We Endorse a Vote FOR City of Austin Proposition 1

The City of Austin Proposition on the ballot, known colloquially as “Prop 1,” would provide funds to construct a rail line and fund road improvements. We unanimously endorse a vote FOR Prop 1.

For too long, Austin’s municipal government and voters alike have been unwilling to address our growing transportation crisis. Now we’re one of the most gridlocked cities in the nation, and it may already be too late and too expensive to ever provide the needed public transportation infrastructure to help Austinites move around our city.

But we think Prop 1 merits support as a good first step — ideally one of many that results in a robust, multi-modal system that gets Austinites out of their cars or at least provides a meaningful alternative.

Proposition 1 is the best option available given the need for matching federal funds to lessen the burden on Austin taxpayers. Since the Guadalupe-Lamar corridor already receives federal funds for the MetroRapid, it is unlikely that a rail line in that corridor would also garner matching funding, which is critical to keeping the bond to something Austinites are willing to pay for.

Meanwhile, the planned route would link downtown, the UT Campus, the Capitol complex, the future UT medical school, the East Riverside corridor and its many low-income and student apartments, and the new ACC campus at Highland mall, among other locations. Eventually, we would like to see it augmented by bus routes that provide more cross-town service linking major east-west streets with the light rail stops to help Austinites move more efficiently about the city without their cars.

Traffic is untenable, Austinites need to start somewhere, and it’s unclear what plan — if any — a new City Council comprised of 10 district representatives would put on the ballot, or when that might occur.

We can’t retroactively go back and build adequate public transit infrastructure starting two decades ago. We need to do what we can now, and that means voting FOR the City of Austin proposition.

Early Voting: October 20-31 | Election Day: Tuesday, November 4
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