Comments on: What's Taking Austin So Long?

By: M1EK

M1EK — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:12:07 +0000

Oh, and as for:

Yet the city envisions the line as the potential backbone of an entire network.

The city does nothing of the sort; the city has gradually come to realize (as some of us said back in ’04) that the commuter rail system proposed by Capital Metro will never be able to help Austin in any way, shape, or form; which is why Austin is spending its energy on the “CAMPO TWG plan” (the downtown-to-old-and-new-airport ultra-light-rail proposal).

Keep in mind that Capital Metro is not Austin; CM is at the mercy of the state (legislator Mike Krusee single-handedly destroyed the far superior 2000 proposal) and is dominated by suburban interests; and is currently led by a GM who never believed in rail to begin with – the true rail leader (Karen Rae) left after the 2000 election failed to go work for the FTA.

By: M1EK

M1EK — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 18:04:12 +0000

It IS commuter rail; CM has flirted with misrepresenting it as light rail to try to win back center-city residents who have begun to realize they voted for a system that provides the most dense residential parts of the city no service whatsoever (other than a dubiously named Rapid Bus line on what is the only rail corridor in the city that makes any actual sense).

More here:

http://mdahmus.monkeysystems.com/blog/archives/cat_dont_hurt_us_mr_krusee_well_do_whatever_you_want.html

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 15:36:24 +0000

..or if they had just chosen an FRA Crash-Compliant vehicle in the first place.

I also disagree that freight tracks cannot meet passenger rail’s demands and rigors. It can, but only through proper funding and cooperation. And with a vehicle that meets crash standards for freely mixing traffic. Please – someone out there engineer a worthy replacement for the RDC!

By: Wad

Wad — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:49:52 +0000

Veolia Environnement is one of France’s biggest companies. Besides transportation, Veolia also has substantial energy and water holdings.

Veolia legacy transport companies in North America include Connex and National Express, which in turn was made up of ATC/Vancom, McDonald Transit and Durham school transportation.

By: Andrew in Ezo

Andrew in Ezo — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 01:31:02 +0000

@Wad
Thanks, actually it makes even more sense now. Something about these companies with their contrived, marketing dept. created names (veolia?- might as well be a brand of margarine!) selling “solutions” makes them suspect in my eyes.

By: Alon Levy

Alon Levy — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:23:48 +0000

By the standard of the other chordal light rail system in Jersey, 9,000 is really pitiful.

By: Adirondacker

Adirondacker — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:12:02 +0000

Robert, the RIver Line doesn’t meet it’s ridership projections. Doesn’t run often enough, from what I hear, to give everyone a seat. . . because they were projecting 5,500 riders a day when it opened and soon afterward were carrying 7,300. Can be hard to get a seat because five years after opening they are carrying 9,000 riders, they are at capacity…. Just awful what happened with that… .

By: Wad

Wad — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 22:03:00 +0000

Andrew, Connex is Veolia.

By: Robert Jackel

Robert Jackel — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 20:27:26 +0000

This reminds me of the Riverline in Camden/Trenton, as well as the proposed Patco extension in south jersey. Do they have the same long term problems? NJ is really into sharing with freight. I’ve been skeptical, but I’ve ridden the riverline and it actually works pretty well. So, is this an endemic problem that comes with sharing lines with freight, or is Austin just doing a bad job of it?

By: John

John — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 18:53:51 +0000

This sounds more like commuter rail than light rail.