Blue Line (Capital Metro)

Planned light rail line in Austin, Texas

Blue Line

Overview
Status| In planning
Locale| Austin, Texas
Termini|

* North Lamar Transit Center
* Austin–Bergstrom International Airport

Stations| 20
Service
Type| Light rail
System| Capital MetroRail
Operator(s)| Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
History
Planned opening| 2029

Route diagram

Legend

|  |  |

|  | North Lamar Transit Center

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|
|
|

|  |

|  |

US 183

|  |

|  |

Red Line to Leander

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|  | Crestview
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|  | Koenig
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|  | Triangle
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|  | Hyde Park
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|  | Hemphill Park
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|  | UT/West Mall
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|  | Government Center / Capitol West
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|  | Republic Square
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Orange Line to Stassney

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|  | Congress Avenue
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|  | Downtown
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|  |

|  Red Line to Leander

Green Line to Colony Park

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|  | Rainey/MACC
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Lady Bird Lake

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|  | Waterfront
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|  | Travis Heights
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|  |

I-35

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|  | Lakeshore
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|  | Riverside
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|  | Faro
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|  | Montopolis
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|  |

SH 71

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|  | Metrocenter
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|  |

US 183

|  |

|  | AUS

|  |  |  |  |  |

This diagram:

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The Blue Line is a planned light rail line for connecting Austin–Bergstrom International Airport with downtown Austin, Texas. It is still in the planning stages as a part of Capital Metro's Project Connect. It is estimated to begin revenue service as early as 2029.[1][2]

## History[edit]

North Lamar Transit Center, the planned northern terminus of the line, seen in 2008

Austin's 2013 East Riverside Corridor Plan called for high-capacity transit to be installed along East Riverside Drive. This became part of the original Blue Line, which failed to find support in 2014 and was shelved. The Gold Line was formed from a segment of this original proposal, and is expected to be built as a separate bus rapid transit line.[3]

In 2018, Capital Metro announced a new long-range planning project entitled Project Connect that outlines several major transit corridors consisting of commuter rail, light rail, and bus rapid transit.[4] The Blue Line corridor will include a transit pathway for a light rail or bus rapid transit line running on the west side of Downtown Austin to Austin–Bergstrom International Airport in southeast Austin.[5] The line was included as part of the Project Connect referendum during the 2020 election.[3][6]

## Proposed route[edit]

This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. (November 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

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A new bridge over Lady Bird Lake is planned to carry the line into the Downtown Transit Tunnel.[7]

Stations are listed south to north, from Austin–Bergstrom International Airport to the North Lamar Transit Center:

Station  | Parking  | Rail connections  | Bus connections  | Nearby points of interest

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|
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Airport  | Yes  |  | MetroBus 20  | Austin–Bergstrom International Airport
Metro Center[8] | No  |  | MetroBus 271  | Austin Airport Hotels
Montopolis | No  |  | MetroBus 20  | Montopolis Park, Tokyo Electron
Faro  | No  |  | MetroBus 20, 310  | Austin Public Library, Riverside Golf Course
Riverside | Yes  |  | MetroBus 20, 300, 483  | Park Greene Shopping Center
Lakeshore  | Yes  |  | MetroBus 7, 20, 483  | Oracle Corporation
Travis Heights | No  |  | MetroBus 7, 20, 483, 935, 987  | Austin Housing Authority, Norwood Park
Waterfront[8] | No  |  | MetroBus 7, 20, 483  | South Congress, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin American-Statesman, Lady Bird Lake
Rainey/MACC[9] | No  |  | MetroBus 17  | Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center
Convention Center/Brush Square[9] | No  |

Red Line

| MetroBus 451
Capital MetroRapid Gold Line | Austin Convention Center, Downtown Austin, Rainey Street
Congress Avenue[9] | No  |  |
Republic Square[9] | No  |

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801, 803, Gold Line
MetroBus 105, 111, 171, 980, 981, 985  | Republic Square, Sixth Street, Texas State Board of Nursing, United States Federal Court
Government Center / Capitol West  | No  |

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801, 803
MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 985  | Wooldridge Square Park, Austin Public Library, Travis County Civil Courthouse. Texas State Capitol, Travis County Adult Probation, Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services
UT/West Mall  | No  |

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801, 803
MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 640, 982, 990  | University of Texas at Austin, Peter T. Flawn Academic Center, Goldsmith Hall, Sutton Hall, Battle Hall, Parlin Hall, Rainey Hall, Harry Ransom Center
Hemphill Park  | No  |

Orange Line

| MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 642  | University of Texas at Austin, Phi Gamma Delta, Scottish Rite Dormitory
Hyde Park | No  |

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801, 803
MetroBus 1, 3, 19, 335  | Hyde Park, Austin State Hospital, Central Market, Heart Hospital of Austin
Triangle  | Yes  |

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801
MetroBus 1, 345, 656, 990  | Hyde Park, The Triangle, Texas Facilities Commission, UT Intramural Fields, UT Microfarm, The Triangle Park
Koenig  | No  |

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801
MetroBus 1, 337  | Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Highway Patrol, McCallum High School
Crestview | No  |

Red Line

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801
MetroBus 1, 7, 300, 324, 350  | Crestview Station, Midtown Commons, Texas DPS Credit Union, Black Star Co-op
North Lamar Transit Center | Yes  |

Orange Line

| Capital MetroRapid 801
MetroBus 1, 323, 350, 383  | Anderson Square Shopping Center

## References[edit]

1. ^ Sanders, Austin (April 26, 2022). "What Kind of Rail Bridge Will Austin Build Across Lady Bird Lake?". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
2. ^ Ionescu, Diana (July 8, 2022). "A Look at Austin's Proposed Subway Stations". Planetizen. Retrieved July 21, 2022.
3. ^ a b Clark-Madison, Mike (September 25, 2020). "From Light Rail to a Downtown Tunnel: The Parts of Project Connect". Austin Chronicle. Retrieved November 5, 2020.
4. ^ Wilson, Mark D. "Cap Metro unveils new vision for Project Connect - News - Austin American-Statesman - Austin, TX". Statesman.com. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
5. ^ Craver, Jack (October 11, 2018). "Project Connect: Cap Metro insists everything is on the table - Austin MonitorAustin Monitor". Austinmonitor.com. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
6. ^ Claiborne, Casey (April 3, 2019). "Cap Metro's 'Orange', 'Blue' Lines could be very different types of transit for Austin". FOX 7 Austin. Retrieved November 23, 2019.
7. ^ Bernier, Nathan (December 9, 2021). "Should buses be allowed on a new light-rail bridge over Lady Bird Lake?". Austin Monitor. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
8. ^ a b Rahman, Tahera (July 27, 2021). "Capital Metro shares details on rail lines that will connect several Austin areas to airport". NBC. KXAN. Retrieved December 13, 2021.
9. ^ a b c d Bernier, Nathan (July 16, 2021). "Here's What Austin's Underground Light Rail Could Look Like". NPR. KUT 90.5. Retrieved December 13, 2021.

## External links[edit]

* Map and fact sheet A Archived November 11, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
* Fact sheet B Archived November 4, 2020, at the Wayback Machine
* Project Connect (official website)

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Capital Metro

Services|

* MetroBus
* MetroExpress
* UT Shuttle
* MetroRail
* Red Line
* MetroRapid
* 801
* 803

In planning
Blue Line
Gold Line
Green Line
Orange Line

Transit centers|

* North Lamar
* South Congress
* Westgate

Connecting bus services|

* CARTS
* Plaza Saltillo station
* Greyhound Lines
* Highland station
* Lakeline station
* Plaza Saltillo station
* Megabus
* San Jacinto/15th
* UT Shuttle System

Connecting rail services|

* Texas Eagle Amtrak
* Austin Station

Other topics|

* MetroRail MoKan Corridor
* Project Connect

Italics denote proposed services

* v
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Austin, Texas

Slogan: Live Music Capital of the World

Attractions|

* Austin Zoo
* Circuit of the Americas
* Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium
* Dell Diamond
* Driskill Hotel
* Frank Erwin Center
* NLand
* State Capitol
* Texas Governor's Mansion
* Treaty Oak
* UFCU Disch-Falk Field
* University of Texas Tower
* Zach Theatre

History|

* 1839 city plan
* 1928 city plan
* Austin Dam failure
* Capitol View Corridors
* COVID-19 pandemic
* French Legation
* Greater Austin
* Stephen F. Austin
* Texas Archive War
* Timeline
* Treaty Oak
* Waterloo, Texas

Education|

| Tertiary|

* Austin Community College
* Concordia University Texas
* Huston–Tillotson University
* St. Edward's University
* University of Texas

|

School districts|

* Austin ISD
* template
* Del Valle ISD
* Eanes ISD
* Hays CISD
* Leander ISD
* Lake Travis ISD
* Manor ISD
* Pflugerville ISD

State schools|

* Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired
* Texas School for the Deaf

| Closed|

* Texas Blind, Deaf, and Orphan School

|

Libraries|

* Austin Public Library
* Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives and Library Building

Government|

* City Hall
* Camp Mabry
* City Council
* Fire
* Health
* Police

Industry|

| General|

* Amy's Ice Creams
* Golfsmith
* Keller Williams Realty
* Schlotzsky's
* Whole Foods Market

|

Creative arts|

* Alamo Drafthouse Cinema/Drafthouse Films
* Collings Guitars
* Devolver Digital
* Gunfire Games
* Inner Sanctum Records
* Powerhouse Animation Studios
* Retro Studios
* Rooster Teeth
* Troublemaker Studios
* Waterloo Records
* Western Vinyl

Technology|

* Advanced Technology Development Facility (ATDF)
* Cirrus Logic
* Dell Computer
* Freescale Semiconductor
* Luminex Corporation
* MCC
* National Instruments
* Silicon Labs
* Valence Technology

Museums|

* Arthouse at Laguna Gloria
* Arthouse at The Jones Center
* Austin History Center
* Austin Museum of Digital Art
* Blanton Museum of Art
* Bullock Texas State History Museum
* The Contemporary Austin
* Dolph Briscoe Center for American History
* Elisabet Ney Museum
* French Legation Museum
* George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center
* Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center
* Jacob Fontaine Religious Museum
* Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
* Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum
* Mexic-Arte Museum
* Neill-Cochran House Museum
* O. Henry Museum
* South Austin Museum of Popular Culture
* Texas Memorial Museum
* Texas Military Forces Museum
* Texas State Capitol Visitors Center
* Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum

Music|

* Antone's
* Armadillo World Headquarters
* Austin City Limits
* Austin Opera
* Austin Symphony Orchestra
* Cinematic Symphony
* Emo's
* Germania Insurance Amphitheater
* SXSW

Neighborhoods|

* Allandale
* Anderson Mill
* Barton Hills
* Blackland
* Bouldin Creek
* Bremond Block Historic District
* Brentwood
* Bryker Woods
* Canyon Creek
* Chinatown
* Circle C Ranch
* Clarksville
* Congress Avenue
* Copperfield
* Crestview
* Dawson
* Dove Springs
* Downtown Austin
* The Drag
* East Cesar Chavez
* East Riverside-Oltorf
* Easton Park
* French Place
* Galindo
* Granada Hills
* Hancock
* Hyde Park Historic District
* Jollyville
* Montopolis
* Moore's Crossing Historic District
* Mueller Community
* North Burnet–Gateway
* North Shoal Creek
* Northwest Hills
* Oak Hill
* Old West Austin
* Onion Creek
* Pemberton Heights
* Rainey Street
* Rosedale
* Saint John
* Scenic Brook
* Shadow Lawn Historic District
* Sixth Street
* South Congress
* South Lamar
* South River City
* Spyglass-Barton's Bluff
* Swedish Hill
* Tarrytown
* Travis Heights
* Waters Park
* West Campus
* Westgate
* West Line
* Willow-Spence Streets
* Windsor Hills
* Windsor Park
* Wooten
* Zilker

Parks and
recreation|

* Auditorium Shores
* Barton Creek
* Barton Springs
* Big Walnut Creek
* Bull Creek
* Colorado River
* Deep Eddy Pool
* Emma Long
* Hippie Hollow
* Lady Bird Lake
* Lake Austin
* Lake Travis
* Lake Walter E. Long
* McKinney Falls
* Mount Bonnell
* Pease Park
* Republic Square
* Rosewood Park
* Walnut Creek Park
* Wild Basin
* Zilker Park

Transportation|

| Public|

* Austin–Bergstrom International Airport
* Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority
* Capital MetroBus
* Capital MetroRail
* Capital MetroRapid
* Capital Area Rural Transportation System

|

Freeways|

* MoPac Expressway
* Interstate 35
* Pickle Parkway
* SH 71
* US 290
* US 183

Streets|

* Congress Avenue
* Guadalupe Street
* Sixth Street

Bridges|

* Ann W. Richards Congress Avenue Bridge
* Lamar Boulevard Bridge
* Larry Monroe Forever Bridge
* Montopolis Bridge
* Pennybacker Bridge
* Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge
* West Fifth Street Bridge
* West Sixth Street Bridge

Culture|

* Keep Austin Weird
* Leslie Cochran
* Occupy Austin
* Spamarama
* Weird City

Sports|

* Austin Aztex FC
* Austin Bold FC
* Austin FC
* Austin FC II
* Austin Gilgronis
* Austin Huns
* Austin Lightning
* Austin Lady Lone Stars
* Austin Lone Stars
* Austin Outlaws
* Austin Rise FC
* Austin Spurs
* Austin Thunder
* Austin United FC
* FC Austin Elite
* Round Rock Express
* Texas Stars

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