AUSTIN, Texas - CapMetro was awarded $65 million in grants from the Federal Transit Administration for the Pleasant Valley and Expo Center Rapid lines.
The funding was announced at an event in Austin; speakers in attendance included Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-TX 35), FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez, CapMetro Board Chair and Travis County Commissioner Jeff Travillion, Austin Mayor Pro Tempore and CapMetro Board Member Paige Ellis, Austin Transit Partnership Board Chair Veronica Castro de Barrera, and CapMetro President and CEO Dottie Watkins.
The Pleasant Valley and Expo Center CapMetro Rapid lines are part of Project Connect and will have a fully zero-emissions fleet.
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CapMetro apologizes for delays during Austin FC game after Leader train crash
CapMetro called their service on Saturday, Feb. 25 "not up to the standards," and said plans were not executed to the quality they should have been.
"A start to a very optimistic future, a future that is getting brighter each day," Fernandez said.
"These funds are really game changers," Barrera said. "They're crucial and fulfilling our commitment to provide frequent service to move Austinites efficiently through the heartbeat of our city."
The Pleasant Valley line will go from the Mueller neighborhood to Goodnight Ranch, while the Expo Center line will go from East Austin to downtown.
"We know that long here in Texas and continuing there's been a strong bias in favor of putting all of our transportation system into cars going down wider and wider highways," Rep. Doggett said. "While we need good highway infrastructure, it's essential that we get better public transportation infrastructure."
"This brings communities together, and importantly, communities that have often been disconnected," Travillion said.
The two new Rapid lines will be operational in 2025.