AUSTIN | Transportation Updates

[freerover]

Originally Posted by AustinYIMBY

My pessimistic prediction is that most people that utilize CapMetro services in Leander won't vote, either because they live outside of Leander and use the train, dont know about the election or just dont vote in general (shame on them!). So the election will result in a win for "no" because of selfish voters. Then the people who actually use CapMetro but didnt vote will get upset that the services are gone.

Seems pretty cowardly to put it on a May election instead of November.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by AustinYIMBY

My pessimistic prediction is that most people that utilize CapMetro services in Leander won't vote, either because they live outside of Leander and use the train, dont know about the election or just dont vote in general (shame on them!). So the election will result in a win for "no" because of selfish voters. Then the people who actually use CapMetro but didnt vote will get upset that the services are gone.

Yeah, the use of that station certainly does go well beyond the city itself - I know folks who live in Liberty Hill or Georgetown (since it stretches pretty far west along 2243 and 29) who use that station.

Folks certainly need to hear about this vote and get there to voice their opinions.

Originally Posted by Novacek

It'll be interesting to see if the developer of the Northline development puts any money behind a "stay" campaign.

leaving has got to be at least something of a financial hit to them. Without the train, they have no differentiator from a generic development anywhere else in the metro 30 miles from downtown.

My thoughts exactly. That and Leander Springs, which is to be developed immediately south of Northline. I mean, Northline's name seems to infer proximity to the rail line. These developments always use transportation as a selling point - and it's not the same as those in Austin proper, of course, but for the person who needs to get downtown or elsewhere occasionally even, it's nice to not *have* to use a car to get there.

Originally Posted by freerover

Seems pretty cowardly to put it on a May election instead of November.

Yeah, I was wondering about how that was handled myself. Not sure of the thought process there. All the more reason for folks to get the word out.

[StoOgE]

Originally Posted by drummer

Yeah, the use of that station certainly does go well beyond the city itself - I know folks who live in Liberty Hill or Georgetown (since it stretches pretty far west along 2243 and 29) who use that station.

I know folks in Andice that use that stop. Its used by a wide-range of folks outside of Leander.

This to me is going to be a blow to the region - I mean yes the system itself will function fine and potentially even faster with about 40% of the distance of the system being eliminated.

But the harm will be as that part of Austin grows and we start expanding we need commuter rail like this to bring folks from outside of Austin into the city. Eventually we will or should have similar systems from Dripping Springs/Buda/Kyle/Lockhart/Bastrop/Round Rock/Taylor/Hutto/Lakeway and Georgetown.

And honestly San Marcos/Jarrell/Temple/Killeen/Lampassas/Smithville and further flung places could be reasonable commutes in 40-50 years.

Like, if we are going to be a city of 4-5 million people (which is coming) we need to start pushing for more regional mass transit while CapMetro works to expand the transit system within the city itself.

[atxsnail]

While I hope they stay, I'll gladly accept the prospect of better, more Austin-focused service in their absence. If I were a TOD developer I'd be screaming at Leander council from now through May though.

The part I wonder most about is this quote from a Statesman article about it:

"A CapMetro representative has previously said that if Leander withdraws from the partnership, it will not affect the agency's plans for expansion in the area.

CapMetro started laying a second MetroRail track in September to connect the Leander station to the Lakeline station near Lakeline Mall in Northwest Austin. The agency plans to eventually add other destinations to MetroRail, including Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, as part of Project Connect."

Anyone know why CapMetro would continue double tracking if Leander votes to leave? My only guess is that they're legally or contractually obligated via whatever the funding mechanism was?

[AustinYIMBY]

I would guess they would continue with that because they already got funding and started the project. And maybe they are hoping that if the "no" wins, some day the city will come to their senses and rejoin.

[kingkirbythe....]

Originally Posted by freerover

Seems pretty cowardly to put it on a May election instead of November.

It is cowardly, but smart for the No people who want this on the ballot. A May election will have a lower voter turnout in general, but also a lower turnout for likely Yes to stay in CapMetro voters. Its super shitty, but good tactics.

This brings up having multiple elections in a year. We shouldn't. All elections in a year should be on the same election day. Some states are or have recently started doing this. It makes for a better election when more people participate and you don't have a small group of people (usually mostly olds) making decisions for everyone. There are other things that would make elections better also like election day being a national no work holiday, or election week or voting is compulsory. Pie in the sky, for the moment.

[StoOgE]

It also is a big money saver to run 1 election with instant-run offs.

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by AustinYIMBY

I would guess they would continue with that because they already got funding and started the project. And maybe they are hoping that if the "no" wins, some day the city will come to their senses and rejoin.

Plus if CM ever builds a heavy maintenance facility for the DMUs, it'll probably be up thataway anyway. At which point dual track will still be useful to move the DMUs and freight at the same time.

[drummer]

Re: CapMetro continuing with double tracking effort, they own the track, don't they? If, say, Liberty Hill wanted to join in, do they own the track all the way up there? Curious about that.

And yes, one election is much, much cheaper than two.

[Echostatic]

CapMetro owns a lot of rail.

[drummer]

Originally Posted by Echostatic

CapMetro owns a lot of rail.

Wow, I had no idea that they owned the rail all the way to Marble Falls and Llano. I assumed Liberty Hill, maybe Bertram and Burnet.

[freerover]

Originally Posted by drummer

Wow, I had no idea that they owned the rail all the way to Marble Falls and Llano. I assumed Liberty Hill, maybe Bertram and Burnet.

That's why the green line exists.

[Mopacs]

Originally Posted by drummer

Wow, I had no idea that they owned the rail all the way to Marble Falls and Llano. I assumed Liberty Hill, maybe Bertram and Burnet.

That railroad goes waaay back to the 19th century. Trains transported the pink granite used to build the capitol building from the granite quarry near Marble Falls. If you ever hike on the Brushy Creek regional trail you'll find large granite blocks lying below a bridge that had fallen into the creek bed. There are many more like that along the route.

https://williamsoncountytexashistory...er-dedication/

[drummer]

Originally Posted by freerover

That's why the green line exists.

Yeah, I knew about that one. I didn't know where their ownership stopped on the current Red Line.

Originally Posted by Mopacs

That railroad goes waaay back to the 19th century. Trains transported the pink granite used to build the capitol building from the granite quarry near Marble Falls. If you ever hike on the Brushy Creek regional trail you'll find large granite blocks lying below a bridge that had fallen into the creek bed. There are many more like that along the route.

https://williamsoncountytexashistory...er-dedication/

Yeah, I knew about Marble Falls - I have some family out there still. There are several blocks up in Cedar Park as well and on 29 going toward Burnet.

[StoOgE]

Did this make it here?

https://twitter.com/KUTnathan/status...N1tjAAL4g&s=19

Not sure how 'better' this is but it does have caps fr CC to Dean keaton.

[Echostatic]

I think rebuilding the 65-year old design of I-35 through Downtown should be the city's #1 priority right now. The proposed Alternative 3 Modified would be a world-class freeway, with almost a doubling in theoretical capacity, significant safety improvements, and several cap options designed into the plan. It's incredible how much better of a highway they're able to fit here without expanding ROW through downtown, and it really shows you how inefficient the existing design is.

[StoOgE]

I mean, I liked the stacked narrow option that we were sold on years ago - but if we have to settle for a wider I35 I guess if we can cap it downtown I will live with it.

[Echostatic]

Originally Posted by StoOgE

I mean, I liked the stacked narrow option that we were sold on years ago - but if we have to settle for a wider I35 I guess if we can cap it downtown I will live with it.

The stacked narrow option was always intended as the design for the stretch between UT and Mount Cavalry Cemetery. Nowhere else would have had that layout, and in that proposal I-35 downtown looked pretty much identical to the way it does in these plans - except with the frontage roads in their current positions, making the caps not much more than glorified medians.

[Lobotomizer]

I don't think you can ask for much more than that design. It truly does turn the frontage roads into a boulevard through downtown, and makes any caps a much more inviting place.

I know for many the default position is freeways are bad, and if we're not tearing it out just leave it in it's current state. I disagree vehemently, and say let's get this show on the road asap. We need the Riverside crossing rebuilt for the Blue Line, and Capital Express North and South are kicking off this year.

Let's not have an ugly, dangerous, outdated freeway through downtown.

[Echostatic]

Originally Posted by Lobotomizer

I don't think you can ask for much more than that design. It truly does turn the frontage roads into a boulevard through downtown, and makes any caps a much more inviting place.

I know for many the default position is freeways are bad, and if we're not tearing it out just leave it in it's current state. I disagree vehemently, and say let's get this show on the road asap. We need the Riverside crossing rebuilt for the Blue Line, and Capital Express North and South are kicking off this year.

Let's not have an ugly, dangerous, outdated freeway through downtown.

Couldn't agree more.