Some Austin City Council members join Rethink35 in opposition to I-35 expansion plan, rail was never considered
August 30, 2023 - kvue.com -
Several members of the Austin City Council are joining the group Rethink35 to speak out against a plan to widen Interstate 35.
Earlier this month, the federal government gave environmental clearance for the I-35 Capital Express Central Project – a step to move the expansion project forward.
The project would lower I-35 main lanes from Oltorf Street to Airport Boulevard. The plan also includes adding two non-tolled high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes and boulevard-style segments through downtown.
But the group Rethink35 has spoken out against the project, saying it won't work and that it forces businesses and homes to move and hurts the environment.
"Some people will keep needing to drive, but so many people want to ride good trains, good busses, good public transportation," said Adam Greenfield with Rethink35. "This project is so behind the times. We're in the middle of a heat dome. We are scorching hot in a heat dome and TxDOT is proposing to lay more heat-trapping asphalt and cause more climate change that will produce even longer heat domes."
Read more: https://www.kvue.com/article/traffic/rethink-35-expansion-austin-council/269-bfde05cf-2e41-4567-bc26-401e799d61ce
Photo credit: TxDOT