# Even An 85 MPH Highway Can't Fix Austin's Traffic Tangle



## CHamilton (Dec 17, 2013)

I'm sure jimhudson will have something to say about this! I would guess that light rail is too little, too late.

Even An 85 MPH Highway Can't Fix Austin's Traffic Tangle



> Austin is the largest city in America with only one interstate running through it. Just six lanes wide through downtown, Interstate 35 backs up for miles regularly.
> A tolled bypass to the east of Austin was supposed to help relieve the bottleneck. But Texas state Highway 130 was built so far to the east that practically nobody uses it.
> In desperation, the state raised the toll road speed limit to 85 mph, the fastest in the nation. The idea was that drivers could drop the top, drop the hammer, crank the music and fly right past Austin.
> It's a beautiful, wide-open highway — but it's empty, and the builders are nearly bankrupt. So now, the state is considering tolling Interstate 35 and making the toll road free — as well as building a light-rail system and putting in more bike lanes.


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## jis (Dec 17, 2013)

That is a long honored American tradition. We will first try everything except the right thing, and if that does not bankrupt us or destroy us then we will reluctantly do the right thing.


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## the_traveler (Dec 17, 2013)

Yeah, I'm sure Jim will chime in.

I've only driven I-35 once (25 years ago  ), and at that time it wasn't bad. Since then, I've only been thru Austin on train (many times), and what little I've seen is getting worse all the time. The TE goes down the middle of the MoPac, but that is not even I-35! And that highway is getting more busy on each trip.

I'd hate to see I-35! 

And now they want to build light rail? :huh: Even if the first shovel turns today, if won't solve the problem by this weekend. More like 10-15 years from now - if that soon.


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## jerichowhiskey (Dec 17, 2013)

They opened a light rail (DMU) line three years ago, but it does not directly serve the area where it is congested.


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 18, 2013)

The best way here is probably to get the congested road tolled and widened. They do have MetroRail already but it's probably not enough, and I expect the traffic to be going farther then the reach of light rail. Possibly commuter rail would be a better idea. Also, Capital Metro made the mistake of using intercity buses to serve commuters, which are too big and incompetant at solving the congestion issue.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 19, 2013)

A Day Late and a Dollar Short! The Story of My Life! Don't Know How I Missed This one! 

The Previous Posts are All True but Understated! Austin's "Leaders" (City/Cap Metro/Regional and State Government Officials etc. etc.) have Plenty of Transportation "Plans", Most of Which are Pie in the sky and Where does the money Come From? Also Austin's NIMBYs, of which there are Many Variations, are Opposed to ANY Additional Transportation Construction! :help:

The Latest Scheme is to Widen the MOPAC Parking Lot, er Expressway and Toll the Inside ""Express" Lanes and the City is going to have a Vote This Fall (it's been "Studied" by the City Council for 2 Years!!!!!  )on a Transportation Bond Issue that would Run Street Cars or Trolleys from Downtown to the Airport and Grand Prix Complex ( 10 Miles East of the City on other Heavily Congested Highways)and another Light Rail Line from Downtown Past the University of Texas to Connect with the Red Line North of the Central City! The Area where the Congestion is Equally Heavily Congested as North Austin,, If Not More So, South Austin, is NOT Included! Estimated Cost of This Scheme is 5 Billion Dollars, which if Implemented would mean $20 Billion!!!  Projected Time Frame for Buildout and Completion, 2020, Actual Date Knowing Austin and Government Run Construction Programs, Not in the Lifetime of Anyone that is Now Alive!!!! 

CapMetro, our Crack Bus and Rail Company, wasted Billions of Dollars Building the Red Line that came in 3 Years late Due to the Hiring of an Incompetent Consulting Firm(Keolis) by the Board which had to be Fired, then Blamed CapMetro Management instead of the Politicians that Serve on the Board and Made the Wrong Decisions! A New Executive Director for Cap Metro from Tampa was Hired, She Hired Several of her Cronies @ a Cost of Several Million Dollars, then proceeded to Re-Organize by Trying to Break the Union that Represents the Drivers, Mechanics and Clerks who had to Go on Strike to Stop their Plan to Staff Cap Metro Operations with Scab Labor! They also Completely re-did the Schedules to make them Basically Useless for Commuters, Removed all the Routes from Downtown in the Name of "Security", and Of Course Raised the Fares including those for Handicapped and Seniors!

The other Problem with the Red Line is that it Runs 20+ Miles from Leander (out in the Sticks) in the NW thru Cedar Park (Fastest growing City in the US)which is NOT a Member of Cap Metro hence No Stops for the Red Line! Cap Metros answer is to run "Express" Buses to Downtown on the Gridlocked Highways 183 and MOPAC! (Running Time Comparison: Red Line= 30 Minutes vs. "Express" Bus=

1 1/2 Hours!!! Same Fare which is Fixing to Double!!!!)

And so as the Old Song goes, "The Beat Goes On!" and Austin's Traffic Doesn't! (Austins Population is Projected to Double in the Next Decade! :help: )


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## Ispolkom (Dec 19, 2013)

If Austin's population is going to double in the next decade, won't it sprawl out towards Texas route 130? Sure, it probably won't help the original investors in the toll road it the toll road goes bankrupt, but that's the creative distruction of a free market.

I remember that when the Dulles Greenway opened in Northern Virginia as a private toll road 1995, it also was an empty boondoggle, and the original owners defaulted on their loan. I remember driving it a few times back then just to appreciate its emptiness. Now it's clogged and expanded to 6 lanes, as the Washington metropolitan area metastizes toward the Shenandoah.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 19, 2013)

As a Matter of Clarification: The State of Texas Guaranteed the Bonds for the Highways so the Builders/Owners of the Toll Roads (Spanish/Mexican/Rich Texan Investors))Will NOT Go Broke, the State (ie Taxpayers) Will Make them Whole! You are Correct that Sprawl Will Happen towards the Toll Roads (it's already Underway!) but the Majority of the Growth in Austin is Happening in the City itself with Infill, Hi Rises and People Who Can Afford It Moving into the Inner City! Working Class and Poor People will be Forced to the Housing Developments and Worker Ghettos that will be Built out by the Toll Roads and Eventually They Too Will Become Clogged with the Millions of Vehicles that Will Be on the Roads 24/7 Here! There is NO Hope for I-35, Terminal Gridlock is here to Stay due to the 18 Wheelers that Roll to/from Mexico! Same Thing on the UP Line that the Texas Eagles Run on! :help:


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 20, 2013)

Interstate 35 in Austin appears to lack a HOV lane. Thus, Capital Metro made a big mistake running big MCI D4500 intercity coaches as "express" transit buses that are not fast at all. These buses are very heavy and have huge turning circle, probably one of the least manuerverable "buses" in the world. It's my favourite intercity bus but it's a terrible transit bus unless you have an effective HOV lane or bus lane.

Capital Metro might as well sell them to Greyhound and buy some more useful transit buses.

I'm pretty sure this thing is NOT good in congestion: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/2601871880/sizes/l/.


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## Bob Dylan (Dec 20, 2013)

Swadian Hardcore said:


> Interstate 35 in Austin appears to lack a HOV lane. Thus, Capital Metro made a big mistake running big MCI D4500 intercity coaches as "express" transit buses that are not fast at all. These buses are very heavy and have huge turning circle, probably one of the least manuerverable "buses" in the world. It's my favourite intercity bus but it's a terrible transit bus unless you have an effective HOV lane or bus lane.
> 
> Capital Metro might as well sell them to Greyhound and buy some more useful transit buses.
> 
> I'm pretty sure this thing is NOT good in congestion: http://www.flickr.com/photos/[email protected]/2601871880/sizes/l/.


You are Correct, No HOV Lanes but theway Austin Drivers Drive it doesnt really Matter, it's a War Zone out There! Nice Picture of the Bus, Cap Metro is Actually Proposing to b uy MORE of these for their Crack "Express" Service that is Part of one of the Many Plans that Exist with More to Come! First we Need to Fire all the Consultants and Make the People Paid to Handle these Jobs Actually Do them!!!!! :help:


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 20, 2013)

jimhudson said:


> Swadian Hardcore said:
> 
> 
> > Interstate 35 in Austin appears to lack a HOV lane. Thus, Capital Metro made a big mistake running big MCI D4500 intercity coaches as "express" transit buses that are not fast at all. These buses are very heavy and have huge turning circle, probably one of the least manuerverable "buses" in the world. It's my favourite intercity bus but it's a terrible transit bus unless you have an effective HOV lane or bus lane.
> ...


Buy even more? Capital Metro must be ruled by seriously dumb people. They think of things the stupid way, intercity coaches are much faster than any conventional transit vehicle so they think they will speed things up if they put them on "express" routes. What they don't seem to realize is that a huge bus like this is terrible in congestion.

It does seem that the same coach does a lot better on the Express routes in New York, but they still crawl through Manhatten, then they get better once they cross the bridge or tunnel.


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## Fan Railer (Dec 20, 2013)

jis said:


> That is a long honored American tradition. We will first try everything except the right thing, and if that does not bankrupt us or destroy us then we will reluctantly do the right thing.


HAHAHA lol. This IS Texas after all =P What did you expect?


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## Swadian Hardcore (Dec 20, 2013)

But Dallas does have some pretty good transport. Lots of light rail, good transit buses, an extensive highway system, and Lots of Greyhound! Dallas is the center of Greyhound's network, while Amtrak is back up in Chicago. Not to mention all the flights from DFW, which is a good airport.


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