Stories by Nathan Bernier, KUT
Dirty Martin's would be spared under new concept for light rail
A 98-year-old hamburger restaurant wouldn’t be flipped off the map to make space for Austin’s new light-rail system under conceptual plans revealed by the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP), the local government corporation building the 10-mile transit system. But the owner…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Feb 8, 2024
Fresh details on Austin's light-rail plans emerge as officials chase federal cash
Lee esta historia en español Austinites curious about the city’s light-rail future are being offered fresh details as the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) launches an in-depth environmental review in a bid to qualify for billions in federal cash. The new…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Feb 5, 2024
I-35 expansion sparks civil rights complaint and another lawsuit
Opponents of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) plans to widen Interstate 35 from Ben White Boulevard to U.S. 290 East are taking their fight to federal court. The legal complaint echoes calls heard at rallies and from local elected officials against…
Roads • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 29, 2024
Austin confronts legal challenge to 10-mile light-rail plan
City Council and the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) are firing back against a lawsuit aiming to terminate the vision for a 10-mile light-rail network – the single most ambitious public transit project in the city’s history. In legal filings in…
Courts • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 10, 2024
Weather observers at Austin's airport have no windows or internet access
Professional weather observers inside the air traffic control tower at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) have no windows or internet access to check the weather radar, satellite imagery or other conditions across the region, according to federal documents. The weather observers…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 9, 2024
Austin's shift to electric buses is plagued by vehicle glitches and supplier bankruptcy
Capital Metro’s drive to electrify its entire fleet of buses is coming with some hard lessons about the high costs of early adoption. The transit agency’s battery-powered buses have been less reliable and harder to fix. Now, a company selling…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Dec 6, 2023
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Austin airport’s safety is under scrutiny after a string of near misses
A disturbing string of dangerous incidents at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport – including near misses and two tarmac deaths this year – has elected officials clashing with city staff over safety at an airport where passenger volumes have more than doubled…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Nov 8, 2023
Records show first responders in Austin struggling to respond to Cruise's self-driving cars
Austin’s first responders grappled with how to manage Cruise’s robot cars and their “alarming” behavior, records obtained by KUT show. An internal reporting system used by Austin firefighters and police describes Cruise cars coming within inches of parked fire trucks,…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Oct 31, 2023
A campaign is underway to rename Austin's airport after LBJ
Could Austin’s gateway to the world be renamed after a Texas political titan? Yes, if the LBJ Foundation has anything to say about it. The Austin organization has quietly begun a campaign to rename Austin-Bergstrom International Airport after President Lyndon…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Oct 23, 2023
Whip In won't be torn down for I-35 expansion, reversing earlier plans
The expansion of Interstate 35 will push out more than 100 homes and businesses in Central Austin. But some places previously slated for demolition will get to stay. Among them: the South Austin bar and convenience store Whip In. Early plans called…
Roads • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Oct 20, 2023
With I-35 expansion, Austin gem Nature’s Treasures is being forced to move
Located on the Interstate 35 frontage road just south of Airport Boulevard, Nature’s Treasures has become an iconic destination for fans of minerals and the metaphysical. The crystal store is among more than 100 homes and businesses about to be forced…
Roads • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Oct 19, 2023
Austin Chronicle's historic headquarters to be paved over for I-35
After years of skewering the state’s political elite, The Austin Chronicle is slated to be swallowed whole by the jaws of a state-sponsored highway project. Wheels are in motion to expand Interstate 35 from Ben White Boulevard to U.S. Highway 290 East. Work…
