Another way to make our city’s transportation system more efficient and equitable is to fully fund the Bicycle Master Plan and build out Austin’s sidewalk infrastructure, especially near schools and transit stops. That’s according to a new report published last week by Bike Austin, entitled, “Pathways to Equity: How Investments in Active Transportation Infrastructure Can Help Solve Austin’s Affordability, Traffic, and Inequity Problems.”

Here are some highlights from the report:

• Austin faces a $1 billion backlog of sidewalk construction
• The average annual cost of owning a car is $8,220, compared to $308 for a bike
• For low-income Austinites, transportation consumes 44 percent of household income, on average
• Providing meaningful pedestrian and bicycle access to schools will help to mitigate the estimated 20 to 30 percent increase in morning traffic spurred by parents driving their kids to school

The report essentially says that improved bicycle and sidewalk infrastructure can help everyone in Austin get around town in a safer, cheaper, and more enjoyable way. “By building protected pathways for bicyclists and pedestrians to economic centers, schools and community assets, Austin can become a more equitable city while alleviating traffic and encouraging healthy, affordable forms of transportation,” the report concludes. You can read it here>>