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Paid parking at the HoL entrance


cpope
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A couple of weeks ago I noticed some new spray paint and updated signage on Scottish Woods indicating that the paid parking program was getting restarted.

IMG_4798.thumb.jpeg.e0f7381668fa18dfb4a49eb99a728a00.jpeg

I contacted the city and they confirmed that the program is getting going again. They were unable to provide me with a timeline, but told me that there was going to be an HOA meeting last week and that the web page would be updated with more info after the meeting. I just checked and it still says that the program is on hold.

http://austintexas.gov/WoodsofWestlakeParking

In any case, last  year when they were talking about paid parking at the HoL one of those new parking signs was exposed and showed that they were planning to use the Park ATX app to charge for parking between 8AM to 8PM. I don't know if that's still the plan, but be aware that it looks like a change is coming.

 IMG_3523.thumb.jpeg.cf27cfbb057ecdb984618eff10a80bbd.jpeg

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If the neighborhood is having issues with parking and trash, then I can see this being a reasonable response. There are so many access points to the GB and, quite frankly, the HOL is probably my least favorite spot for a drop in because getting back to your car means a pretty steep uphill at the end when my mind is already on beer.

If there were only 1 or 2 trailheads I could see this being a much bigger issue.

I live in a pretty quiet neighborhood so I can appreciate the peace and quiet a bit more. When I lived in Chicago I lived on a public beach and the constant parade of people, all hours of the day and night, was a bit of a pain.

We all have to accept, to some degree, that Austin is growing up and it is not what we all remember. Every time you see a story about Austin being one of the best places to live, it kills a little bit of the town because it draws more people up. Our infrastructure has not kept pace with our growth.

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4 hours ago, AustinBike said:

Our infrastructure has not kept pace with our growth.

All a matter of perspective. This issue does vary throughout Austin and the surrounding areas, some being better than others. That being said, I'm in RR/WillCo and the preparation they've done for future growth and expansion is lightyears ahead of the equivalent areas in Seattle/King Co. Each time a landmark project is completed in Seattle, it's already behind in capacity. Seattle would call the i35 double deck through downtown a major accomplishment if it was completed 3 years from now.

Major roads in the suburbs are two lanes and 35mph. Same road here is 4 or 6 lane and 55mph. There's huge geographical factors too but on a whole infrastructure has been well planned in comparison. The next question is will we see it accelerate to match the recent growth rate which has been strong for a while but is increasing. We could easily outpace growth estimates from a few years ago. 

 

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Yeah, I don't think many in this forum will be affected by the change, but I thought I'd post a heads-up.

I regularly use the HoL drop in. I used to work nearby, and that trailhead allowed me to get in a ride before work, and now it's just become a habit. The parking change probably won't affect me much since I'm usually out of there by 8.

I understand the neighborhood's concern. That trailhead was overrun at the beginning of lockdown last spring, and it looked like there were parking issues even on weekday mornings. The crowds died down once the creek dried up, and I haven't seen the crowds and loutish behavior that I saw last year. I wouldn't doubt that there are still issues on the weekends though.

As a side note, the admission stand and the port-a-potties at the entrance are gone. I guess the city is no longer requiring a permit to enter the greenbelt.

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