Austins New Commuter Rail, Almost Complete!

[citykid09]

Damn! Austin is a progressive city! I'm thinking they just had a plan for commuter rail, but really would probably never build it but it it a reality! Here is a picture of the finishing touches being put on some of Austin's Capital Metro Commuter Rail Trains. I'm so use to Metro Houston where they make a plan and you MIGHT see it come about in 10-20 years later. I'm really liking Austin lately! Makes me want to go check it out and possibly move there!

Also her is an article:

http://austin.bizjournals.com/austin...ml?jst=b_ln_hl

Commuter rail gets closer with new trains

Austin Business Journal - 11:48 AM CDT Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Capital Metro's first urban commuter rail train is a long way from home at Stadler Rail Group's Switzerland manufacturing plant, but it's already making an impact in Austin as the first of six diesel-electric trains to have finished assembly.

Stadler has begun static testing of the rail train, and will begin track testing in the next few months. The new train will arrive in Austin for more track testing here this fall. Cap Metro purchased the six rail cars from Stadler for more than $30 million

The six trains will make up Austin's commuter rail fleet, scheduled to begin running every 30 minutes during morning and afternoon rush hours from Leander to downtown Austin. Commuter rail service is scheduled to begin in late 2008.

Each train will have room for approximately 200 passengers, or 108 seated.

MetroRail is part of the All Systems Go long-range transit plan, which also includes expanded local and express bus service, park and ride services, rapid bus service and possibly more rail service in Central Texas.

[Trae]

Austin is really doing great things right now in urban development and mass transit. San Antonio should take a page out of Austin's book.

[RedScare]

Umm, it won't be done for another 1 1/2 years. Not sure your thread title is entirely accurate.

[citykid09]

Umm, it won't be done for another 1 1/2 years. Not sure your thread title is entirely accurate.

Yeah, I spoke too soon. But a year in a half is not that far either.

[mrfootball]

Look at how immaculate those factories are.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

You are thinking of moving there because of a train? Thats not normal.

[editor]

You are thinking of moving there because of a train? Thats not normal.

Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Lots of people choose where they live based on access to mass transit. Look at the real estate listings in any newspaper from a city with a fully developed transit system.

[jmancuso]

not just the train but austin actually gets stuff done in a reasonable amount of time, not 20-30 years like here.

[ProHouston]

Austin is really doing great things right now in urban development and mass transit. San Antonio should take a page out of Austin's book.

Houston too.

[Saddleman]

Actually, Austin usually does things at a glacial pace. This commuter line, while nice, is a very watered down version of a light rail plan from 2000 that was defeated by right around 500 votes.

[Houston1stWordOnTheMoon]

Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Lots of people choose where they live based on access to mass transit. Look at the real estate listings in any newspaper from a city with a fully developed transit system.

You do realize this is Texas, right? Automobile is still king in this great state. I dont know of any stable human that moves to a city so they can ride a train. I know of many people that move to particular cities for employment, housing, schools, not trains.

[Gary]

You do realize this is Texas, right? Automobile is still king in this great state. I dont know of any stable human that moves to a city so they can ride a train. I know of many people that move to particular cities for employment, housing, schools, not trains.

I agree. There is a reason why many newer cities don't have huge commuter rail systems, they want to drive there car. As a musician, I can't imagine relying on any train system to get my work done.

It seems as if our whole country is almost to fascinated with the concept of East coast urbanity, which I for one am not. Don't get me wrong, I want a more extensive network of rail, but regardless I will always drive my car.

[marc]

You do realize this is Texas, right? Automobile is still king in this great state. I dont know of any stable human that moves to a city so they can ride a train. I know of many people that move to particular cities for employment, housing, schools, not trains.

Although the auto is still king in TX, your assessment of stable human is a bit flawed. There is such a HUGE movement in our country right now that indicates more and more people are moving DT; NY, Chicago, SF, even places like sprawling LA and Miami. Houston, although getting more and more people moving DT, is sort of bucking the trend, so i could see that your view is a bit myopic. Houston still sprawls, like LA, but is getting her share of residents more centrally located.

As for Austin. Beautiful City. Beautiful Architecture. Beautiful landscape. Beautiful Possibilities. The fact that this Progressive city (often compared to SF) is getting more mass transit is just a testiment to its development. I am surprised, honestly, having lived there for 5 years, that the mass transit system isn't implemented more. Unlike Houston, it is a compact city which makes a light-rail or similar mode of trans. more feasible.

As for Houston- well, she is a monster when it comes to transportation. Second only to LA in concrete used for her miles and miles of freeways, Houston may get light-rail, Metro lanes, Metro Luxury Rapid Lines, and even, in time, some sort of MAG-LEV system; BUT i have a feeling, the personal auto is going to be king in Houston for at least another 50 years.

m.

[desirous]

The only good thing about Capital Metrorail is that it's a train. That's where the compliments shall end. It runs every 30 minutes, and bypasses pretty much everything worth going to in Austin. Blame for the local voters for that.

Also, don't forget that, on a proportional basis, Austin has worse sprawl than Houston. Their highway system is such a bad joke, it's not even worth laughing about.

[marc]

The only good thing about Capital Metrorail is that it's a train. That's where the compliments shall end. It runs every 30 minutes, and bypasses pretty much everything worth going to in Austin. Blame for the local voters for that.

Also, don't forget that, on a proportional basis, Austin has worse sprawl than Houston. Their highway system is such a bad joke, it's not even worth laughing about.

Yes, i completely agree with you about Austin's highway system. Either poor planning OR too much growth too quickly to catch up. Or both.

As for sprawl- i am sorry, i have to disagree. It is safe to say Houston is spread from N- Conroe to E- Beaumont to South- Clear Lake to W- Katy to NW- Tomball/Hockley areas. That is sprawl. If the highways were decent in Austin, it would not take over an hour to get from one end of Austin to the next. This is the case with Houston. Beginning at Conroe and ending in Clear Lake, think of the mileage.

In time Austin may rival Houston as far as sprawl goes (like Houston, there is A LOT of open space/ possibilities of area growth) but as for NOW, Houston is larger. In fact, second only to LA in city square mileage.

m.

[desirous]

Again, proportionally. Houston has four times Austin's population; Austin is a lot bigger than 1/4 the size of Houston. Think of Austin's boomburbs: Leander (26 miles), Georgetown (28 miles), Kyle (22 miles), Lakeway (25 miles). Houston has fairly impressive infill (except along 288) between freeways; Austin is growing like a mold infestation.

[Trae]

Houston too.

Not really. Houston is doing more than Austin (as it should be), in urban development. Mass transit (rail wise), is what is lacking.

[Pumapayam]

Umm, it won't be done for another 1 1/2 years. Not sure your thread title is entirely accurate.

Well, at least there are commited to finishing it, so reality is correct.

[marc]

Again, proportionally. Houston has four times Austin's population; Austin is a lot bigger than 1/4 the size of Houston. Think of Austin's boomburbs: Leander (26 miles), Georgetown (28 miles), Kyle (22 miles), Lakeway (25 miles). Houston has fairly impressive infill (except along 288) between freeways; Austin is growing like a mold infestation.

I take it you don't like the growth? Is it too fast? I know there are two sides to this issue; some HATE the growth and want to harken back to the small town days, while others are like,

"bring it on baby!" Where do you fit?

As for burbs........good point regarding the mileage. I see where you are coming from. You weren't saying population, you were saying specific sprawl in terms of area. SO, the question becomes, how long (if current growth booms keep the pace) will it be until Austin DOES INDEED rival Houston in population?? Hmmmm. You have made a case that there is definately a ton of open space to fill with people. AND given Austin's climate and topography, i can see a migration to central TX perhaps even more so than in N. TX and SE TX.

You made your point.

m.

[desirous]

Austin will never rival Houston in population, for as long as the United States is still called the United States. Well, unless it annexes San Antonio and everything in between, which is equally impossible.

I don't mind growth, and to a lesser extent, I don't mind suburbs; my beef is that Austin's growth is far more chaotic and unorganized compared to Houston's growth. The way growth there is occurring, infrastructure planning is extremely difficult, and rail's effect will be very marginal. There is nothing that prevents Austin from being what Houston was when it had 1.5 million people, except initiative.

[TheNiche]

In time Austin may rival Houston as far as sprawl goes (like Houston, there is A LOT of open space/ possibilities of area growth) but as for NOW, Houston is larger. In fact, second only to LA in city square mileage.

Nope, I'm pretty sure that there are a bunch of Alaskan municipalities with more square miles and Jacksonville, FL is either right behind or right above us. But municiapal boundaries are irrelevant to this conversation.

[probigd]

I rode the DART for the first time and it was a great experience. We jumped on the red line at the Parker Road station in north Plano and stopped at Mockingbird Station and City Place. From there we got on the free M-Line that goes through west village and McKinney avenue. We stopped a few times along the way, twice to shop and another time to eat a big greasy hamburger at Jake's. We then got back on the M-line and it took us all the way to the St. Paul dart station in downtown. Did I mention the M-line is free? From there we went to West End and then transfer to the Victory Park train. It was really cool getting off the train and being 150 yards away from the AAC. Then reality set in that we didn't have tickets for the game that night but we walked around victory park (it like a mini times square) until we couldn't stand the cold and got back on the red line back to Plano.

All that for $2.50 a person for an all day pass.

[Gary]

we walked around victory park (it like a mini times square)

Geeeez, here we go again with the "Times Square" bit. I was there three weeks ago, and while pretty cool, it's nothing like Times Square or even a "mini" version. I will take my hat off to the residential developments in the area, in fact Houston could use a few lessons from Dallas in this regards.

[Montrose1100]

Atleast Austin is trying. Those trains look sharp! And that factory looks cleaner then a hospital! Think of when Houston was that tiny, You think they cared about Light Rail? HA!

[marc]

Nope, I'm pretty sure that there are a bunch of Alaskan municipalities with more square miles and Jacksonville, FL is either right behind or right above us. But municiapal boundaries are irrelevant to this conversation.

Your right about an Alaskan muncipality. Who knew? Then again, tundra and glaciers aren't really condusive to development.

As for Jacksonville, yes, right again. One step above Houston in terms of square mileage. But i don't really see a potential of 8 million people living in that vicinity any time soon. Maybe?

As for municipal boundaries not being relevant to the conversation. That is a matter of perspective. i was wondering why some had negative attitudes regarding the rail line in Austin. i was being shown that Austin, although compact when compared to Houston, is becoming a sprawled out city. I think the clarification was for me.

[MidtownCoog]

You think they cared about Light Rail? HA!

Yes.

[marc]

^^^

Nice pix. Thanks.

[TheNiche]

Your right about an Alaskan muncipality. Who knew? Then again, tundra and glaciers aren't really condusive to development.

As for Jacksonville, yes, right again. One step above Houston in terms of square mileage. But i don't really see a potential of 8 million people living in that vicinity any time soon. Maybe?

As for municipal boundaries not being relevant to the conversation. That is a matter of perspective. i was wondering why some had negative attitudes regarding the rail line in Austin. i was being shown that Austin, although compact when compared to Houston, is becoming a sprawled out city. I think the clarification was for me.

There's this concept of an economic 'city' as opposed to a municipal 'city' that people have a hard time expressing. The best units of measure are square miles of urbanized land (based upon some minimum threshold of population density, for instance 1,000 persons / sq. mi.) or square miles of incorporated land, respectively. With that in mind, the economic city of Austin is sprawling out of control, while the municipal City of Austin is tending to densify.

[marc]

There's this concept of an economic 'city' as opposed to a municipal 'city' that people have a hard time expressing. The best units of measure are square miles of urbanized land (based upon some minimum threshold of population density, for instance 1,000 persons / sq. mi.) or square miles of incorporated land, respectively. With that in mind, the economic city of Austin is sprawling out of control, while the municipal City of Austin is tending to densify.

Got it.

[Montrose1100]

Yes.

I usually enjoy your sarcasm, but guess what happened to those things in the long run?