Austin plans for neighborhood growth alongside rail, bus lines
SOUTHWEST AUSTIN STATION AREAS Austin and Capital Metro are planning for incoming residential and commercial development in the neighborhoods around future Project Connect bus and rail stations.
290
Oak Hill extension
S. CONGRESS AVE.
BY BEN THOMPSON
Austin leaders are working to set rules for devel- opment around Project Connect routes to ensure that it bene ts both current and future community members. City Council on March 9 approved an initial equitable transit-oriented development, or ETOD, framework to address that topic as interest in build- ing up areas around the proposed transit network grows. The Capital Metro guidelines were created to help steer new residential and commercial develop- ment in transit-connected pockets of the city. That framework includes information on stations across the Project Connect system, high-level ETOD objectives, a “policy toolkit” detailing strategies to meet those goals, and an action plan for next steps. The city de nes ETOD as guidelines for commu- nity growth in areas around Project Connect stations that can support Austinites of varying backgrounds and incomes—especially those harmed by inequita- ble land use and transportation policy decisions. Following the March vote, reviews of the city’s comprehensive plan and land-use regulations cov- ering development around transit centers will begin with ongoing community engagement.
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Proposed Additions
Bus stop
Menchaca to Burnet
Rail station MetroRapid bus lines Light rail line SOURCES: CAPITAL METRO, CITY OF AUSTIN COMMUNITY IMPACT
MENCHACA RD.
MOPAC
Orange Line
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Council passed the new ETOD plan with direction to prioritize Project Connect rail stations over bus stops and to explore options for the city to set aside some tax collections for local improvements around station areas as land values in those neighborhoods are likely to rise. Council’s vote jump-started detailed planning around two Project Connect hubs—the North Lamar and South Congress transit centers—and several bus and rail stops in Northeast Austin around the proposed Green Line extension. Going forward, ETOD planning will also focus on Project Connect’s MetroRapid bus routes in
Southwest Austin and the Orange Line light rail extending down Congress Avenue. Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis, who represents South Austin’s District 8, also amended the ETOD frame- work to prioritize planning and funding support for MetroRapid’s Oak Hill route. “We in Southwest Austin have, I think, four bus routes. Four—and two of them overlap, and the one near me runs every 35 minutes,” Ellis said March 7. “If we’re going to get serious about people being able to participate in the mode shift goal, we can’t forget about some of the [bus routes] that are way farther behind.”
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SOUTHWEST AUSTIN DRIPPING SPRINGS EDITION • MARCH 2023
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