"But what if SA and Austin merges into one metro?"
Ever observe the SA-Austin traffic at any hour of the day? It's damn near bumper to bumper. Even Austin-DFW is a round the clock esp after IH35 drops back to north of Austin to 2x2 lanes.
And "country living" by rich Austin/SA people, and wealthy retired, is already exploding all the way along west of 35.
It's a ing crime that Southwest Airlines bought enouh TX politicans to kill the TGV train connecting DFW/SA/Houston. The corps always do what's best the corps, the environment, the people.