AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[Flatiron]

More frequent buses in central Austin:

CapMetro implements student-friendly changes

[electricron]

Originally Posted by Flatiron

More frequent buses in central Austin:

CapMetro implements student-friendly changes

It's a mistake to give college students free rides. It devalues the transit system. Few people, including students, value anything that can be attained free of charge.

50% fare discounts is the way to go, imho. It maintains the full value of the service while at the same time granting students incentives to use the transit service.

[Novacek]

CapMetro's proposed 2018 budget is online now (not sure when it went up, I just noticed).


https://www.capmetro.org/uploadedFil...sed-Budget.pdf


Page A-25 is interesting, looks like the relocation of Kramer Station next to the Broadmore development is actually happening. Which presumably confirms that development as well.

[wwmiv]

Specifically, it says that the developer is paying for it, and mentions that it provides better access to the Domain.

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

Specifically, it says that the developer is paying for it, and mentions that it provides better access to the Domain.

It's great that it will be privately funded. That development has serious potential to change the North Burnet corridor entirely. I am really surprised by the projected cost of moving such a tiny station just a bit further up the line. $12.5M through FY2021? That's nearly a third the cost of the new downtown station.

Perhaps the developer is planning a much grander station than is typical for the Red Line?

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

It's great that it will be privately funded. That development has serious potential to change the North Burnet corridor entirely. I am really surprised by the projected cost of moving such a tiny station just a bit further up the line. $12.5M through FY2021? That's nearly a third the cost of the new downtown station.

Perhaps the developer is planning a much grander station than is typical for the Red Line?

Maybe so? That may indicate they're going with a master plan that is downtown level height and density. The one rendering they had did have a building that seemed to be in the neighborhood of 300', but we'll have to wait for more concrete details to be released by the developer to know whether that's actually indicative of reality.

[Jdawgboy]

Originally Posted by electricron

It's a mistake to give college students free rides. It devalues the transit system. Few people, including students, value anything that can be attained free of charge.

50% fare discounts is the way to go, imho. It maintains the full value of the service while at the same time granting students incentives to use the transit service.

I agree. When I was in collage and took the bus, we had a discount as long as we had our student ID's. I don't see why they would need to change it. Push for advertising and getting the word out as well as improve frequency and reliability and that should be enough to increase ridership. Discounted fares at least bring in revenue. If the elderly or disabled can't ride for free, why should students?

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

It's great that it will be privately funded. That development has serious potential to change the North Burnet corridor entirely. I am really surprised by the projected cost of moving such a tiny station just a bit further up the line. $12.5M through FY2021? That's nearly a third the cost of the new downtown station.

Perhaps the developer is planning a much grander station than is typical for the Red Line?

Yeah, I'm a bit surprised as well. Especially comparing that number to the original construction cost of the entire red line (and _all_ its stations).

Hopefully they're building it to accommodate a longer joined trainset from the get go.

There's probably some additional costs in constructing the new one while the old (and the line) stay operating.

[drummer]

I think the relocation of Kramer Station to the Broadmore is a wonderful idea. Better proximity to current growth/density and future growth (i.e., Broadmore, etc.). It could also better service the apartment complexes along Gracy Farms Ln.

I also agree that student IDs should be good for discounts on all forms of transit. In China a student ID gets you essentially half price on literally anything - including movie tickets. I don't know that we need to go that far, but for transit, especially buses, I think it's a must.

[wwmiv]

One other observation:

Given that this is the FY2018 budget, I expect we'll be seeing the master plan for Broadmoor relatively soon so that it can work its way through the permitting process because Brandywine is likely not going to be forking up the money for a station relocation without actively working on redeveloping the IBM campus. Personally, I'll be crossing my fingers for some height here per my intimation earlier: 300'+ isn't out of the question.

https://issuu.com/brandywinerealtytr...lipbook_issuu_

[The ATX]

Originally Posted by wwmiv

One other observation:

Given that this is the FY2018 budget, I expect we'll be seeing the master plan for Broadmoor relatively soon so that it can work its way through the permitting process because Brandywine is likely not going to be forking up the money for a station relocation without actively working on redeveloping the IBM campus.

Speaking of Brandywine and Broadmoor, the project is moving through the city permitting process. On July 3rd the Planning Commission postponed discussion about the project because more time was needed for a traffic analysis.

I believe Broadmoor is directly east of the Domain. Would that be correct?

[The ATX]

I have an update about the Broadmoor project that I'll post in Domain/North Austin thread since we're getting off topic with it here.

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I have an update about the Broadmoor project that I'll post in Domain/North Austin thread since we're getting off topic with it here.

An update beyond what you just posted?

[wwmiv]

Originally Posted by The ATX

I believe Broadmoor is directly east of the Domain. Would that be correct?

Yes, that's correct.

[Speculator]

SIAP


Denver is lowering a stretch of I-70 and covering it to create a 4 acre park. A model for I-35 and maybe Cesar Chavez into downtown from Mopac?

https://www.codot.gov/projects/i70ea...gn-august-2016

[atxsnail]

Originally Posted by Speculator

SIAP


Denver is lowering a stretch of I-70 and covering it to create a 4 acre park. A model for I-35 and maybe Cesar Chavez into downtown from Mopac?

https://www.codot.gov/projects/i70ea...gn-august-2016

i'm in favor of any highway burial/cover project. the location for this one seems a bit odd - it looks pretty isolated. at the very least it would make life a thousand times better for the handful of single fam homes that are immediately adjacent to the highway.

we've also got a pretty good urban example for us to emulate in Klyde Warren park in Dallas.

[Speculator]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

i'm in favor of any highway burial/cover project. the location for this one seems a bit odd - it looks pretty isolated. at the very least it would make life a thousand times better for the handful of single fam homes that are immediately adjacent to the highway.

we've also got a pretty good urban example for us to emulate in Klyde Warren park in Dallas.

Cool, just checked out Clyde Warren. It's roughly 25% bigger than this Denver example. It seems like an I-35 cut and cap would need to be significantly longer.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by atxsnail

i'm in favor of any highway burial/cover project. the location for this one seems a bit odd - it looks pretty isolated. at the very least it would make life a thousand times better for the handful of single fam homes that are immediately adjacent to the highway.

we've also got a pretty good urban example for us to emulate in Klyde Warren park in Dallas.

Agreed, it does seem a rather odd location.

A bit of googling turned up

https://www.citylab.com/transportati...ighway/513779/

and

http://unitenorthmetrodenver.com/70-visualizations/


Seems like the cover is somewhat a proposed mitigation for the widening of the highway and the eminent domain in the neighborhood?

[the Genral]

Since I don't visit or post much on this thread, I don't know if this was ever posted. I have traveled this route many, many times. The Bergstrom Expressway would make the trip painless, except for the tolls. As a side bar, its good to see Neal Spelce again.
https://youtu.be/jtu8ap9TfI0

[Sigaven]

I'm sure everyone knows about the highway project in Dallas that did this very thing and is super successful. And if you don't know about it, it's really cool, look it up. Definitely something that should be done to I-35. There's been proposals to create a small park to stretch between the 11th and 12th street bridges, but i'd like to see all of I-35 between MLK and cesar chavez buried and East Avenue re-established. I'd say the underground I-35 bypasses downtown entirely, perhaps that could ease up congestion that we always see down there that I think is caused by those ancient and terrible on and off ramps.