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Neighborhood News
Jul. 4th, 2014 11:13 pmI got my neighborhood newsletter today. My favorite part was the opening sentence from the neighborhood association president: "If you missed it, there was a fun time had at the Grand Opening of Bartholomew Park Swimming Pool, now known as Schlitterbahn North." (For my out-of-town readers, Schlitterbahn is a perhaps legendary water park.) Hilarious overstatement. There are, however, two water slides which look pretty fun, as well as a lap pool, a big pool for playing, a kiddie area, and even a real diving board.
Apparently part of the opening ceremonies involved a performance by the Bart Park Sink-ronized Swim Team which is co-ed.
The other interesting news is that we were referred to information on proposed changes to I-35 available from North Central I-35 Neighborhood coalition 2.
My state has apparently put together a plan to help with the congestion on I-35 because it was declared the most congested corridor in the state by the Texas Transportation Institute.
The plan calls for:
* increased vehicular use of existing frontage roads with operational improvements that call for the removal of a number of left turns from frontage roads, necessitating a series of new turn-around bridges and removal of existing east-west bridges.
* removing the entrance and exit ramps from Airport Blvd to the upper deck plus other ramps on the lower deck.
* the closure of the east-west vehicular bridges and underpasses that provide current east-west access across I-35 at: St. John’s Avenue, 38 1/2 St., 32nd St., Manor Road, 6th St., and Woodland Ave. Shockingly, the ones I use most (51st and 290) are not on this list--but isn't this about half the cross streets? I have definitely used every single one of those many times.
It's so crazy that even our city council is protesting. (I think it's pretty clear why I generally vote down tax increases for road "improvements.")
I have two basic thoughts on this:
1) I guess the plan to make an alternate route (as a toll road) around the city isn't working. You do have to pay and you have to go a lot further. I do like the strategy of making a better way for people to achieve their goals than doing the thing you don't want them to do; apparently this isn't actually better, though, or the amount of traffic just blazing through the area is not as high as it would have had to be to have made a big difference.
2) You can actually help the traffic on I-35 by removing all the entrance and exit ramps in and near the city. Then everyone but us can be happy. Or you could just get rid of the problem by removing the entire freeway. Or just nuke the city; then no one will want to travel through it anymore.
I still prefer more north-south routes. And maybe not bribing more large companies to come here (by not making them pay any of the taxes we're using to fund infrastructure upkeep) when we already can't keep up with our high-speed growth.
Related note: Texas is trying to bribe Tesla to open a car factory in the state. After making it illegal for them to sell cars here (since Tesla insists on selling only through independent dealers). I'm pretty sure Tesla is going to want to be bribed at least partly by rescinding that law.
Apparently part of the opening ceremonies involved a performance by the Bart Park Sink-ronized Swim Team which is co-ed.
The other interesting news is that we were referred to information on proposed changes to I-35 available from North Central I-35 Neighborhood coalition 2.
My state has apparently put together a plan to help with the congestion on I-35 because it was declared the most congested corridor in the state by the Texas Transportation Institute.
The plan calls for:
* increased vehicular use of existing frontage roads with operational improvements that call for the removal of a number of left turns from frontage roads, necessitating a series of new turn-around bridges and removal of existing east-west bridges.
* removing the entrance and exit ramps from Airport Blvd to the upper deck plus other ramps on the lower deck.
* the closure of the east-west vehicular bridges and underpasses that provide current east-west access across I-35 at: St. John’s Avenue, 38 1/2 St., 32nd St., Manor Road, 6th St., and Woodland Ave. Shockingly, the ones I use most (51st and 290) are not on this list--but isn't this about half the cross streets? I have definitely used every single one of those many times.
It's so crazy that even our city council is protesting. (I think it's pretty clear why I generally vote down tax increases for road "improvements.")
I have two basic thoughts on this:
1) I guess the plan to make an alternate route (as a toll road) around the city isn't working. You do have to pay and you have to go a lot further. I do like the strategy of making a better way for people to achieve their goals than doing the thing you don't want them to do; apparently this isn't actually better, though, or the amount of traffic just blazing through the area is not as high as it would have had to be to have made a big difference.
2) You can actually help the traffic on I-35 by removing all the entrance and exit ramps in and near the city. Then everyone but us can be happy. Or you could just get rid of the problem by removing the entire freeway. Or just nuke the city; then no one will want to travel through it anymore.
I still prefer more north-south routes. And maybe not bribing more large companies to come here (by not making them pay any of the taxes we're using to fund infrastructure upkeep) when we already can't keep up with our high-speed growth.
Related note: Texas is trying to bribe Tesla to open a car factory in the state. After making it illegal for them to sell cars here (since Tesla insists on selling only through independent dealers). I'm pretty sure Tesla is going to want to be bribed at least partly by rescinding that law.