District 4 City Councilman Greg Casar listens to residents from his district discuss traffic problems in the area.[/caption] District 4 Councilman Greg Casar knows one meeting cannot solve the city's transportation woes. Instead, he used a town hall meeting April 13 to focus on things he could change, such as improving bus routes, expanding bike trails and, most notably, discussing whether the city should take ownership of North Lamar Boulevard, which is currently owned by the Texas Department of Transportation. Casar said TxDOT aims to move as many vehicles as quickly as possible on its roadways. In the case of North Lamar, he said that has resulted in a dangerous, substandard road. "It would cost $4 million just to bring the pavement up to the city standard of what the pavement should be," Casar said, adding drainage, sidewalks and other upgrades would total about $80 million. Casar said he wants to identify transportation problems in the district and work to solve two or three of the top problems before his two-year term expires. "I didn't want to make these decisions top-down," he said. About 40 residents from throughout District 4 in North Austin split into three discussion groups to identify what problems Casar's office should prioritize in terms of public transportation, neighborhood-specific roadways and the portion of North Lamar north of US 183. "North of 183, we really have some severe challenges," Casar said. District 4 Policy Director John Lawler said in November 2012, voters approved allocating $15 million for roadway improvements on both North Lamar and Burnet Road; however, the money does not have to be evenly divided between the two roads and could be allocated toward just one roadway. A handout provided at the meeting indicates the city is studying how best to divide the bond money. The handout lists reasons the money should be allocated to North Lamar, such as how there are twice as many accidents involving pedestrian and car-crash fatalities on North Lamar as there are on Burnet. Casar said Austin maintains responsibility for most major urban corridors. "We could just ask TxDOT to stop having responsibility for the road, and we take on that responsibility," he said. In discussion groups none of the residents present were outspokenly opposed to the city taking ownership of North Lamar. Instead, they talked about problems on the road, such as jaywalking, speeding, inadequate lighting and unsafe bike lanes. District 4 Outreach Director Braden Latham-Jones, who led the North Lamar discussion group, said most attendees agree the road is dangerous for pedestrians and favored acquiring the roadway from TxDOT. "What I got from most conversations was we were really willing to get that [North Lamar] back," he said. In other discussion groups, residents called for a revamp of bus routes, extended bus operation hours and equity in bus fares. Local problems include lack of bike lanes, trail connectors and lighting in neighborhoods throughout the district. Lawler, who led the discussion of neighborhood-specific issues, said new sidewalks will be constructed along Powell and Clayton lanes and Berkman Drive. "Also, there's going to be a park [on Powell Lane] very soon, fully-funded," Casar added. Casar said he plans to organize a working group focused on North Lamar north of US 183, and invites residents to join the group. "There's so much we can do on the micro-level," he said. "There's only so much big change we can make, especially in a two-year term." He urged residents to stay active in transportation discussions. "If there are places where you see a need, we are committed to working with you," he said.