As deadline looms, Capital Metro promises trains will be ready
Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.
by MARTIN BARTLETT / KVUE News
kvue.com
Posted on March 8, 2010 at 6:17 PM
Updated
Monday, Mar 8 at 7:39 PM
AUSTIN -- With another deadline looming for its long overdue commuter rail line, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority again invited reporters to climb on board. Capital Metro's interim CEO told KVUE that the agency will make this month's deadline to have people moving safely and quickly to work downtown.
The trip took reporters from the downtown station in front of the Austin Convention Center to the Crestview station on Lamar Boulevard at Airport in North Austin.
Capital Metro's schedule indicates the trip should take 20 minutes. It only took reporters 17 minutes, making all the stops but not picking up any passengers.
The doors on Capital Metro trains are designed not to hurt you if they close on you, but it's not like an elevator door either. They’re pressure sensitive rather than having an electronic eye.
Each Capital Metro train can seat about a hundred passengers.
There’s a 50-50 shot you'll be facing the direction you're traveling when riding one of Capital Metro's trains. Half of the seats face forward and half face backward.
Passengers will also be allowed to stand as they ride. How safe is that on a rainy day? During our trip the textured floor was wet, but not slippery.
While the trains offer WiFi that stayed connected the whole trip, if you want to get some work done on your way to or from work, you'd better make sure your laptop is completely charged. While there are power outlets on the trains, many of them are too far away to plug-in your laptop.
The Downtown Austin Alliance estimates about 67,000 people work in downtown Austin.
Capital Metro's trains will only be able to move about 2,000 people a day into and out of downtown.
"We've designed it to lengthen the platforms, add more tracks, add more cars, so we could easily quadruple the capacity of this system,” said Doug Allen, interim president of the Capital Metropolitan Transit Authority.
Downtown commuters who talked to KVUE said they support Capital Metro's rail line -- in principle.
"It doesn't come anywhere close to me, but I hope it does someday, because I would use it,” said Missy Mandell.
