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The Downtown Austin Alliance is considering bringing back the downtown orbital routes that would bring visitors and residents through the downtown area, similar to Capital Metro’s’ Dillo routes, which closed in 2009. (Designed by Rachal Russell)
The Downtown Austin Alliance last year researched the possibility of a free downtown shuttle to determine the best routes, frequency, and type of service that would bring the most benefit to residents, staff, and visitors.
At the end of 2020, the DAA opened a survey to hear directly from residents. Some of the comments hit a familiar chorus that will be recognizable to longtime Austinites.
“Bring the ‘Dillo back,” wrote several respondents. One resident cited fond memories of riding the old streetcars around downtown Austin as a kid, while another said the revitalization of the downtown shuttle would “replace so many short Uber trips and bad decisions with drunk scooters.”
The new circulating lines in the downtown area would not be exactly the same as Capital Metro’s old “Dillo lines” which were discontinued in 2009. For one thing, according to Melissa Barry, vice president of planning at the DAA, the old trams would likely be replaced by more modern public transport vehicles. But Barry said the study was the result of a consistent call from the community to restore the service the ‘Dillo provided.
“What we’ve heard time and again over the years is the call to bring the ‘Dillo back. It’s one of the main reasons we started this feasibility study to address this request, ”said Barry.
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The results of the study, published in early 2021, provide more details on the possible routes, funding options and the frequency of the new circulation service. Consultant NelsonNygaard recommends that the recycle service be free – just like the “Dillo” – and outlines a service that runs every five or ten minutes depending on the time of day, with the flexibility to increase at large events like the Austin City Limits Music Festival or South by Southwest Conferences & Festival.
The report presented two route options: one from South Congress Avenue to Plaza Saltillo in East Austin and the other between the Seaholm District and the Rainey Street area. Barry said respondents slightly favored the Plaza Saltillo route. So if only one could be implemented it would be the preference, but she also said the routes could be expanded in the future.
“It is always important to focus and consolidate resources as a starting point. Although there are two recommended routes, most of these circulators start out with one focus and grow over time, ”she said.
Both routes combined would cost $ 5.26 million annually. The report doesn’t specifically name the source of funding, but does highlight a number of potential options, including Capital Metro, the Austin City Hotel Tax Fund, or major employers in the area.
Barry said it was too early to say when the circulators might be running through the streets of downtown Austin. For now, the DAA is focused on monitoring how travel patterns normalize as the community continues to recover from the pandemic.
The organization is also thinking ahead about how to align the circulator with planned construction projects like the $ 4.9 billion overhaul of I-35 and Capital Metro’s $ 7.1 billion Project Connect plan to modernize public transportation could.
Construction will be tough downtown when these two major projects, slated for 2024-25, begin, and Barry said the circulation routes could help residents maneuver around these significant construction detours.
“We have to keep watching and be pretty nimble as we approach the project,” she said.
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