Mobility Elections 2020 comes with an issues primer in Austin. The city has the resources to help inform the community about them in November. Therefore, this ambitious transit system plan came from financing via property taxes and $460 million in voter-approved bonds.
Mobility Elections
Therefore, web pages available along with brochures and fact sheets in multiple languages. As a result, these are all designed to notify voters about a pair of propositions that connect to the city’s envisioned transportation and transit systems that will be on the November 3 ballot.
Proposition A and B
On August 12, the city council passed an ordinance setting ballot language for two separate mobility propositions for voters to consider. Moreover, the propositions are:
Proposition A: To approve the city’s property tax and dedicating 8.75 cents of the operations and maintenance portion of the tax rate for a high-capacity transit system called Project Connect.
Proposition B: This proposition is a $460 million in voter-approved General Obligation Bonds for transportation infrastructure. Those include sidewalks, transportation-related bikeways, urban trails, transportation safety projects (Vision Zero), and safe routes to school and substandard streets.
If approved, Proposition A would dedicate 8.75-cents of the property tax rate to the initial investment in the Project Connect high-capacity transit system that includes: new rail and bus transit service, new park and rides; a downtown transit tunnel; new neighborhood circulators; transit-supportive, anti-displacement housing strategies. Also the creation of the Austin Transit Partnership. Moreover, this is a new, independent local government corporation to oversee and implement Project Connect.
For its part, Proposition B would dedicate $460 million in general obligation bonds for transportation infrastructure including sidewalks; transportation-related urban trails; transportation-related bikeways; safety/vision Zero projects; safe routes to school infrastructure projects; local transit enhancement projects; Neighborhood Partnership Program projects; improvements to substandard streets and major capital projects.
In addition, this election is being held in conjunction with the November General Election for federal, state, and county offices and the City of Austin General Election for Council Member Districts 2, 4, 6, 7, and 10.
Mobility Elections website
The City of Austin has information available about Propositions A and B at AustinTexas.gov/MobilityElections2020. In addition, the website includes general election information, ballot language, program and project summaries, frequently asked questions, and financial impact calculators for both propositions.
Additional materials
In addition, a voter brochure is available in English and Spanish. Also, a one-page factsheet is available in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Arabic, Korean, Simplified Chinese, and Traditional Chinese.
Also there, printed copies of brochures and fact sheets are available for pickup by appointment only at 901 S. MoPac Expressway, Building 5, Suite 300. For more information, email [email protected] to request materials and schedule a pickup time.
