Lakeline Station

We took the train to SXSW, and it was very nice. We just sat back and perused Unilocal while the train whisked us downtown. The Lakeline station is convenient for us since we live in that area. The parking was ample and the station area was clean. We bought our tickets at the station, the machine was simple enough, but be sure to leave your credit card in the machine until it tells you to remove it. I wish the SXSW train schedule was always available. It was nice to travel south early in the day on a Saturday. We would use the train more if they expanded the weekend schedule.

There is not enough parking. There’s simply nowhere to park around the station if you arrive after 8 a.m., meaning you’ll have to walk half a mile or if you want ride the train. Basically the city has created a parking trap where it knows it can ticket a couple dozen people a day, so don’t expect it to be fixed anytime soon, if ever.
Which is all a shame because the trains are fantastic, and it’s a nice experience to ride. As usual, the city is actively discouraging use of the train.

Being from Chicago, I rode the ‘L’ and RTA trains pretty much every day to work and for pleasure. Being new to Austin, I didn’t realize how nice and convenient the Lakeline station is. The station is clean and the ride relaxing. Parking at peak times is a bit of a problem, but overall it’s an excellent option as opposed to sitting in traffic.

The train is nice and getting to Austin without driving was good too. This station has a parking lot that is not big enough. They need a garage or something. You need to watch out they were towing vehicles on a heavy travel day. Went on October 12^th and there were cars parked along the edges of the parking lot in unmarked places. Get there early. The Kramer station is worse. There is only on street parking.

I’ve used this train station a few times and I’ve had a great experience. The station is clean and there’s plenty of parking in the Park and Ride. The train is always on time. The free WiFi doesn’t have the most consistent connection, but for mass transit this service is pretty good if you’re along the route. Sometimes they will check your ticket or smart phone for you tickets usually at the use stops. I use the app the navigate the schedules and ticket purchase. I’ve definitely recommended to my co-​workers and got a couple converted already.

Took the train to the Pecan Street festival this weekend. It’s nice because you don’t have to find parking or fight traffic. It’s 7.00 for a round trip ride. It’s a bit slow but I’d you’re not in a hurry time passes before you know it nice if you want to do something different.

A solid transportation hub. It’s the station for MetroRail, of course, as well as several other bus routes. It has a bike shelter, for locking up your bike overnight. There are transit police officers stationed there during operational hours, and plenty of maps, schedules and two ticket machines. There *used* to be plenty of parking, but as more and more people use public transportation, these spaces tend to fill up almost to capacity.
But really, that’s kind of a good thing; indicative of high ridership, even this far from the urban core. Anyway, that’s my inner city planner talking.

Austin is growing and the amount of traffic on the roads is a nightmare, especially for us commuting from way up yonder to downtown.
I live in Cedar Park and the train station, conveniently located has plenty of parking and the train is very clean and comfortable. It takes me about 45 minutes to get DT from Cedar Park so I don’t ride it often. But when there is an event, during rush hour, or when I plan on spending the evening at the bars, the train is a good choice.
What would make riding better?
More stops, later schedules on the weekends, holidays and during big events. During events such as ACL and SXSW, the train is a nightmare so beware. I really hope that they see need to add more runs during these big events.

This was my first time riding the rail. I had a friend visiting from out of time. We loved it. It was prompt, clean and it felt very safe. I like the fact that they actually do surprise ticket checks. As you know you can get a few sketchy stranglers on from time to time. I enjoyed the ride downtown as did my friend. Only thing that freaked me out is they don’t dim the lights at night. I don’t like not seeing anything out the windows. Makes for a scary ride for me. Other than that. I loved it! It was very reasonably priced as well.

clean, well-​lit, plenty of parking, easy to find station.
ticket booths could be a little more responsive (took a few extra-​pushes sometimes to get the ticket we wanted).
tip: go online to get the station schedule (they are very accurate as long as you’re looking at the right tab– southbound/​northbound). make sure to look at the time for the last train home or else you might be taking a $ 60 cabride back home. (typically last weekend trains come back ~midnight)

As a New Yorker, I’m used to riding trains every day – and as a New Yorker that also happens to be a total train-​geek, NOT riding trains every day, and going years without riding a train, is bad for my inner constitution. So, since I live five minutes from Lakeline Station, and have been looking for an opportunity (excuse?) to grab a train ride. Keyseri and Tiana’s ROTDC at Violet Crown Social Club gave me just that opportunity. Yay!
So, as this is a review of the station, not the rail system, here’s Lakeline station– Clean, efficient, near Casa Shoehead, easy to figure out (except for that credit card thingie that Phillip B described. Took me three tries to finally get a ticket), and ample parking. $ 5.50 for a 24-​hour pass is reasonable, and better than the gas I’d have spent.
So thanks, Lakeline Station – you satisfied a need, and helped me right down to my inner soul.

$ 5.50 for a 24 hour pass. 45 min ride to downtown station. Not a bad deal. There is confusion at the ticket purchase. You must leave your credit card in until told to remove it. Once at the train, don’t try to validate your ticket, that applies only if you purchased elsewhere. The train is nice and clean. Push the button, door will open, you can enter. Have a seat, it’s all good. I like the back, facing forward. Once you get to Highland station, your comfort car will turn into a cattle car! Standing room only. People look like they’re dancing with each other. Train moves a little slow, but it is definitely worth it! It will drop you at 4^th street.

It was the last weekend of SXSW, and there was no way in hell I was driving anywhere downtown, no matter what the event. So when it came time to join my fellow Unilocalers at Unilocal’s SXSW Backyard Blowout, Shannon B. offered a helpful tip that the MLK metrorail stop is a mere 0.6 miles from the selected venue. I hate driving on a regular day (and I hate the frustration of finding parking even more), so it looked like I was on my way to ride the Cap Metro Rail for the first time ever.
Nervous about the complex workings of any public transportation system, I found an instructional YouTube video from Cap Metro that explained the entire process. Yes, I really did this. And it helped immensely in calming my stress.
I still can’t believe Austin has some form of a train. My check-​in at Lakeline Station also made it clear I kinda felt like a dirty European socialist for using it. I purchased my pre-​validated, all-​day 24-​hour ticket at a machine kiosk for $ 5.50. Not bad. Keep in mind, Lakeline Station is a Park & Ride, so you can leave your car if need be.
I took a seat on the platform and waited for the train leaving at 12:16. No more than a minute after mentioning European socialists, the first people I noticed was a German family jabbering away in their native tongue. Can I call it or what? Eventually, a train pulled up a good 20 – 25 minutes before it was set to leave. I received information through a lady speaking to the conductor that this was our ride, and that we had the option to wait on the platform or onboard. I wanted a seat, so I chose the car closest to me.
I was joined by several other SXSWers and obvious first-​timers. When a group of eight noisy children came aboard our car, it was if a silent alarm went off for me and the other twenty-​somethings. We all simultaneously looked at each other and wordlessly came to the same decision: we were switching cars. As we exited en masse, one of the girls asked me to confirm that if, like them, I was moving because of the kids. I affirmed that we were all on the same page, and it made me feel like less of a bitch.
I sat in the section meant for the disabled, as it gave me the most legroom. A sweet older couple came on board and sat next to me. They struck up a conversation and prattled on about their grandkids while I kept my fingers crossed that no one blind, deaf, or bound to a wheelchair would evict me from my quite comfortable seat. That did not come to pass.
We left Lakeline station and moved at a decent clip down the tracks. For the majority of the trip, I had no idea where the hell we were, as the landmarks of warehouses, backroads, and biker bars did nothing to orient me. It was only when we passed the Mercedes-​Benz dealership did I realize we were near Airport Blvd.
If you thought I got away with sitting in the disabled section without God punishing me, you were wrong. With each station, dozens upon dozens of people filled the cars, until I heard the word «sardines» shouted more than once. A young couple turned out to be my travel companions, in the sense they were the ones shoved the closest to me. We got to know each other pretty fast. The guy even joked he might have to sit on my lap. It sounds hot, but it wasn’t. I literally had no room to move and as I was still sitting, there was really no safe place to rest my eyes. My only choices were the guy’s armpit, or his girlfriend’s crotch. This was a claustrophobic gay guy’s nightmare, and it was verging on the unbearable.
The older lady and I both agreed that it was SXSW and SXSW alone that could account for all these extra bodies. Whenever I think of the train, I imagine no more than two lone people riding it at any given time. Somewhere around the 3^rd or 4^th stop, people were simply refused entry, because there was absolutely no room for them. The people on the platform were livid, and we were even delayed a couple minutes by someone who refused to take «no» for an answer. God. Here I was trying to avoid an Austin clusterf*ck, and I was smack dab in the middle of one.
The fun part began when I was actually getting off at MLK, before downtown. The young guy next to me yelled to everyone by the door that I’d be getting off soon, and to make way. I’m good at giving orders to people, but I was so glad that guy was there to do it for me. I wouldn’t want to piss off an already volatile crowd and have them crush me to death. Of all the places I could die, the metrorail is one of the least appealing.
I finally escaped that narrow, crowded Bastille, but not without my new friends bidding me good luck. I genuinely wished them the same. I mean, they did stand by me through a dark and troubling time.
Since I realize the crowds were an anomaly, I’d say my overall experience with the train was positive. If I need to get downtown, I might give it a whirl again.
Except next time, I’ll avoid the disabled section and sit in a regular seat. No matter how empty the train is. (Sorry, God).
4 Stars.