AUSTIN, Texas — Are you willing to ditch your car and ride your bicycle to work?
That's one of the possibilities promoted by the new "Austin Strategic Mobility Plan" that was made public Friday.
Austin's transportation plan has a lot to say about steps to reduce traffic congestion.
Among them: increase the share of Austin residents who use public transportation. The city would like to see a 400 percent increase in the number of residents who take transit to work by the year 2039.
The report also recommends that more people ride their bikes to work. The city wants at least 15 percent of the workforce that lives in Central Austin to commute by bicycle by 2025.
“The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan is truly a major milestone for Austin’s mobility portfolio,” Robert Spillar, P.E., Austin Transportation Director, said. “The plan responds to Council’s strategic direction to solve mobility issues by addressing the multimodal needs of our community, offering our residents and visitors new affordable opportunities to travel through and around our city.”
There are a lot more recommendations. To review the full draft, click here.
And City Hall wants to know what you think! You can share feedback on the plan by testifying at the following boards and commissions meetings:
- City Council Mobility Committee
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Thursday, Feb. 28, 1:00-3:00 p.m. - Pedestrian Advisory Council
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Monday, March 4, 6:00-8:00 p.m. - Zoning and Platting Commission - public hearing
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Tuesday, March 5, 6:00 p.m. - Environmental Commission
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Wednesday, March 6, 6:00 p.m. - Planning Commission - public hearing
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Tuesday, March 12, 6:00 p.m. - Urban Transportation Commission
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Monday, March 18, 5:00 p.m. - Bicycle Advisory Council
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Tuesday, March 19, 6:00-8:00 p.m. - Zoning and Platting Commission
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Tuesday, March 19, 6:00 p.m. - Planning Commission
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Tuesday, March 26, 6:00 p.m. - City Council – public hearing (tentative)
Austin City Hall, 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701
Thursday, March 28 (Time TBD)
After your voices are heard, city council will take a vote on whether to adopt the final plan later this spring.
“This plan is a culmination of public engagement efforts and is informed by what we heard from the community,” Annick Beaudet, the Austin Transportation Assistant Director, said. “We are excited to share the plan and envision it to be responsive to our community’s changing mobility needs over time.”