Endorsement: Mayor of Austin
By Catherine Vasquez-Revilla
LA PRENSA is endorsing CELIA ISRAEL because she opposes I-35 expansion and supports a study of alternatives. She has said, “The current plan to expand I-35 is unacceptable. We must embrace a vision that creates meaningful connections between East and West Austin, buries and caps central Austin, and does not widen the highway.”
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)is planning to reconstruct I-35 between US 290 East and SH 71/Ben White Boulevard as part of the I-35 Capital Express Central Project. Initial plans for the first significant upgrade in 50 years to this approximately 10-mile stretch call for removing the upper decks and lowering the highway between Airport Boulevard and Lady Bird Lake. The Our Future Project will leverage this major State investment to construct new caps (large decks) and stitches (widened bridges) on top of the newly sunken freeway.
Before the construction of I-35, East Avenue was a boulevard known for its park-like, tree-lined medians where people would gather. But in 1928, the city’s Master Plan
identified East Avenue as a dividing line, forcing people of color to live east of the avenue. This was one of many segregation-based policies to divide Austin by race. Others included, convincing the Bishop to move the Catholic Church, refusing to connect electricity for people of color unless their address was on the eastside, separate and unequal schools, housing discrimination etcetera, etcetera, etcetera.
The City of Austin’s Our Future 35 Project acknowledge the injustices of the 1928 Plan and the construction of the highway which became a physical racial barrier. They promote the plan as an opportunity to rectify historic injustices and to reconnect Austin.
But, lest promises become the usual strategy to gain our support for something let’s become engaged and involved in the discussions on the reconstruction of I-35 and make our own decision.
We can begin by electing the right person for mayor. Everything, I have seen, heard, and read about Celia Israel tells me that she is a person we can trust.
We should no longer live in fear of being moved around. Those who were relocated to East Austin beginning in 1928, easily account for half of Austin’s population now, if you include Asian Americans and families from India, Latinos and African Americans.
We are all over Austin and beyond! Let’s use our numbers and Vote Celia Israel for Mayor!
Catherine Vasquez Revilla’s family settled in Austin just west of 10th street in 1905 but were forcibly relocated across I-35 to the Eastside in the early 1930s.
