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Old 10-09-2015, 09:21 PM
 
1,162 posts, read 1,884,730 times
Reputation: 1390

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Now we know why Austin area highways are even more trashed out than usual. KXAN reported this evening that TXDOT's litter contract ran out at the end of August, but TXDOT didn't have a renewal in place. It's disgusting. And just in time for the ACL festival and visitors from all over the world. I've already heard visitors talking about how unclean the Austin area is. Very embarrassing. But the blame isn't just on TXDOT. The main problem is trash blowing out of commercial trash hauling services (uncovered trucks) as well as trash blowing out of the back of pickups.
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Old 10-09-2015, 09:36 PM
 
Location: home
1,235 posts, read 1,531,285 times
Reputation: 1080
Without the bag ban it could have been a lot worse.
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Old 10-09-2015, 09:48 PM
 
Location: Round Rock, TX
1,317 posts, read 4,057,281 times
Reputation: 766
I guess folks have decided to mess with Texas once again...
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Old 10-09-2015, 09:52 PM
 
1,162 posts, read 1,884,730 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mickey65 View Post
I guess folks have decided to mess with Texas once again...
I think that's a correct assessment, in a way. The Don't Mess with Texas program hasn't been very visible in recent years, and litter pickup budgets have been slashed by recent legislatures. So all over Texas, litter has once again become pervasive. It's worst in the cities, of course, and in spite of its reputation, Austin's highways are the trashiest in the state from what I've seen in my travels.
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Old 10-09-2015, 09:53 PM
 
10,130 posts, read 19,876,700 times
Reputation: 5815
Yeah, if you look at the shoulders on the Mopac bridge over the lake, it's horrible. I didn't notice it when driving, but recently as a passenger I was just kind of looking... and it was like whoa. A lot of it is busted tire remnants, but a lot of just trash too. It's obviously not been cleaned for a long time. At least now I know why...
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Old 10-09-2015, 09:55 PM
 
1,162 posts, read 1,884,730 times
Reputation: 1390
Quote:
Originally Posted by sojourner77 View Post
Without the bag ban it could have been a lot worse.
Yes, at least we don't see bags in trees like we did. But other litter is a big problem. I went through the Parmer/Lamar intersection the other day and it was a mess. Hundreds of cigarette butts, weeds growing through cracks, and miscellaneous trash all around. Much of the problem at intersections comes from transients who leave their trash.
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Old 10-09-2015, 10:01 PM
 
1,162 posts, read 1,884,730 times
Reputation: 1390
Quote:
Originally Posted by atxcio View Post
Yeah, if you look at the shoulders on the Mopac bridge over the lake, it's horrible. I didn't notice it when driving, but recently as a passenger I was just kind of looking... and it was like whoa. A lot of it is busted tire remnants, but a lot of just trash too. It's obviously not been cleaned for a long time. At least now I know why...
Those shoulders haven't been swept in a long, long time. I've pointed it out to TXDOT a number of times with no results.

Also, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA), which is doing the construction on Mopac, rarely cleans up trash along Mopac in their area of responsibility. Of course, that contract has had numerous problems anyways, so I'm not surprised. The worst is typically between 183 and Parmer along Mopac. It hasn't been as bad lately along that stretch, but it's not great. Last spring there was a mattress alongside Mopac near Parmer that stayed there a month in spite of calls to CTRMA. It was a real hazard but just sat there.
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Old 10-09-2015, 10:55 PM
 
Location: Lancaster, PA
997 posts, read 1,312,199 times
Reputation: 577
Well, I did see the street sweeper on my street today.

Not a highway, but someone is cleaning.
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Old 10-10-2015, 04:53 AM
 
Location: 57
1,427 posts, read 1,185,575 times
Reputation: 1262
Check out the shoulders of the upper deck on I-35. If you didn't have a flat tire if and when you pulled onto the shoulder, you sure will after you do so, they're a mess.
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Old 10-10-2015, 06:20 AM
 
Location: Dallas
31,290 posts, read 20,735,123 times
Reputation: 9325
Quote:
Originally Posted by sojourner77 View Post
Without the bag ban it could have been a lot worse.
Now that's really funny.
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