NCINC: Partners in Building a Better Interstate 35

Delwood II | Wilshire Wood/Delwood I | Hancock | Cherrywood
Blackland | Holy Cross | East Cesar Chavez
contact us: Stefan Schuster at hydroplan@hotmail.com or 512-322-0059

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Welcome to the Official NCINC website

WHO IS NCINC?

The North Central I-35 Neighborhoods Coalition represents residents and neighborhood associations along the I-35 corridor in central Austin, as well as other organizations concerned with the expansion of the Interstate. (See below for a complete list of endorsing organizations.)

NCINC STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

The members and endorsers of the North Central Interstate 35 Neighborhoods Coalition (NCINC) recognize the need for safer and more effective transportation for the Austin Metropolitan area and we have pledged to work cooperatively to build a better IH-35.

The member neighborhoods of NCINC share TxDOT's official Statement of Vision:

"The vision of the Texas Department of Transportation is to provide transportation systems and alternatives that are comfortable, safe, durable, cost-effective, accessible, environmentally sensitive and aesthetically appealing."

NCINC believes that each component of a comprehensive transportation plan for the Austin Metropolitan area should:

  • Improve the safety and mobility of commuters, inter-regional travelers, and local traffic in, out, and through Austin;
  • Take advantage of existing high-capacity roadways with increased connectivity;
  • Complement current and future land use and transportation plans of local municipalities;
  • Integrate multi-modal and mass-transportation systems;
  • Utilize "best practice" solutions as implemented where interstate highways have been built or expanded through an urban core;
  • Encourage, and provide safe access and connectivity for pedestrians and cyclists; and
  • Address traffic congestion regionally and systematically.

While the currently proposed redesign of Interstate 35 includes a combination of familiar highway construction techniques, new ISTEA/TEA21 concepts, and some innovative design solutions, they are poorly coordinated and integrated in the total project. As a result, the proposed plan fails to address the long-term need for a comprehensive regional plan that supports connections between suburban and urban areas of the Austin Metropolitan area.

  • The proposed design fails to adequately address several key issues that are considered the purpose of this study -- improve safety, improve mobility, and address the needs of the growing and changing regional population.

  • In critical urban segments and at key major roadway intersections, the proposed design does not complement current and future developments planned along the corridor-- it seems to lack any coordinated planning with municipal governments, regional planners, and transit agencies. In a few cases, the design even appears to suggest a lack of coordination within the State Highway agency itself.

  • The MIS has failed to satisfy USDOT guidelines for compliance with Federal Regulations regarding the conduct of Major Investment Studies.

In order to realize and execute an optimum design for this major project, the members and endorsers of NCINC seek a review by independent transportation experts, regional planners, and urban design specialists. This review should extend the consideration of alternative options at the corridor and sub-area level to ensure that the assumptions and solutions employed in the design will actually improve the safety and mobility of commuters, inter-regional travelers, and local traffic in, out, and through Austin.

To date, the following organizations have endorsed the NCINC Statement of Purpose:

Neighborhoods
Delwood II
Hancock
Wilshire Wood/Delwood I
Cherrywood
Blackland
Holy Cross
East Cesar Chavez

Other Organizations
Just Transportation Alliances




NCINC embraces the philosophy of the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) President, Tom Warne: "Highway Projects can be designed with imagination, creativity and collaboration to preserve and enhance the character and quality of a community without sacrificing transportation mobility and safety"