Metrorail is Awesome (Austin, Cedar Park, Pflugerville: condos, townhouses, neighborhoods)
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Mr. and I both carpooled it to downtown for over six years, largely avoiding 35. We were able to remain a one car household. Then his job changed and he now works in North Austin - me, still downtown. The solution to this dilemma? Metrorail. It's probably the best ride I've ever had, and I've been riding the subway since infancy (no joke). Capital Metro got itself a new customer. Thanks to Metrorail, we've remained a one car household and I don't have to pay expensive downtown parking. The nice thing about the rail is that it is on the move (excepting stops of course). It really reminds me of the commuter railroads, and is a real boon to those who live in Leander, Cedar Park, and parts of North Austin. I really honestly don' t know why there are so many detractors! Sure, it could be fleshed out a bit more..there could be more routes...but I applaud Austin for really trying to push rail transportation. It's a viable means for people to reduce car and gas usage. Some neighborhoods have capitalized on rail service (Crestview) and I find them pretty cool. You can take the Metrorail for work, and use your car for the weekends. Less wear and tear. Riding 30 minutes on a train, where you can sit back, read your paper, work on your laptop, sleep, etc. beats being stuck in Slowpac or I-35 traffic, even if it is the same length. Riding a bus stuck in traffic stinks. Metrorail is definitely worth checking out
I'm a slight detractor because for me to take advantage of the rail, I'd have to drive all the way out to Leander so I'm still putting miles on my car, burning gas and sitting in traffic. If ever in my lifetime the rail comes out this way then I'll be happier.
I'm a slight detractor because for me to take advantage of the rail, I'd have to drive all the way out to Leander so I'm still putting miles on my car, burning gas and sitting in traffic. If ever in my lifetime the rail comes out this way then I'll be happier.
Yeah, I get you. I take the toll road to MoPac (relatively traffic free) and board the train at Kramer. Even with the toll road, it actually saves money. However, for you in Hutto, I agree it isn't doable. One day, hopefully, rail service will make it out to Pflugerville, RR and Hutto. I know in the case of Pflugerville, they're resistant to implementing rail service. Don't want to spend the money. I don't know why. Giving people a direct route to work is a win win situation in my eyes. Lots of people live in suburbs and commute into the city.
I'm a detractor because the first line in any successful commuter, light rail or streetcar system should replace an already successful, high-use route - like an already heavily-used bus route or a bottle-necked freeway. In other words, precious transportation resources should not be spent on routes that:
a.) don't go where the highest number of people can utilize them
b.) serve far away communities BEFORE serving the central core
c.) cut corners in almost every way leading to safety issues, operational deficits, and VERY LIMITED SERVICE.
It's not a simple matter to just "flesh it out". Cap Metro mismanaged this project and wasted taxpayer dollars while at the same time despoiling much of the community goodwill towards modern, functional public transportation. In the context of history, remember that this was pushed through on the worn-out heels of the 2000 light rail plan that failed by a VERY small margin. Cap Metro would have been better off taking a deep breath, putting their nose to the grindstone and pounding out a strategy that implemented a true, comprehensive system. Instead they took advantage of the community's (Central Austin) eagerness for something and pushed a weak, ill-thought plan through.
I'm glad it's working for you and your husband but quality PT must provide alternative choices for a high number of citizens to justify its cost, otherwise it's a failure. I mean, they can't even run a good bus system.
Had they planned this project properly, I think the community would be more than willing to show patience while the system got its legs going. But they showed incompetence the whole way, which just breeds more contempt and mistrust. Let's hope the new CEO can right the ship.
I still think the city's best shot is getting this *Urban Rail plan going.
I'm a detractor because the first line in any successful commuter, light rail or streetcar system should replace an already successful, high-use route - like an already heavily-used bus route or a bottle-necked freeway. In other words, precious transportation resources should not be spent on routes that:
a.) don't go where the highest number of people can utilize them
b.) serve far away communities BEFORE serving the central core
c.) cut corners in almost every way leading to safety issues, operational deficits, and VERY LIMITED SERVICE.
It's not a simple matter to just "flesh it out". Cap Metro mismanaged this project and wasted taxpayer dollars while at the same time despoiling much of the community goodwill towards modern, functional public transportation. In the context of history, remember that this was pushed through on the worn-out heels of the 2000 light rail plan that failed by a VERY small margin. Cap Metro would have been better off taking a deep breath, putting their nose to the grindstone and pounding out a strategy that implemented a true, comprehensive system. Instead they took advantage of the community's (Central Austin) eagerness for something and pushed a weak, ill-thought plan through.
I'm glad it's working for you and your husband but quality PT must provide alternative choices for a high number of citizens to justify its cost, otherwise it's a failure. I mean, they can't even run a good bus system.
Had they planned this project properly, I think the community would be more than willing to show patience while the system got its legs going. But they showed incompetence the whole way, which just breeds more contempt and mistrust. Let's hope the new CEO can right the ship.
I still think the city's best shot is getting this *Urban Rail plan going.
*Not affiliated with Cap metro!
Agreed. Remember when if you Google searched "miserable failure," a biography of George W Bush came up? I always thought the first search result should have been Capital Metro's web site.
Seriously - I live fairly close to the Highland station but will never use the Metrorail. Why? Inconvenient, limited hours and service that doesn't get me to where I need to go in a reasonable amount of time.
I work just west of Mopac along Lake Austin Blvd, and the Metrorail doesn't stop anywhere near that location. Even a bus trip would take 45 minutes according to the route planner. Knowing how notoriously late Capital Metro's buses can be, I would have to bump that up to over an hour. It only takes 15 minutes by car.
If Austin wants rail that will work, we should have a route that goes through the densest parts of town. Why not have lines that go up and down Lamar Blvd, 5th/6th St, and Congress Ave? I would actually use a light rail that did that.
Mr. and I both carpooled it to downtown for over six years, largely avoiding 35. We were able to remain a one car household. Then his job changed and he now works in North Austin - me, still downtown. The solution to this dilemma? Metrorail. It's probably the best ride I've ever had, and I've been riding the subway since infancy (no joke). Capital Metro got itself a new customer. Thanks to Metrorail, we've remained a one car household and I don't have to pay expensive downtown parking. The nice thing about the rail is that it is on the move (excepting stops of course). It really reminds me of the commuter railroads, and is a real boon to those who live in Leander, Cedar Park, and parts of North Austin. I really honestly don' t know why there are so many detractors! Sure, it could be fleshed out a bit more..there could be more routes...but I applaud Austin for really trying to push rail transportation. It's a viable means for people to reduce car and gas usage. Some neighborhoods have capitalized on rail service (Crestview) and I find them pretty cool. You can take the Metrorail for work, and use your car for the weekends. Less wear and tear. Riding 30 minutes on a train, where you can sit back, read your paper, work on your laptop, sleep, etc. beats being stuck in Slowpac or I-35 traffic, even if it is the same length. Riding a bus stuck in traffic stinks. Metrorail is definitely worth checking out
I'm glad you're a fan. I'm glad people had to pay $150 million plus $40,000 per person per year so that you and 3,000 other people wouldn't have to drive to work. Please enjoy the ride.
I'm glad you're a fan. I'm glad people had to pay $150 million plus $40,000 per person per year so that you and 3,000 other people wouldn't have to drive to work. Please enjoy the ride.
To put that in perspective $150M is about one third the cost of redoing the 'Y' in Oak Hill with elevated toll highways. Also last I heard it was a little over $110. Also we must take other externalities into account like employers who subsidize downtown (i.e. expensive) parking for their employees b/c parking is an "entitlement" thus making car trips artificially more affordable.
Ridership on the Rail will go up over time as areas around the stops will redevelop from low density auto-centric housing to condos and townhouses with less parking availability and residents who are more inclined to take mass transit. If they added one more stop just west of Congress and did an all day schedule you would see much more ridership.
Last edited by verybadgnome; 07-27-2010 at 07:40 AM..
I'm a detractor because the first line in any successful commuter, light rail or streetcar system should replace an already successful, high-use route - like an already heavily-used bus route or a bottle-necked freeway. In other words, precious transportation resources should not be spent on routes that:
a.) don't go where the highest number of people can utilize them
b.) serve far away communities BEFORE serving the central core
c.) cut corners in almost every way leading to safety issues, operational deficits, and VERY LIMITED SERVICE.
It's not a simple matter to just "flesh it out". Cap Metro mismanaged this project and wasted taxpayer dollars while at the same time despoiling much of the community goodwill towards modern, functional public transportation. In the context of history, remember that this was pushed through on the worn-out heels of the 2000 light rail plan that failed by a VERY small margin. Cap Metro would have been better off taking a deep breath, putting their nose to the grindstone and pounding out a strategy that implemented a true, comprehensive system. Instead they took advantage of the community's (Central Austin) eagerness for something and pushed a weak, ill-thought plan through.
I'm glad it's working for you and your husband but quality PT must provide alternative choices for a high number of citizens to justify its cost, otherwise it's a failure. I mean, they can't even run a good bus system.
Had they planned this project properly, I think the community would be more than willing to show patience while the system got its legs going. But they showed incompetence the whole way, which just breeds more contempt and mistrust. Let's hope the new CEO can right the ship.
I still think the city's best shot is getting this *Urban Rail plan going.
*Not affiliated with Cap metro!
Im generally against rail and would vote against any rail proposals. However, I think that cap metro did a really good job with this rail system. I look at it as a test bed where they can learn how to run rail on a small pilot system that they built for as cheaply as possible. It sounds like a lot of money (120M) but it is chump change in the world of light rail. They screwed up a lot of things and that is a good thing as long as they learned from it as they try to build out a bigger system.
Light rail these days costs at least 50 million per mile (both directions) and as high as 100 million.
Good things:
Think of it as an operational test bed or pilot system
They got tremendous bang for the buck
Growth and density will be stimulated along the rail line.
I would never locate my company downtown because of traffic and parking. With a rail option I would consider it.
I'm glad you're a fan. I'm glad people had to pay $150 million plus $40,000 per person per year so that you and 3,000 other people wouldn't have to drive to work. Please enjoy the ride.
Dude, what's the point. We've already spent the money and have eaten the up front costs of the thing. The best thing going forward is for it to actually succeed so all this neigh saying ends up being counter productive and will end up wasting more of our tax dollars as they struggle to subsidize the lack of ridership.
The babies been born, you can either accept it and help it grow up to be strong and productive or continue to gripe and be spiteful and have it go on to be tomorrows problem child.
To put that in perspective $150M is about one third the cost of redoing the 'Y' in Oak Hill with elevated toll highways. Also last I heard it was a little over $110. Also we must take other externalities into account like employers who subsidize downtown (i.e. expensive) parking for their employees b/c parking is an "entitlement" thus making car trips artificially more affordable.
Ridership on the Rail will go up over time as areas around the stops will redevelop from low density auto-centric housing to condos and townhouses with less parking availability and residents who are more inclined to take mass transit. If they added one more stop just west of Congress and did an all day schedule you would see much more ridership.
The problem with that is they don't own the track.
Freight owns the track and they use it.
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