The real problem with mass transit? (Dallas, Austin: cul-de-sac, insurance, hotels)

[Austin97]

the real problem with mass transit is it takes 1 hour to get someplace it should only take 15 mins to get to.

This includes walking to a stop, having to get to the stop early, waiting, one transfer, waiting for the next bus and then finally walking to your destination.

Furthermore, when it is 100 degrees outside you get sweaty and gross. Ill take my car any day over that.

If I could drive my car to a train station, take the train to a known location, have a shuttle waiting that takes me straight to work, then I would do that.

[DaynaKH]

Let's be honest here. It's too hot to wait around in the sunshine. Northerners don't have the same problem to the same degree. That and us Texans are just flat-out LAZY! While at a conference in DFW this summer, I walked to meet some local family members. It was actually a shorter walk than it would have been to take my car.

I told my coworkers this and they thought I was NUTS! Why wouldn't I sit in the AC? I think us humans like to make things too complicated. I would love train systems like NY or San Fran, but they aren't going to happen in Texas.

Busses don't have anything to do with race. I don't ride busses because...I have a car. My car takes me wherever I want to go. I can put as much stuff in my car as I want. And best of all? I don't have to make unnecessary stops and wait on others--smelly or otherwise. It's cleaner, cooler, and easier.

As for Target vs Walmart--sometimes I agree (we have been known to drive out of our way to avoid a particular Walmart), but I don't make over $100K a year and we're definitely not trash. Just a thought.

[verybadgnome]

Originally Posted by Austin97

the real problem with mass transit is it takes 1 hour to get someplace it should only take 15 mins to get to.

This includes walking to a stop, having to get to the stop early, waiting, one transfer, waiting for the next bus and then finally walking to your destination.

Furthermore, when it is 100 degrees outside you get sweaty and gross. Ill take my car any day over that.

If I could drive my car to a train station, take the train to a known location, have a shuttle waiting that takes me straight to work, then I would do that.

This is why it pays to take location into account when choosing a place to live. I did and had a straight shot up South First Street to work via the 110. No transfers and not much longer than it would have taken me via car and with a lot less stress since I don't have to drive.

I'm tired of everyone complaining about the heat, which would be very ironic if man-made global warming is true since driving a car would be part of the cause. I am not going to spend my life huddled in A/C because I'm afraid of the big, bad sun. I have showers at work, but I live close enough where I do a partial change of clothes and voila no problem.

And yes I do admit that things get more complicated if you have kids, but then again my parents never took me to school when in elementary, middle, or HS......and kids were much more fit just 25 years ago. It is not a coincidence.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by verybadgnome

This is why it pays to take location into account when choosing a place to live. I did and had a straight shot up South First Street to work via the 110. No transfers and not much longer than it would have taken me via car and with a lot less stress since I don't have to drive.

I'm tired of everyone complaining about the heat, which would be very ironic if man-made global warming is true since driving a car would be part of the cause. I am not going to spend my life huddled in A/C because I'm afraid of the big, bad sun. I have showers at work, but I live close enough where I do a partial change of clothes and voila no problem.

And yes I do admit that things get more complicated if you have kids, but then again my parents never took me to school when in elementary, middle, or HS......and kids were much more fit just 25 years ago. It is not a coincidence.

That's great if you never switch jobs or your job never moves. My mom has been with the same company for 20 years and they have switched locations 3 times - from downtown, to Arboretum, to now MoPac and Far West. You also have to realize that not everyone works in an area that is serviced by mass transit. Anything located along 360, for example, doesn't have bus stops nearby. And even if they did and dropped you off right at work, you are pretty much stuck at the office, as I mentioned earlier. There are no restaurants, banks, stores, etc. you can safely walk to, so taking mass transit means you can't do anything like run an errand or meet friends after work. Until Austin becomes more walk-able and less spread out, mass transit will never be a viable option for most people. Not everyone works downtown or at UT.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by mm57553

That's great if you never switch jobs or your job never moves. My mom has been with the same company for 20 years and they have switched locations 3 times - from downtown, to Arboretum, to now MoPac and Far West. You also have to realize that not everyone works in an area that is serviced by mass transit. Anything located along 360, for example, doesn't have bus stops nearby. And even if they did and dropped you off right at work, you are pretty much stuck at the office, as I mentioned earlier. There are no restaurants, banks, stores, etc. you can safely walk to, so taking mass transit means you can't do anything like run an errand or meet friends after work. Until Austin becomes more walk-able and less spread out, mass transit will never be a viable option for most people. Not everyone works downtown or at UT.

I don't believe the part of Austin you are talking about can ever be walkable. There are to many environmental issues which restrict how much of the land you can build on, which forces huge property sizes with large empty areas between offices/homes. And aside from the environmental issues the topography of the area which is extremely hilly makes it near impossible. But that doesn't mean people who work along 360 don't carpool to work or to places around Westlake for lunch. I know many people who work in Westlake that carpool to work and lunch. For mass transit which is the topic here, it makes no sense and doesn't really even belong in this discussion. But just because it doesn't and will never work for Westlake doesn't mean it hasn't, doesn't and won't ever work for many other areas of Central Austin. Transit isn't for everyone. Your mother is an example. But for many it does work.

[CarnivalGal]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

I don't believe the part of Austin you are talking about can ever be walkable. There are to many environmental issues which restrict how much of the land you can build on, which forces huge property sizes with large empty areas between offices/homes. And aside from the environmental issues the topography of the area which is extremely hilly makes it near impossible. But that doesn't mean people who work along 360 don't carpool to work or to places around Westlake for lunch. I know many people who work in Westlake that carpool to work and lunch. For mass transit which is the topic here, it makes no sense and doesn't really even belong in this discussion. But just because it doesn't and will never work for Westlake doesn't mean it hasn't, doesn't and won't ever work for many other areas of Central Austin. Transit isn't for everyone. Your mother is an example. But for many it does work.

I agree. I just used this as one example. 183 is not walk-able (no sidewalks), same with 71. What about some of the major employers like Samsung, Dell, Applied Materials, et al. They are all in areas that are not pedestrian friendly either. Your key statement is CENTRAL Austin. Yes, mass transit will work for the most central areas of Austin. But most people do live live and work and central Austin. That's my point. Most people can't take mass transit even if they wanted to. You can build all the trains you want, but they are of no use to the majority of Austinites.

[riaelise]

I've long ago accepted that Austin will never be remotely close to New York City when it comes to mass transit. But Metrorail is pretty darn good for me. Unfortunately more people are getting the memo so now it is actually crowded during rush hours :/ The trains are useful to those who either live around them, or drive to them. It might take me 30 minutes to get to downtown, but it's a consistent 30 minutes of no driving and no traffic. I never have to worry about traffic ever again, and the toll road takes care of the distance between the park and ride and my house.

[BevoLJ]

@mm Totally agree. Austin and Travis Co should have those projects that receive huge tax instinctive somehow allow Capital Metro to use their roads and have stops there. And not just rail, but some don't even allow buses. Like those you mentioned, and the new Apple HQ and here is one that really confuses me, the Domain. The city gave the Domain HUGE incentives to build a high density multi-use project up there. And the city even has a rail station for the Red Line just a mile from there at Kramer. But because all the roads in the Domain are private they refuse to allow Cap Metro to even run a shuttle the one mile from Kramer to the Domain. It seems the most natural thing in the world to just add a couple bus stops at the Domain on a bus line going to the Red Line, but they will not allow them. So to get to the Domain from downtown you have to take the Red Line to Kramer or a bus to Braker, but either way you likely end up walking at least a mile in an unwalk-friendly area to the Domain in this heat. Who is going to do that? lol Not I, that is for sure.

I can't understand why they are so opposed to having buses at the Domain. I mean it is about the same size as the UT campus, and UT makes buses work in a very high density area with lots of people walking just fine.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by BevoLJ

But because all the roads in the Domain are private they refuse to allow Cap Metro to even run a shuttle the one mile from Kramer to the Domain.

I believe this was true, but just recently (within the past month) changed, and CapMetro/Domain signed an agreement that will let them run buses through there. I believe the Metrorapid line is planned to go through there.

[BevoLJ]

Originally Posted by Novacek

I believe this was true, but just recently (within the past month) changed, and CapMetro/Domain signed an agreement that will let them run buses through there. I believe the Metrorapid line is planned to go through there.

Oh! That is great news! Thank you.