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Real Estate Acquisition Information

The majority of Austin Light Rail Phase I will be built in the existing public right-of-way but, as is often the case with major public transportation projects, we anticipate the need to acquire some properties or portions of properties adjacent to the project.

Most property acquisitions will involve small pieces of properties. When acquisitions are necessary, Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) will follow all local, state, and federal laws and regulations while working with property owners to address their unique needs, minimize hardships, and answer questions.

Austin Light Rail Phase 1 is in the preliminary engineering phase, and we do not anticipate acquiring the majority of properties until 2027. The timeline and details will be different for each property owner, with many conversations along the way, but the process will be similar overall to ensure all property owners are treated fairly and consistently.

ATP is committed to proactively reaching out to property owners about Austin Light Rail and staying in contact during our work. In addition, ATP regularly conducts community outreach to provide the public with opportunities to review project plans and provide comments and feedback through a variety of events, including public meetings, meetings with property owners, working groups, and community groups.

For more information about your rights as a property owner in the case of proposed acquisition, please consult the following additional documents:

Right of Way & Real Estate Acquisition FAQs

When will ATP know if a property needs to be acquired for the project?

The first assessment of whether property is needed for a project occurs as part of the preliminary design and environmental review process. During this process, various project alternatives and design options are evaluated. Preliminary design and environmental analysis are available for public review and comment as part of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Design work will continue to progress during and after the environmental review, which could minimize or change impacts to properties. The majority of property acquisitions will not take place until 2027 after final design work has commenced.

How does the acquisition process work?

When property needs to be acquired for a public use, the following process occurs:

A surveyor, working on behalf of Austin Light Rail Phase 1, conducts an on-site survey of the property required for the project, and develops a legal description and survey drawing of the acquisition area, which could be permanent or temporary during the project’s construction.
The survey is provided to an independent professional real estate appraiser. The appraiser will send a written request to the property owner to accompany them on their site visit. The appraiser will visit the property and provide ATP with an opinion of value based on the acquisition area and impacts to the remainder (if any) with information that includes how they arrived at their amount.
The appraisal is used to determine the amount of just compensation for the property to be acquired. ATP will then work closely with landowners to acquire the necessary property rights. Please see Acquisition Flow Chart for the detailed acquisition process.
There will be instances where only temporary rights are needed to accommodate construction activities. In those cases, ATP will seek to acquire a temporary easement and once the timeframe indicated in the easement expires, the rights acquired will terminate and full use of the property will be returned to the property owner.

When will acquisitions of property begin?

Generally, a property will only be acquired after the environmental process is complete, although there may be some permitted exceptions to this. ATP expects to initiate most property acquisitions in 2027 when final design is underway and specific property needs are affirmed.

What are you doing to help individuals and businesses who have potentially affected properties?

In addition to the just compensation (described above) offered for any real estate to be acquired from property owners, Relocation Advisory Services for owner-occupants and tenants will be available for eligible individuals, families, businesses (including farms) and nonprofit organizations who are displaced due to a property acquisition.

ATP is committed to preserving the vibrant and unique communities of Austin. Part of this important goal is to work directly with people along the Austin Light Rail Phase 1 corridors to ensure they are provided an opportunity to actively shape this transformative transit plan. Currently, there are ongoing discussions about how ATP can mitigate some of the potential impacts this project will have on Austin residents and businesses.

How do I get in touch with ATP?

If you have received a letter about your property or have questions about potential impacts along the Austin Light Rail Phase 1 corridors, we encourage you to reach out to us by email at input@atptx.org or by phone at 512-710-2100.

For questions related to Project Connect bus lines please contact CapMetro at Feedback@capmetro.org or 512-474-1200.