Leander City Council Regular Meeting 6/15/17 - Update from Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority (CAP Metro) on Project Connect.

1. Leander City Council
Project Briefing
June 15, 2017

2. PROJECT CONNECT
OVERVIEW

3. • Central TX regionally adopted
High-Capacity Transit Plan
(2012)
What is Project Connect?
–Transit Working Group
• City of Austin
• City of Round Rock
• Bastrop County
• Travis County
• Hays County
• Texas Facility Commission
• Real Estate Council of Austin
• SETON Family of Hospitals
• Chamber of Commerce
• University of Texas
• Downtown Austin Alliance
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4. What are we doing?
• Refine Project Connect Plan
• Select high-capacity transit
solutions for travel into, out of,
& within central Austin from
surrounding metro region
Why?
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5. Phased Approach to Project Development
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IDENTIFY Top Performing Projects & Corridors
• Mode neutral
• Narrow Project & Corridor lists
• Set the stage for detailed analysis
PublicInvolvement
DETAILED ANALYSIS of Projects & Corridors
• Options for the mode, alignment, termini and
potential station locations.
Phase 3
PATH TO
IMPLEMENTATION
(May ’18 – Oct ’18)
SELECT Locally Preferred Alternatives (LPAs)
• Advanced planning / NEPA (if necessary)
• FTA Project Development Application -- local
funding and policy adoption
Phase 2
REAL SOLUTIONS
FOR REAL
PROBLEMS
(May ’17 – Apr ’18)
Phase 1
BIG IDEAS, BOLD
STARTS
(Mar ’16 – April ’17)

6. PHASE 1 PROCESS

7. Review of Regional & Local Planning Efforts
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Project Connect
Previous
Transportation
Studies
High-Capacity Transit
Recommendations
Draft Investment
Corridors
Draft
Enhancement
Projects

8. Investment Corridors
What is an Investment Corridor?
• Roadway or railroad corridor that can
support high-capacity transit
• Higher cost and longer to implement
(5-10 years)
Purpose:
Identify corridors studied for high-capacity
transit under previous local planning efforts.
–Commuter Corridors
–Connecter Corridors
–Circulator Corridors
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9. Potential Enhancements
• MetroRail Red Line
– station upgrades
– grade crossing and signal improvements
– park-n-ride expansion
• MetroRapid 801/803
– station upgrades
– transit priority lanes
– intersection improvements
• MetroExpress
– operating in North MoPac express lanes
– park-n-ride expansion
– transit priority access
• Mobility Hubs
– transit centers and drop-off collection points
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10. Investment Corridors
Potential routes for new high-capacity
transit services
• Commuters
• Connectors
• Circulators
Enhancement Projects
Improve existing services
• MetroRail
• MetroRapid
• MetroExpress
• Mobility Hubs
MetroExpress
MetroRail
MetroRapid
Mobility Hub
What will be the outcome of Project Connect?
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11. PRELIMINARY PHASE 1 RESULTS
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13. Phase 1:
Preliminary Results
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Investment Corridors
• Commuters
• Connectors
• Circulators
Enhancement Projects
• MetroExpress
• MetroRapid
• MetroRail
• Mobility Hubs

14. Preliminary draft Phase 1 Recommendations
Investment Corridors
• IH 35
• Red Line (double track)
• Green Line
• N Lamar/Guadalupe
• Highland/Red River/Trinity
• Congress
• Riverside
• 7th/Lake Austin
• Manor/Dean Keeton
• 45th/Burnet
• S Lamar
• Airport Blvd
• MLK Jr. Blvd
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• Downtown Circulator
• Red River Circulator
• S Congress Circulator

15. Preliminary draft Phase 1 Recommendations
Enhancement Projects
• Guadalupe/Lavaca - transit
signal priority
• Guadalupe/Lavaca - extend
existing transit priority lanes
• S 1st St - priority treatments
• W MLK Jr Blvd (Guadalupe/
Lavaca) - intersection upgrades
• Rail station capacity projects
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• W 5th St & W Cesar Chavez,
Mopac to Guadalupe
• 183 N
• W 4th St (Republic Square)
• W 4th Street
• North Lamar Transit Center
• W 4th St (DT MR Station)
• Leander Station
• Crestview
• Westgate
MetroExpressMetroRapid
MetroRail Mobility Hub

16. Approval of Phase 1 Results & Recommendations
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17. POTENTIAL LEANDER SERVICES
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18. Potential Improved
Transit Options
 More frequent
MetroRail Red Line
service
 MetroExpress
service in express
lanes
 Mobility Hub at
Leander Station

19. MetroRideShare
 Group of 5-12 commuters who share
the ride to and from work.
 Month-to-month vanpool lease
that includes vehicle, insurance and
maintenance.
 Vanpool costs vary & are based on
vehicle type, commute distance,
group size, fuel prices & tolls.
 Out-of-service area groups receive a
$450 monthly subsidy for commutes
beginning or ending inside Capital
Metro service area.

20. 6/16/2017