Austin, Tex., ponders LRT or streetcar option
Written by William C. Vantuono, Editor-in-Chief
Still struggling to launch its first rail service after months of delays, Austin, Tex., nonetheless is also weighing a commitment to light rail transit or streetcar services, including the building of a rail bridge over Lady Bird Lake.
City Transportation Director Robert Spillar said the bridge could be built farther east or west, and not necessarily over the lake. Austin and its consulting engineers are settling on a preferred route and are scheduled to unveil it Feb. 25 to the City Council. Spillar says the upcoming map will not specify a route across Lady Bird Lake, instead leaving as possibilities existing bridges at Congress Avenue or South First Street or a new bridge.
Voter approval of such the overall plan is required, and a referendum could be offered to the voters this November. Anti-rail partisans in the state capital, still feasting on the woes of Capitol Metropolitan Transportation Authority to initiate regional rail service on a 35-mile starter line, are expected to oppose any additional rail plan.
