What To Do About Interstate 35 Now? And: When Did NYC Want to Be Like Us?

Two transportation items of interest this morning …

First off, in a subscription-only story The Bond Buyer wonders where in the wide, wide world of sports Texas is going to get $2.2 billion for an “expansion of heavily traveled Interstate 35 to six lanes from San Antonio to the Dallas-Fort Worth area.” Because, right now, there’s but a mere $278 million committed to the project per the Texas Transportation Commission following the demise of the Trans-Texas Corridor that was supposed to alleviate the parking lot. Says TTC member Ted Houghton, “Congestion on I-35 is a serious transportation problem that must be addressed. Our future efforts to identify potential solutions will be led by citizens, ensure that each community’s concerns are heard, and result in efforts to improve I-35 and other transportation assets that enhance safety and economic opportunity.” Which reminds me: Channel 8 ran its own what-next? story Monday night, during which Darla Miles noted that one of the TTC’s options is to … “double decking I-35 from San Antonio to Dallas”? Riiight. …

And in news from Bizarro World today, Manhattan wants to be more like Dallas, at least when it comes to mass transit. Seems some folks want to close 42nd Street to auto traffic and put in light rail. The group pushing for the move — Vision 42, created out of the Institute for Rational Urban Mobility — looks to us for inspiration. As in: “Vision 42 advocates said light rail lines in Dallas had stimulated more than $1 billion worth of development.” I know where they got that number: DART.