Friday, April 5, 2013

New Texas Budget To Be Approved, Soon: Hope we quit wasting highway dollars on maraca's.

Texas is the only state I have ever lived in that painted highway overpasses and made fancy concrete walls to hold back dirt.

Of course Texas has some great roads compared to a lot of other states.  But, the Texas Department of Transportation is always telling stories of woe that end by saying we are billions of dollars short of what we need to keep pace with growth.

I don't think we really needed these maraca's at the
83 hwy and 359 hwy intersection.
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8 comments:

  1. KeyRoseApril 6, 2013 at 12:33 PM

    I don't really mind the 'maracas.' It's a feature that adds some flair to the area so it won't be just plain concrete. It's a shame that the space can't be better utilized.

    Under the Chihuahua and Guadalupe overpasses, the DOT just filled in the ground level with gravel, added some small trees and palms, and some chains to prevent cars from parking there. That area would be great for a skate plaza or some type of green feature.

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  2. AnonymousApril 7, 2013 at 1:00 AM

    Maybe a banjo or a fiddle would make ol' Tom happy?

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    Replies
    1. AnonymousApril 7, 2013 at 7:23 AM

      No, what would make me happy is for TxDot to look at the cost of building highways and do something to reduce those cost, versus proposing toll roads, tax increases, etc.

      Once they have proven that they are building the best road for the price, then, and only then, do they get to ask for more money.

      I could care less about the aesthetics of a road. I care about the functionality and safety. These maracas add neither.

      Delete
    2. AnonymousApril 7, 2013 at 7:24 AM

      Nor would banjos or fiddles....

      Delete
  3. AnonymousApril 8, 2013 at 7:20 AM

    Maybe the intent of the concrete is to save money on watering the trees and shrubs. No need to hire anyone to care for trees and shrubs etc. Personally I think we should have our kids paint and design a few paintings/sculptures. Just a thought.

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  4. AnonymousApril 8, 2013 at 7:27 AM

    Now that you mention it why not fiddles or banjos ...Lots of Irish influence here isn't there. Maybe a chordophones to represent India, or an Erhu, Sheng or Yangqin to represent our resident Chinese. DIVERSITY. I apologize for failing to identify all other cultures.

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  5. AnonymousApril 8, 2013 at 2:01 PM

    Isn't that a centralized drainage area (where the maracas are)? So, putting a little "art" to something that is necessary isn't what I would call waste. Not utilizing the area under the new Chihuahua/Guadalupe overpasses is wasteful.

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  6. triciaApril 9, 2013 at 12:03 AM

    I never noticed those maracas before, Tom...Now, I'm looking for them :)

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