Congestion Conundrum

Breaking News from TxDOT: I-35 Traffic Sucks

Releasing its eagerly awaited yearly report of the 100 most congested stretches of road in the Lone Star State, the Texas Department of Transportation has news that should make Austin drivers proud. The stretch of I-35 form Highway 71 to US 183 has held on to the fourth spot in the annual rankings. Surprisingly, County Road 103 in Colorado County didn’t make the cut.

While some might be disappointed that I-35 in Austin didn’t rise in the rankings, its stats did increase from the previous year. Drivers now waste a total of 4.6 million hours of delay per annum while the annual cost of these delays hovers around $114 million. Imagine all of the three-day ACL passes that money could buy.

Of course TxDOT knows that these numbers really aren’t a revelation to Texas drivers. They serve the purpose of knowing exactly where the problems lie and deciding on how to mitigate them. The report also includes suggested tactics to alleviate congestion.

Plans that are already in motion include operational improvements such as increased bus service along frontage roads and more Metrorail, Urban Rail and Lone Star Rail Services. The more ambitious plans are, at the moment, only “Recommendations for Future Improvements”. They include reconstruction of stretches of Loop 1 and I-35 to add HOT (high-occupancy/toll) lanes, but since they lack funding for now they estimate these projects would only be ready to build by 2020 if the money comes through.

It’s hard to see more than $2.2 billion being dropped for a project of this magnitude, but if the State Legislature had the gumption to require TxDOT to create this “Top 100” list in the first place in 2009, then by God what’s to stop them from taking the initiative again?

While most may see this massive congestion on I-35 as a major plight that can threaten Austin’s commerce and environmental standards, why shouldn’t it be seen as the chance to foster a little inter-city competition? Dallas seems to have a lockdown on the top three spots with US 75, IH 635 and SS 366 leading the pack. Austin needs to strive for the chance to come out on top. If Austin is in the “Top 10” in practically every ranking imaginable, why not go for the gold in one more list?

Here’s one guaranteed way to increase I-35 congestion. Limit it to one lane through the city limits and fill the rest of them with parked food trailers.

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Being Green

Here's why Austin's Lady Bird Lake is green this week

Photo by Raymond Pitts via KVUE

It's not just for fun.

St. Patrick's day might be a month away, but Austin's downtown waterway isn't going green to celebrate.

Austinites might've noticed a striking green hue to Lady Bird Lake over the past few days, but according to the city's Watershed Protection Department, it's not a cause for alarm.

The green coloring is actually a dye used to find leaks in plumbing fixtures, according to the department. A representative said the dye might be seen in the water for several days, but it does not pose any type of health threat.

Water tracing dyes are often bright green to increase the visibility of the flow of water. They can help with determining how long it takes water to flow from point A to point B, to detect water overflow or leakage, and to check for any harmful pollutants making their way to a natural water source.

The same body of water drew attention in late January because of a dam failure that led to water levels dropping at least two feet. However, there is no public information connecting the incident with the green dye.

Austinites are in tune with color along the Colorado River because toxic algae blooms are not uncommon, and can cause serious negative health effects, especially in dogs that ingest the water while swimming. The culprit, Cyanobacteria, is also called blue-green algae, but it has a visible texture unlike the clear green dye.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com. Details about the dam failure and toxic algae were added by CultureMap.

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