Frequently Asked Questions

November 2010 City of Austin Mobility Bond – Proposition 1

1. What is Proposition 1?
On November 2, 2010, Austin voters will be asked to approve the 2010 Mobility Bond, which authorizes
the City to issue $90 million in bonds to fund road repair and construction as well as sidewalk, trail and
bikeway projects in every part of the city. This bond will not require a tax increase.

2. Why and when should I vote for Proposition 1?

Passage of this bond will reduce future traffic congestion, protect the environment, improve public safety
and provide more transportation options for our growing city – all without requiring a tax increase!

Early voting beings October 18th and ends on October 29th. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2nd.

3. What new road, sidewalk, trail and bikeway projects will be funded?
Proposition 1 sets a new standard for specificity and transparency – every single project in the proposal is
specifically identified and was selected based on extensive public input. The over 45-project list includes
investments in streets, sidewalks, bike paths, trail and transit infrastructure in all part of Austin. More
specifically, this proposition provides funding for preliminary engineering, design, construction and
reconstruction projects, including improving traffic congestion at I-35 and 51st Street, fixing the “Y” at Oak
Hill intersection, completing the Hike and Bike Trail at Lady Bird Lake and reconstructing Third Street.
Visit www.getaustinmoving.com to download a map and list of projects to be funded by Proposition 1.

4. What is the percentage breakdown of the projects by mobility type and region?
Projects by region:
 Regional Projects – 21%,
 Central Austin/Central Business District – 22%
 Northwest Austin – 10%
 Northeast Austin – 14%
 Southwest Austin – 13%
 Southeast Austin – 20%

Projects by mobility type:

 57% Road Projects, which includes 25% for arterial projects, 10% intersection projects, 4%
highway projects, and 18% for neighborhood street projects.
 43% Alternative Transportation Projects, which includes 27% for sidewalk, bikeway, mobility
trails and other transit projects and 16% for the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail Completion
project.
Please note that these are estimates only. Many projects fall within multiple categories.

5. How did the City identify these projects?

The list of projects is the result of an extensive public outreach process by City of Austin staff. Through
meetings, presentations, and on-line data gathering, Austin citizens identified mobility-related community
values and over 3,000 transportation gaps to be reflected in the selection of projects. City Staff then
developed a process to consider identified community values and professional opinion through “Measures
of Effectiveness.” This resulted in the Prioritization of Needs used to rank, compare and select mobility-
related projects to nominate for the bond package. Community input was further increased with the
 
  
appointment of a nine-member Citizen Task Force, which reviewed the bond proposal and recommended
approval of the package by City Council. This Task Force invited the public to participate in the
formulation of the bond proposal by holding six meetings, two work sessions and one public forum over a
two-month period.

6. Will Proposition 1 increase my taxes? Why not?

This bond will NOT require an increase in the City of Austin tax rate because it is well within the City’s
bonding capacity. That is, the City can service the debt on these bonds within the existing tax rate. In fact,
the City is only utilizing half of its "tax-free" bonding capacity; the City could have proposed to issue up to
roughly $200 million in bonds without requiring a tax increase. This is a financially prudent proposal,
which preserves bonding capacity for the 2012 comprehensive bond package.

7. Who supports the bond?

This bond package is supported by a diverse group of environmental, neighborhood and business leaders.
To date, over 20 groups have official endorsed the bond, including the Greater Austin Chamber of
Commerce, the Downtown Austin Alliance, Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Sierra Club
Austin Regional Group, Clean Water Action and The Trail Foundation. Visit www.getaustinmoving.com to
view supporters.

8. Who is running the campaign in support of the bond? How is it funded?

Get Austin Moving is a political action committee created to support the mobility bond package. The
steering committee is comprised of over 35 Austin neighborhood, environmental and business leaders,
representing diverse community support for Proposition 1. Funding comes from a number of sources,
including various nonprofit organizations and businesses.

9. You say that this bond won’t increase my taxes. If it doesn’t pass, will my taxes go down?
No. The City will continue to pay down its existing voter-approved debt whether the transportation bond is
approved or not. The City would have more bonding capacity if the bond did not pass, but it would likely
seek voter approval to meet other needs. With Austin doubling in population every 20 years, there will
always be a need for new transportation infrastructure, parks, libraries, water quality & drainage facilities
that are funded by voter-approved bonds.

10. Why not wait until 2012 to fund these projects?

These projects will be cheaper now than later. Over the last 18 months, because of the recession, the City's
public works projects have been completed for an average of 30% less than the original estimated costs.
We do not know how much longer that "recession-pricing" window will be open, so it makes sense to move
now to take advantage of it while we can. This bond also includes planning and design funds for numerous
transportation projects that would move them to "shovel ready" status, thus making them ready for funding
that could be approved by Austin voters in 2012, as part of the comprehensive bond package.

In addition, this bond will create jobs and stimulate our local economy now. Last year the city adopted a
"local preference" policy that allows us to prioritize local bidders for city construction projects. That
means we will have the opportunity to spend more of these funds locally than we generally have with past
bond funds, and thus enjoy a greater local economic benefit. For this reason, the Mayor has described this
bond a local economic stimulus package.

11. Where can I get more information? How can I help spread the word?
You can contact the Get Austin Moving Campaign at campaign@getaustinmoving.com or 512-945-2319 to
get more information or to learn how you can help spread the word.

HELP GET AUSTIN MOVING!

Early voting beings October 18th and ends on October 29th. Election Day is Tuesday, November 2nd.

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