Before we get into the shortfalls of this editorial. Real planning and preparation need to be noted. When Denver Stapleton Airport closed operations February 27, 1995, and new one opened up. The new Denver International Airport was far afield from the downtown area and surrounding neighborhoods. Therefore, good preplanning had evolved by placing a train into the airport from downtown. That all began operations on the same day, February 28, 1995.
Tulum in Mexico had a great foresight to eliminate travel time and congestion for those travelling to the area of the Mexican Rivera and Cancun. Along with that a train had been planned to open and operate from the first day of operations. Opening December 1, 2023, it has since become a hub for some and widely used by various airlines. Momentum has grown exponentially since opening ten months ago.
Austins first airport the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport was in the center of Austin’s residential living. Easy to commute and access when ever flying in and out of Austin. Mueller airport came to closure to commercial airline service May 22, 1999. The city of Austin began its first and still only existing light rail service on March 22, 2010.
The new Austin airport, which was the former Bergstrom Air force Base closed as an Airforce base until September 30 1993. The Airforce base was owned by the city of Austin. From September 19, 1942, until September 30, 1993, the air force base was in operation. The City of Austin donated the land to the government in 1942 on the condition that the city would get it back once the Air Force base was no longer needed.
Growth was inevitably causing concern through complaints of residents about Mueller airport. Dating back to the 1980’s an eventual vote to find other means for an airport in November 1987. That plan failed but later in May 1993 the public brought to a vote with some 63 per cent approval for the now current location ABIA. Construction began in November 1994. The opening and first day of commercial flight service began May 23, 1999.
Cap Metro was created in 1985 as a local bus service with the development of future rail service. The following year 1986 they partnered with the City of Austin to purchase 162 miles of railroad from Southern Pacific Transportation Company.
There was in the early 2000’s a plan that never began due to a vote by locals. However Cap metro came back with a scaled down plan for rail in 2004. It was taken to a vote where locals voted 62 per cent in favor. The original plan was from Leander to Downtown a single line. The master plan was also for future development to expand from the University of Texas to Lady Bird Lake. The original plan to launch the Leander to downtown line was 2008, but again delayed two years due to construction and safety issues at that time. To date the line is 32 miles from Leander to downtown.
With growth and demand for transportation the original line began March 22, 2010. That same line is still the only existing line to this day on October 23, 2024. On October 22, 2024, a freight train derailed and caused major disruption to the original line between Martin Luther King and downtown to a part where that same day they announced improvement’s will be brought to forefront and begin next year 2025.
Back in November 2014 Cap metro had announced a plan to build an extension to the original rail line but again never went through. In 2018 other plans have been drawn up which began, By November 2020 more lines had been announced to expand out to the airport.
The new Austin airport known as ABIA has been open since May 22, 1999. The Cap metro rail system first began March 22 2010. That’s almost eleven years apart and still to this day we have no rail service to the airport. Fire and Aviation TV has attended both airport and Cap metro public viewings, hearings and filled out surveys like anyone else. Cap metro understands they have dropped the ball in the last meeting recently attended. The two parties both Cap metro and Airport could have had a joint meeting and other public hearing years ago. Austin has a transportation nightmare and is still short sighted of its need to everyone.
Even today the airport as of April was the last public showing had changed its twenty year plan for expansion to no explanation. When the question in regard to rail service and future plans on the rail station there was no comment from those who needed to answer those questions.
Is it greed and glory not to forget poor communication and planning. Other cities, for example at the beginning of this article planned accordingly and open to discussion. So why is it twenty-five years later both expansion is so late and even 20 year plans changed with little or next to no explanation.
October 21, 2024, Austin Bergstrom Internation Airport had 44,043 passengers and the day before 39,380. Imagine if Cap metro had ten percent ride by rail. Not the case as we still have the same single rail route from Leander to downtown Austin since March 22, 2010. Let’s not forget also Austin Airport is now the most expensive airport to fly out since the summer 2024 than it ever has since it opened May 22, 1999. If only we had those foresights and professional leadership in place like Denver and Tulum Mexico as well as many others.
Editorial Fire and Aviation TV October 23, 2024