Mayor says Austin roads need $500-million in improvements
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Austin roads could use a $500-million makeover, according to Mayor Lee Leffingwell.
Leffingwell said the city should start tackling the road problems and other transportation improvement projects right away, with the use of a $100-million transportation bond.
"Our transportation congestion problems are important to all Austinites. We've been the most congested mid-size city in America for almost a decade now. We're not any longer, but only because we're not a mid-size city anymore. We're now in the large city category," he said.
Leffingwell also said the city can get started on the projects, without raising the tax rate.
Low-interest rates and other factors have freed up some of the city's bonding capacity. Mayor Leffingwell said the city could bond about $200-million without increasing the tax rate.
City council will appoint a nine-member committee to pare down the priority list.