City of Austin

Mayor considering urban rail bond package

by STEVE ALBERTS / KVUE News

Posted on February 10, 2010 at 5:15 PM

Updated Wednesday, Feb 10 at 6:25 PM

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The City of Austin is proposing an urban rail line in downtown.

“We have to do something,” said Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell. “What we have to do is everything. We need better roads, bike and trail facilities and better mass transit; and I personally think rail is the best option for mass transit.”

The bond package that the mayor’s office is considering proposing to the city council and the community would be in the range of $400 million. Roughly half of the bond package would be devoted to urban rail, and the other half would be devoted to roads and other transportation infrastructure. The cost of this bond proposal to the average Austin household would be just over $3 per month, or about $40 per year.

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[via KVUE]

Cap Metro

Capital Metro Board Appoints Doug Allen Interim President/Chief Executive Officer

October 12, 2009Austin, Texas -Today the Capital Metro Board of Directors named Doug Allen Interim President/CEO. This appointment takes effect upon the retirement of current President/CEO Fred Gilliam at the end of this week. Allen currently serves as Executive Vice President/Chief Development Officer for Capital Metro.

“Doug Allen has a wealth of leadership experience in the industry and has demonstrated his commitment to Capital Metro and central Texas transportation since joining the Authority more than a year ago,” said Capital Metro Board Chair and Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez. “During this transition, it is critical that we remain focused on the core mission and goals of this agency.”

With new Board appointments expected by the end of the year, today the Board recommended waiting until January to begin a national search for a new President/CEO.

Allen joined Capital Metro in March 2008, bringing 30 years of transportation planning and development experience. As Executive Vice President/Chief Development Officer, he currently oversees all strategic planning, communications, marketing, community development, transit oriented development, engineering and construction functions.

Allen spent the majority of his career in the Dallas-Fort Worth area beginning at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) in 1978. In 1984, he joined Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and was instrumental in developing plans for the DART light rail system and high occupancy vehicle network.

Allen is a member of several professional organizations including the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) where he serves as vice chairman of the Policy and Planning Committee.

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[via Cap Metro]