“Transportation is a bridge to opportunity,” said Jeffrey Travillion, Travis County commissioner and Austin Transit Partnership board member. “Project Connect is ensuring that all Austinites—regardless of income or background—have access to jobs, health care and essential services.”
A closer look
As the multibillion dollar, 15-stop light rail inches closer to reality, the Austin Transit Partnership—the agency created to oversee the transit project—has remained committed to community engagement, while also fostering local job creation and economic benefits, Executive Director Greg Canally said in an interview with Community Impact.
Just a month prior to receiving the CAN award, the agency held its “Connect & Build” event aimed at connecting small and local businesses to large contractors poised to bid on the project.
He emphasized the importance of collaboration throughout the entire process of light rail, from planning to solicitation.
“We have this constant engagement with industry so that we can learn, as opposed to impose. I think that's kind of our DNA at the [Austin Transit Partnership],” Canally said.
Hundreds of local businesses and over 2,000 in the state of Texas are anticipated to help build Austin light rail, said Brad Cummings, ATP’s senior vice president of procurement and contract management.
“Because this is such a large project, we are trying to be as collaborative with the industry as possible. We want to foster as much competition as we can, and the only way to really do that is by engaging the industry as early as you can in the process,” Cummings told Community Impact previously. “This is something that's really unique to what ATP is doing and how we procure our goods and services—involving the industry as early as possible.”
Quote of note
"We're looking for new opportunities. ... You really get the feeling of community and that [Project Connect's] not just one entity. It's all of us as a whole working together that's going to make this project successful," said Ayanna Harris, the founder of an Austin-based civil engineering and land development firm.
Looking ahead
“I think we're like the infrastructure capital of the country right now. So it's drawing a lot of attention, and we love that,” Canally said.
He highlighted the need to build a strong workforce in order to advance the light rail project as well as the other $10 billion in developments underway in the capital area.
Last month, Workforce Solutions Capital Area launched the Austin Infrastructure Academy, a move to scale up career development programs in the area.
Industry projections indicate a more than 80% increase in demand for skilled trade and construction workers by 2040.
