The city of Austin will receive $65.6 million in funding from the Biden administration’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to develop rapid bus service.
According to a March 11 news release from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Transit Administration, the funding will help the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority speed up work on the new expo center and Pleasant Valley bus lines connecting residents to myriad opportunities, including job centers, with reliable service to downtown, the University of Texas at Austin and the Travis County Expo Center.
“A fast-growing metro area like Austin needs fast, frequent public transportation," U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg said in the news release. “The Biden-Harris administration is proud to help deliver the new expo center and Pleasant Valley bus rapid transit lines, which will give more Austin residents an affordable, sustainable and convenient way to get to jobs, schools and downtown destinations.”
The project will be a transportation lifeline for communities throughout east Austin, according to the news release.
According to Project Connect, the Pleasant Valley line will operate between Goodnight Ranch in Southeast Austin to the Mueller neighborhood in the city’s northeast section, and the expo center line will wind from the Travis County Expo Center into the city’s northeast side, connecting with the downtown area.
The funding is provided by the FTA’s Capital Investment Grants program that helps communities develop transportation projects and recently received an infusion of cash from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the release reported.
The news release noted the program’s funding has reached $23 billion, with $8 billion earmarked for investments in high-capacity transportation projects to meet the needs for federal aid for transit nationwide.
FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez said these projects will help improve travel times for city residents, according to the release.
“Investing in more transit in Austin will help the city offer a diverse network of travel options that provides people with access to opportunities and transforms lives,” Fernandez said in the release.
