Transit Galore in Capital Metro's New Transit Plan for Austin

New light rail lines, dedicated busways, and expanded bus and commuter rail service are on the Project Connect menu.

2 minute read

March 11, 2020, 12:00 PM PDT

By James Brasuell @CasualBrasuell


Samuel King reports on a big reveal for Project Connect, the new transit plan in early stages of development by Capital Metro in Austin. So far, the plan includes the construction of two light rail lines, and a downtown tunnel to keep them out of traffic.

The two train lines would run in dedicated transitways, so they wouldn’t mix with traffic. The Orange Line would run from the North Lamar Transit Center through the UT campus corridor and downtown, ending at Stassney Lane. The Blue Line would run along East Riverside out to the airport, sharing the Orange Line tracks between the North Lamar Transit Center and downtown. The process is called interlining.

King adds more:

Another dedicated transitway would be built for the Gold Line, which would run from the ACC Highland campus to the Austin Convention Center and Republic Square. Unlike the other lines, it would use buses, but that could change later.

The plan also calls for expanded bus and commuter rail service, according to King.

A follow up article, also written by King, digs into more details on the plan's expected costs to implement. Planetizen shared preview coverage of this week's big reveal in January 2020 and November 2019. Capital Metro will be conducting public hearings on Project Connect throughout April, before an anticipated vote by the Capital Metro board in May.

Friday, March 6, 2020 in KUT

portrait of professional woman

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching. Mary G., Urban Planner

I love the variety of courses, many practical, and all richly illustrated. They have inspired many ideas that I've applied in practice, and in my own teaching.

Mary G., Urban Planner

Cover CM Credits, Earn Certificates, Push Your Career Forward

Aerial view of town of Wailuku in Maui, Hawaii with mountains in background against cloudy sunset sky.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly

Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

July 1, 2025 - Honolulu Civil Beat

Logo for Planetizen Federal Action Tracker with black and white image of U.S. Capitol with water ripple overlay.

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker

A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

July 2, 2025 - Diana Ionescu

White and purple sign for Slow Street in San Francisco, California with people crossing crosswalk.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths

Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

July 1, 2025 - KQED

Google street view image of strip mall in suburban Duncanville, Texas.

Adaptive Reuse Will Create Housing in a Suburban Texas Strip Mall

A developer is reimagining a strip mall property as a mixed-use complex with housing and retail.

3 hours ago - Parking Reform Network

Blue tarps covering tents set up by unhoused people along chain link fence on concrete sidewalk.

Study: Anti-Homelessness Laws Don’t Work

Research shows that punitive measures that criminalized unhoused people don’t help reduce homelessness.

5 hours ago - Next City

Aerial tram moving along cable in hilly area in Medellin, Colombia.

In U.S., Urban Gondolas Face Uphill Battle

Cities in Latin America and Europe have embraced aerial transitways — AKA gondolas — as sustainable, convenient urban transport, especially in tricky geographies. American cities have yet to catch up.

7 hours ago - InTransition Magazine