tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post1693502952295081442..comments2024-01-12T00:32:20.149-08:00Comments on The Overhead Wire: Austin Route Choice Part 3: The Guadalupe/Lamar AlignmentPantograph Trolleypolehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17833159138533550544noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-23044024886222212592012-06-13T12:33:35.409-07:002012-06-13T12:33:35.409-07:00I think there are two opportunities that should be...I think there are two opportunities that should be considered as we discuss possible train routes in the center of Austin. The first is the unfortunate sea of wasted space between I-35 and the Capitol Building. The State has indicated that they would like to sell some of that land to allow for redevelopment and urban infill. Right now, it is politically feasible to route a train up Red River or Trinity, but after that is built out, it will be much harder.<br /><br />The second opportunity is Airport Boulevard. It is being redesigned right now, Highland Mall will be redeveloped before long, and there will be thousands of people living and working along that corridor. Again, putting a train along Airport Blvd. now is feasible, but it will be much harder to do so after all that redevelopment takes place. <br /><br />I think it would be very cool to have a loop that would --<br /><br />- Start Downtown aligned with 7th Street (allowing for spurs out to Bergstrom in the future)<br />- Go up Trinity through campus on San Jacinto (or jog over to Red River if UT is too hard to deal with...)<br />- Go out Dean Keaton / Manor east to Airport Boulevard<br />- Go north up Airport Boulevard to Lamar<br />- Turn south down Lamar / Guadalupe back to DowntownAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-88082936130514823112012-05-03T07:39:29.117-07:002012-05-03T07:39:29.117-07:00Great post, many thanks. I would include a riversi...Great post, many thanks. I would include a riverside branch to the airport the proposal.Jameshttp://www.oriontransportation.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-53591116466575237972012-04-17T08:30:19.998-07:002012-04-17T08:30:19.998-07:00Susan, the Feds, in 1997, predicted that double-tr...Susan, the Feds, in 1997, predicted that double-track electric rail on the Red Line corridor would produce ridership that was unacceptably low for their cost participation.<br /><br />People who currently drive will, in aggregate, not accept transfers as part of their daily commute. You are thinking like a transit-lover; not like somebody who has to be convinced to ride.M1EKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00312917104377930444noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-3087406221834447552012-04-13T08:53:57.884-07:002012-04-13T08:53:57.884-07:00Great post, Jeff, thanks. I just want to add that ...Great post, Jeff, thanks. I just want to add that FTA is in the process of changing their criteria so that ridership will be more important in evaluating projects.<br /><br />Mike, I think you underestimate the willingness of people to transfer, especially if the trains are timed correctly. There is less resistance to transferring between trains as opposed to a bus. Also, there is the potential to electrify at least a portion of the Red Line in the future, so the light rail cars could ride on it.Susan Pantellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07584865096990150434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-66593144213534390562012-04-06T14:27:58.817-07:002012-04-06T14:27:58.817-07:00Bravo. More than any other issue, this has held Au...Bravo. More than any other issue, this has held Austin back. The lack of a strong public transport system. And it is obvious which one they should choose. Although I would include a Riverside branch to the airport w the proposal. Riverside is ripe for density and the airport connection will add votes.el_longhornnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-72589036191470173302012-04-04T13:01:28.741-07:002012-04-04T13:01:28.741-07:00I realize the numbers don't compare quite yet,...I realize the numbers don't compare quite yet, but S Lamar is currently adding about 2,000 new apt units to the half-mile stretch between Barton Springs and W Mary. Also planned are some 700 apartments on either side of Chuys, 300+ at Manchaca and Lamar, and another 700 adjacent to the Broken Spoke. South Lamar is going to become an all-day parking lot by 2014 and no one's proposing any kinds of pedestrian or transit improvements to it. This city likes to pretend to be so 21st century but still plans like it's 1973.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-20453422829590640802012-04-04T12:05:27.894-07:002012-04-04T12:05:27.894-07:00Regarding serving new ridership, it isn't just...Regarding serving new ridership, it isn't just the case that Mueller isn't fully built out, whereas the Guadalupe / Lamar route is. Development in west campus slowed down somewhat during the recession, but there are at least four large construction sites there right now and as the economy picks up and the zoning remains permissive, I imagine even more will be coming. Rents are high and vacancies low in West Campus and there are plenty of undergraduates living elsewhere left to move in. Plus, as the millenial generation is walking away from car ownership, a larger and larger percentage of West Campus residents will be showing up without cars and thinking of transit as the natural form of transportation.Dan Keshethttp://austinonyourfeet.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6609536178570975752.post-75012979109681707282012-04-04T06:49:02.627-07:002012-04-04T06:49:02.627-07:00The only GOOD reason not to choose this corridor i...The only GOOD reason not to choose this corridor is because the Red Line screwed us.<br /><br />In 2000, we could justify the extreme disruption (bringing Guadalupe down to one lane - not one lane each way, but one lane TOTAL from 27th to 30th) by the fact that we'd be getting 30-40,000 boardings/day.<br /><br />Now that the Red Line exists? Maybe 25,000 boardings, tops? Because, remember, the suburban riders that were a big chunk of that original number now have to transfer - and transfers turn off suburban drivers more than they do urbanites.<br /><br />My picture here:<br /><br />http://www.dahmus.org/blogimg/20110405dragconstrained2000lrt1.jpg<br /><br />This is what was on the wall of the UTC's meeting room for a couple of months in 2003. This is what would have had to happen to support reserved-guideway rail in this stretch of Guadalupe.<br /><br />And this is why we can't have it now. Because the Red Line was built.M1EKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12041791804881707751noreply@blogger.com