The term is commuter rail, not light rail.
In the second expansive transportation plan to be unveiled for the greater Austin area in less than a month, Capital Metro on Tuesday, May 11, revealed a long-range bus and rail plan intended to pull together far-flung parts of the city and its suburbs.
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Harris County Commissioners Court, warming further to the idea of mass transit, was expected to approve a $420,000 contract to review six more corridors for commuter rail. However, in the second news article included here, others on the court had concerns on timing and partnerships.
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Commuter rail lines connecting Leander and Pflugerville to downtown Austin are among the highlights of an extensive transit plan that Capital Metro officials will unveil today.
The “All Systems Go!” project is Capital Metro’s first attempt to sell the public on a long-term transit plan since November 2000, when voters narrowly rejected its plan for a light-rail system. This proposal, while more expansive in its breadth, promises to be cheaper because it relies on a combination of existing freight rail lines and rapid bus routes, Capital Metro officials said. Because the plan is “closer to a blueprint than a plan” and its details could change, spokesman Rick L’Amie stopped short of assigning it a dollar figure. A referendum on portions of the plan is expected in November.
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Houston’s urban center, transformed by light rail, new housing and an array of sports and cultural attractions, is beckoning record numbers of suburbanites, the 2004 Houston Area Survey shows.
This increased interest in urban living is being driven in large part by Anglos, Republicans and families with children at home — groups traditionally regarded as firmly entrenched in suburban lifestyles, the survey shows. In all, 38 percent of the Harris County suburban residents interviewed said they were interested in moving into the city, up from 27 percent last year.
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The Propane Education and Research Council presented VIA Metropolitan Transit with the organization’s Propane Exceptional Energy Fleet award at the National Clean Cities Conference and Exposition in Fort Lauderdale.
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TEA 21 Reauthorization Update: Congressional leadership and the White House could not come to agreement on a reauthorization funding level, but House and Senate leaders intend now to go to conference anyway - which means the Democrats, concerned that any conference could result in lower reauthorization funding levels, may try in the Senate to prevent the conference from proceeding. If agreement cannot be reached, the possibility for a long-term bill anytime soon will fade rapidly. Watch for an 18 month or so extension of TEA-21.
