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Proposed subway plans for Downtown Austin as part of Project Connect
Project Connect is a multi-billion dollar investment voted by voters in November to bring various mass transit systems to Austin.
Austin, Texas – Subway trains could soon be a reality in downtown Austin.
“It’s really exciting because I think it will allow us to give the Austin community really good access to public transportation that has connectivity across the city,” said Peter Mullan, director of architecture and urbanism at Project Connect.
Mullan explained why they are looking underground when it comes to adding more transportation.
“In the early planning phase, we realize that in the city center, given the density of buildings, pedestrians and traffic, it would really be much more beneficial to move the trains underground to a subway,” he said.
According to the plans, there are two subway lines in the city center that meet on 4th Street. One line goes north past the Capitol, with both lines going down towards South Austin. There are even plans to go under Lady Bird Lake. Some models were made of what stations would look like in different parts of the city, such as Auditorium Shores.
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“Will there be problems? Absolutely, there are always problems. We started testing the geology and taking soil samples, we haven’t found any real problems that make us believe this is not feasible,” said Mullan.
The proposal also envisages making 4th Street the transport hub for these rail lines. It would completely close the area to car traffic, making it a place for people to walk and shop.
“Fourth Street has the option of being a priority pedestrian zone, in part because there isn’t much traffic already,” said Mullan.
Project Connect is a multi-billion dollar investment voted by voters in November to bring various mass transit systems to Austin. If everything goes smoothly, construction should start in three to four years.
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