AUSTIN, Texas —
The efforts to stop the expansion of Interstate 35 have new support from some members of the Austin City Council.
The group against the expansion, Rethink35, held a rally Wednesday and a council members were present.
Councilmember Zo Qadri (District 9) said the council doesn't have much power to stop the expansion project, but it can be part of conversations to find alternatives.
"I mean, I appreciate the passion of folks at Rethink 35 and all the other various groups that are here today [Wednesday]. You know, I think it gives us energy as a dais and it makes me and my colleagues want to, you know, obviously do right by them and make sure that we continue to have conversations [with TxDOT], push back," Qadri said.
Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) engineers say they need to act now because Austin is growing and traffic will only get worse if they don't do anything.
The federal government just gave the Capital Express Central Project environmental approval, allowing the plan to move forward.
The proposed project would add two toll-free high-occupancy vehicle (HOV), or carpool, lanes and drop the main lanes between Airport Boulevard to Oltorf Street down to make way for raised cross-streets.
TxDOT's goal is to alleviate congestion through the heart of the city, but Rethink35 says the plan won't work and is outdated.
Qadri agrees and said they should find other plans that may work better.
"To bring up new ideas that are more equitable and more fair. And then, like I said, I have conversations that our counterparts at the state level. I think ... it just can't be us at the local level. It needs to be, you know, folks at the state and federal as well," Qadri said.
Qadri was also joined Wednesday by Councilmember Natasha Harper-Madison (District 1) and the chief of staff for Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis (District 8).
Construction is set to begin on the project in mid-2024, but Rethink35 says it is planning to sue the State of Texas to stop the expansion.
The group says it wants TxDOT to invest in more public transportation to help relieve traffic, as an alternative to expanding the interstate.