Wrong Way

Jam-packed Austin highway declared 'freeway with no future' in new report

I-35 is being reimagined in new report.

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A new report named the downtown stretch of I-35 among its top 10 "Freeways with No Futures," a designation unlikely to surprise many Austinites. Despite its ominous name (it seems "Highway to Hell" was taken), the report from nonprofit Congress for the New Urbanism actually outlines the ways in which the jam-packed freeway could be redesigned to improve quality of life for locals.

Each year, the CNU picks 10 major roadways across the U.S. and reimagines what their respective cities would look like if they were removed or repurposed. It's important to note that the congress, which is comprised of "2,600 members [including] diverse global thought leaders on design, development, policy, implementation, and activism," advocates against sprawling development and towards the investment of walkable urban centers.

According to the report, the stretch of I-35 between Cesar Chavez Street and Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard carries more than 200,000 cars a day, and yet greatly inhibits travel between East Austin and downtown and West Austin. As CNU notes, this divide was by design, the result of Austin's long-held segregation laws that forced people of color to live on the east side, leaving downtown and West Austin to their white neighbors.

The use of highways to segregate cities, says CNU, can be seen across the U.S., including I-345 in Dallas, whose construction in 1973 separated the then-predominantly African American neighborhood of Deep Ellum from the rest of the city, and the Claiborne Expressway in New Orleans, which was built straight through the city's historically black Treme neighborhood in 1966-68.

While the congress actually advocates for the removal of the highways in those two cities, in Austin, however, simply cutting off one of the nation's major interstates isn't feasible. Instead, the nonprofit points to the work of Reconnect Austin, a local grassroots organization that has long advocated for burying I-35 and creating a pedestrian-friendly boulevard and green space on top of it.

Aside from looking better, the report notes that capping the highway could also lead to millions in annual tax revenue. "By capping I-35, the 30 acres of land currently under its frontage roads could be opened up for mixed-use development as part of a tax increment financing (TIF) district," it says. "The potential valuation from this land is an estimated $10 billion, which would increase the tax base for local jurisdictions by millions of dollars."

This dreamy idea does come with negatives, which the report tries to address. As Austin continues to grow, this area would undoubtedly become hot real estate, thus potentially displacing the same people that should be benefitting from the city's reunification.

"Reconnect Austin acknowledges that the removal of I-35 also has the potential to accelerate gentrification and displacement, as the area becomes more economically robust and aesthetically attractive, potentially leading to soaring land values," says the report. "Having a plan in place to protect against displacement is a high priority."

The plan is thin, however, and include a suggestion for public spaces "designed with sensitivity to the dynamic cultures of East Austin." Public spaces are nice, but the idea seems frankly laughable considering the city's median home price over the past decade has almost doubled from $188,000 in February 2009 to $360,000 in February 2019, according to the Austin Board of Realtors.

The report notes that while TxDOT is about to embark on a $8.1 billion renovation of I-35, reconstructing 66 miles in and around Austin, that doesn't include the capping through downtown, which is estimated to cost $300 million.

"Local support — from neighborhood groups, civic organizations, boards and commissions, city council, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Downtown Austin Alliance — in conjunction with TxDOT’s planned renovation, makes for an ideal, once-in-a-generation opportunity to reshape downtown Austin by capping I-35," the report urges.

Joining Austin, Dallas, and New Orleans among this year's Freeways with No Futures is I-5 in Portland, Oregon; I-980 in Oakland; I-70 in Denver; Kensington and Scajaquada expressways in Buffalo, New York; I-81 in Syracuse, New York; I-64 in Louisville; and I-275 in Tampa, Florida.

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Red Light

San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio has pulled off something that the rest of Texas has yet to do, but it didn't come without some contentious conversations. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

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