So uh..Austin Subway*, Light Rail Expansions and $3.2 - $10.2 Billion

[Texas Jeff 1913]

On 6/29/2023 at 5:55 PM, Armybrat said:

So, Capital Metro needs more office space and is purchasing the new 182,000 sq/ft building next door to their headquarters in East Austin (3100 EAST 5TH STREET) for $87,000,000. 
Interesting.

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/local/2023/06/26/capmetro-approved-87-million-purchase-for-new-east-austin-facility/70358390007/

Hey it's public money so it's free so no biggie...

Do they really need a building 50% larger than city hall?  In the WFH era, with the need for office space plummeting, can they not drive a better bargain for the citizens than $478 per sq ft?

Also, just for the sake of irony, here's a picture of the new home of the bus service.  Ample parking day or night:
 

[Armybrat 40527]

Yeah, makes me wonder who brokered that “deal” and what their connections are to the present & former City Hall crowd?

[Biff Tannen 45013]

On 6/4/2023 at 2:09 PM, YGIFS said:

Yes, and Amsterdam probably has very similar weather to Austin from May to October where it is Oh So Pleasant to bike about the MSA.  

Even my sweaty ass can bike to work in Holland in Jul.y

It seems like no one who is a proponent of more bikes has ever lived in Austin in the summer.

Edited July 5, 2023 by Biff Tannen

[royiv 9044]

It’s been nearly a year since the last post in this thread. In the meantime, Austin taxpayers have received another tax bill including the increased property taxes for this project. Has there been any progress? It seems like things have been eerily quiet with it.

[Thetexashammer 1062]

[Radical Larry 28420]

[YGIFS 19445]

The encumbered amount continues to grow as another round of paper was sold for this in May.  Higher interest rates with lower assessed values on much of the property in Austin due to the Legislature.  Higher construction bids than expected, slower capital design/permitting process, and a radical altering of the initial routes and adjacent land acquisitions.  

Yeah, I can't believe this isn't going better.  Shocked.  Shocked, I tell you.  

Bike lanes to the airport will still probably happen though.  If that's of any consolation.  

We could have a bond proposal in November to sell bonds to pay for research into why our other bonds aren't working and Austin would still vote for it.  Fucking simulation.  

Edited June 5 by YGIFS

[MonkeyDoughnut 9974]

1 hour ago, YGIFS said:

Bike lanes to the airport will still probably happen though.  If that's of any consolation.  

What is the idea behind creating bike lanes to the airport?

[YGIFS 19445]

Wasn’t my idea.  It was pretty much DOA, but it had legs for awhile. 
 

I pictured it like the opening of “Airplane”.  The white zone is the parking of cyclists only.  There is no cyclist parking in the red zone.”  

[Larry T. Spider 1740]

What happens to the bond money that is being collected for this project? Does it go into an (Al Gore) lockbox or can the money be used for other cap metro purposes?

Assuming it has to go towards the rail project that was voted on, it seems like we should get something out of it, even if drastically reduced in scale. They are collecting a shit load of money.

[Texas Jeff 1913]

Are we talking about Austin's plan to build a subway to the airport?  Some fun facts:

The City of Austin collects your tax money and gives it to Austin Transit Partnership, which is not governed by the city.  Some city council members are also ATP board members.  ATP now has 87 employees who split $16.1 million per year, or an average taxpayer cost per employee of $185,057.  The median base salary of an ATP employee is up to $143,520.

Over the last year, the cost estimate for the rail portion has risen from $4.8 billion to $7.1 billion, however this rise mostly reflects a change from 2022 dollars to 2033 dollars.  They expect to break ground on the rail in 2027 and expect trains to roll in 2033.  Expect to be disappointed.

They are getting sued by folks that think that Project Connect promised a downtown subway with surface rail to the airport, and 20 miles of rather than 10.  They got these ideas from the original Project Connect promotional pitch prior to the vote, which showed a downtown subway, rail to the airport, and 20 miles of track rather than 10.

They are getting close to opening two new bus rapid transit lines.  They got a federal match for those and they are very cheap compared to rail.  Cap Metro is getting 26 miles of BRT for under $100 million with more than half of that paid for by the feds.  Compare that with 10 miles of rail at a cost of maybe $5 billion in today's dollars.  The two BRT lines are delayed because they want to use only electric buses and they are having trouble getting the buses and are figuring out how to keep them charged.  Also, compare the BRT development timeframe (about five years even with the electric buses) with rail (13 years if it opens in 2033).

For now, you'll have to wait if you want to take transit from the UT campus through downtown and on to the airport .... unless you hop on the #20 bus, which goes exactly down this route, is available now, arrives every 15 minutes, and costs $1.25 to ride.

More info here:

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/09/21/austin-transit-partnership-budget-oks-190m-fiscal-year-2024/70913560007/

https://communityimpact.com/austin/south-central-austin/transportation/2024/03/25/71b-project-connect-light-rail-to-break-ground-in-2027/

[Samson's Wig 3165]

9 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

Are we talking about Austin's plan to build a subway to the airport?  Some fun facts:

The City of Austin collects your tax money and gives it to Austin Transit Partnership, which is not governed by the city.  Some city council members are also ATP board members.  ATP now has 87 employees who split $16.1 million per year, or an average taxpayer cost per employee of $185,057.  The median base salary of an ATP employee is up to $143,520.

Over the last year, the cost estimate for the rail portion has risen from $4.8 billion to $7.1 billion, however this rise mostly reflects a change from 2022 dollars to 2033 dollars.  They expect to break ground on the rail in 2027 and expect trains to roll in 2033.  Expect to be disappointed.

They are getting sued by folks that think that Project Connect promised a downtown subway with surface rail to the airport, and 20 miles of rather than 10.  They got these ideas from the original Project Connect promotional pitch prior to the vote, which showed a downtown subway, rail to the airport, and 20 miles of track rather than 10.

They are getting close to opening two new bus rapid transit lines.  They got a federal match for those and they are very cheap compared to rail.  Cap Metro is getting 26 miles of BRT for under $100 million with more than half of that paid for by the feds.  Compare that with 10 miles of rail at a cost of maybe $5 billion in today's dollars.  The two BRT lines are delayed because they want to use only electric buses and they are having trouble getting the buses and are figuring out how to keep them charged.  Also, compare the BRT development timeframe (about five years even with the electric buses) with rail (13 years if it opens in 2033).

For now, you'll have to wait if you want to take transit from the UT campus through downtown and on to the airport .... unless you hop on the #20 bus, which goes exactly down this route, is available now, arrives every 15 minutes, and costs $1.25 to ride.

More info here:

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/09/21/austin-transit-partnership-budget-oks-190m-fiscal-year-2024/70913560007/

https://communityimpact.com/austin/south-central-austin/transportation/2024/03/25/71b-project-connect-light-rail-to-break-ground-in-2027/

I have to stop reading shit like this or my house will be on the market and my kids will hate me for taking them away from their friends.

[Biff Tannen 45013]

10 hours ago, Texas Jeff said:

ATP now has 87 employees who split $16.1 million per year, or an average taxpayer cost per employee of $185,057.  The median base salary of an ATP employee is up to $143,520.

[Armybrat 40527]

On 6/5/2024 at 10:42 PM, Larry T. Spider said:

What happens to the bond money that is being collected for this project? Does it go into an (Al Gore) lockbox or can the money be used for other cap metro purposes?

Assuming it has to go towards the rail project that was voted on, it seems like we should get something out of it, even if drastically reduced in scale. They are collecting a shit load of money.

They’ll use it to buy electric self-driving pedicabs.

[Armybrat 40527]

On 6/6/2024 at 8:36 AM, Texas Jeff said:

Are we talking about Austin's plan to build a subway to the airport?  Some fun facts:

The City of Austin collects your tax money and gives it to Austin Transit Partnership, which is not governed by the city.  Some city council members are also ATP board members.  ATP now has 87 employees who split $16.1 million per year, or an average taxpayer cost per employee of $185,057.  The median base salary of an ATP employee is up to $143,520.

Over the last year, the cost estimate for the rail portion has risen from $4.8 billion to $7.1 billion, however this rise mostly reflects a change from 2022 dollars to 2033 dollars.  They expect to break ground on the rail in 2027 and expect trains to roll in 2033.  Expect to be disappointed.

They are getting sued by folks that think that Project Connect promised a downtown subway with surface rail to the airport, and 20 miles of rather than 10.  They got these ideas from the original Project Connect promotional pitch prior to the vote, which showed a downtown subway, rail to the airport, and 20 miles of track rather than 10.

They are getting close to opening two new bus rapid transit lines.  They got a federal match for those and they are very cheap compared to rail.  Cap Metro is getting 26 miles of BRT for under $100 million with more than half of that paid for by the feds.  Compare that with 10 miles of rail at a cost of maybe $5 billion in today's dollars.  The two BRT lines are delayed because they want to use only electric buses and they are having trouble getting the buses and are figuring out how to keep them charged.  Also, compare the BRT development timeframe (about five years even with the electric buses) with rail (13 years if it opens in 2033).

For now, you'll have to wait if you want to take transit from the UT campus through downtown and on to the airport .... unless you hop on the #20 bus, which goes exactly down this route, is available now, arrives every 15 minutes, and costs $1.25 to ride.

More info here:

https://www.statesman.com/story/news/2023/09/21/austin-transit-partnership-budget-oks-190m-fiscal-year-2024/70913560007/

https://communityimpact.com/austin/south-central-austin/transportation/2024/03/25/71b-project-connect-light-rail-to-break-ground-in-2027/

What do those 87 ATP employees produce to earn an average of $185,000 each?

 

[bschoolprof 6219]

2 hours ago, Armybrat said:

What do those 87 ATP employees produce to earn an average of $185,000 each?

 

They deal with the goddamn customers so the engineers don’t have to. They have people skills!!

[YGIFS 19445]

Bob, "Well then I have to ask...why doesn't the track just take the train cars directly...to the customers?"
 

-Haven't you been listening, there are no tracks or train cars?  What the hell is the matter with you people?!?

[texashorne 1177]

On 6/5/2024 at 4:19 PM, YGIFS said:

Wasn’t my idea.  It was pretty much DOA, but it had legs for awhile. 
 

I pictured it like the opening of “Airplane”.  The white zone is the parking of cyclists only.  There is no cyclist parking in the red zone.”  

Don't start with your red zone shit again, Betty. 

[royiv 9044]

More Project Connect legal drama. In the meantime, Austin taxpayers continue to pay increased taxes for the little train that couldn’t.

https://www.kxan.com/traffic/traffic-projects/project-connect/heres-whats-at-stake-in-project-connect-trial-beginning-monday/amp/

 

 

[Biff Tannen 45013]

17 hours ago, royiv said:

More Project Connect legal drama. In the meantime, Austin taxpayers continue to pay increased taxes for the little train that couldn’t.

https://www.kxan.com/traffic/traffic-projects/project-connect/heres-whats-at-stake-in-project-connect-trial-beginning-monday/amp/

 

 

And we are all SHOCKED.  Let's vote in another transportation bond.  They always do what they are supposed to.

[bschoolprof 6219]

That 2016 mobility bond has been a smashing success. It was supposed to be all done this year. As of 2 years ago, less than half the $720 billion had been spent or obligated.   

[YGIFS 19445]

2 hours ago, bschoolprof said:

That 2016 mobility bond has been a smashing success. It was supposed to be all done this year. As of 2 years ago, less than half the $720 billion had been spent or obligated.   

Look man, the factory can only make so many of those white plastic pylons in a given year.  

Yeah, they just encumbered another cycle of paper last month and only like 30% of it has cleared capital planning.  So yes, in this oh so wonderful interest rate environment, we're servicing debt that covers a guy doing renderings of what the renderings of the new renderings should look like 2 years from now.  Perfectly sound plan.  

[bschoolprof 6219]

I guess I was naive enough to think that we were holding off on the actual bond issuances until we had, you know, shovel-ready projects to spend the funds on.  But instead it sounds like the bonds have already been issued and the funds are just sitting in a bank account accruing interest. Lovely.  

[Updawg 2245]

I guess I was naive enough to think that we were holding off on the actual bond issuances until we had, you know, shovel-ready projects to spend the funds on.  But instead it sounds like the bonds have already been issued and the funds are just sitting in a bank account accruing interest. Lovely.  

Crazy if true. And unfortunately probably so

[Biff Tannen 45013]

2 hours ago, YGIFS said:

Look man, the factory can only make so many of those white plastic pylons in a given year.  

They put two of those in front of my fucking house where I’ve parked my car for the past 14 years. I did not handle it well. 

[YGIFS 19445]

47 minutes ago, Biff Tannen said:

They put two of those in front of my fucking house where I’ve parked my car for the past 14 years. I did not handle it well. 

I can't quite remember the bit, but I'm remembering Chris Rock talking about how many dicks his girlfriend talked about sucking before they met.  "TWO?  YOU TALKING ABOUT TWO?!?"  Be glad it's the pair, it's far worse in so many other parts of Austin.  

[BabaYaga 15161]

On 6/10/2024 at 9:02 PM, Armybrat said:

What do those 87 ATP employees produce to earn an average of $185,000 each?

 

[PilotsError 2237]

Lol it’s fucked everywhere. No one is accountable on this shit anywhere. 
 

 

[Ghost of LL 15244]

8 hours ago, PilotsError said:

Lol it’s fucked everywhere. No one is accountable on this shit anywhere. 
 

 

Yeah, and I'm sorry but if it ain't airside, it isn't worth shit.

[BrazilHorn 6563]

[royiv 9044]

10 hours ago, Ghost of LL said:

Yeah, and I'm sorry but if it ain't airside, it isn't worth shit.

I wouldn’t normally disagree with this statement, but LAX absolutely needs a landside solution unless they decide to completely give up on the horseshoe terminal drive. I don’t see that happening so this solution is the best option to unfuck traffic. It’s not like there’s a ton of connecting traffic between terminals at LAX since the majors all have their own terminals.

[elfenix 34075]

yeah world way is one of the most horrible things ever.

 

hooray airport design from the 1950s and 60s when each airline needed its own terminal with no good route between them

[wackawacka 165]

Yep, a complete waste of money but the alternative is 100x times worse. You have to invest into public transit for a long-time to get to scale before it becomes effective. Or you end up being like Houston.

https://www.threads.net/@thetransitguy/post/DAquOb5g6vy

 

[randomhorn 1500]

Just one more lane… just one more lane…

 

[MonkeyDoughnut 9974]

I guess they don't feel like self-driving vehicles will be a thing in 10-20 years.