[{"_1":2,"_86":-5,"_87":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6570149,"mediaKeyId","3310286-62c7575f0e518441aa9e18a8b03ec37d","parentId",3310286,"title","Austin Bergstrom Airport outlines multibillion‑dollar 'Journey with AUS' expansion and near‑term improvements","audioSeconds",2789,"startMs",2668000,"endMs",5457000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3310286-62c7575f0e518441aa9e18a8b03ec37d&start=2668&end=5457","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3310286-62c7575f0e518441aa9e18a8b03ec37d/thumbnail_2668000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6570149/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Bergstrom-Airport-outlines-multibilliondollar-Journey-with-AUS-expansion-and-nearterm-improvements","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570149-34161163aad3b39a4876e73e8780def4/orig.mp4?Expires=1775742466&Signature=oDwk8ftv2aSvnOiG1kTWjFE8bRiFhFZa3JvF-L29htJTPZhI4mHnmJ6xx5-bc9qZf9XD3HhPgTXnbZvDiz3AJFgjpbd5eIN~JmlVUfTXt4btzgPKr3cbcsHt~e1ue9OzJv-PVX5X3WeaLV1NuO9776WXMVqny-uhj2cizVr3uwG2ztwB-vH5lG46HJAzksfOMM~pELPNIfLwXQHo1QztK6OBJJJ2H4DZd7DXr8oaeE~ZNUnWgEp4xgymGL5W0gy82gNUzeVsV47SuglhrM6doGR5sKZfEwtunmQUx~~tY4LrhhDBwFNozQj6-SN2PE-Vt58wAWz152~~hl6kG2xVrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-05-14T00:00:00Z","article","Austin Bergstrom International Airport staff on May 14 updated the Austin Tourism Commission on the airport’s multi‑phase expansion and development program, branded \"Journey with AUS,\" that airport leaders say is intended to increase capacity, passenger amenities and operational resilience as demand grows.

Bryce (Community Affairs, Austin Bergstrom International Airport) told commissioners the airport has experienced rapid post‑pandemic growth in available seats and passenger volumes and is operating above the original terminal’s design capacity. \"Austin Bergstrom International Airport is a big part of our tourism here and driving that,\" Bryce said, describing the airport as the city's \"front porch\" and emphasizing local art and live music in passenger spaces.

What the airport presented
- Background: The terminal opened about 26 years ago and was designed for roughly 11 million annual passengers; the airport added gates and facilities in 2019 to raise capacity to about 15 million. Recent years have seen usage in the low‑to‑mid 20 million annual passenger range, creating capacity pressures.
- Program scope: The airport showed a multi‑project program that includes short‑term equipment and facility upgrades (baggage‑handling improvements, an international arrivals reconfiguration due for completion soon, a west‑end 3‑gate infill, and temporary hold‑room facilities) and longer‑term projects: a midfield Concourse B (20–40 gates depending on final planning), a new arrival/departure hall built on the site of the current red garage, a large parking garage replacement (Yellow garage) and utility and taxiway work that enables future concourse construction.
- Timing and cost: Airport staff described a phased delivery approach. Short‑term projects are expected to come online within the next 12–18 months; longer‑term projects (Concourse B and the new arrival/departure hall) are targeted for completion in the early 2030s. Staff cited an approximate program magnitude of $4 billion for the full buildout and said designers and construction managers are under contract for many program elements.
- Operational priorities: the airport highlighted projects to increase baggage processing (outbound baggage capacity to 4,000 bags per hour versus a previous 1,600 per hour), add TSA screening lanes and expand ticketing and queuing space, plus a new midfield taxiway to preserve aircraft circulation while constructing a midfield concourse.

Airport and transit coordination
Airport staff said they have preserved a right‑of‑way corridor on airport property for a future light rail connection and are coordinating with Austin Transit Partnership and Project Connect so an airport extension could align with the new arrival/departure footprint. The staff representative said the preserved alignment runs along the strip between the rental car facility and an existing garage and would connect to the future front door of the airport.

Commissioner questions and key points
Commissioners asked about rideshare pickup, interim passenger circulation during construction, leases for airlines operating at the South Terminal (low‑cost carriers) and the timeline for closing the South Terminal. Airport staff said the South Terminal will be closed when the midfield taxiways and concourse work require that footprint; no firm closure date was set and lease timelines were described as under negotiation. Staff said rideshare and pickup areas are under redesign as part of the arrival/departure hall project and that short‑term changes should reduce walking distances for passengers even if specific curbside details remain in design.

Public‑facing cultural priorities
Airport staff said art, music and local concessions are core to the terminal experience and that the airport is running open calls for national, state and local artists to supply public art for expansion projects. The airport described more than 1,000 live‑music performances a year and permanent and rotating art exhibitions as intentional elements of the passenger experience.

No formal action was taken by the commission on the airport presentation. Airport staff asked the Tourism Commission to consider the commission a resource and partner as the program advances.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Tourism Commission - May 14, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Austin Bergstrom International Airport on May 14 presented the multi‑phase 'Journey with AUS' expansion program to the Austin Tourism Commission, outlining near‑term operational upgrades and longer‑term projects including a midfield concourse and a new arrival/departure hall.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6570154,"Austin Transit Partnership briefs Tourism Commission on light rail route, timeline and rider projections",0,1027000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3310286-62c7575f0e518441aa9e18a8b03ec37d&start=1027&end=1027","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3310286-62c7575f0e518441aa9e18a8b03ec37d/thumbnail_1027000.jpg","/articles/6570154/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Austin-Transit-Partnership-briefs-Tourism-Commission-on-light-rail-route-timeline-and-rider-projections","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6570154-968721ff0c1faa42c45963a588dfa5e0/orig.mp4?Expires=1775742466&Signature=cwnz9L8xf-o0kiJsuzcGK050ZKNVBkbfBnrZpTDqdtTZrLUqReKYRjspKbDyOql8NKPB-F34K-NdRS1PnWtt3qkKF~0ZBUfIOb8qHA45HfOy6WZ4oojS05EKQdZ~ryIA0iVi9qE3aEe4bEso0M0UoGvcDYOoeKKBrXPIMnB-W5oOKTACv9FIilPX~8nlfz562X5RjSIDN7YoE6DTKqkecn7fb7ScbOsH-TQM6iXFpvDsWhKkf2x2K-TdjQs0M0AWfdijdyuURUpAXiNZ5dZNTzZyKtlwmEG79l2nGtzk1dId6uMDS8nBNQGDDL7byp99Njx8apTPeyM000C6hylpjg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Austin Transit Partnership officials on May 14 briefed the Austin Tourism Commission on the agency’s plans for the city’s Phase 1 light rail project, the transit corridors it will serve and how the system could affect visitor access to downtown attractions.

Darren Lozano, senior vice president for environment and project development at Austin Transit Partnership, told commissioners the Phase 1 alignment is being advanced through environmental review and is intended to operate on city streets with a dedicated guideway. He said the initial segment will be about 9.8 miles with 15 stations serving major destinations including the University of Texas, South Congress, downtown (including a station near the Austin Convention Center) and the Hike-and-Bike Trail. \"We're really excited to present our update on the Austin light rail project,\" Lozano said.

The presentation emphasized travel-time reliability, frequent service and station-area design intended to be people-centric, with new pedestrian and bike connections and a proposed bridge across Lady Bird Lake. Sean Berry, vice president of design and construction, described station concepts that prioritize shade, landscaping and wayfinding, and stressed integration of first-mile/last-mile connections for visitors.

Why it matters: ATP said the line is designed to reduce reliance on cars for event travel and everyday commutes, to provide more predictable travel times than buses and to support connections to hundreds of thousands of jobs along the corridor. ATP’s modeling projects about 30,000 average weekday riders for the Phase 1 corridor; the agency said similar systems nationwide have often exceeded planners’ 20-year ridership projections.

Key technical points presented
- Phase 1: 9.8 miles and 15 stations (Phase 1 is the yellow line on the ATP maps shown to commissioners).
- Rider projection cited by ATP: roughly 30,000 average weekday riders on the Phase 1 corridor.
- Stations in the core: multiple downtown stations including one adjacent to the convention center and others near the State Capitol and downtown hotels.
- Design features: a new Lady Bird Lake bridge with bike/pedestrian elements, tree‑lined corridors and pedestrianized segments (the \"drag\").
- Funding and approvals: ATP is seeking a Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grant and completed an environmental document with a public comment period that closed in March; ATP reported roughly 2,500 public comments and targets a final environmental decision later in the year.
- Implementation timeline presented by ATP: the agency characterized the construction phase as a multi‑year effort and said it is planning for service opening in 2033, with a multi‑year design and construction schedule leading up to that opening.

Commissioners’ questions and ATP responses
Commissioners asked about an airport extension, litigation and how the project will attract riders. ATP said the airport connection has been identified as a recommended priority extension but has no fixed timeline: the extension requires additional design, environmental work and funding. ATP acknowledged a pending bond‑validation lawsuit and said its legal counsel is engaged but that project work continues. On ridership, ATP said the corridor tracks the city’s highest‑demand north–south spine and that major events (UT football, downtown events, airport connections) will drive high ridership days; the dedicated guideway and faster travel times are expected to attract users who do not currently use transit.

Questions about station parking and neighborhood coverage
ATP said three end‑of‑line stations are proposed with park‑and‑ride facilities (old Torf, 30 Eighth Street and Yellowjacket stations), while most intermediate stations are intended to emphasize pedestrian, bicycle and bus transfers rather than large parking lots. Commissioners raised East–West service needs; ATP said bus rapid transit and other bus improvements in Project Connect are intended to provide broader east–west coverage beyond the Phase 1 north–south spine.

No formal action was taken by the commission on the light‑rail presentation. ATP asked the Tourism Commission to be an advocate for the project.

Looking ahead: ATP said it will continue design development, coordinate with CapMetro, the city and the Federal Transit Administration, complete the environmental process and bring a designer/construction team on board toward the end of the year. ATP urged continued public outreach and iterative design to address rider experience for visitors and residents.","Austin Transit Partnership presented plans for a 9.8-mile, 15-station Phase 1 light-rail corridor and discussed expected benefits for visitors, connections to downtown destinations and a prioritized future airport extension. Commissioners asked about timing, ridership, parking and coordination with other projects.","actionData","errors"]

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Austin Bergstrom Airport outlines multibillion‑dollar 'Journey with AUS' expansion and near‑term improvements

Austin Transit Partnership briefs Tourism Commission on light rail route, timeline and rider projections