AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by M1EK

No, ridership is not already back to where it was before (within the margin of error).

That's what the article says. It says it's within 11% of where it was, which is within the margin of error since they're not measuring all the routes (any 275 riders, any 201 increase, etc.).

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by Novacek

That's what the article says. It says it's within 11% of where it was, which is within the margin of error since they're not measuring all the routes (any 275 riders, any 201 increase, etc.).

It's within the margin of error that you yourself have made up and decided is applicable here. The reporter didn't generate this information; Capital Metro did. If the 275 was meaningful to this discussion, it's very unlikely Capital Metro themselves would not have mentioned it.

And Capital Metro did not predict "ridership will stay the same". They predicted it would go up by 20%. The words "game-changer" were flung around repeatedly by multiple employees (including Linda Watson herself, at the CCAG meeting where I gave this speech). Does "ridership dropped, but within the margin of error that our apologists made up for us" sound like "game-changer" to anybody else here?

[BlueEyes_Austin]

You are seriously claiming an 11 percent drop is in the margin of error? That was a pretty horrible estimate if true.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by BlueEyes_Austin

You are seriously claiming an 11 percent drop is in the margin of error? That was a pretty horrible estimate if true.

Given that the number excludes all riders on the brand-new 275, any increase on the 201 (which was expected to assume some riders of the former 1L), any riders that simply transitioned from the 1L to the 1M, any riders that simply transitioned from the 1L to other overlayed routes (3, 5, 19, 240, 300, 350, etc.): yes, it's within the margin of error.

[ivanwolf]

Just and FYI to all. I have been commuting from Leander to DT since February. since then I have had four bike related thefts. I ride the bike from the train to work and back. I planned to leave the bike DT as to make getting on the train easy as its almost always full of bikes. Things have not gone well.

1. Bike seat and post stolen next to the Convention Center.
2. Flashy Lights stolen at work in the basement inside lockup area.
3. Whole bike stolen at the Convention Center.
4. Bike vandalized/parts stolen at the Plaza Saltillo Bike Shelter.

So I conclude that if in three months I have that much unfortunate that there is a serious bike theft ring/problem in Austin.

My two cents, is lock your bike up good and don't keep any loose item on it even in a safe place.

I am not going to be riding anytime soon, I'll walk. And before you say just use the B-Cycle, those things suck to ride up a hill, way to sweaty when getting to work, no I don't want to have to shower there either. I just wanted to go 8 blocks on a bike. The bike takes less then half the time then walking. It was suppose to be easy but its now quite a problem with so much bike theft. Be careful.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by ivanwolf

4. Bike vandalized/parts stolen at the Plaza Saltillo Bike Shelter.

This was the locked Metrobike shelter? Did you get them to pull the camera footage/keycard records?

[dbIII]

I'm sure this has been posted here before, but I am curious what the added cost per $100k taxable home value will be for taxpayers will be for the proposed rail?

I just arrived back from my first trip to Portland Or, where their density seams to warrant a robust metro system, however it seems like Austin's density is many, many years, if not decades from achieving the density of a town like Portland....with all of the NIMBYs we have have in Austin, and the way we have already built our entire city around the car....it seems like a long slog.

I too support rail, however, not for $1.4 billion dollars, and not to serve a few riders at the huge expense of Austin taxpayers.

I own 1 town home in Rosedale, and a homestead in Zilker Heights (neither of those neighborhoods have the density of central Portland..imp) and my "back of the envelope" calculations came in at over $90/month increase for me alone, to pay for the proposed rail. However, I can't find those numbers I used. Thanks in advance.

[ATXboom]

^ Agree with the built state of austin vs portland but austin is rapidly urbanizing and we have a much larger transportation issue than portland.

IMO Austin should pursue an integrated bond election that includes BOTH roads and rail. BUT, that bond election should be the first of several required to build out an INTEGRATED SYSTEM that serves the bulk of the commuting population and ultimately begins to address our serious transportation problem.

This approach would require that the majority of population buy into a vision for an integrated system of rail and road ways (new or expanded). For example, I could envision 4 urban rail lines, 3 more commuter lines, 2 more rapid bus lines, smart light technology for 100 major intersections, an expanded loop 360, 183, new 183 flyover etc. This way people can see how they will ultimately be served, regardless if they are served via the first or 4th bond election

Once the population is bought in, then chunk the build out into several phases with a bond election tied to each. This is the ONLY way I see rail passing in the context and dynamics of Austin.

Instead we jam a single rail line out with no clue how it fits into a broader system. Austin is really short sighted and likes to reinvent the wheel (read wasteful).

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Instead we jam a single rail line out with no clue how it fits into a broader system. Austin is really short sighted and likes to reinvent the wheel (read wasteful).

They've _already_ shown how it fits into a broader system (with additional rail lines, including up Lamar, additional commuter rail into Manor and Elgin, extending rapid bus up to round rock, the Lone star rail, etc.).

[ATXboom]

Originally Posted by Novacek

They've _already_ shown how it fits into a broader system (with additional rail lines, including up Lamar, additional commuter rail into Manor and Elgin, extending rapid bus up to round rock, the Lone star rail, etc.).

I'm talking about a multi-line urban rail system. Think of it this way. We need an urban rail system, a commuter rail system, a rapid bus system, a commuter bus system, a commuter roadway system, a commuter highway system. They all need to interact positively with one another.

We've seen one urban rail line. Certainly no system for how central austin gets around. I just see a bunch of piece parts laying on the ground... together, I don't think they will make much headway to solving our problems. Do you think they will?

[dbIII]

Here are my questions.

With all of the initiatives on the table now, how many total cars are estimated to be removed from the streets, and how much time will be shaved off of the average commute time?

Why should I be taxed to the tune of $90/month, to insure that someone from Round Rock, Cedar Park, Leander, etc.....is able to get into town in less than 30 minutes? I chose to live and work in the same neighborhood, and I do not expect my fellow taxpayers to subsidize my traveling habits.

Why does someone who moves far from town because they want more house for their money, deserve a cheap easy way into town? I paid more and got less sqft in town, and I live with that....but I don't commute as a result.

I see this as; we all make choices....some are not happy with that, and I understand. But at what cost and to serve how many?

Do the benefits of the few out way the benefits of the many? A few thousand people will use/love the rails, and many hundreds of thousands will pay for those few thousand to ride the rails. And all of this will have exactly zero difference in commute times for those who drive. So what's the point? I don't get it.

Austin needs more density, and other than downtown and a few pockets around town.....it will not get there in my lifetime.

What cost is too high?

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

I'm talking about a multi-line urban rail system. Think of it this way. We need an urban rail system, a commuter rail system, a rapid bus system, a commuter bus system, a commuter roadway system, a commuter highway system. They all need to interact positively with one another.

We've seen one urban rail line. Certainly no system for how central austin gets around. I just see a bunch of piece parts laying on the ground... together, I don't think they will make much headway to solving our problems. Do you think they will?

http://projectconnect.com/sites/defa...ConnectMap.pdf

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by dbIII

and how much time will be shaved off of the average commute time?

None of these plans will _reduce_ commute times. What they will do (in part) is help (as a part of other broader efforts) reduce the rate of _increase_. So that we don't end up with the 2 hour commutes from Round Rock the TTI is predicting.

[ATXboom]

Originally Posted by Novacek

http://projectconnect.com/sites/defa...ConnectMap.pdf

Thanks for the map. I guess I just disagree with the system. I think urban rail needs to go through east riverside, soco, sola, east and west 6th, Guadalupe, Lamar, lower Burnet. All connected via hub or shared loop dtown. I don't see a system that Austin needs. Commuter rail looks like a cluster... Just go where there are existing tracks.

[ATXboom]

Originally Posted by Novacek

None of these plans will _reduce_ commute times. What they will do (in part) is help (as a part of other broader efforts) reduce the rate of _increase_. So that we don't end up with the 2 hour commutes from Round Rock the TTI is predicting.

Agree with this and willing to get onboard with the target outcome.

Re Portland. Their system is maybe 30 yrs old. Much of their urbanization happened since. Though Portland had better /older urban bones to begin with.

[SkyPie]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Thanks for the map. I guess I just disagree with the system. I think urban rail needs to go through east riverside, soco, sola, east and west 6th, Guadalupe, Lamar, lower Burnet. All connected via hub or shared loop dtown. I don't see a system that Austin needs. Commuter rail looks like a cluster... Just go where there are existing tracks.

Totally agree with you. Speaking as someone who voted "yes" the last time, I was very much looking forward to another rail proposal that I could vote yes for again. This proposal seems doomed to failure which I find incredibly unfortunate. I'm a proponent of rail and I'll likely vote no. What a mess.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by ATXboom

Thanks for the map. I guess I just disagree with the system. I think urban rail needs to go through east riverside, soco, sola, east and west 6th, Guadalupe, Lamar, lower Burnet. All connected via hub or shared loop dtown. I don't see a system that Austin needs. Commuter rail looks like a cluster... Just go where there are existing tracks.

>>I don't see a system that Austin needs.

I'm trying to understand what you want that _isn't_ in the long term system vision.

rail through east riverside(check), soco (check), sola (not rail but rapid bus), west sixth (check), guadalupe (check), lamar (check), burnet (not rail but rapid bus). connected via hub downtown (check).

[ivanwolf]

Originally Posted by Novacek

This was the locked Metrobike shelter? Did you get them to pull the camera footage/keycard records?

They knew about it before I did as I drove into work one day and let the bike sit a day. But yes they pulled the video but they say in the emails that its not conclusive. I did not see a camera in the shelter but one at that Plaza stop so I am not sure if they even have a good view to the shelter.

I am getting a refund and will not use the shelters until they upgrade the cage portion as its just a thick wire that was cut. This cost about $100 to me as both tubes were trashed, one tire was trashed the other damaged and a light taken. So I want my $30 back if there is nothing else they can get do.

They say they will upgrade the shelter but that could take months.

[M1EK]

The 'plan' Novacek showed you is the 2011/2012 pre-PC CC vision which is no longer in effect but was just used misleadingly in central Austin neighborhoods this weekend (including at my front door).

There are no plans now to put rail on Guadalupe from PC. There are plans to ask CAMPO for a bunch of money for much more significant BRT infrastructure for the Lamar corridor, among others. Lyndon Henry believes this will eliminate rail as a possibility on Lamar/Guadalupe forever if this happens.

Their more up-to-date long-range plans show a general arrow pointing to the Lamar 'subcorridor' from the top of the Highland proposal. Implying the line would go up Airport and then up Lamar from there.

Novacek likely knows all of this, too.

Draw your own conclusions.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by M1EK

The 'plan' Novacek showed you is the 2011/2012 pre-PC CC vision which is no longer in effect but was just used misleadingly in central Austin neighborhoods this weekend (including at my front door).

It's still just as much "in effect" as it always was. It shows the general long term desires for an overall, multi-line system that serves all of Austin. Just what ATX boom was asking for. Just what it was doing before when they first showed it.

And no, it's not 2011-2012. It's June 2013.

Originally Posted by M1EK

There are no plans now to put rail on Guadalupe from PC. There are plans to ask CAMPO for a bunch of money for much more significant BRT infrastructure for the Lamar corridor, among others.

There are as much "no plans" for more BRT infrastructure as there are for guadalupe rail (where's the corridor study? Where are the riderships studies? Where are the street profiles? ). There is a general desire to more BRT infrastructure, but it certainly is not "planned" to the extent that the first rail line is "planned".

Originally Posted by M1EK

Lyndon Henry believes this will eliminate rail as a possibility on Lamar/Guadalupe forever if this happens.

Just like the existing metrorapid system was going to prevent rail in the G/L corridor forever?