Capital Metro (CapMetro) celebrated the grand opening of the new MetroRail Downtown Station.
Together with Austin Mayor Steve Adler, and other city officials, CapMetro President/CEO Randy Clarke and his team conducted a countdown as CapMetro Board Chair Wade Cooper rode the first train to the station, breaking the banner for its inaugural ride. The event was streamed live on the agency’s Facebook page.
Opening ahead of schedule and under the expected budget, the new Downtown Station includes three tracks and accommodates up to four trains at a time, increasing service capacity. The opening of the new Downtown Station also marks the beginning of the next chapter for Austin’s downtown corridor, connecting surrounding businesses and Austin’s growing workforce with expanded capacity to move more people with faster and more reliable transit options.
“I look at this incredible milestone for downtown Austin and see so many new opportunities – ones that now exist because of public transit,” said CapMetro Board Chair Wade Cooper. “Capital Metro promised the community they’d deliver a new station in less than two years – and they came through on the promise and did it under budget.”
The station includes a new public plaza for those commuting in and out of downtown for work, heading to school or exploring some of Austin’s popular attractions. The station also features parasol structures mounted on columns, offering a striking visual welcome to downtown and overhead protection for customers as they wait for, enter or exit the train cars. Additional updates include aesthetic and safety enhancements, utility upgrades, new streetscape, a new bridge and bikeway and sidewalk improvements.
The Downtown Station was also designed with the environment and economy in mind. The project is registered under Austin Energy’s Green Building Program and includes materials with highly recycled content. Based on industry standards, the economic impact may be approximately $134M over the next several decades. During construction of the project, nearly 100 people per week were employed.
As Austin continues to experience a population boom, more public transit options are needed for those who depend on it. Smart transit solutions will play a major role in the evolution of transportation infrastructure to better serve Austin for generations to come.
“Congratulations CapMetro for delivering another wonderful project under budget and ahead of time,” said Mayor Adler. “This new Downtown Station moves Austin and its environment forward, and by taking advantage of available state funding. This project will help take some cars off the road by helping to give more people greater, faster and better transit options.”
