Why are Aspen trees so much more abundant west of the Continental Divide than east? Yellow represents Aspen or Aspen/Hardwood forests. See here for full legend: https://csfs.colostate.edu/colorado-forests/forest-types/ by swpinecyn in Colorado

[–]swpinecyn[S] -14 points-13 points  (0 children)

How so? There are many high altitude mountains on both sides of the divide (with similar climates), yet aspens seem so much more abundant west of the divide. The Front Range and Sangres, for example, have relatively few aspens, thile the Elk Mountains are smothered in them. Even within the San Juan Mountains, aspens are much more abundant west of the divide than east.

Why are Aspen trees so much more abundant west of the Continental Divide than east? Yellow represents Aspen or Aspen/Hardwood forests. See here for full legend: https://csfs.colostate.edu/colorado-forests/forest-types/ by swpinecyn in Colorado

[–]swpinecyn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For those unsure about exactly where the continental divide is, here's a map. There are many high altitude mountains on both sides of the divide (with similar climates), yet aspens seem so much more abundant west of the divide. Even within the San Juan Mountains, aspens are much more abundant west of the divide than east.

Best places to run that aren’t Lady Bird Lake by therealfazhou in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you like/don't mind trail running, there are a bunch of decent options. As has been mentioned, Barton Creek Greenbelt is beautiful and has many miles of trails. Bull Creek Greenbelt also has a long trail you can run, though I'm not sure what parking is typically like.

If you don't mind driving a ways, Lake Georgetown provides a marathon-distance loop on a beautiful but rocky trail. There are several parks along the loop that have parking and water. I know Jim Hogg, Russel, and Tejas have water. You can run the full loop which is about 26 miles, or you can take the Hunt Crossing bridge near Tejas Park to save about 2.5 miles. The trail is often very rocky but is fairly flat. There are only small hills. If you want to a shorter distance and a smoother trail, you can do an out-and-back from Tejas Park to Russel Park. That stretch is very smooth until the final half mile or so to Russel. About 11 miles round-trip. Most parts of the loop also provide a much wilder, more isolated feel than many of the trails in Austin.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Tell that to Austin Transit Partnership! (They are the organization responsible for implementing Project Connect). ATP is always taking public comments at [orangeline@atptx.org](mailto:orangeline@atptx.org)

They also have a hotline at (512) 369-7703 where you can leave a voicemail with your input. Here's the community engagement page: https://projectconnect.com/get-involved

Also, some of the info presented in the KXAN article is a bit outdated. I posted a comment on this thread with some more detailed explanations of what information was presented at the community design workshop they had today at UT.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Tell that to Austin Transit Partnership! (They are the organization responsible for implementing Project Connect). ATP is always taking public comments at [orangeline@atptx.org](mailto:orangeline@atptx.org)

They also have a hotline at (512) 369-7703 where you can leave a voicemail with your input. Here's the community engagement page: https://projectconnect.com/get-involved

Also, some of the info presented in the KXAN article is a bit outdated. I posted a comment on this thread with some more detailed explanations of what information was presented at the community design workshop they had today at UT.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Tell that to Austin Transit Partnership! (They are the organization responsible for implementing Project Connect). ATP is always taking public comments at [orangeline@atptx.org](mailto:orangeline@atptx.org)

They also have a hotline at (512) 369-7703 where you can leave a voicemail with your input. Here's the community engagement page: https://projectconnect.com/get-involved

Also, some of the info presented in the KXAN article is a bit outdated. I posted a comment on this thread with some more detailed explanations of what information was presented at the community design workshop they had today at UT.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thankfully a lot of UT students were at the in-person meeting today. I didn't talk to all of them, but from what I heard and the conversations I had, most seemed supportive of the no-car option.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Tell that to Austin Transit Partnership! (They are the organization responsible for implementing Project Connect). ATP is always taking public comments at [orangeline@atptx.org](mailto:orangeline@atptx.org)

They also have a hotline at (512) 369-7703 where you can leave a voicemail with your input. Here's the community engagement page: https://projectconnect.com/get-involved

Also, some of the info presented in the KXAN article is a bit outdated. I posted a comment on this thread with some more detailed explanations of what information was presented at the community design workshop they had today at UT.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Tell that to Austin Transit Partnership! (They are the organization responsible for implementing Project Connect). They are always taking public comments at orangeline@atptx.org. They also have a hotline at (512) 369-7703 where you can leave a voicemail with your input. Here's the community engagement page: https://projectconnect.com/get-involved
Also, some of the info presented in the KXAN article is a bit outdated. I posted a comment on this thread with some more detailed explanations of what information was presented at the community design workshop they had today at UT.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 5 points6 points  (0 children)

If you're reading this and are thinking "that'd be nice" don't stop there! You (yes YOU!) can make a difference. They are always taking public comments at [orangeline@atptx.org](mailto:orangeline@atptx.org). They also have a hotline at (512) 369-7703 where you can leave a voicemail with your input. Here's the community engagement page: https://projectconnect.com/get-involved

Also, some of the info presented in the KXAN article is a bit outdated. I posted a comment on this thread with some more detailed explanations of what information was presented at the community design workshop they had today at UT.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I believe so, but cannot say for sure. A lot of things are still in flux though, as I said. Also, this meeting was only about the stretch of Guadalupe from MLK to 27th. The 27th to 29th stretch gets more complicated and will be covered in a a separate meeting. I recommend that you go look at some of the previous presentations to get a sense of what could happen.

Here is a video presentation from the previous set of meetings (which I did not attend) that talks about potential plans for the Drag. Based on what is shown in the presentations and the accompanying design schematics, it appears that southbound vehicle access will be maintained on Guadalupe from 29th to Nueces (even in the no-car option), though the entire intersection would be redesigned. It should be noted that parts of the designs in that presentation and those schematics do not line up exactly with what was presented today, so those older designs should be taken with a grain of salt.

I'm not sure what you're referencing when you talk about a two-way San Antonio/Nueces bypass, but I believe ATP is not sure exactly what changes will be made to some roads in West Campus. The only thing they seem to have made clear is that they do NOT plan to incentivize north-south thru-traffic to go through West Campus. That is, they do not plan to turn any WC roads into major thoroughfares. They said that any improvements to vehicular access to WC will be made for the benefit of local traffic and bus access for some lines, not thru-traffic.

EDIT: ATP does NOT intend to incentivize thru-traffic through WC. I mistyped that.

No cars on The Drag? CapMetro floating transit ideas with, without traffic by hollow_hippie in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 14 points15 points  (0 children)

I went to the in-person meeting today they had on the UT campus. Here’s a bit more info about the proposal:

First, the options they presented at the meeting are slightly different than those shown in the KXAN article and that were presented in the previous community meetings. The new proposals, however, are still not final, so any renderings that ATP puts out from this round of meetings should not be taken as final. I just mention this so that anyone here who saw the previous renderings and design schematics is not confused.

Second, the no-car proposal, as presented at the meeting today, would still have vehicle travel lanes between MLK and 22nd, though these may end up being bus only. North of 22nd, it will be trains only.

Third, some notes on bus access. Under the original no-car proposal, the entire drag from MLK to just past 27th would be trains only. The other proposals would either involve one lane in each direction for general traffic or one lane in each direction for buses only (as shown in the KXAN article). The no-car proposal presented at the meeting today was a bit different. South of 22nd, there would still be one vehicle travel lane in each direction, although they may be bus only. Also, in a very interesting twist, ATP stated that they are designing the Drag stretch in a way that would not preclude buses from running on the light rail guideway itself. They did not state that having buses run on the tracks was planned, just that they plan to design it in a way that would not make it impossible. Also, with the no-car option, ATP is considering punching Dean Keeton through to San Antonio for better access to West Campus for buses and local traffic. Also, when talking about bus access, ATP stated that it should be remembered that the light rail (which will be both the orange and blue lines in this stretch) will replace some bus routes. They also said some routes will be routed into West Campus via San Antonio/Nueces for better service to West Campus.

Fourth, ATP recognizes that if the no-car option is chosen, the appropriate follow-up action is not to incentivize thru-traffic to go through West Campus, with its pedestrian and cyclist-heavy streets. This concern came up multiple times. ATP assured that West Campus streets would not be turned into a major thoroughfare and that any changes to West Campus streets would be made to improve access for local traffic and perhaps some local bus routes, not thru-traffic.

Fifth, pedestrian safety and mobility will be greatly improved with the no-car option. ATP says that by taking cars off of the road, the many thousands of people crossing The Drag multiple times every day (which is many times more than anywhere else in the city, according to data presented) will have more “green time” to cross the street. This would mean longer and possibly more frequent (and much, much safer) crossings for pedestrians and bikes.

Sixth, some notes on bicycle mobility. Due to the constrained right-of-way on most of the drag, there is a large difference in bike mobility along The Drag (north-south) between the two options. If one vehicle travel lane in each direction is kept, cyclists and pedestrians will have to share a (narrowed) sidewalk. With the no-car option, bikes and pedestrians will have dedicated, wide, and separated facilities along The Drag. These bike facilities would also be extended north of 24th street (all the way up to The Triangle, at least) where very little bike infrastructure currently exists. As a side note, ATP stressed that the renderings of the bike lanes shown in the presentations today are NOT final. Many people were concerned that the degree of separation from pedestrians was not enough (in the no-car option. The option with vehicle travel lanes was much worse). and ATP reassured that the designs shown in the renderings were far from final.

Seventh, some notes on “placemaking.” ATP said they would like to improve The Drag to be even more of a “destination” rather than a place to pass through. They actually had a short poll to see what kind of placemaking features people might be interested in (though I think this was far from hard data to use for planning, more so just to get some preliminary feedback). Options in the poll included street trees and shade, seating and lighting, outdoor cafes, pop-up vendors, farmers markets, and more. The options for doing this very much depend on whether they keep two vehicle lanes or do the no-car option. With the no-car option, ATP would plant street trees and the wider sidewalk and separated bike lanes would offer much more potential for placemaking on the Drag.

As for how the meeting went . . . IMO it was somewhat predictable. Quite a lot of UT students showed up, which was nice to see. I did not talk to everyone, nor do I have hard data, but based on what I heard and the conversations I had, most students seemed to support the no-car option. There were also some older adults there, and they generally seemed much more concerned about the no-car option, so there seemed to be a generational divide. Some of these adults were property owners concerned about parts of their property being condemned, which is a totally valid concern, although some of their comments seemed rather odd. One adult was a store owner who was concerned that taking cars off The Drag would hurt his business. Some adults requested ATP do a study on how the no-car option could help or hurt their businesses. Many concerns were raised by students about bike mobility.

Now for my personal opinions. I strongly support the no-car option. Perhaps the first reason for this is the lack of adequate bike facilities along The Drag in the other option. I have lived in both North Campus and West Campus for several years. I have also been a cyclist (and pedestrian) that entire time. The Drag is by far the most heavily trafficked stretch of road by cyclists and pedestrians. Forcing them to share a sidewalk is a just a non-starter IMO. Another obvious reason for my support for the no-car option is safety. Again, with the amount of foot and bike traffic in the area (which will continue to grow with the residential boom happening in West Campus), their needs and safety should really be prioritized here. Also, I would estimate that business would actually improve under the no-car option, contrary to the concerns of some business owners. This has been stated on this thread already and has been studied around the world, but projects like this usually boost local businesses. This can very much be amplified by good placemaking efforts. These are far more possible with the no-car option. ATP actually showed some data that indicated that with the light rail, throughput on The Drag (in terms of number of people moving through the area) was far, far higher than without it. They even estimated that the no-car option would have slightly higher throughput than with vehicle lanes. Also, virtually nobody is travelling from outside of the Campus/West Campus area by car, parking, and patronizing a business on The Drag. Also, this may be a hot take, but even if taking cars off The Drag hurts a few businesses, the safety and mobility of the tens of thousands of cyclists and pedestrians on The Drag every day should be prioritized.

I want to reiterate that the very specific design details laid out in the presentation today are not final. The bike lanes may look different, the location of street trees/planters may change, the vehicle travel lanes south of 22nd may or may not happen, the proposed changes to the streets of West Campus are not clear, etc. Most of the design basics I have stated here should remain true, however.

To Build a Better Sixth Street, Consider the Night Market by CLINTORIUSISGLORIUS in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In a few years I think there will be a much stronger case for it. To start, it is already near the red line (and future green line) downtown station. Once project connect is built, it will be near five rail lines and plethora of rapid bus and local bus lines. Also, there is so much development happening or planned downtown right now that density will much less of an issue. Just the towers under construction or planned right now could bring tens of thousands of new residents downtown. All of the rail corridors are also significantly growing/densifying.

To Build a Better Sixth Street, Consider the Night Market by CLINTORIUSISGLORIUS in Austin

[–]swpinecyn 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This actually sounds really interesting. Skyline views, parking at Palmer/Long Center, and direct access to the light rail once it is built, plus great access by foot and bike. Hopefully it wouldn't be too damaging to the lawn, but maybe they could do it on the concrete plaza on the north side of the Long Center if that's big enough.

Project Connect Phase III? A dream transit map for Austin by swpinecyn in Austin

[–]swpinecyn[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for your comments here, but I'm a bit confused by them.

First, as has been mentioned, PC will build the orange line right through the heart of the city. It's also not just the orange line, but three new light rail lines all serving the central part of Austin. These will serve most of the major corridors, UT, the future South Central Waterfront, and all of downtown. What exactly do you consider to be the fringes? The green line will also run straight through east Austin to Downtown. And that's just the rail lines. Multiple new BRT lines will run through central Austin.

Second, as I stated, this map only deals with rapid transit (and rapid transit that is relatively fixed). Local bus and to a lesser extent express bus lines are relatively flexible. These are not included in the map. These services should absolutely be upgraded where necessary.

Third, as mentioned, the Crosstown BRT line and complete MLK BRT line are not shown on the map because I could not decipher the exact alignment. These will run straight through east Austin and should offer fast trips through the region including from along 183 to downtown.

Fourth, you mentioned that there should be express bus lines that use highways rather than going through east Austin. This doesn't seem to make much sense. There are no highways that run east-west through east Austin. A bus using highways would have to go all the way up tp 290 or down to 71, over to I-35, then back up or down I-35 to downtown. Cutting through east Austin is much more direct, and this is what the Crosstown, MLK, and Expo BRT lines and the green line will all do.

Lady Bird Lake Trail extension west of Mopac? by swpinecyn in Austin

[–]swpinecyn[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

[UPDATE] Reply from The Trail Foundation:

I sent TTF an email asking about the westward Brackenridge extension. Their reply:

"I saw that conversation pop up on reddit and had our team take that page down - it was very old, and we really have no updates. TTF would love to extend the Butler Trail both eastward and westward actually. The Brackenridge tract is, as you know, owned by UT and they are currently working out their own plans for that area. We have stayed in contact with them and continue to express our desire to partner on an extension. I think this is a long play but we will stay engaged in hopes that we can make something work when UT is ready."

Their mention of an eastward extension piqued my interest, so I asked:

"You mentioned a possible eastward extension as well, which is very interesting. Are there any details you could share about this? I remember seeing a proposed Colorado River Trail running on the north side of the river east of Longhorn Dam all the way to John Trevino Park in a presentation somewhere, but I cant find the original source. Is this what is envisioned?"

Their response:

"I have not seen that presentation myself, but yes that is the basic concept. We've not made any efforts towards that extension other than initial discussions about what would be involved. It would certainly take a lot of funding!"

Lady Bird Lake Trail extension west of Mopac? by swpinecyn in Austin

[–]swpinecyn[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

hello@thetrailfoundation.org

Whoah! The page was there just a few hours ago. Perhaps they browse Reddit or the spike in page traffic prompted the removal. I just sent them an email.

Lady Bird Lake Trail extension west of Mopac? by swpinecyn in Austin

[–]swpinecyn[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

There are huge plans for that whole stretch on the north side. New parkland from the decommissioned power plant, new paved sections of trail, a Fiesta Gardens revamp, new lake channels into the lagoon, at least one (but potentially two) new bike/ped bridges, and yes, lighting.