Austin growth will absolutely overwhelm roads and highways starting in 2011 - new study (Dallas: house, neighborhood)

[thesonofgray]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

Still no numbers...let me get this straight---'well-planned'(whatever THAT means) dense city core, no feeder roads, MUCH LESS dense(whatever THAT means) outer(where?) region, worry about a 'feeling' of downtown(whatever THAT means), statements like the following:
For example, feeder roads reduce highway efficiency. They encourage the construction of access ramps in shorter intervals than without feeder roads. The more ramps on the highway, the more merging points, and therefore more conflicts and less efficiency.(which seems to suggest some 'magic' number of ramps spread some 'magic' number of miles apart), etc.(yada), etc.(yada), etc.(yada).

Lay some numbers on us! HOW MANY people where, HOW MANY businesses where, exits from main arteries WHERE, and so on. Until there is some reasoned input, I believe m-mX3 has it right...just whining. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Um...do you realize there is an entire industry (actually, industries) employing thousands of professionals that do exactly what you are demanding. And you're expecting us - strangers on the internet in a public forum on our own time - to give you these "magic" numbers that make everything better?

I demand to know the exact process and ingredients to make Viagra!!

I demand that someone give me the exact way I should market my new business to make it absolutely successful!!

I demand Apple to give me the engineering documents to their new uber-hip must-have electronic gadget that hasn't been released yet!!

You can get all of that stuff for free right now on a public forum...right?

(And actually, yes, there's the optimum number - or "magic number" as you call it - of ramps, the distance in between, etc., to make highways the most efficient they can be. But it requires a lot of knowledge, time, data, and analysis to produce that. Maybe try TTI? Or a very bored and well connected traffic professional?)

[thesonofgray]

Oh, and I just gotta add this little bit:

If you have an issue with Texas roads, blame the Aggies. TTI and TxDOT are filled to the brim with maroon. Longhorns typically stick to private consulting.



(hook'em!)

[sweetrai]

Originally Posted by Austin97

13) eliminate zoning restrictions for people to bring dogs into restaurants and other stores to encourage austin as a dog friendly city

NO, please do not do this. This is a terrible idea.This would negatively impact the quality of life of people who are afraid of dogs or have allergies. I would also be concerned about the dog fights or a dog biting a patron, while I know this may not occur there is still the possibility (in full disclosure I should state that I am terribily afraid of dogs). Plus this opens up a whole a new can of worms with regards to health concerns, what if the dog has an accident and relieves itself in the store.

[inthecut]

Originally Posted by sweetrai

NO, please do not do this. This is a terrible idea.This would negatively impact the quality of life of people who are afraid of dogs or have allergies. I would also be concerned about the dog fights or a dog biting a patron, while I know this may not occur there is still the possibility (in full disclosure I should state that I am terribily afraid of dogs). Plus this opens up a whole a new can of worms with regards to health concerns, what if the dog has an accident and relieves itself in the store.

How about a special restaurant to bring Pit Bulls, for those who love em but hate to scare off folks?........Just call it THE PIT......
Question...what happens when dogs drop road apples all over the restaurant decks?.....I can't think of anything more apt to kick in the flavor of a great meal than the vision of a dog pooping a few feet in front of me...

Bon Appetit!

[sweetrai]

Originally Posted by thesonofgray

Maybe try TTI? Or a very bored and well connected traffic professional?)

They can also try CTR.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by jacksonian

NYC has a population density of 27,575 people per square mile. Austin has just 3,012 people per square mile. If more people lived within the city proper, fewer roads would need to be maintained and even fewer new roads would have to be built, thus more money could go towards fewer projects which is always good. Looking at NYC's density, I don't think it's unrealistic for Austin to achieve 10-15,000 people per square mile. Like others have said, efficient public transit is essential for this to work, but with the money saved from not constructing new highways/freeways, there is money available. You will find that it is much cheaper to move a 175 person than it is to move a 3500 lb vehicle. Who would have thought?

The suburbs give you a lot for your dollar, so that has appeal. I really don't want to live in a 2,000 sq ft home on a .17 acre lot just to be in town. I just accept that I will be a commuter. I was a NYC commuter too, for that matter.

[twange]

Originally Posted by riaelise

The suburbs give you a lot for your dollar, so that has appeal. I really don't want to live in a 2,000 sq ft home on a .17 acre lot just to be in town. I just accept that I will be a commuter. I was a NYC commuter too, for that matter.

Wow, just shows how different people's needs/wants are...I would Love to have a 2k sq ft home with .17 acre in town.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by twange

Wow, just shows how different people's needs/wants are...I would Love to have a 2k sq ft home with .17 acre in town.

Yeah, I was going to say, you're lucky to get .17 acre in the southwest suburbs. Can you even find such dimensions in city?

[jacksonian]

Originally Posted by riaelise

The suburbs give you a lot for your dollar, so that has appeal. I really don't want to live in a 2,000 sq ft home on a .17 acre lot just to be in town. I just accept that I will be a commuter. I was a NYC commuter too, for that matter.

I would rather live in a 1000 s.f. home with no yard to maintain, but I wouldn't mind a courtyard . The suburbs are cheaper (which is why they have been built so fast so cheaply) but they do not offer the amenities that the city does, which is why I prefer the city (and the fact that it's the more unselfish, sustainable type of lifestyle for me).

[TexasHorseLady]

So, if you live in the city, in a condo with a courtyard, because you prefer the bells and whistles that the city has to offer, whereas someone else lives in the suburbs, and has a garden and grows their own vegetables (maybe they do the "edible landscape" thing) and has a couple/three chickens for eggs, maybe does rainwater harvesting, etc., you're the one that's unselfish and living the "sustainable" lifestyle?

I'd say that that analysis says a heck of a lot more about you than it does about someone who makes a different lifestyle choice than you do. It's entirely possible to live sustainably elsewhere than downtown (especially if you don't work downtown, and, after all, how many of the population of Austin work downtown? There's a heck of a lot of businesses outside of downtown, in the little towns that newcomers think of as suburbs of Austin not knowing their history, and the people that work there live somewhere.