Environmental Impact

Capping the highway isn’t just about adding green space—it’s about reshaping the urban climate. Green infrastructure on the caps can help cool city temperatures by reducing the heat trapped by concrete and asphalt, especially in dense urban areas. This also contributes to improved air quality and more comfortable outdoor conditions for residents and visitors alike.

The caps will offer safe, inviting spaces for walking, biking, and micromobility options like e-scooters, encouraging more people to choose low-emission travel—especially for trips under three miles. This shift away from car use reduces vehicle emissions, improves local air quality, and offers healthier, more active transportation choices for everyone.

Construction materials like concrete and steel do carry an emissions footprint, but the long-term gains from this project can more than offset that impact. There are real opportunities to reduce and even neutralize these emissions—through strategies like low-carbon construction materials, carbon-sequestering landscaping, and solar integration. With thoughtful design, the caps can become a net positive for climate resilience.

Capping I-35 offers a powerful opportunity to attract outside funding—from state and federal infrastructure programs to private and philanthropic partners. These diverse funding sources can reduce the city’s financial burden while delivering significant returns across climate, community, and economic priorities. Over time, the new green space and pedestrian access will help fuel local economic growth by drawing foot traffic, supporting small businesses, and increasing tax revenue to fund citywide initiatives.

For decades, I-35 has divided neighborhoods and limited mobility. This project can help repair that damage—both physically and symbolically—by stitching communities back together with continuous, welcoming public space. The new parks can promote equity and access by creating vibrant, inclusive places for gathering, movement, and connection at the heart of the city.

Some argue that parks could be better placed elsewhere—but downtown green space is rare, and uniquely powerful. Capping the highway creates a chance to reimagine a central stretch of Austin as a healthier, more livable environment. These parks won’t just serve those nearby—they’ll become shared spaces for the entire city, supporting physical and mental well-being while helping reduce heat, improve air quality, and encourage low-emission transportation options like walking, biking, and scooters.