BIKE: Re: New Cap Metro long-range plan

[Mike Dahmus]

Jeb Boyt wrote:

> ----Original Message Follows----
> From: Mike Dahmus <mdahmus>
> Date: Wed, 12 May 2004 08:26:18 -0500
>
> RwT is very unlikely. Cap Metro is going to need to double-track a few 
> portions of this route immediately (and in the long-term, all of it); 
> and I doubt there is sufficient width in the corridor to put that and 
> a 10-foot trail in.
> --------------------------------------------------------
>
> We have had serious and encouraging discussions with Cap Metro 
> regarding having rails with trails.  In many places there is ample 
> width to have double-track AND a trail.  Also, Cap Metro is interested 
> in having the trails as ways to access their stations and as a route 
> for riders to take when they disembark.

"in many places", I agree. If you're selling this as "we'll have a long 
trail", I disagree. There may be short stretches where you can put in a 
trail with the rail.


> ----Original Message Follows----
> Commuter rail has not, in other cities, ever lead to redevelopment. 
> This is wishful thinking. The line only runs during rush hours, and at 
> poor frequencies - this is not enough to convince people to move to a 
> high-density development.
> -------------------------------------------
>
> Redevelopment adjacent to transit is happening in Dallas, Portland, 
> and other cities that have added rail over the last 15 years.

Jeb, if you were honestly confused by my wording, please let me know. 
Otherwise, I have to assume you're being disingenuous here - I'm 
explicitly making a distinction between commuter rail and light rail in 
terms of headways and operating times (i.e. commuter rail often runs 
only during rush hour or at long headways such as once every 30 
minutes). Note that Portland and Dallas experienced redevelopment from 
light rail, not commuter rail. (The commuter rail running between Dallas 
and FW did not lead to any development activity in the private sector; 
while light rail has done so all over the place).

> We are probably at least ten years away from a ballot measure 
> authorizing rail in the Central City.  Bus rapid transit is what we 
> have to work with now, and it is a means of building the ridership and 
> infrastructure to support some form of fixed mass transit in the 
> future.  If Cap Metro's current commuter rail fails, it may well be 20 
> years, if not longer, before we see another rail proposal on a ballot.

This plan ensures that the urban core will not get rail in our 
lifetimes. The operating costs of this ill-planned commuter rail line 
will suck up all of Capital Metro's extra money; and the rapid bus line 
will fail to attract any additional passengers. This will provide 
ammunition for skeptics to claim that (a) we can't afford light rail, 
and (b) nobody would ride it anyways.

- MD