What’s at stake?
This week, City Council is going to decide on whether to fund the “roadway elements” of the I-35 caps. If council votes “no” on Thursday, we will forever be stuck with 18 uncovered highway lanes segregating East and West Austin.

If council votes to fund the roadway elements, it unlocks the opportunity to transform I-35 from a massive canyon into an City asset, allowing for parkland, urban development, affordable housing, etc. similar to the Klyde Warren Park in Dallas, or the Rose Kennedy Greenway in Boston.

It’s a watershed moment.

Why is there opposition?

In short: cost. Given the city’s serious budget constraints and the revocation of federal funding under the Trump administration, Council Member Siegel in particular argues that the city needs to prioritize other urgently needed investments, as it cannot afford to take on more debt without risking its credit rating.

However, the five Council Members supportive of the funding of the roadway elements (Velasquez, Vela, Alter, Qadri, and Harper-Madison) have managed to come up with sufficient alternative funds (such as car rental tax and Convention Center funds that due to their nature cannot be spent on most other things anyway). You can read up on the discussion on the Council Message Board here.

CM Velasquez and three other Council Members others have also made a very compelling case that this investment is not part of a zero sum game. By making this investment now, the city will enable itself to receive many times more funding (federal, state, public-private partnerships, philanthropy, TIRZs, etc.) in the future.


Even if you’d rather not speak, please consider attending the meetings, and especially the Greenways Over Freeways Rally on Tuesday at 12:45pm outside City Hall. Parking is free with a QR code they give you in the atrium.

There are several ways for your to contribute!

1. Attend the “Greenways over Freeways” Rally Today at City Hall at 1pm

Five Council Members are holding a rally at City Hall. Parking is free with a QR code available in the atrium.

2. Register your support(or opposition) to funding the roadway elements, and indicate that you do not wish to speak. (There’s an option on the speaker sign-up form for that.)

Register your position prior to Thursday's Council Meeting in by selecting Items 41, 42, or 43 (doesn’t really matter which, you could select all three)

3. Register to Speak at Thursday’s City Council Meeting
Register to Speak at Thursday's Council Meeting in support of Agenda Items 41, 42, or 43 (doesn’t really matter which, you could sign up for all three)

Speaker registration closes at 10am and closes Wednesday (5/21) at 12:00 pm.

Alternatively, in-person speakers at Council Meetings can register to speak using the City Hall atrium kiosks beginning shortly after noon the day before the meeting until 45 minutes before the meeting is scheduled to begin.

4. Send an Email to all Council Members
Send a message to all Council Members here (it doesn’t have to be long!). By Wednesday night the latest, but really, the sooner the better. Best to do it now!

5. Forward this email to your family and neighbors! Encourage them to get involved!

The City of Austin originally unveiled a vision to cap I-35, reclaiming up to ~26 acres of land. However, City Staff has since recommended a substantially smaller caps project of only 12.5 acres, cutting the highway covered in our neighborhood by over three acres and eliminating the Holly Street portion. Read our neighborhood’s initial response to this proposal here.

A coalition of neighborhoods worked together to create www.fundthecaps.com, where you can learn more about this effort.