Austinist: Fix290 Fights TxDOT's Planned 12-Lane Elevated Highway

sal costello

Thu, 30 Nov 2006 14:59:18 -0600

TxDOT does not care about making transportation affordable to our families. WATCH THE VIDEO: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4uyMtbL4Gs0

M1EK

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 16:10:58 -0600

7Towers, most roadway spending around here comes from property and sales taxes, not gas taxes. In fact, the gas tax cannot be spent on roads outside the state highway system (but TXDOT still requires contributions from local governments to build state highways; meaning, 290 gets some property/sales tax money). Add that to the fact that TXDOT chooses to build its highways in a manner that precludes the development of a parallel network of city/county arterial roadways (frontage roads are the problem here), and it becomes eminently reasonable to force them to design bicycle access for their frontage roads, even in the world where gas taxes really did pay all the bills.

7Towers

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:39:27 -0600

I for one commend Fix290 for coming up with an alternative instead of just complaining about Toll Roads. This definitely seems like a reasonable alternative, but my question is: What is the need for bike lanes next to a busy highway when they could have a nice trail along side the creek as depicted in the picture? I think the last thing we need are more bike/vehicle accidents. I am all for biking, but people need to realize that just because there aren't tolls on the road the money is still coming from somewhere, that being our gas tax. The bikers need to come together to develop a way of paying for their bike lanes if they want them everywhere. Perhaps an enforced bike registration fee? Or, Bike Toll lanes... just kidding. Bottom line the path along side the creek would be a great long distance bike path for the area to enjoy, lets just figure out a good way to pay for it. Heck, just have a bond election, people will pay for anything, even a library that costs as much as the Frost Bank tower, when everything inside it can probably be found on the internet!!

M1EK

Wed, 29 Nov 2006 10:02:09 -0600

This one is a tough one for me. TXDOT's plans are truly hideous, but do the people who moved that far out from town, plunked their house right on top of our drinking water supplies, and only then discovered their environmental conscience really deserve a nice-looking free parkway for their troubles? If I had czar powers, I'd stick them with what exists today AND charge them a toll.