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Most Popular Stories
- How Trump’s federal funding freeze is beginning to affect Austin
- APD won’t enforce SB 14 as Paxton and Trump further attack gender-affirming health care
- Environmental Commission weighs Project Connect’s environmental impact and federal funding
- After shutting off mental health care for Austin musicians, SIMS Foundation restarts services
- Commercial EV station moves forward despite opposition
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Discover News By District
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Popular Whispers
- Texas Metro Blueprint highlights Austin’s needs, priorities for state legislators
- Council Member Mike Siegel will speak out against cuts to federal services
- Some city offices and facilities will close for Presidents Day
- Chamber announces details of Infrastructure Summit
- Zero Waste Advisory Commission adds own ‘no’ rec on merge with RMC
Stories by Nathan Bernier, KUT
South Austin's newest trail is under construction. Will the Trump administration help pay for it?
An abandoned railroad line in South Austin is being converted into a trail for pedestrians and cyclists, with the first section set to open next year. But uncertainty surrounding the Trump administration’s freeze on federal grants has cast doubt on…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Feb 5, 2025
Austin unveils how light-rail could change the city in new report with detailed maps
The curtain is finally lifting on Austin’s long-planned light-rail system, as a newly released report from the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) reveals a more detailed vision for the 9.8-mile route. For the first time, Austinites can view block-by-block maps, see specific station…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 13, 2025
CapMetro bringing tap-to-pay to Austin’s buses and trains by March
Hopping on a Capital Metro bus or train should soon be as easy as tapping a credit or debit card. In March, the regional transit agency will part ways with its unreliable QR code-based fare system and switch to tap-to-pay technology.…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 10, 2025
Most Austin-area drivers will still need a vehicle inspection. Here's where the rules have changed.
Mandatory vehicle safety inspections have been eliminated for many Texas drivers. But in 17 counties – including Travis and Williamson – an emissions test is still required to renew your vehicle registration every year. The changes, which took effect Jan. 1,…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 9, 2025
Austin's airport has a critical shortage of air traffic controllers approaching the holidays
Retired librarian Carolyn Foote was craving an easy, three-hour flight home to Austin on Sunday after a weekend library conference in Raleigh, North Carolina. Instead, she found herself stuck in a cramped terminal at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, surrounded by crowds…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Dec 12, 2024
TxDOT wants to keep approving its own federal environmental reviews
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is asking the federal government to let the state continue to approve its own environmental reviews – a delegated authority intended to fast-track highway projects. The public has until Monday night to weigh in on the arrangement…
Roads • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Dec 9, 2024
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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
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…
