MoveATX, a new community coalition of community leaders, businesses, and advocacy organizations working to support the city’s mobility plan, formally launched its efforts today. MoveATX also released a community survey that it recently conducted using polling firm Opinion Analysts.
“Our community can’t afford to build enough roads to make a real dent in our traffic problem, and it wouldn’t be the right choice for our environment even if we did,” said Jim Wick, Lead Organizer for MoveATX. “It’s clear Austinites want more transportation choices, more safety, and the opportunity to get around town without a car.”
The survey sample was based on the 2018 City of Austin General Election, and 604 respondents were selected based on their age, ethnicity, location, gender, and political preference.
Nearly 50{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1} of respondents said they would prefer to get around town using a mode other than personal car. More than 75{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1} agreed we can’t build enough roads to solve our traffic problems, and more than 81{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1} agreed that having protected lanes for people riding bikes and scooters makes the road safer for those driving cars. 78.6{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1} said they would support a business that demonstrated a commitment to solutions beyond cars.
“We need more mobility options, and we need them now,” said Mayor Steve Adler, Honorary Chair of the MoveATX Coalition. “Austin has the opportunity to be a leader in our country when it comes to progressive mobility infrastructure, and now is the time to act.”
82.5{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1} of respondents agreed that the city should do everything it can to get people out of cars, and nearly 75{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1} think the city should expedite the placement of bike, scooter, and pedestrian infrastructure. Nearly 75{6d294a0824f6f808f1cc9dcde10d35acd237638cfa4e8dd876851c8906eac7a1} approve of dedicated pathways that keep bikes and scooters protected from cars and separate from pedestrians.
“Imagine an Austin where people have viable alternatives to taking a two-ton box of steel and rubber with them for every little errand,” said District 1 Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison. “Imagine an Austin where two-car families can become one-car families and individually have hundreds of extra dollars each month to spend on their rents, mortgages, child care, health care, education, and general peace of mind. That’s the kind of Austin I want to see and that’s why I’m so excited to see MoveATX step up to champion these goals.”
Item 40 on the March 28 Austin City Council Agenda, sponsored by Mayor Adler and co-sponsored by Mobility Committee Chair Ann Kitchen, Council Member Jimmy Flannigan, Council Member Pio Renteria, and Council Member Natasha Harper-Madison, supports the city’s plan to accelerate the construction of multi-modal infrastructure and mobility pathways.
“We’re going to let Austinites know about the improvements and their benefits that are planned or under construction, and we hope to get more folks involved in the public engagement process on current and future projects,” Wick said. “It’s critical all users obey the rules of the road, and with new infrastructure, there’s peace on the road when everyone has a piece of the road.
