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Austin Commuter Rail - Good Deal or Bad Deal?

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Yep, approximately 400 people (passengers) per day ride the Capital Metro Red Line.  Actually, the number has inched up a bit since I prepared my posting.  The number of passengers per day who use the train is now approximately 425.  That's roughly 425 trips in the morning and 425 trips in the afternoon, i.e. most of the passengers ride the train twice a day; to town or the university in the morning and back home in the evening.  However, in my case, I use the train in the morning to get to the University of Texas, but I return home in the early afternoon on an express bus because the train only runs during the morning and evening rush hours.  Even if Capital Metro implements mid-day service between Lakeland and Austin, I will still have to use a bus to get back to Leander in the afternoon.  This appears to be the case of a mid-size city opting for commuter rail because it was the in thing to do.  A better option for Austin would have been Rapid Bus Technology, which is planned for the heaviest traveled routes in the community.   The city leaders are looking at a proposal to build a light rail line from the airport to the central city and from the city to the University of Texas campus.  The estimated cost as of last year was approximately $47 million per mile.  The attitude appears to be that we have to have light rail irrespective of the costs or whether it is the best option for this community.
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