AR 15 - In Support of The Guadalupe-Lamar Sub-Corridor as Phase I of Austin Urban Rail
Authors: Andrew Grant Houston, Carson Jones
Sponsors: Melysa Barth, Caroline Carter, Andrew Grant Houston, John David Roberts
WHEREAS, Project Connect is “a partnership between Central Texas transportation agencies
aimed at implementing the high capacity transit component of the CAMPO2035 Plan”1; and,
WHEREAS, Project Connect involves many policymakers and community stakeholders; which
initially included the City of Austin, Capital Metro, the Lone Star Rail District and the Central
Austin Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)2, but has grown to include other
stakeholder groups such as Austinites for Urban Rail Action (AURA)3 and the Central Austin
Community Development Corporation4(CACDC); and,
WHEREAS, The University of Texas at Austin is located within Central Austin and directly
north of the downtown Austin area5; and,
WHEREAS, the initial plan that was brought forward as the first phase of urban rail by Project
Connect promoted a line that would go through the University campus along San Jacinto
Boulevard, with intent to stop at the Mueller development6; and,
WHEREAS, there was significant backlash from groups such as AURA and CACDC that felt the
decision process in deciding on Mueller was not an open and transparent process7, inspiring AR
5 of the Villareal/Williams administration of Student Government8 which sought for students to
be involved as a stakeholder group in the process along with prompting the creation of the
Central Corridor Advisory Group by the city of Austin9; and,
WHEREAS, a new study by Project Connect is looking at five sub-corridors that include two
different options in regards to urban rail alignment in relationship to the University, one being
the Mueller alignment and the other being the Guadalupe-Lamar alignment10, with a goal to
1
Project Connect <http://txprojectconnect.wordpress.com/about/>
Capital Metro - Project Connect <http://www.capmetro.org/projectconnect/>
3
Austinites for Urban Rail Action <https://www.facebook.com/AURAatx/info>
4
Central Austin Community Development Corporation <http://centralaustincdc.org/>
5
Google Maps - University of Texas-Austin
<https://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=106498986144310472995.00044b58f66ca
01291d09>
6
see: Project Connect North Corridor Alternative 1, 2 and 3 <Project Connect North Corridor Alternative-1>
7
Austinites for Urban Rail Action <https://www.facebook.com/AURAatx/info>
8
see: AR 5 In Support of Urban Rail for the City of Austin and Student Neighborhoods, passed 4/23/2013
9
Project Connect:Central Corrdor Advisory Group <http://austintexas.gov/department/project-connect-centralcorridor-advisory-group>
10
Project Connect Central Texas Vision <http://www.connectcentraltexas.com/docs/ProjectConnectMap.pdf>
2
decide on an initial phase of urban rail through support of Austin community stakeholders and
through a much more transparent and open process; and,
WHEREAS, Future-use plans for neighborhoods that include significant student populations,
including the Brentwood/Highland Combined Neighborhood Plan11, the North Loop12
Neighborhood Plan, Central Austin Combined Neighborhood Plan,13 and Hyde Park
Neighborhood Plan14 support urban rail and stations along the proposed Guadalupe-Lamar
alignment; and,
WHEREAS, there has been over $30 million worth of studies that have looked at the feasibility
of light rail transit along the Guadalupe-Lamar Corridor since the 1970s15; and,
WHEREAS, A 2011 study at the University of California-Berkeley found that “light-rail systems
need around 30 people per gross acre around stations and heavy rail systems need 50 percent
higher densities than this to place them in the top one-quarter of cost-effective rail investments in
the U.S.” and “the ridership gains from such increases...showed, would be substantial, especially
when jobs are concentrated within ¼ mile of a station and housing within a half mile”16; and,
WHEREAS, the largest concentration of students living off campus, West Campus, is the thirddensest population district in the state of Texas with a density of over 25,000 people per square
mile17; and,
WHEREAS, a large majority of the student population along with a vast majority the Central
Austin population lives along the proposed Guadalupe-Lamar alignment, totaling over 54,000
people within a quarter-mile to proposed stations18; and,
WHEREAS, Whereas the Student Government of the University of Texas at Austin serves as the
official voice of students and works in the best interest of these students; and,
WHEREAS, The City Relations Task Force (CRTF) primary mission is to advocate for students
on the city level; therefore,
11
City of Austin Ordinance 040513-30 <http://www.cityofaustin.org/edims/document.cfm?id=82611>
City of Austin Ordinance 020523-30 <http://www.cityofaustin.org/edims/document.cfm?id=79940>
13
City of Austin Ordinance 040826-56 <http://centralaustincdc.org/land_use/Ord.04082656_Central_Austin_Neighborhood_Plan_CACNP.pdf?id=82913>
14
City of Austin Ordinance 000413-63 <http://www.cityofaustin.org/edims/document.cfm?id=59024>
15
<http://bit.ly/14QDOf9>
16
Urban Densities and Transit: A Multi-Modal Perspective
<http://www.its.berkeley.edu/publications/UCB/2011/VWP/UCB-ITS-VWP-2011-6.pdf>
17
<http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=5225755>
18
14 Station Central Corridor Plan
<http://www.centralaustincdc.org/images/Austin_Urban_Rail_Population_Centers.jpg>
12
BE IT RESOLVED, That the Student Government of the University of Texas at Austin is in full
support of the first phase of light rail running through the Guadalupe-Lamar Sub-Corridor; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Student Government will support any proposed urban rail
line that prioritizes transportation access to where students are currently living; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That a copy of this legislation be sent to the President of the
University, the Vice President for Student Affairs, the Dean of Students, the Project Connect
Central Corridor Advisory Group, Austinites for Urban Rail Action, the Central Austin
Community Development Corporation, the Central Austin Neighborhood Planning Advisory
Committee, University Area Partners, the Daily Texan and other media outlets deemed
satisfactory, and the Office of the
Mayor.
Fast-Track Justification for AR - In Support of The Guadalupe-Lamar Sub Corridor as Phase I of
Austin Urban Rail
The last open house in the first round of meetings by the Central Corridor Advisory group is
October 2nd, the day after the October 1st meeting. Therefore it is imperative to express our
opinion in respect to this issue so that our voice can be properly expressed to those in charge of
this initiative.