HERE'S WHAT $460M FOR A SAFE MOBILITY BOND - PROP B - WILL GET FOR AUSTIN

Proposition B has passed!

Thank you for all your support in passing this historic funding package for walking, bicycling, and safe streets.

Prop B won with 67% of the vote, representing a clear public mandate to move quickly and boldly toward making walking and bicycling and streets in general safe, comfortable, and accessible for all. Please take part in the public process, once it begins, to make sure Prop B funds are spent wisely and equitably.

Congratulations also to Proposition A (Project Connect), which also passed with flying colors. With Props A and B combined, we’re set to create a comprehensive multimodal transportation network that will transform life in Austin.

Here’s what the $460m will get for Austin:

• $80m for sidewalks

• $80m for urban trails

• $40m for bikeways

• $65m for Vision Zero safety improvements

• $20m for Safe Routes to School

• $19m for transit enhancements

• $102m for large capital projects 

  • $16m for Longhorn Dam

  • $30m for Congress Avenue - Phase 1

  • $15m for South Pleasant Valley corridor multimodal Improvements

• $53m for improvements to substandard streets, including Ross Road and Johnny Morris Road

• $1m for the Neighborhood Partnering Program

For more information, see the City of Austin’s Prop B ballot page.

The investment would allow the city to reach the Bicycle Master Plan goal of 80% build out of the All Ages and Abilities safe and convenient bike lane network by 2025 (through the $80M in Urban Trails and $40M in bikeways), construct and repair about 100 miles of sidewalks, give comprehensive mobility safety with substantial funding for the Vision Zero safety program, fill sidewalk and bike network gaps along school routes, and advance mobility equity by making multimodal improvements to streets in the eastern crescent. 

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make Austin a world class city for safe walking, bicycling, and all other ways of getting around. By supplementing Project Connect (Proposition A) with this Safe Mobility Bond, we can make significant progress towards the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan’s (ASMP) goal of 50% of trips by 2039 being made in a way other than by driving alone. Through building out safe and comfortable sidewalks, bikeways, and trails, we can double or even triple the number of residents within a half-mile walk or a two-mile bike ride from a high-capacity transit stop.

Who will spend the money if Prop B passes?

These City departments will implement the funds:

• Austin Transportation Department: On-street bicycle lanes, Vision Zero Program

• Public Works Department: Sidewalks and urban trails

How will equity factor into deciding which projects are implemented?

Equity will be a crucial part of spending the Prop B funds.

The City of Austin Equity Office provides oversight to City staff as they implement the above-mentioned plans. The plans establish priorities through a detailed matrix created through a robust community process. For instance, the Sidewalk Plan prioritizes funding in areas of Austin with high transit usage, low car ownership, and historic disinvestment. Furthermore, the next updates of the Urban Trails plan and the Sidewalk Plan, to be completed by early 2022, will focus even more on equity, including more robust community engagement on priorities and needs.

Funding these plans will be critical to creating a more equitable transportation system in Austin that offers safety, affordability, and choice.

How will Prop B impact the cost of living in Austin?

Prop B will almost certainly result in a large overall financial saving for Austin’s residents. Let’s look at the likely costs and savings of Prop B:

Costs:

• Property taxes will increase as these bonds are sold.  Prop B bonds are expected to sold between 2022-2028.  When all $460m of bonds are sold in approximately 2028 City staff estimates that median value home owner will incur a $5-6/month (approx. $65/year) additional property tax bill. That cost increase would last until the bonds were paid off, which is typically in twenty years.

Savings:

• Cheaper mobility options will be more accessible. Compared to the annual costs of driving ($8,550), walking and bicycling annually cost $0 and $100-300 respectively.

• Health savings: Every $1 spent on walking and bicycling infrastructure saves society $3 in health costs.

• Reduced costs of crashes: Traffic crashes annually cost Austin taxpayers $3,331 per capita.

Why do we need another mobility bond?

A lot has already been accomplished with funding from the 2016 Mobility Bond. But that funding will run out, potentially as soon as 2022. To continue implementing the City of Austin’s Sidewalk, Bicycle, and Urban Trails Plans, and Vision Zero goals, additional funding is needed.

When will projects be implemented if Prop B passes?

We anticipate the first bonds would be issued in September 2021, which would provide funding at the start of the City’s 2022 fiscal year, October 1, 2021. When projects are completed depends on each City department’s implementation process.

How will Prop B improve mobility?

Walking and bicycling are congestion-free. Before the shutdown, parts of Austin would often become gridlocked during the afternoon rush hour. As economic activity picks up, we’ll likely return to higher car traffic volumes. Over 75 percent of Austinites drive to work alone. If we continue to offer no safe alternatives, people will have no choice but to remain stuck in traffic.

Many Austinites want to bike. Many Austinites have indicated that they would be open to biking short distances if it were safe to do so. A 2013 survey found that protected bicycle lanes would attract 55 percent of Austin’s population. Most trips in Austin are under three miles, an ideal distance for many people to bike.

Better walking and bicycling will make public transportation more accessible. Walking and bicycling are ideal last-mile solutions to allow people to get to/from public transportation.

How will Prop B help people who drive?

Driving will get safer. Prop B contains $65m for Vision Zero funding to reduce vehicular-related deaths and serious injuries in Austin. Much of this funding will make driving safer.

Prop B will create alternatives to driving. Most Austinites - 55% - want to get around without a car. Prop B will allow more people to walk, bike, and safely get to public transportation.