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 cash from other priorities. Refined plans show the estimated price tag of the full 26-acre […]
Nathan Bernier, KUT
Posted inTransit
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 been the slow rollout of e-bus chargers at the end of routes to keep vehicles […]
Posted inTransportation
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 (TxDOT) has taken steps to protect bats, some conservationists argue more could be done […]
Posted inTransit
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 a double-track – can improve the frequency and reliability of train service by allowing trains […]
Posted inElections
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 a powerful role in shaping how we get around the city and has an influential […]
Posted inTransit
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 the timeline for other planned CapMetro Rapid (formerly MetroRapid) routes, including those serving Oak Hill, […]
Posted inTransportation
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 than it was designed to accommodate. If approved, the 370,500-square-foot extension of the Barbara Jordan […]
Posted inCourts
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 in Central Texas history. The lawsuit is being brought by some of the same taxpayers […]
Posted inTransportation
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 while taking an afternoon stroll along the final section of the Austin to Manor Trail. […]
Posted inTransportation
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 schedule in January. Starting in October, American will no longer fly to Reno, Nevada; Palm […]
Posted inCity Council
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 the political balance at City Hall tilted away from such priorities. “Chris loved Austin so […]
Posted inTransportation
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 tax increase in 2020 to fund Project Connect, the largest transit expansion in the city’s […]