San Antonio Express-News Editorial Board - August 17, 2015
It's been talked about for so long, it's hard to believe rail between San Antonio and Austin will ever be real. But if you are a commuter, policymaker or a fiscal hawk, you should hope the region coalesces around the Lone Star Rail plan.
Commuters who travel on I-35 between fast-growing San Antonio and Austin have likely had plenty of time to wish there were a quick transportation alternative. Plenty of time, we say, because anyone who travels on I-35 regularly knows traffic often moves like molasses. And let's be honest, that's a bit harsh about the speed of molasses. Seriously, I-35 is a congested and dangerous parking lot that sometimes moonlights as a highway.
Commuters should be looking at a rail line that would connect San Antonio to Austin with a sense of joy and hope. We all know San Antonio and Austin are only going to get bigger, and even if you don't ride the LSTAR, at least you can take solace knowing somebody else will. Lone Star Rail district staff have estimated 20,000 people a day would travel between San Antonio and Austin, reducing I-35 traffic by 10 percent.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Rail-between-Austin-and-S-A-would-be-game-changer-6449462.php
It's been talked about for so long, it's hard to believe rail between San Antonio and Austin will ever be real. But if you are a commuter, policymaker or a fiscal hawk, you should hope the region coalesces around the Lone Star Rail plan.
Commuters who travel on I-35 between fast-growing San Antonio and Austin have likely had plenty of time to wish there were a quick transportation alternative. Plenty of time, we say, because anyone who travels on I-35 regularly knows traffic often moves like molasses. And let's be honest, that's a bit harsh about the speed of molasses. Seriously, I-35 is a congested and dangerous parking lot that sometimes moonlights as a highway.
Commuters should be looking at a rail line that would connect San Antonio to Austin with a sense of joy and hope. We all know San Antonio and Austin are only going to get bigger, and even if you don't ride the LSTAR, at least you can take solace knowing somebody else will. Lone Star Rail district staff have estimated 20,000 people a day would travel between San Antonio and Austin, reducing I-35 traffic by 10 percent.
Read more: http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Rail-between-Austin-and-S-A-would-be-game-changer-6449462.php