PROJECTSOriginal Orange Line – 2020
The proposed Orange Line project is a 20-mile light rail transit (LRT) corridor that would travel along Lamar Boulevard and Congress Avenue from the Tech Ridge Park & Ride at Howard Lane south to Slaughter Lane.
This route is currently served by CapMetro’s MetroRapid 801. The Orange Line was identified as one of the dedicated-pathway high-capacity transit (HCT) corridors in the Project Connect System Plan and would serve as the spine of the regional HCT network- providing faster, more reliable transit connections.
Purpose and Need
The need for the Orange Line Project is demonstrated by increasing congestion within the project corridor and parallel roadways, which is worsened by the inability to expand roadway capacity enough to meet demand. Failure to accommodate this increasing demand for efficient mobility is a threat to continued community and economic growth.
The purpose of the Orange Line Project is to offer a reliable, safe, cost effective, time competitive, state-of-the-art HCT option that is congestion-proof.
The Orange Line Project would address the following needs:
- Sustainably support Austin’s population and economic growth
- Support growth of and connectivity to activity centers
- Provide better transit options linking affordable housing and jobs
- Increase transportation network capacity to meet increasing travel demand
Resources