Gasoline is almost to $4.00 a gallon. Autos produce significant levels of fossil fuels that add to global warming. The auto transportation network has been very useful for the 20th Century, but we are in a new era. We need to change the ways we do things and build our cities. Adding more roadways will not engender innovative thinking in how we commute and build communities. At one point in our nation's history, canals were very important as transportation corridors. Then, the railroad came and made them less important. Next, the automobile came and made railroads less important. Now, we are on the edge of the digital revolution. In the future, the information superhighway will make roads less important. Should our long range planning really include major roadway plans and strip commercial? I think not. We need to plan more mixed-use clusters that will be amenity driven but also reduce our dependency on car trips. This is called Smart Growth.
9 comments:
Transportation Planning can not come without actual long range regional planning. At the meeting I noticed that the placement of the road alignment had not considered any future zoning, or transportation network plans. I believe that a large part of this area should not be further developed due to the aquifer, and to retain the open feel of the hill country. Just because we can build there doesn't mean we should. I would urge the city to put a large conservation overlay to the areas that are over the aquifer and recharge zone. This would greatly slow the growth in the perifery, which would actually be better for the city. Future residents would then be more likely to buy a house within New Braunfels, thereby increasing the tax base. This helpful nudging of future residents to buy within the city limits behooves the city iteslf. Allowing spawling growth is acutally a detriment to New Braunfels. Having been a former Senior Planner for a large metropolitan area in another state, I know there are better practices than just plopping down a loop in a sensitive area. First, have a plan as to where you want to target development, and then build the infrastructure to accomodate that targeted growth. This is actually the city's RESPOSNIBILITY.
Now there's a viewpoint that has merit! Julie, I enjoyed speaking with you at the Open House. If you are wanting to present an educated stance on the opposition to an outer loop, you should be doing the talking (or typing).
Aja:
I am the author of this blog, and while I appreciate some of your input, you should not be sniping at other contributors who are pointing out significant flaws in your argument. As a professor, I am aware of good metaphor and how it can be used well. Also, as an educator, I take great offense to your slur about this blog as un-educational! You cannot and should not assume things about the authors of comments. These are concerned citizens (and some are my students) who see your comments as hasty. Your arguments generally are going against logic-- that is why they seem strained. I thank you again for your input. For any who are offended by comments in any direction, I am sorry that I have been so busy this week and unable to better police comments. I deleted one over the weekend, but it is a difficult balance between free speech and mud slinging.
Lets face it, few to none of you reading this will ever give up the car or truck or SUV you drive. This city cannot support a self sustaining public mass transit system. It takes lots of people with the economic need to make a system viable and that is not NB. While we should plan for a future mass transit system, we need to remain realistic. Many will say I would use it, but get it running and most of those people will continue to drive their cars.
In response to the comment about mass transit... I don't think anyone here was really suggesting mass transit, like a bus route, bus rapid transit, light rail or anything along those lines. However, just building more roads without significant municipal planning will not solve any problems. I'd like to see better management of the system that is in place before New Braunfels decides it needs a loop!(which is outside of the City limits - and would promote sprawl.)
I've got to quit messing around on this site and get back to my real work. The whole reason I took a look at this site was to see if there was a good place I could send our clients to in order to see the counterpoints of the Outer Loop proposal. You all have answered that question. Good luck with your efforts.
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