Access Roads… …For better or for worse? (Houston, Austin: tax, dangerous)

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by EDS_

If memory serves Central Expressway and Parker in Plano is an SPIU with dedicated Texas Turnarounds too.

Can someone from up that way confirm or deny that pls?

Looks like that is the case. I wonder why they don't use that design more often? Cost I'd imagine...

[Soccernerd]

Originally Posted by EDS_

If memory serves Central Expressway and Parker in Plano is an SPIU with dedicated Texas Turnarounds too.

Can someone from up that way confirm or deny that pls?

You are correct. There’s another one at 75 and Eldorado in SPIU. One must exit the freeway onto the access road like normal and then must "exit" again to make the onto the crossroad. I’m sure they’re quite expensive and don’t integrate well with access roads. They’re my favorite type of interchange otherwise though.

There’s even a diverging diamond interchange/access road interchange at 121 and Nebraska Furniture Mart.

[Need4Camaro]

It can also be done without a double exit, pass thru traffic would just have to wait at a signal.

[silas777]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

The Good…

• Can use them to bypass congested segments of freeway
• Can be used in an emergency road closure as an alternative rather than diverting traffic down local roads
• They allow yielding U-Turns
• They follow a similar design state-wide making using them very predictable.

The Bad…

• They make our freeways look very generic. Every highway looks the same
• They mix high speed traffic with local traffic moving much slower creating conflict points
• Traffic signals follow a similar basic pattern for them state-wide, but they generally only allow one direction of travel flow at any given time. This causes bottle necks when trying to cross under a freeway.
• They canabalize surrounding scenery with shops, businesses, restaurants, gas stations, apartments, ect.

Opinions on them?

I think the pros far out way the cons. Go up to Seattle and drive on those freeways you will come back and greatly appreciate the Texas freeway system... It is one of the most pleasant changes of moving here.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by silas777

I think the pros far out way the cons. Go up to Seattle and drive on those freeways you will come back and greatly appreciate the Texas freeway system... It is one of the most pleasant changes of moving here.

Used to live up there.

My biggest peeve with the Seattle freeways was no East / West connectivity from Bremerton to Seattle without a ferry. I kinda liked the I-5 Express Lanes. I-405 was a cluster f between South Center mall and Bellevue. Otherwise I didn’t mind driving in Seattle.

[Spade]

I hate them.

The only good things I can say about them is you can use them to skip traffic or accidents but that's it. Outside of them. I don't care for them.

I however do love the u-turns in Texas. Those are great. But the access roads welcomes blight, temporary stores, large ugly car lots, and can become mini freeways themselves. I think they have done irreparable damage to urban Texas.

[Mr. Clutch]

Originally Posted by silas777

I think the pros far out way the cons. Go up to Seattle and drive on those freeways you will come back and greatly appreciate the Texas freeway system... It is one of the most pleasant changes of moving here.

Seattle isn't too bad imo. There's poorly designed urban freeway systems all over the country, but I don't think access roads really make a difference one way or the other (in terms of how they affect congestion/delay). I like driving the freeways in urban Florida much better than urban Texas and most of those don't have feeders.

[Soonhun]

I don't care enough about the Texas scenery to do away with the functionality of the frontage roads and I don't care at all if all the high ways look identical. I didn't know they were controversial; my family from California, Seattle, Atlanta, and Colorado have always commented positively on them and wished they were more common back home. Also, most frontage roads are forty five miles per hour, is that really "too fast?"

[LocalPlanner]

Originally Posted by Soonhun

I don't care enough about the Texas scenery to do away with the functionality of the frontage roads and I don't care at all if all the high ways look identical. I didn't know they were controversial; my family from California, Seattle, Atlanta, and Colorado have always commented positively on them and wished they were more common back home. Also, most frontage roads are forty five miles per hour, is that really "too fast?"

The issue with the speed is not specifically that it's "too high", it's that in urban areas there's a high volume of traffic doing 50mph+ on them, and it can be unsafe / scary for those coming out of side streets or driveways from a dead stop.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by Soonhun

I don't care enough about the Texas scenery to do away with the functionality of the frontage roads and I don't care at all if all the high ways look identical. I didn't know they were controversial; my family from California, Seattle, Atlanta, and Colorado have always commented positively on them and wished they were more common back home. Also, most frontage roads are forty five miles per hour, is that really "too fast?"

Out in the suburbs its not uncommon for them to be 55 to 60.. ..and its also not uncommon to find cars doing 70 on them, which is a real headache when pulling out of a strip center.