TribCast: Can Austin’s Project Connect get back on track?

By Eleanor Klibanoff, The Texas Tribune
June 2, 2026

 

When Project Connect was approved by Austin voters in 2020, the $7.1 billion public transit project was expected to bring 20 miles of light rail, high frequency bus routes and shuttle pickup service to the state’s capital.

Today, not a single foot of light-rail track has been laid. The total cost has ballooned, while the footprint has shrunk, with the cost per mile tripling since 2020. How did we get here, what’s next for the project, and what can other cities learn from Austin’s experience?

TribCast dives in with Joshua Fechter, the Tribune’s urban affairs reporter, and Ashika Ganguly, the executive director of Transit Forward.

Watch the video above or subscribe to the TribCast on iTunes, Spotify, or RSS. New episodes every Tuesday.

This article first appeared on The Texas Tribune.