Light rail may not be feasible in SA (San Antonio, Austin: rent, how much)

[tgannaway89]

Light rail study leaves more questions (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/traffic/Light_rail_study_leaves_more_questions.html - broken link)

The study for Wolff's light rail proposal which would convert an old quarry rail line into light rail has been finished. The results of the study look bleak for the line runs from The Rim to south of Downtown with 12 proposed stations. It is estimated that about 17,000 boardings a day would take place for the 45 minute ride. It would cost at least $450 million and take twice as long as a car trip downtown. The study blames SA's lower income and more sprawled develoment.

[lemonfresh]

No, that article does not state light rail as not being feasible. That study was for and is only about that one line from downtown to The Rim, which is a line that cuts through basically residential neighborhoods.

[tgannaway89]

Originally Posted by lemonfresh

No, that article does not state light rail as not being feasible. That study was for and is only about that one line from downtown to The Rim, which is a line that cuts through basically residential neighborhoods.

As far as I know that is the ONLY current proposed plan. The soonest it could happen would be 7 years. I don't see light rail happening in SA for a long time.

At least were getting BRT on Fredericksburg... yea more buses.

[lemonfresh]

Originally Posted by tgannaway89

As far as I know that is the ONLY current proposed plan.

So you conclude that because one suburban friendly line won't produce great results (the article never even states that line as not being feasible) that it means light rail in SA isn't feasible?

The soonest it could happen would be 7 years. I don't see light rail happening in SA for a long time.

Moderator cut: see comment It's 7 years because UP has to abandoned the line before anything can happen. And even 7 years is too long Moderator cut: see comment to wait, it's either now or never? Really?

At least were getting BRT on Fredericksburg... yea more buses.

Improving mass transit... what a tragedy.

[tgannaway89]

Originally Posted by lemonfresh

So you conclude that because one suburban friendly line won't produce great results (the article never even states that line as not being feasible) that it means light rail in SA isn't feasible?

Moderator cut: see comment It's 7 years because UP has to abandoned the line before anything can happen. And even 7 years is too long Moderator cut: see comment to wait, it's either now or never? Really?

Improving mass transit... what a tragedy.

Well I'll only be living in SA for another 2-3 years so YES 7 years it too long to wait . Have fun waiting because at this point it is a pipe dream. I'd love to see an urban plan, but this is SA so I'm not holding my breath. We are known for sprawl.

I'm thinking they should have passed the light rail plan in 1999. SA would be a much better city today.

[lemonfresh]

Originally Posted by tgannaway89

Well I'll only be living in SA for another 2-3 years so YES 7 years it too long to wait . Have fun waiting because at this point it is a pipe dream. I'd love to see an urban plan, but this is SA so I'm not holding my breath. We are known for sprawl.

It's a pipe dream. Dude, seriously. Enough.

I'm thinking they should have passed the light rail plan in 1999. SA would be a much better city today.

I'm glad they didn't because that plan s--ked.

[Dopo]

Pretty pesimistic article if you look carefully at the actual information that they give us
- First, start the article saying how long the study has taken and how much has cost and then says that it "has dimmed hopes and left questions"
- “It's a big maybe” - That doesnt' say anything, you can make that statement about 99% of studies about any project.
- Then go back again to how much the project would cost.
- "The estimated 43-minute ride would take twice as long as a car trip." Does that include the time it takes to get gas and find a parking spot?
- "I wonder if we have the right first project identified" - More negativety, isn't that the purpose of the study, to find out the best project?
- “People ride light rail when it becomes an alternative because they cannot move in their car" - What about tourists? Do they rather rent a car than ride a light rail?

[Bo]

The advantage to this particular light rail plan is that it was based on reuse of existing resources... the unused (or is it lightly-used?) freight line. If San Antonio had to have a light-rail project, this one was about as inexpensive as they come. But the study makes it clear that light rail is not always a "build it and they will ride" proposition.

By publicizing the study's results, government has armed the public with a bunch of reasons not to support this particular light rail initiative. What it doesn't answer is how much more ridership would occur if a route were built with stops in the most optimal locations... whatever those happen to be. It'll have to make a big difference because any other route besides the one in this study will cost more to construct, due to the cost to acquire land and the cost to lay rails.

[smis]

There have been plan for 'lite rail' in SA since the 80's. Politically it can not happen.., to many involved (via-via) bus drivers, unions, mechanics, fuel supply companies, parking lots, etc.., would pinch a lot of these jobs.

Would make a lot of sense and could use existing rails that are no longer used or used very lightly!

To many touch points though.

Too bad!

[verybadgnome]

Couldn't SA have a voter referendum like we had in Austin?
Why does it take twice as long to travel its length as a car would?

Our Leander to Downtown will supposedly take 56 minutes or about the same as a car whilst avoiding the 183A toll road and bumper to bumper on Mopac. Of course its opening has been delayed due to safety violations so we'll have to wait and see.

I think the reply to lack of density would be the development (or even redevelopment) of areas surrounding stops into high density TODs (transit oriented developments). Areas where residents may give up having a second car in order to be able to walk and then ride the train to work.

Actually 17,000 boardings doesn't seem too bad. Think that there would be almost that many additional free parking spaces downtown because of this.