Quote:
Originally Posted by freerover
Awesome news. I could see them trying to add a pedestrian bridge over Burnet at some point.
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Trying to do pedestrian bridges is really hard. They take up a lot of space (especially to be handicapped compliant) and hurt the urban framework.
It's also seen as "giving up" and ceding priority to cars over pedestrians.
For instance, I believe the Airport Blvd corridor plan actually called for removing the one that's over Airport in east Austin.
What's probably preferable
long term is to keep the pedestrian crossing at grade. However, have center-running transit on Burnet (either light rail or BRT) and have the pedestrian crossing be to-from an actual median station.
That way, you only have to cross half the lanes at once, only have to look one direction at once, there's a median refuge, etc.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freerover
I just mean that this is only possible if they have more trains than they need to hit their frequency goals. That's the case now because the downtown station construction delay won't allow them to run at a higher frequency. Cap Metro would have to decide to buy more trains without the intention of increasing frequency which they might have to do.
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That assumes that 15 minute frequency maxes out the usage of 10 trains. It may or may not (I don't know). There are (potentially) other factors that may limit CMs usage of the trains.
for instance, they may run 15 minute frequencies, even if 10 trains would allow (hypothetically) 13 minute frequencies to make scheduling easier to understand. Or to limit wear and tear (and maintenance requirements). Or to limit staffing requirements and fuel usage. Or simply because they calculate that it wouldn't increase ridership on a normal day (but potentially could for special events).
there's also the fact that they normally keep at least one spare vehicle, but I believe they may use it (go without a spare) for special events like SxSW.
Quote:
Originally Posted by freerover
Do you know which portions of rail are using for freight other than the MoPac line? Kirk Watson wanted to get some legislation passed earlier this year that would allow them to make improvements to the rail that they want to use for the Green Line. I believe he said they are already making the improvements to help with freight needs and passing the legislation would allow them to use the same workers to make it suitable for passenger trains at the same time. While I have seen construction crews working on the rail, I don't remember the last time I saw a train on the portion of Track in Austin and I've been by there at night.
That being said, I don't know where a fright train traveling on the Red Line rail would go if it wasn't using the Green Line rail. It's just weird because I've never seen one there.
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Freight rail uses the Red Line trail many/most nights. It's frequently really late at night or really early in the morning, though (due to the requirements of temporal separation from the passenger usage).
As for where it would go, yes I believe most is through traffic, but there's also sidings into the industrial users by Metric.
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3846...7179937,17.75z
There's also one still used by the city itself (this one was mentioned as causing issues for the red line trail planning)
https://www.google.com/maps/@30.3946...7153654,17.75z
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