Austin Light Rail

A prominent, public-facing “proof of concept” of Austin’s most ambitious environmental policy initiatives

With an aim for the Austin Light Rail project to set a national standard for green transit system operations, Austin Transit Partnership engaged the HUG team for Pre-Concept Design, led by HKS – UN Studio – Gehl, with The Center serving as sustainability lead. The resulting integrated strategies underscored the importance to be responsive and resilient to Austin’s unique environmental context and climatic trends and the potential for this generational undertaking to be a prominent, public-facing ‘proof of concept’ of Austin’s most ambitious environmental policy initiatives, including the Climate Equity Plan, Water Forward, and Zero Waste.

To gain an understanding of thermal challenges, The Center took temperature measurements of bus stops around Austin and found shaded metal benches exceeding 105ºF, and mid-afternoon ambient temperatures of shaded areas exceeding 100ºF. Creating inviting, thermally comfortable transit stations emerged as a priority to attract new and retain existing transit users, and to mitigate heat-related health risks.