Project Connect study indicates strides toward transparency from Austin Transit Partnership

A recent study conducted by Accelerator for America—a national nonprofit focused on economic development and transportation—gave a favorable account of Austin Transit Partnership’s work on the Project Connect light rail project, citing community engagement, permitting and other specific key components as standout aspects of the initiative.

What happened?

Initial findings dubbed the Austin light rail project “unique,” adding that the city’s holistic approach is something other local leaders across the nation could follow for similar, large-scale projects.

A nod toward ATP’s desire for transparency, the Project Connect living case study will continue to monitor the agency’s progress throughout the life of the light rail project in an effort to build the project “on time and on budget,” the report states.

Transit Forward Executive Director Bill McCamley commended the transit agency for “pulling the curtain aside,” and allowing Accelerator for America to complete a deep dive on the organization.

The study compared progress on Project Connect to global best practices in light rail implementation.

“Research reports of this type are usually done at the end of a project, so to see area agencies and Accelerator engage in a good faith effort to measure progress during development gives Austinites a clear view into how their tax dollars are used,” McCamley said in a statement. “Thankfully, ATP, city and CapMetro staff have taken best practices research to heart and are using them intentionally to set up their organization, engage the community and procure services.”

The study details six specific areas of best practice:

• Creation of ATP, a special delivery agency

• Community engagement

• Project delivery

• Procurement

• Permitting

• Land use

What’s unique?

The creation of ATP was noted as a crucial step toward the success of such a large-scale project. Local transit agencies, though very involved in the process, may become overburdened should they have led the initiative, according to the report.

ATP is a special delivery vehicle, created under Texas state code, to focus exclusively on the planning and construction of the Project Connect light rail.

The agency’s staff and board includes transportation experts solely dedicated to the Austin rail system, ATP Executive Director Greg Canally told Community Impact.

“I think we are another element of how Austin is showing the country that we can get big things done in a unique way, and are very focused on that," Canally said. "That's really when we get to be, as a special corporation, highly focused on delivering [the project] but also highly focused on engagement with our community."

Read the full article on Community Impact here.