Austin's Urban Rail
As Austin invests locally while thinking regionally, it can solve part of the puzzle by adding new road capacity. It can complete it by creating attractive alternatives to driving alone, or – as it is in rush hour – sitting in a car alone and pulling forward every few minutes.
Urban Rail would connect to existing and planned transit modes, such as MetroRail, MetroRapid and the Lone Star Regional Rail line, to create a complete and seamless regional system.
That is important, because in 2025, less than 15 years away, the city population is expected to be almost as big as Dallas is today. In that same time span, the five-county Austin Region will gain almost 1 million people, making its population about the same as the City of Chicago’s population today.
By looking to our future, Austinites could gain a travel option that:
- Encourages density, increases city revenue for core services, such as parks and police, can reduce urban sprawl, cuts car emissions and safeguards the enviroment.
- Acts as a permanent anchor to encourage construction lending and smart, mixed-use development, which includes affordable housing.
- Incorporates community feedback and executes kep provisions in City Council-adopted plans, such as the Downtown Austin Plan, Mueller and E. Riverside Corridor Master Plan.
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why urban rail?
City leaders have said Austin is in a traffic crisis. Urban Rail positively impacts everyone who works, lives or plays in Austin by shaping land use and development, generating jobs and economic growth, and taking cars off the road.
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