CapMetro trying to prop up declining ridership

[IC_deLight]

Originally Posted by cBach

For all practical purposes you should consider a bus as a "bunch of cars" as that is what purpose it serves except that they share a common engine and frame. If you think of it in those terms, then you see that if anything a bus is "pro car" because it basically allows more people on the roads which means it's easier for you to drive around.

You apparently missed the comment "This isn't intended to be a rant against all mass transit or against buses as a form of mass transit - only to illustrate the fallacies behind arguments used by proponents of mass transit." I did not take an anti-bus position. I do take issue with the fake financials used to promote transit, the overly optimistic

Don't agree that buses necessarily means "easier to drive around" for cars especially when getting buses is at the cost of eliminating car lanes.

This article started off with noting the declining ridership of CapMetro. Considering the population increase in Austin that would tend to suggest having buses is not making it easier to drive around.

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by Novacek

Luckily we don't have to guess.

" As of November 2015, the citywide sidewalk network
includes 2,580 miles of absent (missing) and 2,400 miles of existing sidewalk."


https://austintexas.gov/sites/defaul...16_reduced.pdf


That was two and a half years ago, so it's improved (slightly) since then.


Now, there's a lot missing. But it's getting much better in the central core. A lot of the missing miles are in the periphery and are (rightfully) lower priority.

And what about the metro area?

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Roadking2003

And what about the metro area?

As I mentioned before, the data posted is vastly outdated. There have been more miles of sidewalks added in the last 2 years than there had been in the last 5 years before that and then in the last 10 years before that...

[Roadking2003]

Originally Posted by cBach

As I mentioned before, the data posted is vastly outdated. There have been more miles of sidewalks added in the last 2 years than there had been in the last 5 years before that and then in the last 10 years before that...

I agree. But I think you are looking only at the city of Austin. I suspect that if you added the thousands of miles of streets in the suburbs the percent with sidewalks would be quite small.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Roadking2003

I agree. But I think you are looking only at the city of Austin. I suspect that if you added the thousands of miles of streets in the suburbs the percent with sidewalks would be quite small.

When I lived in the KC suburbs hardly any had any sidewalks at all. Actually I lived in a subdivision with none.

When I lived in the Baltimore suburbs we didn't have any sidewalks either, I had to run alongside the road, I remember that.

When I lived in the Bay Area, EVERY SINGLE ROAD had a sidewalk even in Santa Clara, Sunnyvale, Cupertino, Mountain View, and all the other small towns in between SF and SJ.

So this is not just an Austin thing. I think CA builds sidewalks but not most other places. Austin is making good progress.

[riaelise]

Originally Posted by cBach

These arguments with anti-transit people always seem to devolve into a pissing match about who is getting screwed over the most and I'm frankly tired of these exhausting and irrelevant arguments.

yup.

im not trying to create another new york city here. but i appreciate the small things. especially for people like my mom, who is retired. it's nice that she now has (albeit limited) options to get around without a car. Or the people who are struggling just to pay their bills, now they can possibly commute to their jobs without the money eating auto. Maybe it's because I grew up with transit (born out of necessity) that I guess I took it for granted. It was always there, not reliable, but there. People from all walks of life took it. Without it, the city would not be what it is. Austin is growing and is part of the Trinity of Texas cities. As such, a transit system is an asset to have. I understand that rail is not the viable solution due to cost but buses may be. Have more routes, more hours of operation and maybe ridership will increase so that it is more self supporting.

[Austin97]

Originally Posted by riaelise

yup.

im not trying to create another new york city here. but i appreciate the small things. especially for people like my mom, who is retired. it's nice that she now has (albeit limited) options to get around without a car. Or the people who are struggling just to pay their bills, now they can possibly commute to their jobs without the money eating auto. Maybe it's because I grew up with transit (born out of necessity) that I guess I took it for granted. It was always there, not reliable, but there. People from all walks of life took it. Without it, the city would not be what it is. Austin is growing and is part of the Trinity of Texas cities. As such, a transit system is an asset to have. I understand that rail is not the viable solution due to cost but buses may be. Have more routes, more hours of operation and maybe ridership will increase so that it is more self supporting.

and controlled lights and dedicated roads/lanes for the busses so they can get around faster.

The primary stated purpose of the mopac toll lane is for mass transit to use. It is just a bonus that we can pay to also use them.

[cBach]

Originally Posted by Austin97

and controlled lights and dedicated roads/lanes for the busses so they can get around faster.

The primary stated purpose of the mopac toll lane is for mass transit to use. It is just a bonus that we can pay to also use them.

Well well well. You should know that all the transportation agencies have perfected the art of the "tap dance". By claiming it is helping buses they can get the transit folks on board. By tolling it, they can get the anti transportation drivers on board.

These are standard tactics in the transportation industry. Spin spin spin.