Tina Bellon

AUSTIN (Reuters). In 2019, Diane Guerra, her husband and their apartment in East Austin were sold to move into a new house in one the city’s booming northern neighborhoods. Although the commute was doubled – 40 minutes for her and 30 for him – they aren’t regretting it.

Guerra (35-year-old executive assistant) stated, “We couldn’t afford any larger houses in this city.”

They commute alone, as do three out of four Austinites. This has led to traffic jamming in the area, which is likely to worsen with the city’s population of over 2.3 million expected to increase within the next twenty years.

Austin has proposed light rail and electric buses to get drivers off their cars. The project was funded in part by residents last year who agreed to pay a higher property tax to generate more than 150 million dollars annually. That figure is likely to rise with rising property values.

The Biden Administration and Washington Democrats, on the other hand, propose spending billions of dollars on public transportation across the nation to build jobs and combat global warming. Transportation is America’s largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

It will be difficult to convince Americans living in densely populated coastal areas to stop driving. This is even more so in Austin, Texas, which considers itself an progressive, forward-thinking bastion in conservative Texas. In 2019, only 4% used public transportation to get to work in the wake of COVID-19, while ridership is 40% lower than it was before that crisis.

(Graphic on Austin commuter modes: https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-INFRASTRUCTURE/AUSTIN/lbpgnoganvq/chart.png)

Transit advocates blame the skeletal structure; they’ll find it.

Some transportation experts are however skeptical about Project Connect, an ambitious plan.

Kara Kockelman from the University of Texas at Austin is a transportation engineer professor. Her research indicates that the new railway lines will only handle 1% to2% of trip demand. The ridership limit for people living or working within 25 miles of stations.

Kockelman declared that Project Connect “is a drop in a bucket”.

Unknown is the extent to which the pandemic has affected Americans’ work and living arrangements. The number of transit ridership in major cities has dropped as ex-strap-hangers have lost their jobs or moved to another location. Many others fled the crowded cities and apartments blocks to avoid urban sprawl.

Austin rush hour traffic remains at 13% lower levels than pre-pandemic. That is according to Rob Spillar who directs the city’s transportation division, which manages roads, traffic management and issues related like parking.

Transit backers still believe Austin is in an important moment. According to INRIX, Austin was the 28th most populous U.S. metropolitan area. It also ranked 18th in terms of congestion before the pandemic. A portion of Interstate 35 running through Austin regularly ranks as one the most dangerous bottlenecks in America.

Given the rapid growth in Austin, telecommuting by itself won’t clear the roads, according to Randy Clarke who is the chief executive officer of Cap Metro.

He said, “We must talk about moving people rather than moving cars.”

(Graphic on Austin transit ridership: https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-INFRASTRUCTURE/AUSTIN/zdpxordbwvx/chart.png)

MASSIVE SPENDING

Austin is a great example of the type of expenditure required to upgrade the country’s transport networks, buildings and energy systems. With the broad support of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce officials expect that $20 billion of federal and state funds will be available to fund infrastructure development in Austin over the next ten years. Project Connect is $7.1 Billion and I-35 expansion is nearly $5 Billion.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill, currently in Congress but not passed by Congress, would have $39 billion to fund transit projects across the country. Democrats would like to increase the funding by another $10 billion with a budget reconciliation bill.

Austin is dependent on this outcome. The federal government is expected to provide half of Project Connect’s funding. Even with this potential gain, some critics feel it is an inefficient use of taxpayer dollars.

Gerald Daugherty was one of those most vocal. A former Republican commissioner for Travis County (the overwhelmingly Democratic county where Austin lives)

Daugherty thinks Austin is unsuitable for transit projects, especially fixed-rail lines which make up the bulk of Project Connect’s costs.

Daugherty explained that “you’re not going to get the density here like you had in the Northeast” because they’ve never lived this way.

He supports solutions that are centered around pavement, including road expansion, cleaner vehicles, bus lanes, and carpooling. This system could be more flexible to connect riders with the many employment centers that are sprouting throughout the county.

Tesla Inc, a new employer in the area, underscores these challenges. A transit desert to the east of Austin is being used for the construction of Tesla’s vehicle and battery factory. According to Austin’s transportation director, Spillar, most of the company’s 10,000 employees will drive to work.

It’s not the best look for Austin or any electric vehicle manufacturer looking to cut carbon emissions. Local officials seem aware of this. Spillar suggested Austin might consider transit options for workers who need to get to the plant. Steve Adler, Mayor of Austin stated this month that Tesla CEO Elon Muss has indicated an “intent to build housing close to the campus.”

Tesla has not responded to my request for comments.

TRANSIT ATTITUDES

Clarke, Cap Metro claims that once the system improves and is reliable, drivers will be more comfortable using buses and trains. In the next twelve-years, Austin will have three new rail lines connecting its north, south, and northeast. A tunnel will be built downtown to allow passengers to catch the trains. Austin plans to significantly expand bus service with new routes all over the city.

Clarke was previously an executive with Boston’s transit agency. This provided approximately 1.2 million daily trips daily pre-pandemic, around 14 times what Austin saw in 2019.

Clarke said, “People living in Austin don’t know how important transit is because there are so few people using it.” Clarke added that these attitudes are slowly changing as more East Coasters move to Texas.

He stated that residents who voted for the property tax increase had realized the inevitability of the city’s continued growth without transit.

It is a different matter convincing them to go on it.

The only commuter train line connecting Austin to the north suburbs, which has been in operation since 1912, has not seen a significant increase in ridership despite rapid growth. The trip is 20-30 minutes more than that of a car, with trains running only once per 30 minutes.

Transport researchers believe Austin must address zoning issues to decrease car trips. This could be done by permitting more residential development as well as apartment buildings.

Since nearly a decade ago, the city attempted to revise its land-use codes. It claimed it would improve housing supply and reduce congestion. As in many other U.S. towns, Austin faced resistance from residents and property-owners, resulting in the reform being stalled in court.

Guerra, the new homeowner, has been enjoying their move to Cedar Park about 16 miles southwest of Austin. Her husband and she have their own yard, so they no longer live in apartments.

She said, “It is so nice to own our space in quiet neighborhoods.”