Pivoting to Plan B in Austin

After years of unsuccessful votes, the people of Austin, Texas, finally passed a transit funding measure in November 2020. Following the vote, the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) advanced work on two light rail corridors. But as design progressed, the cost of the program grew to a size that wasn’t feasible. Hear how a variety of players, including the regional transit partnership, transit agency, city, and community-led advisory groups, developed a new implementation plan within funding constraints and in sync with community values and equity goals. This is the story of stops, starts, ups, downs, and the pivot to Plan B. Built on breakthroughs in community engagement and a renewed vision of what transit means for the region, it might even be better than Plan A.

Moderator: Jennifer Pyne, AICP, Executive Vice President, Planning, Community and Federal Programs, Austin Transit Partnership, Austin, TX
Jose (Chito) Vela, City Council Member, District 4, City of Austin, Texas, Austin, TX
Veronica Casto de Berrera, Board Chair, Austin Transit Partnership, Austin, TX
Awais Azhar, Chair, Project Connect Community Advisory Committee, Austin Transit Partnership, Austin, TX