11 Jun Put Away Your 45! — Save Our Springs

Twenty-two years ago today, on June 7^th, 1990, hundreds of citizens showed up to tell the Austin City Council to vote "no" on the proposed 4,000 acre Barton Creek PUD (planned unit development). After an all night hearing – a turning point in Austin's history – the council voted unanimously against the massive development. The June 7^th "Barton Creek Uprising" led to the passage of the Save Our Springs ordinance two years later. Watch video of some of the speakers from that night.There are 3 videos labeled Barton Springs Uprising, 1-2-3. 

Then take a few minutes at KeepMopacLocal.org to send an email to our current City Council members to tell them to continue protecting Barton Springs by keeping the proposed SH 45 Southwest out of the Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan.

The Austin Planning Commission and Imagine Austin Citizens Advisory Task Force voted overwhelmingly to keep SH 45 Southwest out of the plan. But city staff continues to pressure the city council to put the aquifer toll road back into the plan. The council will take public testimony and vote on the Imagine Austin plan next Thursday, June 14^th.

Building 45SW would create gridlock on Mopac, adding 30,000 cars per day to south Mopac, and converting Mopac from a local commuter highway to a western bypass for IH-35.   The road would encourage far flung sprawl over the Barton Springs Edwards Aquifer in northeast Hays County – in direct contradiction to the Imagine Austin plan goals of building a compact, affordable, and sustainable Austin.

The Keep Mopac Local coalition includes the Save Barton Creek Association, Austin Sierra Club, Clean Water Action, SOS Alliance, ChangeAustin, Environment Texas, TexPIRG, Fix 290 Coalition, and the Friendship Alliance of Northern Hays County. The Austin Neighborhoods Council and Liveable City have also opposed including SH 45 SW in Austin's comprehensive plan.

Check out the KeepMopacLocal.org ad in this week's Austin Chronicle. Spread the word and have your voice heard. Saving, not paving, the Barton Springs watershed is the best (and only) path to a healthy, sustainable future for Austin.