Updates Link to Graphic in Paragraph 19 for correcting y-axis Labeling

Tina Bellon

AUSTIN (Reuters). In 2019, Diane Guerra, her husband and their apartment in East Austin were sold to move into a new house in one the city’s booming northern neighborhoods. They are not regretting the move, which doubled their commute time – his was 40 minutes and hers 30 minutes –

Guerra, 35-years-old executive assistant, stated that they couldn’t afford larger homes in the area.

They commute alone, as do three out of four Austinites. This has led to traffic jamming in the area, which is likely to worsen with the city’s increasing population of 2.3 millions people.

Austin advocates light rail and electric bus to attract drivers away from their cars. The project was funded in part by residents last year who agreed to pay a higher property tax to generate more than 150 million dollars annually. That figure is likely to rise with rising property values.

The Biden administration, along with Democrats in Washington propose to spend billions on public transport across the country for construction jobs and global warming mitigation. Transportation is America’s largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions.

However, convincing Americans to leave their cars behind in cities far from the coast will not be an easy task, especially in Austin which is a progressive and forward-thinking city in middle Texas. According to data from the city, only 4% of people used public transit in 2019 to commute to work before the COVID-19 crises. Ridership is still 40% lower than pre-pandemic.

Austin’s ambitious plan to reduce car dependency https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-INFRASTRUCTURE/AUSTIN/lbpgnoganvq/chart.png

Transit supporters blame the skeletal system. Build it, and they will come.

Some transportation experts are however skeptical about Project Connect, an ambitious plan.

Kara Kockelman is a professor of transportation engineering at the University of Texas at Austin. She said that her research has shown the new lines can handle only 1% to 22% of the current trip demand. Ridership will be limited to those who live within quarter of mile of the stations.

Kockelman stated that Project Connect was a “drop in the bucket”.

It is not known how the epidemic may have affected Americans’ lives and work arrangements. As former strap-hangers lose their jobs and move to other places, transit ridership is declining in all major cities. Some others fled densely populated cities, refusing to accept the increased density required by planners in order to combat urban sprawl.

Austin’s rush hour traffic levels are still at 13% of pre-pandemic levels. This is partly due to the popularity of telecommuting according to Rob Spillar (director of the transportation department in the city), who oversees traffic management, roads and other issues such as parking.

Transit backers still believe Austin is in an important moment. Austin, the U.S.’s 28th largest metro, was also the 18th most congested U.S. town before the pandemic. According to INRIX transportation data provider INRIX. It is home to some of the worst bottlenecks in the country, including Interstate 35.

Given the rapid growth in Austin, telecommuting by itself won’t clear the roads, according to Randy Clarke who is the chief executive officer of Cap Metro.

He said, “We must talk about moving people rather than moving cars.”

Austin transit trips yet to recover from pandemic low https://graphics.reuters.com/USA-INFRASTRUCTURE/AUSTIN/zdpxordbwvx/chart.png

MASSIVE SPENDING

Austin serves as a model for how much spending is required to modernize the nation’s infrastructure, including its transportation systems, buildings, energy system, and communications. Officials hope to invest approximately $20 billion of federal, state, and local funds in infrastructure in the area over the next decade with the support of the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce. This includes $7.1 billion for Project Connect, and almost $5 billion to expand I-35.

The bipartisan infrastructure bill, currently in Congress but not passed by Congress, would have $39 billion to fund transit projects across the country. Democrats would like to increase the funding by another $10 billion with a budget reconciliation bill.

Austin’s fate is in jeopardy. Project Connect is required to receive half its funding from the federal government. Some critics see this as a wasteful use of taxpayer funds, despite the potential financial gain.

Gerald Daugherty was one of those most vocal. A former Republican commissioner for Travis County (the overwhelmingly Democratic county where Austin lives)

Daugherty thinks Austin is unsuited for large-scale transit programs. He particularly dislikes fixed rail lines. These are the main reasons Project Connect costs so much.

Daugherty stated, “You won’t have the same density in this area as you do in the Northeast.”

He prefers pavement solutions: clean cars, road construction, vehicle expansion and carpooling. Such a system is more likely to allow riders to access the employment centers in the area.

The challenges are being met by new area employers like Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:) Inc In a transit area east of the city, near the airport is being built the company’s vehicle and battery factory. Spillar is Austin’s transportation director. According to him, the majority of the 10,000 promised workers will be driving to work.

It’s not the best look for Austin or any electric vehicle manufacturer looking to cut carbon emissions. Local officials seem aware of this. Spillar stated that Austin could consider using transit to transport workers to the facility. Steve Adler, the Mayor of New York City, stated that Tesla CEO Elon Musk expressed his “intent” this month to support housing construction near the plant’s campus.

Tesla didn’t respond to our request for comment.

TRANSIT ATTITUDES

Clarke, Cap Metro claims that once the system improves and is reliable, drivers will be more comfortable using buses and trains. Over the next 12 years, three new lines of rail will be built connecting Austin’s north, south and west. The tunnel would allow for passengers to take all the trains through downtown. Austin also plans to increase bus service by adding new routes around the city.

Clarke was previously an executive with Boston’s transit agency. This provided approximately 1.2 million daily trips daily pre-pandemic, around 14 times what Austin saw in 2019.

Clarke stated that people in Austin do not necessarily understand the importance of transit, as there are fewer transit users. Clarke also said that attitudes have been slowly shifting with the influx of East Coasters to Texas.

He stated that residents who voted for the property tax increase had realized the inevitability of the city’s continued growth without transit.

Another challenge is convincing them.

Austin’s commuter rail link, the only one that exists, connects northern suburbs and downtown. Despite rapid growth, there hasn’t been an increase in ridership. The trip is 20-30 minutes more than that of a car, with trains running only once per 30 minutes.

Transport researchers believe Austin must address zoning issues to decrease car trips. This could be done by permitting more residential development as well as apartment buildings.

For nearly 10 years, Austin has worked to reform its land use code. The idea is that it will increase housing supply while reducing congestion. As in many other U.S. towns, Austin faced resistance from residents and property-owners, resulting in the reform being stalled in court.

Guerra is enjoying the move of her family to Cedar Park in Texas, 16 miles north of Austin. They share a yard with their husband, and they are no longer living in an apartment.

She stated, “It’s great to have our own space and be in a quiet area.”