05 Draft Recommendation 20251202-005: 2026 Bond — original pdf

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BOARD/COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION Urban Transportation Commission Recommendation 20251202-005: 2026 Bond WHEREAS, the aforementioned City Council Resolution further directed the City Manager to relay input received from the Urban Transportation Commission, among other bodies, to the BETAF and City Council; WHEREAS, City Council Resolution No. 20240718-093 directed the City Manager to develop “a comprehensive bond package that funds and addresses climate, infrastructure, and any other public improvements for the purpose of conducting an election no later than November 2026;” WHEREAS, City Council Resolution No. 20240829-138 created the Bond Election Advisory Task Force (BEATF) to “identify and prioritize bond funding for projects that will address infrastructure needs including climate investment opportunities necessary to implement a comprehensive climate implementation program;” DRAFT WHEREAS, the Austin Capital Delivery Services Department has organized a Project Review Board to evaluate projects for the forthcoming 2026 Bond and indicated at the September 2nd, 2025 UTC Meeting that a recommendation from the UTC would be best received before January 2026; WHEREAS, the City of Austin’s commitment to Vision Zero has seen early signs of success, with a slight decrease in fatalities on City-owned roadways while fatalities on state-owned roadways have sharply increased; WHEREAS, the 2026 Bond Development Initial Project Request List included 10 projects and programs from Austin Transportation & Public Works (ATPW) totaling $925,200,000; WHEREAS, the ATPW long-term Key Performance Indicator of percent of lane miles in the City’s Street Inventory in Fair to Excellent Condition has dropped from 75% in FY21 to 68.5% in FY25; WHEREAS, both the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (ASMP) & the Austin Climate Equity Plan set the goal of achieving a 50/50 mode-split goal with 50% of people walking, bicycling, taking transit, or using other non drive-alone mode to work by 2039; WHEREAS, on November 30, 2023 the City Council adopted amendments to the ASMP creating a new Bicycle, Urban Trails, and Sidewalks, Shared Streets and Crossing Plan, collectively referred to as ATX Walk-Bike-Roll, setting the following build-out goals: 340 miles of new sidewalks and 200 miles of shared streets) ● Expand the All Ages and Abilities Bikeways Network to 660 miles by 2033; ● Construct all 94 miles of Tier 1 Urban Trails by 2043; ● Address all Very High and High priority sidewalks and shared streets by 2033 (Approx. WHEREAS, in commenting on the Environmental Investment Plan, UTC Recommendation 20240305-006 noted that a $188.8 million investment was needed to keep the ATX Walk-Bike-Roll Buildout Plans on track through 2028; WHEREAS, in Recommendation No. 20241001-005 the UTC recommended that the City Council “adopt Transit Enhancement funding in all future transportation bond cycles” and that the “Bond Election Advisory Task Force evaluate opportunities to invest in Transit Enhancement projects and [include] funding for transit in its final recommendation to the City Council”; DRAFT NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends, as mobility infrastructure is heavily reliant on consistent bond funding, the BEATF & Project Review Board follow established precedent from past Public Improvement Bonds (2006-2022) and allocate 48% of any 2026 Bond for mobility infrastructure, allowing a maximum mobility bond of $331,200,000; WHEREAS, funding from previous bonds allocated toward named projects, such as the Dougherty Arts Center and the various Corridors projects, has been underspent and not resulted in comparable results to programmatically defined bond funding; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends that the BEATF & Project Review Board prioritize mobility programs that align with three core strategic goals for the City of Austin and Austin Transportation & Public Works: WHEREAS, transportation represents the largest share of Austin’s greenhouse gas emissions, and thus presents the greatest opportunity for climate investment; 1. Reducing the number of people hurt or killed by traffic crashes to zero (Imagine Austin Comprehensive Plan, Austin Strategic Mobility Plan); 2. Achieving a 50/50 mode-split goal with 50% of people walking, bicycling, taking transit, or using other non drive-alone mode to work by 2039 (Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, Austin Climate Equity Plan); and 3. 80% of the City's total lane miles are rated in fair to excellent condition (ATPW Long-Term Key Performance Indicator); BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends the BEATF and Project Review Board move forward with the following mobility investments in the 2026 Bond: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends the BEATF & Project Review Board consider a program’s previous bond performance when considering prioritizing investments in the 2026 Bond (See Appendix A for evaluation); Investment in Safety - $78.2 Million Subprograms Vision Zero: $58.7 million (Initial Project Request: $65 million) Aligned Plan: 2016-2018 Vision Zero Action Plan, 2025 Update Aligned Goal: Decrease traffic fatalities and serious injuries on Austin streets (ASMP, Safety Target) Previous Bond Performance: 2016 ($15 million, 99.8% Obligated); 2018 ($15 million, 90.1% Obligated), 2020 ($65 million, 66.18% Obligated) DRAFT Safe Routes to School: $20 million (Initial Project Request: $20 million) Aligned Plan: 2019 Safe Routes to School Citywide Summary Report (City Council-initiated update coming in 2026) Aligned Goal: Recognize the expanding needs of different users and modes on the transportation network (ASMP, Safety Culture Policy 4) Previous Bond Performance: 2016 ($27.5 million, 99.42% Obligated), 2020 ($20 million, 80.85% Obligated) Investment in ATX Walk-Bike-Roll - $186 Million Subprograms Sidewalks: $81 million (Initial Project Request: $81 million) Aligned Plan: 2023 Sidewalks, Shared Streets, and Crossings Plan Aligned Goal: Complete 100% of all missing very high- and high-priority sidewalks and shared streets by 2033 (ASMP, Pedestrian Network Target) Previous Bond Performance: 2016 ($37.5 million, 100.71% Obligated), 2018 ($20 million, 100% Obligated), 2020 ($80 million, 88.7% Obligated) Bikeways: $40 million (Initial Project Request: $40 million) Aligned Plan: 2023 Bicycle Plan Aligned Goal: Increase the linear miles of all ages and abilities facilities, completing 660 miles by 2033 (ASMP, Bicycle Target) Previous Bond Performance 2016 ($20 million, 101.4% Obligated), 2020 ($40 million, 72.8% Obligated) Urban Trails $53.2 million (Initial Project Request: $80 million) Aligned Plan: 2023 Urban Trails Plan Aligned Goal: Increase the linear miles of Tier 1 Urban Trails & complete 100% of Tier 1 Urban Trails by 2043 (ASMP, Urban Trails Target) Previous Bond Performance: 2016 ($26 million, 100.5% Obligated); 2018 ($3 million, 66.5% Obligated); 2020 ($80 million, 56% Obligated) Note: 4 years of funding is recommended due to the projected closeout of the 2020 bond in 2030. DRAFT Investment Roadway Conditions - $66.5 Million Subprograms Street Reconstruction & Rehabilitation Program: $66.5 million (Initial Project Request: $194 million) Aligned Plan: N/A Aligned Goal: Decrease the lane miles of City streets in poor or failing condition (ASMP, Condition of Infrastructure Target) Previous Bond Performance: 2018 ($66.5 million, 95.3% Obligated) Note: The recommended funding level is in-line with the previous 2018 bond. Transit Enhancement $11.8 million (Initial Project Request $19 million) Aligned Plan: 2024 Transit Enhancement Infrastructure Report Aligned Goal: Increase the number of transit priority treatments at intersections along the Transit Priority Network (ASMP, Public Transportation Target) Previous Bond Performance: 2020 ($19 million, 61.2% Obligated) Note: The recommended funding level takes into account unobligated funding from the 2020 bond. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends that APTW develop a Street and Bridge Rehabilitation Plan as an amendment to the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (similar in scope to the Bicycle Plan, Urban Trails Plan, etc.) to include the following: ● An inventory of current road conditions and future projections; ● An equity and need-based prioritization plan; ● The total funding required to get 80% of lane miles and bridges in good or fair condition by 2039 or 2045; ● A funding stack that includes the use of Transportation User Fee funds, Street Impact Fee funds, and grants to achieve that goal by 2039 or 2045; and ● Consideration for how other mobility goals can align with street reconstruction (i.e., make bikeway, transit, and sidewalk improvements when re-constructing a roadway); BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends that ATPW prioritize funding for the Sixth Street Mobility and Revitalization Project through programmatic funding in the 2026 Bond, including Sidewalks, Bikeways, Street Reconstruction, and Vision Zero; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends the BEATF and the Project Review Board de-prioritize the $61.2 million in requested funding for the Bridge Rehabilitation & Reconstruction Program, as the program has only obligated $13.23 million (26.46%) of the $50 million allocated in the 2018 Bond and is not projected to close out the bond until Q4 2030; DRAFT BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends that bond funding for mobility projects be allocated toward defined departmental programs with council-approved plans and equity and needs-based prioritization tools, rather than named projects, to ensure projects can be delivered within the 6-year bond cycle. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the UTC recommends the BEATF and the Project Review Board de-prioritize the $285 million requested for the Complete Streets program due to a lack of a Complete Streets Plan and a lack of clarity as to how the program will differ from other ATPW programs; and Appendix A: Link to data here. Data through Q3 2025. Un-Obligated Obligated % Bikeways Obligated Allocated 2016 $20,000,000.00 -$275,502.46 $20,275,502.46 101.38% 2018 $0.00 2020 $40,000,000.00 $10,875,417.51 $29,124,582.49 72.81% Total $60,000,000.00 $10,599,915.05 $49,400,084.95 82.33% Bridges & Structures Allocated Obligated Un-Obligated Obligated % 2016 2018 $50,000,000.00 $13,230,644.42 $36,769,355.58 26.46% 2020 Total $50,000,000.00 $13,230,644.42 $36,769,355.58 26.46% Transit Enhancement Safe Routes to School 2016 2018 2020 Total 2016 2018 2020 $19,000,000.00 Total $19,000,000.00 61.19% 61.19% Allocated Allocated Obligated Obligated Obligated % Obligated % $159,977.63 Un-Obligated Un-Obligated $27,500,000.00 $7,373,681.17 $11,626,318.83 $7,373,681.17 $11,626,318.83 DRAFT $8,799,054.06 $128,700,945.94 $9,063,681.17 $70,936,318.83 -$266,508.67 $37,766,508.67 $1,881.56 $19,998,118.44 $137,500,000.00 $80,000,000.00 $20,000,000.00 $37,500,000.00 $20,000,000.00 $47,500,000.00 $27,340,022.37 $16,170,042.00 $43,510,064.37 $3,829,958.00 $3,989,935.63 Un-Obligated Un-Obligated Obligated % Obligated % Obligated Obligated Allocated Allocated 100.71% 88.67% 93.60% 99.99% 99.42% 91.60% 80.85% $0.00 2016 2018 2020 Total 2016 Street Reconstruction Sidewalks 2018 $66,500,000.00 $3,135,956.87 $63,364,043.13 95.28% 2020 Total $66,500,000.00 $3,135,956.87 $63,364,043.13 95.28% Urban Trails Allocated Un-Obligated Obligated Obligated % 2016 $26,000,000.00 -$141,344.26 $26,141,344.26 100.54% 2018 $3,000,000.00 $1,004,259.42 $1,995,740.58 66.52% 2020 $80,000,000.00 $35,167,380.70 $44,832,619.30 56.04% Total $109,000,000.00 $36,030,295.86 $72,969,704.14 66.94% Total 2020 2018 2016 75.27% 66.18% 90.09% 99.80% Allocated Obligated Obligated % Un-Obligated Vision Zero $95,000,000.00 $65,000,000.00 $15,000,000.00 $15,000,000.00 $30,676.88 $14,969,323.12 $1,487,024.07 $13,512,975.93 $23,498,152.37 $71,501,847.63 $21,980,451.42 $43,019,548.58 Motioned by: Seconded by: Date of Approval: Record of the vote: DRAFT Attest: _____________________________________________ (Staff or board member can sign)