Transportation

Transportation Committee Chair Report on I-35 Improvements

Proposed IH-35 Improvements – Go To www.mobility35.org

Jim Rankin, HNA Transportation Committee Member attended the 10/29/14 TEXDOT Neighborhood Rep Meeting for the latest on IH-35 Improvement Design for the segment between US290 and 11th St. Go to this website for the latest Improvement Design (and a virtual drone-view and drive-through the future 51st St Roundabout) which is still being tweaked. There are no IH-35 on-ramps between UT’s Disch Faulk Baseball Field (one to upper deck from MLK) and Airport and only a few off-ramps.

TEXDOT has incorporated many NA suggestions and comments from two previous meetings:

  • Good bike/pedestrian crossings at 51st roundabout and at all new replacement bridges over lower deck. Bridges have U-turn lanes both ways without stopping.
  • The offset E. 32nd streets on either side of IH-35 have their own bridges which will have coordinated signals.
  • A few IH-35 crossing bridges will have No Left Turn from the access road at certain times of rush hour to keep the traffic flowing.
  • Northbound Access Road from MLK does have an on-ramp to IH-35 upper deck.
  • Property takings and sound barrier and landscaping details TBD at northbound off-ramp just N. of 32nd St.
  • Lower deck lanes will be 11’-wide, with two FTC (Future Transportation Corridor) lanes in center and 2’ shoulder against retaining walls.
  • There will be no direct left turn onto Westbound 45th from Northbound Airport, but a further Northbound U-turn and return South will get you to 45th Westbound with a right turn.
  • Southbound Airport will still have a Southbound upper deck on-ramp, but it will have the same short merge distance and will probably be a metered entry.
  • TEXDOT has been Coordinating over the past two years with the Texas Government Complex, UT & its future Medical School, and adjacent Hospitals to accommodate their transportation needs in the Improvement Design.

IH35 Improvements Meeting 102914.pdf

IH35 Improvements Meeting 102914.docx

HNA Position on Rail.docx

HNA Position on Rail.pdf

HNA Votes Opposed to the Proposed Urban Rail

The Hancock Neighborhood Association (HNA) at a Special Meeting held on October 8, 2014, voted overwhelming that:

The Hancock Neighborhood Association is opposed to the proposed urban rail.

Prior to the Special Meeting the HNA had invited speakers from both Project Connect and TxDot to present at its regular July meeting. This was followed by designation of an HNA Urban Rail Working Group comprised of the HNA Executive Committee, HNA Parks and Green Spaces Committee, and Chair of HNA Transportation Committee, which met with Kyle Keahey, Project Connect, and Mike Trimble, City of Austin Capital Projects Office, held September 11, 2014, to gather information on design aspects of the rail coming through Hancock neighborhood starting from its boundary at 45th Street to the proposed station at Hancock Center and down Red River Street. A report of findings from this meeting, supporting documents and links to relevant sites are posted to the HNA website at: https://www.hancockna.org/www/content/hna-urban-rail-working-group-report. At the regular HNA meeting in September these finding were reported to the membership for discussion and a vote was taken to hold a Special Meeting for HNA to take a position on the proposed Central Corridor urban rail. It is from an informed perspective with full consideration given to the impact on the integrity and quality of the Hancock Neighborhood that the membership puts forward these reasons for its opposition to the proposed urban rail.

Land Use

  • Light rail needs to work well with land use. The City has engaged in advance with development planning along Airport Blvd and in Mueller, however the route along Red River was decided without engaging the Hancock neighborhood on potential development along our segment of the route and anticipated impacts.
  • Historically, property fronting rail lines turns commercial and/or suffers degradation of single-family residences along the route.

HNA Urban Rail Working Group Report

HNA Urban Rail Working Group Report in PDF format: https://www.hancockna.org/www/content/hnaur-report-9-2014pdf

HNA Urban Rail Working Group Report in docx format: https://www.hancockna.org/www/content/hnaur-report-9-2014docx

Proposed First Line (click to enlarge):

Typical Section: https://www.hancockna.org/www/content/typical-section-091514pdf

Timeline: https://www.hancockna.org/www/content/timelinepdf

HNAUR Report 9-2014.docx

HNAUR Report 9-2014.pdf

Timeline.pdf

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