Question 1: Why was this vote delayed, and what happens now?
You’ve probably heard the city talking about these highway caps for a while now. The idea is to build coverings over I-35 that can hold new parks and other public spaces.
Originally the city had to decide this month if they were going to build the caps. But the state is having its own delays with highway construction and can’t start the project until March, so they’ve given Austin more time to decide. (The state is having delays finding someone to build its
$750 million stormwater drainage tunnel for the highway.)
There’s
six different proposals for how many caps to build and where to build them. The cheapest is two caps for $400 million, the most expensive is five caps for $1.1 billion.
Question 2: What are some of the city’s main arguments for funding these highway caps?
The
number one goal for the project is listed as “equity and inclusivity.” The city’s
own website says ”While it cannot mend the historic divide created by the original construction of I-35, this once-in-a-generation project forges a new future with community benefits that celebrate and connect all Austinites. Our Future 35 is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to re-stitch our community and create community benefits for those who have been harmed by past decisions”
That puts the city of Austin at odds with the State of Texas. The state is doing its own project to add 20 miles to I-35, but a group of nonprofits is suing them to stop it. They say the highway displaced Black and Latino families and businesses when it was first built and the expansion will just make that worse.
In response, the State
argued in court that the I-35 highway never created a racial justice issue. “Defendant specifically denies the allegations that the construction of I-35 caused discrimination against Black or Latino communities or that I-35 impacts on communities along it have fallen disproportionately on marginalized persons,”
The state and the city are working together on this construction project, but their messaging to taxpayers is contradictory.
Question 3: Could these delays and lawsuits be an issue for the project?
It’s not a good sign. Getting stuck in the middle is the worst thing for taxpayers. We’ve discussed this with other Texas construction projects — if they’re going to build something, they have to do it efficiently. The longer they wait, legal costs pile up, inflation causes price estimates to increase, and there’s more time for other unforeseen issues to pile up.
They already paid
$15 million for price estimates from TxDOT to figure out how much the caps will cost.
Already borrowed
$41 million from the state and accepted a $105 million federal grant. (
Vote on Thursday, will make sure these two actually get approved).
What if the caps never get built?
Question 4: You said the highway caps could cost up to $1.1 billion. How does that compare to other similar projects?
Austin is on the more expensive side.
Dallas spent $112 million in 2012.
New York City is proposing to spend $2 billion but that’s for 13 caps. They’re getting a better average rate than Austin.