Which is better for public transportation? Austin, Dallas or San Antonio? (Houston: crime rate, neighborhood)

[nature's message]

Originally Posted by Frodo2008

You're exactly right. This is what I said above in my explanation. I said Dallas has the best public transportation in Texas. I live in Houston and Dallas has Houston beat too.

Houston's public transportation pretty much sucks. Houston is a huge city but it has about the worst public transportation in the country compared to all the other big cities. The problem is Houston is the oil capital of the world. Here in Houston they want you driving your SUVs and big trucks putting money into the pockets of the oil companies. They don't like public transportation here. That doesn't help the oil companies.

Yeah, that's true. The other problem would be leadership.

I think both Houston and Dallas need to start focusing more on heavy rail. While light-rail is good, heavy rail is much bigger and faster. With accurate planning, I think it could work in both cities (Just look at Atlanta for instance).

[latikeriii]

Dallas. They are rapidly expanding their light-rail system too, like to the Cotton Bowl and to Love Field.

[atxcio]

Originally Posted by nature's message

I think both Houston and Dallas need to start focusing more on heavy rail. While light-rail is good, heavy rail is much bigger and faster. With accurate planning, I think it could work in both cities (Just look at Atlanta for instance).

I think heavy rail is good for city-to-city, and that's why it makes sense for a metro like DFW (TRE and the Cotton Belt line). It would also be great for San Antonio-Austin service. But within a metro area light rail is better. The heavy rail can't go fast in the city anyway, it can't turn sharply, and it's not as quiet through neighborhoods. Not to mention the safety issues when sharing the heavy rail line with freight traffic, which is proving a problem with CapMetro's red line.

There is debate about whether heavy rail is doing that well in Atlanta, and it is definitely not doing as well as expected in Miami/Ft. Lauderdale (TRI-Rail). Houston, on the other hand, has had great success with it's small amount of light rail service running through the heart of the city.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by nature's message

Yeah, that's true. The other problem would be leadership.

I think both Houston and Dallas need to start focusing more on heavy rail. While light-rail is good, heavy rail is much bigger and faster. With accurate planning, I think it could work in both cities (Just look at Atlanta for instance).

Yeah you're right. Heavy rail is a lot better than light rail. Light rail is the kiddie ride version of heavy rail (commuter trains). I went to Hong Kong two years ago and fell in love with public transportation. Hong Kong puts NYC's public transportation to shame. Yes the commuter trains book. They cover distance pretty quickly. In the U.S. NYC has the best public transportation. NYC's public transportation doesn't compare to Hong Kong's though. When you go to the big Asian cities you find out what population density and public transportation are all about. The big cities in the U.S. are like Mayberry compared to the big cities of Asia.

[TrueDat]

Upthread someone mentioned that Lakewood is the only Dallas neighborhood the OP might be interested in. While Lakewood is great, I'd also suggest they give Oak Cliff a look. OC, southwest of downtown Dallas, often gets dismissed because it's huge and includes some poorer neighborhoods but it also includes some of Dallas' most eclectic and interesting areas like Winnetka Heights, Ravinia Heights, and the Bishop Arts District.

It is the hilliest and, many think, prettiest part of Dallas, has lots of historic neighborhoods with older architecture/character, diverse population, and has an intriguing, colorful history (birthplace of Stevie Ray Vaughan, home of Bonnie & Clyde, Lee Harvey Oswald).

Oak Cliff, Dallas, TX, Dining, Real Estate, History

And some have made comparisons between the feel of Oak Cliff and Austin (scroll about halfway down on the left under the "Oak Cliff -- Keep It Real" bumpersticker)

Old Oak Cliff Conservation League

[AK123]

Originally Posted by Frodo2008

Houston's public transportation pretty much sucks. Houston is a huge city but it has about the worst public transportation in the country compared to all the other big cities.

Well I don't know about that. What about Phoenix? Miami? L.A. is pretty car-centric too.
Anyway, all of Texas is behind in this. But with the exception of Dallas, Houston has still done more than the rest of the state with this.

[Frodo2008]

Originally Posted by AK123

Well I don't know about that. What about Phoenix? Miami? L.A. is pretty car-centric too.
Anyway, all of Texas is behind in this. But with the exception of Dallas, Houston has still done more than the rest of the state with this.

Yeah there are a lot of other cities big and small that also have bad public transportation. When I wrote this I was thinking about the cities with good public transportation like Washington DC, NYC and SF. These cities are the exception not the rule. In America all the towns are spread out and people like to drive so public transportation usually isn't good. When I went to
Taipei, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, China and Beijing two years ago I learned what good public transportation is all about. In China and Taiwan the cities are a lot denser than they are in America and the public transportation is way better. The cities over there make New York City look like a suburb.

[imaterry78259]

Dallas- Transportation but has the highest crime rate in Texas
Houston- Car man got to have a car in this baby LA
San Antonio-good bus city but thats it for transportation but has great affordable neighborhoods and tons of culture
Austin-hipster, low crime rate, organic fun type city

[TrueDat]

No, San Antonio now has the highest crime rate in Texas.

San Antonio crime increase tops in Texas (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/San_Antonio_crime_increase_tops_in_Texas.html - broken link)

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

If having living in a city with the best public transit is important, then Dallas would definately be your best bet. Dallas has the best public transit in Texas and by 2013, will have 4 lines of rail that cover the city pretty well including connecting DFW with Downtown Dallas.