Capital Metro signed its interlocal agreement April 22 that formalizes its partnership with the City of Austin and Lone Star Rail District for the Project Connect regional transit plan.
"This agreement, I think, sets good precedent for us going forward," said Todd Hemingson, Capital Metro's vice president of planning and development and represents Capital Metro on the Project Connect technical team. "It does help crystalize some of the work we've been doing and formalizes it in defining roles and responsibilities. It will give us a good basis for moving forward with the project."
Austin City Council discussed the ILA during its April 23 work session, with council members adding its does not lock them into the alignment outlined on the vision map that was revealed in February. The council is slated to approved the ILA on April 25. Lone Star Rail District's executive board is scheduled to vote on the agreement at its June 7 meeting.
Austin resident Susan Pantell, who is also associated with the nonprofit Texas Association for Public Transportation, said many transit advocates are concerned about the lack of public involvement and input in the Project Connect process so far.
"We strongly feel that we need to have meaningful public input as we're moving forward," she said. "We're hearing words to that effect but the [ILA] doesn't include specifics about that. I recommend there be a citizens advisory committee added to the ILA in the organizational chart."
Also included in the ILA is a description of the joint executive team that will consist of Assistant City Manager Robert Goode and Joe Black, rail manager for Lone Star Rail District, as well as Capital Metro President/CEO Linda Watson, who will chair the board.
"Generally speaking, I think this partnership is very committed to meaningful public involvement throughout expected urban rail process.," said.
Jeb Boyt, president of nonprofit Alliance for Public Transportation, said he supports the ILA but that lately there has been an absence of information from the agencies on public involvement.
"Certainly we've also seen there is a need for a clear message on Project Connect, one that goes forth and explains the public process and how that process is going to lead to a decision on urban rail," he said.
CAMPO representation
The Capital Metro board of directors also approved the addition of Burnet County to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization's transportation policy board, despite some concerns from the City of Austin. Board member Chris Riley, who also sits on the Austin City Council, said the city is already underrepresented on CAMPO's transportation policy board.
"The addition of Burnet will result in a slight exacerbation of that problem," he said. "We'll have slightly less influence. We absolutely need to bring Burnet County in, there's no question about that. The question is how to have fair representation on the board for the area."
Mayor Lee Leffingwell and council members Riley, Bill Spelman and Sheryl Cole also sit on the 19-member board along with representatives from Bastrop, Caldwell, Hays, Travis and Williamson counties and the cities of Cedar Park, Georgetown, Pflugerville, Round Rock and San Marcos.
CAMPO, which coordinates regional transportation planning efforts, has also been involved with Project Connect. It set up the Transit Working Group to vet and provide input on regional plans. The TWG next meets April 26 from 1:30–3:30 p.m. at Austin City Hall to further discuss financing and the how Project Connect will be governed as well as to go over the peer review findings.
