Cost constraints facing Austin’s planned light rail line through downtown have resulted in five options that feature shorter routes and place tracks at street level with traffic, in a substantial departure from the initial plans approved by voters in 2020. The five light rail scenarios, which will be viewed by the public today at an […]
Transit
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Texas Legislature could derail Austin’s transit expansion
Austin’s slowly shrinking vision for a fast-moving urban rail system by the end of the decade is about to face a new challenge, one that could upend the voter-approved transit expansion: property tax warriors in the Texas Legislature. New bills challenging the Austin Transit Partnership’s (ATP) powers to borrow money come as the organization is […]
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Transit leaders preparing new Project Connect scenarios for March open house
With a budget that no longer meets the vision approved by voters in 2020 for an ambitious mass transit system, leaders with the agency charged with carrying out the Project Connect plan say that work continues to decide what the first phase of the system will look like. The Blue Line portion serving downtown and […]
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Behind a ‘messed up’ process to pick Austin’s next light-rail leader
Lee esta historia en español The Austin Transit Partnership – a voter-created organization collecting almost $160 million a year in property tax to build a light-rail system – has chosen a permanent leader to oversee the single largest expansion of public transit in the city’s history. The Orange and Blue lines eventually will offer frequent service along almost 30 […]
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Canally named sole finalist for ATP amidst confusion
Members of the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors have unanimously recommended that ATP interim Executive Director Greg Canally be presented to the community as the sole candidate for the permanent executive director job. Canally has served as interim director since Randy Clarke resigned last May to take a job in Washington, D.C. ATP Board […]
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It’s official: Cap Metro chooses Dottie Watkins as new president and CEO
A bus driver who rose through the ranks of Capital Metro over three decades has now taken the top job at the transit agency. The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously Monday to hire Dorothy “Dottie” Watkins as president and CEO. “It is a complete honor to accept this position,” Watkins said […]
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Cap Metro set to choose Dottie Watkins as new president and CEO
A bus driver who rose through the ranks of the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority over three decades is now poised to take the top job at the transit agency. Dorothy “Dottie” Watkins started driving buses in 1994 when she was 19 years old. Now 48, Watkins has served as interim president and CEO of Capital […]
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CapMetro police force coming to North Austin office park
Capital Metro has secured the location of its first police department headquarters – a nondescript building in a North Austin office park – and is ready to spend millions on rent and renovations to expand the transit agency’s mission into law enforcement. The move to put more armed officers on buses and trains has drawn […]
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Council passes transparency changes to transit partnership board
Last week, City Council voted to recommend changes to the Austin Transit Partnership Board of Directors that would add two additional seats to the five-member board and establish transparency standards for their appointments. The resolution directs the city manager to consult with community stakeholders to address and consider eligibility requirements, which has been a controversial […]
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Light-rail tunnel under downtown Austin might not happen after all
Some or all of Austin’s light-rail system could be at street level downtown instead of underground, which was the vision sold to voters when they authorized Project Connect in November 2020. The Austin Transit Partnership, a local government corporation created to build the Orange and Blue lines, is considering ways to cut costs as inflation eats into the budget for the multibillion-dollar system. […]
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Broken buses slow Capital Metro schedules
Capital Metro bus commuters, already coping with reduced schedules put in place last year, are this week facing further frustrations as they try to catch a bus. The regional transit agency says a shortage of bus parts is keeping a small percentage of vehicles off the road each day. But the number of sidelined vehicles […]
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City aims to get out of its own way with ‘fast-track’ permitting for Project Connect rail lines
An ordinance aimed at streamlining permitting for Project Connect has been making its way through boards and commissions in recent weeks – the latest sign of progress toward new rail and bus lines approved by voters in 2020. On Tuesday, staffers from the city’s Project Connect Office and the Austin Transit Partnership gave a presentation […]