Task Force Plans for Bond Package
An urban rail project has been identified as a priority project in several planning processes for the city of Austin. Photo by Callie Hernandez/KUT NewsAudio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
Austin voters may be asked to vote on a bond package in a November referendum. If approved, these funds would go toward making improvements to the city’s libraries, parks, sidewalks and roadways, as well as creating an urban rail system.
Molly Scarbrough, program consultant for the city’s Capital Planning Office, is working with community representatives on the recently appointed Bond Election Advisory Task Force. Members of this group will eventually make recommendations to Austin City Council on projects for bond funding.
In this edition of “Changing Austin,” Scarbrough spoke with KUT News’ Matt Largey about the goals and planning for the bond package.
Molly Scarbrough:
It also includes supporting new investments, really reflecting the visions and the priority programs that are coming out of Imagine Austin. Those include investing in transportation and other mobility improvements, creating green infrastructure programs – really, investing in a compact and connected Austin.
The urban rail project has been identified as a priority in several planning processes, including CAMPO 2035, Austin Strategic Mobility and Imagine Austin. Studies are ongoing to decide what a potential first investment segment could be.
Molly Scarbrough:
As part of the bond development process and mostly in the new year, the city and the task force will engage the broader community through in-person meetings, online tools, other activities to obtain their feedback on community priorities as recommendations for bond proposal are developed. That information that we garner from the community will be brought to the task force for their consideration as they develop their recommendations.
The first meeting of this task force is tonight at 6 p.m. at 1 Texas Center on Barton Springs Road.
Podcast: Download (5.0MB)
