Solving I-35 by diverting traffic onto Mopac. (Austin, Lakeway: houses, neighborhood)

[Danbo1957]

I literally never drive on IH-35 within Austin. Ever. It's ridiculous to even think that it can be improved in any real way with redevelopment. Move the through trucks onto 130 from I-10 to Georgetown. Do it.

[RoamingTX]

And the sooner everyone realizes that there is NO solution that doesn’t involve expanding the number of lanes, the sooner this dead horse will be allowed to finally be buried.

[centralaustinite]

Originally Posted by Danbo1957

I literally never drive on IH-35 within Austin. Ever. It's ridiculous to even think that it can be improved in any real way with redevelopment. Move the through trucks onto 130 from I-10 to Georgetown. Do it.

The state has already spent millions of dollars to lower the fares for big trucks on 130 for a 15 month pilot program now completed. It did almost nothing but burn cash, congestion was untouched.

[tom331]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

The state has already spent millions of dollars to lower the fares for big trucks on 130 for a 15 month pilot program now completed. It did almost nothing but burn cash, congestion was untouched.

You cannot force the big truck to use 130 if it is toll even with lower fee. We need to force the SEMI using 130 without charge and give them a big fine if they use I35 instead of 130 for the through traffic.

[m1a1mg]

Originally Posted by tom331

You cannot force the big truck to use 130 if it is toll even with lower fee. We need to force the SEMI using 130 without charge and give them a big fine if they use I35 instead of 130 for the through traffic.

Agree completely.

[L210]

When I lived in South Austin, I never used SH130 and rarely used MoPac because I needed to drive to 290 and 183. I either took I-35 to 290 or 71 to 183. It wasn't worth it to pay for SH130 when it would only shave off a few minutes off my commute. Sometimes, the commute time was longer on SH130. I would check Google Maps every day to find the shortest route.

It is my opinion that Austin's highway system is woefully inadequate for a city its size. All you have to do is compare to San Antonio a few decades ago when San Antonio had around one million people. Austin doesn't have a full loop; 183/Ed Bluestein has lights to contend with; and I-35, MoPac, and 360 have too few lanes throughout most of the city.

For those who want to toll everything, are you willing to pay for a better public transportation system? The OP seems to have an obsession with tolling all lanes on I-35 and thinks that people don't pay any taxes or fees for the maintenance and building of roads, which is not true. If we were to toll I-35, it would cause a hardship for lower income people and make social mobility even less likely because good-paying jobs are rarely in poor neighborhoods. We already don't have an adequate public transportation system, so for those who can manage to save up for a car, you're telling them that you want to make it unaffordable for them to drive across town.

[James1457]

"If we were to toll I-35, it would cause a hardship for lower income people and make social mobility even less likely because good-paying jobs are rarely in poor neighborhoods."

Maybe the lower income people need to disperse ACROSS Austin instead of being stuck on the I-35 corridor!!!!

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by James1457

When SH130 is the quickest way to get from the Domain to Southpark Meadows, it's pretty obvious that TxDoT is tolling the wrong stretch of highway.

Say what? Pretty sure that's not the case usually, if you know Austin roadways intimately.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

The state has already spent millions of dollars to lower the fares for big trucks on 130 for a 15 month pilot program now completed. It did almost nothing but burn cash, congestion was untouched.

I don't know, I've been driving 130 a lot during that time period (from north to south all the way and back) and it seems to me that it DID increase congestion on 130 considerably.

[TexasHorseLady]

Originally Posted by L210

When I lived in South Austin, I never used SH130 and rarely used MoPac because I needed to drive to 290 and 183. I either took I-35 to 290 or 71 to 183. It wasn't worth it to pay for SH130 when it would only shave off a few minutes off my commute. Sometimes, the commute time was longer on SH130. I would check Google Maps every day to find the shortest route.

It is my opinion that Austin's highway system is woefully inadequate for a city its size. All you have to do is compare to San Antonio a few decades ago when San Antonio had around one million people. Austin doesn't have a full loop; 183/Ed Bluestein has lights to contend with; and I-35, MoPac, and 360 have too few lanes throughout most of the city.

For those who want to toll everything, are you willing to pay for a better public transportation system? The OP seems to have an obsession with tolling all lanes on I-35 and thinks that people don't pay any taxes or fees for the maintenance and building of roads, which is not true. If we were to toll I-35, it would cause a hardship for lower income people and make social mobility even less likely because good-paying jobs are rarely in poor neighborhoods. We already don't have an adequate public transportation system, so for those who can manage to save up for a car, you're telling them that you want to make it unaffordable for them to drive across town.

Absolutely agree.