Proposition 1 Passes: Voters Reject Roads-Only Approach

cameraforaface photography (Arian Brumby) on flickr

Despite a full-page ad in the Statesman and big signs all over town, the operatives behind the "highway or no way" ad campaign failed to convince a majority of Austin voters that inclusion of bike and pedestrian projects was reason to defeat the $90 million bond.

Have Austinites abandoned the roads-only transportation paradigm and embraced a more sustainable multi-modal system? We'll see (particularly if the next bond election includes urban rail). Either way, this is a victory for bike and pedestrian advocates and a step towards the ability to live car-free in Austin, even if most of the Prop 1 money will still go to roads.

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By Shawn Shillington in News on November 3, 2010 8:28 PM 0 Comments

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Comments [rss]

Neil Epstein

Ah, found this off one of your links - wish I saw this before the vote! (not that it would have changed how I voted)

http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/news/projectdetails.htm

Neil Epstein

As a new Austinite, is there more I can learn on this Prop 1? Where is the money coming from, I think they said it wasn't from new taxes? Have they spoken how the $90m funding will specifically help? Like overlays on satellite imagery kind of thing?

Shawn Shillington

The money comes from existing taxes (mainly). This bond is small enough that the city can pay it without having to raise the tax rate, but the city still has to pay back the bonds after they are issued.