AUSTIN (KXAN) — Capital Metro will recommend its latest Project Connect plan to the Board of Directors and Austin City Council on Monday.
Recommendations include light rail transit for the Orange and Blue lines.
The Orange Line would provide a north to south route from the North Lamar Transit Center along the North Lamar/Guadalupe corridor, through the University of Texas at Austin’s campus into downtown all the way south to Stassney Lane.
The Blue Line would carry riders to and from the airport to downtown.
The proposed light rails would come with a 1.6-mile downtown subway system, or what CapMetro is officially calling Austin’s Underground Tunnel.
Transit officials said the underground system will separate light rail from downtown traffic ensuring a faster and safer commute. It will also offer restaurants, retail and public restrooms.
Other recommendations include a new line: the Gold Line. This will take riders from Austin Community College’s Highland campus through downtown with a stop at the Convention Center and Republic Square. It would be a Bus Rapid Transit line.
The plan also includes seven new MetroRapid routes, expanding the service and 14 new Park & Rides as well as a new neighborhood bus service known as a Circulator.
The cost for this Project Connect plan is expected to be anywhere between $5 to $10 billion and CapMetro expects to receive federal funding to cover about 40%. The rest could be proposed in a bond later this year or a potential tax rate hike.
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