Austin has been a rapidly growing metro area for the last couple of decades. The population has increased 43.8 % from 1997 to 2007. However, the transportation system has not kept pace with the increasing growth. For sustainable long-term growth of a city, good infrastructure is very important. In the case of Austin, the transportation infrastructure has hardly been able to meet the existing demands. Transportation network could be considered the framework for the urban built environment. And for the city to function effectively, alternative modes of transportation are essential.
Population Growth 1997-2007
Source: U.S. Bureau of the Census and The Austin Chamber of Commerce.
In the last few months, when the gas prices were at an all time high, residents of Austin had very little choice but to drive their car. The reason for this is the inefficiency of the current transit system in Austin. Capital Metro has several buses running on several routes, but the frequency and routing are probably insufficient to serve the needs of a majority of the residents. Sometimes one has to transfer two to three times to reach a destination which is just a few miles away. And not surprisingly, the total travel time by bus becomes more than walking. And high gas prices are only one reason for someone looking for alternative transportation. The congestion on Austin’s highways is pretty bad during commute hours, and people looking for transit alternative at that time also have little option. One may argue that with the developing technology, there might be fewer reasons to physically travel for work or other chores. But statistics have not provided too high percentage for people working from home. In contrast, the average distance traveled by a person and the average time spent to travel to work has been on an increase.
Capital MetroRail Plan
Source: Capital Metro
One may find relief from the fact that Capital Metro is expected to open the MetroRail line in a few months now (earlier plan was to open the rail line in Fall 2008). However, if the bus service and connections and transfer remain the same, the commuter rail is not going to help as much. Ideally, the integration of the rail and bus service would provide reliable and efficient transportation alternative to the residents of the greater Austin metro area.
