The importance of this milestone in the current Project Connect effort is that we now all have a common set of numbers to use when talking about how much transit will cost and what Austin gets for that price in enhanced mobility. To address the last part first – all high-capacity transit scenarios, regardless of the mode (bus rapid transit or light rail) or grade (street-level or elevated) double the current capacity of the entire Capital Metro bus and commuter rail system. The bad news for BRT is that the estimated 2040 capacity is, according to the planners, the maximum ridership the system could carry, whereas a light-rail system could continue to add new riders (with additional vehicles) for “generations to come,” in Mayor Steve Adler’s words. Going elevated to avoid conflicts with cars at roadway grade crossings – and thus minimizing delays for both riders and drivers – costs from $1.3 billion to $2.3 billion more than a primarily street level system. Going underground – building a subway tunnel to carry and connect the Orange and Blue Lines through Downtown – adds another $2 billion to the cost of a light-rail system (it wasn’t considered for BRT). Operating costs for the system in that maxed-out scenario hover at between $89 million and $96 million annually.
This article appears in January 17 • 2020.