I'd say the MetroRail is inching along...

I currently work at the Hilton Austin which is right across the street from the MetroRail Downtown Station. Some of my coworkers are able to use the MetroRail to get to and from work, however it is a *very* small amount. I think that until the MetroRail expands to include more than just the Northwest Austin area, it will not be viewed as successful in the eyes of Austinites. I think that the MetroRail is a great idea, but it is not even close to "picking up steam" as Surid Kaphle mentions in his blog "A Great Citizen."

Although the amount of passengers increased during SXSW, it still was not that useful. The last train left downtown at 11:30pm.

I don't know about you, but most people don't even get to downtown until after 10, and they definitely would not be ready to leave downtown before midnight. My family was going to attempt to use the MetroRail to avoid having to drive and find parking downtown, but with the cost per person so high, and the inconvenient schedule, they were not able to. The band they wanted to see didn't go on stage until 11pm, so it was not feasible for them to catch the 11:30pm train.

I think that the MetroRail has great potential, and will be successful, eventually. Austin needs to dedicate more time and money to make it useful to a larger percentage of the population.