No rail, no way! That's the promise of both Mayor Nirenberg and County Judge Wolff to rising criticism of the 'Connect SA' transportation initiative which the Mayor proposed in last month's State of the City speech, News Radio 1200 WOAI reports.
Wolff says the prime goal will be high tech buses, possibly 'trackless trains,' essentially articulated buses that ride on rubber tires rather than rails, which have become popular in China. He says another key is dedicated lanes for buses.
"Looking to the future, they don't look like a bus," Wolff said of the vehicles. "They look like a train, but they are trackless."
Wolff and Nirenberg say trackless trains were much easier to manipulate, easier to change the routes to match changes in commuting patterns, and, something that is a key in San Antonio, they do not require two years of the street being torn apart to construct railroad tracks. Concern over those delays and the damage the construction would do to businesses and neighborhoods was a key factor in the defeat of the city's light rail proposal in 2001.
"We are trying to build a transit system that gives people choices," he said. "They can take a trolley or a connecting link to downtown."
The proposal will go to the voters in 2019, and Wolff and Nirenberg are trying to defuse early objections that the plan will consist of 'social engineering' that will force people to get out of their cars and take public transportation.
Those concerns are being raised by long time anti toll road crusader Terri Hall. She told the KLRN-TV program 'The Conversation' that buses aren't for everybody and the city would be making a fatal mistake if it thinks they are.
"Just try getting on the bus with bags of groceries," Hall said. "I have ten kids, am I supposed to buy a bus ticket for all of them just to go to the store?"