CapMetro works to develop equitable plan for transit development, businesses worry about growing pains
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AUSTIN (KXAN) – While Capital Metro begins development of a 27-mile new rail line and additional bus service. They are also working to lay the foundation for the development of Project Connect through an Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD) plan.
The ETOD will become the blueprint for how the Transportation Department is working with the city of Austin and the community to build the city around the Project Connect stations.
Capital Metro’s station typology framework consists of two classification schemes for organizing and describing the station areas along the high-performance MetroRapid and MetroRail systems from Capital Metro: location typology and readiness rating. (Information source: Capital Metro)
They are focused on a 12 mile rail line that will run from the airport through Riverside to east Austin and north through Guadalupe to the North Lamar Transit Center. There are sections of the Blue and Orange Light Rail lines on the route.
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The plan would focus on incorporating mixed-use neighborhoods while providing public transportation to allow people to get around. CapMetro officials said this transport-centric development plan is different from others because it incorporates equity. They want the plan to be fair to ensure that color communities benefit from the changes.
How ETOD influences train station design (Source: Capital Metro)
This means the plan will not necessarily focus on the homes and businesses the tracks will go to, but rather on people and places that traffic developments could displace.
However, longtime business owners like Richard Lord of Richard Lords Boxing Gym are concerned. For the Lord, it is the growing pains that are paramount. He’s worried about how long it will take to build the lines and what that will mean for his business. He fears that he might be evicted.
“While they’re building this thing to make everyone better, I don’t think we can wait,” said Lord.
Currently, CapMetro is at 15% of the line schedule, which means they have an idea of where the stations will go and a footprint of the light rail lines. It is planned to use the middle gauge for the light rail lines. Traffic officials say it’s too early to say how long construction will take.
Shaping the future of Project Connect’s Blue Line light rail stations and connecting neighborhoods to ensure equity
They say their focus for now is to work with the communities along the corridor of the ETOD to achieve its goals. This includes developing and maintaining affordable housing, supporting small businesses, creating new jobs and improving public spaces.
“The focus is on the community, not the line because the line serves the community,” said Sharmila Mukherjee, executive vice president of planning and development for the transportation authority.
CapMetro received $ 900,000 from the Federal Transit Administration for the TOD planning pilot program. That doesn’t include the $ 300 million Austin electorate approved to fund eviction prevention efforts. This money will be spent over the next 13 years.
On Tuesday, the transport companies will meet virtually from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. and tomorrow, November 17th, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with the municipality to discuss what the neighbors want around the rail line stations.
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