TRANSPORTATIONUPDATES
COMPILED BY JACK FLAGLER
LADY BIRD LAKE
ONGOING PROJECT
BLUE INTO TOWN
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Capital Metro is in the process of deciding locations for its Blue Line rail route and stations, including a bridge that will cross Lady Bird Lake.
7
RAVENSCROFT DR.
COLORADO RIVER
CANON YEOMANS TR.
6
L A K E S H 5
KEY
CROSSING PL.
Rail line
Proposed Stations
1626
4
Airport
1
N
Metro Center station
183
Montopolis
2
3
Menchaca Road project approaches conclusion The Texas Department of Transportation is in the midst of a project to expand Menchaca Road to two travel lanes in each direction. According to TxDOT, sidewalk construction is on track to finish by the end of June before final paving begins north of Frate Barker Road. South of Frate Barker, storm sewers are scheduled to be installed by the end of July. Cost: $12.1 million Timeline: December 2019-summer 2021 Funding source : TxDOT
FARO DR.
Option 1 Option 2 Option 3
A
Faro Riverside Lakeshore Travis Heights Waterfront
RIVERSIDE DR.
3
2
B C
4
C
B
A
5
71
6
1
AUSTIN-BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
7
MAP NOT TO SCALE N
Capital Metro delves into details of rail line and station locations When the city of Austin sent
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport to North Austin and Orange Line running between North Austin and South Austin in 2024 and last approximately five years. According to a May 19 presentation from Peter Mullan, ATP chief of architecture and urban design, the station locations and the path of the rail are still subject to change, but the map provides a starting point. Just east of South Congress Avenue, the Blue Line would cross Lady Bird Lake on a new bridge. “This, I think is a really exciting opportunity to create some meaningful architecture, but also because we are imagining this bridge will not just carry the light- rail system but also have facilities for pedestrians and bicycles,”
Mullan said. On the other side of the river, the bridge would connect to downtown Austin and the proposed tunnel system, which means the Waller Creek Boathouse cafe and event space cannot stay in its current location. “The upper portion of the boathouse can’t be there anymore; it’s not possible to retain the upper portion,” Project Connect Program Manager Dave Couch said. “We would very much like and intend to keep the lower portion.” On June 16, ATP staff presented information on the north and south portions of the Orange Line, and in July they will assess options for the downtown areas where the Orange and Blue lines intersect.
FUTURE PROJECT
a plan to voters in November to invest billions into a revamped transportation system that would include two new rail lines, it included maps outlining the proposed routes and an idea of where stations would be located. Now, Capital Metro and the Austin Transit Partnership, the local government corporation tasked with overseeing the $7.1 billion investment, are getting more specific, talking to the community and seeking feedback on questions such as which exact intersections will serve as station locations and whether riders will access the train cars from a center
MOPAC
BARTON SKYWAY
SPYGLASS DR.
360
N
Work to relieve MoPac traffic scheduled to start next year The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is planning a project to add an auxiliary lane southbound on MoPac from Barton Skyway to just south of Loop 360, alleviating a bottleneck. The Mobility Authority’s board of directors approved an $800,000 design contract in May, setting up construction for 2022. Cost: $10 million Timeline: 2022-23 Funding source : TBD
platform or from the side. Work is expected to start the Blue Line from the
ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF JUNE 21. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT SWANEWS@COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM.
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