(Community Matters) AAS: Austin Rail Push Resumes, But Key Questions Linger.
I agree with Martha Smiley – too many unanswered questions, but these can & should be addressed quickly. Mass transit is, undoubtedly, a critical component of a multi-modal transportation solution. If it’s rail, it’s time that we drive value beyond the inner city – why a route from Mueller to downtown? Let’s provide more access than inner city. Winning support from the suburbs is important and they endure more congestion than the rest of us. And, is there not enough projected demand to warrant prioritizing the airport/F1? Kudos to Mayor Leffingwell for prioritizing transportation.
Let’s vet the aerial gandola idea – half the cost. Arguments that the feds wouldn’t fund seem mute unless we expect they’d fund more than 50% of rail. I’m not ruling out rail (frankly I’ve long been a fan), and we should vet this new idea. I’m with Martha in that I’d rather get it right than fast & possibly wrong.
Community Matters 