Subdude Posted September 15, 2004 Share Posted September 15, 2004 Streetcars in AustinActivists push to have streetcars added to November rail initiativeCentral Texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UrbanLandscape Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I always find it funny, of all cities, ol' liberal Austin still can't get rail. Then again, that just shows their dysfunction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssullivan Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I love how the article says that streetcar tracks from the 1930s can be used. Yeah, maybe so, if the Austin residents don't mind seeing their brand new Capital Metro light rail vehicles derailing and having a bumpy ride. I have yet to hear of a light rail project that was able to use track that old successfully. Those rails don't last forever, and 70+ years of rain, wind, and traffic on top of them has certainly caused a lot of corrosion in the tracks.I do think rail would be a good option for Austin but they seem to have had as much trouble as Houston in getting it started. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firstngoal Posted September 16, 2004 Share Posted September 16, 2004 I believe this is what they are talking about (Portland example below)... and frankly, I could see it working in the downtown area of Austin. Austin is getting serious about light rail (they vote again this November), as well as commuter rail. There does seem to be a growing concensus there that they need to develop a truly multimodal transportation network... I wish we could get the same concensus going here. I simply don't understand why there aren't more serious discussions about commuter rail in Houston, aside from a few commissioners with the County. Oh well, I like Austin a great deal and think the streetcar idea is a good one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2112 Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 I always find it funny, of all cities, ol' liberal Austin still can't get rail. Then again, that just shows their dysfunction.<{POST_SNAPBACK}>You have to hand it to Dallas: They lead the way for the rail-renaissance in Texas. The Dallas light-rail network is something to envy. I only hope that Houston Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
editor Posted September 17, 2004 Share Posted September 17, 2004 For a city that so often compares itself with San Francisco, you'd think streetcars would be a given. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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