[Austin Transportation Issues]

Austin - San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District

This rail line runs 112 miles from south San Antonio to Georgetown on existing Union Pacific rail line. The Texas DOT is working with Union Pacific to re-route their freight trains to a line located west of these cities.

The cost of the track upgrades, trains, and stations are expected to be approx. $600 million. The annual operating cost are expected to be $41 million. A final feaibility study is being conducted and then development of an application for federal funding in the "New Starts" program. If everything goes through without any holdups, the ASA commuter rail line could begin in 2009.

The ASA commuter rail is expected to run hourly with a total of 14 stations. The 79 mile portion from downtown Austin to downtown San Antonio will take about 1-1/2 hours to ride.

Population estimates

Metro Austin in 2025 - 2,082,679

Metro San Antonio in 2025 - 2,272,644

These two combined will be about equil to what the Dallas - Fort Worth metroplex is today.

ASA Rail

my sources could be wrong, but this quote was in another forum:

"The DFW metroplex has 5.55 million people, Houston has 5.2 million, and SA has 1.85 million." (present time)

[Dallas Area Rapid Transit | DART]

That's great news for Dallas. I like the Dart System. I just wanted to know if any subways exist in Dallas too?

Today is the ten year anniversary of the first DART light rail line going into service.

Ridership has grown from 1.4 million in 1996 to 17.5 million in 2005. This article is a good write up of the history of the DART light rail.

Dallas Morning News: Reflecting on a decade of DART

Another article about the future of the light rail system. Communities such as Carrollton, Farmers Branch, and Rowlett which have been members of DART for many years will see lines extended to their cities. To new lines will also connect Love Field, DFW Airport, Las Colinas, Fair Park, Parkland Memorial Hospital, and Baylor University Medical Center. Construction on the light rail lines will begin this month, mostly moving freight lines and then starting to install to new tracks early next year.

Dallas Morning News: DART turns attention to rail growth