Streetcars, light rail prominent in VIA's plan

[sakyle04]

was waiting for alexjon...

almost had to fly into SEA-TAC to bring him into this...

as is, nice to hear the proper side of the story.

[KevinFromTexas]

I didn't see this posted.

Web Posted: 09/17/2009 12:00 CDT

Mayor makes pitch for light rail

By Josh Baugh - Express-News

Mayor Julián Castro said Wednesday that San Antonio is the last major U.S. city that hasn't invested in a passenger rail system, but that's about to change.

Helping VIA Metropolitan Transit board Chairman Henry Muñoz and others to announce creation of the Commission on Intra-City Rail & Streetcar, Castro said the recasting of the Alamo City's transit future is under way.

“It's time for San Antonio to make a significant investment in mass transit,” he said. “The details of that need public input and planning, but there's a resolve not just to plan but to act.”

Though details on funding sources are scant, the mayor signaled the city needs to position itself to receive whatever federal money might become available.

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[adtobias]

Just think about it. What works in Seatle does not mean it will work here. Will you stand out 105 degree weather to use a streetcar or will you use a subway that keep people out of the elements and does not depend on the traffic.

[Lando]

Originally Posted by adtobias

Just think about it. What works in Seatle does not mean it will work here. Will you stand out 105 degree weather to use a streetcar or will you use a subway that keep people out of the elements and does not depend on the traffic.

I'm pretty sure the cost is the reason why they are not considering subways in SA. Maybe in the future as our population increases and as we get more dense will we see a subway in the city. But even then, I couldn't imagine a subway line.

[KevinFromTexas]

South and Central Texas is pretty rocky. Heck, I dig down a few feet in my backyard and hit solid limestone. I would imagine it would cost billions to build a subway system in either San Antonio or Austin. Maybe way in the future when the necessity for another major form of transportation is needed, but until then, it's just not worth it.

It can be done though. New York sits atop limestone too.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by adtobias

Just think about it. What works in Seatle does not mean it will work here. Will you stand out 105 degree weather to use a streetcar or will you use a subway that keep people out of the elements and does not depend on the traffic.

I used the Streetcar when it was 106 here a few weeks ago because it was nice and air conditioned and better than walking. A lot of the buses are not air conditioned here, so it was more convenient to stand with a crush of people on a Streetcar. Moreover, when I was in Portland, where it did get over 95 quite often in the summer, my primary choice to traverse downtown was the Streetcar for the above stated reasons.

Also, Seattle has a 1.4 mile subway running under downtown and will add 3 miles in the next extension and another 5 on top of that to get to the north end of the city. It will be elevated from there forward for another 8 or so miles. So you could use that if you really absolutely had to. I live above one of the stations (well, about a 3 minute walk away) and it's fantastic to have.

[Daren]

Actually, a subway in San Antonio is probably cheaper to build than most other larger metros. Mostly because of the water. (Tokyo, Shanghai, London, New York city). In some cases, hard rock is better than soft rock because of its self sustainability.
I think maintenance cost would be much lower in a hard rock tunnel vs. a soft rock tunnel.

Think about NYC and their massive subway renovations that are going on right now. One of the main causes of the subway decay is the water from the Hudson river. Every day, the maintenance workers are battling small leaks and floods. Real pain in the ass, although, the nyc subway system is a must, if the city wants to continue to thrive.

The only part in s.a. that I think it might be impossible to build, is on the aquifer recharge zone. I don't know ... I'm no expert. just making assumptions

San Antonio hasn't built a subway system yet because it's just not necessary right now. (or at least not yet)

[alexjon]

Well, it's possible to do a cut and cover system, but the places where you can do a subway are limited due to environmental restrictions. The reason the flood tunnel took so long was because of those same restrictions.

[sirkingwilliam]

I have and will continue to preach for a tunneled 37 in the downtown area.