SH 45 SW - why are we building this road? (Austin: neighborhood, construction)

[scm53]

Originally Posted by IC_deLight

The only issue I take with anything you said is here. OHAN does not represent the property owner in any of these places - it is an association of HOA corporations, not the involuntary members of those corporations. The HOA corporations (like any other corporation) act in the interests of the controlling interests of their boards, not the interests of the involuntary members and it is a fallacy to suggest otherwise.

Most of the OHAN member associations are neighborhood associations - not HOAs.

[hillcountryheart]

A good many of the OHAN members are HOAs - not NAs.

I can see that the impulse to build something, anything, is pretty strong. It's a definite
middle finger salute to the CofA and SOS.

But make no mistake - this is not part of an outer loop. There is no more outer loop.
There will be no additional connectivity west of FM 1826 to, say, US 290 or SH 71.
There is no direct connect across I-35 to SH 130 which might actually have been a good thing.

There are no cost estimates to building out the Mopac main lanes from its current
terminus at SH 45 north over LaCrosse and Slaughter - which will happen once SH 45
SW increases both the number of vehicles driving on this segment of northbound Mopac.

I still remain unconvinced that this is a good thing. I'd rather have a bake sale to help
fund the interchange at the Y in Oak Hill.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by hillcountryheart

A good many of the OHAN members are HOAs - not NAs.

I can see that the impulse to build something, anything, is pretty strong. It's a definite
middle finger salute to the CofA and SOS.

But make no mistake - this is not part of an outer loop. There is no more outer loop.
There will be no additional connectivity west of FM 1826 to, say, US 290 or SH 71.
There is no direct connect across I-35 to SH 130 which might actually have been a good thing.

There are no cost estimates to building out the Mopac main lanes from its current
terminus at SH 45 north over LaCrosse and Slaughter - which will happen once SH 45
SW increases both the number of vehicles driving on this segment of northbound Mopac.

I still remain unconvinced that this is a good thing. I'd rather have a bake sale to help
fund the interchange at the Y in Oak Hill.

You obviously have an anti-SW45 agenda, and a more general opposition to adding road capacity. You've stated your reasons, and received a big raspberry from many reasoned CDers.

Accept that others disagree, that there is no bandwagon to jump on here, and stop trying to convince others of your correctness and our ignorance. I mean, I think we're all accepting of different views, but at this point, you're beating a dead horse.

For me, if a buyer asks "what about Shady Hollow", the conversation immediately, without delay, becomes one of traffic and whether said buyer possesses an extremely high tolerance of severe traffic congestion.

Brodie/Slaughter is terrible, getting worse, and if people like you had their way, will stay that way indefinitely. So I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish in this thread.

Steve

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by austin-steve

Accept that others disagree, that there is no bandwagon to jump on here, and stop trying to convince others of your correctness and our ignorance. I mean, I think we're all accepting of different views, but at this point, you're beating a dead horse.

Steve

Really, Steve? Somehow I don't think that word means what you think it means.

Originally Posted by austin-steve

But every time a new and needed artery or highway is proposed, a bunch of crybabies start protesting and claiming we don't need it, or that it hurts the environment, or that it costs too much, etc. They often "win", and delay or kill needed projects like 45 SW and the interchange at the Y in Oak Hill.

Steve

[ScoPro]

Well, Steve is correct even though his choice of words may not sit well with some.

The "no roads" crowd will then turn around and complain about the air pollution from the traffic jams.

[slackjawed]

The anti-SH45 campaign is a 78739 protectionist agenda. The same people opposing SH45 are the most vocal critics of the I-35/SH130 swap as well. Traffic from 1626/I-35 will be diverted on to their "private" Mopac. This offends people who bought houses with a 50% markup because of a false promise that their area was protected and that they we're special people for being allowed to live there. There is growing economic parity moving eastward through Austin as our city expands, and this challenges the notion of exceptionalism that people in some areas have.


on the topic of SHady Hollow - How did SH/Bear Creek get roped into district 8/Oak Hill like that? They've forfeited the validiity of their opinion on the matter as far as the city council is concerned. I bet it was done intentionally to dilute their opposition. The people of Circle C roped in Bear Creek by telling them that "rich people" had to stick together, and now CC is going to try to eff them over by blocking SH45 and Brodie traffic relief. Well played - appeal to peoples egos, and then you screw them.

[austin-steve]

Originally Posted by TexasHorseLady

Really, Steve? Somehow I don't think that word means what you think it means.

What you quote me saying is factually accurate. It's known history that almost every road expansion project in Austin receives strong opposition from environmentalists and neighborhood groups. The Y in Oak Hill in fact does not have the freeway interchange that was approved in the 1980s.

45 SW is in fact still not built.

What "word" do I not know the meaning of? Acceptance? That was referring to the fact that Austin CD forums, more than many online forums, offers a fairly open and cordial (mostly) place for people to express opinions and views. The forums are "accepting of different views", but at some point, in most threads, an OP advocating for the point of view for which the thread was started ought to be able to see that there is little support for the viewpoint held forth and take note instead of arguing the same points endlessly to those who disagree. At some point we listen, hear other viewpoints, and agree to disagree.

Bottom line, the vast majority of citizens living in the areas directly affected by the lack of road capacity in South Austin do in fact want 45 SW to be built. Some don't. Fair enough. But the reasons and rationale for opposing it don't withstand honest debate.

Steve

[scm53]

Originally Posted by slackjawed

The anti-SH45 campaign is a 78739 protectionist agenda.

on the topic of SHady Hollow - How did SH/Bear Creek get roped into district 8/Oak Hill like that?

Holy cow, dude. What size tin foil hat do you wear?

1. Shady Hollow isn't in the city, so they didn't get "roped into" any district.

2. I live in 78739, and I think we need to build this, now. The Circle C HOA voted, along with every other member neighborhood association in Oak Hill, to support SH 45. So much for your conspiracy theory.

The rest of that rant about "exceptionalism", etc., is simply expression of an unbelievable level of bias and prejudice.

[10scoachrick]

Wow, kids!!! Don't make me stop this car!!!

Yet ANOTHER reason we happily reside on the north north fringe of Austin...where highways get built and folks can move about. Y'all DID finally connect one of those un-completed rampy flyover thingies that was built over FIVE years ago when we first arrived...didn't you?

[scm53]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Wow, kids!!! Don't make me stop this car!!!

Yet ANOTHER reason we happily reside on the north north fringe of Austin...where highways get built and folks can move about. Y'all DID finally connect one of those un-completed rampy flyover thingies that was built over FIVE years ago when we first arrived...didn't you?

Yea, after the low bidder went so low they bankrupted themselves and the bonding company had to find someone else to complete it ... Last one was done just about a year ago this week.

Y'all north didn't have the temerity to want to live in the hallowed grounds of a certain vocal segment of the Austin community. That's why roads that have been planned for, and approved for twenty years, remain uncompleted. Always a new spanner in the works. A certain cross y'all don't have to bear.