The Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded Austin, Texas, a $47.9 million Climate Pollution Reduction grant.
Funding will be distributed to a coalition of Austin-area transportation organizations for construction projects that will offer commute options.
The city of Austin, the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), Travis County, the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, and CapMetro will lead the projects.
TxDOT, Capital Area Rural Transportation Service (CARTS), CapMetro, Capital Area Council of Governments, and Movability will help manage how the community navigates those projects.
“The Austin region is on the brink of an exciting and positive new era of mobility with the infusion of billions of dollars into transportation projects,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said.
Funding will be used to:
Expand CARTS to offer more frequent service on its interurban coach and additional vanpool services to suburban communities.
Create a large-scale program of incentives and engagement to encourage people to stop driving alone and to provide financial incentives to low-income transit users and limited payments encouraging new users.
Increase CapMetro frequency in north/south routes adjacent to construction as well as small-scale shuttles/circulators.
Create mobility hubs to make biking, carpooling, transit and other non-single-occupancy vehicle transportation choices more viable.
Expand station access to CapMetro Bikeshare and other micromobility options.
Launch a coordinated regional mobility website.