Rethink35 announced this week that it plans to file suit against the Texas Department of Transportation later this year or in early 2024. The group, which opposes the proposed expansion of Interstate 35 through downtown, dropped an earlier lawsuit against the project in June. “Despite overwhelming opposition from the public and elected leaders, TxDOT has refused to listen and instead is opting to push on with a massive, damaging, and wasteful highway expansion,” said Rethink35 Board President Adam Greenfield in a statement to the press. “TxDOT’s unwillingness to substantively respond to and address the thousands of concerns about the plan give us no choice but to file a lawsuit.” The group cites a study that they conducted with the Restart Lone Star Rail District that found more than 75 percent of public comments submitted to TxDOT’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement opposed expansion of the highway.
Elizabeth Pagano is the editor of the Austin Monitor. More by Elizabeth Pagano