Posted on 09/13/2021 7:37:03 AM PDT by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
Several friends and fans contacted me urgently this week: "TxDOT's going to bulldoze the Chronicle! You're in danger!" As part of its current "virtual public meeting" at a computer near you, the Texas Department of Transportation released schematics – big long aerial views of the corridor – for its three alternatives, one of which it has abandoned already, for rebuilding I-35 through Central Austin: what the agency calls the Capital Express Central project. And sure enough, there we are, under layers of proposed new concrete and asphalt at the address formerly known as 4000 N. I-35, where we've been since the early 1990s. So yeah, we know. We been knew, as the kids say. The plans for I-35's future have waxed and waned over the years, but the Chronicle offices have never been truly safe.
The last time TxDOT got this far, with detailed schematics, in its quest across the generations to "fix" I-35 was back in 2002. Back then, we ran an awesome story about it by Dave Mann (later to shine at The Texas Observer and Texas Monthly and now American Public Media), in which he goes over the schematics with the lead TxDOT engineer, who points to various places on the large paper maps, mostly on the Eastside, and says, "They hate me, and they hate me, and they hate me too."
(Excerpt) Read more at austinchronicle.com ...
PING!
The usual Leninist mindset that a revolutionary minority is allowed to break the law and set aside whatever lawfully concluded decisions are made by the elected government.
Having lived in Austin once nearly 40 years ago, and having a spent a few days there recently I agree that the I35 corridor is a monstrous imposition on the city. It was awful then and it's still awful now.
If TxDOt doesn't want to pay the extra cost of lowering the highway and covering it (a good idea to me) then why can't Austin residents pony up the extra cash? Or do they expect the rest of Texas to pay for improvements no other city in Texas gets? Or expect other Texans to pay for improvements that make the congestion for them traveling through Austin even worse?
One thing about liberals, and many other people as well, is that they would rather have somebody else (usually "the rich") pay the taxes, especially if a tax increase is being considered.
If I had my druthers, I would just widen I-35 in Austin to provide the capacity, and then impose tolls to pay for part of the work. The tolls would help with the congestion and the "induced demand." But federal law would prohibit that, except on the new lanes.
There was a time I thought split-level desks on I-35 was a dump idea. Then I had to drive for work to South Austin at all hours and weather conditions. When the highway was under a downpour, you could take the upper deck and avoid any flooding. When the highway was near freezing, you could take the lower decks where it was less likely to be frozen and the decks partially protected you from snow or sleet. It was unintended genius.
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