AUSTIN (KXAN) — As populations continue to boom in Austin and San Antonio, both cities’ mayors shared interests and focus on expanding mobility and infrastructure workforce opportunities — and possible rail connections between the two cities.
On Friday, Austin Mayor Kirk Watson and San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg spoke at Workforce Solutions Capital Area’s Moving Forward: Mobility & Infrastructure Workforce Summit. During their conversations, both cities’ mayors said they’re eyeing infrastructure funding opportunities to expand rail services between the two Central Texas metropolitan areas.
“There’s a lot of talk about our ability to maybe get some of that infrastructure money between Austin and San Antonio,” Watson told KXAN. “Another tie between our two cities and tying our two cities, and tying this region together.”
Here in the Austin area, key transportation developments like the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport overhaul, the Interstate 35 downtown expansion and Project Connect’s light rail system are in the works.
The first study into the city’s mobility and infrastructure work sector found these large-scale projects will help develop 10,000 mobility and infrastructure-related jobs annually. Those employment opportunities include transit operators, mechanics and engineers. When factoring in those projects and their job creation opportunities, the study found there will be an 81% increase in mobility and infrastructure jobs in Austin between 2023 and 2040.
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