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Transportation
Council takes next step toward new density bonus plan along rail line
City Council last week approved a resolution designed to increase Austin’s chances of winning federal money to assist in building the first phase of Project Connect with an emphasis on development of housing for low- and middle-income residents along the…
Planning • By Jo Clifton • Feb 7, 2024
Fresh details on Austin's light-rail plans emerge as officials chase federal cash
Lee esta historia en español Austinites curious about the city’s light-rail future are being offered fresh details as the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) launches an in-depth environmental review in a bid to qualify for billions in federal cash. The new…
Transit • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Feb 5, 2024
Cap Metro looks forward to new electric era for city’s bike-share system
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority has launched an ambitious program to expand its bike-share program with the city of Austin. The transit company has announced a partnership with PBSC Urban Solutions Inc. aimed at replacing and expanding 80 MetroBike stations, 1,000…
Bicycles • By Jo Clifton • Feb 1, 2024
I-35 expansion sparks civil rights complaint and another lawsuit
Opponents of the Texas Department of Transportation’s (TxDOT) plans to widen Interstate 35 from Ben White Boulevard to U.S. 290 East are taking their fight to federal court. The legal complaint echoes calls heard at rallies and from local elected officials against…
Roads • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 29, 2024
Cap Metro to increase security guard presence at transit centers, Republic Square
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors’ operations, planning and safety committee at its Wednesday meeting heard an update on the system’s Public Safety Program. The program, approved by the board in 2021, is based on a three-prong approach…
Transit • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 19, 2024
Cap Metro conducts partial audit of methods for tracking and reporting greenhouse gas emissions
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority is working toward a goal of reaching net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Last fall, Capital Metro partnered with University of Texas graduate students on an audit of its current methods for tracking and reporting…
Transit • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 18, 2024
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Airport commission hears update on Concourse B and Connector project
In a Jan. 10 presentation at the Airport Advisory Commission’s regular meeting, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport deputy chief development officer Lyn Estabrook gave an update on the Concourse B and Connector Project, part of the airport’s $164 million expansion of the…
Transportation • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 16, 2024
Austin confronts legal challenge to 10-mile light-rail plan
City Council and the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) are firing back against a lawsuit aiming to terminate the vision for a 10-mile light-rail network – the single most ambitious public transit project in the city’s history. In legal filings in…
Courts • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 10, 2024
Weather observers at Austin's airport have no windows or internet access
Professional weather observers inside the air traffic control tower at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (ABIA) have no windows or internet access to check the weather radar, satellite imagery or other conditions across the region, according to federal documents. The weather observers…
Transportation • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 9, 2024
Cap Metro finalizes free fare program for riders experiencing homelessness
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors voted unanimously on Monday to approve a free two-year smart transit pass for eligible unhoused or housing-insecure customers. “This is a win-win overall,” Board Member Eric Stratton said during a related public…
Transit • By Emma Freer • Dec 22, 2023
Council set to commit $15.4 million for design work on I-35 caps and stitches
City Council plans to move forward with adding four plaza-like caps and four “stitch” crossings to portions of the reconstruction of Interstate 35. A memo released yesterday from Transportation and Public Works Department Director Richard Mendoza updates Council and Mayor…
Roads • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 12, 2023
Austin's shift to electric buses is plagued by vehicle glitches and supplier bankruptcy
Capital Metro’s drive to electrify its entire fleet of buses is coming with some hard lessons about the high costs of early adoption. The transit agency’s battery-powered buses have been less reliable and harder to fix. Now, a company selling…
