Austin urban rail ballot could include I-35 fixes (Dallas, Riverside: 2014, construction)

[CptnRn]

Austin urban rail ballot could include I-35 fixes

Austin urban rail ballot could include I-35 fixes | www.statesman.com


The Austin City Council, looking to broaden the appeal of what could be a $700 million urban rail bond election in November, is considering tacking on road improvements from among $480 million in possible projects.


That number, about two-thirds of it devoted to improving Interstate 35 interchanges, likely will be cut more or less in half over the next couple of weeks before the council votes on it. But the proposal from city staffers indicates that Austin voters almost certainly will have a mix of rail and roads to vote on this fall.


“We have to be realistic about the political aspects” of the probable rail election, Mayor Lee Leffingwell said at a council work session Tuesday after city staffers unveiled the menu of possible road projects. “You’ve got to get enough voters to go into the booth and vote yes on Proposition 1. … It’s important that we have a proposal to put before the voters that addresses our total mobility problems, and not just part of it.”

I will be really pissed if they package the Highway Improvements with the Urban Rail proposal so you have to approve both if you want to approve any of them.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

I will be really pissed if they package the Highway Improvements with the Urban Rail proposal so you have to approve both if you want to approve any of them.

It seems that is exactly what will happen!

[atxcio]

Yep, seems that their best idea to fix the flawed urban rail routing is to tack on something more popular that has nothing to do with rail. It appears that actually fixing the rail proposal so it addresses what Austinites want is simply out of the question with them.

[balconesfault]

An act of desperation.

[scm53]

Why is the city paying for roads that are TxDOT's responsibility?

Well, we all know why ....

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by scm53

Why is the city paying for roads that are TxDOT's responsibility?

You mean like the 2010 city bond that payed for:

US 290
SH 71
US 183
IH 35
RM 620
RM 2222
State Highway Loop 1 (Mopac)
State Highway Loop 343 (Lamar)
FM 969
State Highway Loop 360
.
.
.
http://www.austintexas.gov/sites/def...ond_report.pdf


Or the 2012 city bond that payed for:
IH35
Loop 1
.
.
.
2012 Bond - AustinTexas.gov

Or the __<fill in the blank>___ city bond that payed for.....

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by CptnRn

Austin urban rail ballot could include I-35 fixes

I will be really pissed if they package the Highway Improvements with the Urban Rail proposal so you have to approve both if you want to approve any of them.

That seems to be the only way to get the Urban Rail money.
Take it or leave it is what your city is telling you.

They really want the Urban Rail here.
The I-35 improvements will seal the deal IMHO.
More people impacted by traffic today will want this "immediate" relief.

[HappyTexan]

Originally Posted by scm53

Why is the city paying for roads that are TxDOT's responsibility?

Well, we all know why ....

The city can go above and beyond what the state approves but the city has to pay for it.
It's your decision if you want to pay for it.

TxDOT maintains the roads and improves where necessary.
I-35 going north to Dallas is what needs expanding. That is the bigger picture TxDot has to deal with.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Novacek

You mean like the 2010 city bond that payed for:

US 290 ...

Really? We PAID for US 290? I thought it was already constructed.

Or are you trying to mislead everyone by comparing $20M in various street improvements in conjunction with the TxDOT 290 widening project with $480M in actual freeway construction such as flyovers at 35 and 183, flyovers off 71 to ABIA, new interchanges at 183 and Riverside, ...? And "paying for Mopac" - which is really "design for interim solutions. Partnering with TxDOT" is just like building the whole danged thing, right?

Because $20M is SOOOOOOO close to $480M.

[Dog_Gone]

Really, $16 million to do road studies?