Tensions were high in Austin as a proposal to delay the expansion of Interstate 35 was struck down on Monday. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) voted against the city council's push to postpone funding until the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) completes further environmental studies. In a report by KVUE, Austin Councilmember Alison Alter emphasized the importance of being "fully informed," stating, "Again and again, we have heard that air quality is a major concern."

Despite these concerns, the motion to delay was firmly rejected. Cedar Park Mayor Jim Penniman-Morin argued in favor of pressing forward, claiming that "For a huge swath of our region, this is the best bet to get people out of their cars and give them real commuting actions," KVUE reported. The urgency to alleviate traffic congestion appeared to overrule environmental worries. On the other side, activists like Miriam Schoenfield, from the nonprofit Rethink 35, echoed Councilmember Alter’s environmental apprehensions. Schoenfield told KVUE, "All of the problems we see, the safety problems, the environmental problems, are just going to get worse as a result of this."

The I-35 expansion project, projected to be nearly $5 billion and span over eight years, is a significant concern for many Austinites. Rethink 35 and other opponents have underscored how communities near the highway already face higher rates of asthma and other health issues, a point backed by TxDOT data. Schoenfield expressed a need for TxDOT to not only manage traffic but also protect citizens, underscoring that the EPA has cited unsafe levels of PM2.5 in the region. She also pointed out that expanding the highway would "doubles the size of the highway, and so it would add way more of this pollutant into our atmosphere."

While the proposal was struck down, members of CAMPO have committed to continue to review findings from ongoing studies and work to incorporate those results into the project. According to a video report by YouTube, some members of the public called for delays on the project during the meeting, urging comprehensive improvements in safety and air quality. But as of now, the rejection of the delay indicates a strong will to get the project moving without further ado. TxDOT engineers assert that there is still time to incorporate feedback as environmental studies progress.