City Council has moved forward with Mayor Steve Adler’s $720 million bond proposal to improve mobility in Austin. Last month, by a vote of 8 to 3, City Council expressed approval of the mayor’s plan and directed city staff to prepare the exact language that will appear on the ballot in November. City Council will still have to vote one more time (most likely in August) to approve that language.

As a reminder, here’s what’s the $720 million bond will pay for:

• $101 million for regional mobility projects, like Loop 360.
• $137 million for local mobility projects, with $120 million dedicated to sidewalks, bike lanes, trails, and the Vision Zero Action Plan.
• $482 million for corridor improvement projects, aka “smart corridors – this is the bulk of Adler’s proposal and includes comprehensive improvements to roads like North and South Lamar, Airport Boulevard, Guadalupe, Riverside, Burnet, and MLK East/FM 969. More info>>

The City Council members who voted against the proposal were Ann Kitchen, Delia Garza, and Ora Houston. They expressed concern over a lack of funds for South and Southeast Austin, as well as the overall high price tag of the $720 million. It is significantly larger than any other transportation bond ever passed by Austin voters.

What does the $720 million bond proposal mean for bikes? Within the proposal that City Council approved last month, there is $120 million for active transportation infrastructure and Vision Zero. This is the biggest investment in bike lanes, trails, and sidewalks in Austin’s history. More info>>

Here’s the breakdown:

• $55 million for sidewalks
• $30 million for urban trails
• $20 million for protected bike lanes/ Bicycle Master Plan
• $15 million for Vision Zero, an initiative to eliminate traffic deaths in Austin