Plans to build a $7 billion light rail system in Austin, Texas are moving forward as the Austin Transit Partnership recently selected the team led by AECOM LINC Austin to serve as the delivery partner for the first system phase.
In addition to AECOM’s technical services, LINC Austin includes Parsons, STV, Turner & Townsend, Ardmore Roderick and CAS Consulting. As a delivery partner, the firms will provide staff and various management and technical services.
Map courtesy Austin Transit Partnership“ATP will remain a tight-knit organization during the completion of Austin’s Light Rail Phase 1, working closely with the private sector to attract the best talent to successfully deliver one of the largest transit infrastructure projects of the country,” said Greg Canally, Austin Transit Partnership. (ATP), executive director, in a statement.
The agency received six responses to a request for ratings last year, records show. The ATP board authorized the $98.5 million contract with a base term of four years and options for two additional four-year terms during a Dec. 18 meeting. Officials pointed to AECOM’s past experience with projects such as the London Crossrail, Ontario Line South and San Francisco Downtown Rail Extension in making their selection.
Phase 1 is expected to include 9.8 miles of rail and 15 stations, with on-street lines between 38th Street to the north, Oltorf Street to the south and Yellow Jacket Lane to the east. Austin Transit Partnership also has plans to potentially extend the lines further north and further east, to the airport, at this stage if funding becomes available, and additional plans for further expansion north and south in future phases of work. Several stations will offer connections to other rail and bus services.
“This critical project will transform the way Austinites navigate their city, with the promise of stimulating economic growth, protecting the existing environment and promoting a sustainable future for generations to come,” said Lara Poloni, president of AECOM, in a statement.
ATP is beginning procurement this month for design-build contracts expected to total more than $4 billion. Officials expect to award contracts next year for construction to begin in 2027.
While voters approved a tax to fund the project in 2020, the project faced legal challenges brought by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. A ruling last fall allowed the project to continue moving forward.
