MetroRail stations
Drivers will see something new running along the railroad tracks from Leander to downtown Austin -- Capitol Metro has started the evening rush hour testing of its rail system.
The intersection of 51st Street and Airport Blvd. in Central Austin is a busy one, and drivers and pedestrians had their opinions on how Monday's rush hour MetroRail test would affect their journeys home.
“It's probably going to be a pain, but it's also going to kind of get rid of a little traffic. It'll kind of get in the way a little bit, I would think,” said Scott Brizendine, driver.
“It'll probably cause a traffic jam, because I don't know if people are anticipating this,” said Stacy Maloney.
The rush hour testing began at 3 p.m. Soon, four MetroRail trains were moving up and down parts of the line, traveling at speeds between 35 and 60 miles an hour.
When a train went through at Interstate 35 near airport, traffic was held up for just a couple of minutes, then moved on.
The test was supposed to include the entire 32 mile route, but for hours in Central Austin there were no trains in sight. Crews at the Crestview station stayed busy working on controls for the crossing arms.
“The basic message is you should always expect a train and be very cautious when crossing railroad tracks and make sure you're following the law,” Mckewen said.
This week, there will be officers on the road watching for drivers who stop on the tracks or who stop within 15 feet of the crossing arms. You can get a ticket if you're caught doing either.
