Austin City Council Seeks Hold on Funding for I-35 Express Central Project

The Austin City Council today approved a resolution, authored by Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis, seeking a hold on funding for the Texas Department of Transportation’s I-35 Capital Express Central project pending the completion of two regional climate strategy plans.
 
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is currently developing a Regional Mobile Emission Reduction Plan and the City of Austin – in partnership with CAMPO, the Capital Area Council of Governments, and local municipalities in Travis, Hays, and Bastrop counties – is creating an Austin Metropolitan Statistical Area Climate Plan. Both share the common goal of strategically reducing transportation-related greenhouse gas emissions. The I-35 Central project would ultimately result in emissions increasing as it’s currently proposed.
 
“I believe TxDOT’s project design should not be finalized until the findings and recommendations from the regional plans can be taken into consideration,” said Mayor Pro Tem Ellis. “While I-35 Central’s groundbreaking is inevitable, Austinites have shown strong support of efforts to reduce car-dependency and slow climate change, and it can’t be stressed enough how important it is to get this multigenerational project right.”
 
On August 21, TxDOT released its Final Environmental Impact Statement and Record of Decision (FEIS/ROD). Appendix V of the FEIS/ROD document explains climate change is caused by greenhouse gas emissions and acknowledges the I-35 Central project would increase these emissions as a result of doubling the existing lane-miles. While the project proposes adding transit-supportive managed lanes and shared-use paths for active transportation, it does not prioritize these sustainable modes, which Appendix V acknowledges as critical in reducing harmful emissions.
 
Mayor Pro Tem Ellis thanks her City Council and Mobility Committee colleagues for their support on this effort. Ellis serves as Chair of the Mobility Committee, CAMPO Transportation Policy Board Member, Capital Metro Board Member, Clean Air Force of Central Texas Board Member, and Vice Chair of Capital Area Council of Governments’ Clean Air Coalition.