"Project Connect Reveals Scaled-Down Light Rail Designs for Austin Transit"

Five new light-rail options have been unveiled in Austin, Texas, each less than half the length of the original 28-mile vision. The original plan promised high-frequency service, a downtown subway, and rapid connections to the airport, but the cost estimates grew from $5.8 billion to $10.3 billion. The new options presented are estimated to cost less than $5 billion, including a 40% cost contingency, and each plan is closer to $3.5 billion. The light-rail system should open to the public in the "early 2030s."