So, I was thinking about how I personally could help to promote light rail. Far too often I hear people just regurgiating stuff like “CapMetro is ineffecient” and “all the buses run empty”. Obviously these are people who don’t know the facts or just choose to ignore them. But there’s a part of our brains that like to cling to these almost religious beliefs and defend them to the death.
So as I was running around my neighborhood this morning (not on trails, but some are due this Fall). I realized that we should try to get people excited about this route. Point out where it does go. Point out the other bus (and train) routes it intersects. Point out the new projects that are being built along its route. To that end I want to compile a list of cool places to live and work and go that are within a mile of this proposed route. I’m going to try to keep updating it. If you have cool places leave them in the comments.
Here’s the route again for reference:
Here’s a density map from the chamber of commerce. A bit hard to read, but it proves that this route already goes through some of the most dense parts of Austin:
Arts (Wow, The Theater Community in Austin needs to get behind this. We’re only missing approx. 4 theaters)
Austin Museum of Art
Arthouse
Arts on Real
City Theater
Salvage Vanguard
The Vortex
The Long Center
The Dougherty Arts Center
Bass Concert Hall
McCollough Theater
Payne Theater
Brocket Theater
UT Lab Theater
Restaurants
Hoovers
East Side Cafe
Sandy’s
Parks
Ladybird Lake Hike and Bike Trail
Waterloo Park
Little Stacy Park
Lakeshore Park
Auditorium Shores
Living (Trying just to list only new stuff here, and doing a poor jobs of getting actual names)
360
CWS Towers
Four Seasons Residences
Star Riverside Condos
Mueller
AMLI Residential Riverside Project
Sutton Co. Condos
Cypress Real Estate Advisors Mixed-Use Project on Lakeshore
W Hotel and Residences
Brazos Lofts
The Paramount’s Loft Project
Shopping
HEB on Riverside
Misc
Airport
KOOP Radio
Peter Pan Golf
Riverside Golf Course
The Convention Center
Education
ACC Riverside
University of Texas
Health
Brackenridge Hospital
Dell Children’s Hospital
Employment Centers
Met Center
University of Texas
Capitol
City Hall
Mueller Employers
Sports
Erwin Center
Royal Stadium
Disch-Falk Field
Connections
All local bus routes (1-37)
All flyer bus routes (I think)
Commuter Rail
Hotels
4 Seasons
Ok, back to work. You guys help me fill in the rest. I think this is making a pretty good case for light rail.