Three years after a groundbreaking ceremony that led to no actual construction, Capital Metro is putting plans back on track to build a new commuter rail station near the Domain. But the project’s price tag has ballooned, and the transit agency will pay more than triple what it had originally planned. Broadmoor Station was originally expected to […]
MetroRail Red Line
Capital Metro’s Red Line is Austin’s sole commuter rail, which runs between Downtown Austin and Leander.
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 inTransit
Cap Metro study to identify constraints and opportunities in completing remaining segments of Red Line Trail
At its State of the Parkway event on Monday, the nonprofit Red Line Parkway Initiative met with regional leaders and grassroots organizers to discuss continued work on the 32-mile trail along the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s Red Line. The Red Line Parkway Initiative is involved in planning, fundraising and community engagement surrounding the trail and […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Metro board approves agreement with ATP for reimbursement of McKalla Station capital costs
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors last week approved a resolution authorizing an interlocal agreement with the Austin Transit Partnership for the reimbursement of capital costs for the McKalla Station MetroRail project. The board approved the resolution at its July 24 meeting, authorizing Capital Metro President and CEO Dottie Watkins to finalize and […]
Posted inTransportation
City, Capital Metro, to consider new vision for Red Line trail
In the past week, the city of Austin and Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority have each passed resolutions to renew interest in creating a 32-mile transit- and trail-oriented corridor with hike and bike trails, parks, and easy access to transit stations and development along the Metro Rail Red Line. Capital Metro marked 2019 for completion of […]
Posted inTransit
New MetroRail trains roll into Austin
With the arrival of tens of millions of dollars’ worth of new equipment, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is approximately half a year away from beefing up its tenth most popular route. On Thursday, workers at the agency’s North Operations and Maintenance Facility off Burnet Road unloaded six new pieces of Swiss-manufactured components that will […]
Posted inDevelopment
Travis Dems target Capital Metro with labor resolution
The Travis County Democratic Party has thrown its weight behind the effort to provide rigorous protections for construction workers hired to build a massive infill project on land owned by the Capital Metro Transportation Authority. At the party’s annual convention on Saturday, delegates approved a resolution calling on all elected officials to insist that all […]
Posted inTransit
MetroRail downtown station expansion plans underway
Capital Metro staff wants MetroRail’s downtown station on Fourth Street to become a staple in the area’s transportation corridor, and on Monday, board members were shown two proposed ways to expand the terminal’s platform. Javier Arguello, CapMetro’s director of long-range planning, said the downtown expansion project is about 10 percent complete. Staff kicked off the […]
Posted inTransit
CapMetro committee reviews split contracts
Capital Metro’s Operations, Planning and Safety Committee reviewed two major, multimillion-dollar contracts Monday for area rail lines that could increase revenue for the transportation entity. Melvin Clark, vice president of rail operations, said his staff reconfigured contractors’ responsibilities this year and sliced one contract into two. Instead of a single contractor overseeing operations and maintenance for […]
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 […]