AUSTIN, Texas — Austin leaders clearing up some of the congestion on Austin roads would be a dream for many drivers. Monday night, it will be a topic discussed by Austin City Council members.
The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan was made public towards the end of February, with a goal of lowering the number of cars on the road in Austin. Part of the plan would encourage people to ride their bikes to work or making it more reasonable to take the bus. You can learn more about the plan here.
Monday, there will be a joint work session with city council members and leaders from Capital Metro Board of Directors as they will work to establish their many changes.
To reach their goals, the city council is looking to implement 126 total policies while identifying which of these are most important in the next 3 to 5 years.
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In 2019, 74 percent of people in Austin drive alone. Through this plan, leaders want to see that number drop to 50 percent by 2039, with the other half of people using sustainable modes of travel like carpooling, walking or using public transportation. That 50 to 50 split is currently happening in Seattle, as well as Chicago.
While the bad traffic is simply a nuisance right now, the need for this plan to work in the future goes beyond inconvenience.
Historically, Austin's population has doubled every 20 to 30 years. By 2039, we could see 1.3 million more people in a city not currently built for that many people to live here nor get around.