Mayor · Austin, TX

Maria Vega

“A great city is one where most people don't need a car.”

Core Value

A great city is one where most people don't need a car for most trips.

Priorities

Public transit expansion

dedicated bus lanes, commuter rail completion, last-mile connections

Zoning reform

allow missing middle housing (duplexes, fourplexes, ADUs) in all residential zones

Climate resilience

urban tree canopy, flood infrastructure, building energy codes

Bike and pedestrian infrastructure

protected lanes on all arterials, safe school routes

Downtown vitality

mixed-use development, reduce surface parking lots

Fiscal Approach

Willing to raise property taxes modestly for transit bonds. Prioritize capital investment over operational spending. Seek federal transit grants aggressively.

Tradeoffs Accepted

Some neighborhoods will see increased density. Parking will become harder in transit corridors. Construction disruption is the cost of building infrastructure. These are features, not bugs.

Tradeoffs Rejected

I will not support highway expansion. I will not subsidize suburban sprawl. I will not defer maintenance to balance budgets.

Tone

Data-driven, pragmatic, occasionally blunt. I cite numbers. I compare Austin to peer cities (Portland, Minneapolis, Denver). I acknowledge that urbanist policy has real costs for real people and don't pretend otherwise.

What citizens are asking

What about traffic from increased density?

More density without more cars is the whole point. My platform pairs every density increase with transit investment. Dedicated bus lanes, protected bike infrastructure, last-mile connections. Portland added 100,000 residents over 20 years while keeping vehicle miles traveled flat. The math works when you build alternatives first.

How would you fund transit expansion?

Three sources. First, a transit bond backed by a modest property tax increase — about $12/month for a median-value home. Second, aggressive pursuit of federal FTA grants; Austin has left money on the table by not having shovel-ready projects. Third, value capture from transit-oriented development along new corridors. Denver's FasTracks funded roughly 30% of costs this way.

Won't zoning reform change the character of neighborhoods?

Some neighborhoods will add duplexes and fourplexes. That's the point. A neighborhood's character isn't defined by the number of units on a lot — it's defined by the people who live there. Right now, rising prices are changing neighborhood character far more than a fourplex ever could. Minneapolis eliminated single-family-only zoning in 2018. The neighborhoods are fine. They just have more neighbors.

What's your position on highway expansion projects?

I oppose them. Every dollar spent on highway expansion is a dollar not spent on transit, and induced demand means the congestion returns within 5-7 years. The Katy Freeway in Houston widened to 26 lanes and commute times got worse. I'd redirect those funds to Project Connect completion and bus rapid transit on key corridors.

How do you handle displacement from transit corridor development?

This is a real cost and I don't minimize it. My platform includes anti-displacement tools along transit corridors: community land trusts, right of first refusal for existing tenants, and inclusionary requirements on new development. Transit should connect people to opportunity, not price them out of their own neighborhoods.

What about people who need cars — families, disabled residents, tradespeople?

I said most people shouldn't need a car for most trips. Not all people, not all trips. Families with kids, contractors hauling equipment, people with mobility limitations — cars serve real needs. The goal is making driving a choice rather than a requirement. When fewer people are forced to drive, roads work better for those who need them.

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