the interstates and freeways rerouted traffic.

Really good position, never occurred to me, but your right.

[bigboyz06]

Originally Posted by ctk0p7

You should get some pics of those I-369/I-30 interchange flyovers. I was very impressed with the freeway infrastructure in Texarkana. The one in north Lufkin is nice, just not over the top like that one in Texarkana.

I wish I had a camera to take some or could find some to post not only the I-30/369 interchange but the I-30/49 interchange on the Texarkana, Arkansas side as well as where I-49 ties into Loop 151 which runs into I-369/U.S. 59.

[bigboyz06]

Originally Posted by ctk0p7

Dee I actually agree that freeways bring a "ton of growth", but there is a downside to that. From what I have witnessed, cities that reroute traffic out of their cities to freeway bypasses see tremendous growth of service sector businesses along the new route. The downside is that the areas along the "old" highways through cities become a ghost town of closed businesses, or less desirable businesses. I think the term growth would be better described as a redistribution of businesses. In some cases, like Tyler, keeping traffic along an at grade boulevard has ensured a sustainable level of growth within the city. I noticed, from the years I lived in Lufkin, businesses such as car dealerships that moved from the center of town to the bypass, left in their wake a run down second hand car dealership. It's not always about what new is being built, but how well utilized and maintained existing roads and businesses are in a city. Another city I lived in, Texarkana, is absolutely covered with abandoned buildings along it's once main highway routes before all the interstates and freeways rerouted traffic.

So true! I'm hoping for a resurgence in interest downtown. Plans were recently unveiled to renovate The Grim Hotel in downtown Texarkana. They've said that for years but hopefully that actually happens and other downtown buildings get developed as well. Talks are to turn a couple buildings into loft apartments but right now it's just talk.