Council eyes vision plans for north and south transit centers

Vision plans for two major transit centers north and south of Downtown Austin are slated for City Council consideration later this month, capping a lengthy planning and public engagement process under the city’s emerging Equitable Transit-Oriented Development program.

The ETOD program, a partnership between the city and Capital Metro, aims to guide redevelopment around transit corridors served by the Project Connect system.

As part of the proposals, nine neighborhood plans would be amended to remove parcels from the neighborhoods’ Future Land Use Maps. If approved by Council at its May 22 meeting, the transit center vision plans would be incorporated into the broader Imagine Austin comprehensive plan.

During Tuesday’s Council work session, staff presented the vision framework for redeveloping the Capital Metro transit centers at North Lamar and U.S. 183, and at South Congress and Ben White Boulevard. Plans call for mixed-income residential developments, retail, workforce training opportunities and public plazas or parks.

Although no community members spoke in opposition at the work session, several residents raised concerns during last month’s Planning Commission meeting, particularly about the potential displacement of residents and pedestrian and bicycle safety near U.S. 183 and Ben White, both high-volume traffic corridors. The commission ultimately voted unanimously to approve the plans after a one-month postponement, adding several amendments that staff included in Tuesday’s presentation to Council.

Council Member Mike Siegel focused his questioning on safety around the North Austin corridor. “What is Transportation and Public Works’ plan to make that a better experience for different types of transit users?” he asked, noting the lack of pedestrian or bicycle access for crossing U.S. 183.

City planner Ana Villareal said the Planning Department is coordinating with the Transportation and Public Works Department on that front, while Capital Metro is negotiating amenities within the North transit center “to make sure that it provides a safe place for all transit riders that are traveling to the site.”

Council Member Marc Duchen asked if the mixed-income housing developments in the vision plans would be similar to Plaza Saltillo, a transit-oriented development in East Austin that turned controversial when the developer failed to deliver on the promised number of affordable housing units.

Stevie Greathouse, a division manager in the Planning Department, was quick to answer: “I think the intention is to do better than Plaza Saltillo,” she said. “Plaza Saltillo has often been presented as a fantastic project, but something that we can do better in terms of the level of affordability on the site.”

As for specific affordability levels in the two transit centers, Capital Metro is not far enough along in its plans to be able to commit to a specific number, Greathouse added.

Even with Council’s anticipated approval of the two vision plans, much work remains before any redevelopment effort can move forward on the projects, while various planning tools are in the works to further the city and Cap Metro’s ETOD goals.

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