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page 25 JULY 2014 • VOLUME 19 • ISSUE 3
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Update: regional transportation development projects By Riki Markowitz
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four-year streak on Forbes’ list of fastest growing cities is a clear indication that Austin is experiencing a new level of popularity. While the capital and UT have always been a draw for commuter politicians and students, apparently, neither had ever been enough of a draw for families to put down roots here en masse. Over the past decade, however, Austin’s tech
bubble, and subsequent effect on housing, has forced the city into the 21st century. Upgrading infrastructure is one way to show that we’re ready for a population explosion. As a result, city planners introduced a slew of plans that will improve heavily stressed expressways and jammed roads and intersections. They’re also considering rail transportation alternatives like those that work in bigger cities. If any industry will benefit from Austin’s transportation improvements, it’s the real estate community. Without updating our aging roads and highways, businesses and the people they employ, some of whom have a daily commute that can drag out an excruciating 50 to 140 minutes, may eventually want to relocate to a city with a less draconian transportation infrastructure. Here is a sample of prominent transportation projects in Austin: MoPac Improvement Project: The plan is to build an express toll lane on 11 miles of expressway. The cost will vary depending on demand, ranging from 50 cents to $4 and up. Pros: Tollways have been studied and implemented in many U.S. cities. There is sufficient evidence to show they can greatly reduce congestion on an expressway that accommodated less than 100,000 vehicles in the 1990s and today carries more than 211,000 cars daily. Experts say sound barriers, pedestrian and bike paths will help highly desirable neighborhoods surrounding the improved stretch of road maintain property values. The express lanes will be open to public transportation and registered vanpools. Cons: Some suggest that those who can’t afford toll roads will feel marginalized. The director of community relations at MoPac Improvement Project, Steve J. Pustelnyk, minimized the argument when he said, “Most toll lanes around the country have a very broad demographic for users. Even lower income in-
dividuals will use the road on the one day they really need to get somewhere, which is not an option we have today at all.” While the toll road will quickly get you from point A to point B, it will have just three entry points, and all of them bypass central Austin. So if you’ve got an appointment between Far West Boulevard and Cesar Chavez, you will be sitting in traffic with the rest of us, watching express lane drivers whiz past. Even for those in carpools and on public transportation, the express lane still isn’t beneficial if you’re commuting to two of Austin’s most populated campuses: UT and the capital area. SH 45 SW: This project aims to complete a 3.6-mile highway extension linking FM 1626 and MoPac, on the border of Hays and Travis Counties. The highly popular plan was nearly tabled in 2010 when the Austin Board of REALTORS (ABoR) helped save the project with overwhelming support from area homeowners. According to Richard Ryon, an agent with Stanberry & Associates REALTORS in Westlake Oaks, and 2013 chair of ABoR’s Transportation Subcommittee, “It’s an important east/west link in an area seeing phenomenal population growth.” Pros: According to the latest SH 45 SW study, “Population in this area is expected to increase further, by approximately 86 percent by 2035.” The extension will reduce reliance on commuter corridors like Manchaca, Slaughter and Brodie Lanes, as well as improve conditions at intersections. The project will reduce environmental damage caused by emissions from idling cars on local roads. Additionally, “where reasonable and feasible,” according to the project’s website, bicycle and pedestrian accommodations will be included. Cons: Those against the highway believe that once complete, the new road will only
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