Austin needs better transit options if it is to live up to its own lofty goals for greenhouse gas reductions. For anyone who has ever been stuck in traffic on I35 or MOPAC, all those cars clogging the road lead to dirtier air, a worsening climate, and public health implications. By adding more transportation options, Austin could reduce our greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated 43,000 tons of CO2 out of Austin’s air every year, the CO2 equivalent of planting trees from Lady Bird Lake to Highway 183.

We don’t need to be stuck with a dirty, unhealthy, under-developed transportation system anymore. Our local transit agency, CapMetro, has spent years developing, workshopping, and planning a proposed fix called Project Connect. Now, that plan is on the ballot in November as Proposition A.

With a Guad/Lamar rail line, another rail line out to the airport, a brand new downtown transit center, a transit-only tunnel under the river, and countless system-wide improvements that make it easier to get around, our city would have less traffic and cleaner air. Estimates show that with just 20% fewer cars on I35, we would have free flowing traffic. So whether you take the rail lines or not, you are going to benefit from improved mobility and cleaner air.

Essential workers are anywhere from 20-40% more likely to be dependent on transit for getting to and from work and around the city. Never has there been a more important time to support these workers with more and better options. Yes on Prop A.

The 2020 election is expected to be among the highest turnout elections in generations. The electorate in Austin that is most motivated to vote are the same people that are most likely to support transit infrastructure, making this year a unique opportunity to pass a transformational investment.