Project Connect
| |||||||||||||||||||
Public transportation expansion referendum | |||||||||||||||||||
Results | |||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||
Travis County Official Results[1] |
Project Connect (listed as Proposition A on the general election ballot) is a transit expansion program by the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CapMetro) in Austin, Texas, U.S. The program was approved by voters on November 3, 2020, in a local election concurrent with the 2020 presidential election.
The project is estimated to cost $7.1 billion and will be funded with public funds, both federally and locally through increasing the local property tax rate by 8.75 cents.[2] This is a smaller-scale version of the proposal, originally estimated at $10 billion, but ultimately downsized to $7.1 billion due to Covid-induced cost concerns.[3] Plans were again scaled down in 2023 as construction costs had risen since the proposition's passage.[4]
Plan elements
CapMetro Rail | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2020 ballot map
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
As a part of the plan, CapMetro would add two light rail lines, three bus rapid transit lines, and one commuter rail line to the already existing Red Line, which will also undergo major improvements. The proposal also calls for general investments to all routes, a fully-electric bus and train fleet, and new park and ride areas throughout the service area.[5][non-primary source needed] A Downtown Transit Tunnel was originally proposed, but was cut from plans in May 2023.
CapMetro Rail Blue Line
Phase I of the Blue Line would operate on a 7.8-mile (12.6 km) stretch of light rail with 13 stations, running through downtown to 38th Street from Yellow Jacket Lane. The line would provide service along East Riverside Drive, then join with the Orange Line to cross Lady Bird Lake to the Austin Convention Center and run west on 3rd Street to Republic Square (the city's central transportation hub). Phase I of the line continues north with the Orange Line along Guadalupe Street to terminate 38th Street. The Blue Line will provide key service to the Texas State Capitol complex and The University of Texas at Austin campus.[6][non-primary source needed] Phase I Priority Extensions include a 3.2-mile (5.1 km), primarily elevated southeastern extension to serve the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, and a 2.7-mile (4.3 km) northern extension shared with the Orange Line along Guadalupe Street and North Lamar Boulevard to Crestview station.[7] The blue line will run at a frequency of every 10 minutes, but that frequency can be increased for special events if needed. On parts of the route where two light rail lines share the same tracks, trains will arrive every 5 minutes.
CapMetro Rail Orange Line
Phase I of the Orange Line, planned to be approximately 5.2 miles (8.4 km) with 9 stations, will link North and South Austin. The line would run from Oltorf Street to Lady Bird Lake along South Congress Avenue, before joining with the Blue Line and connecting to Downtown and the UT Campus, terminating jointly at 38th Street. The route would share a Phase I Priority Extension north to Crestview Station with the Blue Line, running a similar route to the current MetroRapid Route 801.[6][7] The Orange Line will run at a frequency of every 10 minutes, but that frequency can be increased for special events if needed. On parts of the route where two light rail lines share the same tracks, trains will arrive every 5 minutes.
CapMetro Rail Green Line
The MetroRail Green Line is a proposed 27-mile (43 km) corridor traveling from downtown Austin to eastern Travis County and into Bastrop County, connecting Manor, Texas with downtown Austin by commuter rail. With new transit hubs and Park & Rides, the Green Line would operate along Capital Metro's existing freight line between Austin and Manor, with a possible future terminus at Elgin, connecting suburban residents to central Austin.[6] The Green Line would interline with the Red Line between Downtown and Plaza Saltillo stations, where it will then split off, with the Red Line heading north and the Green Line heading east.
CapMetro Rail Red Line infill and improvement
CapMetro Rapid Gold Line
The revised proposal would build the Gold Line first as a MetroRapid bus service. The system plan, however, envisions the Gold Line as light rail that would operate for approximately 9.5 miles (15.3 km) connecting 15 stations from Austin Community College's Highland campus along Airport Boulevard and Red River Street into downtown, across the river and through SoCo (South Congress), a popular neighborhood south of the Colorado River. Along its route, the Gold Line would service UT Austin's main campus to the east, easing access to sports events, given the line's close proximity to Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium and new Moody Center.[6]
Downtown Transit Tunnel
Project Connect proposed a 1.6-mile (2.6 km) transit tunnel underneath the Downtown area, which would serve the Orange, Blue, and (eventually) Gold light rail lines.
By 2021, planners were considering moving the Orange Line's southern portal to near Lively Middle School at Leland Street, citing engineering challenges with emerging close to Lady Bird Lake and the topography of South Congress.[11]
CapMetro Rapid and CapMetro Express expansion
Currently, CapMetro operates two bus rapid transit routes (801 and 803) branded as CapMetro Rapid. Under Project Connect, seven new lines are proposed as enhanced or potential future service throughout Austin. In addition to connecting different transit services, these lines mostly feature a park and ride at their terminus for commuters.[12] Project Connect also proposes four new MetroExpress commuter bus lines, as well as extended service to existing lines.
Name | Type | Termini | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Burnet to Menchaca & Oak Hill | MetroRapid Enhanced Route | Broadmoor/Domain to Oak Hill/Tanglewood | Similar to MetroRapid Route 803 with extensions to Oak Hill and Tanglewood in South Austin |
Expo | MetroRapid Enhanced Route | Downtown to Expo Center | Runs north from Downtown station alongside the Gold Line before heading northeast on Manor Road |
Pleasant Valley | MetroRapid Enhanced Route | Berkman/Mueller to Goodnight | Runs mostly north to south along Pleasant Valley Road in East Austin |
MLK | CapMetro Rapid Potential Future Extension | Red Bud to Decker | Runs east-west along Enfield Road and Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd |
Crosstown | CapMetro Rapid Potential Future Extension | Red Bud to Eastside Bus Plaza | Runs east-west downtown with connecting service to CARTS |
ACC Highland to Tech Ridge | CapMetro Rapid Potential Future Extension | Highland to Tech Ridge | Runs north-south along Cameron Road |
Parmer | CapMetro Rapid Potential Future Extension | Lakeline to Wildhorse | Runs east-west from Cedar Park to Manor along Parmer Lane |
RM 2222 | MetroExpress | Four Points to Republic Square | |
North IH-35 | CapMetro Express | Georgetown to Republic Square | |
MoPac (South) | CapMetro Express | Wildflower to Republic Square | |
SH 45 Toll | CapMetro Express | Hutto to Republic Square | |
SH 71 | CapMetro Express | Bastrop to Eastside Bus Plaza | |
South US-183 | CapMetro Express | Lockhart to Eastside Bus Plaza | |
South IH-35 | CapMetro Express | San Marcos to Downtown |
Electric fleet
As part of the Project Connect plan, CapMetro envisions a fully-electric bus and train fleet. The goal is to completely electrify the fleet of around 400 buses and trains by 2040, and the agency has already purchased 12 electric buses.
CapMetro broke ground in 2019 on a new electric bus charging facility at their North Operations yard on Burnet Road. The facility will have the capacity to charge and maintain 200 electric buses, and will be highly automated.[17]
The Orange, Blue, and Gold light rail lines will run on electricity, unlike the current Red Line, which uses diesel-electric trains. CapMetro is looking into various options for powering the light rail vehicles, such as a traditional catenary system, using battery-powered trains with quick-charging technology at stations (such as Kinkisharyo's e-Brid technology), and Alstom's APS Ground-Level Power Supply system.[18] The existing red line will also be electrified.[citation needed]
Neighborhood circulators
Neighborhood circulator buses will connect transit areas to the surrounding community. According to the proposal, there will be 15 new neighborhood zones for this first/last mile connection service.[12]
CapMetro Bike
For last mile connections, CapMetro proposes an electric bike fleet at transit hubs as well as rental/payment integration in the CapMetro mobile application.[12]
Park and Rides
In addition to new services, CapMetro is also proposing nine new park and rides throughout the region.[12][non-primary source needed]
Name | Connections | Location | Nearby points of interest and notes |
---|---|---|---|
Four Points | CapMetro Express, Circulator | RM 620/RM 2222 | Four Points Shopping Center |
Loop 360 | CapMetro Express, Circulator | Loop 360/RM 2222 | Indeed headquarters and other corporate offices |
Highland | Red Line, Gold Line | Airport Blvd/Koenig Ln | Austin Community College, Highland Mall
|
183/290 | CapMetro Express | U.S. 183/U.S. 290 | Walnut Creek Business Park |
Expo Center | Expo CapMetro Rapid Line | Decker Ln/Loyola Ln | Travis County Exposition Center, Walter E. Long Park |
Metro Center | Blue Line | E. Riverside Drive/Ben White Boulevard | Airport Hotel District |
McKinney Falls | Pleasant Valley CapMetro Rapid Line | McKinney Falls Pkwy/William Cannon Dr | McKinney Falls State Park |
Goodnight | Pleasant Valley CapMetro Rapid Line | E. Slaughter Ln/Vertex Blvd | Goodnight Ranch planned community |
Wildflower | CapMetro Express | Mopac Expressway/La Crosse Blvd | Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center, Circle C Ranch |
Scaled down light rail
By April 2022, the estimated cost of the light rail portion of Project Connect had ballooned to $10.3 billion, up from the initial $5.8 billion estimate.[4] Austin Transit Partnership presented five reduced plans in March 2023 in order to deliver the light rail lines with the provided funding. Most of the proposed alternatives did away with tunneling downtown, with a greater reliance on surface running tracks.[4] Austin Transit Partnership selected a preferred route in May 2023 with surface running and one crossing of Lady Bird Lake.[19] Austin City Council gave its approval to a $7.1 billion preliminary project, which would include 9.8 miles of new light rail line, on June 1, 2023.[20]
In November 2023, the City of Austin and the Austin Transit Partnership, among others, were sued under the legal theory that the scaled down plans required voter approval.[21]
References
- ^ "Travis County - Election Night Results".
- ^ "StackPath". www.masstransitmag.com. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ "$7.1B 'Project Connect' transit plan set to be finalized next week". kvue.com. August 7, 2020. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ a b c Thompson, Kelsey; Remadna, Nabil (March 21, 2023). "Project Connect debuts 5 scaled down light rail options". KXAN. Retrieved March 22, 2023.
- ^ a b "ProjectConnect". capmetro.org. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ a b c d e "ProjectConnect". capmetro.org. Retrieved August 11, 2020.
- ^ a b Bernier, Nathan (May 23, 2023). "Project Connect recommendation revealed: Light-rail would stretch 10 miles at street level". KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station. Retrieved June 15, 2023.
- ^ "Proposed CapMetro project includes subway system in Downtown Austin". kvue.com. March 6, 2020. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Jankowski, Philip. "Cap Metro recommends downtown subway system in multibillion-dollar light rail system". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Project Connect, Capital Metro (July 30, 2020). "Project Connect System Plan" (PDF). Capital Metro. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Bernier, Nathan (July 22, 2021). "Underground Light-Rail Tunnel Could Be More Than A Mile Longer Than Expected". KUT 90.5. Retrieved July 23, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Initial Investment". Capital Metro.
- ^ Denney, Amy (January 27, 2020). "Capital Metro increases initial investment in electric buses to 12 vehicles in 2020". impact. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Denney, Amy (August 14, 2018). "No emissions here: Capital Metro tests out electric buses in Austin". impact. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ "Capital Metro talks batteries over electric bus contract". Austin Monitor. August 27, 2019. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ "Capital Metro to bring fleet electrification experts on board". Austin Monitor. July 20, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2020.
- ^ Buchele, Mose (April 22, 2019). "Cap Metro Says This Lot Will House The Electric Bus Facility "Of The Future"". KUT. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ "Rail to ease congestion in Texan capital". International Railway Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
- ^ Bernier, Nathan (May 24, 2023). "Austin light-rail gets first approval amid looming Texas legislative threat". KUT 90.5. Retrieved May 24, 2023.
- ^ Moreno-Lozano, Luz (June 2, 2023). "$7.1 billion light rail plan OK'd by Austin City Council". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
- ^ https://www.kxan.com/traffic/traffic-projects/project-connect/lawsuit-filed-against-austins-revised-project-connect-light-rail-plan/