BIKE: Re: Rails with Trails

[Mike Dahmus]

David Foster wrote:

"I don't agree with the characterization of commuter rail as 'crappy'. 
The technology Cap Metro is looking at is an electric hybrid. Some of 
these low-polluting trains (depending in part of course on how the 
electricity is produced) are already in operation in New Jersey and 
Europe, and newer hybrids are in design as well. "
[...]
"However, I do see commuter rail as a 'foot in the door' and we can and 
should have serious conversations about how to expand passenger rail, in 
whatever form, once we have made a start here.

All that said, I am a solid supporter of the commuter rail proposal, and 
believe that cyclists should work to pass it partly because it does open 
up tremendous opportunities for Rails-with-Trails."

The danger is that a bad starter system is, as another commissioner put 
it on Monday, likely to be a finisher system. And this, by any measure, 
is a bad starter system.

1. It doesn't provide service throughout the day - only every 30 minutes 
during morning and afternoon rush - not at all in the middle of the day 
or in the evening
2. It doesn't provide service to ANY of Austin's high-density 
residential areas
3. It requires nearly every passenger who rides it to transfer to a 
shuttle bus (stuck in traffic) to reach their final destination (UT, 
Capitol, downtown).

This is NOT a foot in the door, folks. This is a shot in the foot in the 
door. No starter system that has those 3 characteristics has EVER succeeded.

Voting for this plan in order to get rails with trails is also silly - 
this line is going to be such a failure in terms of ridership that 
Capital Metro is going to lose momentum for any further transit 
expansion in the city, so there's no way they'll have the money or 
political cover to build trails.

- MD