South Congress isn’t just another stretch of road in Austin. Sure, it may have recently undergone a bit of a makeover with an Hermès here and a Reformation there, but this street south of the river is still home to some of the city’s most beloved institutions: Big Top Candy, Allen’s Boots, The Continental Club, Güero’s, Jo’s Coffee and the last remaining Magnolia Cafe.
But change is coming yet again. This pedestrian-friendly strip and major artery is set to undergo another major transformation as Austin prepares for its newest attempt at moving people more efficiently: light rail. Construction is expected to take years, and while some welcome the promise of better transit, others — particularly business owners along South Congress — are bracing for disruption.
What Austin voted for on South Congress
It seems almost unfair to ask residents to remember something so specific as a vote in that strange hazy fugue state that was the year 2020, but that’s where this all began. In November of that year, nearly 60% of Austin voters approved a sweeping transit plan known as Project Connect, a bold vision to build a light rail that would help Austinites move about the city with less traffic on the road. At the time, residents said “yes” to a proposition that, according to the City of Austin website, included:
Twenty-seven miles of service and 31 stations, along with the following lines:
- Orange Line (initial investment: from North Lamar and U.S. 183 to Stassney Lane): To connect North and South Austin
- Blue Line (from North Lamar and U.S. 183 to downtown and the Austin Bergstrom International Airport): To offer service to the airport
- Green Line (from downtown to East Austin’s Colony Park): New commuter rail service
The initially proposed version of the light rail was to travel underground, “to increase the system’s travel time reliability and be safer than operating at street level.”…