Chamber of Commerce Remarks

Chamber Board Room at our at 535 E 5th Street

Thursday, May 26, 2016, 3:30pm

Mayor Adler may deviate from his prepared remarks.

Earlier today at the DAA meeting, Senator Kirk Watson revealed a new way for Austin and our region to partner with TxDOT to pay for fixing I-35 (building new managed lanes and lowering the elevated lanes) without holding a bond election. I will recommend the City Council support Senator Watson’s proposal to help complete and finance this critical project, which decreases traffic congestion, increases transit options, and finally reunites our city – all without a bond election.

The financing model is creative and the regional and state-wide political consensus is unusual. But, we can no longer settle for the safe choice. We have to be smart. Senator Watson’s new option for I-35 is the kind of smart I’m talking about, and it reminds me of another time Austin had to decide whether it would make the smart choice or the politically expedient one.

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