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Plan for a Transit Grid System in Austin, Texas |
The Bus Riders Union - ATX
Plan for a Transit Grid System in Austin, Texas
October 2009
The Bus Riders Union-ATX endeavors to replace the current costly, outdated, and inefficient Austin transit system with a modern, fair and economical system based on a grid with IH35 and the Cesar Chavez Blvd. as its axes.
The current "hub and spoke" transit system in Austin is a vestige of a system designed during the Jim Crow era.
Over time, a cumbersome, inefficient and still essentially segregated system has evolved through a long time patchworking of the system in relation to the growth of the city. In fact, even the original "hub" in front of the Texas Capitol has been removed from the system.
A grid system better suits the modern infrastructure and social realities of today's Austin. The best examples of a grid system can be found in Portland, Oregon, and Chicago, Illinois.
Our Goals
* Racial and economic desegregation of the system
* Better efficiency
* Expanded coverage
* Financial sustainability
* Environmental sustainability
Benefits
* More understandable
* Quicker trips
* Simpler navigation which should a facilitate a)less hesitancy for first time users, b)higher tolerance for long trips, c)better opportunity for multiple stop trips, and d)closer approximation of car mobility.
* Reduced bus congestion on Congress Ave.
* Facilitates system expansion
Long term goals as a result of maximized efficiency and increased ridership
* 24 / 7 / 365 service
* Societal integration
* Reduced traffic congestion
* Increased mobility for all
* Potential for wide regional coverage
* Return Congress Avenue to a motor vehicle-free promenade as originally intended
The Grid
The north/south axis of the grid is IH35.(Route "D") This is the primary artery for Austin. The master plan for Austin for decades is predicated on growth to be guided in a north and south orientation along this interstate highway. The intent is and was to discourage growth into the environmentally sensitive ares to the west of Austin. The corridor has however lacked a bus route despite it's attractiveness. This IH35 route is the starting point for this system.
The east/west axis of the grid is along Lake Austin Blvd. and Caesar Chavez Blvd. (Route "NN") The recent conversion of Caesar Chavez Blvd. to a two-way street signals the the City of Austin's intent to emphasize this natural corridor.
Route "X" is the only diagonal route. It runs along Airport Blvd. which is an irresistible natural corridor serving Crestview Station, Meuller, the river crossing at Montopolis Dr. and ABIA.
The rest of the grid plays off these axes and the primary arteries that have developed over time. The distribution is even from north to south, and east to west.
There are 8 north/south routes, 21 east/west routes, and 1 diagonal route for a total of 30 primary grid routes.
All of the current service area is served and the straighter alignments along with reduced overlay allow for expansion to areas that are under served using the current number of revenue hours.
The grid system facilitates better and less frequent transfers and acknowledges the decentralization of modern Austin.
The Route alignments
Legend:
single letters are north/south routes
double letters are east/west routes
"X" is a northwest/southeast diagonal route
route : alignment
A : Mesa Dr. - Balcones Dr. -35th St. - Exposition Blvd.
B : Burnet Rd. - 45th St. - North Lamar Blvd. - Manchaca Rd.
C : North Lamar Blvd.- Guadalupe St. - South First St.
D : IH 35
E : Dessau Rd.- Cameron Rd. - Red River St. - South Congress Ave.
F : Pleasant Valley Rd. - Burleson Rd. - Todd Lane - Pleasant Valley Rd.
G : Springdale Rd. - 7th St. - Montopolis Dr.
H : Ed Bluestein Blvd.
____________________________________________________________________________X : Airport Blvd. - Bastrop Hwy
____________________________________________________________________________AA : Parmer from State farm Way to Dessau Rd.
BB : Braker Lane from 183 to Dessau Rd.
CC : Rundberg Lane- Rutland Blvd - Ferguson Lane
DD : Spicewood Springs Rd. - Anderson Lane
EE : Justin Lane - St. John's Ave.
FF : RR 2222 - US Hwy 290
GG : Hancock Dr.- North Loop Blvd. - 51st St.
HH : Perry - Lane - 45th St.
II : 35th St. - 38th St.- 38 1/2 St.
JJ : Windsor Rd. - 24th St.- Dean Keeton St. - Manor Rd. - Loyola Lane
KK : Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
LL : Enfield Rd.- 15th St. - 12thSt.
MM : 5th St./6th St. - 7th St.
NN : Lake Austin Blvd. - Cesar Chavez St.
OO : Bee Caves Rd. - Barton Springs Rd. - E. Riverside Dr.
PP : Southwest Parkway - South Lamar Blvd.-Oltorf St.
QQ : Ben White Blvd.
RR : Jones Rd. - Stassney Lane
SS : William Cannon Dr.
TT : Davis Lane - Dittmar Rd. - Foremost Dr.
UU : Slaughter Lane
The plan assumes:
An integrated system without separate Dillo, UT, or exclusive Express buses.
Maintenance and eventual expansion of current service levels, or "revenue hours."Eventual adoption of the Bus Riders Union - ATX Fare-free proposal of April 2008 to maximize system efficiency.
Engagement of the transit authority on refinement of the plan. This includes:
a) Secondary arterial routing in the central city. Examples of this are Speedway, Rosewood Ave., and Duval Ave. These corridors are currently served and portions of the current alignments are already highly efficient.
b) Connection of routes to create "loops" for maximum efficiency.
c) Turnarounds at route endpoints.
d) Satellite routing of smaller more efficient vehicles in outlying areas.
e) A demand response system for the most outlying areas.
f) Amenities.
Conclusion
Proper implementation of this plan will further the stated mission of the Capital Metro Transportation Authority. It will improve mobility for all residents, including motorists. Through fuel savings and greater efficiency it will improve air quality and stave of EPA clean air non-attainment and the resultant penalties.
The plan removes so many inefficiencies through streamlining, straighter alignments, reduction of overlays, maximized utilization of arterial infrastructure, and structural integration of the UT Shuttle, Dillo and Express routes, that enough service, will be freed up to immediately run a 24 hour system with 10 minute frequencies on the basic grid.
The positive impact will be immediate in terms of mobility, air quality and congestion. Over time, the plan will steadily improve the quality of life for all Austin area residents.
Route Maps attached below
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