Capital Metro is proposing to reroute the #19 bus route. The new route although improving the bus service for the Seton medical complex will effectively remove bus service for the Bryker Woods neighborhood.
Proposed #19 bus route > Download Chapter%205%20-%20Recommendations
The proposed rerouting of the #19 bus is a loss of a significant and fundamental neighborhood infrastructure component. Except for the northernmost part of Bryker Woods, convenient neighborhood access to the campus and downtown is being eliminated. Gone will be the 10 minute bus ride to campus and 15 minute ride to downtown. Also gone will be the 50 minute bus ride to ABIA.
While it is easy and convenient to argue that we should not retain the existing #19 bus route (or at least request a compromise) because not enough people use it. Could not the same argument be used about protection and preservation of our neighborhood parks? Not everyone uses them, but we all agree that it is important for our neighborhoods to have parks. Both neighborhood parks and convenient public transportation are important components to the quality of life in our neighborhood. As a central Austin residents we pay dearly for our quality of life in an urban core neighborhood (e.g. property taxes) we all also contributes .01 to CapMetro on every taxed dollar spent in Austin. We have a right to maintain our current or equivalent level of bus service.
Although there might not be enough current neighborhood ridership to retain the existing #19 bus route, there can and most likely will be more ridership as time progresses. Parking rates downtown are increasing and the increase of fuel costs along with the various other costs associated with vehicle ownership (e.g. taxes) will make public transportation a more desirable option. The #19 is an *extremely* convenient way to get directly downtown and to the airport with only ONE transfer. The loss of the #19 route through the middle of the neighborhood will be a reduction to the current quality of life for Bryker Woods. Just like the Shoal Creek Greenbelt or the Bryker Woods Elementary School, if one doesn’t currently use them, it is quite important that they remain an option. Especially to those who might want to buy a home in the Bryker Woods neighborhood. There are more and more buyers who will desire a home located in a urban core neighborhood with convenient access to the campus, downtown and the air port via public transportation. The loss of the #19 bus route is a step backward for the Bryker Woods neighborhood.
Should anyone like to provide feedback to Capital Metro regarding the proposed to rerouting the #19 bus route, below are some contacts.
John-Michael.Cortez@capmetro.org and James.Gamez@capmetro.org are asking for feedback from our neighborhood.
Other contacts include the following email addresses.
boardofdirectors@capmetro.org
customer.service@capmetro.org
feedback@capmetro.org
