downtown Austin's real estate and neighborhood blog
According to CapMetro, weekend Dillo service isn’t getting enough ridership to support its continued operation. My question is, at $0.50 per two hour pass, were they ever expecting it to?
This would be especially frustrating news for commuters if the Commuter Rail was running weekends… but it’s not.
Free ‘Dillo service (the trolley-like buses downtown) is getting a make-over. With a lot of work by the city and cap metro and with heavy input from your representatives at DANA (the Downtown Austin neighborhood Association), the ‘Dillo map has been simplified into an easy to remember North/South, East/West route with a greater frequency of buses (every 5 minutes during the week) that is expected to make the service more convenient for every day riders and casual users trying to get around town.
If you want this phenomenal service to continue, I recommend using it and using it often.
BTW – my favorite route? It’s the one that goes from 5th and Red River to Whole Foods back to 5th and Red River. HOW COOL IS THAT?
You can download or print the new map here:
http://www.capmetro.org/riding/current_schedules/maps/new%20dillo%20m…
If you were a regular user of the service and want to know how your commute
has been impacted, Cap Metro has posted additional information here:
http://capmetroblog.blogspot.com/2008/08/if-you-loved-red-dillo.html
The City of Austin has published some great resources for folks living/working/visiting downtown during the inaugural Formula 1 race.
I think the best practice will be, next to walking, to take the FREE Downtown Loop – This free bus service will help you get around downtown. It will run Nov. 16 – 18 from 7 a.m. – 2:30 a.m, every 15 minutes (may be delayed due to traffic). It will circle 15th St., San Jacinto, 7th St, Red River, Cesar Chavez and Lavaca on a continuous loop. (map)
The ‘Loop will be like the Dillo, except people are expected to use it. (Oh, snap!)
Parking and shuttle service is the 2nd best way to get to COTA. The myriad of State parking garages along San Jacinto will finally pay off.
We first learned from Elliott McFadden at Austin On Two Wheels, then earlier today Thomas Butler (DAA staff and Austin CarShare board chair) confirmed for us that Austin CarShare has ceased all operations.
Much like the Dillo, we wanted to be a cheerleader for this alternative form of transportation. It didn’t work perfectly, but it did work well for many things. We wanted to see it succeed because we knew the people behind it, and how inspired and passionate they are about the underlying concept.
Austin CarShare created the market for this form of transportation in Central Texas, and it’s regrettable to see them close up shop. Not to denigrate the achievements of car2go, but it lacks the bootstrapping ethos evident in Austin CarShare. Truth is car2go works better for most users.
Car2go’s presence in more places and the ability to park it [almost] anywhere makes it more accessible to more people. And that’s a good thing for consumers/commuters. Car2go simply has the financial backing to achieve a critical mass of cars and users.
Were it not for the entrepreneurial vision of these guys/gals four years ago, inspired to create Austin CarShare, car2go would not likely have chosen Austin to beta test what is to become the largest car sharing program in the world.
Brandi Clark with Austin Eco Network puts it more eloquently.
-Jude
I spend most of my time downtown and take for granted that not everyone knows where everything is. It’s helpful to have a bird’s-eye-view of Downtown Austin’s condos, apartments, and small businesses. I’ve mashed up the data I collected when counting the number of dwellings in Downtown Austin with the street address of every condo and apartment counted. You’ll find many of the less well known apartments included. A handful of local businesses that I regularly visit are included, too.
This map will be perpetually evolving. Let me know if I’ve missed something, or if you have something you’d like me to add.
-Jude
