Farm&City

We work in the field of Texas public policy changing public opinion, improving data collection, analysis, and interpretation, defining feasible policy options, and empowering the people of Texas to obtain the quality of life they deserve. Our major programs at this time are Vision Zero Texas, Growing Weirder, One Thousand Texans for Transit, and Decide Texas.

We want to end traffic deaths and serious injuries in Texas. To get there, we want every city, county, metropolitan planning organization in Texas and the state itself to have a Vision Zero Action Plan to end traffic deaths.

We want to dramatically increase funding for transit in Texas, through dedicated state funding for transit in our major metros and local options for regional safe, multimodal transportation plans. We want less than 50% single occupant vehicle commute share by 2050.

We want humans to get to live in Texas metropolitan regions forever, which requires Regional Transportation Plans optimized for future growth scenarios that are sustainable and equitable, along with local land development code reform.

We want The voting members of the various entities of the Texas transportation decision making system generally represent the socioeconomics of the people of Texas and every kid could to have the potential make their way to every position of power in Texas.

We don’t want ten people to die every day in the Texas transportation system. Safe speed policy, comprehensive safety measures, & structural changes to how we approach transportation planning & funding is at stake if we seize this opportunity. Solving this crisis is complex & requires a thoughtful openness followed by action from governments & communities across the state.

To achieve our goals for Vision Zero Texas, we will engage the following strategies:

- Share our ideas through social media, publications, & other outlets like Streetblog Texas.
- Engage in the Texas Strategic Highway Safety Plan & other state processes.
- Build the Vision Zero Texas Catalyst Network of local leaders across the state.
- Maintain an independent analytical research & storytelling entity.

Around 2050, the population of humans on this planet is expected to level out. By then, we need to be ready for about 50 million Texans. The Fifty Million Texans project combines smart growth, inclusive regional planning, the paradigm shift in transportation planning, & modernizing local development codes into an equitable, sustainable vision for the future of the Texas metropolis. We are focused on Austin for two years, & will replicate the campaign for each metro region.

To achieve our goals for 50 Million Texans, we will:

- Speak maps to power, gather & disseminate useful data and research.
- Explain complex public policy issues in meaningful stories for the general public.
- Empower citizens & elected officials to dramatically shift regional vision and policies.
- Make the case for a dramatic shift to inclusive, walkable urban development.

The Texas Transportation decision making system has seven major decision making entities: the Governor and Legislature, the Texas Transportation Commission, the Texas Department of Transportation, the MPOs, Cities & counties, & local agencies like RMAs. All of these decision-making points remain dominated by white men. This structure does not seem to be delivering optimal decisions for the taxpayers, residents, & cost-bearers of these decisions such as low-income communities, the environment, & the economy.

To achieve our goals for Decide Texas, we will:

- Document how equitable representation & better information can make Texas decision-making more efficient.
- Continue to build basic research on disparate impacts & data on representation.
- Present the story of Decide Texas to groups across Texas, including the legislature.

Texas needs to find a way to dedicate funding to public transportation, & to ensure that all we are most efficiently using our existing funding to provide the most benefits to the most Texans.

To achieve our goals for 1,000 Texans for Transit, we will:

- Work with the legislature
- Work with neighborhoods, cities, counties, & regions
- Analyze transit ideas & solutions & make them stronger
- Spread ideas & solutions

We are a small nonprofit that does very big things, through collaborations across the state, unique research and communications strategies, and our vertical and horizontal integration across Texas public policy arenas. Vertically, we work at all levels of government and community, including city, county, MPO, and state governments in Texas and collaborating with neighborhood groups to international nonprofits. Horizontally, we work across many related policy arenas and bring expertise across silos, primarily focused on transportation, urban planning, sustainability, and equity.

Some of the victories that Farm&City has significantly contributed in our first two years:

- TXDOT adoption of safe systems approach.
- Texas Transportation Commission adoption of a zero fatality goal.
- Texas Transportation Commission doubling safety funding with an additional $300 million a year.
- Austin's Capital Metro adding Pleasant Valley back into Project Connect – now proposed as a BRT lite line – based on our equity research.
- Travis County changing its system for appointing representatives to commissions, such as the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, in reaction to our report on equity issues with CAMPO representation.
- City of Austin adoption of a comprehensive speed management program.
- The City of Laredo adopting Vision Zero.
- The City of Houston adopting Vision Zero.
- The Texas Strategic Highway Safety Plan includes meaningful speed management, Vision Zero, and multimodal features.
- Capital Metro moved forward with Cap ReMap, providing greater access to bus transit for people across Austin, including greater access for people of color and low income residents.
- The 2018 City of Austin bond includes $20 million for sidewalks and $15 million for Vision Zero.
- CAMPO begins work on a Regional Safety Plan for the Austin region.