Austin raises concerns over I-35 expansion (Dallas, West: design, bike, parks)

[cheeva]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I was kind of wondering about that too. East Austin gentrification is spreading fairly hastily and many minorities have been pushed out already. Historically speaking I-35 is a racial barrier but is that still the case today?

Not really. It's still virtue signaling, but this time it's attached to a $3.4B project.

Pretty soon we will end up like Portland OR. City of Austin taxpayers will spend an enormous amount of time, energy and money to "help" a certain group people who don't even live here because it makes us feel better about ourselves.

Maybe if we're lucky like Portland, white liberals will burn down their own neighborhoods to prove their devotion to BLM. We can only hope.

[ScoPro]

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[Westerner92]

Originally Posted by ScoPro

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For what it’s worth, Pflugerville is entirely east of 35, and most of Round Rock’s non-white population lives east of 35 too. Just look at how Stony Point is talked about compared to other Round Rock high schools.

[verybadgnome]

The narrative of IH-35 as a dividing line between east and west is very overblown. As a pedestrian I can cross from the east into downtown at Holly St, Cesar Chavez St, 4th St, 6th St, 7th St, etc. with little to no problem. A much bigger barrier to travel is actually the Colorado river which has up to a mile between xings.

Also overblown is the pollution caused by IH-35 which will get less and less every year and emissions regs evolve and EVs take over the market.

Concerning demographics most of the neighborhoods within a mile of the interstate are mostly or almost completely gentrified so the "disproportionate impact" argument that academics love to heave at us is no longer relevant. Of course people from East Austin, e.g. Pio Renteria who worked at IBM, who most likely used IH-35 to get to work have to acknowledge that highways have both pros and cons (like most other things in this world).

Yes, if we had to do it all over again putting IH-35 in it current ROW would have not been the best option, but we have to work with the hand that has been dealt. It was on the same stretch of road as East Ave, a busy thoroughfare, so the idea of upsizing an important local road made sense in that regard. The COA has to realize that while this road has local importance it is also part of a 1,569 mile route that serves one of the busiest trade corridors in the world. I'm not against adding capacity and I'd wager the land values are now so high that adding to the ROW (width) won't be feasible.

So is COA putting in money for this or is it all TxDOT?

[ScoPro]

Originally Posted by Westerner92

For what it’s worth, Pflugerville is entirely east of 35, and most of Round Rock’s non-white population lives east of 35 too. Just look at how Stony Point is talked about compared to other Round Rock high schools.

But when the East Austinites started moving northwards to RR 20+ years ago they were not forcibly segregated to the east side of town. It was a matter of choice.
When I-35 was first built in the 1950s through RR there was very little residential on the west side, just “old town” with a few scattered houses, which incidentally were minority occupied. It was the “poor” side of town then.

I hear Stony Point has supposedly cleaned up its act recently, so it’s got that going for itself.

[Kid Ashbury]

Well the East Side is being gentrified pretty quickly and the poor of all races there are being pushed out to make way for Californians looking for $650k 2 bedroom townhouses. So since it will no longer be the "poor" area of town I guess the problem is solved?

#Progress

[cheeva]

This is rich. https://www.bizjournals.com/austin/n...uestioned.html
"City Hall to TxDOT: Plan to expand I-35 doesn’t do enough for those on foot, bikes, transit"

Why would TxDoT do ANYTHING for the City of Austin after the CoA f***ed them over? Any improvement will just create extra space for homeless camps, not pedestrian or cyclists. Why would TxDoT pay for that?

I-35 along the entire length of Austin's jurisdiction was pretty much turned into a garbage dump, and the CoA sent the bill to TxDoT for cleanup. Austin taxpayers should foot the bill to improve I-35 the way they want, and should also have to pay for their voting habits with their wallets.

[Need4Camaro]

All I can say is CoA is getting project connect so walkability and transit are being addressed. The feds are paying 40% of the bill as well, so they are not in any way neglecting these entities. The upgrades to I-35 are sorely needed. I-35 doesn't just service Austin but rather all of Central Texas.

[cheeva]

Originally Posted by Need4Camaro

I-35 doesn't just service Austin but rather all of Central Texas.

Servicing all of Central Texas by creating pedestrian access in Downtown Austin? TxDot should just pave the lanes. If the CoA wants to create bike paths or a BLM mural, they can ask taxpayers to pay for it.

[Need4Camaro]

Originally Posted by cheeva

Servicing all of Central Texas by creating pedestrian access in Downtown Austin? TxDot should just pave the lanes. If the CoA wants to create bike paths or a BLM mural, they can ask taxpayers to pay for it.

From what I remember of the I-35 plans, it was supposed to be submerged in a way that it could be capped by the city and the city would have the option to put bike lanes, walkable parks, ect above the interstate which would connect East and West Austin much more effectively than it currently is. I personally feel that is being fair to both parties.