AUSTIN, Texas — Austin FC fans will now have a more direct way to get to Q2 Stadium.
CapMetro opened its new McKalla Station that will drop people off less than 100 feet away from the Q2 Stadium entrance, coinciding with the club's opening match of the 2024 season.
“It's more than the opening of a single station or just one more stop on a commuter line,” Austin City Council Member Leslie Pool said. “Today, we are opening a gateway to one of the most vibrant cultural and economic centers in Austin and in the region, standing on the doorstep of our good partners in Austin FC.”
McKalla Station was completed on time and on budget as a part of Project Connect, CapMetro's plan to increase connectivity in the city. The construction of the station also created 300 jobs for people in infrastructure.
The station includes two passenger platforms and a third platform for special events. CapMetro says there will be four trains waiting to transport people after the match.
RELATED: CapMetro says planned Red Line Trail will improve access to public transportation from Q2 Stadium
Austin FC fans who rely on public transportation to get to the games, like Victor Juarez, say the new station will make a big difference in his transportation experience.
“Now that McKalla [Station] is open, it’s great because you just have to really get out of the station and go to the stadium,” Juarez said.
Juarez also says the train provides a unique sense of community between fans.
“When you're in the train, you are ... you are already experiencing the Austin FC experience with the fans,” Juarez said. “We’re all singing. We’re all about getting ready for the game, starting to chat about the players.”
That connection and support of public transportation is something transit leaders are hopeful of in the future.
“We would teach our children then transit is viable, that is fun, that is safe, that is exciting,” said Veronica Castro de Barrera, Austin Transit Partnership Board Chair. “We teach each other how to live in a city that wants to be connected and wants more of it.”
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