Light Rail Advocacy in Austin, Texas

Today's topic is a little closer to home than many that we have covered. A recent article in the Austin American Statesman, "Light-rail system is vital to Austin's development, Dallas transit expert says", was the impetus for the following letter to author and the editor from Chris Burr, Co-Founder of ACPRT. Read them both, then give us your opinion. Better yet, send your opinion to Ms. Breyer, Mr. Oppel, your representatives at Capital Metro, Campo, etc.

P.S. - If the article no longer appears at the Statesman site, HERE is a mirror of it.

Dear Ms. Breyer and Mr. Oppel;

So Mr. Hughes thinks Austin should "decide what you want your (transit) system to do.." and that we "should work for a rail system that meets the needs of the city and its residents" That's good advice, and Austin has already done the first part with the Austin In Motion survey prior to the last light rail election. 70% of the respondents selected traffic congestion as the number one problem facing the city - as close to a definition of what the citizenry wants as we are likely to get. Unfortunately, the poor A.I.M study doesn't get let out much by Cap Metro or the city anymore. After the realization that light rail will have minimal traffic congestion impact, it doesn't work well with the new party line adopted by Messrs. Walker, Librach and the rest of the powers that be. That mantra - that "the Rapid Transit Project isn't about relieving traffic congestion, but about building new transit and walking oriented communities" - is a concept that is certain to resonate well with Mr. Hughes, the "president of a firm that specializes in transit-related developments." Personally, I can't remember the last time someone complained to me about the lack of lovely little townhouses in the city center, but traffic problems are a daily gripe in my office - one that our transportation chieftains seem determined to downplay and ignore in their drive to build a shiny new light rail system.

Traffic congestion is the number one challenge facing Austin's transportation system. If Cap Metro's anointed technology is unable to material affect this problem, then they should at least examine other technologies that might do so. Personal rapid transit, as advocated by Austin Citizens for Personal Rapid Transit, has the potential to attract and move more people than light rail ever will, while supporting Mr. Hughes' TOD AND the other 90% of the city that is built (and will remain) as low-density, single family construction. So why has it not been given anything more than a cursory look by the Rapid Transit Project? Because it has not yet been used by another city to provide traffic congestion relief? Well, from my point of view, the light rail based plan being marketed (again), has the same problem, and it's been tried in over twenty other cities.

Your paper and your readers should be asking why Capital Metro and the city are so dedicated to spending so much on a plan that does so little for the number one concern of so many. You should be asking them to at least TRY to find something that will benefit a large portion of the city, instead of focusing an entire city's tax dollars building and connecting a few nice neighborhoods for the lucky few that can live and work near the precious few light rail stations. As for building a small starter system now, Austin prefers to keep it's camels (including their noses) outside of the tent until they are invited in, thank you very much!

Chris J. Burr, Co-founder
Austin Citizens for Personal Rapid Transit
www.acprt.org - 512 xxx-xxxx