COTA Austin - construction and infrastructure

[FW17]

[hairy_scotsman]

OK...here you go, since nobody is reporting it...

From yesterday's Travis County Commissioners Court meeting text, Item 33:

I move that we authorize county staff to negotiate with the coda representatives regarding elroy road with an eye to determining what kind of agreement we should adopt in order to expand elroy from a two lane road to a four lane road, and to address the bridge issue on that road after the first race.

Motion passed 3-2.

They agreed to negotiate with COTA over how much each will pay for improvements, and they put off widening the bridge (and thus Elroy Road as well) until after the first race.

So it looks like the first race will run with no widening of Elroy.

They also approved the extension of Kellam to Pearce.

Earlier, the Judge completely dismissed item 32 (Sexton/COTA's request for financial incentives or an economic development agreement).



http://www.co.travis.tx.us/commissioner ... 417_33.asp

no that is not the one HS

There was one that sent out along the lawsuit which indicates the one behind the waterbody/pond

I know. I was just providing a higher-res version of the one you posted earlier, as someone requested.

[Pup]

Here's what I say -

Now that we've learned over the past week that the circuit will be finished well ahead of the race,

That the traffic situation is taken care of,

And that the non-PSL tickets will be reasonably priced and plentiful,

I hereby move that we forgo the remaining 7 months of planned doom mongering and just enjoy watching the track take shape.

This is going to be an awesome course and race I think - and it's far time that we let the whole Hellmund/CotA saga stop coloring the discussion.

Would anyone like to second this motion? Can we treat this thread like we do the car threads, and limit it's discussion to track construction and progress? Can we make a deal amongst ourselves that we won't lace every news item posted with tidbits of personal propaganda? And if someone wants to continue to debate the politics behind the race or the machiavellian strategies of the owners, let them do so in a separate thread?

[xpensive]

Here's what I say -

Now that we've learned over the past week that the circuit will be finished well ahead of the race,

That the traffic situation is taken care of,
...

Good one that Pup, if you believe it that is.

[hairy_scotsman]

Here's what I say -

Now that we've learned over the past week that the circuit will be finished well ahead of the race,

That the traffic situation is taken care of,
...

Good one that Pup, if you believe it that is.

The traffic situation is resolved by the extension of Kellam Rd to Pearce Lane?

That's the only thing they did that will affect traffic at this year's race.

[hairy_scotsman]

New COTA construction photos just posted by Miro-Rivera, the designer of the Main GS:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid ... =3&theater

[donskar]

If you're in Austin, it's Lone Star Beer.

If you're in Austin a nice Shiner Boch is the ideal Texan beer. Texas does produce wine out west, but people with sofisicated taste tell me it's swill.

I'm not a wine drinker really, so I can't speak for the quality, but there are wineries all around central Texas west of IH-35, including some national and international award winners. In re: wine, it's certainly not France or Napa, but it's probably not bad, either.

That said, if I had to pick a drink from around here, it would be this:

[img]http://austinlocavores.files.wordpress. ... &h=300[img]

...or this:

[img]http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9 ... t4AKza[img]

Tito's is fine. For excellent wine, go to the Georgetown Winery in Georgetown town square. Excellent Chardonnays.

[thearmofbarlow]

Personal favorite Texas wine is vinified here in Dallas. Inwood Estates. Fruit's grown on the New Mexico border. Get a bottle of their tempranillo/cabernet blend. Thank me later.

BTW... Shiner Black. Destroys Boch. You are welcome.

[strad]

The traffic situation is resolved by the extension of Kellam Rd to Pearce Lane?

I'm not much concerned if traffic is messed up the first year. Does no one remember Silverstone in the day..Parking in farmers fields?? and getting stuck in the mud?? I have a friend says there is still a shoe he left there when the mud sucked it off...And Fuji??
Come on...Many tracks the world over have traffic woes on race day.

[FW17]

The traffic situation is resolved by the extension of Kellam Rd to Pearce Lane?

I'm not much concerned if traffic is messed up the first year. Does no one remember Silverstone in the day..Parking in farmers fields?? and getting stuck in the mud?? I have a friend says there is still a shoe he left there when the mud sucked it off...And Fuji??
Come on...Many tracks the world over have traffic woes on race day.

Silverstone in thosed days had over 4000 landings or takeoff form the heliport. It even had a team of 24 dedicated air traffic controllers working that day. Not sure if austin is planning anything like that to get people for austin down town, houston, dellas, san antonio, even though majority of the people in grandstand and paddock club will have access to a helicopter

The traffic study accounts for only about 500 people to arrive by helicopter which is about 320 landings or takeoff

[strad]

And sometimes those poor rich cats couldn't get in because of weather and once,,,,maybe twice Bernie himself got lost and stuck in the mud (had to be pulled out by a farmer)and in the end couldn't get in (tried to come in a back gate)until he was really pissed at a cop and a track worker, who was only doing his job, which didn't include recognizing the gnome, ...It's been a long time and I can't remember all the details but it's part of his grudge against Silverstone.
Many many races have survived traffic problems is my point. Certainly not to knock a fine and revered circuit .

[FW17]

HS,

What is happening in this neighbouring property?

[Pup]

This statement adds a smidgen of clarity to the ownership situation. Or perhaps it just raises more questions.

In a statement today, Julie Loignon, a spokeswoman for the circuit said, “One of the partnerships Mr. McCombs has invested in is Accelerator Holdings LLC, which holds a minority interest in the Circuit of The Americas. Even if Mr. Hellmund was to acquire his pro-rata portion of Mr. McCombs’ shares of Accelerator Holdings, that portion would represent an approximate 2 percent interest in Circuit of the Americas. As such, Mr. Hellmund could not influence the seven-member board structure or management of Accelerator Holdings, let alone the board, management team or operations of Circuit of The Americas.”

Loignon added, “The circuit’s ownership seeks to resolve Mr. Hellmund’s dispute through arbitration, which was outlined and agreed to in writing by Mr. Hellmund,”

[Pup]

The traffic situation is resolved by the extension of Kellam Rd to Pearce Lane?

I'm not much concerned if traffic is messed up the first year. Does no one remember Silverstone in the day..Parking in farmers fields?? and getting stuck in the mud?? I have a friend says there is still a shoe he left there when the mud sucked it off...And Fuji??
Come on...Many tracks the world over have traffic woes on race day.

Traffic should actually be pretty good relative to other tracks. The estimated delay with the existing roads was 3.5 hours, which in itself wasn't all that bad. And the Kellam extension will now provide them with three additional lanes - one more than widening Elroy would have done. It's an easy solution, and is why the Elroy debate was much ado about nothing.

[Nando]

This is going to be an awesome course and race I think

Future classic no doubt, just from looking at the layout i would put it close to Suzuka and SPA but with its own flavor.
(even though most of it is copied from existing tracks)

the run out of T1 should be nothing nothing of breathtaking to watch and run in sims.