CapMetro, the City of Austin, the Austin Transit Partnership, and Project Connect. (2023). Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Study. Executive Summary and Final Report.
The Equitable Transit-Oriented Development Study created by CapMetro in partnership with the City of Austin and the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) begins with an idealized vision of what Austin could become—with integrated light rail stations, an electric bus fleet, safe and accessible pedestrian-friendly streets, green public spaces, strong local businesses, and higher-density affordable housing. This matrix of places and services represents what CapMetro and its partners define as Equitable Transit-Oriented Development (ETOD). The study’s goal is to propose ways to coordinate land use and transportation to transform areas into compact, walkable, mixed-use communities centered around high-quality transportation options, while ensuring the benefits are equitably distributed across race, income, age, and health.
Funded by the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) TOD Pilot Program Grant, the study responds to Project Connect—a major public infrastructure initiative approved in November 2020 to enhance and expand public transportation in Austin and Central Texas. Project Connect includes a zero-emissions bus fleet, a new light rail system, and increased rail service, among other improvements. However, the project also raised concerns about whether it could be implemented equitably. Specifically, the City sought to address ongoing challenges, including an affordable housing crisis, the displacement of low-income and BIPOC communities due to rising housing and rental costs, racial inequities in income and homeownership rates, and increasing traffic congestion disproportionately affecting low-income workers.
The study is divided into four major sections, through which CapMetro seeks to address the challenge of building equitable Transit-Oriented Development while acknowledging Austin’s existing conditions. It begins with an ETOD engagement process designed to better understand the lived experiences and needs of Austin residents. Drawing from this engagement and earlier documents from the City Council and ATP, the study outlines six goals that define the ideal vision of ETOD: enabling all residents to benefit from safe, sustainable, and accessible transportation; preserving and increasing affordable and attainable housing opportunities; closing racial health and wealth gaps; expanding access to high-quality jobs and career opportunities; supporting healthy neighborhoods; and promoting Austin’s diverse cultural heritage, as well as small, BIPOC-owned, and legacy businesses.
The study includes an ETOD Toolkit featuring comprehensive policies to achieve these goals, such as strategies for financing affordable housing, zoning reforms, workforce development programs, and reductions in parking requirements. It also introduces an ETOD Priority Tool, which assesses areas based on existing population, risk of displacement, and population/job growth rates, offering tailored recommendations based on these typologies.
During the study’s preparation, the authors emphasized equity by ensuring a demographically representative sample in the engagement process, achieved through mixed methods such as surveys, public meetings, and compensated targeted focus groups. This approach ensured that the process itself reflected the importance of equity, complementing the study’s content. Additionally, the authors employed a collaborative planning method, identifying specific organizations responsible for implementing each policy recommendation.
The challenges of rising housing costs, displacement of historically marginalized communities, and systemic racial inequities are not unique to Austin. While some elements of the study are specific to Austin and Central Texas, many aspects—such as equitable engagement methods, policies to prevent displacement during Transit-Oriented Development, and the CapMetro TOD Priority Tool—can be universally applied to other cities facing similar issues.