Proposed Austin Bergstrom Light Rail plan resurrected

Wynn to resurrect light rail
AUSTIN News 8 Austin Staff - 10/25/2007
Austin Mayor Will Wynn is calling for a November 2008 election to build a Central Austin passenger rail system.

The announcement happened at the Mayor's annual State of Downtown luncheon on Thursday.

"Every peer city that's worth their salt has passenger rail service," he said.

The proposed rail line would connect Austin Bergstrom International Airport, downtown and the University of Texas, along with the Triangle and Mueller developments.

Back in 2000, voters shot down a plan for 52 miles of light rail.

"It took a lot of political courage for him to stick his neck out and make this proposal," Nancy Burns of the Downtown Austin Alliance said.

Under his plan, Wynn said there would not be a need for a new tax to pay for the trains. Instead the system would be paid for and run by a committee of city agencies, developers and private entities. Wynn also hopes the airport, which is doing well financially, can help with the burden.

"It benefits passengers, it benefits employees and I think the airlines and the airport operation will recognize the value," he said.

Wynn wants to assign a task force to come up with the cost, technology and logistics.

Creative financing between public and private entities would avoid a property tax increase.

Wynn hopes the task force can complete its projection in six months so an election can be held in 2008.

This light rail proposal through Central Austin is completely separate from Capital Metro's commuter rail line through Williamson County down to Austin.

Voters approved a commuter rail in 2004 and the trains are set to launch in Fall 2008.

For more information: Light Rail Now is an Austin-based nonprofit that promotes mass transit systems in cities across the globe.

Read more and watch video on News8 Austin

N. Texas cities can't hop on light-rail bill

Legislature: Bid to let voters decide sales tax to join transit systems fails
By JAKE BATSELL - The Dallas Morning News - Thursday, May 24, 2007

AUSTIN – A last-ditch attempt to add more cities to North Texas' commuter rail network failed to make it through the House on Wednesday.

An amendment authored by Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, would have allowed cities to seek voter permission to raise the local sales tax by a penny to join transit systems. But after an objection Wednesday by Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, the amendment was struck down on a technicality.

House leaders ruled that Mr. Carona's amendment was not germane to the original bill, which would create a light-rail district in South Texas. Mr. Carona argued that both involved transit taxes.

Read more