Recently, I've begun to use CapMetro as an alternative route to my commute from Cedar Park to downtown. Originally I had intended to use the metro rail as I had been accustomed to rail systems in other cities that ran quickly with a nice variant in time schedules. If you missed a train, another would be along in a few minutes to get you to your destination without much if a delay. That was not what I found with the schedules for the metro rail in Austin. The length of time it took to ride the train was longer then taking an express bus from the same station to the Capital Complex. The wait time between trains was extremely long so if you missed a train you might as well call and let your boss know you're going to be at least 30-40 minutes late. It's also very limited to the locations it can go. A large portion of Austin does not receive rail service.
I, however, was pleased to read Surid Kaphle's blog "A Great Citizen" who offered positive news about the rail service. It's usage during SXSW increased attendance and revenue to the areas along the rail line and allowed many locals the opportunity to avoid the downtown traffic that week.
A point that I feel would have been pertinent to the "boom" of Metrorail usage that was not mentioned was the state of the economy. Gas prices are still rising, commutes are still long, many people are out of work or looking for work , budgets are stretched to the max so many including myself just can't afford the extra gas. In addition, students like myself at ACC can get a free bus pass for the semester allowing me to ride the bus OR the rail for free which has made riding Capmetro much more appealing. Honestly, if it wasn't for the economy, I'm not sure the Metrorail would have the riders that it does.
No comments:
Post a Comment