Austin is getting ready to draw up a comprehensive plan, its first since the 1979 Austin Tomorrow comprehensive plan.
I'm sure debates over land-use issues will hijack the planning process. These debates will be pointless because Austinites are divided into fractious groups with irreconcilable visions of what our city should look like. Someone's vision will win out, I suppose, but whatever plan emerges will be under constant attack from the losers.
I think there is one thing a plan could accomplish. We need to prioritize our goals for capital improvements and improvements to city services. A new plan gives us the chance to do that.
Here are some things we can do with our money:
- Improve sidewalks on core transit corridors (South Lamar's are a disgrace).
- Accelerate the construction of sidewalks in neighborhood interiors.
- Increase our budget for improving and resurfacing city streets.
- Add parks.
- Improve existing parks.
- Add traffic lights to better manage traffic and pedestrian crossings.
- Improve bicycle routes.
- Improve library circulation.
- Extend library hours.
- Conduct archaeological digs.
- Bury power lines on key streets.
I'm sure you can come up with many, many other projects.
We obviously must spend money on many of these things no matter our priorities. What I mean, though, is a plan for spending that last $1 million or $10 million of discretionary spending. The money that doesn't have to be spent on a specific project. We need a plan for getting the best returns on that money, and that in turn requires deciding which returns are the "best." Our plan needs priorities, otherwise it will be just a list of stuff we like.
