Last week, urbanist organization AURA and other nonprofit partners hosted an early candidate forum for those running to replace veteran City Council Member Alison Alter in District 10. After Alter’s two terms, one of Austin’s wealthiest districts is now looking for a new representative. Ashika Ganguly – a former teacher and legislative director for state Rep. John Bucy III – was the only candidate in attendance after Marc Duchen declined the invitation.
Ganguly began by addressing housing affordability, emphasizing the need for diverse housing options. “We need more diverse housing options at every rung of the socioeconomic ladder,” she said. In an effort to preserve D10’s “quiet residential feel,” Ganguly will not advocate for high-rises within West Austin, emphasizing “more diverse housing options while still maintaining that neighborhood feel.”
Ganguly touched on the homeless services within the city, stating that many nonprofits and city projects are doing impactful work, but some of their efforts seem disjointed. She said a lot of money has been used inefficiently. Ganguly believes that preventive or front-end homeless services are the most effective. “If you catch someone on the brink of homelessness, or in the first 10 days of being on the street, having them in short-term transitional housing is much more successful,” she said. (She did not reference any particular nonprofit, city project, or initiative addressing the homelessness issue.)
Ganguly said she will pursue policies incentivizing walkable communities, green buildings, passive solar design, and energy-efficient units. She expressed strong support for Vision Zero (the city’s project to reduce deaths on the road), and she pointed to the positive safety outcomes of the successful pilot project on Barton Springs Road. When deciding where to put protected bike lanes, Ganguly wants to “meet people where they are already at,” a phrase said repeatedly throughout the forum. For her, that means protected bike lanes on major roadways and pedestrian urban trails.
Ganguly is a staunch supporter of Project Connect. She believes that if Austin is to continue growing, we must follow in the footsteps of other metropolitan cities and have a reliable rail line. When discussing the implementation of public transit, Ganguly, again, stated that “We must meet people where they are already at,” and build the rail lines in high-density areas, noting that some places in D10 are not dense enough for a rail line to be economically feasible.
When questioned about the contentious I-35 expansion, she acknowledged its complexities but pointed out there is little evidence that highway expansions alleviate traffic congestion. She emphasized support for the “I-35 Cap and Stitch” project to place pedestrian-friendly public land over the new highway.
The election is Nov. 5, 2024.
This article appears in July 19 • 2024.