On Election Day, Austin voters approved Propositions A and B, which will add new public transport options to Austin. Proposition A will fund the initial plans for Project Connect, a transit plan that will add two light rail lines, as well as a downtown transit tunnel and expanded bus services. Proposition B approves $460 million for transportation infrastructure, which includes sidewalks, trails, bikeways, and more. 

Controversy arose from Proposition A because the measure will raise the property tax rate to help pay for Project Connect. Opponents to Proposition A, like Travis County Commissioner Gerald Daughtery, argue that a tax increase during the pandemic would hurt Austin businesses.

“With all the constant talk by the city about the lack of affordability in Austin, why would they call for this huge tax increase in the middle of the worst economic time we’ve experienced in our lifetime?” Daughtery wrote in an Austin American-Statesman opinion piece. “As a business partner in several area restaurants, the only thing Prop A would do for those businesses is to increase operating costs above our already thin margins.”

The proposition has broad support among the city government. Mayor Steve Adler and all ten Austin City Council members support Proposition A.

“I’m proud to live in a city that is looking to its future: one not satisfied with the status quo,” Adler said on Facebook. “Austin is pushing to be more sustainable, equitable, and affordable in new and innovative ways.”

According to the Project Connect website, the total length for the project is estimated to take around 13 years. The two new light rail lines are projected to take nine years to complete, and the new commuter line is projected to take three years to be completed.

“The Project Connect System Plan will bring a number of firsts to Austin, including a light rail system that travels under the densest part of the city, improving the speed, on-time performance, reliability and safety of the entire system,” a post from Capital Metro’s website said.