Regional Boards > Mid-South
Austin, TX
longhorn:
I don't believe many here truly understand the anti freeway bias that exists in Austin. Especially west of MoPac.
Echostatic:
--- Quote from: longhorn on March 30, 2020, 10:49:24 AM ---I don't believe many here truly understand the anti freeway bias that exists in Austin. Especially west of MoPac.
--- End quote ---
It's a miracle we have half the freeways we do. MoPac would never have been built today, or any freeway segments of 290, or Loop 360. The US 290 freeway extension to Circle Dr, Oak Hill Parkway, took over two decades to get through local opposition. Same thing with 45SW, the highway in my flair. I-35 funding got passed, but the local response has been strongly against widening I-35 (somehow.) Hell, even the SH130 widening was an intense debate, and it's miles outside of town.
It would at least make sense if we had a decent transit system, but we've been voting down major transit packages since 2000. People complain about traffic nonstop, then advocate against widening freeways, then vote against public transit. It's ridiculous.
texaskdog:
--- Quote from: longhorn on March 30, 2020, 10:49:24 AM ---I don't believe many here truly understand the anti freeway bias that exists in Austin. Especially west of MoPac.
--- End quote ---
It's a very very blue city the "don't build it they won't come" mentality that exists. My 90 minute drive home (14 miles)
now takes 18 it is truly amazing.
texaskdog:
--- Quote from: Echostatic on March 30, 2020, 12:49:13 PM ---
--- Quote from: longhorn on March 30, 2020, 10:49:24 AM ---I don't believe many here truly understand the anti freeway bias that exists in Austin. Especially west of MoPac.
--- End quote ---
It's a miracle we have half the freeways we do. MoPac would never have been built today, or any freeway segments of 290, or Loop 360. The US 290 freeway extension to Circle Dr, Oak Hill Parkway, took over two decades to get through local opposition. Same thing with 45SW, the highway in my flair. I-35 funding got passed, but the local response has been strongly against widening I-35 (somehow.) Hell, even the SH130 widening was an intense debate, and it's miles outside of town.
It would at least make sense if we had a decent transit system, but we've been voting down major transit packages since 2000. People complain about traffic nonstop, then advocate against widening freeways, then vote against public transit. It's ridiculous.
--- End quote ---
Mayor Adler has this idea that his plans will work. Maybe something like an el train. High speed buses are not the answer.
bwana39:
--- Quote from: longhorn on March 30, 2020, 10:49:24 AM ---I don't believe many here truly understand the anti freeway bias that exists in Austin. Especially west of MoPac.
--- End quote ---
Austin is / was a college town and a state Capitol when state capitols were seats of small government. As long as the Universities were the center of Austin, it was a liberal, intimate collegial environment. State government was small. The real government (the legislature) met for 6 weeks every other year. Back when, they might have an ocasional special session, but the bulk of the time, none of the legislators were there. Boards and commissions back when, the comissioners met in convenient places (often the chaiman's location) and held public but little publicised meetings. Let's just say, state government was smaller and not concentrated in Austin.
Plus before the 1980's Austin was an intellectual not a productive place. Dell and Whole Foods (which is mostly owned by Amazon) are the only fortune 500 companies headquartered there; even now. It is that education that has led to Austin's growth.
Intelectuals EVERYWHERE hold a freeway bias. They seem to not want to build any more and even tear down what is there.
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