Austin Improv

kbadr wrote:

scook wrote:My dream would be to have a subway system. But that's just a dream, I doubt that would ever happen here. Light rail is a slight start, I suppose.

A subway system would only work if the city had a semi-consistent grid layout. Austin doesn't have that, to say the least.

Don't tell London!

kbadr wrote:

scook wrote:My dream would be to have a subway system. But that's just a dream, I doubt that would ever happen here. Light rail is a slight start, I suppose.

A subway system would only work if the city had a semi-consistent grid layout. Austin doesn't have that, to say the least.

I don't think that's a requirement for a subway man.

mcnichol wrote:I don't think that's a requirement for a subway man.

Maybe not. I don't think Austin's built densely enough to make a subway feasible, though. I could be wrong.

kbadr wrote:

mcnichol wrote:I don't think that's a requirement for a subway man.

Maybe not. I don't think Austin's built densely enough to make a subway feasible, though. I could be wrong.

My point is that we should be planning for when Austin is built that densely, and I believe it will be, slowly over time.

Sorry to beat a dead horse -- this thread isn't about mass transit -- but just read some of the articles that stem off the main wikipedia page here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapid_transit

Most of the stuff people have said should keep us from building a subway has not stopped any other city from building it (ie. they have the same issues) and they have all benefitted greatly from it.

Regarding a city without a grid structure, DC built their Metro in the 60's/70's and they have a layout almost as perverse as London or Paris (who also both have massive rail transit systems).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrorail_ ... 2C_D.C.%29

mcnichol wrote: -- this thread isn't about mass transit --

No, it's about crepe vendors that sell cupcakes. Pay attention.

LisaJackson wrote:

mcnichol wrote: -- this thread isn't about mass transit --

No, it's about crepe vendors that sell cupcakes. Pay attention.

I think I love you, Lisa Jackson.

Jules wrote:

LisaJackson wrote:

mcnichol wrote: -- this thread isn't about mass transit --

No, it's about crepe vendors that sell cupcakes. Pay attention.

I think I love you, Lisa Jackson.

I think you only love me for my cupcakes. But that's enough for me.

here's another issue that's as bad downtown as it is in many other parts of the city... and even many other parts of the state:
Driving lanes are very poorly marked. At night, dusk, dawn and when it's raining, it's very difficult to tell where the lanes of traffic are.

Also: Texans need to learn that the left lane is the fast lane (or the passing lane). This is a country-wide problem, but nowhere that I've been is this rule so poorly recognized than in Texas. Sorry to get off-topic.

York99 wrote: Also: Texans need to learn that the left lane is the fast lane (or the passing lane). This is a country-wide problem, but nowhere that I've been is this rule so poorly recognized than in Texas. Sorry to get off-topic.

Upper/Lower split on 35, the slow lane becomes THE EXPRESS LANE. What genius came up with that idea

York99 wrote:At night, dusk, dawn and when it's raining, it's very difficult to tell where the lanes of traffic are.

On this line of discussion, I've lived in several cities and never had this experience before of people constantly fudging lanes. They aren't changing lanes on purpose but they intermittently come over the line in my lane. This occurs in daytime and I can see the lines so I don't know if it's a problem of people just don't pay attention driving here, which I do think is a real problem in Austin, but maybe also Austin uses a narrower lane standard than most places. That could be a problem in a town where it looks like half the drivers use wide trucks and SUVs.

LisaJackson wrote:I don't know if it's a problem of people just don't pay attention driving here, which I do think is a real problem in Austin

People don't pay attention on foot in parking lots here, either. They often walk right in front of a car without watching. I wonder if the two are related.

Subways don't need a grid layout or anything to work. But they do need certain types of soil and bedrock. There are some places that you just can't build a safe, stable subway system due to the native make-up of the soil and rock.

I don't know Austin's situation, but I know many years ago Nashville briefly discussed the idea, but geologists shot it down. Damn geologists!

What we can do is build is a monorail!!

Wesley wrote: What we can do is build is a monorail!!

Damn fine idea.

York99 wrote:

Wesley wrote: What we can do is build is a monorail!!

Damn fine idea.

Yeah, that worked real well in Seattle. Boy, I'm finding myself Little Miss Sarcasm today. I'd better shut the hell up.

what happened in Seattle?