By james art LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock voters are currently deciding whether to invest more than a hundred million dollars in their roads. The City Council voted in August to put Proposition A, a $103.4 million proposal, on the ballot.
It will fund seven road projects across the city. Some voters say it’s time to think about Lubbock’s future, while others say now is not the time.
The street bond will pay for work on Broadway, replacing historic brick with concrete and brick pavers at intersections and downtown walkways. It will also rebuild the university from 50th Street to the South Loop in Central Lubbock. Upland Ave. will see a widening from two to five lanes between 98th Street and 114th Street in southwest Lubbock. 34th St. will expand from two to three lanes between Upland Ave. and Alcove Ave. in west Lubbock.
Two sections of the road will be built on 146th Street, from Slide to Quaker and University to Ave. P in south Lubbock. Also there, Boulevard P will be realigned from 130th Street to 146th Street.
Jordan Whitley was on the Citizens Advisory Committee that decided which roads Lubbock should focus on. He then became chairman of the 2024 Lubbock Road Bond PAC.
“I’ve lived in Lubbock my whole life and I’ve really noticed rush hour in the last three or four years. Lubbock traffic is now real. It’s not just a 10-minute commute, now it’s more like a 20-minute commute,” he said.
If passed, average homeowners would see an annual increase of just under $30 per year.
“At its peak, and then it’s going to go off your taxes as the time when the projects are completed, eventually it’s going to go away,” Whitley said. “So our position is that hopefully somebody, those citizens would be willing to pay to save time in Lubbock and get seats faster and safer.”
Dean Clark says the price is too high to pay right now. She is part of the Conservative Action Network, a small group of Lubbock women who meet to discuss politics and take action.
“Oh my God, are we never going to be done with the streets? And we’re way behind, I know the streets are dirty and we need streets, but can we pay for them?” Clark said.
She says there is enough construction already. She fears that big developers are making decisions for ordinary homeowners in the city.
“The average person right now is groceries, gas, rent, all of those things are hitting them pretty hard. Yes, we need streets, but we need to slow down and take care of the little people,” she said.
Lubbock Mayor Mark McBrayer ran his campaign on public safety and keeping taxes low, but says he has to balance the two.
“I understand people’s concerns about Lubbock’s debt, about rising taxes. I share this. I escaped that concern. But some things I say, you know, if your family grows and you don’t have kids and suddenly you have two or three kids, sometimes it makes sense to move to a bigger house. And that might mean you end up paying more for that house, but it makes sense. I think it makes sense for Lubbock … and that’s why I personally support it,” McBrayer said.
Wheatley also stressed that many of the projects are close to schools and will improve drop-off and pick-up times. McBrayer says he understands there are other street needs in other parts of the city, but the current needs are where the city is growing.
“I think for the people, the students, the children, the families that lost their lives on Woodrow Road and the areas along it, that kind of safety concern is at the forefront of my mind, and that’s one of the reasons why I think that is important,” he said.
McBrayer says his opinion is his own. As for the city, he says he’s made his needs clear, but it’s up to Lubbock voters if they want them met now.
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