Austin Light Rail becomes the first major transit project to complete a Final Environmental Impact Statement within the federal two-year guideline
Austin Light Rail continues to advance through the federal funding process, hitting another major milestone in the delivery of Austin’s first light rail system. The Federal Transit Administration has issued a Record of Decision for Austin Light Rail’s Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS). This federal action officially affirms compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and allows Austin Transit Partnership to continue in the federal funding process as well as advance more detailed Project work.
“Completing the Final Environmental Impact Statement and earning the FTA’s Record of Decision in under two years is a major achievement for Austin Transit Partnership and the community we serve,” Austin Transit Partnership CEO Greg Canally said. “We’re grateful for the FTA’s partnership and guidance throughout this process and proud of the work our team has done to deliver a thorough environmental review on an accelerated timeline. This has established a best practice that can be replicated for other mega projects.”
ATP reached this milestone in less than two years, aligning with the current FTA administration’s goal to streamline and improve how large public infrastructure projects are delivered. In comparison, other mega projects have often taken between five and seven years to advance through the NEPA process with FTA, with some requiring more than a decade.
“This is a big, important step for Austin and our city’s future affordability and mobility,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. “It’s easy to get lost in the language and mumbo-jumbo of Federal Codes and regulations with shorthand wording like ‘New Starts,’ ‘Record of Decision,’ and ‘NEPA.’ But there’s a pretty clear bottom line: Austin Transit Partnership has the Austin Light Rail program right on track toward construction, and it’s doing it with an impressive, streamlined efficiency.
“I deeply appreciate the Federal Transit Administration’s work and partnership. I also want to recognize the work Austin Transit Partnership and our community have done to move this project ahead. This milestone keeps the voter-mandated Austin Light Rail moving forward and will strengthen our economy, create more jobs for Texas, and deliver safer, more reliable transit for our community,” Mayor Watson continued.
Completion of the Record of Decision signifies that the federal government has formally accepted the project’s environmental analysis, community engagement, and technical planning to date, demonstrating project readiness, strong federal partnership, and continued progress toward federal funding. The decision itself allows ATP to advance such elements of the project as more advanced design and early construction activity for utilities.
The FEIS confirms recommendations for the Project previously shared during a formal review period of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement. These include a new downtown station near Wooldridge Square, a bridge across Lady Bird Lake incorporating a bike and pedestrian connection, and an elevated Waterfront Station to improve system reliability and rider experience. On East Riverside, refined station locations are located within an urban greenway.
ATP is set to reach another critical milestone with the scheduled contract award in February for the construction contract for Austin Light Rail. Upon award, the contractors will help shape and build nearly every aspect of the system including the transitway, tracks, systems, stations, bridges, traffic signals, utilities, drainage structures and streetscape.
The Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision are available on ATP’s website at www.atptx.org/milestones/atp-releases-final-environmental-impact-statement-record-of-decision.