Austin Leaders Considering $10.3B Subway Section As Expansion Option

Austin transit leaders are considering light rail and bus rapid transit options for Cap Metro that include an estimated $10.3 billion rail expansion featuring a subway line.

Staff members presented their ideas at a joint meeting of the Cap Metro board and Austin City Council on January 14.

A new Orange Line would transport light rail passengers from Tech Ridge along Lamar Boulevard, across Lady Bird Lake, and down Congress Avenue to Slaughter Lane. A Blue Line would connect the Highland campus of Austin Community College to Austin-Bergstrom International Airport by way of Riverside Drive.

Street-level rail lines are projected to cost $5.9 billion, elevated tracks are estimated at $8.3 billion, and an option featuring a downtown rail tunnel, or subway, would cost $10.3 billion. The 1.6-mile tunnel would likely run along 4th Street between Trinity and Guadalupe.

These rail costs compare with projections of $3.2 billion to $5.5 billion to build a bus rapid transit system, but Cap Metro staff said that system would reach capacity in 2040.

Funding could come from a possible November 2020 bond election, a tax rate election, a vehicle emissions tax, or bus fare increases. Austin officials anticipate federal grants would cover between 40 percent to 45 percent of total costs.

Cap Metro staff will develop financing models for a recommendation in March 2020 and Cap Metro board review in May 2020.

Austin City Council and Cap Metro board members also explored a potential Local Government Corporation (LGC) Joint Venture that would allow for dedicated joint governance to implement investment by both entities and federal funding.

This article was originally published by Strategic Partnerships Inc.