Austin Transportation & Roadways

[Texas Jeff 1,945]

9 hours ago, Pasken said:

That's why I'm on board with the tunnels and elevated track for the orange/blue lines even if it's bus rapid. Getting a transit option away from traffic, lights and pedestrians will give people a bigger reason to want to use the transit system. 

I agree that below ground transit can be pretty awesome if roads are just flat impossible to use.  I've used BART, MARTA and the DC Metro to get around when I was in those towns and if it goes from where you are to where you need to go it's great.  BART is incredibly noisy and I'm not sure I could take it every day.  The old Austin monorail project pretty much proposed the "Orange Line" route about twenty years ago and that was grade separated.  That project went nowhere but was a cool idea.

It is possible that we are maybe 10-15 years away from a world where you push a button on your phone, a car shows up and takes you where you want to go ... and at much lower cost than owning a car.  At that point, I think CapMetro will struggle to attract passengers even though our roads are likely to be more crowded than ever due the automated cars.  Fewer people will care about their commute because it will suck a lot less as a rider than a driver.

For the price of those tunnels we could fundamentally transform Austin ISD.  Maybe it isn't the same money bucket, but if I had to pick I'd invest in the schools before transit.

 

[Paper_jam 831]

I guess the roads are the scariest place to be today:

(From KXAN's website)

Multiple crashes along I-35 in between U.S. Highway 183 and Rundberg Lane are causing major traffic congestion on Thursday.

According to APD, there is one crash in the 8800 block of I-35 southbound, where all southbound lanes are closed.

Austin police and medics are also reporting to a multiple-vehicle collision in the 8700 block of north I-35 northbound, in addition to a secondary multiple-vehicle collision in the southbound lanes.

According to APD, there are a total of seven fire trucks and five ambulances on the scene.

Drivers are advised to expect delays and seek alternate routes.

[Armybrat 40,844]

Username checks out... halfway.

[atomheartbevo 89,661]

If you want the future of roads in Austin, check out Shoal Creek north of 38th.  Half of it is fully dedicated to bike lanes, and with the new dividers going up, there is no going around somebody pulling into the school/Jewish center there in the mornings and afternoons.

And that’s before Bull Creek throws more traffic on that road.  

[Dbeasy 15,050]

The only acceptable solution is elevated train, preferably in the form of monorail.
 

[MAUFRAIS 6,629]

Is there a chance the track could bend?

[hayden_horn 11,362]

On 10/31/2019 at 4:29 PM, Paper_jam said:

I guess the roads are the scariest place to be today:

(From KXAN's website)

Multiple crashes along I-35 in between U.S. Highway 183 and Rundberg Lane are causing major traffic congestion on Thursday.

According to APD, there is one crash in the 8800 block of I-35 southbound, where all southbound lanes are closed.

Austin police and medics are also reporting to a multiple-vehicle collision in the 8700 block of north I-35 northbound, in addition to a secondary multiple-vehicle collision in the southbound lanes.

According to APD, there are a total of seven fire trucks and five ambulances on the scene.

Drivers are advised to expect delays and seek alternate routes.

yeah, so i remember this, and it is illustrative about how a single point of failure fucks the entire city. there are only a handful of ways across the river. my commute home involves redbud trail, because when i leave work, mopac is a parking lot. wreck on 35 pushes ALL traffic west. took me nearly two hours to get home because mopac was so congested that people sought the next western alternate route, which is redbud. that route usually takes me 45ish minutes to get home. earlier last week, there was awreck on south mopac, with the same result.

[Pasken 1,309]

Looks like the wishbone design is going forward to engineering for the Longhorn Dam bridge project at Pleasant Valley and Lady Bird Lake. 

I like that they are doing to add a little pedestrian underpass on the west side of PV. I wish there were way more of those in Austin. 

Here are the already funded improvements to the existing longhorn dam bridge. It should help out a lot.

Earliest Opening for the new bridge would be 2025.

[Biff Tannen 45,683]

Did they just give up on finishing 35 at Woodward/Oltorf?  Shit's been pretty much done and just waiting to be paved and striped for like 3 months.

[elfenix 34,239]

can y'all remove all those annoying traffic lights between manor and austin on 290?  perfectly timed so that you hit the next light just as it's turning red. 

[Pasken 1,309]

2 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

Did they just give up on finishing 35 at Woodward/Oltorf?  Shit's been pretty much done and just waiting to be paved and striped for like 3 months.

It's the same contractor that is doing the Stassney/William Cannon 35 project so they might have shifted workers down there to get that project finished on time. 

 

8 minutes ago, elfenix said:

can y'all remove all those annoying traffic lights between manor and austin on 290?  perfectly timed so that you hit the next light just as it's turning red. 

CTRMA and Manor are talking about extending the 290 Manor Expressway tollway to just east of Manor. The good part is you'll likely have less lights than you do now but you'll have to pay if you want no lights. 

Edited December 12, 2019 by Pasken

[relapse98 634]

On 10/1/2019 at 2:04 PM, Pasken said:

This will be in conjunction with Travis county projects to improve Elroy Rd (from McAngus Rd to Kellam Rd) and Ross Rd (from Pearce Lane to Heine Farm Rd) just in time for COTA to go out of business. 

As long as they don't F with Elro any further east than that. Making it better will only attract more people to go that way to get away from COTA (trust me, it's really the best direction, you get away from people, get on 21, and then figure out where the F you are going).  I like that usually it's just me driving East down Elroy after a race.

[Pasken 1,309]

1 minute ago, relapse98 said:

As long as they don't F with Elro any further east than that. Making it better will only attract more people to go that way to get away from COTA (trust me, it's really the best direction, you get away from people, get on 21, and then figure out where the F you are going).  I like that usually it's just me driving East down Elroy after a race.

Txdot is going to start on a 71 overpass and frontage roads at Ross and Kellam which will greatly improve getting out of COTA. Again though, right in time for them to go out of business.

 

 

 

[Orange&White 5,528]

Where would one to go find "preliminary" stamped schematics for these road projects?

[Pasken 1,309]

37 minutes ago, Orange&White said:

Where would one to go find "preliminary" stamped schematics for these road projects?

Txdot website.

[Pasken 1,309]

1 hour ago, Pasken said:

Txdot is going to start on a 71 overpass and frontage roads at Ross and Kellam which will greatly improve getting out of COTA. Again though, right in time for them to go out of business.

 

Sorry, previous embeds were too big and it was too late to edit the post. 

 

[3adays 454]

Is anyone watching this terra-cotta bike line bullshit they are constructing at Foster Ln/Shoal Creek? Jesus that thing is a cluster fuck. 

[CooterBrown 18,011]

Is anyone watching this terra-cotta bike line bullshit they are constructing at Foster Ln/Shoal Creek? Jesus that thing is a cluster fuck. 

Drive through it often since I live off shoal creek. It’s nearly impossible to turn right onto Foster from northbound Shoal Creek if there’s a car at the stop sign on Foster. To be fair, it’s no worse than any of the other bad decisions they’ve recently made on Shoal Creek. The piss poor designs and execution are so comically aggy.

[Paper_jam 831]

I'd like to take just a moment to complain about one of the thousands of annoying things about driving in Austin: if you are on westbound Braker Ln and want to go south on Mopac, you make your left turn where Braker crosses Mopac, and then drive south on the feeder road, expecting to find a ramp that will let you get on Mopac, which is literally just a few feet to the left of you. But you keep driving, and there's no onramp. You keep driving, and there's still no onramp.  You come to a traffic light for 360, which you have to wait through. Then, just up ahead, finally the ramp you've been waiting for! Instinctively, you take it, and realize a second too late that Aw fuck, this ramp goes to 183S, not Mopac.

Yeah, admittedly there is a sign that says 183 for that ramp, but it still seems very strange to me that it wasn't designed to have the Mopac ramp first and the 183 ramp further down the road.

 

Edited January 8, 2020 by Paper_jam

[Pasken 1,309]

-CTRMA is officially underway with a study to extend the Manor Expressway (290) to Elgin. Phase 1 of construction would extend the tollway to FM 973 in Manor and phase 2 would go to Elgin.

-183 South work will finish in December

-Construction will start late this year on the 183A extension from Hero Way to 29 in Liberty Hill

-Construction on the additional general purpose lane and 2 toll lanes on 183 from Mopac to 35 will start early next year. This will also include big improvements to the mopac toll lane as well as direct ramps from the mopac toll lanes to 183 toll lanes.

-Mopac South costs are being updated and environmental assessment still underway 

-CTRMA is proposing adding lanes to SB Mopac near Barton Skyway to ease merging congestion. Seem like smart short term changes. Long term those 2 on ramps in a row have to go. The purpose is to help Enfield ramp merge further north.

-TxDot will start Oak Hill Parkway construction at the Y in SW Austin towards the end of the year.

-CAMPO sees a 2027 start to designing the missing piece of the 45 tollroad in Kyle between 35 and 1626

 

 

Edited February 26, 2020 by Pasken

[Bottlecap 1,523]

 

[Pasken 1,309]

26 minutes ago, Bottlecap said:

 

That's crazy. As a reminder, the last plan was to lower the mainlanes in downtown and tunnel them where the decks are.

[Bottlecap 1,523]

yeah, that looks like a nightmare once traffic is bottled up in there which will probably be 20 hours a day at that point

[Bottlecap 1,523]

Going only on the specs from the video heading SB, there will be a 15th st exit, 8th st (serving 6th) and then nothing until Riverside. Oh boy.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Bottlecap

[Biff Tannen 45,683]

44 minutes ago, Bottlecap said:

 

Are those green lanes tolled or HOV?

[Pasken 1,309]

16 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

Are those green lanes tolled or HOV?

HOV.

 

29 minutes ago, Bottlecap said:

Going only on the specs from the video heading SB, there will be a 15th st exit, 8th st (serving 6th) and then nothing until Riverside. Oh boy.

Rendering is based on previous design which will change in some way. There is also an exit to 12th. It also includes braided entrances/exits which reduces congestion. 

[Somnio 751]

Yuuuuuge!  This and 290 through Oak Hill should've started 20 or 30 years ago.  But it looks like they're both finally gonna happen!  Better late than never!

[Updawg 2,266]

CTRMA is proposing adding lanes to SB Mopac near Barton Skyway to ease merging congestion. Seem like smart short term changes. Long term those 2 on ramps in a row have to go. The purpose is to help Enfield ramp merge further north.


This would be nice but will probably be a nightmare construction wise and take 5 years.

[Pasken 1,309]

3 minutes ago, Updawg said:

CTRMA is proposing adding lanes to SB Mopac near Barton Skyway to ease merging congestion. Seem like smart short term changes. Long term those 2 on ramps in a row have to go. The purpose is to help Enfield ramp merge further north.


This would be nice but will probably be a nightmare construction wise and take 5 years.

Na. It's just a little more asphalt and just repainting. I don't think it'll require utility and drainage work.  The dark gray is new asphalt. The long term work will take years but it'll be worth it. I've previewed those changes early in this thread. 

[Gardner Barnes 1,562]

They need to prioritize 360. SB is now backed up all the way to Westlake Dr during rush hour.

The light at the Apple facility and growth on the 2244 corridor have really caused an increase in traffic.

[Pasken 1,309]

32 minutes ago, Gardner Barnes said:

They need to prioritize 360. SB is now backed up all the way to Westlake Dr during rush hour.

The light at the Apple facility and growth on the 2244 corridor have really caused an increase in traffic.

https://www.loop360project.com/projects.htm

 

[Gardner Barnes 1,562]

I’m aware of the website. I’m also aware they won’t even be starting construction till 2022

[Pasken 1,309]

1 hour ago, Gardner Barnes said:

I’m aware of the website. I’m also aware they won’t even be starting construction till 2022

That's the price of having public input. They have to engineer options, promote events, have events, organize info, engineer consensus to see what's possible, come back to public, repeat, then do full design and env review.  The public input is why it'll be underpasses instead of overpasses.  I'm actually all for in taking out the public outreach portion and just tell people to shut up and deal with it but it keeps complaints down.  

 

Anyway, as a reminder this is what the caps would look like:

 

 

[drewlaws 126]

2 hours ago, Pasken said:

https://www.loop360project.com/projects.htm

 

There are lights on 360 for the HEB shopping center just south of Bee Cave and Barton Creek Mall lights south of Walsh Tarlton. I wonder if those will get overpasses as well? Is there a flyover planned for 360/Mopac interchange?

[Pasken 1,309]

6 minutes ago, drewlaws said:

There are lights on 360 for the HEB shopping center just south of Bee Cave and Barton Creek Mall lights south of Walsh Tarlton. I wonder if those will get overpasses as well? Is there a flyover planned for 360/Mopac interchange?

Those lights are going and people will just U-turn at the grade separated intersection nearby. A DC at Mopac would have to be a part of a Mopac project.

[Biff Tannen 45,683]

Maybe not the right thread, but 35 south is an absolute shit show due to some wreck that cleared hours ago.

[Somnio 751]

I sat through it.  There were huge rocks and debris all over the SB lanes.  All traffic was funneled on to the inside shoulder.

It was horrid.

[Paper_jam 831]

Sometimes I feel like Austin (hell, Central Texas) just needs to declare a Transportation Emergency and appoint (or elect) a Transportation Fascist. That position would have absolute authority to bypass all the usual red tape (public input, environmental impact, contractor bidding, property disputes, etc.) that make transportation projects drag on for decades. 

Also, we need more efficient ways of dealing with accidents and disabled vehicles. Rapid-response crews with bulldozers or heavy-lift helicopters that can move wrecks and disabled vehicles out of the way in minutes, not hours. And let's get big, slow-ass construction vehicles and heavy commercial vehicles off city roads during peak commuting times. 

Finally, I don't want to see any fuckin' orange cones or barrels in a travel lane unless there is actually work happening there. How many times do you see a lane that's closed for a mile and absolutely nothing is going on, and the surface is still completely drivable?

[Godzillatron 292]

They need to prioritize 360. SB is now backed up all the way to Westlake Dr during rush hour.

The light at the Apple facility and growth on the 2244 corridor have really caused an increase in traffic.

The multi-billion I-35 funding dedicated today requires CAMPO to reprioritize $600 million of already allocated funding from other local projects to I-35. That money most likely will come from loop 360 and RM 620.

[Pasken 1,309]

Txdot is set to close the I-35 northbound to US 183 northbound flyover for about 6 months starting in late summer/early fall. This is the fist time I had seen a time span on the closure. The flyover will close after the new I-35 SB to US 183 NB and SB flyovers and US 183 NB to I-35 SB flyover opens.

 

Half of the flyover will be demolished and rebuilt at a much more gradual slope with an auxiliary lane leading to it for more manageable movements instead of the current hard turn exit. Traffic entering 35 will move up as the ramp moves back so cars cross under the new ramp instead of the current entrance where the cars have to cut through people trying to get to the 183 ramp. This will fix the current backup you see there all the time. The traffic from this new ramp will have its own lane once it gets on 183. The new ramp from 35 south will also have its own lane that will eventually exit for E. Anderson but cars will have plenty of time to merge.

 

I still hate how slow TXDOT works but at least the designs are a lot smarter.

[TPCJ007 48]

^^ Thanks for the update. I drive through that construction everyday.

[Pasken 1,309]

Some early phases starting on Riverside between 35 and 71 as a part of the 2016 corridor bond. Construction could begin as early as mid-April 2020 and should be completed by Fall 2020. This will eventually be a full reconstruction. 

[Gardner Barnes 1,562]

The best part about this virus is that it will force the city to be way way more fiscally responsible and hopefully kill the transit plan.

[Orange&White 5,528]

1 hour ago, Gardner Barnes said:

The best part about this virus is that it will force the city to be way way more fiscally responsible and hopefully kill the transit plan.

They damn sure better not try to present this to the public as being guaranteed to receive federal fund at this point, which is what they did with the red line when they knew damn well that they weren't going to get it. 

[Chet Steadman 940]

This city's piss-poor financial management is about to come in full view over the next 12-18 months with all the pending shortfalls. 

[Somnio 751]

https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2020/04/30/state-pours-3-4b-more-into-i-35-expansion.html

State pours $3.4B more into I-35 expansion

By Daniel Salazar
Staff Writer, Austin Business Journal

Apr 30, 2020, 3:02pm CDT
Updated 3 hours ago

Austin's most important highway will undergo a significant makeover.

The Texas Transportation Commission reportedly voted April 30 to approve $3.4 billion in funding for expanding I-35 through Austin.

The commission, the governing body for the Texas Department of Transportation, signaled in late February it would back the $7.5 billion project. The April 30 agenda item allocated funding for the I-35 Capital Express project as part of the Unified Transportation Program, the 10-year statewide plan for transportation infrastructure development.

Although many cars are off the road as people stay home to slow the spread of COVID-19, traffic congestion has consistently been one of the top problems for residents and businesses in Central Texas.

The plan — which will also be paid for with previous allocated state funds and local funds from the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization — would add two non-tolled managed lanes in each direction along I-35 from U.S. 290 to State Highway 71 or Ben White Boulevard. High-occupancy vehicle and bus-only lanes are examples of managed lanes without tolls.

The Capital Express project also includes more managed lanes on I-35, north to the State Highway 45 near Round Rock and south to State Highway 45 Southeast near the Travis-Hays county line.

Major organizations in the Austin business community generally support expanding I-35, although many urbanists dislike highway expansion projects — arguing they fail to address the underlying forces that put travelers and commuters, many of them in single-occupancy vehicles, on the road in the first place.

Downtown Austin Alliance President and CEO DeWitt Peart said the funding is critical for "such a significant improvement project for our city and region."

"This project will create jobs and capital investment in our region's economy, as well as help reduce congestion and keep commerce moving," Peart said in a statement. "There is much to be done, but in the meantime, the Downtown Austin Alliance is forging ahead with the community engagement process for the master planning of the surface enhancements and connections along I-35 through central Austin."

There is still a funding gap of about $307 million, which TxDOT will consider allocating later this year, according to KVUE News.

Texas Association of Business CEO Jeff Moseley said the state should rely more on public-private partnerships to improve I-35 without increasing the burden on taxpayers.

“TxDOT is right to prioritize I-35 through Austin, but in these times of twin economic crises of oil and COVID-19, Texas should again utilize private funding and managed toll lanes to fix I-35 rather than spending $3.4 billion from TxDOT’s discretionary fund,” Moseley said. “We need every funding tool in the transportation toolbox to keep Texas moving, especially during these times.”

[Guest Lobo]

SIAP...Cue Ron Paul...it's Happening! Well, kinda.  Half-way.  Sorta.  Maybe.

https://www.statesman.com/news/20200430/34-billion-added-to-i-35-project-paves-way-to-reconstruct-entire-highway-in-austin

It's a long way to go, but this about half the money needed to completely overhaul IH-35 from 45 down South to 45 up North.  Of course...irony.  It took 2 months of only a handful of drivers each hour to traverse IH-35 through Travis/Williamson County for officials to think, "Hey, I think this thing may be f'ed up."  I know this thing'll end up costing way more than $7bn, but it's a seriously significant start."  I can't wait until a corolloary light rail is proposed alongside it to be built above ground right before sub-surface highway construction begins (making for a complete engineering and logistical disaster) but hey---Steve Adler can only fuck up so much in a given workday.  Alright, I'll stop the sarcasm.  Maybe flying cars can't work underground in 10 years, but no matter which way you fall on the transportation spectrum---this is huge news coming at a very strange time and there's no denying that.  We've got a transportation thread but this is way beyond that.  This is in addition to the CAMPO plan, plus I'm sure some stimulus money will eventually fall into this bucket after the grifts are done.  I'm not falling one way or the other on vote on whether or not to do this.  But you cannot ignore this much money at this timestamp of the simulation.  

What do y'all think? 

Edited May 1, 2020 by Lobo

[Biff Tannen 45,683]

2 hours ago, Lobo said:

SIAP...Cue Ron Paul...it's Happening! Well, kinda.  Half-way.  Sorta.  Maybe.

https://www.statesman.com/news/20200430/34-billion-added-to-i-35-project-paves-way-to-reconstruct-entire-highway-in-austin

It's a long way to go, but this about half the money needed to completely overhaul IH-35 from 45 down South to 45 up North.  Of course...irony.  It took 2 months of only a handful of drivers each hour to traverse IH-35 through Travis/Williamson County for officials to think, "Hey, I think this thing may be f'ed up."  I know this thing'll end up costing way more than $7bn, but it's a seriously significant start."  I can't wait until a corolloary light rail is proposed alongside it to be built above ground right before sub-surface highway construction begins (making for a complete engineering and logistical disaster) but hey---Steve Adler can only fuck up so much in a given workday.  Alright, I'll stop the sarcasm.  Maybe flying cars can't work underground in 10 years, but no matter which way you fall on the transportation spectrum---this is huge news coming at a very strange time and there's no denying that.  We've got a transportation thread but this is way beyond that.  This is in addition to the CAMPO plan, plus I'm sure some stimulus money will eventually fall into this bucket after the grifts are done.  I'm not falling one way or the other on vote on whether or not to do this.  But you cannot ignore this much money at this timestamp of the simulation.  

What do y'all think? 

I think the sooner the better.  Something has to happen.  We better have HOV lanes like the rest of the civilized world.

[Somnio 751]

6 hours ago, Lobo said:

SIAP...Cue Ron Paul...it's Happening! Well, kinda.  Half-way.  Sorta.  Maybe.

https://www.statesman.com/news/20200430/34-billion-added-to-i-35-project-paves-way-to-reconstruct-entire-highway-in-austin

It's a long way to go, but this about half the money needed to completely overhaul IH-35 from 45 down South to 45 up North.  Of course...irony.  It took 2 months of only a handful of drivers each hour to traverse IH-35 through Travis/Williamson County for officials to think, "Hey, I think this thing may be f'ed up."  I know this thing'll end up costing way more than $7bn, but it's a seriously significant start."  I can't wait until a corolloary light rail is proposed alongside it to be built above ground right before sub-surface highway construction begins (making for a complete engineering and logistical disaster) but hey---Steve Adler can only fuck up so much in a given workday.  Alright, I'll stop the sarcasm.  Maybe flying cars can't work underground in 10 years, but no matter which way you fall on the transportation spectrum---this is huge news coming at a very strange time and there's no denying that.  We've got a transportation thread but this is way beyond that.  This is in addition to the CAMPO plan, plus I'm sure some stimulus money will eventually fall into this bucket after the grifts are done.  I'm not falling one way or the other on vote on whether or not to do this.  But you cannot ignore this much money at this timestamp of the simulation.  

What do y'all think? 

The entire stretch from 45 North to 45 Southeast is nearly 100% funded now.

The northern and southern segments have been fully funded for some time now, and will begin construction in early 2022. (Though much of the work already being done, ie Stassney, William Cannon, etc. is in preparation for the new managed lanes.

The 3.4 billion dollars just approved is just for the central portion from 183 to Ben White.  This still needs about $300 million approved to be fully funded.  The central portion with tunnels and shit is not going to begin construction until the northern and southern segments are complete.

There is still a funding gap of about $307 million, which TxDOT will consider allocating later this year, according to KVUE News.

[Guest Lobo]

Gotcha, thanks for clarification.  This shit is tough to decipher, in the real numbers space, when you've got the Feds, TXDoT, CAMPO, CTRMA, the myriad counties, and the multiple cities led by Adler & Co. all using different reporting mechanisms.  

Beyond strange timing though since this announcement may not have happened but for Covid-19 funds for several months, and if not for Covid-19, City of Austin would have been moving full steam ahead with a rail project that would physically encumber part of this proposed highway expansion.  It's insane to think of both the blue line and IH-35 improvements going on alongside each other for a decade without everyone wanting to nuke it from orbit.