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Old 11-05-2014, 07:45 AM
 
Location: The People's Republic of Austin
5,184 posts, read 7,275,400 times
Reputation: 2575

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Quote:
Originally Posted by lndigo View Post
At the very least, it would have stimulated development in the core, meaning less people driving from the periphery into the CBD.
You obviuosly have no idea why people choose to live in Buda, Hutto, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs - pick the object of urbanist scorn. It isn't because there isn't a rail line inside Austin.

The congestion problem is coming complex, and not solved - or even materially changed - by a single project. In fact, without some significant changes, you can spend tens of billions on any single solution - road or rail - and do nothing more than spend money.

Which, this AM to some wailing Cassandras with cries of impending doom, is all they want. I want the most solution for the least money. That requires thought, not either/or apocalyptic predictions.
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Old 11-05-2014, 07:47 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
155 posts, read 211,443 times
Reputation: 113
Quote:
Originally Posted by Austin97 View Post
Now maybe we can focus on the road improvements that *will* alleviate traffic
1) no lights on 360
Just that would have cost $500M two years ago! Good luck getting anyone to vote for that proposal.
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Old 11-05-2014, 07:49 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,046,364 times
Reputation: 9478
Quote:
Originally Posted by Danbo1957 View Post
The rail price was too expensive.

I am a life-long westside Austin resident. Here is how I handle bad traffic: I don't drive in it. I simply do not use IH35 between 183 and Ben White, ever; and I pretend that Mopac and 360 do not exist between 7am and 6pm. I drive happily like it was 1968...
I agree it was too expensive and did too little for the price.

Actually if you use IH35, Mopac and 360 between 9:30am and 4pm those roadways work just fine. I do it all the time and rarely experience a problem.
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Old 11-05-2014, 07:57 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,046,364 times
Reputation: 9478
Quote:
Originally Posted by verybadgnome View Post
It's not just this urban rail proposal being shot that has got me so pessimistic. It is the huge number of people, especially native Texans, that are opposed to mass transit in general despite having a thimbleful of knowledge/experience on the subject. Case in point is a friend who just visited DC for the first time being amazed at how useful and efficient the subway there is, to the point of not needing a rental car. This proposal would not have provided that type of system, but was another phase in the process to providing alternatives to one person per vehicle mostly idling.
I am in DC right now and love using the Metro to get around. It is a great subway system. If Austin had planned anything of the sort I would have voted for it. But taking away surface street lanes to add rail lines as was planned in Austin would have accomplished almost nothing positive, while making traffic on the surface streets even worse.
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Old 11-05-2014, 08:04 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
719 posts, read 2,665,741 times
Reputation: 533
Quote:
Originally Posted by scm53 View Post
You obviuosly have no idea why people choose to live in Buda, Hutto, Cedar Park, Dripping Springs - pick the object of urbanist scorn. It isn't because there isn't a rail line inside Austin.
I know more people would be living in central Austin if there was more housing supply to offset the exuberant costs. Heck, I know people living all the way in Georgetown who live in the suburbs for no other reason than the unaffordability of central Austin.
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Old 11-05-2014, 08:05 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
16,787 posts, read 49,046,364 times
Reputation: 9478
Quote:
Originally Posted by cBach View Post
Hope you enjoy your commute as it gets worse the next 10 years
It was going to do that anyway, the rail proposal would have made no noticeable difference and done so at an excessive cost.
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Old 11-05-2014, 08:06 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
15,268 posts, read 35,619,033 times
Reputation: 8614
DC is not the best comparison, even if it is the 'holy grail' of transit systems - it was a huge investment in an area that is a 'showcase' for the U.S. and has one of the most centralized cores in the country. It is a wonderful system, but I am not sure what the cost would be to implement something like that here, but I am pretty sure we can't afford the price tag.
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Old 11-05-2014, 08:07 AM
 
1,430 posts, read 2,374,893 times
Reputation: 832
Quote:
Originally Posted by Novacek View Post

The fact that this rail system would do nothing against congestion does not amount to a general claim.
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Old 11-05-2014, 08:08 AM
 
Location: The People's Republic of Austin
5,184 posts, read 7,275,400 times
Reputation: 2575
Quote:
Originally Posted by lndigo View Post
I know more people would be living in central Austin if there was more housing supply to offset the exuberant costs. Heck, I know people living all the way in Georgetown who live in the suburbs for no other reason than the unaffordability of central Austin.
Which would have only been made worse by the taxes on a $1.4B rail line.

Building a rail line without the density to support it is a complete waste of money. Good luck solving that one.
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Old 11-05-2014, 08:11 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX
719 posts, read 2,665,741 times
Reputation: 533
Quote:
Originally Posted by scm53 View Post
Which would have only been made worse by the taxes on a $1.4B rail line.

Building a rail line without the density to support it is a complete waste of money. Good luck solving that one.
The density would've come as a result of the rail.
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