Eight years may seem like a long time, but for people in Austin who are sick of traffic jams and long wait times during rush hour, a new light rail project might be worth the wait.
Finally, after a short holdup, the Austin Light Rail project is going forward, according to CBS Austin. The planned electric light rail will be ten miles long and have fifteen stations. It will connect many famous parts of the city, such as the campus of the University of Texas.
This big investment in transportation will give people a whole new transit experience, with reliable service every 5 to 10 minutes connecting them to major job centers, education hubs, and famous Austin spots, the Austin Transit Partnership said in its most recent report.
“Austin needs a better transportation system more than anything,” Jose Villegas told CBS. He tried to use the current bus system but found it to be unreliable: “It would be nice to see a different kind of technology, a different way to get around.” You always have to guess because they’re either ten minutes early or twenty minutes late.
Another neighbor, Ben Elvis Mettin, agreed with Villegas that the highway was a problem and called it “an early form of torture.”
To make public transportation choices for people who don’t want to deal with the cost and hassle of cars, the rail will be built. It will also be good for the environment. Electric railways are a key way to cut down on the pollution that cars cause that warms the world. Getting cars off the road also helps locals by making the air quality and noise pollution much better. Both of these things have been linked to some bad health effects.
The planning phase is supposed to last until the end of 2025. However, the ATP team is hopeful that building will start in 2027 and be finished in 2033.
“Eight years is a long time,” he said, “but if it’s going to give us a better future for all Austinites and people who move here, might as well, right?”
