Austin Transit Partnership outlines Phase 1 light‑rail design, releases draft environmental impact statement

Austin Transit Partnership officials presented the design and schedule for Austin Light Rail Phase 1 and opened public comment on a draft environmental impact statement for the 9.8‑mile alignment that would include 15 stations.

The project team described the alignment as running from 30th/8th Street in the north through downtown and over Lady Bird Lake to a split near Riverside that would continue to South Congress/Oldenf (south) and toward Airport Commerce Road (east). "This is what we call Austin Light Rail Phase 1," said Lisa Storer, architecture, urban design, and sustainability at Austin Transit Partnership. She showed conceptual designs that include a "greenway" along East Riverside Drive with pedestrian and bicycle facilities adjacent to the guideway and a car‑free section of the Drag near the University of Texas to prioritize pedestrians and bicycles.

Darren Lozano,…