Jump to content

Somnio

Legacy Members
  • Posts

    1143
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Somnio

  1. Also of note is the cost comparison to just a few under construction and upcoming highway projects in Austin, not even trying to fathom the discrepancy over the last 70 years... I-35 - $7.5 billion 183 South - $750 million 183 North - $600 million 290 West - $700 million And there are others I don't feel like looking up the cost right now like the 71 East projects, Loop 360, 183A expansion, 130 expansion, etc. But the horror of investing in other forms of transportation is just too much for some I guess.
  2. I'm going to speculate the reason is that they knew that the federal government would've kicked in some money for the Red Line. The Red Line Capital Metro did not need federal dollars to build. I will further speculate that there was concern that if the federal government funded the Red Line, when Capital Metro came back a few years later for more federal funds for an expansion they could not fund themselves, it could harm the chances of the feds approving more dollars for more rail in Austin again. The plan was always to expand further. The Red Line's cost was miniscule for a transit line of 30+ miles and 9 or so stations. Get the first line built on the cheap, and then build off of it.
  3. Seeking federal transit funds for a $140 million dollar project would have been ridiculous. That's about the cost of adding some flyovers at a single highway interchange. I'm not sure why they initially said they would seek federal money, but why go through the process if they can fund it without? That's the reason Capital Metro was created by Austin voters, and funded with the 1% sales tax. To build mass transit including passenger trains.
  4. The cities subsidize the sprawl is more like it. All of the driver's who live in Central Austin pay gas taxes that are used to fund and maintain highways they don't drive on. The highways are clogged not because of the residents of Hyde Park, but those coming in from Williamson and Hays counties. Not only that, but the property taxes paid on Central Austin properties are massive in comparison to the outlying areas. Just the money collected in the roughly 1 square mile downtown area, which is on a nearly two hundred year old street grid makes any claim that the suburbs subsidize the city one of the dumbest things I've heard in a long time.
  5. Somnio

    Austin FC

    Anyone know anything about the MLS starting up their own reserve league? A few MLS clubs have already announced they're no longer going to field second teams in the USL. Earlier in the thread there was speculation regarding Austin FC's potential USL affiliate, but that now seems unlikely.
  6. A few days of below average temps in late October, and I've now heard three different people complaining about weather, how they hate the cold, where's the sun, etc. WTF?!? Austin gets like 300 days of sunshine a year! It's hot for 8 months of the year! Put on a damn jacket, and enjoy not being roasted by the sun for a couple of days.
  7. Somnio

    Austin FC

    nvm
  8. Interesting point. I think refusal to change your opinion on something is exactly what is happening with many people. Seven months ago I believed this pandemic was something to fear. However, I have altered my initial position. It has nothing to do with politics, which bizarrely is exactly how many seem to form their outlook on the severity of this virus. Dispute the data I posted, please. Instead of insults and sarcasm convince me I am incorrect. I am willing to be persuaded if convincing data is presented. But the facts that are relevant to me are 99 plus percent of confirmed cases are mild. The actual number of cases is actually an order of magnitude higher putting severe cases and death rate at a miniscule percentage. While death is always a tragedy, it is a fact of life. There are over 50 million deaths on the face of this planet every year. We all are aware that many of the tiny percentage who have perished due to Covid-19 were in high risk groups to have perished this year with or without Covid-19. Maybe it is time to reassess the situation, and realize while erring on the side of caution was wise early on this pandemic we should amend our positions due to the facts I stated above. Y'all have a good one!
  9. And only ~10% of actual Covid-19 cases are confirmed. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/06/25/coronavirus-cases-10-times-larger/ So if 400 million plus people around the globe have or have had Covid-19, and ~1.2 million people have died from it, what would that put the mortality rate at? 0.3% is the answer if my math is correct. In two more weeks it's going to be bodies in trees though, right?!?
  10. 99% of confirmed cases are classified as "Mild". https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/
  11. Somnio

    Austin FC

    If I would have been told the seats would be various shades of green beforehand I'd have been incredulous. But it looks really good. All the grass is installed now as well.
  12. Can those with "You Can't Sit With US" privileges sell access to those without? I envision a system like season ticket holders selling tickets to games they won't be attending. Someone could say sell their rights to posting in said forum on a specific date. 50% of earnings go to Surly to offset the cost of setting up and managing such a system. YCSWU members can earn money due to their prestige, Surly has another revenue stream, and guys like me get a chance to experience elite staus, if only on special occasions. All parties involved win!
  13. Was just coming here to post this. Can we have 6th Street added to the forum listings at the top and bottom of page? I will also give this fluid view a try.
  14. Just think of those clean ass Icy Whites at home, though! I propose the Horns come out of the tunnel to Outkast's, "So Fresh, So Clean".
  15. I do not believe that the tens of millions of square feet of office space in the center of our city will sit empty in the long-term. I'm not buying it. I just deleted an essay I wrote on why Project Connect is still a good idea even in the unlikely event work from home became the norm for a sizeable percentage long-term. I believe it to be true, but I know it's not going to change anyone's mind. It's also things I've written in this very thread before, so I don't want to repeat myself. I voted yes, and hope it passes because it will be transformative in a positive way for the city over the coming decades. However, I am not holding my breath. People are deciding who are selfish and short-sighted. I don't mean to be insulting, as those traits seem to be default by human nature. Not a popular opinion, but this is why we elect representatives to make informed decisions for the betterment of the society as a whole. Are we voting on building a highway? Do we have an election to decide if we extend water and sewer lines?
  16. Thousands and thousands of years of human civilization history have endured catastrophe. Wars, genocides, fires, earthquakes, floods, pandemics, great depressions, and a multitude of other nightmares. And now because of Covid-19 in 2020 we stop planning for the future? We illogically make the assumption that we no longer need to invest in transportation infrastructure? That is lunacy.
  17. Somnio

    Austin FC

    Also Netspend was added as a jersey sleeve sponsor. https://www.newsbreak.com/news/2087532595509/austin-fc-adds-netspend-as-jersey-sleeve-partner
  18. Somnio

    Austin FC

    More Verde!
  19. Somnio

    Austin FC

    Verde!
  20. Fantastic! However I must be a contrarian and disagree that the dark brown helmet decal is a good thing. I know it was the wrong color for ages, and many like it because of that fact, but I think it should be orange like the rest of the uniform. It's still a great look though, and that should be our permanent jersey template both home and away.
  21. Update from the Statesman on Giga Texas: Tesla’s Austin-area site could include battery production By Kara Carlson Posted at 2:30 PMUpdated at 6:05 PM Tesla could be planning to build more than just vehicles at its $1 billion assembly plant in southeastern Travis County. The electric vehicle manufacturer has plans to produce battery cells at the site, according to documents filed with the state. The company has already said it will produce its Cybertruck, Semi, Model 3 compact sedan and Model Y vehicles at the plant. Telsa has started construction on the Travis County site, and the company has begun hiring in Central Texas. Currently, Tesla’s job site lists more than 80 open positions in Austin. If a battery facility is added to the Travis County site, it would be among the first Tesla locations to have both full-scale battery and vehicle production, in addition to being its second U.S. vehicle assembly factory after its flagship Fremont, Calif., plant.
  22. The Amtrak map shown is not all brand new service in areas with no Amtrak trains currently. As a matter of fact, from looking at the map most of it is existing service. I doubt the plan is any new tracks in new right of way. They use freight lines owned by Union Pacific and others for their tracks. If anything this plan may pay for double tracking in certain busy spots to prevent having to pull over and allow freight traffic to pass which has ROW. It probably includes newer, higher speed trains as well. I imagine there will be more service similar to the Acela in the NE US on more lines across the US such as DFW- AUS-SAN which currently has shitty service. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acela
×
×
  • Create New...