INHABIT AUSTIN: real estate

On March 30th, the Red Line will open for business. The Capital MetroRail, which spans 32 miles of existing freight tracks, will operate between Leander and Downtown. According to their schedule, the trip will take 57 minutes. This month, Capmetro held a few open houses at the future stations and platforms. I paid a visit to Crestview Station and adjacent Midtown Commons, a transit-oriented-development.

The paint was fresh, the ticket machine was shiny and the cabin had that new train smell. If you didn’t make it out, here’s a few of the features you can expect to find aboard the Swiss-manufactured trains.

• 200 passenger capacity
• ADA accessible
• Free Wifi service
• Bicycle racks
• Pull-down trays and tables
• Max speed 75mph

Since the MetroRail utilizes the same tracks as an operational freight line, the service will only run weekdays during mornings and afternoons in peak rush-hours. Will it ease traffic congestion and the carbon footprint for those brutal commutes to and from North Austin? We’ll find out in a month. But even if it doesn’t shave off a lot of time for the trip, I’d much rather pay the $1.50 to spend 57 minutes or less enjoying my coffee and reading the paper on the way to work, as opposed to inching down Mopac and shaking my fist at the car that just cut me off.