Your Plan, Your Blue Line & Gold Line Summary Report April 2020 CONTENTS WHY PLAN THE BLUE LINE & GOLD LINE 1 CORRIDOR PLANNING & ROUTE EVOLUTION 2 HOW THE LRT SYSTEM COMES TOGETHER 3 EXPLORING OUR OPTIONS FOR A TUNNEL 5 HOW WE GOT HERE 6 WHO IS INVOLVED 7 WHAT WE HEARD 9 HOW IT COULD BE IMPLEMENTED 10 HOW IT ALL COMES TOGETHER 11 BLUE LINE AT A GLANCE 12 GOLD LINE AT A GLANCE 13 WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU 14 WHAT’S NEXT 16 WHY PLAN THE BLUE LINE & GOLD LINE THE NEED AND THE VISION Capital Metro began developing the Project Connect Vision In 2019, the Austin City Council approved the Austin Strategic Plan in 2016. The need for the Project Connect vision is Mobility Plan, which establishes a policy goal to quadruple the result of Central Texas’ booming population which is the share of commuters who use transit by 2039. The Project projected to double by 2040. This growth will cause additional Connect Vision Plan is included as an integral part of the strain on the roadway network, result in increased travel ASMP, and both initiatives provide a way forward for solving times and travel costs, decrease our mobility, hinder our future mobility challenges the region faces. region’s economic health, and threaten our air quality. Constructing and operating HCT is an effective tool to address In December 2018, the Capital Metro Board of Directors the region's growth pressures, improve mobility, and connect approved the Project Connect Vision Plan, which identified Central Texans to their travel destinations. HCT will make corridors for potential investment in High Capacity Transit peak transit travel times faster than peak automobile travel (HCT), in addition to other improvements like new MetroRapid times and create transit service that is reliable. Project routes, Red Line improvements, development of the Green Connect is a multi-generational investment and will be Line, additional MetroExpress routes with park-and-rides, planned to accommodate the latest vehicle technology when and Neighborhood Circulators. it comes to market. 2019 2040 Population: 2M+ Population: 4M+ HOW THE BLUE LINE & GOLD LINE FIT INTO THE SYSTEM The Project Connect Vision Plan identified two HCT corridors - the Blue Line Corridor and the Orange Line Corridor - as FUTURE-PROOFING THE SYSTEM the backbone of the future system. Capital Metro initiated the Blue Line Corridor Study in 2019 to better define Blue Line Identifying how the Orange, Blue, and Gold & Gold Line HCT, and to explore how they could advance as Lines will intersect (serve the same station) individual investments (to attract federal funds) and as a part or interline (operate on the same portion of of the Capital Metro system (as part of the local and regional tracks) planning process). The Project Connect System Plan will be significantly advanced following the adoption of the Blue Line Considering the costs and benefits & Gold Line Locally Preferred Alternative (LPA). associated with building a transit tunnel for the Orange, Blue, and Gold Line This document provides an overview of the process used to evaluate HCT in Austin and the path to develop a proposed Coordinating with MetroRapid, Red LPA, including how public and agency input was used to and Green Lines, MetroExpress, and craft the proposed LPA. Key features and benefits of the Neighborhood Circulator planning to LPA are illustrated, and future actions on the path toward facilitate connections across the system implementation are outlined. 1 2 CORRIDOR PLANNING & ROUTE EVOLUTION BLUE LINE CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT In April 2019, Capital Metro initiated a formal study to investigate the viability of high-capacity transit (HCT) from the Austin Airport (AUS), through downtown with a connection to another Project Connect corridor (the Orange Line) at Republic Square, and north to ACC Highland. This corridor was then-titled the “Blue Line” to distinguish it from other routes also under analysis as part of the Project Connect system. ALIGNMENT SCENARIOS PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC Capitol East ALTERNATIVE 1 ADVANTAGES Wooldridge Square Wooldridge Square Provides service to the 7th/Trinity 7th/Trinity fast-growing Rainey neighborhood Republic Square Downtown Republic Square Downtown Adds resilience to the MACC/Rainey system by providing an additional LRT lake crossing 1 Auditorium Shores Waterfront 2 Auditorium Shores Allows maximum flexibility for infrastructure Travis Heights maintenance As Alternative 1 (Trinity Street Lady Bird Lake Crossing) Tech Ridge Parmer emerged as the local preference (see survey results, Braker page 9), the Project Connect team also considered the appropriate mode and transitway profile (discussed on Rundberg page 8) for the Blue Line as an independent project, but also, as part of a larger, multi-generational system. North Lamar Transit Center Ridership demand on the Blue Line corridor yielded a Crestview technical recommendation that light rail transit (LRT) was the mode best-suited to serve the long-term goals of Koenig Project Connect and Central Texas’ anticipated population Triangle growth. LRT was also the strong local preference, as Hyde Park (38th) Hemphill Park (29th) shown in the survey results. UT Mall (24th) Capitol West Thus, the Project Connect team considered different Wooldridge Square scenarios for how the Blue Line would operate as Republic Square Downtown a route to meet this demand and optimize system- MACC/Rainey wide operations. In a January 2020 joint City Council/ Auditorium Shores Waterfront Travis Heights Lakeshore Capital Metro board meeting, Capital Metro introduced a SoCo potential alternative operating scenario where this Blue Oltorf Faro AUS Riverside Airport Line route would originate at the Austin Airport (AUS), Montopolis St. Edward’s University Metro Center travel through downtown via 4th Street, then interline South Congress Transit Center with the Orange Line. Stassney This route option creates a more resilient transit system William Cannon that is interconnected with efficient transfers between the corridors. Slaughter LAKELINE Howard Ln Stoney LEGEND325 METROBUSTECH Creek HOWARD Current Frequent Walnut Creek 2 RIDGE Park LIGHT RAIL PARMER Local Routes Metro Park Orange Line METROEXPRESS ACC Blue Line Current MetroExpress Future MetroExpress Northridge BRAKERGold LN LineBRAKER BROADMOOR/DOMAIN METROACCESS METRORAIL Available within CapMetro service area SOUTHEND KRAMER Red Line Green Line Current Park & Ride MCKALLA Potential Future Extension Proposed Park & Ride To Georgetown Circulator Metric Bl METRORAPID Enhanced MetroRapid Route Tunnel SCHEMATIC MAP RUTLAND Potential Future Extension NOT TO SCALE LEANDER 45 Rundbe rg Ln TOLL 325 CROSSROADS RUNDBERG To Hutto LAKELINE Howard Ln Stoney Burnet Rd FOU325R POINTS Creek HOWARD TECH OHLEN 325 Walnut Creek RIDGE Park EGDIR HCET OT DNALHGIH CCA DNALHGIH OT HCET EGDIR PARMER CCA DNALHGIH NO RTHOT LAMAR HCET EGDIR Metro Park RED LINERED LINE ELGIN10 PARMERPARMER TRANSIT CENTER ACC N Lamar Bl Northridge BRAKER LN BRAKER NORTHCROSS BROADMOOR/DOMAIN MANOR 130 SOUTHEND KRAMER TOLL BURNET TO AND OAK HILL MCKALLA MENCHACA 300 St Johns Ave Metric Bl WILDHORSE RUTLAND LOOP 360 CRESTVIEW Emma Rundbe rg Ln 325 CROSSROADS RUNDBELongRG Metro Burnet Rd Park NEERG ENIL NEERG ENIL FOUR POINTS OHLEN 325 KOENILBJG EGDIR HCET OT DNALHGIH CCA DNALHGIH OT HCET EGDIR EGDIR HCET OT DNALHGIH CCA DNALHGIH OT HCET EGDIR ALLANDALE NORTH LAMAR 10 High School RED LINERED LINE TRANSIT CENTER NORTHCROSS N Lamar Bl DELCO CENTER HIGHLAND NORTH BURNET TO AND OAK HILL MENCHACA LOOP 300 St Johns Ave TRIANGLE THE GOLD LINE CORRIDOR EMERGES LOOP 360 CRESTVIEW TEXAS HEALTH 7 CLARKSON Emma COMMISSION Manor Rd COLONY PARK Long Metro COLONY SPRINGDALE HYDE PARK TOWN Park SHOPPING EXPOE O CENTER ALLANDALE KOENIG CENTER PARK EXPO HIGHLAND WHELESS 38½ St 51st St LOYOLOLAA// CENTER The Project Connect team continued to analyze NORTH 300 JOHNNY HANCOCK WESTMINSTER HEMPHILL LOOP Exposition Bl Seton Lamar Bl MORRIS PHILOMENA TRIANGLE Hospital MLKMLK PARK ST. DAVID’S TEXAS HEALTH CLARKSON BERKMAN/ DECKER 7 San Jacinto Bl COMMISSION MUELLER 20 UT HYDE EAST PARK 335 MLK Bl University the ridership demand and the potential cost of AIRPORT LAFAYETTE 38½ St of Texas HANCOCK BLVD HEMPHILL UT/WEST MALL Exposition Bl Seton Lamar Bl Hospital LOOP PARK ST. DAVID’S 360 20 San Jacinto Bl UT 2 MEDICAL 130 EAST 300 TOLL 335 University LAFAYETTE SCHOOL of Texas a route from Republic Square to ACC Highland Oak Springs Dr EAST US 183 UT/WEST MALL Dell S eto LOOP MLK DOWNTOWN AREA 7 10 360 MEDICAL Hospital SCHOOL MLK ACC Enfield Rd EASTVIEW CAPITOL WEST CAPITOL Dell S eton EAST 7 10 Hospital to fully understand the viability of high-capacity Enfield Rd CAPITOL WEST RED CAPBUITOD L 2 GOVESPRINGDALRNMENE T COMAL EAST GOVALLE COMAL CENTER RED BUD GOVERNMENT EASTSIDE Huston-Tillotson CENTER 5TH/6TH BUS PLAZA TRINITY 5TH/6TH TRINITY Huston-Tillotson WEBBERV5TH/6THILLE 4 University 5TH/6TH & LAMAR University & LAMAR & W LYNN & W LYNN transit on this segment. In January 2020, Capital CROSSTOWN PLEASANT VALLEY EXPOSITION CROSSTOWN REPUBLIC DOWNTOWNEXPOSITIONPLAZA SALTILLO CESAR CHAVEZ SQUARE STATION 17 REPUBLIC DOWNTOWN PLAZA SALTILLO S Lamar Bl Cesar Chavez St Lake Austin MACC/RAINEY SQUARE STATION Lady Bird Lake 17 S Lamar Bl Cesar Chavez St Zilker Long Center AUDITORIUM Lake Austin MACC/RAINEY Metro presented another route option for this Park SHORES Roy G. G uerrero Lady Bird Lake CO River Park To Bastrop WATERFRONT Long GOLD 7 Zilker LAMAR LINE Riverside Dr LAKESHORE Center17 AUDITORIUM SQUARE Park ACC TRAVIS 311