Moody Center
Article Skirted Cultural Transit Issues
RECEIVED Mon., April 11, 2011
Dear Editor,
Reading the Chronicle's recent piece about the urban rail debates in Austin [“Why Rail?,” News, April 8], I found that while the author's piece touched briefly on the socio-cultural preconceptions which play a role in preventing Austin from committing to meaningful mass transit investments, it skirted the issue like a third rail. Yes, I said it. For now, let us put aside the fact that in terms of planning, Austin may not even be amenable to rail planning. While not the sprawlgasm that is Houston (not a knock, H-town), Austin remains a very spread-out city. Most Austinites don't feel that mass transit is a reliable means of transit for anyone but the poor or the disabled, as was stated in the article, but I believe the significance this type of thinking has on the transportation debate cannot be underestimated. Truth be told, I cannot say that I exactly blame those who avoid Austin's lackluster public transit. I have ridden the abomination that is Capital Metro for nearly 20 years and have rarely had much good to say about its service (rude drivers, perpetually late buses, limited service areas, and higher fares on the backs of the poor doth not make for a great transit authority). People who move to Austin realize very quickly that if you want to experience any of what the city has to offer, you're going to need a car. Relying on the buses here will not get you very far in any sense of the word. Even so, encouraging the use of public transit means acclimating people to the idea that public transit has a place in everyone's life, regardless of their incomes. Until that happens, Austin may take a subversive's pride in claiming it is not like the rest of Texas, that it is forward-thinking and committed to transit alternatives, but in its ability to persuade a car-dependent culture that using public transit is a smart thing to do for the long-term sustainability of one's city, Austin has a long way to go. When light rail was voted down, we missed out on an opportunity in 2000, I'm not sure that the proposed 2012 rail plan is what's needed to address our transit woes.
Reading the Chronicle's recent piece about the urban rail debates in Austin [“Why Rail?,” News, April 8], I found that while the author's piece touched briefly on the socio-cultural preconceptions which play a role in preventing Austin from committing to meaningful mass transit investments, it skirted the issue like a third rail. Yes, I said it. For now, let us put aside the fact that in terms of planning, Austin may not even be amenable to rail planning. While not the sprawlgasm that is Houston (not a knock, H-town), Austin remains a very spread-out city. Most Austinites don't feel that mass transit is a reliable means of transit for anyone but the poor or the disabled, as was stated in the article, but I believe the significance this type of thinking has on the transportation debate cannot be underestimated. Truth be told, I cannot say that I exactly blame those who avoid Austin's lackluster public transit. I have ridden the abomination that is Capital Metro for nearly 20 years and have rarely had much good to say about its service (rude drivers, perpetually late buses, limited service areas, and higher fares on the backs of the poor doth not make for a great transit authority). People who move to Austin realize very quickly that if you want to experience any of what the city has to offer, you're going to need a car. Relying on the buses here will not get you very far in any sense of the word. Even so, encouraging the use of public transit means acclimating people to the idea that public transit has a place in everyone's life, regardless of their incomes. Until that happens, Austin may take a subversive's pride in claiming it is not like the rest of Texas, that it is forward-thinking and committed to transit alternatives, but in its ability to persuade a car-dependent culture that using public transit is a smart thing to do for the long-term sustainability of one's city, Austin has a long way to go. When light rail was voted down, we missed out on an opportunity in 2000, I'm not sure that the proposed 2012 rail plan is what's needed to address our transit woes.
Tiffany Conner