Austin’s leaders are looking for answers to transportation needs as rapid growth pushes housing and job centers farther from the urban core, straining an already overburdened transportation system. At a recent infrastructure summit hosted by the Austin Chamber of Commerce, public officials and mobility experts outlined the scope of the challenges and emerging strategies to […]
Transportation
Posted inRoads
Urban Transportation Commission discusses, makes recommendations on CAMPO’s draft regional plan for 2050
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is cooking up a quinquennial update to its regional transportation plan, and for its part, the Urban Transportation Commission is urging CAMPO to reflect the city’s priorities – and trash some highway projects – in the final draft. The UTC unanimously passed a resolution during its regular meeting April […]
Posted inTransportation
East Austin’s ‘wishbone’ bridge takes shape as concrete beams almost span Lady Bird Lake
Massive concrete beams now extend over the water at the east end of Lady Bird Lake as a new three-pronged pedestrian bridge – the first of its kind in Austin – comes together next to the Longhorn Dam. Only one gap remains before the bridge’s skeleton is assembled. Once complete in mid-2026, this long-awaited “wishbone […]
Posted inTransportation
Bond task force weighs early decisions on transportation needs for 2026 package
The Bond Election Advisory Task Force got its first look Monday at how the Transportation and Public Works Department is approaching the selection and prioritization of projects for next year’s expected bond package. Task force members had plenty of questions about how those choices will be made. Among the concerns, members asked staff how transportation […]
Posted inTransportation
Vision for transforming city core draws scrutiny ahead of likely Council vote
With Downtown Austin poised for overlapping mega-projects over roughly the next decade, City Council’s Mobility Committee took a closer look last week at the draft Austin Core Transportation Plan, which aims to tie all of the projects together. Committee members broadly supported the plan’s vision, but raised concerns about implementation details, including how to balance […]
Posted inRoads
Travis County sets aggressive goal to eliminate traffic fatalities by 2050
One of the policy areas that the county has most influence over is roadway safety. Past city limits, the Travis County Commissioners Court is responsible – along with the Texas Department of Transportation, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization and other regional authorities – for managing the increased traffic that comes along with booming growth. […]
Posted inTransportation
Urban Transportation Commission criticizes I-35 frontage road plan
The Urban Transportation Commission on March 4 unanimously passed a resolution strenuously recommending against the Texas Department of Transportation’s plan to widen Interstate 35 frontage roads downtown. The resolution specifically addressed the Central Austin project, which covers an 8-mile section of the interstate highway between U.S. Highway 290 in the north and State Highway 71 in […]
Posted inTransit
CapMetro’s secret fight to fix a broken fare system
For months, Capital Metro passengers knew something wasn’t right. The QR code scanners they used to pay fares with phones were unreliable, sometimes not working at all. Riders would often board without paying, flagged on by the driver to keep passengers moving. “There’s some issues with the QR codes. It could just be because it […]
Posted inTransit
Austin Transit Partnership presents pedestrian features, changes to stops in revised Project Connect plan
The Mobility Committee of City Council heard an update on plans for the Austin light-rail project that included a proposal for three new pedestrian features along the prospective system, as well as changes to stops, during a meeting on Feb. 20. The new pedestrian features would be a hike-and-bike greenway consisting of a tree-lined, trackside […]
Posted inTransportation
Under threat of a federal freeze, city staff says they’re staying the course on infrastructure grants
City staff made the case against panic to City Council’s Mobility Committee during an update on the state of Austin’s pending federal infrastructure grants, which some believe may be threatened by President Donald Trump’s executive orders to freeze all federal grants, during their regular meeting on Feb. 20. Richard Mendoza, director of the city Department […]
Posted inTransit
Austin’s new CapMetro Rapid lines debut with buses every 20 minutes
Capital Metro rolled out its long-awaited Rapid lines this weekend, but “rapid” for now will mean a 20- to 30-minute wait for the next bus. Originally slated for 2023 with ambitious plans for an all-electric fleet, 10-minute frequency and end-of-line park and rides, the Rapid routes – formerly known as MetroRapid – launched with reduced service and diesel […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin just made it illegal to park in bike lanes
Austin City Council has approved a rule making it illegal to park in a bike lane. Thursday’s unanimous vote means violators will be ticketed and fined. Fines could range from $50 to $300. Council Member Paige Ellis said several people in the community had expressed concerns about bicycle safety on busy downtown roads. If a […]