A Post-Urban Rail Transit Agenda (San Antonio, Austin: purchasing, construction, costs)

[jb9152]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

No rational public policy process leads to a proposal of a quarter billion dollar tunnel under a shopping mall being unreflected in the project selection process. The PC plan will do virtually nothing to improve mobility in Austin.

Tunnel is one of those "worst case" assumptions put in to ensure that the cost is not inadvertently low-balled. There's not a regulatory reason it needs to be done. Makes things more complex operationally without it, but it's not insurmountable.

[winkosmosis]

Why don't they elevate the rail?

[jb9152]

Originally Posted by IC_deLight

Sounds like a reason to avoid forced centralization of jobs in downtown Austin and a reason to avoid seeking a job anywhere near downtown Austin.

...and it would be nice to have sparkly unicorns pooping ice cream. But the reality is that 30% of all employment in the entire region is centered in four zip codes downtown. And it's a shame that people have to decide where to live or work based on traffic, don't you think?

[jb9152]

Originally Posted by winkosmosis

Why don't they elevate the rail?

Cost, mostly. Elevated structures are a lot more expensive. If people get sticker shock over $1.4B, they'd be comatose if you presented the cost of an elevated railway.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by scm53

Where you are talking about - three blocks from 27th to 29th - is the only stretch of the entire route that doesn't have a center turn lane. So yes - Guadalupe traffic was diverted. But never was it one way traffic only.

>>But never was it one way traffic only.
Huh?
Your own picture shows it. From 29th to Nueces, Guadalupe would have been narrowed from 4 lanes (2 each way) to a single southbound lane (and no northbound lanes). One way only. Then from 27th to Fruth, a single northbound lane (no southbound). One way only.

[gpurcell]

So what is it? One way traffic? Or a required tunnel? Your stories are getting tangled.

And,in any event, you can buy a heck of a lot of eminent domain land for a quarter of a billion dollars.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

So what is it? One way traffic? Or a required tunnel?

You choose. Those are the two options.

Originally Posted by gpurcell

Your stories are getting tangled.

No. From the very beginning, I said a tunnel was required _if_ "Designed to the same criteria as the proposed route,". I.E. not removing 3/4 of the lanes.

[gpurcell]

Laugh.

1) Quarter of a billion dollar tunnel
2) Buy out a Taco Shack and a Tetco station.

Yeah, looks like they cost the same to me.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by Novacek

The 2000 G/L plan removed 3/4 of the lanes for several blocks (it literally left only a single one-way lane).



Terminating at Crestview still requires crossing the freight line unless you stop so far away from it that direct transfers are compromised. Remember that the crestview station is at the far side of the line and a bit away from Lamar.
.

So, "Several blocks" is "100 Feet beside a big parking lot"?

And, of course, it is CLEARLY IMPOSSIBLE to design a connection node at Crestview Station that doesn't require a huge capital outlay. Rail tracks, after all, simply can't make turns!

Edit: Possible--right angle turn from San Jacinto to Dean Keaton for a station stop.
Impossible--45 degree turn From Lamar to Crestview Station for a station stop.

[gpurcell]

From TCAD, the value of both parcels on the east side of Guadalupe in that block:

1.1 million for the Tetco Station
125K for the Taco Shack.