City of Austin to pay employees not to drive to work

Will Austin's city leaders, who receive $5,400 a year car allowances, give up their cars?

AUSTIN, TEXAS – The City of Austin is off on another scheme to try and deal with traffic. They are planning on paying 450 city employees to leave their cars at home.

The pilot project is being called “Think Outside the Car” and will cost Austin taxpayers $22,500. The idea is to pay city employees $50 a month to leave their car at home and take public transportation or ride a bike to work. The Austin Transportation Department’s Leah Fillion says it will relieve congestion downtown and on I-35.

Will Mayor Lee Leffingwell will be participating in “Think Outside the Car”? Probably not. The mayor receives a $5,400 a year car allowance. So do a number of other high-level city officials including the entire city council.

So, while Austin taxpayers pay the tab for city employees not to drive to work, taxpayers pay for the mayor and the council’s cars that they drive to work. Makes sense right?

Perhaps the mayor and the council could give up their car allowances to pay for the program. That would come to $37,500 in savings to taxpayers. That would pay for the program and put $15,000 back in the bank.

The council can the ride the Metro Rail commuter train or ride a bike on one of the bike paths they built.