Students registered to vote in Austin will be able to vote for or against two transit plans proposed by the city’s officials in the Nov. 3 election.

Here’s a look at what is in the plans.

What is Proposition A?

Proposition A is an approximately $7.1 billion project that will provide funding for a downtown underground transit tunnel, four new rapid bus routes and a light rail system with train lines that will run throughout the city as part of the Project Connect System Plan. 

Two of the lines will run on Guadalupe Street across from UT’s campus.

Jimmy Flannigan, an Austin City Council member, said the proposition is a long-term investment the city has put off for decades.

“It is a plan that covers the region and a plan for the future,” Flannigan said. “It’s the right plan (and) the plan that Austin needs.”

City Council member Greg Casar said one misunderstanding about Proposition A suggests it will create a permanent 25% increase in taxes, but this only applies to the actual city’s portion of taxes. For the average homeowner, he said it would be about a 4% tax increase. 

“It's ultimately more affordable for people to have the option to get on mass transit than for us to continue kicking the can down the road,” Casar said.

Jordan Clements, chairman of UT’s chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas, said he believes the proposition is impractical because of the tax burden.

“(Young Conservatives of Texas) is taking a firm stance against Prop A, not because we are against public transportation, not because of any climate change denial,” finance junior Clements said. “We are against Prop A because it is completely infeasible … and because it will simply stick thousands of Austinites with a property tax bill higher than what they currently (can) afford.”

Brandon Bradley, secretary general of University Democrats, said the proposition was supported unanimously in their caucus.

“(The proposition) reduces traffic, increases mobility for residents, provides jobs and what we were really focused on is that it comes back to the climate crisis as well,” Bradley said. 

What is Proposition B?

Proposition B is a $460 million passage that would fund a variety of projects to improve and add onto existing city infrastructure, including streets, sidewalks and bike lanes. 

City Council member Flannigan said he does not support Proposition B because the bond should be more specific before being voted on.

“It doesn't say which sidewalks or which bike lanes or which trails,” Flannigan said. “I’m not satisfied with that as a process to put a bond on the ballot for voters.”

Clements said his organization stands neutral on the proposition. 

Casar said the proposition goes hand-in-hand with Proposition A, providing a great opportunity to give the city better sidewalks and a bike lane network.

“It's going to make our intersection safer,” Casar said. “It'll make walking around Austin or biking around Austin much safer. … It's really important that we pass both.”

Bradley said students should be invested in this issue.

“Where public transit increases the mobility for the people in Austin, that is something that all people, regardless of their age, should care about,” Bradley said.