Lubbock City Council Taking Another Look at Road Bond

Last year, voters in the City of Lubbock rejected a $174.5 million bond proposal for street construction and improvements across the city. Since that time, several factors have changed. Former Councilman Randy Christian held a listening session to hear from citizens on both sides of the proposal, 34th street - a project included in the initial proposal - has been funded, and four new members have been elected to the City Council.

With that in mind, the new Lubbock City Council has decided to start the process of re-examining solutions to address transportation infrastructure needs in Lubbock. During Tuesday night's City Council meeting, a measure was approved to appoint a 13-member citizens advisory committee. This committee would be responsible for bringing recommendations, feedback, and input to the City Council before potentially placing a modified bond proposal on the ballot in the November election. If another bond is called, the preparation work will need to be done on a relatively quick timeline. The final day to call for a bond on the November ballot is August 22, giving the advisory committee and City Council right around two months to finalize a decision.

Ahead of the November 2021 bond election, the Lubbock Chamber conducted a survey finding broad support for widening streets where growth is occurring, making the financial commitment to enhance the City's infrastructure, as well as rebuilding 34th street (which has already been funded separately). Other components such as rebuilding Broadway and using funds to enhance "walkability" for pedestrians received less support. As always, the Chamber will monitor developments with a potential new proposal and work to keep members informed while supporting measures that enhance mobility of people and commerce across our community.