Metro Experience (Houston, Dallas, San Antonio: university, salary, to live)

[parisok]

As I have not yet moved to Austin I found this for the public transit. http://www.capmetro.org/uploadedfile...System_Map.pdf I have experienced Austin traffic as I have grand kids in Oklahoma and friends in DFW Area.

Not as bad as rush time traffic in Dallas but bad enough to where I would consider going into work a little early to avoid it. Most major cities have several roads that loop around the city San Antonio, Houston. Dallas and fort worth have they ever proposed to try to do that? Is taking the metro worth it time wise or would a person be better off just going to work early. Have found a lot of info on the site and if I end up having to move to Austin it will prove a great source of info.

[eileenkeeney]

I personally think that Cap Metro is not good at all. But really it depends on where you live an work.
I work (and live) in far North Austin, where service is poor. Areas a bit further North are not served at all.
Bus connections often just miss.
I no longer count on the connection between the bus and the rail station, since it too often just misses. Instead I just walk (but it is only a 20 minute walk).

However, IF you can live in a location, where you can walk to a train stop, and you work downtown, the train could work very well for you.
Otherwise, you are likely to end up having to take a bus, on one or both ends, with a wait in between.

There are some routes where the bus is specifically a connector bus, for the train, so the bus will actually wait for the train.
There is such a bus between the MLK station and the University.
There are others.

If your work is in far North Austin, the bus service is very poor, and in some areas non existent.

So really, it is very dependent on where you work, and where you are going to live.

[hooky hornstein]

I've been a Cap Metro commuter for over 20 years and it's like this:

You can't have unrealistic expectations. Things don't always go as planned.

You have to just relax and be open to adventures. Plan ahead, don't get in a hurry, make up back up plans with later buses or trains (and even alternative routes), and just roll with it.

[parisok]

I notice the street design is a little helter skelter but not anything that is fixable. and long term solutions take time and tons of money. I grew up and learned to drive in San Francisco and it is a matter of knowing what to avoid and how to get around it. Although patience does not seem to be a strong suit of people in traffic ;-)

[hooky hornstein]

About streets, loops, etc... here's a interesting little history of some of the bold plans people came up with in the past to address Austin traffic and how nearly each plan was summarily scrapped as voters elected anti-growth and development city councils:

TexasFreeway > Austin > Historic Information > Historic Photos > Freeway planning maps

[eileenkeeney]

Originally Posted by hooky hornstein

I've been a Cap Metro commuter for over 20 years and it's like this:

You can't have unrealistic expectations. Things don't always go as planned.

You have to just relax and be open to adventures. Plan ahead, don't get in a hurry, make up back up plans with later buses or trains (and even alternative routes), and just roll with it.

Very True.
And realistic in Austin is not the same as realistic in Portland Oregon (which has an awesome mass transit system).

I usually allow for missed connections, and leave early.
This is why I am sometimes out of the office all afternoon (or all morning) for a 30 minute medical appointment. (Since I am paid salary, it is not an issue, I can just work into the evening or start earlier, to keep my work caught up).

When I had Physical Therapy at St. Davids, I figured out that if I took the route where I went further South than needed, and got off at MLK instead of Highland (as recommended by the trip planner), and then walked a bit further from the bus stop, it took less time, because the bus at MLK was an official connection bus, so waited for the train. Walking from the University area to St. Davids was a reasonable walk, not very long at all. I could have gotten even closer, but the bus took its break at the University, so it became faster to just get off the bus there, and walk.

Getting the trip planner to recommend the best route is often a challenge.
I instead just find the bus stops close to where I am going and start looking at individual schedules.
For me close is within a half mile, but if the bus wait is longer than the time it will take me to walk, I will usually just walk.

[parisok]

Originally Posted by hooky hornstein

About streets, loops, etc... here's a interesting little history of some of the bold plans people came up with in the past to address Austin traffic and how nearly each plan was summarily scrapped as voters elected anti-growth and development city councils:

TexasFreeway > Austin > Historic Information > Historic Photos > Freeway planning maps

It is a shame when vision looses out to $$$$

[10scoachrick]

Originally Posted by parisok

It is a shame when vision looses out to $$$$

You can be sure that most of that 'vision' included plenty of money for SOMEbody.

[parisok]

Of course as that has always been the nature of politics conservative or liberal.