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 CapMetro's Project Connect. It is estimated to begin revenue service as early as 2029.
History
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.
In 2018, CapMetro 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. 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. The line was included as part of the Project Connect referendum during the 2020 election.
Proposed route
A new bridge over Lady Bird Lake is planned to carry the line into the Downtown Transit Tunnel.
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 Airport Yes CapMetro Bus 20 Austin–Bergstrom International Airport Metrocenter No CapMetro Bus 271 Austin Airport Hotels Montopolis No CapMetro Bus 20 Montopolis Park, Tokyo Electron Faro No CapMetro Bus 20, 310 Austin Public Library, Riverside Golf Course Riverside Yes CapMetro Bus 20, 300, 483 Park Greene Shopping Center Lakeshore Yes CapMetro Bus 7, 20, 483 Oracle Corporation Travis Heights No CapMetro Bus 7, 20, 483, 935, 987 Austin Housing Authority, Norwood Park Waterfront No CapMetro Bus 7, 20, 483 South Congress, Texas Department of Transportation, Austin American-Statesman, Lady Bird LakeRainey/MACCNoCapMetro Bus 17Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center Convention Center/Brush Square No CapMetro Bus 451CapMetro Rapid Gold Line Austin Convention Center, Downtown Austin, Rainey Street Congress Avenue No Republic Square No CapMetro Rapid 801, 803, Gold LineCapMetro Bus 105, 111, 171, 980, 981, 985 Republic Square, Sixth Street, Texas State Board of Nursing, United States Federal CourtGovernment Center / Capitol WestNoCapMetro Rapid 801, 803CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 985Wooldridge Square Park, Austin Public Library, Travis County Civil Courthouse. Texas State Capitol, Travis County Adult Probation, Texas Alliance of Child and Family ServicesUT/West Mall No CapMetro Rapid 801, 803CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 20, 105, 640, 982, 990University of Texas at Austin, Peter T. Flawn Academic Center, Goldsmith Hall, Sutton Hall, Battle Hall, Parlin Hall, Rainey Hall, Harry Ransom Center, West Campus Hemphill Park No CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 642University of Texas at Austin, Phi Gamma Delta, Scottish Rite Dormitory Hyde Park No CapMetro Rapid 801, 803CapMetro Bus 1, 3, 19, 335Hyde Park, Austin State Hospital, Central Market, Heart Hospital of Austin TriangleYes CapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 345, 656, 990Hyde Park, The Triangle, Texas Facilities Commission, UT Intramural Fields, UT Microfarm, The Triangle Park Koenig No CapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 337 Texas Department of Public Safety, Texas Highway Patrol, McCallum High SchoolCrestviewNoCapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 7, 300, 324, 350Crestview station, Midtown Commons, Texas DPS Credit Union, Black Star Co-opNorth Lamar Transit CenterYesCapMetro Rapid 801CapMetro Bus 1, 323, 350, 383Anderson Square Shopping Center
References
External links Map and fact sheet A Fact sheet B