Read on Twitter
TxDOT's plans for I-35 in Central Austin will be public at 5pm tomorrow night here: http://www.mobility35openhouse.com
Here's what we know so far:
Here's what we know so far:
Tomorrow, TxDOT will present two design “Build Alternatives” plus a “no-build” scenario (basically, a control group) for review under its environmental study. This includes a mere 30-day public comment period for a $4.9 billion project.
Based on preliminary press images, both Build Alternatives appear to show five main lanes PLUS two “managed lanes” PLUS three frontage road lanes in each direction. That’s twenty total lanes, for you math people, and only six lanes shy of the Katy fucking Freeway.
(Sidebar of links about how the Katy Freeway expansion made congestion worse)
https://cityobservatory.org/reducing-congestion-katy-didnt/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-06/traffic-jam-blame-induced-demand
https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/2020/03/05/Houston-road-construction-not-helping-congestion-traffic
Etc.
Even Ed Emmett acknowledged that widening instead of adding rail was a mistake: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/Emmett-draws-line-fro-Harvey-to-lost-rail-tracks-12393177.php
https://cityobservatory.org/reducing-congestion-katy-didnt/
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-09-06/traffic-jam-blame-induced-demand
https://kinder.rice.edu/urbanedge/2020/03/05/Houston-road-construction-not-helping-congestion-traffic
Etc.
Even Ed Emmett acknowledged that widening instead of adding rail was a mistake: https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/transportation/article/Emmett-draws-line-fro-Harvey-to-lost-rail-tracks-12393177.php
The schematic sections we’ve seen also don’t account for “collector-distributors”, which TxDOT defines as a road that “parallels and connects the main travel lanes of a highway and frontage roads”.
Yeah you read that right: a highway next to a highway next to another highway.
Yeah you read that right: a highway next to a highway next to another highway.
Which tells us one of two things: either TxDOT has chosen to stop using “collector-distributors” (narrator: they haven’t) or they are showing sections that understate the massive physical impact and size of this project.
Here’s Build Alternative 1, a lowered highway configuration with cantilevered frontage roads.
Pros: cantilevering frontage roads allows shorter ped crossing distances *
Cons: 3-lane frontage roads inhospitable to ped/bike, hugely expensive, hugely expensive
*sooo many caveats
Pros: cantilevering frontage roads allows shorter ped crossing distances *
Cons: 3-lane frontage roads inhospitable to ped/bike, hugely expensive, hugely expensive
*sooo many caveats
Here's Build Alternative 2, a Brobdingnagian shit show.
Pros: great time to buy a concrete batch plant
Cons: LITERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE
Pros: great time to buy a concrete batch plant
Cons: LITERALLY EVERYTHING ELSE
Missing from this conversation so far:
1) Repairing the street grid cut by I-35,
2) The very worthy @ReconnectAustin proposal,
3) Removing the highway completely
4) Climate change.
1) Repairing the street grid cut by I-35,
2) The very worthy @ReconnectAustin proposal,
3) Removing the highway completely
4) Climate change.
In conclusion, TxDOT has already sent a message that they view this project as expanding capacity.
It's up to us to demand that the environmental scoping be framed to ensure this project improves the quality of live of people living and working along I-35, specifically:
It's up to us to demand that the environmental scoping be framed to ensure this project improves the quality of live of people living and working along I-35, specifically:
ACCESS for all modes, ages, abilities & identities; SAFETY for people not in cars; CONNECTING neighborhoods, businesses & places; HEALTH of people, community & the environment; Repairing TRUST with those who've been ignored; Ensuring EQUITABLE outcomes, & Slowing CLIMATE CHANGE.
I urge you to consider these in your public comments.
http://www.mobility35openhouse.com/
http://www.mobility35openhouse.com/
And, look, this isn't meant to vilify TxDOT. A lot of people at TxDOT work really hard building and maintaining our state infrastructure. But we HAVE to get past thinking about highways in cities. They have not worked, we know they don't work, and they're never going to work.
