Stories by Nathan Bernier, KUT
I-35 caps plan reconsidered as cost estimates soar by 61%
Austin’s transformational plan to cover parts of Interstate 35 with parks and public spaces, intended to bridge the divide between east and west neighborhoods, is facing a financial reckoning as estimated costs soar and city staff warn the project could drain…
Roads • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Nov 21, 2024
Cap Metro to shelve 46 new electric buses for a year after manufacturer bankruptcy
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority will put 46 brand-new electric buses in storage for at least a year, the latest fallout from an electrification goal the transit agency now admits was overly ambitious. The main problem, Capital Metro’s leadership says, has…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Nov 19, 2024
Thousands of Austin's bats will be displaced by I-35 expansion
The expansion of Interstate 35 through Austin is set to displace more than 100 homes and businesses. But an even larger community is being forced to relocate: thousands of bats that roost in the highway’s bridges. While the Texas Department of…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Nov 1, 2024
Cap Metro to build second set of train tracks in East Austin
Capital Metro is planning to build a second set of train tracks along the Red Line in East Austin along with new sidewalks, pedestrian crossings and another platform at Plaza Saltillo Station. A second set of tracks – known as…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Oct 30, 2024
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Where do Austin's mayoral candidates stand on transportation issues?
When Austinites cast their ballots this election, transportation will be front and center – not just because it’s a major challenge for the region, but also because voters will have just navigated their way to a polling station. Austin’s mayor plays…
Elections • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Oct 15, 2024
Delayed CapMetro Rapid routes to launch next year with slower service and diesel buses
Capital Metro’s newest high-frequency bus routes have been delayed, and now the transit agency says the Expo Center and Pleasant Valley routes will launch next year with reduced frequency and diesel-powered buses instead of the promised electric ones. The delays are pushing back…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Sep 27, 2024
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Austin's airport set to move ahead with $865 million terminal expansion
A centerpiece of the largest-ever expansion of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport is on a glide path to obtain final approval for design and construction. City Council will vote on the project this month as ABIA strains to handle far more passengers…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Sep 12, 2024
Class action lawsuit targets Austin taxes over Project Connect
A new class-action lawsuit is seeking to block the city from collecting any property taxes, potentially starving Austin’s municipal government of almost all revenue, until it kills a tax approved by voters in 2020 to fund the largest public transit expansion…
Courts • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Aug 28, 2024
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Austin to Manor Trail now complete, linking suburb to citywide trail network
Lee esta historia en español The missing link in a 5.5-mile trail from Austin to Manor is now complete, connecting the fast-growing suburb with Austin’s expansive network of public paths. “It helps with quality of life,” Manor Mayor Christopher Harvey said…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Aug 23, 2024
American Airlines cuts five Austin flights as options shrink at ABIA
Lee esta historia en español American Airlines plans to eliminate five nonstop flights from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport this fall. The Fort Worth-based company, which has the second-largest presence at ABIA after Southwest, had already slashed 21 routes from its Austin…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jul 31, 2024
Chris Riley, former Austin City Council member and urbanist, dies at 60
Chris Riley, who served as a City Council member from 2009 to 2015, died Sunday after a battle with cancer. A native Austinite, Riley was known as a fierce advocate for bike infrastructure and denser housing at a time when…
City Council • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jul 30, 2024
Cap Metro stops shift to all-electric bus fleet
Capital Metro is slamming the brakes on an ambitious goal of transitioning to an all-electric bus fleet, citing problems with the range of battery-electric buses. Austin voters were promised a transit system with exclusively electric vehicles when they authorized a…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jul 26, 2024
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