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Austin Light Rail Progress Update

Austin Light Rail Phase 1 is underway. This momentous transportation investment will offer an all-new transit experience, running reliably every 5 to 10 minutes to connect people to major job centers, education hubs, and iconic Austin destinations.

Austin Light Rail Progress Update

Key Progress Highlights

Continuing the design.

Recommendations to:

  • Add a new downtown station near Wooldridge Square.
  • Extend the bridge over Lady Bird Lake and elevate the Waterfront Station.
  • Refine station locations on East Riverside.
  • Advance a Greenway concept along East Riverside, featuring a continuous bike/pedestrian corridor and creating tree canopy and shade.

Hitting major milestones in the federal funding process. Including:

  • Release of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
  • The Draft EIS is a critical step towards federal grant funding.

Developing the contracting and delivery approach. Including:

  • Onboarding the Delivery Partner.

Draft Environmental Impact Statement

The purpose of the Draft EIS is to understand how the light rail project will affect the current environment and to identify opportunities as well as the potential impacts to be mitigated. The Draft EIS documents current conditions, describes alternatives for the project that were considered and assesses potential environmental consequences of implementing the project. Click any of the links below to view a section of the study.

Project Maps

Project maps shown at the public meetings in January 2025 are available here. These maps reflect the design plans studied in the Draft EIS (Appendix C).

Draft Study Feedback

Provide your feedback on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement from January 10 until March 11, 2025. Share Feedback.

Public Meetings

All public meetings have concluded. The information shared at the public meetings is available online, and comments will be collected until March 11, 2025. View information and share feedback.

Previous Steps in NEPA Process

Additional Documents

View additional relevant documents.

More About NEPA

Enacted into law in 1970, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) is a federally mandated public planning process for projects involving federal funds or federal involvement. NEPA requires federal agencies to incorporate environmental considerations into their planning and decision making through a systematic and interdisciplinary approach. Compliance with NEPA is required for Austin Light Rail Phase 1 because we are pursuing federal grant funding from the Federal Transit Administration.