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> The last problem he believes could be solved by Musk’s Boring Co., which aims to build underground tunnels to funnel traffic to its Texas Tesla Gigafactory an

> The last problem he believes could be solved by Musk’s Boring Co., which aims to build underground tunnels to funnel traffic to its Texas Tesla Gigafactory and could theoretically create a network of them to help alleviate Austin traffic. I was taking him seriously until that line. This is such a pipe dream. disclaimer: I have lived in Austin for 5 years now

m463 6y ago
> This is such a pipe dream. :) what's the water level like in austin? I know some places in texas you dig down and you hit groundwater.
- rossdavidh 6y ago
  Water availability has careened wildly in the last 20 years. At one point our reservoir was over 50 feet below full, and it looked like we were headed into long-term sustainability issues. The wildfires in 2012 distracted Rick Perry while he was trying to run for president. Then, we had 30 days in a row of rain, which was unprecedented, and the climate turned into New Orleans for a few years. It's in between now, perhaps headed back towards desert? The line between west Texas desert and east Texas just-about-Louisiana, moves back and forth over the years, and the reservoirs (and ultimately the groundwater) levels move accordingly.
tasty_freeze 6y ago
For millions of years, this part of Texas was under water. Much of Austin is a thin layer of dirt on top a a bed of limestone. Limestone is a relatively soft rock, but it isn't nearly as soft as dirt and clay. Boring machines can cut through it, but I'm sure it raises costs. I lived in the south SF bay for 20 years before moving to Austin 17 years ago. One plus is the dramatic lightning and rain -- it is quite a treat compared to the milquetoast weather of San Jose. One negative that many Californians might not be ready for is the heat. I hope you like sweating and damp underwear. Before moving here, spend a week in July or August to figure out if you really want to spend 3 or 4 months of the year like that. The food situation here has improved a lot while I've been here, but it isn't anything like San Francisco.

m463 6y ago

> This is such a pipe dream. :) what's the water level like in austin? I know some places in texas you dig down and you hit groundwater.

rossdavidh 6y ago
Water availability has careened wildly in the last 20 years. At one point our reservoir was over 50 feet below full, and it looked like we were headed into long-term sustainability issues. The wildfires in 2012 distracted Rick Perry while he was trying to run for president. Then, we had 30 days in a row of rain, which was unprecedented, and the climate turned into New Orleans for a few years. It's in between now, perhaps headed back towards desert? The line between west Texas desert and east Texas just-about-Louisiana, moves back and forth over the years, and the reservoirs (and ultimately the groundwater) levels move accordingly.

tasty_freeze 6y ago

For millions of years, this part of Texas was under water. Much of Austin is a thin layer of dirt on top a a bed of limestone. Limestone is a relatively soft rock, but it isn't nearly as soft as dirt and clay. Boring machines can cut through it, but I'm sure it raises costs. I lived in the south SF bay for 20 years before moving to Austin 17 years ago. One plus is the dramatic lightning and rain -- it is quite a treat compared to the milquetoast weather of San Jose. One negative that many Californians might not be ready for is the heat. I hope you like sweating and damp underwear. Before moving here, spend a week in July or August to figure out if you really want to spend 3 or 4 months of the year like that. The food situation here has improved a lot while I've been here, but it isn't anything like San Francisco.