Austin City Council in Texas, USA, and CapMetro Board approved the final version of the Project Connect Recommended System Plan, which includes multiple locally preferred alternatives. This critical milestone enables the program to proceed with discussions on investments this summer. Project Connect is a plan for a high-capacity, regionally connected system that is designed to help ease congestion, reduce carbon emissions, and provide equitable transportation options for every resident. The expanded transit system is designed to offer more access to opportunities for education, health care, and jobs.

The scope of the project involves the development of four new rail lines, 15 new fast and frequent bus routes, additional stations and frequency on the Red Line, 24 new Park & Rides and the transition to a zero-emissions fleet. A key component of the plan is an innovative downtown transit tunnel, which will separate transit services from street traffic - enabling faster, safer and more reliable travel.

Over the last two years, CapMetro has collected community feedback from nearly 60,000 community members, conducted hundreds of community meetings, and worked closely with city staff to design the Project Connect transit plan. Additionally, more than 4,000 people shared feedback in recent weeks through a series of virtual community meetings and a virtual open house.

In August 2020, the City of Austin and Capital Metro could take action towards the creation of a joint oversight board - Austin Transit Partnership - that would administer federal and local funding and be responsible for the construction and implementation of Project Connect.