The Austin Chamber of Commerce announced today that it is launching a new educational initiative called Take on Traffic. This effort is a coalition of concerned citizens lead by the Chamber of Commerce to promote a comprehensive regional transportation plan for the future of Texas. In the next five years alone, 130,000 cars will be added to Austin’s streets – nearly 500 cars every week.

“Austin is currently ranked worst in traffic congestion among all mid-sized cities in the U.S., and it is only going to get worse,” said Gary Farmer, Chair of Take on Traffic and 2006 Chair of Opportunity Austin. “Unless we take action now to move in a new direction, our economy, our environment and our quality of life are at risk.”

Take on Traffic is focused on promoting a complete and comprehensive regional transportation plan that includes new roads, new toll roads, new rapid bus service, new passenger rail lines and other effective modes of mass transit.

Take on Traffic is looking at ways that we can have more transparency over planning and management of our transportation, and more accountability to tax payers. The Chamber recently passed a resolution that calls for an oversight committee to review how transportation funding is spent, and ensuring that Texas roads are owned by Texas citizens. The Chamber will work with local state representatives and senators to make these changes and others that are called for in this recent resolution.

“Thousands of small and independent businesses like mine are dependent on being able to move throughout the community,” said Bobby Jenkins, Owner of ABC Pest and Lawn Services. “Service providers and businesses that make deliveries need a comprehensive transportation system to ensure we can service our customers at a reasonable price.”

The goal is to create a realistic comprehensive plan that will face up to the tough funding choices. The projected shortfall for Central Texas funding over the next 25 years is $10 billion. Road building costs have skyrocketed, increasing 25 percent in 2005 alone. Among the funding options that need to be discussed are whether to increase the gas tax, increase the sales tax, add new property tax or toll new capacity on our roads to make up for the lack of funds. For more information about Take on Traffic and transportation plans for the region, visit the Web site at www.takeontraffic.com. Improving regional mobility is a long-term priority of Opportunity Austin, the Chamber’s five-year initiative to create 72,000 new jobs by 2008.