Austin chambers advocate for light rail to airport extension

AUSTIN (KXAN) — As Austin city and transportation officials work to deliver the city's inaugural light rail line, area chamber leaders are throwing their support behind concerted efforts to extend that line to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.

Right now, Phase 1 of light rail will run from 38th Street to Oltorf Street and Yellow Jacket Lane. Austin Mayor Kirk Watson, at both his State of the City address and appearance at KXAN's mayoral debate last month, said he is helping facilitate conversations between Project Connect officials and the federal government to identify funding to make that link to the airport a more tangible possibility.

At a Transit Forward panel event Monday, leadership with the Diversity & Ethnic Chamber Alliance stressed the economic opportunities presented by that connection point, as well as means of improving connectivity and accessibility for Austin residents and workers.

Mark Duval, president and CEO of the Greater Austin Asian Chamber of Commerce, said connectivity with the airport helps breed convenience and accessibility across the board for those living and traveling in Austin or those visiting the city for business or pleasure.

Tam Hawkins, president and CEO of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce, added it's difficult to sell a city when its transportation infrastructure or connection points are lacking. By expanding to the airport, she said that helps Austin become an even more competitive economic hub while also aiding those already living and working within the community.

Tina Cannon, president and CEO of the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce, said accessibility is especially relevant given how many people live on the outskirts of Austin or in the suburbs beyond city limits. A single rideshare ride can run close to $100, when traveling between those suburban communities and the airport; building out a direct linkage will minimize those costs on people needing to travel to the airport for trips or who might work there themselves.

Brittney Rodriguez, chief operating officer with the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, added it is time for Austin's infrastructure to match its standing as one of the largest cities in the country and an economic draw for business and commerce.

"I think if we look at Austin and we look at the history of Austin, we are a massively reactive community. What can we fix? Let's band-aid this. Oh my god this happened years ago, let's make it right," she said. "Now, I think what's happening with the leaders at the helm, the community leaders, those that are running the organizations helping to socialize what's coming for Austin, we see that we are working toward a city that's being proactive."

Part of those retrofitting efforts are already in the works or under development. The Texas Department of Transportation celebrated the groundbreaking of its Interstate 35 expansion near downtown Austin last week, and the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport's overhaul is progressing forward with active projects already underway.

Project Connect officials are eyeing a 2027 construction start date, an the Austin Convention Center will be rebuilt from the ground up downtown after the 2025 South by Southwest Conference & Festivals — spelling out plenty of traffic for commuters.

Panelists referenced an "if we don't build it, they won't come" mentality they said prior Austin leadership held in previous years as a response to population growth. Now, they said that thought process has begun to evolve — but it'll take a strong, concerted effort from local and transit leaders to meet people where they are and communicate directly with constituents on their needs and existing pinch points.

Hawkins said there needs to be a regional approach with transit, particularly as unaffordable prices have pushed more people outside of Austin proper into the surrounding region. Rodriguez echoed that sentiment, noting a massive migration of Black and brown community members leaving east Austin.

The future of that community, she said, will look extremely different and "colorless" if leaders don't prioritize transit access and affordability. Some of those initiatives include revamping land development codes to prioritize affordable housing and access near transit corridors as well as programs like Austin's HOME Initiative, Cannon added.