Item 2.A Lady Bird Bridge Lake Presentation(final) — original pdf

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Project Connect Update Blue Line Bridge December 2021 Project Components 2 INTEGRATED PROGRAM DELIVERY PARTNERSHIP Orange Line Blue Line Tunnel Green Line – Phase 1 Facilities MetroRapid MetroExpress Neighborhood Circulators Customer Tech Red Line – Phase 1 Permitting Right of Way Coordination Utility Design and Coordination Active Transportation and Traffic Coordination Anti-Displacement Investments 3 3 Blue Line – Corridor Overview Note: Station locations and names subject to change Blue Line Project – Corridor Overview 4 ORANGE & BLUE LINE – KEY MILESTONES (2021 – 2022) April 2021 Summer 2021 Spring 2022 Spring – Summer 2022 National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Notice of Intent Complete 15% Design Enter FTA Project Development Summer 2022 Winter 2022 Initial FTA Rating Complete 30% Design and Cost Estimate Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), Draft 30% Design and Cost Estimates 2023 - Beyond End of EIS and 30% Design Comment Phase Final EIS (FEIS) Complete FTA NEPA Record of Decision (ROD) 5 Blue Line Bridge Rail (underground) Rainey/MACC Station platform (underground) Rail Portal Rainey/MACC Station Entrances Lady Bird Lake Bridge Rail / Ped / Bike Waterfront Station Rail (at-grade) 6 Key Rail Connections: • South Shore: Above-ground station (“Waterfront”) • North Shore: underground station (“Rainey/MACC””) Bridge modes: 1. Light rail (Blue Line) – electric vehicles 2. Cyclists 3. Pedestrians Other considerations: • Connections to Butler Hike and Bike Trail and Waterloo Greenway • Waller Creek Tunnel outfall structure • Waller Creek Boathouse impacts Blue Line Bridge: Connections 10 minutes 5 minutes 2 minutes Pedestrian Connections Walking time across the bridge: <5 minutes • Within 2 minutes walking distance from bridge: Rainey/MACC & Waterfront Station Entrances South Central Waterfront • Waterloo Greenway Trails Butler Hike/Bike Trail • Within 5 minutes walking distance from bridge: • • • • • • • • • • • • • ESB-MACC Rainey Street District Convention Center Palm School Long Center Auditorium Shores Sanchez Elementary School City Hall Downtown Jobs and Retail 6th Street & Congress Avenue • Within 10 minutes walking distance from bridge: 10 minutes 5 minutes 2 minutes 7 Blue Line Bridge: Landscape Waterfront Station Waterloo Greenway 8 Context: Waterloo Greenway and Pontoon Bridge* *included in Council Approved Waller Creek Design Plan 9 Opportunity • In addition to being an important mobility corridor connecting north and south Austin, this new bridge can be a community connector - an inclusive PLACE serving the community broadly. • A rare chance to create a new symbol for our community and our community’s values. 10 History: Lady Bird Lake Downtown Austin Flood (1935) Congress & Drake Bridges (1981) Town Lake Hike & Bike Trail (1972) 11 Context: Natural Elements 12 Context: Human Use 13 Context: Bats! 14 Context: Austin's Pedestrian Bridges New Longhorn Dam Pedestrian Bridge Pfluger Pedestrian Bridge 15 The Bridge: North Lake Shore Portal Rail Circulation (underground) Rainey/MACC Station (underground) Station Entrance North Lake Shore Waterfront Station 16 The Bridge: North Shore Connections Butler Hike and Bike Trail (direct access) Rainey/MACC Station Entrance Waterloo Greenway 2 minutes Rail Portal Rainey Street District 5 minutes Butler Hike/Bike Trail Bridge New Waterloo Greenway Bridge 2 minutes ESB-MACC 6 minutes 17 The Bridge: North Portal Rainey / MACC Station Entrance Pedestrian access to underground station Pedestrian / Bike connection to South Shore L A D Y B I R D L A K E Overlook 18 Landscape Opportunities: Overview Precedents Enhanced Pedestrian & Bike Path Enhanced Waterfront Landscape Rainey / MACC Station Entrance Green Roofed Portal & Landscape Waterloo Landing Portal Overlook 19 Blue & Orange Line Working Groups North: Orange Line •North Line •North Lamar East: Blue Line •South Shore •East Riverside •North Guadalupe •Metro Center/Airport •Drag South: Orange Line Central Alignment: •St. Edward's to Stassney •Downtown (BL/OL) •South Line •SoCo (OL) 20 Lady Bird Lake Bridge Workshop – High-level recap • 10/12/21 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m. • Approximately 135 participants • Many participants, including Austin Rowing Club members, expressed concerns about the Blue Line Project impact to the Waller Creek Boathouse and want more information about its potential relocation • Other questions related to: • Use of buses on bridge • Congress Avenue Bridge bats • Noise level • Consideration of tunnel under Lady Bird Lake • Tunnel construction method and impacts • Parking availability 21 • Mapping exercise indicated that people would access the bridge using a variety of means, including by bicycle, on foot and by boat Thank you! 22