On the Move

The only thing to look forward to is the past

Omnibus soaking its wheels in the SA river

With all the zippidy-doo-dah hoopla over the possibility of a return to streetcars, why not go the whole hog and bring back mule drawn omnibuses?  I mean, who else is doing that?  Let’s think outside the box and get out of Portland, Oregon’s shadow once and for all.  Think of the benefits.  No expensive overhead or the need to tear up streets for miles on end and tourists will love it.

Mule drawn streetcars were introduced in San Antonio in 1878 but omnibus service has that beat by seven years.  It cost 5 cents to go from Main Square to Alamo Plaza.  With all the money we’ll save by not installing staggeringly expensive streetcar systems and their unsightly overhead power lines, we could go back and charge the same fare in 2010 that it was in 1871.  I guess there is a flaw in my logic somewhere but, you know, I’ll be d****d if I know what it is.

I-35 closed Saturday

A daylong blanket of wetness (I can still hear a soothing patter outside) has pushed a scheduled nighttime closure of Interstate 35 to a more traffic-heavy Saturday morning.

Crews will close all main lanes in both directions between AT&T Parkway and New Braunfels Avenue from 4 a.m. to as late as 2 p.m. so they can do bridge work, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

Motorists should look for alternative routes such as Austin Highway and Broadway; or I-10 and Houston Street.

Also, watch out for the closure of three westbound Loop 410 lanes at San Pedro Avenue from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Could be rough. Work there includes culvert and bridge repairs.

The ultimate judge on whether the closures happen, of course, is the weather. The verdict for now, per the National Weather Service, forecasts a good chance for more showers Friday, followed by the sun coming out of hiding Saturday and Sunday.

Check out the latest:

• Weather
• Traffic

Terri’s at it again (part 2 of 2)

In yesterday’s post, I took aim at the alleged ”egregious fiscal malfeasance” that local toll-opponent Terri Hall accused ARMA of with regards to their plans for a US 281/Loop 1604 interchange.  Today, I’ll take her to task on her claims of “unequal application of the law” with regards to the environmental studies required for the interchange versus those for 281 north of 1604.

more »

Terri’s at it again (part 1 of 2)

This past Monday, the Alamo Regional Mobility Authority (ARMA) held a public meeting to show their plans for the US 281/Loop 1604 interchange.  The interchange is being funded primarily with federal economic stimulus funds and therefore will be built toll-free, but that’s not enough for local outspoken toll-opponent Terri Hall.  She had a lot to say about the project on her MySA.com blog yesterday.  I submitted a response to it last night, but as she has to approve it, it hasn’t been posted yet.  (But I’m not really surprised.)  So I’m going to respond to her here on my turf.  Because her comments went all over the map, I’m going to break this response up into two posts: one about the costs of the interchange (today), and one about the environmental clearance it is getting (tomorrow).

more »

TxDOT previews planned I-10 improvements

I-10 inbound at UTSA Blvd.

Sorry for the lack of posts lately.  With my website update and the holidays and the ensuing aftermath, I’ve been a wee bit busy, not to mention just spending time with my adorable 16-month-old!  But I’m ready to dive back in, so here goes…

I just got home from TxDOT’s public hearing on their long-planned improvements to I-10 West.  As I mentioned earlier this week, my recollection was that the proposed changes would include adding an extra freeway lane in each direction and removing the existing outbound DeZavala exit.  That indeed still forms the core of the improvements package, but there were a few other goodies.

more »

Two big San Antonio transpo meetings next week

Two agencies– TxDOT and ARMA– will be conducting public meetings next week for two separate projects.

First up is ARMA with a public meeting to discuss the US 281/Loop 1604 interchange project, scheduled to break ground later this year.  It is being funded primarily by federal stimulus money and will build the first four elevated ramps connecting 281 south of 1604 to both directions on 1604.  The meeting is Monday, January 11, at Parkhills Baptist Church, 17747 San Pedro.  Doors open at 5:30pm for an open house.  The formal presentation begins at 7:00pm with public comments thereafter.  I’m going to try and have a web page on the interchange project done this weekend.

Two days later, TxDOT will hold a public hearing on proposed improvements to I-10 West from Ramsgate to Loop 1604.  These plans have been on the back burner for serveral years as no funding has been available.  The planned improvements include adding an extra mainlane in each direction and major revisions of the ramps in that area.  As those of you who pass through there know, the ramp configuration outbound between Huebner and De Zavala is particularly problematic.  The last renderings I saw removed the existing ramp for De Zavala and instead re-purposed the Woodstone exit ramp as the De Zavala exit.  That one small change alone, assuming it’s still in the works, will be a big improvement.  The hearing will take place on January 13th at the Clark High School cafeteria, 5150 De Zavala Rd.  The open house begins at 6:30pm with the actual presentation and public hearing starting at 7:00pm.

I-35 closed this weekend

With some dozen announcements about construction and lane closures apparently wrapped up for the week, the biggest snag to watch for will be on Interstate 35 near Fort Sam Houston.

In about an hour, crews will shut down all southbound main lanes of I-35 from Walters Street to New Braunfels Avenue so they can do bridge work, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

The lane closures could last to as late as 5 a.m. Monday, with motorists detoured to the frontage road.

Alternative routes include Rittiman Road to Austin Highway and then Broadway; or Coliseum Road to Houston Street.

To check current traffic conditions, go to TransGuide.

Loop 410 closed this weekend

About an hour ago, state officials announced that construction workers will close eastbound Loop 410 on the Northeast Side this Sunday.

Crews will shut down all main lanes between Starcrest and Perrin Beitel from 7 a.m. until sometime Monday morning so they can do bridge work, the Texas Department of Transportation said.

Worthy alternative routes include Austin Highway and Wurzbach Parkway.

Motorists should also watch out for various lane closures through next week on this part of the freeway and its intersecting roads. Check TransGuide before you head out.

Also in late this afternoon from TxDOT:

Have a great weekend everyone. Stay Warm!

Bridges, new lanes finally coming for FM 3009

FM 3009 through Garden Ridge and Schertz rolls over hills and past two railroad tracks to usher some 20,000 drivers to and from Interstate 35 every day.

Construction will soon start on FM 3009

The daily odyssey along two and four lanes is far from smooth. Traffic backs up during rush hours. Thundering trains blaring horns stop lines of cars for minutes at a time.

But one thing sure to be worse will be the construction to fix the mess. And yes, after years of planning and securing needed funds, the time has arrived to widen the road and build bridges over the rail lines.

Work is scheduled to start this week to build the two overpasses and add a lane in each direction between I-35 and Nacogdoches Road, according to the Texas Department of Transportation.

more »

Relief coming for Jones-Maltsberger bottleneck

Long a bane for shoppers trying to get to the Quarry Market from US 281 or vice-versa, improvements are finally on the way for the railroad crossing on Jones-Maltsberger.

Last week, the city announced that it had secured federal stimulus and state funds to widen Jones-Maltsberger. Presently, the street narrows from four lanes down to two at the tracks, then widens again back to four lanes on the other side. The improvements will consist of widening the road at the crossing to four lanes (two in each direction) plus a dedicated right-turn lane for traffic turning onto US 281 northbound.

According to the city, construction is set to start next February and be completed by the end of summer.

So what took so long to get this job done? My recollection is that there was some dispute between the city and TxDOT as to who was responsible for that section of roadway, not to mention the fact that any work involving a railroad crossing also has to include the railroad. Ergo, it took a while to get it all sorted-out. Then it was simply a matter of securing the funding, which is typically the sticking-point on most road projects.

UPDATE 1/8/10: San Antonio Express-News story