Austin Light Rail Phase 1 is underway. This momentous transportation investment will offer an all-new transit experience, running reliably every 5 to 10 minutes to connect people to major job centers, educations hubs, and iconic Austin destinations.

Key Progress Highlights

  • Continuing the design, including recommendations to:
    • ​Add a new downtown station near Wooldridge Square.
    • Extend the bridge over Lady Bird Lake and elevate the Waterfront Station.
    • Refine station locations on East Riverside.
    • Advance a Greenway concept along East Riverside, featuring a continuous bike/pedestrian corridor and creating tree canopy and shade.
  • Hitting major milestones in the federal funding process, including the release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS is a critical step towards federal grant funding.
  • Developing the contracting and delivery approach, including onboarding the Delivery Partner.

Artist rendering of a shaded walk and bike path along the line on East Riverside, designed to improve walkability.

Benefits of Light Rail

Icon showing convergence of lines.

New options to get places: The line will integrate with cars, buses, trains and other modes – giving people more choices when navigating between the core and the larger metro area.

Icon of a light rail train.

Easy, Reliable & Frequent: Light rail will have its own dedicated railway, intuitive directions, and run every 5-10 mintues – making it highly dependable and easy to use.

 
Icon of a stopwatch.

Reduced Travel Times: The line will allow riders to zip through the heart of Austin without having to sit in traffic -- significantly reducing travel times to key destinations.

Icon of a tree.

Nature-forward Design: Shade trees, Texas plants, and new walk and bike paths will be integrated throughout the design of the line, creating more people-friendly spaces.

Icon of a coffee mug.

An Engine for Jobs: Light rail will create 10,000 jobs as a key part of the city mobility improvements. It will also create access to 200k+ jobs when operational.

Icon of a heart.Keeps Austin Livable: The line will help keep our city accessible for working people by connecting to affordable housing and reducing commuting costs.

The Drag: The station at UT on a typical game day with a redesigned and pedestrian-centric Guadalupe Street.

What is Light Rail?

Light rail is an expandable electric train system designed for metropolitan areas, serving as an integral part of the transit network by connecting people to essential destinations where they live, work and play. 

Light Rail in Other Cities

Picture showing the RATP Metro ParisRATP Metro, Paris, France

 

Picture showing the Sound Transit Link Light Rail in SeattleSound Transit Link Light Rail, Seattle, Washington

 

Picture showing the Metro Transit Light Rail MinneapolisMetro Transit Light Rail, Minneapolis, Minnesota

Picture showing the Valley Metro Rail in PhoenixValley Metro Rail, Phoenix, Arizona

  

Austin Light Rail Phase 1

Facts

15 Stations
connecting points north, south, and east of Austin

9.8 Miles

of light rail transit

~28,000 Daily Trips

on an average weekday

Access to: 

136k

Current Jobs

   200k+

       Future Jobs

Map of Austin light Rail Alignment and Priority Extensions dated January 2025. It shows the light rail route starting at 38th Street on Guadalupe Street, running through downtown, and ending to the south at Oltorf Street on Congress Avenue, and to the east at Yellow Jacket Lane on East Riverside Drive. Map also shows priority extensions from Crestview to 38th and from Yellow Jacket to the airport. Site selection of the end of line park and ride facilities at 38th street, Oltorf and Yellow Jacket are under consideration. In addition to the evaluation of an Operations and Maintenance facility study area in the proximity of the Yellow Jacket station.

Proposed Light Rail Timeline

complete
complete
1. Approved & Established

2020-21

Project was approved by Austin voters. ATP was formed to implement the light rail and assembed a team of tranist experts.

complete
complete
2. Defining Scope & Goals

2022-23

Conducted a community-driven process to determine the project goals and formalize the Light Rail Implementation Plan.

live
live
3. Planning, Design & Project Development

2023-26

ATP is currently working on preliminary design and engineering, environmental review, delivery planning, and completing key steps to fulfill federal funding requirements.

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)

NEPA requires federal agencies to incorporate environmental considerations into their planning and decsion making through a systematic and interdisciplinary approach.

Compliance with NEPA is required for the Austin Light Rail because we are pursuing federal grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).

Proposed Timeline: Federal Process - NEPA

SCOPING 
(Complete)

January - March 2024

  • Public meetings and engagement to get input on what should be studied.
  • Introduced design options.

DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT (DEIS)
(In progress)

March 2024 - March 2025

  • Environmental analysis of the preliminary design dated May 2024.
  • Draft EIS issued for public review and comment period.

FINAL EIS/RECORD OF DECISION (ROD)
(Planned)

2025

  • All substantive comments on the DEIS that are received during the 60-day comment period will be responded to in the Final EIS.
  • Issuance of Final EIS and ROD concludes the NEPA process.

planned
planned
4. Engineering & Permitting

2026-27

Detailed designs and technical specifications will be finalized, and all necessary permits and land will be secured.

planned
planned
5. Construction & Testing

2027-33

The ground will be prepped and excavated. Light rail tracks, stations, and pedestrian and cyclist paths will be built. Trains will be manufactured, delivered and tested.

planned
planned
6. Open for Service

2033

Austin's light rail will officially open with 9.8 miles of track, stretching from 38th to Oltorf to East Riverside.