Our MetroRail system may be limited, to say the least, but CapMetro's new plan for a downtown rail just might kick our public transit system up a notch.
The downtown station will replace the temporary station on 4th street that was installed in 2010, beefing it up with a canopy-covered platform (a much-needed benefit in the summer months), an information booth and a skybridge, which is already under construction. (The skybridge will link the Hilton hotel with the Convention Center.)
Don't expect the new station to pop up overnight, though. According to Community Impact, building it will take about 34 months—and that's after CapMetro starts the permitting process, scheduled to take place in early summer once the design is officially complete.
Want to learn more about the impending changes? An information session is scheduled for tomorrow, February 21, at the Austin Convention Center, Ballroom B, from 11am to 1pm. You'll be able to see additional renderings of the station, and learn more about the construction on 4th Street, the downtown station and the Lance Armstrong Bikeway.