TRANSIT CITY [2016]
[WITH AURA: AN AUSTIN FOR EVERYONE; FULL DOCUMENT]
Austin’s population and traffic are on the rise, yet the share of Austinites getting around by transit is decreasing. Furthermore, housing shortages in the urban core are forcing Austinites away from areas best served by transit.
WHY TRANSIT?
We envision a transit-oriented Austin, where the vast majority of homes and destinations are within an easy, comfortable walk of a frequent bus or train line. By 2040 our goal is for Austinites to take over half their trips by public transportation, walking, or bicycling. It’s an ambitious goal with huge benefits:
AFFORDABILITY. Affordability is about more than just the cost of housing. The average Austin household spends 20% of their total income on transportation. High-quality transit will help many families reduce or eliminate the huge burden of owning and operating a car.
ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY. The Austin Community Climate Plan recognizes transit’s role in reducing our carbon footprint. A robust mass transit system is absolutely necessary to achieve carbon neutrality in a reasonable time frame.
FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY. Endless expansion of highways is financially unsustainable, leading
the Texas Department of Transportation and other agencies to continually seek new funding. High-quality transit moves people efficiently, lowers long-term costs, and uses less land. With better transit Austin could de-pave expanses of asphalt and return that space to beneficial and productive uses.
HEALTH AND SAFETY. Austin suffered record traffic fatalities and untold traffic injuries
in 2015. More people riding transit means fewer vehicles on the road and thus fewer crashes. Transit also encourages more active lifestyles as people walk to and from their local stops.
PRODUCTIVITY AND QUALITY OF LIFE. Transit strengthens social bonds in a community by allowing neighbors to interact as they move about the city and trades stressful time wasted in traffic for time that can be spent productively and peacefully.
