Summary
MoveATX is a coalition of community leaders, advocates, activists, and organizations that want to see a better mobility future for Austin and all of its residents.
Action Box
Hear about opportunities to get involved in improving Austin's transportation system by signing up for email alerts from MoveATX.
This post is sponsored by MoveATX. All Austin Common sponsors are screened by The Austin Common team to ensure they’re doing good for their employees, customers, our community, and the planet.
Raise your hand if you’re frustrated with Austin’s transportation system.
You’re not alone.
With Austin’s population doubling just about every 20 years, traffic is becoming more and more of a problem in this city. And it’s not just an inconvenience. Our transportation woes are beginning to impact our health and overall well-being.
Consider this:
In 2018, the typical Austin driver spent 104 hours stuck in traffic, costing them about $1,452
On average, one Austinite is killed in a car crash every five days.
Transportation is quickly becoming Austin’s largest source of greenhouse gas emissions, as “vehicle miles traveled” continue to rise.
So what can we actually do about this? That’s where MoveATX comes in.
MoveATX is a coalition of community leaders, advocates, activists, and organizations that want to see a better mobility future for Austin and all of its residents.
They include a diverse mix of environmental organizations (Environment Texas, Hill Country Conservancy) and economic development & community groups (Laborers International Union, Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce), speaking to the far-reaching impacts of our traffic problems.
Together, these organizations believe “that providing more mobility choices, more safety, and more multimodal infrastructure will result in reduced congestion, fewer accidents, and a more equitable city.” As they say on their website, “There’s peace on the road when everyone has a piece of the road.”
For the past year and a half, MoveATX has been running marketing campaigns and engaging the broader Austin community in support of a whole suite of city plans that have already been approved, but need financial and community support to make them happen as quickly as possible.
Some of the goals MoveATX is helping to make sure actually happen include:
50/50 mode share by 2039. Today, 74 percent of Austinites get to work driving alone. A goal of 50/50 mode share means that by 2039, 50 percent of Austinties will get to work in other ways (walking, biking, taking public transit).
At least 100 new miles of bike lanes by the end of 2020 and a 50 percent buildout of Austin’s planned “all ages and abilities bicycle network” (which includes 370 miles of protected bike lanes) by the end of 2020.
Creating a truly multi-modal transportation network
As you can see from the goals above, a big part of this work is creating a transportation system that serves everyone (bicyclists, drivers, public transportation users), as opposed to just drivers, as Austin’s system has done in the past. At the same time, it doesn’t mean abandoning drivers or investing 100 percent of our transportation dollars into alternative modes.
“Our goal is for Austinites to have options, and whether it’s commuting or going to the corner store, safe, protected, and comfortable infrastructure allows for those choices,” explains Jim Wick, lead organizer with MoveATX.
And MoveATX is well on its way to helping make this a reality for Austin.
Some recent big wins include:
Completion of the Shoal Creek Bikeway, making it possible to bike in a protected lane from downtown all the way to the Domain.
The recent decision to build permanent, protected bike lanes on Congress Avenue between Riverside and 11th Street
The Healthy Streets Initiative, which has closed down certain streets to local traffic only during the pandemic, providing Austinites with more space to safely spend time outside
New neighborhood bikeways that have recently been constructed in North University, Cherrywood, and Crestview
Want to get involved with MoveATX’s efforts to ease Austin traffic and create a more bike- and pedestrian-friendly city?
Here’s how you can get involved with MoveATX…
Sign up for the MoveATX email list and follow MoveATX on social media, so you’ll receive calls to action when transportation projects pop up that need public input.
Vote in the November election! There will be two big transit initiatives on this year’s ballot (Prop A and B), that if passed, will provide funding to build Austin’s first light-rail transit system, as well as miles of more bike lanes and sidewalks throughout the city.