In a surprise move, the rideshare company Lyft has announced it will launch Austin operations today. The company is apparently leapfrogging the Austin City Council’s May 15 decision to develop a pilot program for Lyft and other rideshare companies, also known as transportation network companies, over a six-month timeframe. (See Austin Monitor, May 16) […]
Transportation
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council reviews Central Corridor Study’s report on Urban Rail
The Austin City Council got a look Thursday at Project Connect’s Central Corridor Study recommendations for the city’s proposed high-capacity transit line, its initial route and its price tag. Project leader Kyle Keahey told Council members the study team recommends a Locally Preferred Alternative, or LPA, of an Urban Rail route from Riverside Drive […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council sets up study process for ridesharing, taxi service issues
Taxicab drivers and safer-streets activists were among those with a heavy stake in two transportation-related items at Thursday’s City Council meeting. But in the end, all they got was a stakeholder process that will not be over until mid-November, making it unlikely that the current Council will be enacting new rules. One item calls […]
Posted inTransportation
Planning Commission OKs permit for Megabus to use Whitis terminal
After a successful trip to the Planning Commission Tuesday, it looks like Megabus will be making its scheduled arrivals and departures in Austin. The Planning Commission voted 6-2 to grant the Conditional Use Permit that will allow Megabus NE, LLC. to use the parking lot at 2002 Whitis Avenue as a transportation terminal. Commissioners […]
Posted inLocal Government, Transportation
CAMPO ponders some 800 projects for 2040 Transportation Plan
A massive list of proposed transportation projects filled out a packed agenda at Monday night’s meeting of theCapital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization Transportation Policy Board. More than 800 proposed transportation projects for the region filled 36 pages of the meeting agenda. Each project, including actions like lane-widening and new sidewalks, was submitted by CAMPO’s […]
Posted inTransportation
Study prefers Urban Rail, Lady Bird Lake bridge for Central Corridor project
The Project Connect: Central Corridor study team says Austin should use Urban Rail as the preferred local mode of transportation for the central portion of its proposed $1.4 billion transit project. The Central Corridor project’s 9.5 mile alignment will run from the Highland Mall/ACC area south through the University of Texas and Downtown areas, across […]
Posted inTransportation
Rail bond issues dominate discussion at Austin Monitor forum
Even if the election cycle wasn’t in full swing with another Austin Rail Bond vote slated for November, Austinites would probably still be discussing the city’s transportation woes. All of those forces combined Wednesday night for a lively discussion at the Austin Monitor’s Transportation Forum. The event was the second forum hosted by the […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council hears Transit Bond election’s effect on future tax rates
Amid questions revolving around a potential multimillion-dollar November 2014 Transit Bond election, city staff Tuesday laid out the city’s bonding capacity picture for Council members. Though the fact that a tax increase would be required to accommodate any amount of additional bonding was not quite news, the figures associated with such an action were […]
Posted inEnvironment, Local Politics, Transportation
Critics say taxpayers, not drivers will have to pay for SH45 SW
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority says a preliminary Traffic and Revenue Forecast for the planned State Highway 45 Southwest it released recently will stand as the final report, showing that the road project is financially feasible. But critics of the project say the numbers in the report just don’t add up. The Capitol Area […]
Posted inLocal Government, Transportation
Hays County plans $1 million study to examine FM 150 realignment
As Hays County’s population continues to grow, officials are scrambling for needed infrastructure and improvements aimed at addressing the projected influx of new residents. Hays County Commissioners previously approved $1.1 million in funding for the realignment study of FM 150. The county’s 2013 Transportation Plan indicates there is a need for increased capacity through a realignment […]
Posted inDevelopment, Transportation
Capital Metro hears proposals to redevelop Plaza Saltillo area
It’s a familiar headline at this point, but more change is coming to East Austin. After years of planning and discussion, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is on the verge of selecting a development plan for the Plaza Saltillo area. Currently, the land is mostly vacant, but that’s set to change as soon as the […]
Posted inTransportation
Planning Commission hears pros, cons of Megabus permit
Austin Megabus, the low-cost intercity transit company, will be making a return stop at the Planning Commission next month in order to address the concerns of unhappy neighbors. Megabus NE, LLC was seeking a Conditional Use Permit from the commission in order to change the use of their depot at 2002 Whitis Avenue. Currently, […]