Mass Transit Needs Mass: Why Rail Is Doomed In Austin (Cool: apartments, how much)

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

Density isn't a malady. Some people like density and the convenience of a wide array of amenities.

It doesn't necessarily follow that density = amenities.

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by 10scoachrick

It doesn't necessarily follow that density = amenities.

The more people in a given area the more businesses will follow them trying to earn their business. Cities also *tend* to invest in areas that are the biggest bang for the buck as well as areas that take in tourist dollars. Try looking at walkscore.com and compare your address to 6th and Congress.

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by IC_deLight

Then neither is lower density but you would never guess it from the urban planning crowd.

Since we are talking about mass transit low density makes for a less cost effective system, so yes it is a malady in that regard. Usually density is highest near stations and then drops off with increasing distance.

[IC_deLight]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

The more people in a given area the more businesses will follow them trying to earn their business. Cities also *tend* to invest in areas that are the biggest bang for the buck as well as areas that take in tourist dollars. Try looking at walkscore.com and compare your address to 6th and Congress.

Just what everyone wants next door to their residence - tourist oriented businesses and bars.
Absolutely no interest in living in an environment like 6th and Congress.
Maybe walkscore is like golf. The lower the score, the more desirable. The higher the score, the more undesirable a place to live.

Why not overlay your "walkscore" with crime stats for the area.
Austin TX crime rates and statistics - NeighborhoodScout
Hmmm. Looks like correlation between "walkable" and crime rate.

Your "walkable" ≠ livable, desirable, or practical for most people and tends to accommodate primarily transient people and businesses for those "everyday errands".

So do school-age kids "walk" to school from this location?
What grocery store would you walk to - or would you just plan on happy hour meals?

You can drive or take a bus to get to your "walkable area".

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by scm53

Basically, what it said was, successful light rail systems need about 27 residents per acre feeding a central business district of at least 20, and preferably 50 million sq. ft. of office (non-residential) space. The problem is, most of Austin is SF-3 zoning, with densities 1/4 that, feeding a CBD of just under 9 million sq. ft. That, in a nutshell, is why LR won't work here for the forseeable future. If you build it, they WON'T come, because there aren't enough "theys". There is zero political will to push the requisite up zoning down throats of the powerful NAs. And our CBD has only half the office space required for success. In short, we lack the mass for mass transit.

I'm beginning to think the real plan doesn't involve rail at all--that the true agenda is a Metro Rapid-type system, eventually with dedicated lanes.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by IC_deLight

Just what everyone wants next door to their residence - tourist oriented businesses and bars.
Absolutely no interest in living in an environment like 6th and Congress.
Maybe walkscore is like golf. The lower the score, the more desirable. The higher the score, the more undesirable a place to live.

Why not overlay your "walkscore" with crime stats for the area.
Austin TX crime rates and statistics - NeighborhoodScout
Hmmm. Looks like correlation between "walkable" and crime rate.

Your "walkable" ≠ livable, desirable, or practical for most people and tends to accommodate primarily transient people and businesses for those "everyday errands".

So do school-age kids "walk" to school from this location?
What grocery store would you walk to - or would you just plan on happy hour meals?

You can drive or take a bus to get to your "walkable area".

My walkscore is 8

[philopower]

Doesn't matter what you say OP. This city is going to vote in favor of it because we need it. The only thing you can do is ***** but it won't change the inevitable, Austin wants rail.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by philopower

Doesn't matter what you say OP. This city is going to vote in favor of it because we need it. The only thing you can do is ***** but it won't change the inevitable, Austin wants rail.

Peck Young, who knows a lot more about Austin elections than you do, isn't quite so sanguine:

The poll result, said longtime Austin political consultant Peck Young, "is a damned disaster."

"They're losing to begin with, which for anyone running a bond campaign by definition means your tail is fried," Young said. "You have to go into a bond campaign at least 10 percent up, or you're toast. Anyone with any money can create at least five percentage points of confusion even if you're trying to finance the Second Coming. And Capital Metro isn't the Second Coming."

Maybe not so inevitable outside your bubble?

[mayfair44]

March 21, 2014 Central Corridor Advisory - The City of Austin, TX

[Paddy the Plasterer]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

I'm beginning to think the real plan doesn't involve rail at all--that the true agenda is a Metro Rapid-type system, eventually with dedicated lanes.

Something like this?.....

[vimeo]12472119[/vimeo]
Bus Rapid Transit: Bogotá on Vimeo