CapMetro Board, Austin City Council to Vote on Final Project Connect Transit Plan
WHO: On June 10, the Austin City Council and CapMetro Board of Directors will meet and review the Project Connect transit plan. The board will also vote on whether to move forward with the Recommended System Plan, and the City Council will consider a resolution of support.
WHAT: Over the last two years, CapMetro has collected community feedback from nearly 60,000 community members, conducted hundreds of community meetings and worked closely with city staff to design the Recommended System Plan, which includes multiple Locally Preferred Alternatives. Additionally, in the past few weeks more than 4,000 community members shared feedback through a series of virtual community meetings and a virtual open house.
The plan includes four new rail lines, a downtown transit tunnel, new MetroRapid routes and vehicles, expanded MetroRail, 24 new Park & Rides and the transition to a zero-emissions fleet. The overall system would triple ridership for our growing population.
Once approved, the City Council and CapMetro Board will be briefed on next steps, including the governance framework, and an update on funding and investment strategies. Staff previously outlined a joint oversight board - the Austin Transit Partnership - as the mechanism for delivering the projects in the Project Connect Program. Additionally, staff presented a voter-approved tax rate election as the most viable investment strategy for Project Connect, to complement anticipated participation from the federal government via grants. Decisions on governance and funding are likely to take place later this summer.
WHEN: Wednesday, June 10, noon
WHERE: Virtual Project Connect Joint Session with Austin City Council and CapMetro Board of Directors, watch live on ATXN.TV.
WHY: Austin's population is expected to double by 2040, Project Connect is the plan for a public transportation system capable of responding to that growth.
The plan is a high-capacity, regionally connected system designed to help ease Austin's traffic congestion, reduce carbon emissions and provide equitable transportation options to every Austin resident. The expanded transit system is designed to offer residents greater access to education, health care and jobs.
As we move forward, Project Connect would also help jumpstart our region's economic recovery by providing a clear investment return and jobs:
- Every dollar invested in public transportation generates approximately four dollars in economic return.
- Approximately 21,800 jobs will be supported for each billion dollars spent, equaling more than 200,000 jobs over the length of the project.