AUSTIN, TX –Austin Transit Partnership officially entered the federal process to build Austin Light Rail as required to pursue federal dollars. As part of this effort, ATP is conducting a round of Open House events to share how the light rail design is progressing and discuss potential new options for station locations. ATP is seeking feedback from the community ahead of submitting updated information and analysis for public review later this year.
“Since June, our focus has been to design and build Austin Light Rail in a way that maximizes user experience,” Lindsay Wood, executive vice president of engineering & construction, ATP, said. “A key focus while advancing design—while progressing through the federal funding process—is to minimize the need to purchase land and buildings and instead focus those resources into station and urban design investments.”
ATP has spent the last several months focused on sections of the 10 mile system that have high pedestrian volume with narrow right-of-way, with a key area being along Guadalupe Street between 27th and 29th street. By looking at station configurations and traffic flow in and around this area, ATP is confident, at this point in the design phase, that the existing buildings along this stretch no longer have conflicts with the light rail alignment.
ATP applied similar methodology on Riverside Drive, just west of I-35. As a result, several conflicts with multi-family buildings have been reduced.
“In collaboration with the City of Austin and CapMetro, the engineering and design teams prioritized finding reasonable solutions to some of the more constrained sections along the alignment,” Wood said. “Our work continues to be informed by community input as it has since ATP first began to deliver the Austin Light Rail Implementation Plan. As we continue our analysis in the coming year, we will continue to be transparent about the progress of this work, prioritizing accuracy and thorough vetting along the way.”
ATP has created a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) about the federal process, including real estate and right of way.
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About Austin Transit Partnership
Austin Transit Partnership is the local government corporation responsible for implementing Project Connect and leading Austin Light Rail.
