Austin unveils design for a new bridge on the southern end of Lady Bird Lake
The city of Austin is one step closer to taking down the “last major barrier” on the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake. And according to city street designer Nathan Wilkes, the idea came from the public.
The barrier he’s talking about is on the Longhorn Dam, the structure that holds in the lake and provides its southernmost crossing. That’s where the 10-mile trail loop narrows into a 4-foot-wide sidewalk, and cyclists and pedestrians get hemmed in by a chain-link fence on one side and a steep drop on the other.
“Right now the passing conditions are basically single file,” Wilkes said. “People squeeze up against the handrail, which is very low.”
City planners have been looking for a solution to the bottleneck for years; the task gained urgency after the Lady Bird Lake boardwalk was completed and trail traffic increased.
Read more: https://www.austinmonitor.com/stories/2019/12/austin-unveils-design-for-a-new-bridge-on-the-southern-end-of-lady-bird-lake/
I;m not criticizing the proposal, but it should be noted that this is occurring in a part of Austin that is being gentrified. Money talks.
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All three of them went to UT and are software engineers. The oldest son is 27, making $140K and bought a McMansion in the Pleasant Valley area. The proximity to downtown Austin and the airport definitely are drivers in the gentrification of the area. I recall that area was mostly for students and it was relatively inexpensive to live there, but that has changed. With the other developments in east Austin and the Riverside area it is becoming nearly impossible to afford living in Austin unless it comes with a $40K income. That only gets someone into a run-down apartment or sharing living space with someone in an older home.
Needless to say, I have some envy of my friend's sons. All three of them started out their careers earning more than I (or my friend) ever made. Oddly enough my degree in mathematics from Southwestern did lead me into what most would say is a respectable career. My career evolved to the point that I was really doing the equivalent tasks of what software engineers perform and I had experience with insurance, accounting, and legal affairs.
As long as UT continues to churn out the engineers, I have no chance of returning to the Austin area. I wonder whether the dime stop even exists anymore? In hindsight, I have some regrets that I chose Southwestern over UT because my income potential would have been much better if I went to UT instead. On the positive side, I did make a lot of enduring friendships by going to SU and I believe that I have a complete well-rounded education from being in a liberal arts environment compared to UT. My friend's sons didn't take any courses in religion or philosophy for example.
One of these days, I'm hoping to get to Austin again to spend a few days. It would be nice to meet you since we've become online friends. We can reminisce about the old days when the Black Cat, Halls, and Liberty Lunch were around. You probably remember more than I do since I didn't get to the Austin area until 1983. 
Now if they can only do something about Del Valle. 