Transportation
BY ELLE BENT, ZARA FLORES & KATY MCAFEE
Waymo driverless cars debut in Austin Technology company Waymo announced March 5 that it will test drive autonomous vehicles around the city with employees in the passenger seat. The overview The driverless cars will travel within a 43-square-mile radius that includes down- town, Barton Hills, Riverside, East Austin and Hyde Park. In San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoe- nix, residents can hail one of the company’s driverless cars as a rideshare, through its Waymo One program. Austin may become the fourth city to get this service, but a timeline to roll this out has not yet been announced by company o cials. Those interested can join the Waymo One waitlist at www.waymo.com
Lawsuit over Project Connect moves forward A lawsuit aiming to thwart Project Connect, a plan to build a 9.8-mile light rail system throughout Central Austin, could be resolved by this spring. What happened In November, ve plainti s led a lawsuit against Austin Transit Partnership, the organiza- tion tasked with building and nancing Project Connect. The lawsuit argued ATP’s funding struc- ture, which allows it to receive a stream of cash from the Project Connect tax rate hike approved by voters in 2020 without annual oversight, violates the state constitution. It also argued ATP pulled a “bait and switch” on Austin voters after the project costs increased by $4 billion and subsequently scaled back the plan. In response, ATP led a bond validation petition Feb. 20. The petition allows for an expedited review of its bonds funding process without direct
"Our job here at Austin Transit Partnership is to work day in, day out advancing the project. We do have a vocal few in this community that have tried to try to stop it, and over this past year they have not been successful in that." GREG CANALLY, ATP EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
approval from the attorney general. In Texas, all government bonds must typically pass attorney general review. What’s next Approval of the ATP’s funding structure and resolution to the lawsuit led against them could wrap up in the coming weeks as the trial is slated to begin late May or early June. If the ATP gets the green light, they hope to break ground on the rail in just over two years, ATP Executive Director Greg Canally said.
Austin receives $105M for East Cesar Chavez project
connectivity in their current form. The funding will go toward a 5.3 acre cap, or deck built over a lowered highway, from East Cesar Chavez and Fourth streets. Austin is required to match $45 million to fund additional amenities on top of the deck. The city will also seek $193 million from the State Infrastructure Bank for cap and road costs.
The rst chunk of funding for Austin’s plan to add decks with amenities like parks and retail shops over a revamped I-35 came through March 11. The gist Austin was named the lone nalist for the federal $105.2 million Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhood Grant, designed to help cities retro t highways that serve as barriers to community and
The grant will fund amenities across 5.3-acres on top of East Cesar Chavez and Fourth Streets.
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