Austin’s multi-billion rail line mass transit plan has built a strong lead. With nearly all votes counted, the votes are in favor of Proposition A.

Austin’s Proposition A has Showed High Numbers of Votes

Moreover, the latest returns showed 240,609 have voted for Prop A while 174,668 voted against. In fact, these votes are in favor have a 17 percentage point lead with about 58% of the vote versus about 42% against. The results include Austin voters living in Travis, Williamson, and Hays counties.

Austin’s Proposition A’s Victory was in the Bag

With a massive amount of votes in Prop A coming from early voting, preliminary results from Travis County had Mayor Steve Adler saying Prop A’s victory was inevitable.

“You can state victory right now,” Adler said. “Bottom line, I am just really excited to live in a city that anticipating to its future. One that is saying absolutely that it will not accept the norm.”

Proposition B had a Large Lead

Proposition B is a $460 million pedestrian- and bicyclist-centric transportation bond proposal. It had an even larger lead with 274,070 for and 134,610 against. That in essence amounts to a 34 percentage point lead for votes in favor.

Austin City Council Member Paige Ellis, who was involved in placing Prop B on the ballot, said she was ecstatic by the early vote results.

“It shows voter support having more mobility options other than driving a car,” Ellis said.

Moreover, Proposition A came about from Capital Metro’s Project Connect extensive plan for refinements to Austin’s mass transit system.

Proposition B is an Exhaustive Plan

Valued at $7.1 billion, the plan includes building two light rail lines, a downtown tunnel and multiple rapid bus routes. There is 8.75 cent increase to the city of Austin’s tax rate. It would pay for construction, maintenance and labor of the system. This will take decades to fully to construct.

Its being touted as the largest project Austin voters have ever been asked to approve. Therefore, overshadows previous bond measures that have enjoyed approval in recent years. But unlike bonds, the increase to property taxes that would finance the project forever.