The Problem

Anyone who drives into or around downtown Austin knows that traffic congestion is a worsening problem, especially at major intersections. At the same time, we all know first-hand how difficult it can be to park downtown. The link between the two problems is clear. But, traffic congestion and a deficit of parking spaces downtown isn’t just an abstract annoyance for a driver sitting in traffic or unable find a place to park – these problems have an amplifying effect and a negative impact on everyone trying to drive in and around the Central Business District (CBD).

While we recognize these concerns intuitively, hard facts bear them out. According to the research we've done, the actual estimated deficit of parking spaces in the CBD right now is about 2,500 spaces. But here's the real problem: our conservative projections suggest that if downtown continues to grow over the next five years at the same pace that it has over the last five years, the deficit of parking spaces will triple to more than 7,500. This real problem today has the potential to grow into a very, very big problem tomorrow, and so RECA looked at ways to try to solve it - ways that would be fast, cheap, and effective.

Access in and out of Austin’s CBD has been a historical problem and often-studied issue. With the river bridges to the south, the Capitol Complex to the north, and the limited number of entrance/exit ramps on/from IH 35 and Loop 1(Mopac), there are simply very few opportunities to enter Austin’s CBD.

Because of these geographical constraints, there are a number of intersections coming into and leaving downtown that are severely congested. Many of these intersections are among the most congested in Austin, operating at Level of Service F, the worst level, during peak rush hours. It is not unusual for drivers to sit through multiple changes in the traffic signal to go through these intersections.

Once into the CBD’s grid street system, traffic flow generally improves. However, a new and ever-increasing problem is now occurring in the very core of the CBD. A big part of the new CBD congestion is now directly related to drivers endlessly criss-crossing the CBD looking for free or inexpensive places to park, if they can find one at all.

Downtown access and available parking are serious problems today. It’s important to recognize that jeopardizing downtown Austin's quality of life isn't just concerning for the people who live and work there; it's concerning to the whole community. A healthy, vibrant downtown exports a tremendous amount of tax revenue to help pay for public services for residents in the outlying suburbs.

And, robust downtown growth – especially residential growth – also helps slow down suburban sprawl and its damaging impacts on our environment and economy. So, making downtown Austin work should be seen as a citywide and even a regional priority that directly impacts our tax burden, our economy, and our environment.

Allowing these concerns to go unaddressed over the next several years will put downtown’s long-term quality of life at risk.