Capital Metro’s proposed overhaul of Austin’s public transit system appears to have the full support of Mayor Steve Adler. Known as ‘Project Connect,’ it could come with a hefty price tag as high as $9.8-billion. While it’s still unclear specifically where that money may come from, there have been some indications that the city council may call for a large transit bond in November 2020.
Project Connect is a long-range vision for public transit which includes proposals involving more park and rides, more buses, and light rail.
“Depending on how big and bold we want to go, it’s going to be an expensive thing to do and we’ll figure out the dollars in the future,” Mayor Steve Adler said during a joint meeting on Wednesday between the council and Capital Metro. “But I would point out that about, you know, maybe up to a half of this is going to be paid for by the federal government.”
Others have suggested the federal contribution may be closer to 40-percent. Regardless, both percentages still leave a large portion of the overhaul unfunded, which would likely mean the taxpayers would be asked to foot the rest.
Early estimates show the taxpayer-funded portion of Project Connect could range anywhere from $2.8-billion to upwards of $5-billion.
Speaking with Fox 7 news on Wednesday, Adler did not shy away from the possibility of another bond election.
“The city council and the Metro board will make a recommendation, probably in a May timeframe next year, and if there’s a recommendation that moves forward we ought to be able to have something on the ballot in November of 2020. So, a little over a year from now,” he said.
There will be several Project Connect open houses held in November for residents to ask questions and get a clearer picture of the overall goal.
According to numbers from Capital Metro, only around 4-percent of the entire Austin region actually uses public transportation for their daily commute.
