This $5,000 advocacy grant will help the Austin Metro Trails and Greenways (ATMG) organization to promote a new transportation bond package, which is up for voter approval in November. Included in the bond package is $20 million in funding for a diverse mix of 15 bike and pedestrian projects—totaling more than 50 miles of facilities. Projects will include bike lanes, trails, parking, an underpass, a bridge, and streetscape improvements, and will increase bicycling in underserved areas by improving bike connections in lower-income neighborhoods. Many of the projects will connect to existing trails—popular with Austin residents for both recreational and transportation riding—such as the Lance Armstrong Crosstown Bikeway and the Barton Creek Greenbelt, significantly improving the integration of Austin’s regional trail network. After the November election is over, this grant will also help ATMG build community support for future bicycling initiatives.

Austin, Texas