All Systems Go: The Austin Train System

[DarkWolf]

I feel bad for you guys down there , i watched this project form the get go. I think you guys could have got a better system or line. This line doesn't seem to target key areas. Austin should have at least started with a Light Rail line running for at least 10 miles through the dense core. and then this should have been a Commuter feeder route into the city. I also feel bad that Texas will probably not get there High Speed Rail network. it seems the Majority of the Funding and private investment will go to the Midwest.

~Corey

[centralaustinite]

Here is the crux of the problem: "dense core"

Austin is not a major metro with hundreds of years of urban history that give it a dense core, we are a spread-out, sunbelt city, that isn't even in the top three for city size in our own state!!

We don't have the density of housing or the density of employment (like say Merchandise Mart in Chicago) to do rail right.

[eepstein]

Are we still talking about this high school run light rail system? It looks like the McNeil High School freshman class won out among 5 other possible high schools to run the new transit line. Once the high school students get experience with this new light rail line, they will be free to pursue other forms of transportation such as:

1.) Operating the kiddie cars at Disneyland
2.) Being second in command of the kid choo choo at the San Antonio Zoo
3.) Assisting the chief officer at the Log Flume Ride at Six Flags Arlington!

This new light rail in Austin will help so many young kids!! Thank you so much Capital Metro. You are truly a shining star!

Originally Posted by oscottscotto

Mods feel free to merge this if there is already an existing thread.

http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/all-systems-go.shtml

Glad Austin is getting something started, but only every 35 minutes? And only during the morning and afternoon commute times? This is due to freight trains using the tracks at other times of the day and night? What is up with that?

What I also noticed - is that all the train plans they have for future lines are also going to go on existing freight lines (if I read that correctly, someone correct me if I am mistaken). If so, does that mean Austin could one day have this built-up, nice, intricate Train system for its city with multiple lines ... and only use it for morning and afternoon commutes?? That would suck for Austin's residents. "Sorry. We have a great train system that we took much time to develop for you ... but you can only use it for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening."

Can somone who knows more about this correct me if I am wrong in assuming all of this? I really hope that as this development pans out over the years, that lines would run the usual 6am-Midnight (or later). I say all this as Austin is one of our future choices down the road ... and I am currently spoiled by a decent train in our current city that runs ever 10-15 minutes, 6am-midnight.

[1751texan]

Originally Posted by oscottscotto

Mods feel free to merge this if there is already an existing thread.

http://allsystemsgo.capmetro.org/all-systems-go.shtml

Glad Austin is getting something started, but only every 35 minutes? And only during the morning and afternoon commute times? This is due to freight trains using the tracks at other times of the day and night? What is up with that?

What I also noticed - is that all the train plans they have for future lines are also going to go on existing freight lines (if I read that correctly, someone correct me if I am mistaken). If so, does that mean Austin could one day have this built-up, nice, intricate Train system for its city with multiple lines ... and only use it for morning and afternoon commutes?? That would suck for Austin's residents. "Sorry. We have a great train system that we took much time to develop for you ... but you can only use it for 3 hours in the morning and 3 hours in the evening."

Can somone who knows more about this correct me if I am wrong in assuming all of this? I really hope that as this development pans out over the years, that lines would run the usual 6am-Midnight (or later). I say all this as Austin is one of our future choices down the road ... and I am currently spoiled by a decent train in our current city that runs ever 10-15 minutes, 6am-midnight.

They know that if they pass the measure in Austin then they can fight for the expansion to San Antonio/south texas.

I wish Austin/central texas had to fund this from their...not Texas'...tax dollars. I like to see if all the foward thinkng people of the area would vote for it if they had to pay for it?

[Azalea City Man]

Originally Posted by eepstein

Are we still talking about this high school run light rail system?

Well, I am not a resident nor do I frequent the Austin forum ... but came across this link while doing some reserach on one of the cities we are thinking about trying out in a few years . I felt that I had to post though, due to the very odd (and not user-friendly) way the project seems to be starting.

[G Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by oscottscotto

Well, I am not a resident nor do I frequent the Austin forum ... but came across this link while doing some reserach on one of the cities we are thinking about trying out in a few years . I felt that I had to post though, due to the very odd (and not user-friendly) way the project seems to be starting.

Please don't be put off by eepstein. He is hostile all the time. Glad you contributed.

[Nomadic9460678748]

Originally Posted by centralaustinite

Here is the crux of the problem: "dense core"

Austin is not a major metro with hundreds of years of urban history that give it a dense core, we are a spread-out, sunbelt city, that isn't even in the top three for city size in our own state!!

We don't have the density of housing or the density of employment (like say Merchandise Mart in Chicago) to do rail right.

Austin does not have a dense core in the vein of a Chicago, New York or Boston, that's true. But I still believe a more meaningful light rail system running from, say Rundberg to Ben White along Lamar, through Guadalupe, and through Congress, and on would have gone through Austin's more dense segments (Brentwood, Hyde Park, Campus areas, South Congress, Travis Heights) and would have made a LOT more sense. And I agree with the previous poster that the Red Line would have been more logical as commuter feeder. A hypothetical, genuine light rail line could have been operational throughout the day, seven days a week. The line would have been a great way to alleviate traffic during SxSW, ACL, or even First Thursdays (is that still going on?), in addition to just helping shuttle people everyday. While it's true that lots of Austin's spread out, sprawl encouraging office parks house the jobs, there are still quite a few people who work near or around downtown. Of course, those people probably live in Georgetown or Round Rock, but my point is that Austin had the opportunity to do rail as it was best suited for Austin. Smart urban planning means looking at your city's layout, growth trends, and population needs, and planning accordingly. Not-smart urban planning is assuming that you can graft Chicago, New York, or Boston-style rail solutions onto a city with a significantly different layout. I honestly don't think that Capital Metro was smart enough to even go the "Not-Smart" way. Again, citing a previous poster, it really did seem as though they were just interested in saying, "See! We have a train system!" But as we all know, there is no there there.