This is a pretty cool project – http://www.stimuluswatch.org/. You can vote on what you think should be stimulus priorities. So here goes with mine:

Boardwalk on Lady Bird Lake – so important. If you don’t think so try heading East from South Congress on the hike and bike trail. Then try not to get hit by a car as you walk through the lovely Austin American Statesman parking lot. Also enjoy the exhaust as you go over IH-35. Mmmmm…. tasty.

Waller Creek Tunnel Project – not as critical to me, but it would be nice to not have a river of basically sewage running through the middle of downtown Austin. I’m not as passionate about having a river walk as I am about having a nice way to get from the middle of downtown to the hike and bike trail easily. I always feel weird running through the middle of downtown in my running clothes.

Burnet Road Sidewalk Project – I am passionate about sidewalks. Because I really want them to be there when I need them.

East 7th Street upgrades – This is one of the main entryways to East Austin. Having spent a lot of time at the Off Center I can tell you that there are a lot of accidents and problems on this road. I believe this is also where we’ve had a number of child fatalities crossing the road. This is near a grocery store too, so we’re talking about sidewalks that get used.

North Lamar Sidewalk Project – I’m still passionate about sidewalks. This is also a low income area served by one of the most useful buses in Austin. The ADA accessibility is a must. I have trouble on a lot of these sidewalks in town with a jogging stroller. I don’t want to think about it with a wheelchair.

South 1st Street Side Walks – People actually walk on this street. A lot. Why don’t we have awesome sidewalks…?

Roy Guerrero Colorado River Park – This is in my neighborhood so I’m biased, but it does essentially extend the hike and bike trail to 183. And it’s just a beautiful park. I highly recommend it. We saw deer last time we were there. I can’t wait for the trail to be finished. While I like Town Lake, the natural beauty of the Colorado River is truly stunning.

Bowie Street Bicycle and Pedestrian Tunnel – Again, I highly believe that people don’t walk when they can’t get places. Build them tunnels and they will use them. I believe this is part of the Waller Creek plan.

William Cannon Sidewalk from Pleasant Valley to IH-36 Again, lots of poorer people. Multiple traffic fatalities. This is just a no brainer. The fact that you can’t walk from your house to the grocery store in the area is just ridiculous.

Brodie Lane Sidewalks from Travis County Line to Slaughter – I believe in sidewalks, what can I say. This just makes sense as Brodie has become like the Lamar of Far South Austin.

Lamar Street Bridge Lighting – I’m trying to figure out why people would vote against lighting the Lamar Street Bridge. This is really important for pedestrians in the winter months and when it’s foggy over the river.

AISD – Provide Access to Broadband to Low Income Students – As someone who makes a lot of money due to the fact that my parents had a computer and modem when I was very young, I strongly support efforts to get low income students access to technology.

Cap Metro – More Buses – I cannot argue with Cap Metro having more buses. More buses mean more trips. More trips mean more convenience. More convenience means more people using the bus.

Cap Metro – Rails and Trails – Add hike and bike trails along the red line. I think this is one of the best ideas I’ve seen in a long time. Even though I may disagree with how useful the red line is, having a hike and bike trail that cuts through Austin in this manner is a great idea. It would make riding your bike into town from Leander feasible and safe. It would make it trivial to walk from a restaurant downtown to see a show at the Off Center.

Cap Metro Signage Project – This is extremely important. The idea is to create a unique ID for each bus stop in Austin. You could then call a number to find out schedule times based on the exact stop you’re at. You’d memorize your home stop number and you’d never be lost again. This will improve service and make it easier to ride CapMetro.

So tell me, what would your priorities be? Which of mine do you think are silly?