Bill Aleshire, the attorney representing the owner of Dirty Martin's, said that the Via system could fulfill promised routes at a fraction of the cost, eliminating the need for property demolition, while expressing concern over the exclusion of the rail line to the airport and its impact on East Austin. Aleshire was a guest on a recent episode of the Texas Talks Podcast.

"The Via system costs $23,704 per rider," said Aleshire on a recent edition of the Texas Talks Podcast. "If you did that in Austin, used a bus system, could still do the entire routes that voters were promised for a fraction of the cost. As it turns out, you wouldn't need to bulldoze Dirty Martin's or other places if you're using dedicated street lanes that you already have available."

“The other big thing that's occurred, and really a concern for my other clients in this case as well, is what they're doing to East Austin," said Aleshire. “They're no longer taking the rail line to the airport.”

Bill Aleshire is the attorney representing the owner of Dirty Martin's in a lawsuit against the City of Austin over Project Connect. The lawsuit challenges the city's handling of the project's implementation and funding, which threatens the displacement of over 302,000 Austin residents and numerous businesses. To address concerns, Nemir and others advocate for legislative action, proposing the "No Blank Checks Act" to mandate voter oversight and full disclosure of Project Connect's costs and impacts.

Texas Talks podcast is hosted by Brad Swail. The weekly show is focused on public policy in the state of Texas, with insights from the people and organizations that influence it.

The podcast is available on Simple Cast and YouTube.