In November 2016 Austin voters approved a $1.5 billion Smart Corridor Plan to decrease congestion, increase travel options and add more sidewalks and crosswalks. The plan, to be 50 percent funded by taxpayers, and all of its mobility projects, can now be tracked through the new 2016 Mobility Bond website.
Users can learn about mobility projects budgets, funding, phases and more. The new site and project tools were developed with Socrata.
Austin has planned to invest $137 million into the Local Mobility Program, which includes sidewalks, bikeways, trails, safe routes to school and more. The state of sidewalks, according to the City of Austin Public Works Department, actually requires $1.64 billion in investment alone. Projects can be tracked on the new site.
Reviewing Austin’s Active Sidewalk Mobility Projects
The city took over responsibility for sidewalks from landowners in 1995 and by 2009 had developed and adopted a Sidewalk Master Plan, which was updated last year.
About 20 percent of Austin’s sidewalks are in good condition. But it’s also missing 2,580 miles of sidewalks, as required under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act. Currently the city is addressing priority sidewalks -- those within 1/4 mile of schools, bus stops and parks.
There are 10 sidewalk projects being tracked on the new mobility website. A look at N. Lamar - Parmer sidewalk shows the $2.3 million project is currently under construction, and about $53,000 of 2016 bond funds have been spent. If citizens have questions, the project contact email is listed.
