Austin Transportation Issues

[The ATX]

An ordinance legalizing Uber and Lyft was passed by the City Council yesterday:  

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/techflash/2014/10/legalized-uber-and-lyft-in-austin.html

[The ATX]

The vote to start a light rail system with a subway component in Austin is today.  The ~10 mile proposed route would tie into the 32 mile commuter rail line.  I've been saying all along that this is going to fail, and I still believe it will fail.  The price tag is too much for Austin property owners.  Here's an update from the Austin Business Journal:  

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/blog/at-the-watercooler/2014/11/urban-rail-in-austin-both-sides-make-their-case.html

[The ATX]

The light rail plan was overwhelmingly shot down at the polls yesterday.  It never had a chance because it was too expensive and didn't offer any congestion relief.  It was merely an anchor/starting point for a more extensive system in the future.  The problem is that there is very little State and Federal money for highway expansion these days.  So we will be stuck with nightmarish congestion and an expansion of the toll road system.

[smeagolsfree]

I did have a chance to ride the red line all the way up to the 2nd to last stop and back. I wish you guys had been able to pass the expanded system. For some reason the southern cities have a hard time getting mass transit done due to opposition. A lot of it is a mind set, but I was a little shocked it was shot down in Austin, as this is a much more liberal city than Nashville. There is opposition to a BRT line here that would just go 7 miles.

One thing that surprised me about your rail line was that you are essentially able to get on the train with no ticket. No one ever checked mine which was surprising. That is the way the health line in Cleveland is as well. I guess the honor system sort of blew me away.

[The ATX]

I did have a chance to ride the red line all the way up to the 2nd to last stop and back. I wish you guys had been able to pass the expanded system. For some reason the southern cities have a hard time getting mass transit done due to opposition. A lot of it is a mind set, but I was a little shocked it was shot down in Austin, as this is a much more liberal city than Nashville. There is opposition to a BRT line here that would just go 7 miles.

One thing that surprised me about your rail line was that you are essentially able to get on the train with no ticket. No one ever checked mine which was surprising. That is the way the health line in Cleveland is as well. I guess the honor system sort of blew me away.

Speaking of the honor system, that's more or less how the toll roads operate around here.  There is an extensive and growing tollway system around Austin/Central Texas that is all electronic tag or "Pay by Mail" which means a bill will be sent to the address on file for the license plate on your vehicle. (Cameras take pictures of your plate at various locations on each toll road.)  The problem is enforcement is lax, and I believe the unpaid tolls are in the tens of millions of dollars now.  The first toll roads had toll booths will people collecting the money, but they did away with that.  Apparently it is more cost effective to suffer the losses from unpaid fees than to have a payroll of toll booth operators.  

[smeagolsfree]

As of this point in time, we have no tolls roads in the entire state of TN. Funding is done as a pay as you go method, so we do not have any road debt.  I do see that changing at some point, probably many years down the road. As for me, I try to avoid to toll roads as I am not usually in a hurry to get anywhere and will tough it out in traffic. I did pay the tolls in Chicago, as I didn't know how to get through otherwise.

 

I did a little research on your traffic there and it does turn out, you have some nasty traffic and worse than Nashville, but it was not really that evident to me as I am used to crappy traffic.

[The ATX]

Light rail was a fail for the second time at the ballot box.  But just yesterday the Austin City Council voted to allow property tax revenue from a defined taxing district to be used to fund the Lone Star Rail commuter line.  This commuter line would connect the Austin and San Antonio metros. I believe it would also tie into Austin's Red Line commuter rail that serves the northwest suburbs and Downtown Austin.  It's hardly a done deal because there are a lot of Austin and San Antonio suburbs that need to get on board (pun intended) with their financial support.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2014/12/12/council-tackles-host-of-key-business-issues-in.html?page=all

[smeagolsfree]

Light rail was a fail for the second time at the ballot box.  But just yesterday the Austin City Council voted to allow property tax revenue from a defined taxing district to be used to fund the Lone Star Rail commuter line.  This commuter line would connect the Austin and San Antonio metros. I believe it would also tie into Austin's Red Line commuter rail that serves the northwest suburbs and Downtown Austin.  It's hardly a done deal because there are a lot of Austin and San Antonio suburbs that need to get on board (pun intended) with their financial support.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2014/12/12/council-tackles-host-of-key-business-issues-in.html?page=all

That is very cool. Glad to see they are moving forward with something. More than we can say in Nashville. I think we have a very large NIMBY population here that scream about every little thing including chickens in their back yards.

[The ATX]

The Lone Star commuter rail line connecting the adjacent Austin and San Antonio metros is gaining traction.  If it happens, it will potentially be a much better form of congestion relief than the failed light rail proposal.  It connects the most densely populated northern and southern Austin suburbs to Downtown Austin - and it goes to San Antonio!  Austin and San Antonio have grown into large connected Metros and transportation options like this will be needed.

 

  

http://lonestarrail.com/index.php/lstar/

[The ATX]

Capitol Metro has some improvements coming for the commuter rail line.  Just because Austin voters don't support light rail doesn't mean the commuter rail line won't be improved.  Six more trains are coming as well as some double tracking to increase train frequency.  The system is at capacity now.  The downtown station is going to see some big improvements, and extended hours are planned - trains ran until 2:30 AM on New Year's eve.

 

http://austin.twcnews.com/content/news/317027/metrorail-to-see-fare-hike--improvements-to-accommodate-growth/

[The ATX]

The Lone Star Rail commuter line connecting Austin and San Antonio continues to gather steam.

 

http://buildingatx.com/2015/01/lone-star-rail-shares-projects-progress-with-austinites/

[The ATX]

TXDot is trying to come up with quick, cost effective (but mostly cost effective) ways to relieve traffic congestion at busy IH-35 intersections in the Austin Metro.  Two types of reconfigured intersections are the "Continuous Flow" and "Diverging Diamond."  Basically these type of intersections involve traffic crossing over to the opposite side of the road. 

 

Continuous flow.

 

More info can be found here:  https://star.txstate.edu/node/1982

 

 

Diverging Diamond.

More info can be found here:  http://www.mobility35.org/proposedconcepts/ddi.aspx

 

 

This one hasn't been implemented yet, but it looks like it would be confusing to first time users.

More info can be found here:  http://mobility35openhouse.com/default.aspx

 

[The ATX]

Capitol Metro has the funding in place to upgrade the Downtown commuter rail station next to the convention center into to a proper station (more like platform), and this is one option.  It's too bad that the Downtown station functions as a cul-de-sac rather than a thoroughfare thanks to the voters disdain for a connecting light rail system.  

http://buildingatx.com/2015/02/the-making-of-a-new-downtown-metrorail-station/

[The ATX]

Poor transportation planning is one reason for the congestion in Austin.  Back in 1994 CAMPO (Captiol Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) made a 25-year plan for Austin's future transportation needs in 2020.  They made the following predictions:  

 

Metro population would increase from 816,000 in 1.36 Million

Metro employment would increase from 406,000 to 683,000

Capitol Metro daily bus ridership would increase from 102,000 to 252,000

 

Well, it's 2015, five years ahead of those 2020 predictions, and this is what the reality is:

 

Metro population will pass the 2 million mark this year

Metro employment is 900,000

Capitol Metro daily bus ridership is 110,000

 

This is why we have congestion.  Although to be fair, the voters have twice rejected a light rail system, and nobody could foresee Austin's growth back in 1994.  So it's not all the fault of CAMPO and Capitol Metro for poor planning.  

 

Statesman article:  http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/campo-plan-a-sunburst-of-transportation-ideas/nkQwR/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium

Edited March 9, 2015 by The ATX

[The ATX]

Bizarro.  A Texas State Senator on the Texas Senate Committee for Transportation wants to pass a law banning any agency in Texas from receiving federal funds for rail transit.  My God.  What an idiot. 

 

http://www.examiner.com/article/texas-lawmaker-pushes-ban-on-federal-aid-to-texas-rail-transit

[The ATX]

Capitol Metro is spending $30K on one bus stop to provide shade for people waiting for their ride with giant flower petals.

ABJ article with photo:  http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2015/04/10/aia-capmetro-pick-designers-for-swankyriverside.html

[The ATX]

A contract was awarded this week for yet another toll road in the "Live Toll Road Capital of the World"!  We must have about a dozen freeways (or sections of freeways) that are tolled.

 

http://impactnews.com/austin-metro/581m-design-build-contract-awarded-for-183-south-toll-road/

[The ATX]

My previous post got me to thinking about all of the toll roads in Austin.  Here are 11 Austin toll roads that I can think of off the top of my head.  I know there are more planned:  

 

US 183A (Northwest Metro) – Completed, but may be undergoing expansion

US 183 (East/Southeast Metro) – Proposed, construction contract awarded

US 290 (Manor Expressway) – Possibly completed, but may still have some ongoing construction

SH 130 (Famous/Infamous for 80 and 85 MPH speed limits) - Completed

SH 45 (North Metro) - Completed

SH 45 (South Metro) - Completed

SH 71 - Under Construction

MOPAC/Loop 1 (North Metro) - Completed

MOPAC/Loop 1 Central/North Austin - Express Lanes – Under Construction

MOPAC/Loop 1 South Austin – Express Lanes – Proposed

SH 45 (Southwest Metro and separate from the other tolled sections of SH 45) - Proposed

Edited May 31, 2015 by The ATX

[The ATX]

We finally have some relief in sight for the congestion on I-35 through the Austin metro.  This week there was a press conference with TxDOT, the Austin Camber of Commerce, a lot of local politicos, etc. where a $4.3 billion plan was announced to improve traffic flow on I-35 through the metro.  The required environmental study starts this summer which means the process to expand I-35 has finally started!

 

There are a lot of pieces to the plan in addition to adding lanes such as replacing/expanding overpasses, improving frontage roads and entrances/exits, etc. Some of these pieces of the expansion have already started.  But the meat of the project which is adding lanes through Downtown won't get started until 2020.  But those five years are needed not only for lining up financing, but to allow two other highway expansion projects to be completed since those highways will be used as alternate routes during construction. The US 183 expansion (see post #92) will allow for an improved construction bypass to the east of I-35, and the MOPAC Expressway projects (one is underway, one is still being planned) will allow for a better alternate route to the west of I-35.

 

Highlights of the plan include two express toll lanes (one in each direction) from Round Rock in Williamson Co. all the way through Travis Co. to the Hays Co border.  Parts of this project are scheduled to start next year.  There will also be two addition free lanes added through Downtown.

 

Expanding I-35 through Downtown is expensive and difficult because of the narrow right of way.  This photo shows how narrow the right of way is as two lanes in each direction for about a mile and a half on the northern side of Downtown are split and stacked on top of each other:  

 

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/txdot-plan-adds-i-35-lanes-on-upper-deck-through-d/nmcw4/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium#f06d8713.3948020.735766

 

 

The supports for the upper levels are going to be strengthened so one lane can be added in each direction.  The two express toll lanes would be squeezed in the lower level.  There will also be three lanes in each direction on the frontage roads, although the frontage roads are already three lanes in most places through Central Austin.  So this will make 9 lanes in each direction counting the frontage roads.  Another big part of this project is that the main lanes from where the upper and lower decks reconnect at the southern portion of Downtown will be lowered 25 feet below grade and be built in a way that allows for a future cap.  Once capped, I-35 would in affect be a tunnel through that section, and parkland (as visioned in a previous option) would be created on top.

 

http://www.mystatesman.com/news/news/local/reaction-to-i-35-plan-upbeat-but-not-unanimous/nmdTj/?icmp=statesman_internallink_invitationbox_apr2013_statesmanstubtomystatesmanpremium#b50d41be.3948020.735766

Edited June 18, 2015 by The ATX

[The ATX]

Here's a rendering of the depressed section (along with phony building scenery) of I-35 before it would be capped:  

http://communityimpact.com/

Edited June 18, 2015 by The ATX

[The ATX]

German airline Condor is starting direct flights between Austin and Frankfurt in 2016.

http://www.bizjournals.com/austin/news/2015/07/16/austin-frankfurt-air-service-to-start-at-abia.html

Edited July 17, 2015 by The ATX

[The ATX]

File this under unlikely to ever happen.  A local guy who made his fortune in the video/computer game industry has been working on a transportation system for Central Austin.  I think he is targeting the U.T. campus as a starting point, and he has gotten a lot of attention from local leaders.

Austin Business Journal Article

[The ATX]

Here's a new list of the 100 most congested roadways in Texas.  Number one is I-35 through Central Austin with the next 30 all being in DFW or Houston.

TXDOT - Most Congested Roadways in Texas

[The ATX]

The U.S. 183 Toll Road project got Federal approval and all of the necessary (and nearly $1 Billion) funding it needed this week.  This is one of two highway projects that the state wants to complete ahead of the $3 billion expansion of I-35 through Central Austin.  This highway will serve as one of the detours around the I-35 construction mess.   

Austin American-Statesman Article

 

 

[The ATX]

These are the top 10 traffic bottlenecks in the country from that recent study that has been getting a lot of attention.  It is absolutely ridiculous that Austin, a metro of only two million, is the only other city outside of New York, Los Angeles and Chicago to have a bottleneck in the top 10.  The "funny" thing about this survey to me is that I am very familiar with the #1 bottleneck in Chicago (I-90) because I used to live up that way and drove that stretch of highway frequently.  Over the past few years I have often compared I-90 in Chicago to I-35 in Austin. 

Link

 

Here is the study's findings about the Austin bottleneck.  It says that this section of highway has more freight traffic than any of the top 30 bottlenecks.  That is somewhat surprising, but I-35 is referred to as the "NAFTA Highway" because of the freight heading north from Mexico.

Link

Edited November 30, 2015 by The ATX