Transportation in Austin
Project Connect wants public input on future of Austin transit
KVUE -- One way to reduce traffic in Austin is to get cars off the road, but how would you get around if you didn't drive? Just ask Emily Schwartz.
"To see doctors and dentists near Seton hospital, I have to go across town, and it is bus No. 21/22 depending on the direction," said Schwartz. She says it runs every 40 minutes, so she'll usually take a taxi there and bus it home. "As the density in this city increases, we have the danger of deadlock, that nobody will be able to go anywhere," said Schwartz.
As a believer in public transportation, Schwartz attended Project Connects Central Corridor Public workshop. Here, Cap Metro and the city presented plans and alternates for the future of transport in Austin.
They're looking for the public's input on 16 proposed station stops, starting at Highland Mall, through downtown, Lady Bird Lake and south to East Riverside Drive.
Kyle Keahey is the joint rail project leader. They're showing people the cost estimates of what to build along those stations, urban rail or bus rapid transit. They've also identified alternatives to crossing Lady Bird Lake. They'll use the public's input to make recommendations to the council and Cap Metro in May.
Project Connect will ask city residents if the alternative to crossing Lady Bird Lake should be via bridge or tunnel.
On the public's reaction today, Keahey said, "I think the overall feeling I'm getting is, ‘Can we do this now? Why is this taking so long?’”
It's a real challenge, and even once something is approved, it takes time. Expect to see the results in about seven years. Go here to read more on Austin's transit vision.
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