Tobin Center Renovation

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by KeepSanAntonioLame

Evening or at 10?

Sorry about the late answer. The 10 PM "Nightbeat".

[sirkingwilliam]

I just hope, and with KSAT this may be asking for too much, but I just hope it's not a irrelevant piece about how SA last time turned it down but with gas prices the way they are now and will be in the future that the most logical choice for the city is to go with light rail. And then accompanying said piece is shot after shot of 1604 or 281 or 410 congested.

[alexjon]

^^ Oh, actually I'm pretty sure that's exactly what it's about

A lot of cities have run pieces like that lately. "Why didn't we do it before? Will this be the time? Probably not, but WHYYYYYYY?"

[alexjon]

Now?

[sirkingwilliam]

I'm shocked and not shocked. It wasn't anything like I described above (thank gosh!) and it did shed some new light. However, the entire piece centered around an interview KSAT had with Nelson Wolff and not at any time before they introduced the piece did they actually say that. So that's a not so shocking thing coming from KSAT.

Ok so, here's some new info:

• A study is currently being done and will be finished in the fall.
  
  
• He wants to utilize train lines already in place for the early phases.
  
  
• Wolff wants to possibly involve the Riverwalk extension (museum reach) with light rail. I'm assuming via Broadway St.
  
  
• When funding was brought up, Wolff said he wants to see the federal government spend more on mass transit options and less on highways. There was no clear answer given to that question aside from the feds. However, since it's so early in the process that's understandable.
  
  
• Once the study is complete, Wolff wants to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.

[alexjon]

Good news. He gets things done and he's in league with the people that are in charge of all this.

I think the museum reach will be a longer modern streetcar route from the way it sounds.

[sakyle04]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

I'm shocked and not shocked. It wasn't anything like I described above (thank gosh!) and it did shed some new light. However, the entire piece centered around an interview KSAT had with Nelson Wolff and not at any time before they introduced the piece did they actually say that. So that's a not so shocking thing coming from KSAT.

Ok so, here's some new info:

• A study is currently being done and will be finished in the fall.
  
  
• He wants to utilize train lines already in place for the early phases.
  
  
• Wolff wants to possibly involve the Riverwalk extension (museum reach) with light rail. I'm assuming via Broadway St.
  
  
• When funding was brought up, Wolff said he wants to see the federal government spend more on mass transit options and less on highways. There was no clear answer given to that question aside from the feds. However, since it's so early in the process that's understandable.
  
  
• Once the study is complete, Wolff wants to get the ball rolling as quickly as possible.

i cannot wait for the study now.

my wife and i bought a house in the deco district on fredericksubrg rd partly because of the fact that it is the busiest bus corridor in the city - with hopes that it will be the busiest light rail corridor in the city...

[KeepSanAntonioLame]

Fredricksburg and Broadway will be the busiest I predict.

[sirkingwilliam]

How about a light rail line on Military Drive connecting Port San Antonio to Brooks City-Base? Or possibly a street car line.

I could see that being very popular for southsiders.

[alexjon]

How will a Military Drive line connect to the other lines?

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by alexjon

How will a Military Drive line connect to the other lines?

I assuming there will be a north to south line with stops at Port San Antonio and the future A&M campus.

[alexjon]

Well, at least PSA. A&M, dunno-- they're getting commuter rail for sure, so I don't know if they're going to duplicate service.

[sirkingwilliam]

Dude, that commuter rail is a LOOOOONG shot at best. The city shouldn't depend on that and instead go with a local light rail line.

Also a light or heavy rail line between SA and New Braunfels should also be talked about.

[alexjon]

Commuter rail is the most simple thing to implement ever. It took a few years and very little work to get the rail line in the Puget Sound and will take even less time and money to get the rail line in the Detroit metro up and running

[KeepSanAntonioLame]

Commuter rail won't happen until both SA and Austin have their own light rail.

[alexjon]

Highly doubt that, KSAL, especially since commuter rail is its own monster and is so easy to implement. It's regional service, which seems to go over much better than local service like light rail.

Sounder Commuter Rail has been running for near-on a decade in Seattle, and we just now got our first light rail/streetcar line and haven't even opened up an actual light rail system yet.

[sirkingwilliam]

This isn't the PNW, this is Texas.

Believe us, this's a long shot at best.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

This isn't the PNW, this is Texas.

Believe us, this's a long shot at best.

Then why is Houston expanding? And Dallas? And why is Austin looking at so many forms of rail?

Opposition to rail in the PNW makes the opposition in Texas look like girl scouts.

[sirkingwilliam]

Originally Posted by alexjon

Then why is Houston expanding? And Dallas? And why is Austin looking at so many forms of rail?

Opposition to rail in the PNW makes the opposition in Texas look like girl scouts.

I'm not talking about light rail in general or other cities I am specifically talking about the commuter line. It's a long shot.

[alexjon]

Originally Posted by sirkingwilliam

I'm not talking about light rail in general or other cities I am specifically talking about the commuter line. It's a long shot.

Looks like the planning and everything is in order. Is it because there's no funding at this point?