A decade-old project to build a passenger rail line between the San Antonio and Austin areas picked up steam Wednesday with a public meeting of the Lone Star Rail Project. The meeting served as the kickoff to the project’s environmental impact study, which Lone Star Rail Director Joe Black called a “major, major point in […]
Lone Star Rail
A planned regional passenger train from San Marcos to Austin.
Posted inAustin, City Council, Local Politics
Zimmerman seeks to shake things up at City Hall
City Council Member-elect Don Zimmerman will serve as a voice for residents of District 6 when the new 10-1 Council takes office today. In the coming year, Zimmerman said he plans to focus his efforts on relieving traffic congestion and shaking up the status quo at City Hall. Zimmerman said that in his first days […]
Posted inAustin, Local Government, Local Politics, Transit, Transportation
Council OKs changes to Lone Star Rail agreement
Austin City Council members Thursday approved a set of amendments to an interlocal agreement with the Lone Star Rail District. The action clears the way for rail district officials to count the city — and funding derived from special taxing districts around eight potential Austin stops — among its support as it moves forward with […]
Posted inAustin, Local Government, Transit, Transportation
City may consider Lone Star funding commitment
Austin’s role in funding a proposed commuter rail line that would run through Austin and San Antonio is up in the air ahead of consideration at today’s City Council meeting, with staff and some Council members disagreeing on whether it is time to commit property tax money to the project. Council members may amend an […]
Posted inDevelopment, Transportation
Lone Star Rail asks Austin for new commitments
Lone Star Rail District representatives have revealed new details about a proposed passenger rail corridor between Georgetown and South San Antonio — with several stops in Austin — and are asking the city to amend an interlocal agreement that City Council approved last December. The proposed LSTAR commuter service would utilize the current Union Pacific freight line […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council endorses Lone Star Rail but hangs on to the money
Lone Star Rail will move forward with the backing of the Austin City Council, though not with any of the city’s money just yet. In a 6-1 vote, the City Council authorized the city’s participation in the Lone Star Rail District. But it set its funding for the project temporarily at zero. The plan […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation, Uncategorized
Council endorses Highland Mall-East Riverside Urban Rail route
Austin City Council members Thursday night endorsed a plan by transportation officials to pursue an urban rail line that extends south from the Highland Mall region, through the city center, and east out East Riverside Drive. The move begins a process that could end in a multi-million dollar bond election over rail for the city […]
Posted inTransportation
Lone Star Rail presses City of Austin over tax increment funding
Officials with the Lone Star Rail District continue to push Austin City Council members to approve a tax increment financing deal between the two parties. If consummated, such an arrangement would use a portion of City of Austin property tax revenue to pay for both operations and maintenance of the potential Georgetown-San Antonio rail line […]
Posted inLocal Politics, Transportation
Council members concerned over funding issues for Lone Star Rail
Austin City Council members are calling for more in-depth discussion about a potential interlocal agreement with the Lone Star Rail District. The agreement, if approved, would govern the partnership between the city and a potential rail agency for a line that could run from Georgetown to San Antonio. It is one of several such agreements […]
Posted inLocal Government, Transportation
Travis Commissioners balk at plan to use tax districts for Lone Star Rail
Travis County Commissioners were asked to get on board with developing a funding mechanism for the Lone Star Rail District’s future operations on Tuesday, but the plan may be in for a bumpy ride, as some commissioners say they need much more information before moving ahead. The Lone Star Rail District was formed in […]