CapMetro Board Approves Project Connect Vision

Vote allows agency to pursue next phase of public engagement & plan analysis.

AUSTIN, Texas - CapMetro's board of directors today approved the agency's vision for Project Connect, a long-range plan for a regional transit network that improves transportation into, out of and within Central Austin. The vote allows staff to move forward with preliminary engineering and further community engagement.

The map approved by board members outlines a long-term vision focused on offering a connected network of high-capacity transit options integrated with Local bus service. High-capacity transit provides frequent service that operates in dedicated pathways, away from mixed traffic. The vehicles that provide that service could be buses or trains. The Project Connect team will pursue dedicated pathways with regional partners who control that right-of-way.

“I am very grateful to our board for seeing this through, to our partners throughout the region for their leadership and to the community for their feedback that guided our process,” said CapMetro President & CEO Randy Clarke. “The Project Connect vision is essential to maintaining the high quality of life we have here in Central Texas.”

In addition to high-capacity transit along prominent north-south and east-west corridors in Central Austin, the Project Connect vision map includes preliminary planning for an additional commuter rail option (the Green Line) that uses track owned by CapMetro between Austin and Manor. Other regional options include potential express routes to outlying areas like Bastrop, Buda, Lakeway (near 620 & 2222) and Lockhart.

Corridors within Central Austin would see service similar to CapMetro's current MetroRapid bus lines, which benefit from features that give priority to buses at traffic lights and along parts of their routes but do not operate exclusively in dedicated pathways. These potential corridors include Dessau Road (to Tech Ridge), Manor Road (to the Delco Center and the Expo Center) and Parmer Lane (from Lakeline Station to U.S. 290).

The Project Connect vision approved by the board is the product of a two-year planning and community engagement process, and the next phase of the project will offer additional opportunities for input through community engagement. Along with input from the community, CapMetro will continue to coordinate with other local and state agencies to advance the Project Connect plan.

For more information on the program, please visit  ProjectConnect.com.