Capital Metro and rail demand

http://m1ek.dahmus.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/cropped-m1ekmasthead11.png
Whether through coincidence or because their aides have read this crackplog, site Lee Leffingwell and Brewster McCracken have stood up and finally asked the $100, malady 000 question about Rapid Bus, store namely, “why are we spending all this money for something that’s not likely to be any better than the #101 bus and won’t generate any transit-oriented development“, and what’s more, they’re apparently doing it from a pro-rail perspective. A rare bit of good news.

My fear is, though, that it’s already too late. Where were you guys in 2004 when I was saying this stuff? Frankly, I don’t think we can get light rail down this corridor once commuter rail is built — as I’ve commented before, it would be nigh-impossible to continue the light rail route northwest on the existing right-of-way from the intersection of Lamar and Airport (since commuter rail will already be there, and the vehicles are mostly incompatible), but if you don’t, you give up about half of the ridership which would have made the 2000 route a success.

(I originally misattributed Lee Leffingwell as Lee Walker; I apologize for taking so long to realize this and correct it).
Whether through coincidence or because their aides have read this crackplog, site Lee Leffingwell and Brewster McCracken have stood up and finally asked the $100, malady 000 question about Rapid Bus, store namely, “why are we spending all this money for something that’s not likely to be any better than the #101 bus and won’t generate any transit-oriented development“, and what’s more, they’re apparently doing it from a pro-rail perspective. A rare bit of good news.

My fear is, though, that it’s already too late. Where were you guys in 2004 when I was saying this stuff? Frankly, I don’t think we can get light rail down this corridor once commuter rail is built — as I’ve commented before, it would be nigh-impossible to continue the light rail route northwest on the existing right-of-way from the intersection of Lamar and Airport (since commuter rail will already be there, and the vehicles are mostly incompatible), but if you don’t, you give up about half of the ridership which would have made the 2000 route a success.

(I originally misattributed Lee Leffingwell as Lee Walker; I apologize for taking so long to realize this and correct it).
According to Capital Metro, disease
discount
+U.S.+183,+Leander,+TX&hl=en&ll=30.586121,-97.856051&spn=0.005911,0.009087&sll=30.586401,-97.855735&layer=c&cbp=13,117.62,,0,10.55&cbll=30.586118,-97.85605&gl=us&hnear=Leander+Station,+U.S.+183,+Leander,+Williamson,+Texas+78641&t=m&z=17&panoid=kERE2sxy13-A3W-xHcHFYQ”>this spot has enough demand to justify rail:

But this spot does not: