For the second time in about a year, Lubbock voters are being asked to invest in major road and street improvement projects.
But this time, unlike with last year’s failed $174.5 million bond package, there’s been more vetting, backing from new leadership and a broader coalition of support for a now $200 million bond package that targets twice as many miles of roadway – at least 22 miles – throughout the city while holding off on an understandably controversial Broadway road project. The new bond package addresses critical needs that can’t wait, including expanding two-lane roadways near schools and paving unpaved streets in east Lubbock.
Early voting starts Monday and ends Nov. 4 ahead of the Nov. 8 election, and we’re encouraging Lubbock voters to make the investment in our future by voting for Proposition A.
Lubbock organizations, PAC call to pass $200M road bond proposition
As a reminder, this new package of 17 road and street projects that voters are being asked to let the city finance through bonds comes after a new mayor – Tray Payne – and City Council voted in August to put the recommendations of a citizens committee to the voters. That committee was appointed by the council over the summer to recommend a way forward after last year’s street bond package was rejected, largely due to concerns over $40 million that would have been earmarked toward a facelift of the expensive red brick streets of Broadway.
This new effort by city leaders has given Lubbock citizens an opportunity to revisit a major financial commitment to critical infrastructure, but this time with a more-public vetting process thanks to the work of the council-appointed citizens advisory committee, later followed by leaders of the Paving Lubbock’s Future PAC featuring members of that committee.
In the last few weeks, the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, West Texas Home Builders Association, Lubbock Association of Realtors, Lubbock Apartment Association, Lubbock Professional Police Association and Lubbock Professional Firefighters Association have all come out in support of the new bond package. They hosted a news conference on Thursday articulating that support.
If approved by voters, the first improvement projects could begin within about a year, with the remainder spread out over the coming five years.
Our view: Council right to move fast on street bond package
Street repairs included in the Nov. 8 election proposition are:
- 34th St. from Ave. Q to I-27 (Reconstruction of this section is ongoing; the bond would fund additional “back-of-curb” improvements)
- 82nd St. from I-27 to MLK Jr. Blvd.
- MLK Jr. Blvd. from 74th St. to 82nd St.
- 34th St. from Quaker Ave. to Slide Rd. (Reconstruction of this section is ongoing; the bond would fund additional “back-of-curb” improvements)
- 146th St. from Quaker Ave. to Indiana Ave.
- 114th St. from Indiana Ave. to University Ave.
- 98th St. from Alcove Ave. to Upland Ave.*
- Upland Ave. from 34th St. to 50th St.*
- 66th St. from Alcove Ave. to Upland Ave.*
- 114th St. from Frankford Ave. to Slide Rd.
- Upland Ave. from 50th St. to 66th St.
- Upland Ave. from 4th St. to 19th St.*
- Milwaukee Ave. from 4th St. to the north city limits*
- Upland Ave. from 34th St. to 19th St.
- 34th St. from Milwaukee Ave. to Upland Ave.
*An asterisk indicates the project is adjacent to a school.
Council OKs street bond election, but some disappointed over Broadway
If approved, the $200 million bond package is expected to add about $16 annually to the average home’s city of Lubbock property tax bill.
While the committee’s proposal features some projects from last year’s bond package, it also added two neighborhood projects, including reconstructing several streets in the Dunbar-Manhattan Heights neighborhood and paving unpaved streets in council districts one and two.
When the council voted to move forward with the new bond package, a number of citizens expressed their disappointment that repairs to Broadway were left out. While many will understandably look at the large price tag or question why some road projects were prioritized over others, we commend the council for following the recommendations of the citizens committee it tasked with identifying the needs earlier this summer.
We’re also encouraged that Mayor Payne and other council members expressed interest in having a continued dialogue on options to improve Broadway.
“I want to re-emphasize what we discussed last week … that we don’t want to bury our heads in the sand on this project,” Payne said during a council meeting in August. “We will be looking at mechanisms to get (Broadway) done.”
It’s critical that city leaders follow through on this commitment to Broadway, as well as general maintenance on other roadways in the city.
15 takeaways from the City of Lubbock’s proposed FY23 budget
We’re encouraged that city leaders have placed additional priority on maintaining the streets we have. The Fiscal Year 2022-23 budget included an additional $1 million for road and street maintenance – raising that total part of the budget to $12 million. That comes after city leaders last year raised that amount from $10 million to $11 million.
As we’ve stated before, paying for new, expanded roadways only goes so far if we’re not willing to invest in the roads and streets we already have.
