Local News
Austin Approves Prop 1 in Attempt to Help Traffic Woes
One of the most time-consuming and frustrating aspects in a city full of growing pains is dealing with traffic. Austin roads weren’t ready for the city’s booming population, and residents and officials have struggled with solutions.
As KXAN writes, Mayor Steve Adler championed the new $720 million mobility bond that passed after the vote on November 8th. But the cost of the actual Smart Corridor Plan is roughly $1.5 billion, so the city will have to find the rest of the money to fund the project.
Move Austin Forward says that the goal is to “significantly address congestion, increase safety, and provide more transportation choices for Austinites.” They’ll start work revitalizing major streets like North and South Lamar, Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Guadalupe Street and Riverside Drive.
Though residents are desperate for better driving, walking, biking, and public transportation options, some local businesses worry that this new bond will impede access to their local businesses, and others are concerned about any increase in property taxes that are already sky high.
Adler says the work will start as soon as possible, so only time will tell if skeptics will change their minds on this six to eight-year plan.
