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 information on the electrically powered 9.8 mile system isn't nearly as revealing as the block-by-block maps and subway station cross-sections splashed online in 2021 and 2022. That was before local officials chopped the first phase of the project in half and killed the subway to slash costs.
But ATP is unveiling some big decisions that will have to be made and offering the public a handful of opportunities to speak directly with planners and engineers about the transit system, funded by a voter-approved property tax hike in 2020.
Some train stations could get shifted, deleted or merged. A light-rail bridge might be elevated south of Lady Bird Lake. A tree-lined hike and bike trail could run down the middle of Riverside Drive.
The rail-building agency emphasizes that none of these decisions have been made. Officials are floating the possibilities and gauging public reaction.
One proposal from a couple years ago has already been set in motion. ATP has confirmed it plans to transform the Drag into a car-free "transit mall," prioritizing foot traffic along one of the most pedestrian-heavy streets in Austin. Cars and trucks would be rerouted down Nueces Street.
The agency's so-called "priority extensions" — wished-for add-ons to reach Austin-Bergstrom International Airport or the Crestview Red Line Station — are not being studied as part of the federal environmental process. The decision means the per-mile cost could settle around $500 million — near the high end for light-rail systems in the U.S.
"We made this decision in coordination with [the Federal Transit Administration]," said Jennifer Pyne, a transit planner who built light-rail systems for consultants AECOM and the Phoenix transit system before landing in Austin in 2021.
"If additional funding becomes available for one or both of the priority extensions, we would immediately work with FTA to fold it into this phase of the project," she told KUT. "It's all doable."
Here's more of what ATP will reveal during public meetings this month.
Location of stops
ATP is planning to keep the number of stops on the system at 15, Pyne said, but some stations could get shifted while others are merged or deleted. The changes are being considered based on what residents told ATP and what engineers think makes the most sense.
A new stop could be added on Guadalupe Street at Wooldridge Square — between Ninth and 10th streets — in response to complaints that downtown was starved of stations, making the walking distance longer in a population-dense area.
A station planned near the Austin Convention Center could be moved inside a real estate development at Third Street and Trinity. The shift would allow trains to make a smoother diagonal turn instead of the sharp, right-angle approach originally planned.
ATP is in talks about the real estate project at 309 East Third, but didn't offer details about the development. New York City-based real estate firm DHA Capital bought the property for more than $20 million in 2022 as part of a bankruptcy sale.
Travis Heights could lose a light-rail station along Riverside Drive. ATP's Lindsay Wood told board members last week they're considering axing the stop because of the "unique characteristics surrounding that station," like being in a historic district and near I-35, which is about to undergo years of construction.
Ridership forecasts might also have played a role. Travis Heights — along with neighboring stops — were projected to have some of the lowest use in the system.
Along Riverside Drive east of I-35, with higher projected ridership, two light-rail stations less than a mile apart could merge into one. The stops at Faro Drive and Montopolis Drive would be combined into a single station at Grove Boulevard.
Wood said the idea was based on "community feedback asking for opportunities to create a more seamless connection to ACC Riverside," which is farther north on Grove.
The City of Austin owns an 18.5 acre tract on Grove Boulevard just south of Riverside with plans to build 400 to 800 affordable housing units on the site.
Elevated bridge across Lady Bird Lake?
Austin's light-rail line would have a dedicated bridge crossing Lady Bird Lake at Trinity Street. The crossing would have space for pedestrians and cyclists, but not buses, which had been considered in an earlier version of the plan.
The hills on either side of the lake would allow for the bridge to stay elevated after crossing the lake, ATP said. Waterfront Station would be elevated, too, under this plan.
Exactly where the elevated bridge would land was unclear. ATP says the bridge would return to ground level before South Congress Avenue.
Trail down the middle of Riverside Drive?
ATP is considering building pedestrian and bike paths down the middle of Riverside Drive from I-35 to the terminus at Yellow Jacket Lane. Would people strolling down that stretch in the middle of summer — with two lanes of cars on either side — be afforded some shade? Yes, according to Pyne.
"There will be trees, no matter what, associated with this project," she said. "That is a [chance] to provide a nice shaded opportunity for people as they are accessing the light rail or even just traveling up and down Riverside as a pedestrian or a cyclist."
Still looking for Park and Ride locations
Each end of the three pronged light-rail route — 38 1/2 Street, Yellow Jacket Lane and Oltorf Street — would have a nearby parking lot where people could leave their cars and hop on a train.
Finding available land for those Park and Rides has been hard. ATP says it will continue the hunt in all three locations at least into the spring.
Some residents of Southeast Austin don't want a Park and Ride anywhere near their homes.
"Although I adore public transit and love what this light-rail will do for the community, I'm absolutely terrified of the effects that this Park and Ride will have on me and my future family," Kayla Pair, an emergency room nurse, told the ATP board last week. She grew up near a Park and Ride in Dallas and said she was worried about the potential for increased crime.
Some research suggests Park and Rides — and long-term parking in general — may attract more thieves, for example, who prey on vehicles left alone all day. But other research has found lighting, surveillance and design changes can deter would-be criminals.
ATP said it's listening to neighbors' concerns.
"We will be looking at alternative sites for a Park and Ride at the end of line near the Yellow Jacket station," Wood said.
Open houses
ATP's open houses this month feature a series of placards showing conceptual designs. Members of the public can move from board to board and speak with a staff member assigned to each station.
The agency is handing out surveys to attendees to gather feedback and demographic information. Snacks and ATP swag were available at the first open house Thursday on the UT Austin campus.
The events are part of a 45-day public input period required under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), an umbrella law that encompasses a swath of federal rules and regulations.
NEPA requires ATP to produce an in-depth analysis called an Environmental Impact Statement to qualify for Federal Transit Administration grants. The grants are vital to the project; the light-rail finance plan calls for the feds to cover up to half the estimated $5 billion cost.
Five more public events are planned this month, including one online. ATP hopes to wrap up this stage of the process by March 4.
Find out more and register for the events on ATP's events page. Registration is not required to attend.
ATP expects construction to begin in 2027 at the earliest.
