Capital MetroBlog has moved! Visit our new site at www.capmetroblog.com. Don't forget to update your feeds, too.
We welcome your feedback, but we've disable comments on this blog. Visit the new site to join the conversation: www.capmetroblog.com. And, thanks for reading.
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Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Capital MetroBlog moving to a new home
Capital MetroBlog is just a wee bit over a year old. It's been a fun year on Blogger, getting our feet wet with a new blog and getting to know a few of you. We're looking forward to bigger and better things on Capital MetroBlog for our second year, and effective Tuesday, July 28, Capital MetroBlog will be moving to a new site.
We're switching to a new host site to improve accessibility and to gain the use of some additional/better tools on the backend. We hope you will make the move with us. We'll post the new link on Monday.
In the meantime, please let me know your suggestions for Capital MetroBlog's second year, and thanks for reading. Read more
We're switching to a new host site to improve accessibility and to gain the use of some additional/better tools on the backend. We hope you will make the move with us. We'll post the new link on Monday.
In the meantime, please let me know your suggestions for Capital MetroBlog's second year, and thanks for reading. Read more
A Tale of Two Cities (cont'd)
I am bilingual by matter of birthright. When I started in kindergarden I only spoke Spanish. Knowing two languages has its advantages. I'm sure you, dear reader, agree. But what does one do when someone needs help and doesn't speak your language? This happened to me while driving the bus in Los Angeles and then also here in Austin.
It was Saturday morning in the spring time and I was driving the 480 route in L.A. I was at the layover point on the west side of downtown, just pass the financial district. An elderly couple, who, as it turned out, were visiting from another country. They became lost and came up to my bus for help. The man started talking to me and all I could think was, "Oh, no. They only speak Italian. The man continued talking to me, friendly, but I could not understand. And then the lady started talking to me. I remember thinking how beautiful their language sounded. Like music, it had melody and rhythm. Suddenly I realized I knew what they were asking me. I also realized I had put up a wall as soon as I heard the foreign language. A lot of the words were so close to Spanish that I could make out what they were saying. I thought to myself, "I bet if I speak Spanish they will understand me." I said something in Spanish and sure enough it worked. They started talking faster and I paid close attention. I spoke Spanish to them and they spoke Italian to me and we were able to have a conversation. I was able to help them find the place they were looking for.
Believe it or don't, three years later that exact event happened again, like a rerun on t.v. Again it was Saturday morning in spring time. Only this time I'm driving the number 1 route in Austin. I stop to pick-up passengers on the drag in front of the co-op. Again an elderly couple come up to me for directions. And they only speak Italian. But this time I just go right into it. I talk to them in Spanish and I see their worried look disappear like magic. "It's a small world after all." Read more
It was Saturday morning in the spring time and I was driving the 480 route in L.A. I was at the layover point on the west side of downtown, just pass the financial district. An elderly couple, who, as it turned out, were visiting from another country. They became lost and came up to my bus for help. The man started talking to me and all I could think was, "Oh, no. They only speak Italian. The man continued talking to me, friendly, but I could not understand. And then the lady started talking to me. I remember thinking how beautiful their language sounded. Like music, it had melody and rhythm. Suddenly I realized I knew what they were asking me. I also realized I had put up a wall as soon as I heard the foreign language. A lot of the words were so close to Spanish that I could make out what they were saying. I thought to myself, "I bet if I speak Spanish they will understand me." I said something in Spanish and sure enough it worked. They started talking faster and I paid close attention. I spoke Spanish to them and they spoke Italian to me and we were able to have a conversation. I was able to help them find the place they were looking for.
Believe it or don't, three years later that exact event happened again, like a rerun on t.v. Again it was Saturday morning in spring time. Only this time I'm driving the number 1 route in Austin. I stop to pick-up passengers on the drag in front of the co-op. Again an elderly couple come up to me for directions. And they only speak Italian. But this time I just go right into it. I talk to them in Spanish and I see their worried look disappear like magic. "It's a small world after all." Read more
Monday, July 20, 2009
Texas! Bringing Healthy Back
Capital Metro's healthy cafeteria is featured in a new video campaign from the Texas Department of State Health Services about preventing obesity. Here's the excerpt that highlights Capital Metro.
Capital Metro was selected for the video because of our award-winning workplace wellness program that is fostering healthy lifestyles among our employees. Fox 7 News aired a story about our wellness program in June.
The Texas! Bringing Healthy Back video is part of a new obesity prevention campaign sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services. According to the Texas! Bringing Healthy Back Web site, one in three Texans is obese.
Incidentally, riding public transportation can be a part of a healthy routine, since it generally goes hand in hand with walking and bicycling (and makes you feel good about saving money and the environment).
Read more
Capital Metro was selected for the video because of our award-winning workplace wellness program that is fostering healthy lifestyles among our employees. Fox 7 News aired a story about our wellness program in June.
The Texas! Bringing Healthy Back video is part of a new obesity prevention campaign sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services. According to the Texas! Bringing Healthy Back Web site, one in three Texans is obese.
Incidentally, riding public transportation can be a part of a healthy routine, since it generally goes hand in hand with walking and bicycling (and makes you feel good about saving money and the environment).
Read more
Saturday, July 18, 2009
First Public MetroRail Ride
Today about 200 people got to ride Capital MetroRail as part of our testing. It was the first ride offered to people outside of Capital Metro, except for the news media, and so it was an especially happy event for us. Today was the second of two days of passenger simulation testing. The engineers got a feel for how the train handles when it's full, as well as practice boarding and deboarding passengers at the stations.
Yesterday, Capital Metro employees played the part of passengers and got on and off the train at each station along the line. The staff were testing the timings of the stops in relation to the full schedule. Read more
Friday, July 17, 2009
Capital MetroRail Progress Report
Capital Metro is releasing its July progress report today. It's an anticlimactic report--we're not announcing a date just yet. Still, things are moving along. The full report is behind the jump.
CAPITAL METRORAIL PROGRESS REPORT – JULY 17, 2009
Capital Metro continues readying the MetroRail Red Line for a safe launch into full-service operations. The project is still in the final comprehensive operational testing phase, during which every component is tested in conjunction with the whole to validate the safety and consistent operation of the system. As Capital Metro staff discovers and resolves issues within this phase, we have also completed the detailed documentation work that will ensure smooth operations when MetroRail is in full-service.
Capital Metro staff and partners are also using the additional time to redouble their rail safety education efforts. While Capital Metro is not ready to announce a new opening date yet, the community will appreciate the extra efforts being taken now to ensure their safety both on and off the tracks.
Milestones Completed Since June 19
Remaining Milestones
When will service begin?
Capital Metro will announce an opening date when the entire rail system is demonstrated to be operating in a consistent, reliable and safe manner. We will report back to the community in mid-August. We will continue rail safety outreach efforts during this time to increase awareness about trains and prepare the community for MetroRail.
Read more
CAPITAL METRORAIL PROGRESS REPORT – JULY 17, 2009
Capital Metro continues readying the MetroRail Red Line for a safe launch into full-service operations. The project is still in the final comprehensive operational testing phase, during which every component is tested in conjunction with the whole to validate the safety and consistent operation of the system. As Capital Metro staff discovers and resolves issues within this phase, we have also completed the detailed documentation work that will ensure smooth operations when MetroRail is in full-service.
Capital Metro staff and partners are also using the additional time to redouble their rail safety education efforts. While Capital Metro is not ready to announce a new opening date yet, the community will appreciate the extra efforts being taken now to ensure their safety both on and off the tracks.
Milestones Completed Since June 19
- Made adjustments to all crossings as needed to function as designed and improve reliability.
- Identified resolution to gate timing issue at the following crossings near the Kramer, Crestview and Highland Stations: Kramer, Braker, Lamar, Guadalupe, Denson. Resolution will adjust the amount of time gates are down when trains stop at nearby stations.
- Traffic signal preemption is complete and operational at these crossings, pending final optimization adjustments as needed:
o 4th Street & Red River
o IH-35 SBFR (near 4th Street)
o IH-35 NBFR (near 4th Street)
o IH-35 SBFR (near IH-35 lower deck)
o 45th Street
o 51st Street
o 53rd Street
o Denson Drive
o Guadalupe Street
o North Lamar Boulevard
o Anderson Lane
o Crystal Falls Parkway
o FM 2243
Signal preemption technology provides enhanced safety at crossings adjacent to intersections by turning traffic lights green and allowing traffic to clear before gates are lowered. - Completed train engineers’ preliminary comprehensive contingency training.
- Completed comprehensive software inventory and documentation process for the entire system which will result in easier identification and resolution of any issues that may arise.
Remaining Milestones
- Complete full-service test runs to adjust and finalize rail service schedules.
- Complete train engineers’ final comprehensive contingency training, including passenger simulation tests (scheduled for July 17 & 18).
- Complete final signal technology adjustments and enhancements.
- Conduct final system validation. This process ensures consistent and reliable operation of all components working together.
When will service begin?
Capital Metro will announce an opening date when the entire rail system is demonstrated to be operating in a consistent, reliable and safe manner. We will report back to the community in mid-August. We will continue rail safety outreach efforts during this time to increase awareness about trains and prepare the community for MetroRail.
Read more
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Shorten your (single occupancy) commute; catch a bus at Tech Ridge Park & Ride
Northeast Travis County residents will have improved access to Tech Ridge Park & Ride when newly constructed segments of Heatherwilde and Wells Branch open this week. Both Travis County roadways will include sidewalks and bike lanes.Tech Ridge Park & Ride serves as the northern terminus for routes serving the busy North Lamar/South Congress corridor (#1L/1M and #101), East Austin (#135), and UT/Downtown (#935). It also facilitates many transfers as the endpoint for Routes #243 Wells Branch and #392 Braker.
Tech Ridge P&R route map
Community Impact article Read more
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Ride Capital Metro for 4th of July fun
In just two days, Austinites can enjoy yet another free 4th of July concert by the Austin Symphony, capped off with fireworks. It's happening at Auditorium Shores and the Long Center, beginning at 8:30 p.m. (fireworks at 9:30 p.m.).
Traffic and parking are messy for this event, so think about jumping on Capital Metro--we have a bunch of routes that serve Auditorium Shores.
Routes that serve Auditorium Shores include 1L/1M, 3, 7, 10, 20, 30, 328, 338, and the Night Owls. Most routes operate until around midnight, and the Night Owls run from 12 - 3 a.m.
See ya there! Read more
Traffic and parking are messy for this event, so think about jumping on Capital Metro--we have a bunch of routes that serve Auditorium Shores.
Routes that serve Auditorium Shores include 1L/1M, 3, 7, 10, 20, 30, 328, 338, and the Night Owls. Most routes operate until around midnight, and the Night Owls run from 12 - 3 a.m.
See ya there! Read more
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
APD on Board
The next time you're in a hurry to pass a Capital Metro bus, remember there may be an unexpected passenger on board: a police officer. The Austin Police Department is using one of our buses for its Ticketing Aggressive Cars and Trucks (TACT) enforcement program. The goal of TACT is to reduce traffic accidents caused by unsafe driving behavior around large vehicles. KTBC profiled the program this week:
Capital Metro has an ongoing partnership with APD to prepare officers to operate buses in the event of an emergency.
Read more
Capital Metro has an ongoing partnership with APD to prepare officers to operate buses in the event of an emergency.
Read more
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
No buses on shoulders for you
So my last blog post related to the legislative session prematurely said, “Overall, we achieved much of what was in our legislative agenda: bus-only shoulders,” blah, blah, blah among other things. Yippee! Well, so foolish I am. I spoke too soon for I forgot about that last, not-so-little step called consideration by the governor. And unfortunately, one of our bills was vetoed. Yep, V-E-T-O. No buses on shoulders for you!
If you recall, Senate Bill 434, carried by two of our own: Senator Jeff Wentworth and Representative Valinda Bolton, would have created a pilot program under which Capital Metro (and only three other Texas transit agencies) would have been allowed to operate buses on pre-approved sections of highway shoulders in order to bypass traffic congestion.
The bill was very cautious in setting up the program. It would have been established by TxDOT and in conjunction with DPS and the involved transit agencies. The bill required TxDOT to consider safety, travel time reliability, driver and passenger perceptions, level of service and maintenance, and capital improvements.
Additionally, other specific parameters were also spelled out. Buses would only be allowed to travel on sections of highway shoulders that TxDOT approved in advance and the sections would be clearly marked for bus-only use. Speed limits were set based on the experience of several other communities in America, which have already implemented bus-only shoulders safely and effectively for over a decade. Buses would only be allowed to use the designated sections of highway shoulders when overall traffic slowed to 35 miles per hour or less, and the bus could only travel at 15 miles per hour greater than the prevailing traffic, with the maximum bus speed still limited to 35 mph. The bus operator would not be required to use the bus-only shoulder if he/she did not feel it was safe.
Despite a number of independent safety studies attesting to the positive experience in the rest of the country (the State of Minnesota has over 300 miles of bus-only shoulders), Governor Perry was not willing to sign the bill. In his veto statement, he cited a concern that use of the highway shoulders by transit buses “would leave no emergency lane, creating a danger to motorists, emergency personnel and passengers aboard transit buses,” though we assured him that we would work with the City of Austin to ensure that the use of highway shoulders by our buses would not impede emergency vehicle passage. (Many thanks to the City, specifically Karla Villalon and Rob Spillar, for having included this in their legislative agenda and for having written a last-minute letter to the governor asking for his support.)
Though we are very disappointed with the veto—it’s the second time we’ve tried to get this passed—we’ll work with the governor’s office over the next few years to see if we can get it through next session. Perhaps then, the third time will actually be the charm for Capital Metro.
******************
While the legislative order of things escaped me regarding the bus-only shoulder legislation, the other items I had written about previously actually panned out as I described. Senate Bill 1263, the bill carried by Senator Kirk Watson and Representative Eddie Rodriguez that prescribed a number of changes for Capital Metro, was signed by the governor. That bill, which goes into effect September 1, makes changes to our board composition and our abilities to set our own fares and operate passenger rail, and provides us with some new tools that we’ll need to operate passenger rail. Governor Perry was also willing to sign the bill that lets Capital Metro (and all Texas transit agencies) use the State’s travel discounts when our employees or board members travel for Capital Metro-related duties. (Thank you Senator Duell and Representative Todd Smith!)
If you want more details on the Watson and Rodriguez bill, or any other legislation that I might have written about before, read my previous gobbledygook online at http://capmetroblog.blogspot.com/search/label/legislative%20agenda. (Check out the gobbledygook hotlink! A fun story, which goodness knows we all need more of.)
Read more
If you recall, Senate Bill 434, carried by two of our own: Senator Jeff Wentworth and Representative Valinda Bolton, would have created a pilot program under which Capital Metro (and only three other Texas transit agencies) would have been allowed to operate buses on pre-approved sections of highway shoulders in order to bypass traffic congestion.
The bill was very cautious in setting up the program. It would have been established by TxDOT and in conjunction with DPS and the involved transit agencies. The bill required TxDOT to consider safety, travel time reliability, driver and passenger perceptions, level of service and maintenance, and capital improvements.
Additionally, other specific parameters were also spelled out. Buses would only be allowed to travel on sections of highway shoulders that TxDOT approved in advance and the sections would be clearly marked for bus-only use. Speed limits were set based on the experience of several other communities in America, which have already implemented bus-only shoulders safely and effectively for over a decade. Buses would only be allowed to use the designated sections of highway shoulders when overall traffic slowed to 35 miles per hour or less, and the bus could only travel at 15 miles per hour greater than the prevailing traffic, with the maximum bus speed still limited to 35 mph. The bus operator would not be required to use the bus-only shoulder if he/she did not feel it was safe.
Despite a number of independent safety studies attesting to the positive experience in the rest of the country (the State of Minnesota has over 300 miles of bus-only shoulders), Governor Perry was not willing to sign the bill. In his veto statement, he cited a concern that use of the highway shoulders by transit buses “would leave no emergency lane, creating a danger to motorists, emergency personnel and passengers aboard transit buses,” though we assured him that we would work with the City of Austin to ensure that the use of highway shoulders by our buses would not impede emergency vehicle passage. (Many thanks to the City, specifically Karla Villalon and Rob Spillar, for having included this in their legislative agenda and for having written a last-minute letter to the governor asking for his support.)
Though we are very disappointed with the veto—it’s the second time we’ve tried to get this passed—we’ll work with the governor’s office over the next few years to see if we can get it through next session. Perhaps then, the third time will actually be the charm for Capital Metro.
******************
While the legislative order of things escaped me regarding the bus-only shoulder legislation, the other items I had written about previously actually panned out as I described. Senate Bill 1263, the bill carried by Senator Kirk Watson and Representative Eddie Rodriguez that prescribed a number of changes for Capital Metro, was signed by the governor. That bill, which goes into effect September 1, makes changes to our board composition and our abilities to set our own fares and operate passenger rail, and provides us with some new tools that we’ll need to operate passenger rail. Governor Perry was also willing to sign the bill that lets Capital Metro (and all Texas transit agencies) use the State’s travel discounts when our employees or board members travel for Capital Metro-related duties. (Thank you Senator Duell and Representative Todd Smith!)
If you want more details on the Watson and Rodriguez bill, or any other legislation that I might have written about before, read my previous gobbledygook online at http://capmetroblog.blogspot.com/search/label/legislative%20agenda. (Check out the gobbledygook hotlink! A fun story, which goodness knows we all need more of.)
Read more
Customers Picture Themselves on Capital Metro
Last week Capital Metro celebrated National Dump the Pump Day with a couple of fun events to encourage ridership and engage our customers.Thursday morning (June 18th) Capital Metro staff arrived at both the North Lamar and South Congress Transit Centers by 6am for a Dump the Pump bag exchange, which encouraged people to bring us 5 plastic bags that we would exchange for a reusable cloth one. This morning I dropped off the more than 500 plastic bags we received at Ecology Action for recycling.
Then all throughout Dump the Pump Day we encouraged our customers to “Picture Yourself on Capital Metro” by sending us a photograph of themselves riding on Capital Metro. We received dozens of great pictures of people on the bus ranging from thoughtfully composed to hasty self-portraits.A complete set of the winning shots -- chosen at random from the entries received -- can be found here. Our Grand Prize winner (a shot of 2-year-old boy named Jake with crackers covering his eyes) received a $200 gift certificate to the EcoShoppe. Runners-up received an i-Ride jacket made from recycled materials. Congratulations to all and thanks to everyone who submitted a photo.
Read more
Friday, June 19, 2009
Capital MetroRail Update
Capital Metro has just released its June progress report on MetroRail.
While there's no date to announce, progress moves along, and there are just a few more milestones to reach before the Red Line can open. Read more
While there's no date to announce, progress moves along, and there are just a few more milestones to reach before the Red Line can open. Read more
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Capital Metro's Award-Winning Wellness Program
KTBC Fox 7 News profiled Capital Metro's employee wellness program on Wednesday morning. It's been phenomenally successful: for every $1 that Capital Metro has invested in the program, the agency has enjoyed $2.43 in savings due to decreased health care costs and absenteeism rates.
The Centers for Disease Control recently published a case study on the positive effects of our program. Read more
The Centers for Disease Control recently published a case study on the positive effects of our program. Read more
DUMP THE PUMP!
Today's National Dump the Pump Day, and we're sponsoring a photo contest. Send us a photo of yourself riding Capital Metro today, and we'll put your name in a drawing to win one of 20 Capital Metro eco-friendly windbreakers, and one grand prize--a $200 gift certificate to EcoShoppe. Full rules/details here.
I thought I'd share some of the cool photos we've received today. Note: these aren't winners of the contest (yet)--we'll do a random drawing of all the photos tomorrow. Send yours in!
See some more behind the cut.
Read more
I thought I'd share some of the cool photos we've received today. Note: these aren't winners of the contest (yet)--we'll do a random drawing of all the photos tomorrow. Send yours in!
See some more behind the cut.
Read more
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
National Dump the Pump Day is tomorrow
"If you're serious about being green, you should be riding Capital Metro." That was our message today at the North Lamar Transit Center, where we set up a display to demonstrate just how significant the benefits are to the environment when you take public transportation instead of driving. It's the single greatest action you can take to reduce your carbon footprint.
You'd have to use 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper for the next 45-48 years (450,000 - 480,000 sheets of paper!) to make the same positive effect on the environment as riding the bus for a single year.
Bus operator and MetroBlogger Leo Guerrero poses with a Capital Metro hybrid bus and the mountain of paper.
Tomorrow would be a perfect day to make the switch to public transit--it's National Dump the Pump Day, and you can score some environmentally-friendly goodies, too.
BAG EXCHANGE
Come to either the North Lamar Transit Center or the South Congress Transit Center tomorrow morning with at least five plastic grocery bags for recycling, and we'll give you a reusable grocery bag and a 20% off coupon from EcoShoppe. We'll be there at 6:30 a.m. until the bags run out.
PHOTO CONTEST
Take a picture of yourself riding Capital Metro and email the photo to dumpthepump@capmetro.org for a chance to win one of 20 i-Ride eco-friendly windbreakers, or the grand-prize, a $200 gift certificate to EcoShoppe. Read the full details and the small print here.
TWEET
Tweet about your Dump the Pump Day experiences! Use the hashtags #DumpThePump and #CapMetro to be part of both the local and the national movements to ride public transportation to save the planet. Have fun with it!
We have to give some props to IKON Office Solutions and Longhorn Office Products who helped us acquire 480,000 sheets of recycled paper for our demo today, as well as EcoShoppe for partnering with us on the promotion. Read more
You'd have to use 100 percent post-consumer waste recycled paper for the next 45-48 years (450,000 - 480,000 sheets of paper!) to make the same positive effect on the environment as riding the bus for a single year.
Bus operator and MetroBlogger Leo Guerrero poses with a Capital Metro hybrid bus and the mountain of paper.Tomorrow would be a perfect day to make the switch to public transit--it's National Dump the Pump Day, and you can score some environmentally-friendly goodies, too.
BAG EXCHANGE
Come to either the North Lamar Transit Center or the South Congress Transit Center tomorrow morning with at least five plastic grocery bags for recycling, and we'll give you a reusable grocery bag and a 20% off coupon from EcoShoppe. We'll be there at 6:30 a.m. until the bags run out.
PHOTO CONTEST
Take a picture of yourself riding Capital Metro and email the photo to dumpthepump@capmetro.org for a chance to win one of 20 i-Ride eco-friendly windbreakers, or the grand-prize, a $200 gift certificate to EcoShoppe. Read the full details and the small print here.
TWEET
Tweet about your Dump the Pump Day experiences! Use the hashtags #DumpThePump and #CapMetro to be part of both the local and the national movements to ride public transportation to save the planet. Have fun with it!
We have to give some props to IKON Office Solutions and Longhorn Office Products who helped us acquire 480,000 sheets of recycled paper for our demo today, as well as EcoShoppe for partnering with us on the promotion. Read more
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
It's Smarter to Travel in Groups--Take the Bus
Very clever transit advertising from de Lijn in Belgium.
Here's another from the same campaign, enjoy!
Read more
Here's another from the same campaign, enjoy!
Read more
Friday, June 12, 2009
Let's Hear it for Rail Safety!
For the last two years, Capital Metro has been working on getting a rail safety message out to the community. We use a program called Operation Lifesaver, as well as some cool innovative ways of spreading our message. Capital Metro has presented a rail safety message to over 33,000 (LOTS!) students over the last year. We've shared the message at innumerable events and fairs, and we've even done a couple of contests (you may have seen the earlier blog about our poster competition).
Another of those innovative rail safety strategies is our coordination with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas. They created the first-ever Rail Safety Patch Program (now becoming a national model).
Girl Scouts Troop 2059 decided to earn the patch, so last week I went up to Leander to assist them in completing the final requirements. I gave them our Operation Lifesaver presentation, we watched a rail safety video, and then they showed me the rail safety cheer they wrote. It was TOO CUTE!
Using the acronym ACORN (the message we've been preaching all over Central Texas), they came up with this:
A is for Always look both ways
C is for Cross only at crosswalks
O is for Obey all signals
R is for Railroad tracks are for trains only
N is for Never try to outrun a train
I was SO impressed with their creativity and energy! I know they are going to be great rail safety advocates in their neighborhoods, and am so happy that our message is filtering through the area.
Thanks Troop 2059! Read more
Another of those innovative rail safety strategies is our coordination with the Girl Scouts of Central Texas. They created the first-ever Rail Safety Patch Program (now becoming a national model).
Girl Scouts Troop 2059 decided to earn the patch, so last week I went up to Leander to assist them in completing the final requirements. I gave them our Operation Lifesaver presentation, we watched a rail safety video, and then they showed me the rail safety cheer they wrote. It was TOO CUTE!
Using the acronym ACORN (the message we've been preaching all over Central Texas), they came up with this:
A is for Always look both ways
C is for Cross only at crosswalks
O is for Obey all signals
R is for Railroad tracks are for trains only
N is for Never try to outrun a train
I was SO impressed with their creativity and energy! I know they are going to be great rail safety advocates in their neighborhoods, and am so happy that our message is filtering through the area.
Thanks Troop 2059! Read more
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Rails with Trails
National Bike Month 2009 has officially ended, but for some Austinites it’s a way of life year-round. For others like myself, National Bike Month was a good incentive to try commuting by bicycle for the first time. On National Bike to Work Day, I ventured beyond my own neighborhood and rode my bike to work. It was a good experience, made more so by the fact that I learned I can use the hike and bike trail for about 90 percent of the commute. It’s ridiculous I haven’t been biking to work more often. One under-publicized aspect of the All Systems Go! long-range transit plan is Rails with Trails, which is a plan to incorporate pedestrian and bicycle paths wherever feasible along the MetroRail right-of-way from Leander to Austin. The pathways would increase accessibility and connectivity to the MetroRail stations and provide cyclists and walkers an expanded network of safe trails. In essence, it provides another viable transportation choice for the community.
Capital Metro completed a feasibility study in 2007 with help from a broad group of stakeholders: members of the cycling community, the city, county, and others. The 32-mile Red Line was divided into 11 segments for the purposes of completing Rails with Trails. The study outlined a plan to create 31 miles of paved trails, 1.7 miles of improved sidewalks, and eight miles of additional on-street bike routes. The feasibility study is available on the Rails with Trails Web page.
Capital Metro is receiving $1.9 million in federal stimulus funding to continue development of segment #3, which extends from Highland Station north along Airport Boulevard to Morrow Street. The proposed trail will provide connectivity to both Highland Station and Crestview Station and will likely include 1.3 miles of trail and 1.6 miles of on-street bikeway. Design work on this segment will begin very soon and we hope to begin construction shortly thereafter.
Segment #1, from the Downtown Station north to Wilshire Blvd. (approx. five miles), is mostly completed, and includes the new Lance Armstrong Bikeway and Boggy Creek Trail. Some work has also been done in segment #11, which extends from Crystal Falls Road north to the Leander Station.
The City of Austin has included Rails with Trails in the revised draft city bicycle plan that will be considered by City Council soon. The bicycle plan includes other objectives to improve the link between cycling and transit--check it out here.
Our friends at the City of Austin are also working on a similar trail project along Cap Metro’s rail right-of-way from downtown Austin to downtown Manor.
Read more
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Rapid Bus Demo
You may have seen this bus rolling around Austin recently and thought to yourself "what is that?". It's a 2008 Nova LFX demo bus and it's just one of several different models that Capital Metro is considering for MetroRapid. Our transit planners and operators have been testing it out on the streets of Austin the past few days. So far, many are impressed by the way it looks, rides and drives.
The 62-ft articulated bus has 56 seats but it can be manufactured to have up to 62 seats. This particular bus has three wide doors. It's very roomy and quite comfortable. You might think the size limits its turing ability, but that's not the case. The bus can manuever around the same as a 40-ft bus.
This type of bus would be assigned to only the MetroRapid routes. The first two routes will be along North Lamar/South Congress and Burnet/South Lamar. Click here for more info on MetroRapid.
Read more
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
MetroAccess Driver Takes Silver
Capital MetroAccess Van Operator Jeff Mercer brought home a 2nd place trophy from the National Paratransit Roadeo in Providence, Rhode Island, on May 31. Competing against 61 other drivers from throughout the nation, Jeff missed first place by a mere 18 points (out of 1,000 total).
Jeff was a definite underdog in the competition, as this was his first time competing in the national competition.
Also competing from Capital Metro, and the current Texas State Bus Roadeo Champion, was MetroAccess Van Operator Ted Ward, who placed 21st nationally.
Way to go, Capital Metro! Read more
Jeff was a definite underdog in the competition, as this was his first time competing in the national competition.
Also competing from Capital Metro, and the current Texas State Bus Roadeo Champion, was MetroAccess Van Operator Ted Ward, who placed 21st nationally.
Way to go, Capital Metro! Read more
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