AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Transit Partnership, the entity responsible for delivering Austin’s Project Connect, will unveil several options to the public on the scope and design of a new light rail system during an open house on Tuesday night.
The open house will be from 4-7 p.m. at the Austin Public Library’s Central location at 710 W. Cesar Chavez St.
The design of the public transit system was put on hold in the summer of 2022 because ATP discovered the cost of building two light rail lines would be a lot more expensive than originally thought.
Originally, the cost of a blue line, designed to connect north Austin to the airport, and an orange line, designed to connect north and south Austin, would cost the city $5.8 billion. In April, ATP projected the cost for the two rail lines to be $10.3 billion.
KXAN has put together a complete timeline of this project since it was accepted in 2020.
Realistic options for the public
ATP has been holding conversations with community groups and collecting data to see where the public transit will have the biggest impact for the community, and still have the ability to expand the system in the future.
Awais Azhar, the chair of the Project Connect Community Advisory Committee, said he expects the options presented at the open house Tuesday night will be “realistic” and “implementable.” Azhar said ATP needs to focus on making realistic plans and to “under promise and over deliver.”
“We should be really focusing on what it is we think is achievable in this moment, and if we can do better in the future, that’s more exciting for the community. We’ll do more,” Azhar said.