Public Transportation in Austin (Leander, Atlanta: transfer, neighborhoods, taxes)

[semperfit]

Can a local comment on the current state of the public transit in Austin. Most of the websites I looked at don't have dates.

Is the CapMetro rail currently functional? What are the projected dates? Is it well planned? I lived two years in Atlanta without ever using MARTA because it is possibly the worst planned transit system in a big city EVER.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by semperfit

Can a local comment on the current state of the public transit in Austin. Most of the websites I looked at don't have dates.

Is the CapMetro rail currently functional? What are the projected dates? Is it well planned? I lived two years in Atlanta without ever using MARTA because it is possibly the worst planned transit system in a big city EVER.

In the central neighborhoods, bus service is adequate and very cheap. Frequency and lack of late-night service are the biggest problems. In any of the suburbs, public transit service is practically nonexistent -- most burbs opted out of the CapMetro system when it was up for referendum.

To give you an idea of service, they do have a great trip planning tool on their website -- Capital Metro Transit - Austin, Texas. Just enter the to/from addresses in the form fields on the right side of the page.. it will show you transfers, total transit time, maps, etc. You should try it with your work/home potential addresses, then to/from places like the airport and downtown.

about Metrorail...

Not running yet. Metrorail's first line was initially scheduled to open in Fall '08, then postponed to March of this year, then postponed again indefinitely. Since it is heavy rail (runs on the same tracks as freight trains), there have been problems with approval of training and safety systems. I'm not completely passing judgement yet, since it hasn't opened.. but it may raise your opinion of MARTA significantly. Metrorail's first (and right now only) line, when it opens, runs from Leander to Downtown Austin and is expected to carry 2500 passengers each day. It initially will run in 30 minute intervals in the morning and evening rush hours, only on weekdays. The trains look pretty, though.

[llkltk]

I wouldn't hold your breath on that Metrorail, what a joke. Delay, delays, who knows if it will ever be up and running!

[semperfit]

I have never understood why the burbs in Atlanta (and Austin) have been so small-minded about letting the metro rail come to the burbs. In Atlanta, it's widely believed the motives were essentially racist.

Walls may keep the other people out - but it also keeps you locked in.

Stupid - just stupid.

[theloneranger]

CapMetro is dirty, but it runs efficiently. I'm not a huge fan of public transportation.

[Jennibc]

Originally Posted by semperfit

I have never understood why the burbs in Atlanta (and Austin) have been so small-minded about letting the metro rail come to the burbs. In Atlanta, it's widely believed the motives were essentially racist.

Walls may keep the other people out - but it also keeps you locked in.

Stupid - just stupid.

The rail is coming from one of the burbs (Leander), it's the bus system that is nonexistent in the burbs. I don't think there are nefarious reasons for that in Austin, I think it has to do far more with money and people not wanting to increase their taxes for something they likely won't use.

[TexasHorseLady]

Okay, having lived in Austin for quite a long time and having seen this scenario played out a few times, I can perhaps enlighten you.

What often happens is that things are working fine for the folks in the area. Then someone moves here from elsewhere and decides that we need to do things the way they did it back wherever they came from. Enough people from wherever that is move in, and they start pushing for this change. They get the city council on board, and then the voting starts.

It took seven votes before the population of Austin either gave up and decided to let them have what they wanted, or enough people from elsewhere moved here because they liked Austin but wanted it to be different (???), before the airport was moved. The population of Austin kept saying "No", but there was something in that word that some folks just didn't understand.

Same thing with light rail. It was voted down many times, and the people pushing for it were people who moved here and wanted to change Austin to be what they were familiar with rather than adjusting to where they'd moved. (And, of course, have everyone who was quite content with Austin the way it was pay for the change for them, let's not forget that part.)

So, no, it's not a racial issue.

[Trainwreck20]

My wife saw the commuter rail train cross under MoPac at Waters Park the other day. Not sure if it was a test run or what.

[CptnRn]

This weeks Community Impact Newspaper had a really good article on what is happening with the long range plans for transportation, including rail, in the Austin/Central Texas area.

Central Texas agencies develop long-range transportation vision

Personally, I'm a little put off with the idea of introducing significantly increased rail traffic through all the existing neighborhoods in central Austin. I think it is a bad thing for those neighborhoods and property owners.

I have always heard that rail is not as effective as bus services because it is not as flexible and can't easily change with changing demographic needs.

[kingugly]

Yeah, but look at I-35 during rush hour at around 5 pm. That's just not working. I'm not saying metrorail will be the complete solution, but I think it needs to be part of it.