AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[M1EK]

Here's the teaser graphic from the spreadsheet; but not done yet. Leander ends up coming in right between the early and late express trips.



Hard to tell from this graph, but LRT ends up bringing people to UT's front gate (24th/Guadalupe) about one minute quicker than commuter rail gets them to MLK (a bit farther away, but CR moves a bit faster its last few miles than LRT would have).

[M1EK]

And with the 984 (more direct via I-35; drops off at MLK/Red River so I tacked on some extra walk time):

[electricron]

Originally Posted by M1EK

And with the 984 (more direct via I-35; drops off at MLK/Red River so I tacked on some extra walk time):

That's assuming I-35 isn't locked up in grid lock. The train most likely will be faster in the future because it is in its own dedicated ROW. Just like your argument to run streetcars and light rail trains in their own dedicated ROW.

[M1EK]

electricron, the numbers already assume congestion on I-35 and Mopac (hence the difference between the early and late runs). The train itself will be more reliable, but the shuttle bus across I-35 suffers from the same exact problem as the express buses - unreliability due to traffic congestion.

With LRT, it would have been faster from day one. Not faster IF IF IF everything gets a lot worse (and people don't just move their offices out of downtown to make up for it).

[Mopacs]

Austin is about to get a much-needed general aviation reliever airport in the NE metro, between Manor and Pflugerville. This entails a massive upgrade/expansion of the existing Bird's Nest airport, just off Tx 130.

See community Impact magazine article below:
http://www.impactnews.com/round-rock...3468?task=view

New general aviation reliever airport

Written by Amy Stansbury Friday, 06 March 2009



Bird’s Nest Airport expected to spur new businesses, jobs in the area
A small general aviation airport just outside Pflugerville built by a school teacher in the 1960s will soon become a major reliever airport in Central Texas. Asphalt was laid in late February on the first part of the eventual 6,025-foot runway at Bird’s Nest Airport, which is expected to open early next year.

In September 2007, Ron Henriksen, founder and president of the Houston Executive Airport, bought the 134-acre tract of land, which included a small runway. Henriksen also purchased the surrounding 440 acres, with plans to build a runway four times as wide and more than twice as long as the original.

Henriksen said with the tremendous growth in the Austin area during the past decade, the demand for a public-use airport is greater than ever

Sadly, general aviation facilities are closing around the country, despite the real need for airports,” he said. “Austin is no different. Hundreds of airplanes were displaced when Robert Mueller and Austin Executive airports were closed. I want to help solve the serious shortage of general aviation facilities in Central Texas and build an airport that will be used for generations to come.”
Austin is one of the largest cities in the U.S. without a general aviation reliever airport.
“For more than a decade, the state of Texas has been trying to bring an airport to the Austin area,” Henriksen said. “The new and improved Bird’s Nest Airport will not only help Austin-area pilots, but will improve aviation infrastructure for pilots throughout the state.”
Businesses and jobs

Andrew Perry, executive director of the Houston Executive Airport, is now serving in the same capacity at Bird’s Nest Airport, too. He said the new airport will be a driving force for economic development in the area, and the heads of economic development in both Pflugerville and Round Rock agree. Perry expects to hire 20 people by the end of the year, and more over time as the airport grows.


“People would be surprised what airports do for communities,” Perry said. “They are a major part of economic development.”
Pflugerville Economic Development Director Charles Simon said there will be three levels of economic development driven by the new airport: the jobs created at the airport, the new businesses attracted to the area such as aircraft service companies and companies established nearby that are heavily dependent on air transportation.


The planes flying in and out of Bird’s Nest will not likely transport much cargo, but the port’s capability to transport people could be considered a perk for businesses. Simon said having a general aviation reliever airport will help Pflugerville attract a new level of businesses to the area.


“It helps, especially in recruiting corporate headquarters, because [corporate executives] will often have access to planes,” Simon said. “If the owner or the corporation has a plane, it would probably be stored here. They would have a base for their plane at Bird’s Nest. If the owner of a company is looking at a site in Pflugerville, I’ve got to think that would be pretty strong on his personal list to be able to fly in, land, drive over five minutes and come back.”


Charley Ayres, Round Rock Chamber of Commerce senior vice president of business retention and expansion, said the airport will benefit Round Rock, too.


“A lot of people think in Round Rock, you’re doing business with people across the interstate or in Cedar Park, but Round Rock is very much a global workplace,” he said.
In fact, 29 percent of Round Rock corporations Ayres surveyed said their primary market is national, and 38 percent said their primary market is international.

...Rest of article here:
http://www.impactnews.com/round-rock-pflugerville/local-news/3468?task=view

[Mopacs]

Also Urban Rail article in Central Austin edition of Community Impact Newspaper

http://www.impactnews.com/central-au...oad-congestion

[paulsjv]

^^^ Any ETA on when construction could begin in the best case?

[M1EK]

2010 or 2012 for election; construction 2 years after that is what I'd guess.

In other words, too little, too late.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by M1EK

2010 or 2012 for election; construction 2 years after that is what I'd guess.

In other words, too little, too late.

It's always too little, too late for you! Since the CapMetro light rail proposal in 2000 was defeated at the polls, everything proposed later is too late, too little for you.

Just wanted to point out Houston's Metro new light rail cars for the four new lines are 100% low floor CAF streetcars.

Maximum Speed: 43 mph (70 km/h)
Passenger Seats: 54
Rider Capacity: 275
Width (mm): 8.7 feet
Length (mm): 102.6 feet
Acceleration: 1.2 m/s² (2.68 mph/s)
Total Power: 8 x 70kW (560kW total)

Let's compare them with Houston's existing Siemens S70 light rail vehicles used on the Red Line.

Maximum speed: 56 mph (90 km/h)
Rider Capacity: 172
Passenger Seats: 68
Length: 95 feet
Width: 8.7 feet
Acceleration: 1.34 m/s² (3.0 mph/s)
Total Power: 4 x 200 kW (800 kW)

If Houston can live with these in city streets, why can't Austin?

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by electricron

It's always too little, too late for you! Since the CapMetro light rail proposal in 2000 was defeated at the polls, everything proposed later is too late, too little for you.

Just wanted to point out Houston's Metro new light rail cars for the four new lines are 100% low floor CAF streetcars.

Maximum Speed: 43 mph (70 km/h)
Passenger Seats: 54
Rider Capacity: 275
Width (mm): 8.7 feet
Length (mm): 102.6 feet
Acceleration: 1.2 m/s² (2.68 mph/s)
Total Power: 8 x 70kW (560kW total)

Let's compare them with Houston's existing Siemens S70 light rail vehicles used on the Red Line.

Maximum speed: 56 mph (90 km/h)
Rider Capacity: 172
Passenger Seats: 68
Length: 95 feet
Width: 8.7 feet
Acceleration: 1.34 m/s² (3.0 mph/s)
Total Power: 4 x 200 kW (800 kW)

If Houston can live with these in city streets, why can't Austin?

Austin is more important.

I like the new CAF streetcars, but I still like at least a LITTLE non-low-floor in my ride.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by electricron

It's always too little, too late for you! Since the CapMetro light rail proposal in 2000 was defeated at the polls, everything proposed later is too late, too little for you.

Dear genius: "too little too late" refers to the fact that Capital Metro will be spending most of our local money on useless commuter rail in the meantime; and that the Federal dollars we'd count on will be long since gone.

Just wanted to point out Houston's Metro new light rail cars for the four new lines are 100% low floor CAF streetcars.

Yeah, not DMUs. Imagine that.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by M1EK

Dear genius: "too little too late" refers to the fact that Capital Metro will be spending most of our local money on useless commuter rail in the meantime; and that the Federal dollars we'd count on will be long since gone.
Yeah, not DMUs. Imagine that.

$105 million, the capital costs for the Red Line, can't be all CapMetro's financial resources. If it were, they never would have had enough cash to build a light rail line anyways. And if I'm wrong, they wouldn't be able to build anything else for 30 years.

[SecretAgentMan]

Originally Posted by paulsjv

^^^ Any ETA on when construction could begin in the best case?

If Preliminary Engineering begins in June as planned, the first phase would open by the middle of 2013. Full build-out would be between 2018 and 2020.

A City of Austin Bond Election for funding would be needed by 2010 to keep that schedule. If Cap Metro is involved in funding or operating, an election could be held as early as this November if it is to authorize the first phase only, or November 2010 for the full system. If an election is needed for both Cap Metro and a City bond, it would make sense to hold them at the same time in November 2010.

[electricron]

Originally Posted by SecretAgentMan

If Preliminary Engineering begins in June as planned, the first phase would open by the middle of 2013. Full build-out would be between 2018 and 2020.

A City of Austin Bond Election for funding would be needed by 2010 to keep that schedule. If Cap Metro is involved in funding or operating, an election could be held as early as this November if it is to authorize the first phase only, or November 2010 for the full system. If an election is needed for both Cap Metro and a City bond, it would make sense to hold them at the same time in November 2010.

Which section is Phase #1, #2, #3, and #4? Austin's proposed system is only 15 miles in total, Houston's system of 20 miles, not including the 10+ mile University corridor, has a much shorter implementation/construction schedule. Why?

[electricron]

New YouTube Preview Videos

• Video Link

• Video Link

In the second video, decreasing headways down to 10 minutes was mentioned as being possible, in the not too distant future.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by electricron

$105 million, the capital costs for the Red Line, can't be all CapMetro's financial resources. If it were, they never would have had enough cash to build a light rail line anyways. And if I'm wrong, they wouldn't be able to build anything else for 30 years.

Capital Metro's $120M on the Red Line (yes, that's the true cost; probably a little short these days) plus another $100M or so for the Green Line, matched at 50% against Federal money, would have built us about 75% of the urban rail network currently being discussed.

Almost all of that money came from Austinites. Almost zero of the benefit of the Red Line (what little there is) can ever accrue to Austinites.

Capital Metro never got any federal participation for the Red Line because they never asked for it; and they never asked for it because they saw the writing on the wall - it would have been rejected as a laugher on cost/benefit analysis (and no, it wasn't because of Bush; the Bush White House funded Seattle's light rail starter line, very similar to the one we proposed in 2000). They are unlikely to get any significant federal participation on the Green Line through the normal FTA process - at best they might get some stimulus dollars if nobody's paying close attention to how well it's being spent.

[M1EK]

Originally Posted by electricron

In the second video, decreasing headways down to 10 minutes was mentioned as being possible, in the not too distant future.

A train that runs every 10 minutes from nowhere to nowhere isn't much more useful than a train that runs every 30 minutes from nowhere to nowhere.

As Tri-Rail showed (temporary spike due to high gas prices; ridership now returning back to 'normal' with little to no long-term improvement shown from double-tracking).

[electricron]

Originally Posted by M1EK

A train that runs every 10 minutes from nowhere to nowhere isn't much more useful than a train that runs every 30 minutes from nowhere to nowhere.

As Tri-Rail showed (temporary spike due to high gas prices; ridership now returning back to 'normal' with little to no long-term improvement shown from double-tracking).

Tri-Rail schedules have headways 20 minutes and longer between trains. I wonder how well ridership would rise if they had headways of 10 minutes or less?

You keep forgetting that the 2000 light rail vote failed.

[rhoby13]

I think I can predict M1EK's response to this:

"It's all because of Mike Krusse, George Bush and the Republicans"

[M1EK]

It passed inside city limits by a comfortable margin, even with electioneering by Krusee to try to make it fail (forcing it to the polls early to simultaneously cripple it by it being "too vague" and putting it up for a vote when suburban Republican turnout would be at its highest possible level).

Capital Metro's response to this was to deliver a rail plan that provides no useful service to the residents of Austin who pay 93+% of their bills. Deciding to server only the suburbanites who voted against light rail, in other words; and completely reneging on their promises to serve central Austin with rail immediately thereafter (many suckers fell for this in the 2004 election campaign; obviously I wasn't among them).

I simply won't allow a pack of liars and shills to try to misrepresent the 2000 vote as some kind of rousing failure like what San Antonio saw their first go-round. Keep mocking; the facts are in my corner.