A little over a year ago, the City of Austin asked to raise all of our property taxes in exchange for making some major improvements to local roads, bike lanes, and sidewalks. Voters said yes to this 2016 mobility bond, but the conversation didn’t stop with the election. Now that the money is available, there are still lots of opportunities for the public to shape how that money gets spent.
Today, we’ll be sharing with you one way you can participate. And it’s all about corridor mobility plans.
Since 2011, the City of Austin has been working on these corridor mobility plans, which identify short-, medium-, and long-term safety and mobility improvements for some of Austin’s biggest roadways. The goal is to “make recommendations that will enhance mobility, connectivity, and safety for all users—including people who drive, walk, bike, and take transit.”
In the 2016 mobility bond, $482 million was set aside for funding the implementation/construction of some of these plans, as well as for the development of plans on other roadways.
The roads that will be receiving some of this design/engineering/planning work include:
- North Lamar Boulevard*
- West Rundberg Lane
- East Rundberg Lane
- Colony Loop Drive
- Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard*
- South Congress Avenue*
- Manchaca Road*
- South Pleasant Valley Road*
So what does that mean for you? Although no money is currently allocated for any construction projects on these roadways, once new plans for them are complete, they will likely be included on future bond ballots. So, if you want to shape how these roads will look in the future, now is a great time to get involved.
The roads listed above with a star next to their names are currently undergoing a full corridor mobility planning process. For many of these plans, the city is now accepting public input via online surveys and open house events. If you live near, or frequently use, any of the starred roadways above, click on them for more information about how you can give your feedback.
Upcoming Event – The City of Austin Transportation Department is hosting a “South Congress Avenue Pop-In Meeting” to collect some of this public feedback on Saturday, February 10th from 11am to 2pm at Jo’s Coffee. Anyone is welcome to stop by, ask questions, and give their feedback. More info>>
Curious about which roads are eligible for actual construction work from the bond money? They include:
- North Lamar Boulevard
- Airport Boulevard
- Burnet Road
- East Martin Luther King Boulevard
- South Lamar Boulevard
- East Riverside Drive
- Guadalupe Street
- Slaughter Lane
- William Cannon Drive
These roadways already have completed corridor mobility plans. However, if all of the plans were to be 100 percent implemented, it would exceed the money set aside for the projects in the 2016 mobility bond. Because of that, city staff has been working to develop a Corridor Construction Program, which will be used to prioritize which projects receive the money. This Corridor Construction Program is expected to be presented to City Council in early 2018 and must be approved by City Council before construction can begin. The goal is to complete all of the projects funded by the bond within eight years. More info>>
