Transportation is a critical issue – not only to people in Precinct 3, but to the entire region. Gridlock on our roads harms our economy, our environment, and our quality of life.
We must use our existing infrastructure in smarter ways, while also providing a mix of transportation and transit options that go beyond roads alone.
We must design appropriate transportation solutions to individual areas of the district while maintaining a coherent overall vision. Not every solution will work everywhere, but just as neighborhoods in Lakeway have golf-cart lanes, areas in South Travis county may want consistent bike lanes so that they have an option of riding a bicycle to the grocery store safely.
Instead of providing tax incentives for new companies to move to Travis County, we should examine the possibility of providing incentives to companies who take innovative approaches to keeping their employees out of rush hour traffic.
We must begin to think of Precinct 3 as a whole, not just one road or one neighborhood. The district has many different critical needs that all deserve equal attention and Travis County Commissioners’ appointments to regional transportation boards should reflect those different needs.
SH 45 section
SH 45 has been a very divisive issue in our community. Support it or not, neither I nor my opponent will have a say in what happens next with SH45. The county has paid for a portion of the road and the fate of the road now rests with a federal judge. So I am focused upon what happens next.
We must get MOPAC moving. And as we look at what happens with MOPAC as well as 620, 360, Bee Cave Road, Southwest Parkway, and other essential roadways, we need a commissioner who can work with the other commissioners and interests in the community to find solutions without endless lawsuits and delays.
My experience as a professional mediator will allow me to work among the diverse interests in the county to make sure our needs are met with less delay and, ultimately, a lower cost.