Andres Lucero

On the Dismal State of Austin Traffic

(Photo by Charles Stricklin)

Drew Finke, “Demanding action on urban rail”:

With roads and highways already operating beyond designed capacity and little room in which to expand them, a local rail network within the city center is a proven and sustainable solution that has the potential to increase accessibility and mobility in Austin’s increasingly dense urban core.

This is the conversation I have everywhere I go now. I’ve been here just short of a decade and I’ve seen the city expand upwards and outwards, but the transit system has barely adapted to the growing needs of its residents.

CapMetro’s half-hearted attempt at rail service, first approved in 2004, has had no noticeable effect on traffic conditions at peak hours since it began service two years ago. We can’t wait another eight years to solve this problem; it needs to be done now and with the full weight of the city’s resources behind it.

We’re not Houston (yet). We can still do this. But it has to be our #1 commitment.