http://www.mysanantonio.com/livinggr...ight_rail.html
For the love of god get this done.
Hopefully it gets rolling (pardon the pun) in the next year or two while gasoline is still cheap, so that by the time it es in 2010-2012 or so, there is a workable plan on the drawing board.
My best guess is that in about 10-15 years cities are going to be screaming for light rail solutions.
This will not pass if it's put to vote during current gas prices.
It would have passed when gas was at around $4 a gallon, but San Antonians just love their damned cars too much.
If they do it right and actually serve the areas that would alleviate the most congestion, i'd like it... but it's just that we're so damned tourist happy it might turn out to be some re ed downtown-to-fiesta texas/sea world line.
I'd certianly vote for it. Freakin old people always want to slow down progress. Geez.
Well be prepared for any initial lines to be a downtown - the rim - fiesta texas - UTSA type of line. It just makes a lot of sense to connect UTSA and those attractions in that area (not to mention Valero) to the downtown area first.
I think you're right about the gas prices, but I think everyone should realize that 2 dollar gas is not here to stay. Enjoy it while it lasts, but I think people's at udes have changed now that they know where those prices can and will return to.
That'd be pretty awesome. My wife's family lives in San Antonio, and it'd be great to be able to fly down to San Antonio and use public transportation, instead of having to drive 10 hours down there each time we go.
Austin's rail line is looking like a mixed bag so far. It's great that they are starting all the way out in Leander; hopefully that will relieve some congestion on 183. The route itself takes a stupid dog-leg to the east side though, and the station closest to me has absolutely no parking by design while a block away there is a huge vacant lot right on the right-of-way on a major street.
For high-speed inter-city rail, Texas is a good candidate for the DAL-HOU-SA-AUS routes, but Southwest and BigOil will buy enough politicians to strangle a rail project at conception.
California, otoh, always is the national leader:
http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/
http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/11/california-vote.html
I realize that would be one of the first lines... but you'd have to have about 5 stops in between to get the most of out it. Let's say... downtown --> SAC area --> I10/410 --> Med Center South --> Huebner --> UTSA/Six Flags/The Rim.
Add on top of that an effective way from getting people from the their stop to their cars without turning it into a major congestion issue. Shuttling could work, but even that has its own logistics issues.
You understand that it's existing, soon-to-be abandoned tracks that they'll use, right? The rail can't go all of those places, because it's already in place. That will also cut the costs in a major way. You may want to read the proposal or the article before you chime in.
I think it will make money in year one, and for one reason: UTSA to UTSA commuting. It's an almost perfect campus to campus rail line, so it has a built in clientele. I've heard that they will add no more parking at the 1604 campus, because per space addition costs are around $15,000 now. There will also be peeps from the NW side who work downtown that will happily park and train on in.
It's not going to help everyone, or even most people, but it will be a great first step, and probably not cost much, since the tracks and right of way are in place already. Even if you're a die hard driver, you should support this, since it will take drivers off your freeway, and those drivers will probably be Greenpeace Granolas that drive like 55 or 60 anyways.
hopefully this time they actually spend some time and money getting the word out to the people and educating them on it, unlike last time.
A line to the airport and a line to Schertz/Cibolo and New Braunfels are the two that should be worked on after the initial line.
Southwest and Big Oil won't have to do any lobbying. Have you looked at the price of an Amtrak ticket? Until they could get the cost down to $140 round trip between any of those cities, Southwest would still be cheaper.
But keep your head in the sand as usual.
Freakin old people had these things years ago and know why they
don't work. That is why you don't see them anymore.
You might just want to read Aggie's little missive.
Have you taken a ride on via lately, thought not.
Southwest kill the Texas rail project once, so I'm sure they'll do it again (if it ever gets proposed)
http://austinist.com/2006/08/01/myst...that_wasnt.php
seems like Soutwest didn't want the compe ion then, and they wouldn't want it now. Amtrak prices vs Southwest prices are irrelevant, as is Amtrak
The ASA rail has proposed stops at the AeroPuerto ,between Schertz and Garden Ridge on 3009, and in NB and SM. It would run all the way north of Round Rock, almost to GTown.
I ride on Via a couple of times a week and the service is a load better than it was a few years back. I much rather combine a bike and the bus to get to school 3 times a week because then I don't deal with traffic or parking and I get to study or work on the bus.
And you are seeing light rail everywhere now. Dallas has one, Houston has one, Austin is building one. Its becoming increasingly common because they make sense.
Yeah, but a rail commuter line between those cities run at a better efficency than Amtrak might see lower costs.
I'm not sure it will make money from year one, but there are many long term benefits to getting this done ASAP, not the least of which is avoiding toll-roads and further damage to our environment with increased emissions...
Whatever man. SLC put a light rail system in ahead of the 02 Olympics and it is to this day a roaring success. It is packed, daily. We have a line that runs to the Delta Center for Jazz games and it is standing room only. We have a line going to the University- again, always packed. We're a small city just like SA and gas prices or not (our system was put in when I was paying .99 cents/Gallon) it would work there just as well. Hope they get this done.
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