[00:00:11]
MADAM CHAIR.THE ROOM IS GETTING FOOLED OR NOW, SO GOOD TO SEE YOU ALL AND I'LL WAIT MASS, SARAH.
SO I WILL WAIT FOR THE SIGNAL UNTIL YOU TELL ME, MR. EASTON, JUST SEEING A BUNCH OF PEOPLE.
IT DOES GET LIKE A BEACH BALL OR SOMETHING.
YOU TELL ME WHEN OR OUR PUBLIC COMMENT OR WE WEREN'T ABLE TO HEAR THE SPEAKERS.
YOU CAN START WHEN YOU'RE READY.
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON, EVERYONE.
UM, WELCOME TO THE LIVE MEETING.
EVERYBODY'S HERE IN PERSON THIS TIME FOR THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UH, MY NAME IS VERONICA CASTRO BARRERA, AND I'M HONORED TO BE HERE WITH MY FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US, UM, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, RANDY CLARK.
I'M CALLING THIS MEETING TO ORDER TODAY'S WEDNESDAY, JUNE 16, AND THE TIME IS TWO 15.
SO, UM, WE HAVE OUR FIRST SPEAKER FOR
[I. Public Comment]
TODAY.I DON'T KNOW IF HE, UH, IF MS. SYNOVIA JOSEPH IS AVAILABLE.
CAN WE HEAR HER? I CAN HEAR IT.
ECHO, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENT, MS. UH, SYNOVIA.
ARE YOU WANTING ME TO SPEAK NOW? YES.
MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO YOUR DISCUSSION ITEM ABOUT THE ORANGE LINE ALIGNMENT REVIEW.
I JUST WANTED TO CALL TO YOUR ATTENTION THAT, UH, THE LANGUAGE IN THE BOARD PACKET ON PAGE 61, 1, IT TALKS ABOUT THE METRO RAPID ENHANCED METRO RAPID FOR NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.
I THINK IT'S DISINGENUOUS FOR THAT LANGUAGE TO SPECIFY THAT THE INITIAL INVESTMENT BEGINS AND ENDS AT NORTH MOORE TRANSIT CENTER, BECAUSE AS YOU ARE AWARE, THAT IS TEXT DOTS RIGHT AWAY.
AND WHILE I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT TXDOT IS A COOPERATING AGENCY WHEN CAPITAL METRO APPROVE THE LONG RANGE VISION MAP FOR PROJECT CONNECT ON DECEMBER 17TH, 2018, IT WAS SOUTH OF US, 180 3, BECAUSE THEY DON'T OWN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT JUST LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAPITAL METRO DON'T OWN THE AREA IN THE PARK SPACE FOR REPUBLIC SQUARE AND BREAST SQUARE.
AND THEY NEEDED A BILL TO PASS IN ORDER TO GET APPROVAL FOR THAT SPACE.
THEY DON'T OWN THE RIGHT OF WAY NORTH OF US, 180 3.
SO IN MY OPINION, THAT'S COOKING THE BOOKS.
WHAT I WANT YOU TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT HOW'S BILL 3 8, 9, 3 DIDN'T PASS.
AND IN LARGE PART, I HAVE THE REPUBLICAN SENATORS TO THINK PAXTON FINANCE CHAIR, NELSON EDUCATION, CHAIR, TAYLOR, AND MANY REPUBLICAN SENATORS.
UH, THEIR STAFFERS ACTUALLY LOOKED AT CAPITOL METRO SYSTEM MAP, AND IT DIDN'T TAKE THEM LONG TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S DISCRIMINATORY.
IT'S SIX MINUTES SOUTH OF US, 180 3.
THAT MEANS THAT BLACK PEOPLE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN WAIT 10 TIMES LONGER FOR THE BUS.
I JUST WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION BACK TO THE AREA NORTH OF US.
180 3 TONIGHT IS THE SOCCER GAME.
THE AREA THAT IS AT BREAKER AND BURN IT ALL THE WAY TO GREAT HILLS IS WHERE ROUTE 3 92 OPERATES.
THAT'S REPRESENTATIVE GINA HANNAH HOSTESS AREA.
AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT I MET WITH RANDY CLARK ON MARCH 20TH, 2018, AND TOLD HIM ABOUT THAT ROUTE AND HE IGNORED US.
BUT TODAY IN EVERY TIME THERE'S A SOCCER GAME, THE BUS
[00:05:01]
WILL RUN EVERY 20 MINUTES.PEOPLE TRYING TO GET TO WORK THE MINORITIES.
IT'S 45 MINUTES PLUS A 30 MINUTE TRANSFER TO GO TWO MILES.
SO PLEASE STOP WITH THE EQUITY RHETORIC.
WE KNOW THE PAINS, THE DISPARATE IMPACTS WERE ACKNOWLEDGED BY CHAIR COOPER ON JANUARY 28TH, 2019.
AND I WOULD ASK THIS BOARD TO RECOGNIZE IT AS WELL.
LASTLY, I JUST WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE NEED, TO RESTORE THE SERVICE THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE IN PROJECT CONNECT FOR PARMA LANE.
IT WAS STATED IN THE CAMPO BOARD MEETING THIS PAST MONDAY BETWEEN SAMSUNG AND APPLE, THE NORTH CORRIDOR, A LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE PROJECT CONNECTS STUDY ACTUALLY TALKS ABOUT THE GROWTH THROUGH 2035.
I HEAR THE BEEPER I REALIZED MY TIME HAS EXPIRED.
I JUST WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE THAT THE GROWTH IS IN TRAVIS COUNTY AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY AND THE ROUND ROCK AREA, AND THAT'S WHERE THE BUS NEEDS TO GO.
AND THE PICKUP IS NOT THE LEAST DISCRIMINATORY ALTERNATIVE.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME AND APPRECIATE BEING ABLE TO MAKE REMOTE COMMENTS.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ANY MORE SPEAKERS, CORRECT? THIS IS OUR ONLY SPEAKER SIGNED UP TODAY.
[II.1. Community Engagement and Involvement Update]
ITEM TODAY IS A MONTHLY UPDATE ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND INVOLVEMENT FROM MS. JACKIE.MADAM CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS, UH, CEO CLARK AND, UM, ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER.
MY NAME IS JACKIE NIERENBERG I'M DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
AND IT'S MY PLEASURE TO GIVE YOU OUR MONTHLY UPDATE ON COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, OUR LAST ROUND OF, UH, PUBLIC MEETINGS TOOK PLACE IN LATE APRIL, BUT THE VIRTUAL VERSION OF THAT, THE SELF GUIDED VERSION OF THAT JUST WRAPPED UP MAY 21ST.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE STATISTICS THERE OF OUR PARTICIPATION.
WE ALSO HAD A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING ON MAY 26TH, A PROJECT CONNECT AMBASSADOR NETWORK MEETING ON MAY 27TH.
WHAT WAS REALLY EXCITING IS OUR BLUE LINE AND ORANGE LINE WORKING GROUPS.
THIS IS THE OPPORTUNITY THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS HAVE TO REALLY ROLL UP THEIR SLEEVES AND TALK TO OUR PROJECT TEAMS ABOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS, ABOUT THEIR CONCERNS, ABOUT THEIR GOALS AND WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD AND, AND WANT US TO RESPECT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOODS.
UH, WE DID THE BLUE LINE GROUP MEETINGS ON MAY 24TH.
THE ORANGE LINE WORKING GROUPS TOOK PLACE LAST WEEK.
AND I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO TELL YOU A FEW THINGS THAT WE HEARD IN THOSE WORKING GROUP MEETINGS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE ASKED THEM AT THE VERY BEGINNING WAS WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR COMMUNITY? AND THAT MAY SEEM LIKE A REALLY BROAD QUESTION, BUT ASKING A QUESTION LIKE THAT GETS PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO HEAR SO THAT WE CO-CREATE A SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE HEARD WAS I LOVE THE PARKS AND OPEN SPACE.
ALL OF RETAIL ACTIVITIES SHOULD BE AT THE STREET LEVEL TO CREATE VIBRANCY AND MAKE THE CITY COME ALIVE THROUGH ITS NATURAL AMENITIES.
WE ALSO ASK THEM WHAT IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED AROUND STATIONS TO MAKE GETTING TO, AND FROM THOSE STATIONS SAFE AND CONVENIENT, PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLING INFRASTRUCTURE WAS ONE EXAMPLE.
WHAT FEATURES DO YOU ENVISION WHEN IMAGINING YOUR EXPERIENCE AT A STATION? UM, SOME PEOPLE SAID NICE ARCHITECTURE, SHADE, BENCHES TREES, IDEALLY A SCREEN THAT DISPLAYS WHEN TRADES ARRIVE RATHER THAN ANNOYING ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE LOUDSPEAKER.
UM, PLEASE SHARE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE HEARD LOTS OF INTERESTING THINGS.
UM, ONE THING WE HEARD WAS VARIOUS MOCK-UPS HAVE BEEN SHOWN FOR THE AIRPORT STATION TEEING TO THE TERMINAL, TEEING IT TO THE TERMINAL TERMINAL, HOWEVER, DESIGNING OF THE STATION SO THAT IT RUNS ALONGSIDE THE TERMINAL WOULD BE BETTER TO ACCOMMODATE POTENTIAL AND FUTURE EXTENSIONS OF THE BLUE LINE FURTHER EAST.
SO THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE EXAMPLES.
UM, THIS KIND OF RICH DATA IS THE KIND OF OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE WITH THESE WORKING GROUPS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO PEOPLE AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP US CREATE THE SYSTEM THAT WORKS FOR EVERYONE.
SO OUR UPCOMING ACTIVITIES, WE HAVE OUR NEXT ROUND OF COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS OR GROUP OR COMMUNITY MEETINGS PLANNED FOR JULY 26TH THROUGH THE 31ST.
THIS WILL BE OUR 15% DESIGN MARK.
THAT'S EARLY DESIGN, BUT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE IN THE PROCESS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE HOLDING SIX VIRTUAL MEETINGS AND OUR FIRST IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE MEETING, UH, IN OVER A YEAR.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE'RE GOING TO HOLD THAT AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY.
[00:10:01]
UM, AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, OF COURSE, A SELF GUIDED VIRTUAL VERSION OF THAT, UM, THAT WILL GO LIVE JULY 26TH AND WE'LL BE LIVE THROUGH AUGUST.WE'LL ALSO HAVE OUR NEXT COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING ON JUNE 30TH AND OUR PROJECT CONNECT AMBASSADOR NETWORK MEETINGS WILL BE JUNE 23RD AND JULY 22ND.
AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR YOU.
DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MS. NIERENBERG.
DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? NO.
UM, I DO WANT TO MENTION SOMETHING REGARDING ONE OF THE COMMENTS THAT I THINK IS SALIENT AND FOR THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A REASON FOR THOSE LOUD SPEAKERS TO ANNOUNCE THE NEXT STRAIN COMING, BUT IT'S AN ACCESSIBILITY REQUIREMENT THAT WE NEED TO INDICATE FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED WHEN THE NEXT TRAIN IS COMING.
SO MAYBE WE CAN JUST COME UP WITH A CREATIVE ONE FOR THAT ONE, BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK.
[II.2. Project Connect Technical Update]
WE HAVE, UM, OUR SECOND DISCUSSION ITEM IS OUR MONTHLY PROJECT CONNECT TECHNICAL UPDATE FROM MR. DAVID COUCH, TURNING THE SPEAKER.UH, WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON HOW WE'VE BEEN COMPRESSED PROGRESSING ON OVERALL PROJECT CONNECT.
FIRST PORTION DEALS WITH WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE RED LINE.
UH, WE CURRENTLY HAVE GOT WORK UNDERWAY TO FINISH UP THE COORDINATION ON THE MCCULLOUGH STATION ON BROADMORE.
WE'RE ONGOING COORDINATION FOR SOME OF THE DRAINAGE, UH, AND GETTING READY TO GO AHEAD AND START THE CONSTRUCTION PROCESS.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE TRAIL FOUNDATION TO GO AHEAD AND BE ABLE TO INTERRELATE THAT WITH THE STATION, UH, LAKELAND DUDLEY, ANDREW'S SECOND TRACK, UH, THAT IS NOW IN THE PROCESS OF RECEIVING PROPOSALS.
UH, PARKING RIDES ARE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE ON NEXT.
WE'VE GOT A LIST OF THE DIFFERENT LOCATIONS, AND WE'LL START TO GO THROUGH THOSE FROM A TECHNICAL STANDPOINT AND INTO THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, UH, OVER THE NEXT FEW MONTHS, NEIGHBORHOOD CIRCULATORS, THERE'S THREE OF THOSE INCLUDED IN PROJECT CONNECT.
UH, THE FIRST OF THE THREE ZONES DESA IS SCHEDULED FOR ROLLOUT.
UH, ACTUALLY IT ROLLED OUT THIS WEEK.
SO, UH, WE WE'VE GOT THAT ONE UNDERWAY AND WE'RE PLANNING FOR THE OTHERS, UH, SPECIFICALLY ON METRO RAPID.
UM, THIS IS KIND OF THE PUNCHLINE.
WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET, UH, FOR EXPO AND PLEASANT VALLEY.
UH, SO THERE'S A COMBINED TOTAL IN THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET FOR THOSE TWO PROJECTS, WHICH IS 50% OF THE COST OF THE PROJECTS THAT SOME $36 MILLION.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST PIECE THAT WE'VE GOT.
AND THAT'S THE BIG PORTION THAT WE HAVE FOR THOSE TWO LINES WHERE WE'VE NOW GOT A PROJECT MANAGEMENT OVERSIGHT CONTRACTOR ASSIGNED TO US FROM FTA.
UH, THEY'LL WORK WITH US AS WE GET THROUGH THE REST OF THE PROCESS TO GET TO THE POINT THAT WE WILL GET THE GRANT AGREEMENT FOR THE FUNDING.
WE'RE 30% DESIGN AND WE'VE ALSO COMPLETED THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS AND WE'RE GETTING READY TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD INTO THE HUNTER PRESENT DESIGN.
WE CONTINUE TO HAVE GREAT COORDINATION WITH THE CITY AS WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD WITH THE LOCATION OF THE BUS STOPS AND ALL THE TRANSIT PRIORITY TREATMENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE THE GOLD LINE MAN CHECKUP, UH, AND THE EXTENSIONS THAT ARE THERE ON SOUTH LAMAR INTO OAK HILL.
UH, THOSE ARE ONES THAT WE'LL START TO DEVELOP.
UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT DEVELOPING AND COMING UP WITH A 30% DESIGN SCOPE, UH, AND THAT WILL GO OUT SHORTLY, SPECIFICALLY ON THE BLUE AND ORANGE LINE.
UH, WE'VE GOT THE 15% DRAFT DESIGN AND WE'VE CIRCULATED THAT FOR COMMENTS, UH, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINALIZING THOSE COMMENTS.
SO WE'LL LET US WRAP UP AND HAVE AN APPROVED 15% DESIGN.
WE'VE GOT THE SURVEY COMPLETED FOR THE BORINGS AND SEVEN TO 10 OF THE ONES THAT ARE NECESSARY FOR THE TUNNEL.
WE'VE STARTED THE ARCHEOLOGICAL WORK, AND WE CONTINUE AGAIN TO CONTINUE WITH OUR PARTNERS IN WORKING FORWARD WITH THE ROADWAY, THE PEDESTRIAN, AND ALL THE OTHER PARTS.
AS WE GO THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS, WE ALSO HAVE GONE ON THE, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL PART AND TAKING THE FIRST STEP THAT'S THERE.
AND FDA HAS PUBLISHED, WHAT'S CALLED A NOTICE OF INTENT AND NOTICE OF INTENT NOTIFIES THAT THERE WILL BE AN ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS THAT GOES ON IT'S PUBLISHED IN THE FEDERAL REGISTER.
SO IT OFFICIALLY KICKS THAT PART OFF.
WE ALSO SUBMITTED A LETTER FOR ENTRY INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S THE FIRST STEP IN THE FUNDING PROCESS WHERE WE SUBMITTED THAT LAST WEEK.
ACTUALLY, THEY CAME THIS MORNING, WE'RE GETTING READY TO RESPOND TO THOSE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN OFFICIALLY GET INTO THAT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PORTION, WHICH LETS US START TO ACCUMULATE COSTS THAT CAN LATER BE USED FOR THE LOCAL MATCH.
[00:15:01]
THE FIRST STEP IN THAT PART OF THE FEDERAL PROCESS UNDER CIG A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.THERE ARE A TOTAL OF SEVEN CHAPTERS AND WE'VE STARTED TO DRAFT THE FIRST TWO.
UH, THE INTRODUCTION, THE DESCRIPTION AND PURPOSE AND NEED IS THE FIRST LEADING CHAPTER AT THE VERY BEGINNING.
AND THEN WE'LL GO INTO THE ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED, WHICH REALLY GOES BACK TO A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID LAST YEAR TO GO AHEAD AND GET TO THE LOCALLY PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES.
WOULD THAT, THAT INCLUDES THE INCLUDES, THE MONTHLY UPDATE.
I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, FIRST OFF, CONGRATULATIONS ON GETTING THAT MATCHING FOND OF BEING ON THE BUDGET OF THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET FOR METRO RAPID.
I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LONG AND ARDUOUS PROCESS, SO CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF US THAT WE GET TO THAT FIRST STEP.
WE'VE GOT A GREAT TEAM AND A GREAT BOARD, AND I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE FUN AS WE MOVE THE PROGRAM FORWARD.
MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT THERE OFTENTIMES A LOT OF THINGS IN THE PRESIDENT'S BUDGET THAT DON'T SHOW UP IN WHAT ELSE EVENTUALLY HAPPENS, HOW PREDICTIVE IS THIS, THAT WE'RE, THAT THIS PROJECT IS IN THE PRESENT.
I THINK WITH THE RATING THAT WE GOT, UH, AND WHAT'S IN THERE, AND THE FACT THAT IT IS ONE OF THE FEW SMALL STARTS THAT ARE IN THERE.
I THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN VERY GOOD SHAPE.
IT'S NOTHING IS EVER GUARANTEED AS YOU KNOW, WHEN TO GO FORWARD WITH IT.
UH, BUT I BELIEVE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE GOOD SUCCESS WITH IT.
AND YOU MENTIONED THIS IS 50% OF THE BUDGETED COSTS FOR THOSE TWO ALIGNMENTS.
THE, THE RATIO OF IT'S THERE ON SMALL STARTS, WHICH ARE PROJECTS UNDER $300 MILLION, UH, IS NORMALLY A 50% SHARE.
UH, SO THAT'S WHAT WE GET FROM EACH ONE OF THOSE FOR EXPO AND FOR PLEASANT VALLEY.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ABOUT 17 ON ONE, UH, AND 16 ON THE OTHER ONE.
DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS FOR MR. COUCH? YES, YES.
UH, RELATED TO THAT IS, UH, WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR OTHER PROJECTS ULTIMATELY BE ELIGIBLE FOR THAT SAME LEVEL OF MATCH, LIKE THE PARKING, THE PARKING RIDES AND, UM, GOLDMAN SHAKA, SOUTH LAMAR, ALL THE OTHER, UH, METRO W WE'RE GOING TO DO THE ANALYSIS.
UH, I'M AN, CHEKA SEE HOW THAT WOULD FAIR.
UH, THE GOLD LINE WILL NOT BE GOING FORWARD AS A FEDERAL PROJECT.
UH IT'S WHEN THAT WOULD BE ANTICIPATED TO BE LOCALLY FUNDED, UH, BECAUSE OVER TIME WITH THE INTENTION OF CONVERTING THAT OVER TO LIGHT RAIL, IF YOU DON'T USE THE FEDERAL CONTRIBUTION AND ASSETS TO THE END OF THEIR USEFUL LIFE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING TO GET MONEY BACK.
SO IT'S, IT'S THE STARTING POINT FOR THAT ONE.
UH, AND YES, WE CAN PURSUE A WHOLE SERIES OF DIFFERENT FUNDING ALTERNATIVES, WHETHER IT'S PARKING RIDES OR ANY OF THE OTHER SECTIONS.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.
JUST A QUICK QUESTION ABOUT THE, UM, BORINGS THAT YOU'VE DONE AND THE, UM, THE, THE SURVEYS AND, AND, UH, AS WELL AS KIND OF WHERE YOU ARE ON THE DESIGN AND ANY SURPRISES, ANY, ANY THINGS THAT, UH, KIND OF HAVE COME UP THAT, THAT CAUSED SOME CONCERN OR JUST THE SURVEY HASN'T FOUND ANYTHING SUPER MAJOR.
WE FOUND A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS WHERE THERE'S SOME INTRUSION ON THE RIGHT OF WAY, UH, THAT HAS BEEN BUILT OVER TIME.
THAT WE'LL FIND A WAY TO WORK THROUGH THAT WITH THE CITY.
UH, BUT THERE REALLY IS NOTHING THAT WAS WAY OUT OF NORMAL.
UH, THE GEO-TECH, THE BORINGS ARE LOOKING GOOD.
UH, AND WE WANT TO FINISH THE DEEP ONES FOR THE TUNNEL, UH, SO THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT, UH, THAT GOOD SECTION AND WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE THE ROCK STARTS AND WE CAN GET DEEP ENOUGH.
I RELATED TO THAT AND MY UNDERSTANDING THAT NEXT MONTH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THE UPDATE ON THAT KIND OF, THAT, THAT, THAT FLY OVER, OR THAT RUN THROUGH OF, OF WHAT THAT SEGMENT, UH, THAT THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE TUNNEL, UH, IS POTENTIALLY GOING TO LOOK LIKE, OR KIND OF WHERE WE ARE AT THIS, THIS INITIAL, UM, I GUESS, BRAINSTORMING OR FLY OVER THIS KIND OF 15%, WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR TODAY, UH, FROM PETER AND JOHN, UH, IS THE RUN THROUGH OF THE ORANGE LINE.
JUST LIKE YOU GOTTA GET THE RUN THROUGH OF THE BLUE LINE PREVIOUSLY.
UH, AND NEXT IS THE STATIONS NEXT IS THE TUNNEL.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, MR. COUCH.
[II.3. Administrative Program Updates]
THE ADMINISTRATIVE UPDATE FROM, UH, MS. JULIANA HARRIS, AND I BELIEVE I'M GOING TO FIRST, MR. CANALE[00:20:01]
OR NO, GO AHEAD.MADAM CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR CLARK, SINCE LAST MONTH, I GUESS I SHOULD HIT THIS SINCE LAST MONTH WITH THE NEW EIGHT ADDITIONAL TEAM MEMBERS.
WE'VE ACTUALLY ADDED 96 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN THE AREAS OF GOVERNMENT NONPROFIT, PRIVATE SECTOR, PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, AND IN THE SMALLER, UH, LOWER AREA THERE, THE PUBLIC TRANSIT PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE, WE HAVE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL 49 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
AS YOU SEE IN THE MAP, WE ARE EMPLOYING PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, ACROSS THE COUNTRY, EXCUSE ME, THESE ARE SOME OF OUR NEW HIRES.
YOU WILL SEE THEIR ROLES ACROSS AGAIN, A DIVERSE TEAM OF PEOPLE.
AND WE HAVE SOME STARTING ON CROSS.
THE, YOU HAVE JUNE 14TH, WE HAVE JULY 6TH, JULY 12TH WITH PEOPLE BEING ONBOARDED.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UH, MR. CARR, UM, COMING ON ON JUNE 21ST AND MS.
AND THEN WE HAVE MS. HAMILTON WHO IS COMING ON IN A TEMPORARY CAPACITY, AND WE'LL BE WORKING ON A PROJECT, UH, WITH THE PROCUREMENT DEPARTMENT, UH, AND SHE IS RETIRED FROM DART.
ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MS. HARRIS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY, GREAT.
THAT'S AN UNDERSTATEMENT THINKING.
AND NOW WE HAVE MR. GREG
UM, WE'RE REALLY HAPPY THAT JULIANE IS BUSY.
YOU CAN SEE THE RELIEF ON OUR SHOULDERS AS WE BRING ON MORE OF OUR TEAM MEMBERS.
UM, SO WE'RE HERE TODAY REAL QUICK TO DO A UPDATE ON, ON THE BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS AS WE MOVE INTO THE BUDGET SCHEDULE.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A BRIEF MOMENT TO INTRODUCE ONE OF OUR NEW HIRES, VICKI REDERICK, WHO COME FROM DARK.
SHE IS OUR DIRECTOR OF PROCUREMENT.
SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE A CHANCE FOR HER TO INTRODUCE HERSELF AND ACTUALLY TALK TO YOU REAL QUICKLY ABOUT A KIND OF A MAJOR EFFORT THAT SHE'S WORKING ON TO BRING BACK TO YOU HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, REVOLT, REVOLVING OUR PROCUREMENT.
I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT CORRECTLY.
WELL, MADAM CHAIR, BOARD MEMBERS AND DIRECTOR CLARK.
I AM VICKI RODRICK PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR FOR ATP.
ONE OF THE MAJOR INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS TO PUT TOGETHER A PROCUREMENT MANUAL, WHICH I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO BRINGING BACK TO YOU FOR APPROVAL, UH, FOR THE AUGUST BOARD.
SO THAT'S THE MAJOR INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE WORKING ON NOW.
I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE AND THANK YOU SO MUCH.
TURN IT BACK OVER TO THE UNITS.
AND NOW I LOVE TO INTRODUCE DIANE SILER, WHO IS ATPS BUDGET DIRECTOR.
UM, AND SHE'S GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH YOU WALKING THROUGH SOME SLIDES AGAIN ABOUT OUR BUDGET ASSUMPTIONS.
AS WE MOVE INTO, UH, THE KIND OF THE CORE OF THE FISCAL 22 PLANNING, UH, DIANE HAS JUST A WEALTH OF EXPERIENCE DEALING WITH VERY LARGE BUDGETS AND WORKING WITH EVERYONE AND ORGANIZATION TO BRING BUDGETS, TO BEAR IN FRONT OF THE BOARD.
AND TODAY I GET THE PLEASURE OF WALKING IN WALKING YOU THROUGH SOME OF THE, UM, HIGHER LEVEL BUDGET ELEMENTS THAT WILL BE, UM, HELPING US TO, UH, FRAME NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SO THIS GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATES THE FUNDING MODEL FOR ATP.
AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL WE HAVE, THERE ARE THREE FUNDING SOURCES FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAPITAL METRO AND THE FTA GRANTS.
AND THOSE FUNDS WILL COME INTO ATP AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO USE THEM TO OVERSEE AND FINANCE THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OUR PROJECT CONNECT PROJECTS.
UH, NOT ONLY WILL WE BE ABLE TO FUND ITEMS ON A CASH BASIS, BUT WE'LL ALSO BE ABLE TO ISSUE REVENUE BONDS, WHICH WILL GIVE US THE ABILITY TO, UM, OFFSET THE GAP IN THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS AND THE REVENUE RECEIPTS.
AND LIKEWISE, WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO, UH, REQUEST FEDERAL LOANS THROUGH THE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE FINANCING AND INNOVATION ACT, UH, AKA TIFIA.
I THINK THAT'LL BE THE LAST TIME I SAY THAT.
UM, AND SO, UH, FINALLY, ONCE PROJECTS COME ONLINE, WE'LL START FLOWING FUNDS BACK TO CAPITAL METRO FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND THE
[00:25:01]
OPERATIONS OF THOSE TRANSIT ENHANCEMENTS.LAST MONTH, YOU WERE PRESENTED THIS BUDGET CALENDAR BY GREG.
UM, AND SO TODAY MY PRESENTATION TO YOU ON THE BUDGET AND FRAMEWORK, WE'LL MARK THE SECOND ITEM IN OUR, IN OUR CHECKPOINT.
UM, OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS, STAFF WILL BE CONTINUING THE DEVELOPMENT AND THE COMPLETION OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH WE WILL BRING BACK TO YOU ON AUGUST 18TH.
ALSO IN AUGUST, WE PLAN ON PRESENTING THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE, UH, FINANCE AND RISK ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
AND THEN OUR PROCESS WILL CULMINATE ON SEPTEMBER 15TH WHEN YOU'LL BE ASKED TO APPROVE OUR OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET, WHICH STARTS OCTOBER 1ST.
SO, AS I MENTIONED, UM, IN THE FIRST SLIDE ATP HAS THREE FUNDING SOURCES, UM, FOR THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, WE ARE MAINTAINING, UM, A GROWTH RATE OF THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE FINANCIAL MODEL.
AND ALSO THIS IS, UM, IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE CITY'S FORECAST, BUT AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND AS WE DEVELOP OUR BUDGET FURTHER, WE MAY HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO ACCOUNT FOR ANY CHANGES IN CITY ASSUMPTIONS.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE'S CHANGES TO THE PROPERTY TAX ROLL THAT WE, THAT WERE UNEXPECTED FOR CAPITAL METRO, WE ARE INCLUDING IN THE, UM, BUDGET, THE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE, UM, IN THE FINANCIAL MODEL.
SO THAT'S AN ALIGNMENT AND WE CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR, UH, FINANCIAL ADVISOR ON THE TIMING, FEDERAL FUNDING.
UH, YOU HAVE ALREADY, UH, DAVE WAS ALREADY ABLE TO WALK YOU THROUGH TWO OF OUR MOST SIGNIFICANT HIGHLIGHTS OR MILESTONES.
AND THAT BEING THAT THE TWO METRO METRO RAPID, UH, PLEASANT VALLEY AND EXPO LINES HAVE BEEN INCLUDED AT THE 50% MARK, WHICH IS VERY ENCOURAGING SINCE THAT IS ONE OF THE ASSUMPTIONS WE BUILT INTO OUR MODEL.
AND THEN THE SECOND IS THAT WE, UM, WE DID OFFICIALLY REQUEST THAT THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINES BE, UH, ACCEPTED INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, THEN MOVING OVER TO EXPENDITURES.
THE FIRST THING I DO WANT TO JUST HIGHLIGHT AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, IS THAT YESTERDAY MARKED OUR FIRST MAJOR MILESTONE IN PROJECT CONNECT, UM, WITH THE, UH, UH, WITH OUR ON-DEMAND SERVICES IN, UM, IN, IN THE DESA NEIGHBORHOODS.
SO IT'S EXCITING TO SEE THOSE PLANS ACTUALLY START COMING TO FRUITION.
AND AS WE PLAN FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THE WORK INVOLVED IN ADVANCING OUR PROJECTS THROUGH THE ENVIRONMENT, THROUGH THE ENGINEERING AND THE DESIGN PHASES.
AND WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE CONTINUING OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS ON THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINES, UM, INCORPORATED INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET WILL BE THE CONSTRUCTION AND THE IMPLEMENTATION FOR THE EXPO IN THE PLEASANT VALLEY.
IT'LL BE, WE'LL ALSO BE BUYING BUSES AND STARTING THE, UM, STARTING THE, UH, ENHANCEMENTS ON THE RED LINE.
AND FYI 22 IS GOING TO MARK THE BEGINNING OF OUR PROPERTY ACQUISITION.
SO ON THIS FINAL SLIDE THERE ON THIS FINAL SLIDE, THERE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO, AND THEY'RE SHORT-TERM AND LONG-TERM ISSUES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE KEEPING AN EYE ON, UM, FEDERAL FUNDING.
FOR INSTANCE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL IS CONTINUING TO BE DEBATED BACK AND FORTH BY THE REPUBLICANS AND THE DEMOCRATS.
I MEAN, I THINK THE LAST THING I SAW WAS THAT THE REPUBLICAN PLAN HAD $98 BILLION FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT.
UM, WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON THE FTA CONTRIBUTION AMOUNTS SO THAT, UH, WE CAN MAKE SURE THAT OUR ASSUMPTIONS IN OUR MODELS ARE STILL SOUND, UM, NATIONWIDE CONSTRUCTION COSTS HAVE BEEN INCREASING AND WE'RE, WE ARE MONITORING THAT THAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A CONCERN FOR US YET BECAUSE WE ARE STILL A FEW YEARS OUT FROM ISSUING BIDS.
HOWEVER, WE NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON IT.
UM, BUT OF MORE CONCERN IS THE PROPERTY ACQUISITION COSTS, UM, BECAUSE OF THE RISING COSTS IN THE LOCAL AREA.
AND THAT, AS I MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE ARE STARTING OUR, UM, OUR BUYS FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN THE FINAL THING THAT WE'RE KEEPING AN EYE ON IS ANY CHANGES TO DESIGN DESIGN, UM, ANY CHANGES IN DESIGN DECISIONS CAN ROLL OUT AND HAVE A BIG COST IMPLICATIONS IN THE FUTURE.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MS. SILER CASS OR MEMBER ELKINS.
I WOULDN'T BE DOING MY JOB IF I'M THE FINANCE GUY AND THE BOARD AND NOT ASKING THE QUESTION RIGHT.
[00:30:02]
ANYHOW, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO CONGRATULATE YOU FOR BEING HERE.IT'S GREAT THAT YOU'RE ON BOARD.
UM, I'M SURE WE'LL KEEP YOU BUSY AND HOPEFULLY THERE'LL BE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, AND IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU, SO I GUESS A COUPLE THINGS, UM, ON YOUR SLIDE 22, WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT HORIZON ISSUES.
UM, SOME OTHER THINGS I THINK WE MAY WANT TO THINK ABOUT, AND I'M SURE IN THE BACK OF EVERYBODY'S MIND IS CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE, RIGHT? AS CONSTRUCTION SCHEDULE ACCELERATES, OR DECELERATES, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A COST IMPLICATION OF COURSE, INTEREST RATES.
UM, AND THEN JUST BROADLY THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF, OF DE-RISKING, YOU KNOW, THE MORE WE CAN DE-RISK THE PROGRAM OR TRANSFER THOSE RISKS TO THE RIGHT PARTY THAT THAT HOPEFULLY WILL HELP OUR COSTS.
YOU KNOW, SO ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK WILL BE HELPFUL IS I KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BUDGET UPDATE, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, UH, ONCE A YEAR, BUT I THINK THAT BUDGET UPDATE SHOULD ALSO INCLUDE CAP EX COSTS AND RIGHT.
SO ALL THESE TYPES OF THINGS, AS WELL AS SCHEDULED.
SO WE SEE A HOLISTIC PROGRAM, BUDGET UPDATES.
SO WE GET A SENSE OF WHERE ARE WE, THEN WE CAN GO BACK TO THIS TAX RATE SOON THAT WE'RE ALL ON THE TAX RATES SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T GET SURPRISES.
SO, SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL.
AND ONE OTHER COMMENT, AND THIS IS KIND OF, UM, A BIT OUT THERE, BUT I LIKE TO THINK OF THINGS THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT UNUSUAL ON, ON 18.
WE TALK ABOUT THE THREE SOURCES OF FUNDING, RIGHT? CITY OF AUSTIN FUNDING, CAP, METRO, AND FTA GRANTS.
I'D LIKE JUST TO PLANT A SEED, THINK ABOUT IT.
IS THERE A FOURTH BOX, WHICH WOULD BE PERHAPS PRIVATE MONEY CORPORATIONS.
WE'VE GOT A LOT OF COMPANIES THAT ARE MOVING IN TO AUSTIN THAT COULD RECEIVE BENEFITS FROM TRANSIT.
YOU KNOW, IF, IF ALIGN WAS EXTENDED TO THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HELPING TO DEFRAY SOME OF THE COSTS OF, YOU KNOW, PART B OF THE PROGRAM.
AS WE THINK ABOUT THAT, HOW YOU, WE COULD, WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED TO SAMPLES FOR THAT RIGHT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE SEEN IT IN CALIFORNIA AND OTHER PLACES LIKE THAT WHERE COMPANIES LIKE GOOGLE AND OTHER COMPANIES ARE HELPING TO PAY FOR, FOR TRANSIT.
AND MAYBE THERE'S A WAY DOWN THE ROAD THAT THAT COULD HELP DEFRAY SOME OF THE COSTS.
DO WE ALREADY HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THAT WITH THE AGREEMENT WITH AUSTIN FC, PERHAPS THERE'S THAT BOX ALREADY EXISTS? YEAH, GO AHEAD.
SO NOT ATP CUP METRO SIDE, THERE IS A PETRI ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN CAP METRO AND AUSTIN FC.
THERE'S ALSO ONE BETWEEN BRAND NEW WINE DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION AND CAP METRO FOR THE BROADMORE STATION.
SO WE HAVE TWO P THREE STATIONS ACTUALLY IN DEVELOPMENT WORKING TOWARDS GROUNDBREAKINGS.
UH, YEAH, I THINK, I THINK A BOARD MEMBER TO YOUR POINT AND WE'VE, WE JUST DIDN'T LIST THAT OUT YET, BUT UNDERNEATH ALL THIS WILL BE, ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES, ESPECIALLY ON THE STATION DEVELOPMENT SIDE.
SO WE DON'T REALLY ENVISION ANYTHING ON THE ALIGNMENT SIDE PER SE, BUT AT A STATION DEVELOPMENT, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO HAVE A STATION EMBEDDED MAYBE IN A TOWER DOWNTOWN? HOW DOES SOME OF THOSE COSTS, YOU KNOW, SHARING POTENTIALLY WORK? UH, SO THERE'S A VARIETY OF TOOLS.
I THINK WE'LL EVOLVE KIND OF AFTER 30% DESIGN AND ON ONCE WE REALLY KIND OF HAVE THAT BASELINE DONE AND THEN KIND OF HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES WILL WILL, OR PROPERTIES THAT HAVE DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THOSE STATIONS.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY IN THE BACK OF OUR MIND OF HOW THE, HOW THAT COULD BE.
SO MY QUESTION IS WHEN, WHEN WOULD IT BE A GOOD TIME FOR US TO START THINKING ABOUT THOSE THREE POTENTIALS? UM, I WOULD SAY W I WOULD SAY WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CAREFUL WITH THE TERMINOLOGY.
I THINK A P THREE CAUSE P THREE MEANS A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS TO A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE, UH, PURE P THREE, THE WAY WE DESCRIBE A JOINT, A TRUE PRIVATE PARTNER, A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP STATION.
WE'RE ALREADY THINKING THROUGH THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY A YEAR TO 18 MONTHS PROBABLY BEFORE WE COULD REALLY START SEEING HOW SOME OF THOSE COULD FRAME UP WITH THE STATION DESIGN.
CAUSE WE GOT TO GET THROUGH THE NEPA PROCESS AND WE GOT TO GET TO A 30% DESIGN.
AND THEN I THINK SOME OF THOSE WILL UNFOLD, UM, YOU KNOW, ALTER ALTERNATIVE DELIVERY METHODOLOGY, WHICH SOMETIMES GETS WRAPPED INTO P THREE.
THAT IS WHERE WE WILL THINK THROUGH THINGS LIKE, SHOULD WE DO SOME DESIGN DESIGN, BUILD DESIGN, BID, BUILD PROGRESSIVE DESIGN, BUILD CMC, LIKE THERE'S A VARIETY OF METHODOLOGIES AND, UH, WE'RE NOT FAR FROM, UH, GREG IS WORKING ON A SCOPE, UH, TO PUT OUT FOR, UM, KIND OF A RISK CONSULTANT THAT WILL COME IN AND HELP REALLY KIND OF HELP DEFINE FOR US CONTRACT DELIVERY METHODOLOGY TO BRING BACK TO THE BOARD SOME GREAT OPTIONS TO GET FROM 30% ON FOR THE, FOR THE MEGA PROJECTS.
REMEMBER STRATTON, WAS THERE, WERE THERE ANY CONCERNS COMING OUT OF THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT MIGHT IMPACT OUR LONGTERM FUNDING METHODOLOGY AT THIS POINT SPECIFICALLY? I SEEM TO REMEMBER THAT THERE WERE SOME THINGS THAT CAME OUT OF SESSION RELATING TO, UH, REVENUE BONDS, BUT I I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER IF THAT MAY HAVE MORE IMPACTED THE MUNICIPAL SIDE OF THE EQUATION.
[00:35:01]
NOT SO MUCH.IT WAS MORE ABOUT THE, UM, THE GEO DEBT.
SO WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT ANY OF THAT.
UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL BE, I GUESS WE'LL BE KEEPING AN EYE ON THAT IN FUTURE LEGISLATIVE SESSIONS, JUST IN CASES WE'RE PROGRESSING.
ALWAYS IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I WILL SEE YOU IN TWO MONTHS WITH OUR PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO I THINK WE ARE, UM, GREG CANALY BACK AGAIN, OR THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR.
I THINK WE'RE NOW DONE WITH THE, UM, THESE UPDATES.
WE'RE BACK MOVING INTO THE ABOARD AGENDA ACTION ITEMS. OKAY.
SO NOW WE'RE READY FOR OUR ACTION ITEMS. OKAY.
SO IT WAS POSTED ON THE AGENDA THAT WE WOULD GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, BUT THERE NO LONGER A NEED TO GO THROUGH THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CONTINUE WITH OUR FIRST ACTION ITEM.
[IV.1. Approval of the minutes from the May 19, 2021 board meeting.]
WE FIRST HAVE TO APPROVE OUR MEETING MINUTES.SO, UH, APPROVAL OF MEETING MINUTES FROM OUR MAY 19TH, 2020, ONE OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD MEETING.
UM, IF EVERYONE HAS HAD TIME TO REVIEW THOSE LAST MONTH'S MEETING MINUTES, I WOULD REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND FOR ITEM NUMBER ONE, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.
DO I HAVE A BOAT, EVERYONE TO IN FAVOR, SAY AYE, OPPOSE NOBODY.
I SAY I AS WELL, THE MEETING MINUTES HAVE BEEN APPROVED.
[IV.2. Appointment of members to the Austin Transit Partnership Technical Advisory Committees.]
ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE RESOLUTION APPOINTING THE INITIAL MEMBERS OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES.AND FOR THAT TO HAVE MS. NIERENBERG, UM, GIVE US AN UPDATE.
UM, SO IF YOU RECALL, WE OPENED UP AN APPLICATION PROCESS FOR THREE ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO THE BOARD.
THESE WERE THE ENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE AND CONSTRUCTION COMMITTEE, THE FINANCE AND RISK COMMITTEE AND THE PLANNING, SUSTAINABLE SUSTAINABILITY EQUITY DBE COMMITTEE.
WE HAD LOADS OF APPLICATIONS AND I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD MEMBERS FOR REVIEWING THOSE AND DELIBERATING ABOUT THOSE.
THERE WAS A LOT TO CONSIDER A LOT OF TALENTED PEOPLE, AND THIS IS THE SLATE THAT IS BEING RECOMMENDED FOR APPROVAL TODAY.
WELL, I KNOW THIS IS ANOTHER GREAT MILESTONE FOR THE GROUP.
SO DO WE HAVE ANY, ANY COMMENTS AND THANK YOU, MS. JACKIE FOR LEADING THIS EFFORT AS WELL.
UM, MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE SLATE OF CANDIDATES AND A SECOND PLEASE? AND YOUR FIRST MAYOR ADLER.
EVERYONE WHO APPROVES THIS, PLEASE SAY AYE.
SO THE ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO HAS BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
[Items IV.3. & IV.4.]
ON TO ACTION ITEMS, NUMBER THREE AND FOUR.SO WE'RE GOING TO DO THE APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AN EXECUTED TASK QUARTER WITH CVRE INCORPORATED IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED A $4,750,000 TO PROVIDE CERTAIN OWNER REPRESENTATIVE SERVICES WOULD RESPECT TO POTENTIAL ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE AND TOGETHER WITH THIS ACTION ITEM, NUMBER FOUR, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO APPROVE RESOLUTIONS AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE A SUBLEASE AGREEMENTS WITH PARSLEY ENERGY LP WITH CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE LOCATED AT 3 0 1 CONGRESS AVENUE AND 2 0 3 COLORADO STREET.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR BACK HERE.
UM, FOR THESE, THESE TWO ACTION ITEMS IN FRONT OF YOU ARE, UH, AS YOU SPELLED OUT ABOUT THE ADMINISTRATIVE SPACE NEEDS FOR THE PROJECT CONNECT TEAM, INCLUDING AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, TEAM CAPITAL METRO STAFF, THAT WILL BE INVOLVED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOLKS AS WELL.
AND SO, UM, IN A BIG PICTURE, WE, WE BEGAN OUR JOURNEY HERE ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS AGO.
AND RECOGNIZING, AS YOU SEEN JULIANA TALK ABOUT THE STAFF THAT WE'RE HIRING, WE THINK IT'S REALLY CRITICAL FOR US TO GET TOGETHER AND BE TOGETHER TO START WORKING, UH, KIND OF DAY TO DAY TOGETHER IN SPACE.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
UH, WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS TO EVALUATE OUR OVERALL NEEDS,
[00:40:01]
UM, AS A GROUP AND AS A TEAM, UM, VERSUS ACQUIRING ABOUT 50,000 SQUARE FEET.UM, WE WANT IT TO BE REALLY KEY, LOCATED, HAVE LOCATIONS THAT ARE NEAR TRANSIT SO THAT THE COMMUNITY CAN ACCESS THE TEAM.
UM, AND WE ALSO KNOW WE'RE GOING TO DO A LOT OF MEETINGS MEETINGS WITH OURSELVES MEETINGS, WITH THE PUBLIC AND WITH THE COMMITTEES THAT YOU HAVE, UH, YOU HAVE JUST, UH, APPROVED.
UM, AND SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE HAD SPACE FOR THAT.
UH, AT THE SAME TIME THOUGH, WE WANT IT TO BE VERY, UM, EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE WITH THE PUBLIC TAX DOLLARS.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO GO INTO WORK WITH OUR BROKER TO LOOK AT BELOW MARKET PRICING, BY GOING THROUGH SUBLEASES AS THESE ACTION ITEMS ARE FOR WHAT THESE ARE, BECAUSE THEY'RE, SUBLEASES, THEY'RE SIGNIFICANT, UH, SAVINGS VERSUS THE STANDARD LONGTERM LEASE THAT YOU WOULD GET.
UM, WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO UTILIZE SOME OF THE FURNITURE AND EQUIPMENT THAT THEY HAVE IN THIS SPACE.
UM, AND BECAUSE OF THE TYPE OF BUILDING THAT ESPECIALLY IS ON TWO OR THREE COLORADO, NOT A TALL OFFICE TOWERS, THEY'RE JUST LOWER OPERATING EXPENSES.
SO OVERALL, WE TRIED TO JUST BE VERY DILIGENT ABOUT THE USE OF THESE PUBLIC DOLLARS.
THESE, THESE WE'RE LOOKING AT RELEASE FOR THE S THE TWO OR THREE ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF YEARS, WE THINK IS A REALLY GOOD TIME TO UNDERSTAND OUR LONGER-TERM NEEDS BEFORE WE COMMIT TO A LONGTERM NEEDS.
UM, SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET INTO THIS SPACE.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO NEED SOME ASSISTANCE TO GET THE SPACE FULLY OCCUPIED.
THERE NEEDS SOME WORK TO BE DONE, AND THE OTHER ACTION ITEM IS TO HAVE A CBR HELP US REPRESENT OUR OWNER'S REP TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN MOVE IN THERE AND BE READY TO START WORKING.
THANK YOU, MR. CANALE DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD? NO.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I LIKE TO CALL A VOTE.
I'LL MAKE, UM, WHO WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON? I MOVE TO APPROVE ACTION ITEMS THREE AND FOUR.
DO WE HAVE A SECOND? OH, AND ALSO MAYOR AFTER THAT WE HAVE TWO SECONDS.
UM, SO PLEASE, UH, EVERYONE WHO'S HAS, UH, APPROVES THIS, UH, ACTION ITEMS THREE AND FOUR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
MYSELF AND ANY NAYS, BOTH ITEMS THREE AND FOUR HAVE BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
SO NOW WE ARE GOING TO MOVE ON TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
AND I HAVE A NOTE THAT MS. JOSEPH HAS ALSO REQUESTED TO SPEAK AFTER ITEM NUMBER FIVE.
SO SHE WILL HAVE FIVE MINUTES AFTER STAFF'S PRESENTATION.
SO I MEAN, THREE MINUTES, I'M SORRY.
[IV.5. Approval of the ILA with the City of Austin for terms of the Joint Powers Agreement on transfer of Proposition A property tax revenue.]
SO ITEM NUMBER FIVE IS APPROVAL OF A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OR HIS DESIGNEE TO NEGOTIATE AND EXECUTE THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR TERMS OF JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT ON TRANSFER OF THE NOVEMBER, 2020 PROPOSITION, A PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.AND AGAIN, I HAVE MR. CANALY WILL NOT DISCUSS THE NEGOTIATIONS AND THE EXECUTION OF THE INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND TRANSFER OF THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
UM, AGAIN, THIS ACTION ITEM IS REALLY A PROCEDURES DOCUMENT TO ALLOW FOR THE TRANSFER OF THE FUNDS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER.
THESE ARE REALLY THE TECHNICAL PROCEDURES BETWEEN THE STAFF, UM, TO LAY OUT THE TIMING OF THE PAYMENTS, UM, HOW THOSE PAYMENTS ARE CALCULATED AND OTHER REQUIREMENTS FROM A TECHNICAL PERSPECTIVE, AND THIS WILL ALLOW THOSE FUNDS TO START FLOWING AGAIN.
AND THIS IS ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONTRACT, WITH THE VOTERS ABOUT HOW THESE PROCEDURES WOULD BE SET.
THANK YOU, MR. CANALE AND BEFORE WE HAVE BOARD DISCUSSION, WE HAVE MS. JOSEPH, UM, I AM, ARE YOU WANTING ME TO SPEAK NOW? YES, PLEASE.
I ACTUALLY, THE VIDEO HAS A DELAY.
SO MR.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS AS IT RELATED TO THE CITY'S CONTRACT WITH VOTERS.
I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU THAT THERE IS A PROVISION THAT SPECIFIES THAT PROJECT CONNECT WILL IMPROVE ACCESS TO ESSENTIAL SERVICES, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE, AND GROCERY STORES.
AND IF YOU ARE IN FACT COMMITTED TO THAT, I WOULD ASK YOU TO RESTORE NORTHEAST WEST CONNECTIVITY.
MY OTHER COMMENT IS SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO THE INTER LOCAL AGREEMENT FROM AUGUST 7TH, 2020, WHICH SPECIFIES
[00:45:01]
THAT HOMEOWNERS, RENTERS AND BUSINESSES WITHIN THE CITY'S TAXING JURISDICTION WILL BEAR THE COST OF IMPLEMENTING PROJECT CONNECT.AND I WOULD ASK YOU TO BE TRANSPARENT WITH THE RENTERS AND ACTUALLY LET THEM KNOW HOW THE FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS WILL BEAR ON THEM AS YOU ARE MOVING FORWARD, BECAUSE THAT WAS NEVER DISCUSSED.
AND IT WAS NEVER IN ANY OF THE LITERATURE, NONE OF THE PROPAGANDA.
I WANT YOU TO KNOW AS WELL THAT I MEANT TO MENTION THIS.
I KNOW YOU TALKED ABOUT THE FEDERAL REGISTER AND WE HAVE SEVEN DAYS LEFT TO COMMENT ON THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINE.
AND THAT FEDERAL REGISTER IS ACTUALLY OPEN UNTIL JUNE 23RD, 2021.
AND MADAM CHAIR AT THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, YOU MENTIONED THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED.
SO I CALLED THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION ON FRIDAY BECAUSE THE DEAF COMMUNITY WANTED THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO USE, UM, THAT AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE IN ALL THEIR MEETINGS.
SO IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WITH JACOB CALHOUN OR SOMEONE FROM, UH, THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP WOULD ACTUALLY DISCLOSE HOW BLIND VISUALLY IMPAIRED INDIVIDUALS CAN ALSO GIVE COMMENTS.
I DO WANT YOU TO KNOW AS WELL THAT I DID SPEAK BEFORE COUNCIL WAY BACK ON JANUARY 26TH, 2017.
AND I ACTUALLY ASKED MAYOR ADLER, UH, TO ASSIST US WITH OUR ROUTES AND I HELD 574 PETITION SIGNATURES IN MY HAND, AND WE WERE IGNORED.
AND SO I JUST WILL LASTLY SAY THAT MY COMMENTS ARE SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO TITLE SIX OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964, WHICH PROHIBITS DISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE, COLOR, NATIONAL ORIGIN.
AND YOU MAY RECALL CEO CLARK SAID, IF YOU TAKE $1 OF THE FEDERAL MONEY, YOU HAVE TO COMPLY WITH ALL OF THEIR RULES.
AND I'LL JUST LASTLY, ASK YOU TO RECORD THE C-SAT MEETINGS AND PUT THEM ONLINE AND BE TRANSPARENT.
AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GLADLY ANSWER THEM AT THIS TIME AND APPRECIATE YOU ALLOWING ME TO MAKE MY COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, MS. JOSEPH, FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
AND I DO HAVE A FOLLOW-UP QUESTION FOR YOU, MS. JOSEPH, IF YOU'RE STILL HERE.
UM, IF YOU CAN HEAR ME, BUT IS YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE SIGN LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION AND, UM, FOR OUR MEETINGS IN PARTICULAR, OR JUST IN GENERAL FOR ALL OF THE OTHER MEETINGS AS WELL? UM, CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION? YEAH.
SO YOU MENTIONED ABOUT, UH, HAVING ACCESSIBLE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR PEOPLE SPEAKING AT THIS MEETINGS.
DID I UNDERSTAND YOUR QUESTION CORRECTLY? UM, YES, MADAM CHAIR.
SO THE MAYOR HAS A COMMITTEE, UH, FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES AND I WAS JUST, UM, LISTENING TO THEIR PRIOR MEETING TO GIVE THEM INFORMATION ABOUT THE FEDERAL REGISTER, BUT I DID NOT.
AND THEY, ONE OF THE COMMENTS THEY HAD WAS THAT THEY WERE A LITTLE LOST WITH CORONA VIRUS, FOR EXAMPLE, AND THEY WERE WANTING THE CITY TO ACTUALLY HAVE AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE AT ALL OF THEIR MEETINGS, SO THEY COULD ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE.
AND SO MOVING FORWARD, IF YOU COULD JUST CONSIDER THAT POPULATION, I'M NOT SURE, UH, FOR THE FEDERAL REGISTER, HOW THEY GIVE COMMENTS, UH, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION REFERRED ME TO JACOB KAO WHO, BECAUSE HIS NAME WAS ON THE FEDERAL REGISTER AS A CONTACT LOCALLY.
UH, BUT IT HAS THIS CAP METRO INFORMATION AND NOT THE ATP INFORMATION.
SO, UM, IF YOU COULD JUST MAYBE ADDRESS HOW THEY WOULD GIVE COMMENTS ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND ALSO MOVING FORWARD, HOW THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO, I GUESS, PARTICIPATE IN YOUR MEETINGS OR AT LEAST KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
IF THERE'S A WAY TO HAVE ASL FOR THEM, TAKE CARE, APPRECIATE FOR CLARIFYING.
AND WE WILL HAVE AN UPDATE AT OUR NEXT MEETING.
SO, UM, ANY DISCUSSION ON ITEM NUMBER FIVE FROM THE BOARD? SO PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD MR. I, UM, MOVE THAT WE PASS IT TO ADOPT.
THE ACTION IS NOW EXITING YOU.
SO DO WE HAVE A SECOND? THANK YOU, DR.
SECOND BY, UM, BOARD MEMBER BRUNETTE.
UM, EVERYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO APPROVE, PLEASE SAY, AYE, AYE AS WELL.
SO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FIVE HAS BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
[V.1. Project Connect Orange Line Alignment Review]
WE MOVE OVER TO, WE HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE ORANGE LINE ALIGNMENT, MR. JOHN ROAN, AND MR. PETER MULAN WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, AND I BELIEVE ALSO A NEED, BUT THEY MAY JOIN US.UM, SHE'S WITH THE AUSTIN CITY OF AUSTIN PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE, AS WE IMPORT ENTERING THE, AN IMPORTANT PHASE OF THE PROGRAM AS WE HIT DOORS
[00:50:01]
COMPLETION OF THE 15% ASSIGNED THIS SUMMER.TO SHOW THE PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAVE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
WE, WE DO HAVE A NEEK BY DAY, THE MOBILITY OFFICER FOR PROJECT CONNECT VIRTUALLY ONLINE WITH US.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, THEN SHE'S ON BOARD TO SUPPORT US WITH THAT.
WE ALSO HAVE MR. PETER MULLEN OUR, OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN.
AND TODAY WE WILL PRESENT TO YOU THE ORANGE LINE ALIGNMENT, UH, FROM SOUTH SLAUGHTER TO OLD TURF AND NORTH TECH RIDGE TO, TO THE DRAG.
YOU'VE SEEN THIS, UH, PROGRAM SEQUENCE PLAN PREVIOUSLY.
IT SHOWS THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINE SEQUENCING THROUGH 2029 AND ALSO SHOWS THE METRO RAIL METRO RAPID THE METRO EXPRESS PARKING RISE, METRO BUS, METRO ACCESS THE CUSTOMER TECH SYSTEMS, AS WELL AS THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS.
OUR FOCUS TODAY, AGAIN, WILL BE ON THE ORANGE LINE.
THIS IS, IS A OVERALL SYSTEM MAP SHOWING YOU THE ORANGE LINE.
UH, THE NORTH WOULD BE TO YOUR RIGHT SHOWING TECH RIDGE STATION AND THE SOUTH WOULD BE SLAUGHTER STATION.
WE ALSO SHOW IDENTIFICATION OF THE BLUE LINE FROM REPUBLIC SQUARE TO THE AREA REPORT.
AND TODAY, TODAY WE'LL PRESENT TO YOU THE, AGAIN, THE AREA FROM SOUTH SLAUGHTER TO OLD TOUR, IF NORTH TECH RAISE TO THE DRAG, AND AGAIN, AS A REMINDER, NEXT MONTH, THEN WE WILL BRING TO YOU THE AREA OF DOWNTOWN AND SOCO AS WELL.
UH, AS JACKIE MENTIONED, WE WILL BEGIN OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS AT THAT POINT.
AT THE END OF JULY, THIS IS THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINE PROJECTS OVERALL TIMELINE THAT WE PRESENTED TO YOU BEFORE PREVIOUSLY LAST MONTH.
UH, AGAIN, JUST AS, AS A NOTE, IT WALKS YOU THROUGH, UH, THE NEPA PROCESS AS WELL.
IT IDENTIFIES THE PROJECTED ENTRY INTO ENGINEERING PHASE DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
THE BEGINNING OF OUR LARGER CONTRACTS FOR CONSTRUCTION AND VEHICLE MANUFACTURING, THE, UH, ANTICIPATED TIMEFRAME FOR, UH, THE FULL FUNDING GRANT AGREEMENT, STAFFING TRAINING, UH, ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS FOR RE REVENUE SERVICE.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DETAILED MAP TO HIGHLIGHT.
UH, ONE OF THE AREAS THAT, UH, MR. COUCH TOUCHED ON PREVIOUSLY IN HIS BRIEFING, UH, WE DID, UH, SUBMIT, UH, TO THE FTA TO ENTER PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
AND WE ACTUALLY HAVE RECEIVED, UH, RECENTLY, UH, COMMENTS FROM THEM.
AND WE ARE WORKING THROUGH COMPLETING THAT PROCESS FOR APPROVAL.
ONE OF THE KEY MILESTONES THAT I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU ALL TO NOTE IN REGARD TO, UH, THE SCHEDULE AND MILESTONES THAT ARE SHOWN IS IN DECEMBER OF 2022, WE HAVE THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND THE RECORD OF DECISION THAT WE WILL COMPLETE.
THIS IS A SLIDE THAT SHOWS YOU HOW WE FIT INTO THE FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND THIS IS A SLIDE THAT WOULD SHOW, SHOW PREVIOUSLY.
IT'S, RE-IMAGINING THE RIGHT OF WAY.
AS YOU SEE IT TODAY, IT IS A RENDERING AND IT, AND IT SHOWS THE DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION, THE DIFFERENT AMENITIES AND ELEMENTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GATEWAY.
AND I'LL LET PETER SPEAK A LITTLE BIT MORE TO THE ITEMS THAT YOU SEE JUST REALLY QUICKLY.
I THINK IT, UM, IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT EVERYWHERE THE, THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM WILL GO AND TRAVEL THROUGH THE CITY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING TO, TO, TO SEE HOW WE CAN, UH, IMPROVE, UH, THE PHYSICAL FABRIC OF THE CITY AND A KIND OF A HOLISTIC WAY.
SO WE DO TAKE THIS HOLISTIC HUMAN CENTERED DESIGN APPROACH, UM, TO THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THROUGHOUT.
SO, SO NEXT ONE OF THE KEY PRINCIPLES THAT WE LOOK INTO FOR THE STATION LOCATION IS, IS THE, THE BALANCE OF THE, THE SPEED AND THE ACCESS WITH THE STATION SPACE STATION SPACING THAT'S IDENTIFIED IN ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE SHOWN YOU BEFORE THAT WE CONSTANTLY CONSIDER IS THAT HALF MILE RADIUS AND A 10 MINUTE WALK AREA BETWEEN THE STATIONS AS WELL.
WE LOOK AT A HALF MILE TO A MILE, UH, THAT'S CONSIDERED BETWEEN THE STATIONS AS WELL AS WE GO THROUGHOUT ENSURING THAT, UH, WE HAVE A FOCUS ON DEVELOPMENT, THE DESTINATION POINTS FOR THE CUSTOMERS AND THE RIDERS AND HOW WE INTERFACE WITH THEM FOR, UH, ACCESS TO AND FROM THE STATION.
UH, W WE ESSENTIALLY ALSO FOCUS ON THE CONNECTIVITY WITH BUS AND HOW WE DEVELOP THE BUS NETWORK, AS WELL AS THE RAIL SYSTEM TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE INTEGRATED AND WORK WELL TOGETHER.
ONE OF THE KEY PIECES AS PART OF THE STATIONS, AS WE IDENTIFY THOSE LOCATIONS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE GRADE OF THE STATIONS.
THE INCLINE IS SHOWN ON THE TOP LEFT.
[00:55:01]
ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A LEVEL AREA, UH, FOR THE STATION FOR ITS LOCATION.AND SO THE AREA ON THE BOTTOM, RIGHT, SHOWS THAT STATION ON FLAT LAND THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR TO PLACE THAT STATION FOR THE STATION AS WELL.
WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT IT'S NOT IN A CURVE.
UM, IT CREATES CHALLENGES AS FAR AS ACCESS TO THE STATION WHERE YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN ON THE TOP, RIGHT, WITH THE X'S THAT ARE IDENTIFIED, WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE CHALLENGES IN ACCESSING THE VEHICLE.
SO THE STATION, UH, AREA THAT WE LOOK FOR IS THAT IT'S ON A STRAIGHT LINE, A STRAIGHT PORTION OF THE TRACK AND THE GATEWAY TO PLACE THAT STATION.
SO NOW BEGIN TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE SOUTH PORTION OF THE ALIGNMENT FROM SLAUGHTER, UH, TO OLD TURF.
AND WE WILL, UH, BEGIN, UH, WITH AN AREA THAT SHOWS YOU REALLY THE WATERSHED AREA, OVERLAYING, UH, THE WORK GROUPS THAT ARE IDENTIFIED WITH THIS AREAS THAT YOU SEE, UH, HIGHLIGHTED WITH THE CIRCLES.
AND THOSE ARE THE AREAS THAT ARE FOCUSED ON BY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM.
THIS AREA SHOWS YOU FROM SLAUGHTER, UH, TO STASSNEY.
AND THERE'S A KEY ALSO IDENTIFY THAT IDENTIFIES THE DIFFERENT AREAS WHERE THERE'D BE THE FUTURE, UH, EXTENSION, WHICH YOU'RE SEEING NOW, AS WELL AS THE, UH, INITIAL INVESTMENT, THE LRT STATIONS, THE FUTURE STATIONS, PARKING RIDES, AND FORTH.
SO ONE OF THE AREAS THAT, THAT WE, WE WANT YOU TO TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT WE WILL BE CLEARING ENVIRONMENTALLY, UH, THE AREA FROM SLAUGHTER TO TECH RIDGE.
WE WILL DO THIS AS PART OF THE OVERALL FEDERAL PROCESS TO EXPEDITE THE DESIGN AND THE IMPLEMENTATION.
ONCE THE FUNDING IS SECURED, THE INITIAL INVESTMENT BEGINS AT STASSNEY AND ENDS AT STASSNEY.
AND THEN THAT FUTURE EXTENSION WOULD CONTINUE TO, TO SLAUGHTER NOW, BEGIN TO WALK YOU THROUGH THE ROLL PLOTS OF THE ALIGNMENT.
AND SO WE WILL BEGIN AT THE SLAUGHTER TRANSIT CENTER.
AND AGAIN, IT'S JUST A REMINDER, THERE'S A KEY TO THE TOP, RIGHT? THAT IDENTIFIES KEY ELEMENTS THROUGHOUT.
AS I WALKED THROUGH, UH, THE ALIGNMENT, UH, GREEN SHOWING THE TREES ZONE A RED WITH THE BIKE WAY, THE GRAY AREA IS THE ROADWAY AND THE ORANGE AREA IDENTIFIES THE SIDEWALKS AND WHERE WE HAVE SOME SHARED USE PASSES, UH, AREAS FOR, FOR BIKE AND PID.
AND SO, AS YOU SEE HERE, UH, WE, WE HAVE THE SLAUGHTER TRANSIT CENTER THAT'S IDENTIFIED.
AND ALSO AS A REMINDER, THE NAMES AND THE LOCATIONS OF THE STATE, THE NAMES AND LOCATIONS OF THE STATIONS HAVE NOT BEEN FINALIZED.
WE WILL WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AS PART OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS TO FINALIZE THEM.
AND SO, AS WE CONTINUE OFF THE ALIGNMENT, UH, WE WILL ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THAT CONNECTION WITH THE BUSES, UH, AND ACCESS TO, AND FROM THE SLAUGHTER TRANSIT CENTER FOR BUS TO THE LIGHT RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM.
AND WE WILL, UH, ALSO, UH, START TO HAVE A FOCUS ON HOW, HOW THE ALIGNMENT TRANSITIONS TO THE ROADWAY AT THIS POINT, UH, THERE IDENTIFIED, UH, AREAS WHERE WE HAVE APARTMENTS.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT BUSINESSES, THE STORAGE UNITS, THE SALVAGE YARD.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE TO WORK WITH THE, THE, UM, AMOUNT OF TRAFFIC LANES AND THE TRANSITION OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM INTO THE ROADWAY.
SO YOU SEE THE LIGHT BLUE LINES THAT ARE IDENTIFIED THAT IDENTIFY THAT ARE FOR, UH, THE TRAFFIC LANES.
SO AS WE TRANSITION, UH, ONTO THE GUIDEWAY FROM SLAUGHTER, UH, TRANSIT CENTER, THEN YOU WILL SEE AS WE PROGRESS THAT WE WILL GO ACROSS A BRIDGE, THE CREEK THERE, THAT'S LOCATED, UH, JUST TO THE SOUTH OF THE RETAIL COMMERCIAL BUILDING, WE CROSS DITMAR ROAD, UH, AND THEN WE IDENTIFY THE APARTMENTS.
THIS IS THAT IN-BETWEEN AREA BETWEEN STATIONS AND THE KEY.
THE KEY HERE IS, IS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHERE IN THIS AREA WE ARE AT GRADE WHERE WE HAVE THOSE INTERFACES WITH THE GRAY CROSSINGS AND THE STREET IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED AS WE CONTINUE SOUTH CONGRESS AT WILLIAM CANNON STATION IS SHOWN ON THE SCREEN TO YOUR RIGHT.
THIS IS A TYPE OF A SPLIT, UH, PLATFORM STATION.
IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE, UH, STATIONS THAT IDENTIFIED BASED ON THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE BECAUSE OF THE WIDTH OF THE GUIDEWAY THAT IDENTIFIES, UH, THE, UM, THE, THE SOUTH AND THE NORTHBOUND, UH, PLATFORMS. IT ALSO IDENTIFIES THE LOCAL BUS CONNECTIONS THAT WOULD BE IN THIS AREA.
AND YOU CAN START TO SEE THE DEVELOPMENTS, THE APARTMENTS, THE BUSINESSES, THE WALGREENS THAT ARE, UH, IDENTIFIED THAT REALLY MADE THIS LOCATION THE BEST FIT AT THIS TIME WHERE WE'VE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UM, THE, UH, WILLIAM CANNON STATION.
AS WE MOVE ALONG, WE SHOW A MORE MIXED USE RETAIL.
WE SHOW THE PLEASANT HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL,
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MORE APARTMENTS, MORE GREY CROSSING IMPROVEMENTS.UH, WE'RE, WE'RE CONTINUING TO PROGRESS, UH, AT GREAT, UH, ALONG THE ALIGNMENT WE GO FROM STASSNEY TO OLTORF AND AGAIN, IDENTIFIED ARE THE WORKING GROUP, UH, AREAS IDENTIFIED IN BY THE CIRCLES.
AND HERE YOU CAN SEE THE, UH, LOCATION OF STASSNEY STATION.
THAT'S, UH, JUST TO THE, THE NORTH OF THE, UM, STASSNEY LANE.
WE HAVE THE GAS STATION, THE CVS THAT'S LOCATED IN THIS AREA AS, AS WELL AS, UH, AS YOU PROGRESS, UH, THROUGH THE, THE SLIDE YOU SHOW, UH, AND SEE THE LOCAL BEST CONNECTIONS AS STASSNEY, THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A FOCUS ON AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THAT, UH, PROPER CONNECTION AND, AND ACCESS TO, AND FROM THE STATION, THE AUTO SALVAGE YARD AND WILLIAMS CREEK ARE AREAS THAT YOU CAN SEE THAT WE ARE OFF THE ALIGNMENT AS FAR AS THE ROADWAY.
AND WE ARE TRAVELING, UH, ACROSS THE WILLIAMS CREEK.
AND THEN WE START TO BEGIN A TRANSITION THAT PUTS US BACK ON TO THE GUIDEWAY AS WE TRANSITIONED FROM THE TECH STOCK RIGHT OF WAY TO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
RIGHT? SO JUST ONE NOTE AS TO WHY WE'RE OFF THE ALIGNMENT HERE OFF THE ROADWAY PART IS BECAUSE OF WILLIAMSON CREEK.
AND SO, UM, ACTUALLY SOME OF THE ROADWAY IS ACTUALLY BELOW IN THE FLOOD, PLAIN, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE GUIDEWAY OUT OF THE FLOOD PLAIN.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY WE'RE PULLING IT OFF OF THE ROADWAY AND ONTO THIS LITTLE STRIP OF LAND.
AND SO YOU COULD SEE THAT THAT SORT OF PINK PORTION OF THE CREEK IS ACTUALLY, IT'S A, YOU KNOW, IT'S A STRUCTURE TO BE ABLE TO GO OVER THE CREEK TO PROTECT THE, THE GUIDEWAY FROM THAT FLOOD PLAIN.
SO AS WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS, WE COME ON TO THE GUIDEWAY FOR CITY OF AUSTIN GUIDEWAY AND THIS TAKES YOU FROM STASSNEY TO SOUTH CONGRESS, A TRANSIT CENTER, YOU CAN SEE, AS WE TRANSITIONED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, UH, THAT WE HAVE THE WILLIAMS CREEK THAT WE GO OVER, WE TRANSITION ONTO THE GUIDEWAY THERE'S RETAIL, THERE'S THE PARK FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE AROUND THIS AREA.
AND THE STREET INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE REQUIRED.
ELMO, UH, GRAY CROSSING, WE WILL START TO GO ARIEL INTO THE SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER AT THIS LOCATION.
WE HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH THE BUS FOR THE EXISTING SOUTH CON CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER, AND THE DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE OCCURRING AT THAT LOCATION.
ONE OF THE KEY POINTS HERE WITH US BEING AREAS, JUST ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THAT, THAT CUSTOMER INTERFACE AND CONNECTION, UH, AND THAT IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT ASSESSABILITY, UH TO AND FROM THE STATION IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN HOW PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO GET TO AND FROM THEIR DESTINATIONS AND TRANSFER FROM EITHER THE BUS OR THE RAIL SYSTEM.
AS WE CONTINUE TO PROGRESS TO THE NORTH THING, YOU SEE A US TWO 90 BEN WHITE, THEN WE WILL GO OVER THOSE AREAS.
AND ALSO THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE STARTED TO DECLINE IN GRADE IS TO GO OVER THE U S TWO 90.
WE ALSO HAVE, UM, UH, A SLIDE HERE THAT SHOWS YOU REALLY A AERIAL CENTER PLATFORM.
TYPICALLY THIS IS OUR TYPICAL LAYOUT FOR AN AERIAL STATION.
UH, THE SAME AS WITH WHETHER IT'S A GRADE OR ARIEL, IT GIVES US THE BENEFIT OF HAVING LESS AMENITIES THAT ARE, UH, ASSOCIATED ON THE PRO PLATFORM, AS WELL AS IT GIVES MORE OF A COMFORT, A FEELING FOR CUSTOMERS.
IF THEY NEED IT TO GO NORTHBOUND OR SOUTHBOUND, IS THERE ON THAT PLATFORM, THEY CAN GO IN EITHER DIRECTION.
SO NEXT WE CONTINUE ACROSS, UH, US TO 90.
UH, WE START TO GO BACK DOWN TO GRADE, UH, TO ALIGN WITH THE ROADWAY.
WE HAVE, UH, LOTS OF COMMERCIAL, UH, MIXED COMMERCIAL APARTMENTS, UH, LOCATED THROUGH THIS AREA.
UH, DEFINITELY, UH, A LOT OF ACTIVITY IN THIS AREA AND A LOT OF, UM, UH, UH, CONNECTIONS, UH, THAT ARE TO THE SOUTH CONGRESS TRANSIT CENTER NEXT WOULD BE ST.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE TWO OPTIONS.
UH, WE ARE SHOWING HERE THE SPLIT PLATFORM OPTION, UH, LOCATED, UH, AT THE ST EDWARD'S UNIVERSITY.
YOU SEE THE APARTMENTS THAT ARE LOCATED AS WELL AT WOODWARD STREET, AND THEN THE MIXED USE, UH, THE DIFFERENT, UH, LANE, UH, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD BE MADE THROUGHOUT THIS AREA FOR ENTERING INTO AND OUT OF THE UNIVERSITY.
ONE OF THE, THE SECOND OPTIONS FOR, UH, FOR THIS, UH, THAT, THAT WE CAN, ONE OF THE THINGS WE CONSIDERED IN A, UH, SIDE PLATFORM ARRANGEMENT IS BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS OF THE GUIDEWAY.
[01:05:01]
WE, WE CONSIDER, UH, UTILIZING, UH, SPLIT PLATFORM.UH, AND THIS IS OFFSETS, UH, AS WELL FOR, UH, MORE SPACE FOR YOUR LEFT TURN LANES.
THE CENTER PLATFORM OPTION AT ST ALLOWS FOR THE STATION TO BE TO THE NORTH OF WOODY WOODWARD, UH, S UH, STREET ALSO, UH, THIS ALLOWS FOR US TO HAVE, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY IN REGARD TO, UH, INGRESS EGRESS TO, TO THE STATION AND EXCESS, UH, TO THE UNIVERSITY, UH, THE, THE AREA, UM, FOR, UH, THE STATION, UH, IS NOT AS IMPACTED AS FAR AS REAL ESTATE.
UH, AND SO THIS IS, THIS IS AN OPTION THAT WE'VE MET WITH THE UNIVERSITY, UH, AS WELL, AND DISCUSSED, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO FINALIZE THIS WITH THE COMMUNITY.
YES, WELL, AND THIS SHOWS A TYPICAL LAYOUT FOR A CENTER PLATFORM STATION.
AGAIN, THIS OFFERS MORE COMFORTABLE WAITING SPACE FOR THE PASSENGERS, AND ALSO ALLOWS FOR US TO HAVE SOME SAVINGS IN REGARD TO THE AMENITIES THAT ARE LOCATED ON THE PLATFORM.
NEXT WOULD CONTINUE TO PROGRESS FROM SOUTH CONGRESS, UH, AT TORRES, UH, STATION.
UH, YOU CAN SEE THE GARDNER BETTS JUVENILE CENTER, THE MAKES RETAIL, THE FORM OF TWIN OAK SHOPPING CENTER.
THE HEB, UH, IS, AND THROUGHOUT THIS AREA, WE, WE HAVE SOME DEVELOPMENT, UH, THAT WE COULD BUILD OFF OF THAT ALLOWS US ALSO TO WORK WITH THE, THE BUS CONNECTIONS THAT ARE AT, UH, OUTDOOR ALTOF.
AND, AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS TO, TO ENSURE NOW WE ARE AT GRADE, THIS INTERSECTION, HOW THE, THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC WOULD ACCESS THE STATION, UH, TO AND FROM, UH, FOR BUS CONNECTION.
SO THAT COMPLETES OUR, OUR FIRST TOUR FROM SLAUGHTER TO OLD TURF, UH, FOR THE ORANGE LINE.
AND NOW WE'LL TRANSITION TO, UH, WALK YOU THROUGH, UH, THE NORTH SECTION.
AND SO I'LL TRANSITION QUICKLY HERE TO SHOW YOU THE AREAS OF THE WORKING GROUPS FROM RUNDBERG TO NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.
AND OF COURSE, THIS, THIS ALSO, UH, AS PART OF THE INITIAL INVESTMENT ENDS AT NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, UH, THE FUTURE EXTENSION WOULD CONTINUE TO TECH RIDGE.
AND THEN, UH, WE WOULD ALSO WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THAT WE ARE INCLUDING THIS AS PART OF THE NEPA PROCESS, UH, TO, TO GET THAT, UH, APPROVAL TO, UH, EXPEDITE THE DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION.
SO HERE TO YOUR RIGHT, YOU CAN SEE THE TECH RIDGE STATION, UH, AT IT IDENTIFIES ON THIS SLIDE, THE EXISTING TAR TECH RIDGE PARKING RIDE.
ALSO THERE'S RETAIL APARTMENTS, UH, THE CARMAX THAT'S LOCATED TO YOUR TOP LEFT.
AND SO WE TRANSITIONED ACROSS 35 AND WE ARE AERIAL AT THIS POINT.
UH, WE CROSSED 35 AND WE START TO TRANSITION INTO THE GUIDEWAY FOR FAR NORTH LAMAR.
AND AS WE TRANSITION ONTO THE GUIDEWAY, THEN WE HAVE, UH, THE DIFFERENT, UH, IMPROVEMENTS THAT WOULD BE FOR THE ROADWAY AND THE LIGHT TURQUOISE BLUE SHOWS THE TRAFFIC LANES FOR THIS AREA.
THE ORANGE SHOWS THE SIDEWALKS JUST AS A REMINDER AGAIN, UH, AS WE WALKED THROUGH THE SLIDES.
SO HERE, THIS, THIS AREA IS A HEAVILY POPULATED WITH APARTMENTS AND BUSINESSES.
YOU SEE THE WALMART, THE LOWS, UH, IDENTIFIED IN THE CANALE HIGH SCHOOL.
SO NEXT, THIS WALKS US TO THE, UH, NORTH LAMAR AT PALMER STATION AT PARMA STATION.
WE ALSO HAVE LOCAL BUS CONNECTIONS ON FARMERS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE FUTURE METRO RAPID, UH, TO CONSIDER FOR CONNECTIONS FOR BUS AND LIGHT RAIL THERE'S.
UH, THE GOLDEN CORRAL IS IDENTIFIED APARTMENTS IN THE HOTEL IN THIS AREA THAT THIS IS, UH, A HIGH TRAFFIC AREA AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS AREA.
UH, THE RESTRICTIONS IN THE GUIDEWAY, UM, WE CHOSE TO, UH, PROGRESS TO 15% DESIGN WITH A SPLIT PLATFORM ARRANGEMENT THAT ALLOWED FOR THE TURN LANES THAT YOU SEE LOCATED ON THE MAP.
AS WE CONTINUE TO TRANSITION FROM NORTH TO SOUTH THING, YOU SEE THE AREAS WHERE WE GO THROUGH THE OFFICES THAT ARE LOCATED ON THE BOTTOM, RIGHT? THE WALNUT CREEK METROPOLITAN, UH, PARK.
AND WE S WE START TO HAVE MORE, UM, INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS, ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS TO ENSURE WE HAVE, UM, ADEQUATE TRAFFIC FLOW.
AND AS WE CONTINUE, UH, NORTH LAMAR AT WALNUT CREEK, UH, WE HAVE A BRIDGE.
SO WE WILL GO ARIEL OVER THE BRIDGE AND THEN COME BACK DOWN TO GREAT AND CONTINUE IN THE GUIDEWAY.
AND THEN NEXT WE GET TO NORTH LAMAR AT BREAKER STATION, A BREAKER STATION.
WE ALSO HAVE BUS CONNECTIONS, UH, THAT WE WILL ENSURE THAT WE HAVE CONNECTIVITY
[01:10:01]
FOR OUR CUSTOMERS.AND WE ALSO HAVE A SPLIT PLATFORM THAT SHOWN YOU HAVE THE ORACLE DATA CENTER, THE MIXED COMMERCIAL, THE CHINATOWN SHOPPING CENTER, A LOT OF, UM, OPPORTUNITIES HERE FOR EMPLOYMENT, FOR, UH, CUSTOMERS TO, TO GET TO THEIR JOBS.
WE CONTINUE TO TRANSITION FROM CHINATOWN TO MASTERSON.
AND SO FROM WORKING FROM YOUR RIGHT TO, TO THE LEFT, THEN WE CONTINUE TO SHOW THE DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENTS AND MIXED COMMERCIAL, UH, THAT SHOWN THROUGH THE AREA.
AND THEN WE CONTINUE, UM, FURTHER NORTH LAMAR TO RUTLAND DRIVE IDENTIFYING, UH, THE ROAD IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THE INTERSECTIONS SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL.
UH, WE GET TO RE RUDBERG STATION AT THIS STATION.
WE ALSO HAVE BUS CONNECTIONS, UH, THAT WE WERE ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE PROPER CONNECTIVITY TO AND FROM BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS WITH THE GUIDEWAY, WE'RE SHOWING A SPLIT PLATFORM ARRANGEMENT FOR THIS STATION.
YOU ALSO COULD SEE THE APARTMENTS, THE RETAIL.
SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO UTILIZE THE SYSTEM, TO GET TO DESTINATIONS THAT ARE LIVING IN THIS AREA, THE APARTMENTS, BUT ALSO TO GET TO DIFFERENT JOBS.
SO WE CONTINUE AT GRADE, UH, IN THE CENTER OF THE GATEWAY AND WE CROSSED A LITTLE WALNUT CREEK AREA.
UH, WE CONTINUE, UH, WE SHOWED THE IMPROVEMENTS OF THE INTERSECTIONS.
UH, WE SHOW THE RETAIL AND THE STORAGE AND MIXED COMMERCIAL DISLOCATED THROUGHOUT THIS AREA THAT THEN GETS US TO THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.
SO AS WE PROGRESS THROUGH THE ALIGNMENT AT THIS POINT, WE TRANSITION AND WIDEN THE TRACKS FOR A CENTER PLATFORM ARRANGEMENT, UH, STATION, UH, WITH THE LOCATION OF THIS STATION.
IT ALSO PUTS US AT, UH, A, A POINT WHERE WE WOULD ENSURE THAT WE FOCUS ON THE CONNECTIVITY AND THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY AND PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC DUE TO THE EXISTING NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER IN THIS AREA.
UH, THIS, THIS IS SHOWING A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, UH, THAT WOULD ALLOW THE PEDESTRIANS TO GET ACROSS, UH, THE, UH, THE GUIDEWAY, UH, IN THIS AREA AND TRANSITION TO THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.
SO THE ORANGE LINE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER TO CANUCK CONTINUES AT GRADE, AND WE CONTINUE SHOWING, UH, MORE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROADWAY WITH THE LANES.
AND THEN WE SHOW THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WILL BE MADE TO THE SIDEWALKS AT MORROW STREET.
AND THEN WE TRANSITIONED FROM AGAIN FROM THE TEXT THAT RIGHT AWAY TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEN WE CONTINUE, UH, AND, AND WORK OUR WAY TOWARDS CRESTVIEW STATION AT CRESTVIEW STATION.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MORE COMPLEX LOCATIONS, UH, WHERE YOU'LL START TO SEE TO THE FAR LEFT, WHERE WE HAVE, UH, AND AN ARIEL, UH, STRUCTURE THAT BEGINS THE CURRENT CRESTVIEW LRT STATION IS, IS ELEVATED.
AND SO, AS WE TRANSITION, THEN WE HAVE A FOCUS ON IMPROVING THIS AREA FOR NOT ONLY FOR ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
SO FOR PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, FOR BICYCLES, FOR, UH, THE, THE VEHICLES IN THE ROADWAY, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON THIS AREA TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THAT PROPER CONNECTION AND ASSESSABILITY TO THE EXISTING RED LINE STATION.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY GIVE YOU, GIVE ME A BREAK.
YOU'VE BEEN, YOU'VE BEEN DOING YEOMAN'S WORK.
SO, UM, THIS IS, YEAH, AS JOHN MENTIONED, THIS IS I THINK ONE OF THE MOST COMPLEX INTERSECTIONS IN THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
UM, THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, EXISTING, UH, ACT GRADE, FREIGHT RAIL RUNNING PARALLEL TO AIRPORT BOULEVARD, THE EXISTING RED LINE SERVICE, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE TO BE INCREASED IN TERMS OF FREQUENCY.
UM, THIS IS A COMPLEX ROADWAY INTERSECTION, AND THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF NEW, UH, DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITY AROUND THIS INTERSECTION, UH, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE BLUE, THE ORANGE LINE AND THE BLUE LINE INTERLINED WITH IT.
UM, ADDING THAT ELEMENT INTO THIS ALREADY COMPLEX REQUIRES THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A GREAT SEPARATION BETWEEN THESE DIFFERENT MODES.
UM, THE CURRENT DRAFT PROPOSAL SHOWS US GOING ELEVATED THE ORANGE LINE IN THIS LOCATION TO BASICALLY AVOID THAT INTERSECTION WITH, UM, FREIGHT AS WELL AS, UH, BEARING THE RED LINE UNDERNEATH THE LAMAR.
SO IT WOULD BE A KIND OF A THREE LEVEL, UH, SYSTEM, UM, AT THIS INTERSECTION TO KIND OF SEPARATE SOME OF THOSE MODES.
UM, I WILL SAY, I THINK THAT THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE'RE GOING TO REALLY BE LEANING ON THE COMMUNITY TO HELP US COME TO AN OPTIMIZED SOLUTION, TO INTEGRATE ALL OF THESE ELEMENTS, RIGHT, AS WELL AS THE KIND OF IMPROVED PEDESTRIAN EXPERIENCE AT, AT GRADE, AS WELL AS CONNECTIONS TO THE VARIOUS TRANSPORTATION MODES.
SO, UM, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE IMAGE, IT LOOKS LIKE A BIT OF A SPAGHETTI BOWL, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK W COMING, UH, FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC MEETINGS IN JULY, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME, SOME COMMUNITY DESIGN WORKSHOPS WITH THE COMMUNITY ON THIS SPECIFIC
[01:15:01]
STATION.SO NOW WE CONTINUE FROM NORTH LAMAR TO DENSON DRIVE AND WE CONTINUE TO SHOW WHERE WE'RE AT GRADE SHOWING MORE OF MIXED COMMERCIAL.
UH, AND WE START TO GET TO THE AREA IN COORDINATION WITH DPS.
UH, THEN WE, THEN WE WORK TO NORTH LAMAR AT, UH, CANUCK STATION HERE IN THIS LOCATION.
UH, WE'VE HAD, UM, MEETINGS WITH, UH, DPS AND, AND THERE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL, UH, MINIMIZING.
UM, THE IMPACTS TO THE GUIDEWAY IN THIS AREA IS IMPORTANT AS WELL, ENSURING THAT WE HAVE THAT INTERFACE WITH THE BUS CONNECTIONS IN THIS AREA AND IMPROVEMENTS TO THE ROADWAY AT KONY GLEAN, AS WE CONTINUE FROM, FROM CANUCK TO HYDE PARK AT 38TH, UH, THIS SHOWS THE WORKING GROUPS, UH, FOR THIS AREA.
AND WE CONTINUE AT GRADE, UH, GOING ACROSS NORTH LOOP AND THERE'S FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS AREA.
THERE'S APARTMENTS, UH, THERE'S A HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, UH, UM, AREA IN COMPLEX.
AND SO WE CONTINUE, UM, TO TRANSITION AT THIS POINT TO NORTH GUADALUPE.
AND AS YOU SEE HERE, THE CENTER PLATFORM FOR THE TRIANGLE STATION, THIS IS ANOTHER AREA THAT, THAT IS COMPLEX.
AS WE TRANSITIONED FROM LAMAR, UH, TO, UH, GUADALUPE, YOU COULD SEE THE, UH, LOCATION OF THE BUSINESSES, THE WALGREENS AND THE APARTMENTS, THE RESIDENCE IS LOCATED IN THIS AREA THAT WOULD HAVE ACCESS TO.
AND FROM THE SLIDE THAT YOU SEE HERE IS NORTH QUAD LOOKING, UH, NORTH AT 41ST STREET, IT'S THE CURRENT CONDITION, THE EXISTING CONDITION.
AND THE PURPOSE OF IT IS TO SHOW YOU HOW TIGHT THE RIGHT OF WAY IS IN THIS AREA.
AS WE START TO TRANSITION, THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT THE GUIDEWAY STARTS TO NARROW AND GUADALUPE THEN HAS, UH, IMPACTS THAT WE, UH, ARE, ARE SHOWING THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, AUSTIN STATE HOSPITAL ON TO MINIMIZE THE AREA OF REAL ESTATE IMPACTS TO HIGH PARK.
SO THROUGHOUT THIS AREA, WE'VE BEEN SUCCESSFUL IN HAVING DISCUSSIONS AND MEETINGS WITH THE AUSTIN STATE HOSPITAL THAT HAS LED TO EXACTLY THAT, UH, TO MEET OUR GOAL, TO MINIMIZE THOSE IMPACTS, UH, TO, TO REAL ESTATE AT HIGH PARK, WE CONTINUE TO TRANSITION NEXT.
WE GET TO HIGH PARK STATION AT THE AUSTIN STATE HOSPITAL, AGAIN AT GREAT IN THE CENTER OF THE GUIDEWAY, AS YOU COULD TELL, NOT AS MANY TRAFFIC LANES, UH, IN THIS AREA, BUT AT THE INTERSECTIONS THAT WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE PROPER FLOW AND PROPER LANES FOR, UH, ACCESS AT 30, 38TH STREET.
AND THEN THIS SLIDE SHOWS YOU THE, UM, THIS IS A, UH, SLIDE PLAN SIDE PLATFORM ARRANGEMENT.
SO NOW YOU'RE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF 38TH STREET.
UH, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE LOCATION OF THE STATION THERE THAT ALLOWS, UH, ACCESS TO AND FROM, UH, THE APARTMENTS AND THE BUSINESSES LOCATED IN THIS AREA.
AS WE CONTINUE YOU, UH, THROUGH THE ORANGE LINE, WE GET TO HEMPHILL PARK TO THE DRAG, AND THIS AREA HAS A LOT OF, UH, GROUPS THAT WE'VE, UH, BROKEN THIS INTO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, AS PART OF THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS, AS FAR AS LOCATION OF THE STATIONS, NAMING OF THE STATIONS, THE SIDEWALKS, THE BIKE, UM, UH, AND PAD, UH, LOCATIONS.
SO AS WE TRANSITION, UH, WE START, WE SHOW, UH, THAT THE DRAG AT 29TH STREET TO MLK, AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAR RIGHT, WE HAVE THE HEMP HILL STATION.
THIS IS PRETTY MUCH THE ONLY LOCATION WHERE WE HAD AN AREA WHERE WE HAD TANGENT TRACK, STRAIGHT TRACK AND NOT ON A GREAT OR INCLINE.
SO GOING BACK TO THOSE STANDARDS THAT WE SPOKE TO EARLIER, SO WE SHOWED THE STATION OF HEMP HILL PARK LOCATED THERE, AND YOU SEE THE WEST CAMPUS FOR UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.
AND THEN WE TRANSITIONED INTO, UH, THE UT WEST MALL STATION ON GUADALUPE STREET.
THIS AREA, UH, OF COURSE, IS THESE ARE CURRENT PHOTOS OF THE AREA.
NOW IT'S ALREADY ONE OF THE MOST CONGESTED AREAS OF, UH, OF THE ALIGNMENT.
IT ALSO IS, HAS ITS RESTRICTIONS DUE TO THE WIDTH OF THE GUIDEWAY AND THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCATED ALONG IT.
BUT WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.
WE HAVE VEHICLE OR TRAFFIC, AS YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, AS WELL AS BUSES THAT YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT THE BOTTOM, RIGHT? SO OUR ASPIRATION IS TO ENHANCE THE DRAG THROUGHOUT THIS AREA.
THIS IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE WANT TO HAVE A FOCUS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS ON SAFETY SAFETY FOR THE STUDENTS, SAFETY FOR ALL OF THE PEDESTRIANS THROUGHOUT THIS AREA, AND THAT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.
[01:20:01]
WE WANT THIS TO BE ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE IMPROVE THAT EXPERIENCE.THAT'S THERE TODAY THAT WE INTO THAT FABRIC OF THE COMMUNITY, AND THEN ACTUALLY IT BECOMES AN IMPROVEMENT TO THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE LOCATED THROUGHOUT.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAINTAIN ACCESS AS WELL TO THE LOCAL BUS SERVICE, IN ADDITION TO THE LIGHT RAIL SERVICE AND MAINTAIN THAT NORTH SOUTH VEHICLE OR THROUGHPUT, UH, FOR THE AREA, THE, UM, THE MAIN IMPORTANT THING AS THE LAST BULLET INDICATES IS TO MAINTAIN THAT HISTORIC UT CAMPUS EDGE.
SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE CONSIDER AS WE GO THROUGH THE DRAG ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF USES OF SHARED USE FOR THE GUIDEWAY.
YOU SEE PHOTOS AT THE TOP RANK FOR HOUSTON, THE BOTTOM, RIGHT FOR DENVER.
THE, THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE ARE SHOWN WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE LRT WITH PEDESTRIANS AND BIKES ONLY YOU'D HAVE LRT AND BUS WITH PEDESTRIANS AND BIKES, LRT, PEDESTRIANS, BUS BIKES, GENERAL PURPOSE USE, AND THEN YOU HAVE HYBRID APPROACHES.
I FEEL THAT ALL OF THESE AREAS AND OPTIONS THROUGHOUT THE DRAG, UH, WILL, WILL BE, UM, AREAS THAT WE WILL RECEIVE A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE WANT TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY IN THIS AREA.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS REALLY SHOW YOU SOME OF THE EXAMPLES THAT HAVE BEEN USED THROUGHOUT THE NATION TO THE TOP LEFT MINNEAPOLIS.
YOU CAN SEE THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM ALONG WITH THE BUSES THAT ARE TRAVELING TO THE RIGHT, UH, NEXT TO THAT IS AUCKLAND NEW ZEALAND.
UH, THIS IS, UH, PETER MULLINS' FAVORITE.
IF WE COULD PULL THIS OFF WITH ALL OF THE SPACE, UH, THAT THEY HAVE, THAT WOULD BE OUTSTANDING.
UH, THE, UH, LOCATION YOU SEE ON THE BOTTOM LEFT IS DENVER, UH, AND IT SHOWS THE MIX USE, UH, FOR, FOR REL AS WELL AS, UH, BOTTOM, RIGHT.
OR DALLAS SHOWS A HYBRID APPROACH OF WHERE YOU HAVE THE LRT SYSTEM ALONG WITH, UH, TRAFFIC FOR GENERAL PURPOSE USE AND DELIVERIES.
SO NEXT WE GET TO, UH, ANOTHER COMPLEX AREA IN WHICH WE GO FROM HEMPHILL PARK STATION, UH, AND, UH, 29TH STREET.
SO HEMPHILL PARK, UH, AGAIN, THIS AREA IS STRATEGICALLY LOCATED.
IT'S ONE OF THE ONLY AREAS THAT WE HAD THAT WE COULD FIT THE STATION, BUT THERE ARE A LOT OF STREET IMPROVEMENTS, UH, IN THIS AREA THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, SO WE'RE GOOD ZOOMING IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL ON THE DRAG.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AT THE INTERSECTION OF 29TH STREET IS, UM, REALLY TRYING TO ENCOURAGE TRAFFIC TO, UM, GO OFF OF THE DRAG AND ACTUALLY DOWN SOME OF THE OTHER LOW OTHER STREETS IN THE AREA.
SO THAT'S A KIND OF A AREA-WIDE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN THAT WE'RE WORKING ON WITH ATD ON.
UH, BUT IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY, I THINK, TO RETHINK THE INTERSECTION OF 29TH AND GUADALUPE, AND TO ACTUALLY CREATE SOME NEW PUBLIC SPACE IS KIND OF A PUBLIC PLAZA AREA AT THE INTERSECTION AS PART OF THIS REALIGNMENT OF SOME OF THE LANES, UM, AND THE INSERTION OF THE, OF THE NEW LIGHT RAIL INTO THE SYSTEM.
WE CONTINUE ALONG GUADALUPE AT GRADE, AND THEN WE START TO GET TO THE DEAN KEATON AND WEST CAMPUS LOCATION AS WELL.
HERE, YOU CAN SEE IT AT DEAN KEATON.
UH, WE HAVE THE THROUGHPUT THAT WOULD ALLOW YOU TO GET TO SAN ANTONIO STREET, UH, AS A ROAD IMPROVEMENT, AS WELL AS AT NEW ACES, UH, AS WELL, UH, TO, UM, MAKE IMPROVEMENTS FOR, UH, TRAFFIC FLOW IN THESE AREAS.
AS WE CONTINUE ON, WE GET TO THE UT WEST SMALL STATION, IT'S A CENTER PLATFORM STATION HERE.
THE AREA STARTS TO WIDEN A LITTLE BIT, UH, ALLOW FOR US TO WHITEN THE TRACKS AND LOCATE THE STATION IN THIS AREA.
AND, UH, OF COURSE YOU'RE RIGHT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAMPUS.
AND OF COURSE, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS JUST ACCESS, UH, INGRESS EGRESS TO, AND FROM THE STATIONS AS IMPORTANT, UH, AS WELL AS THE CONNECTIONS IN THIS AREA.
SO WE OBVIOUSLY HAVE A LOT OF SLIDES IN THE DRAG BECAUSE IT'S A COMPLEX AREA.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE BOTH ON THE ONE HAND MANAGING ALL THESE DIFFERENT MODES OF TRAVEL, BUT IN THE PROCESS ALSO TRYING TO MAKE THIS A PLACE OR TO REINFORCE IT AS A PLACE.
AND I THINK, UM, THAT'S THE ATTITUDE AND THE MINDSET, THE FRAME THAT WE, WE SEE ALL THIS WORK THROUGH, UM, I WILL SAY WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE THAT APPROACH AND DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
SO WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THE DRAG HERE TODAY, BUT THAT APPLIES TO CRESTVIEW THAT APPLIES TO NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.
IT APPLIES TO OLTORF, IT APPLIES TO ALL OF THESE KIND OF REALLY IMPORTANT NODES OF ACTIVITY THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PROGRAM.
SO NEXT MONTH IN JULY, THE BRIEFINGS WILL BE FOCUSED ON DOWNTOWN AND SOCO AND, UH,
[01:25:01]
THE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, UH, FOR THE ORANGE LINE FOR THE 15% DESIGN, UH, WILL BE THIS MONTH, DOWNTOWN AND SOCO AREAS AGAIN, UH, IN JUNE AND JULY, UH, SOLICITING COMMUNITY COMMENT FOR THE 15%, UH, DESIGN FOR THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINES, UH, THROUGH THE SUMMER, UH, TO, TO MEET OUR NEPA MILESTONE AND THEN PUBLIC MEETINGS ON THE 15% DESIGNED TO BE HELD IN JULY.ALSO AS NEXT STEPS, WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, TX DOT THE STATE OF TEXAS, AS WELL AS, UH, ANY OTHER, UH, PARTNER AGENCIES, STAFF ON THE PROGRAM FOR COORDINATION.
AND THEN WE'LL HOLD OUR, OUR FIRST TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING AS WELL THIS MONTH.
SO THIS IS JUST A REMINDER SLOT REMINDER, SLIDE OF OUR KEY MILESTONES FOR THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINE.
AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION TODAY, TAKE A DEEP BREATH.
THAT IS AN IMMENSE AMOUNT OF WORK GUYS.
THIS IS A VERY COMPREHENSIVE UPDATE AND I HOPE YOU'LL HAVE A MILLION QUESTIONS THEO HAVE YES.
THERE WAS A LOT OF WORK THAT WENT INTO THIS AND, YOU KNOW, IT WAS A BOARD MEMBER.
THIS IS REALLY HELPFUL SEEING THIS LEVEL OF DETAIL IS A GREAT JOB, VERY THOROUGH.
UM, AND I DO LIKE, UM, PETER'S AUCKLAND EXAMPLE.
THAT WOULD BE SO COOL ON THE DRAG OF, WE COULD DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UM, I JUST HAD A QUESTION AND THIS HAS TO DO KIND OF WITH THE LANE CONFIGURATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, IS MOST OF THESE LANES, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THEY'RE FIVE IT'S, IT'S TWO PLUS ONE, PLUS TWO, YOU KNOW, TWO LANES ON EACH SIDE THAT TURNING LANE.
SO MY QUESTION IS GENERALLY, WHAT ARE THESE LANES GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN, IN A CONFIGURATION? YOU KNOW, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT MINIMUM ONE LANES GOING THAT, THAT TURNING LANES GOING, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME AREAS LIKE NORTH GUADALUPE WHERE IT'S SO TIGHT, THAT IS THE LANE CONFIGURATION GOING TO BE ONE PLUS ONE WHERE YOU'RE LOSING THREE LANES BECAUSE YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH ROOM FOR RIGHT AWAY.
SO JUST KIND OF, AND THEN THE OTHER QUESTION, WHICH IS KIND OF PART B OF THAT ON-STREET PARKING AND W YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOSING ON-STREET PARKING? AND IF SO, YEAH, THE REASONS I'M ASKING THE QUESTION IS WE GOT TO BUILD A LINE AND WE GOT TO WORK WITH WHAT WE HAVE.
SO MY CONCERN HAS TO DO WITH WHAT IS FUTURE TRAFFIC GONNA LOOK LIKE IF YOU'RE GOING FROM FIVE LANES TO TWO OR FIVE LANES TO FOUR, AND WHAT'S IT GOING TO DO WITH RESPECT TO ON-STREET PARKING AND THE BUSINESS IMPACT ASSOCIATED WITH THAT? YES, YES.
WE, WE CONTINUE TO FOCUS ON, UM, AREAS WHERE WE CAN HAVE THE TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, UH, WHERE WE CAN HAVE LEFT TURN LANES, UH, SIGNAL SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS, UH, TO CONTROL TRAFFIC, UH, WHERE WE'RE THE ALIGNMENT, UH, IS, UH, REFINED.
UH, THERE ARE AREAS WHERE THERE WOULD BE ONE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION.
UH, AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE AREAS WHERE WE WOULD HAVE, UH, REAL ESTATE, UH, IMPACTS, UH, TO INCLUDE A LEFT TURN LANE.
SO THERE ARE THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SCENARIOS THROUGHOUT THE ALIGNMENT.
AND WE SHOULD SAY, SO THAT'S A HUGE PART OF THE WORK THAT WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WANT TO JUST GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO OUR CITY PARTNERS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE HAND IN GLOVE ON TRYING TO FIGURE ALL THIS OUT AND MAKE IT ALL WORK.
UM, SOUTH OF THE TRIANGLE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE GOING TO BE REDUCING THE NUMBER OF LANES, RIGHT.
THERE IS A TIGHT STRETCH OF RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS, WE PROBABLY WILL BE REDUCING SOME OF THE LEFT-HAND TURN LANES THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM, BECAUSE JUST EVERY TIME YOU HAVE A LEFT-HAND TURN LANE, THERE'S A CONFLICT WITH THE GUIDEWAY IN THE CENTER OF THE STREET.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING FOR SAFETY PURPOSES THAT WE'RE CONSTANTLY TRYING TO MANAGE.
SO REALLY IT'S THE QUESTION OF WHERE ARE THE IMPORTANT, NECESSARY PLACES TO MAINTAIN LEFT-HAND TURN LANES, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO AGAIN, MAKE THOSE DECISIONS WISELY, UM, WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY, AND THEN, BUT THAT'S PART OF THIS COMMUNITY PROCESS TOO, IS SHARING THIS INFORMATION.
SO WHEN WE COME OUT IN JULY, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE THIS IN-PERSON MEETING, WHICH I THINK WE'RE ALL REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO WHERE WE LAY OUT THESE DRAWINGS, LIKE AT BIG SCALE, SO PEOPLE CAN ACTUALLY GET IN THERE, SEE WHAT THE CURRENT ALIGNMENT LOOKS LIKE.
NOW, THE OTHER THING TO POINT OUT, THIS IS 15%, RIGHT.
IT'S PRELIMINARY, RIGHT? THE WHOLE POINT OF THIS IS TO GET IT OUT THERE, TAKE A LOOK AT IT, GET THE FEEDBACK, AND THEN WE CAN CONTINUE TO REFINE IT.
I THINK DOWN THE ROAD WOULD BE HELPFUL WHEN YOU DO THESE KINDS OF CHARRETTES OR WHATEVER, WILL YOU SHOW THE EXISTING AND THE PROPOSED LANE CONFIGURATION AND WHAT TRAFFIC IMPLICATIONS ARE GOING TO BE AND HOW WE PLAN TO KIND OF MANAGE THAT.
HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? MADAM CHAIR? YES.
I FEEL LIKE AMONG THE TRAIN MOVING, SO THIS, THESE ARE ALWAYS VERY
[01:30:01]
GOOD, A LOT OF HARD WORK.I REALLY WANT TO PUSH US TO HAVE ASPIRATION BRIEFINGS FOR OTHER AREAS.
THERE ARE OTHER SPACES THAT WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THEM AUSTIN DEFINE PLACES, BECAUSE I KNOW HE MAY BE THINKING IT, BUT I W I WOULD, I WANT TO SEE IT.
SO WHAT THOSE ARE, AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE USE THOSE TERMS, ASPIRATIONS AND PRECEDENTS JACKIE, WHEN WE HAVE THE COMMUNITY MEETINGS.
SO WE'RE CONSISTENT, SO THAT PEOPLE START THINKING IN THAT WAY SO THAT WE PRESENTED IN THAT WAY.
AND BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITIES THAT DON'T NORMALLY HAVE A VOICE, AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THEM A VOICE IN A VERY BIG WAY AND MAKE THEIR SPACES DEFINE SPACES WHERE IT'S NOT JUST MIXED RETAIL, MCDONALD'S BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
SO I REALLY WANT TO SEE US PUSH US INTO THAT, TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JOHN REFERENCED IN HIS WALKTHROUGH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BROKEN THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT'S SO LONG INTO THESE SORT OF SUB AREAS, GEOGRAPHIC SUB AREAS, THESE WORKING GROUPS.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT JACKIE AND HER TEAM ARE WORKING ON IS TRYING TO REALLY BUILD THAT COMMUNITY WITHIN THAT SMALLER AREA SO THAT WE CAN FOCUS ON THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD AND REALLY, AND HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY AND TAKE, BRING THAT ASPIRATIONAL APPROACH TO THOSE AREAS, UM, IN THOSE OTHER NEIGHBORHOODS, FOR SURE.
SO I, SO I DON'T, I'M NOT IN THOSE MEETINGS, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED TO THERE.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BRINGING THAT TO THIS BODY SO THAT WE CAN ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT IT WHEN WE CAN AND CAN NOT, BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMMUNITIES BECAUSE WE'LL BE ACCUSED OF NOT DOING IT.
IF WE DON'T TALK ABOUT IT AND WE WON'T DO IT, IF WE DON'T PUT IT ON PAPER AND MAKE IT REAL, SO, OKAY.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO SAY IS NO PEOPLE, NO COMMUNITY, UM, CLINICS OR PEOPLES WITHIN THE 10 MINUTE WALK ALONG THAT WHOLE STRETCH.
THERE'S NOTHING, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
AND WE'LL, WE'LL DO A, WE'LL SORT OF DO THAT, RUN THAT FILTER OVER THE SYSTEM TO IDENTIFY WHERE THOSE ARE.
THAT'S A GREAT, THAT'S A GREAT POINT.
IF WE'VE, MAYBE THEY ARE FOOD DESERTS.
MAYBE HEB IS THE ONLY MARKET, THE ONLY GROCERY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW SO THAT WE IDENTIFY BECAUSE THEY'RE THE THREE KEY THINGS ARE EDUCATION.
I KNOW WE HAVE ONE ELEMENTARY, ONE HIGH SCHOOL, ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
ED'S OF COURSE, AND UT OF COURSE, SO EDUCATION, UM, HEALTHCARE AND FOOD.
SO IF WE COULD MAKE THAT A PART OF THE, AND EVEN IF IT'S CONNECTING WITH A BUS, THAT'S NOT A 10 MINUTE WORKMANSHIP AND NOT TO BUSY UP THE CHART, BUT MAYBE HAVE ANOTHER ONE THAT'S SPECIFIC TO THAT.
AGAIN, I THINK, I THINK AT THE, WHEN WE GET INTO THE WORKING GROUP LEVEL, WE'LL BE DOING A LOT OF IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE ASSETS ARE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TYING AND CONNECTING TO THOSE, THOSE COMMUNITY ASSETS AS WELL.
WE MIGHT POINT SOMETHING OUT TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT IS A FOOD DESERT.
I MEAN THAT WE MAY BE INFORMING SOMETHING ELSE.
BURNETT, DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS, BOARD MEMBERS STRATTON.
THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR, FOR FIRST A COMMENT, I WILL SAY THAT OVER THE YEARS, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS WHO'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT, UM, DIFFERENT WAYS THAT THE DOWN THAT THE DOWNTOWN SECTION HAS BEEN RE-IMAGINED FOLKS MOSTLY UP.
AND I'LL SAY THAT A LOT OF THESE COMMENTS HAVE COME FROM FOLKS MOSTLY UP IN MY NECK OF THE WOODS WHO LIVE IN NORTHWEST AUSTIN, WHO HAD REASONS TO DO BUSINESS DOWN IN GUADALUPE AREA AND FURTHER DOWN INTO CENTRAL AUSTIN AND WERE CONCERNED ABOUT OR EXPRESSED, UH, UH, COMPLAINTS AND CONCERNS ABOUT, UM, THE CHANGING OF THE LANES REDUCTION OF LANES, UM, THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN DONE, WHICH WOULD LARGELY HIT EITHER BEEN, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN DOING, OR EVEN AUSTIN IN CONJUNCTION WITH CAPITAL METRO.
BUT, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I ALSO HEAR PEOPLE COMMENT ON IS, AND IN FACT, I WILL CONFESS THAT I, YOU KNOW, LATELY HERE, I'M ONE OF THE ONES THAT SAY IT TOO, WHICH IS I JUST DO MY BEST TO STAY AWAY FROM DOWN THERE BECAUSE OF THE TRAFFIC ISSUES, UH, BECAUSE IT IS SO DADGUM DIFFICULT TO GET A CAR DOWN INTO THE DRAG AREA, UM, DOWN INTO THE, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN JUST FROM, FROM GUADALUPE, AT MLK, INTO WHAT WE CONSIDER, I GUESS, AND, AND THE DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR FROM THERE BEYOND, UM, IF YOU'VE GOT A DRIVE ALONG THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT AREA ALONG, UH, GUADALUPE AND NORTH LAMAR, UM, I, I REALIZED THIS IS GOING TO BE A VERY DIFFICULT PROJECT BECAUSE YOU'RE DEALING WITH EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAS BEEN THERE FOR LITERALLY, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED PLUS YEARS.
BUT I, I WANT TO COMMEND YOU GUYS AS A TEAM THAT I FEEL LIKE YOU'RE ONE STARTING OUT REALLY VERY INNOVATIVELY, UM, AND DOING YOUR BEST
[01:35:01]
TO TRY TO ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE CONCERNS BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT UTILIZE THESE ROADWAYS ARE YES, THE LOCAL COMMUNITY, BUT ALSO YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE THAT COME IN THAT HAVE BEEN USING IT.BUT, BUT I WOULD SUBMIT THAT ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS.
AND I THINK I SEE PEOPLE GET SO FRUSTRATED ABOUT THIS IS BECAUSE THERE HASN'T BEEN A PLAN, A BIG LONG-TERM PLAN, AND THAT WE ARE THE BIG LONG-TERM PLAN, THAT PROJECT CONNECT AND 60% PLUS OF THE VOTERS SAID, YES, WE WANT TO DO THIS.
AND WE'RE WILLING TO PUT THE TAX DOLLARS BEHIND IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR EVERYONE, OF COURSE, BUT ME PERSONALLY, IF I KNOW THAT I CAN LEAVE MY CAR AT THE LAKELINE STATION, TAKE THE RED LINE TO CRESTVIEW AND TRANSFER TO THE ORANGE LINE, TO GET DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, UT OR TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, I'M GOING TO DO MY BEST TO AVOID USING THE CAR.
AND NOW THAT I DON'T HAVE TO TRY TO TIME MY ROUTES TO GET A RIGHT WAY AND AROUND THE DIFFERENT DOWNTOWN, UH, TRAFFIC, UH, ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING AT ONE POINT OR ANOTHER.
SO, UM, I APPRECIATE Y'ALL LOOKING INTO THIS, THINKING ABOUT IT.
I REALIZE THERE'S GOING TO BE AN AWFUL LOT OF MODELING THAT YOUR GUY, THAT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA HAVE TO DO, UH, BOTH INTERNALLY AND THEN WORKING IN CONJUNCTION IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND JUST KEEPING THAT IN MIND THAT, AND I THINK ALSO IT'S GOING TO BE, UH, THAT W WHAT WE DO UP HERE FROM THIS DIOCESE AND HOW WE APPROACH THIS, AND THE THINGS THAT WE SAY TO THE COMMUNITY IS GOING TO MATTER TOO ABOUT, UH, WHAT OUR VIEW OF THIS IS AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO, TO CONTINUE TO, TO MOVE THE, YOU KNOW, TO, TO MOVE THE, I GUESS, TO MOVE THE TRAIN DOWN THE TRACKS ON THAT ONE.
UM, THE, THE ONE QUESTION, I GUESS I DID, DID HAVE JUST AS A POINT OF CLARIFICATION ON THE SOUTH SIDE, IT IS, IT, IT SEEMS PRETTY COOL CLEAR IN TERMS OF THE, UM, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE, THE INITIAL FUNDING PLAN AND THEN THOSE DOTTED LINES.
IT SEEMS VERY CLEAR BECAUSE THE, THE STATE RIGHT OF WAY PRETTY MUCH BEGINS RIGHT THERE, UH, RIGHT, RIGHT.
PAST THE, UM, UH, THE STATE ANTHONY STASSNEY STATION THERE.
AND I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING OFF GRADE ANYWAY, BECAUSE OF WILLIAMSON CREEK.
SO THAT, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME, WHAT, I GUESS, I, THAT THIS WAS KIND OF CAME AS A SURPRISE TO ME, IS LOOKING ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THINGS THAT, UM, I ALWAYS, AND I WAS ALWAYS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT THE TXDOT RIGHT OF WAY DID NOT BEGIN UNTIL NORTH OF 180 3 IN AUSTIN, SIBLEY THEREAFTER, BASICALLY THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER.
BUT WHAT I'M SEEING HERE IS THAT IT REALLY BEGINS SOUTH OF THAT AT MORROW STREET.
SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS, HAVE WE, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH BUY-IN CONVERSATION HAVE WE HAD WITH TXDOT ALONG THIS VERY TINY, I MEAN, IN TERMS OF THE BIG, THE BIG SCOPE OF THIS, THAT LITTLE STRIP BETWEEN MAURO STREET AND 180 3 TO GET TO OUR TRANSIT CENTER, TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY FROM WHERE THE CITY'S ENDS AND WHERE THERE'S BEGAN.
AND DO WE, HAVE WE BEEN LOOKING INTO, OR STARTED FACTORING INTO CONTINGENCY PLAN IF EITHER THEY'RE NOT ABLE TO, THEY'RE NOT READY TO, OR WHATEVER IT MIGHT BE TO GET US THAT TINY LITTLE, YOU KNOW, THOSE, I GUESS, QUARTER MILE, WHATEVER IT IS TO GET FROM MORROW STREET TO THE NORTH MARK TRANSIT CENTER, I'LL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH TECH STOCK.
UH, WHAT I CAN'T TELL YOU IS IF THERE IS A CONTINGENCY PLAN, UH, THE DISCUSSIONS SO FAR THAT HASN'T BEEN A CONCERN THAT HAS GUIDED US TO LOOK FOR A CONTINGENCY PLAN, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU BRING UP.
WE MAY WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONSIDER, OKAY.
I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE, IT SHOULD BE ON THE RADAR SCREEN.
I REALIZED THAT THE DOTTED LINES ARE YEARS OUT CLEARLY, BUT, UM, THE, IN THE PLAN, I THINK WHEN WE ALL WENT INTO THIS WAS THAT THAT WOULD BE THE CASE.
IT, WE'D LOOK AT IT, WE'D HAVE IT READY IN THE EVENT.
BUT, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT LITTLE SEGMENT THERE THAT WE DON'T WANT, WE, WE ALREADY HAD 1, 1, 1 THING HAPPENED WITH THE LEGISLATURE, THIS SESSION, YOU KNOW, AS IT RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, GETTING, WORKING WITH THE STATE AND TRYING TO BE IN GOOD FAITH EFFORTS WITH PARTNERSHIP.
AND I REALIZED THAT'S THE LEGISLATURE ITSELF AND NOT TXDOT, BUT I THINK WE'D WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE OUR DUCKS IN A ROW AND A BACKUP PLAN JUST IN CASE.
SO I WOULD JUST ADD IN A BOARD MEMBER, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN VERY EXTENSIVE CONVERSATIONS WITH TXDOT REGION OFFICE.
SO, UH, I, THE BIGGEST THING THAT I THINK THE POINT OF TAKEAWAY HERE IS THAT WE'RE 15% DESIGN.
YOUR COMMENTS ARE CERTAINLY UNDERSTOOD BY THE, THE TECHNICAL TEAM.
AND, UH, I CAN JUST ASSURE THE BOARD THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR PARTNERS ON THIS TOPIC.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR
[01:40:01]
GINA? FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO JUST COMMEND YOU ON THIS PRESENTATION.UM, I'VE SEEN IT A FEW TIMES AND EACH TIME I SEE IT, I'M REALLY IMPRESSED WITH IT.
UM, YOU'VE TAKEN, UH, WHAT IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, SUCH A CALM, COMPLEX DESIGN ELEMENTS, AND YOU'VE DISTILLED THEM DOWN, UM, TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION THE UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF EACH STATION.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OUR TEAMS, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT PLACEMAKING, YOU TALK ABOUT SHOULD HAVE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, THE TRAFFIC MODELS AND THE DIFFERENT USES AROUND EACH STATION.
UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, OUR TEAMS ARE WORKING TOGETHER WITH ATD AND THE PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE, UM, AS, AS THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S, WE THINK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SOUTH CONGRESS PRESENTS ITS OWN CHALLENGES IN TERMS OF LAND CONFIGURATIONS.
UM, BUT THERE'S ALSO OPPORTUNITIES, YOU KNOW, FURTHER UP, CLOSER TO TECH RIDGE AND IN THE QUAD THAT HAVE THOSE UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES.
UM, AND, AND JACKIE TOO, I HAVE TO RECOGNIZE YOU AS YOU GO OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND YOU PRESENT THESE DESIGNS, UM, YOU, YOU ARE SO OPEN TO NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, HEARING WHAT THE COMMUNITY HAS TO SAY, BUT, BUT LISTENING TO THEM AND THAT'S UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE AND THESE, AS YOU GO OUT, UM, I'M HEARING NOTHING, BUT REALLY, UH, GREAT THINGS ABOUT THE EFFORTS.
AND I THINK THAT YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY JUST GOT TO THE HEART OF THE PARTNERSHIP AND, YOU KNOW, I SEE THE DESIGNS, YOU KNOW, I LIKE NEW ZEALAND AS WELL, BUT I KNOW YOU'D BE LOOKING AT LOTS AROUND THE COUNTRY AND AROUND THE WORLD.
UM, AND I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE A TRIP PLAN SOON AND ENCOURAGE YOU TO REALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THOSE THROUGH, THROUGH THE LENS OF WHAT, WHAT ARE THE UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES THAT WE CAN BRING TO MAKE THIS TRULY, UM, AUSTIN.
OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
THAT IT'S TRULY A TEAM EFFORT, UH, THAT, UH, THE CITY, UH, STAFF, UH, THE, THE ATP STAFF CAP, METRO STAFF ARE REALLY, REALLY WORKED VERY HARD ON, UH, TH THE EXCITING PART IS, IS THAT WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU SEE THE NEW TEAM MEMBERS THAT WERE INTRODUCED TODAY, UH, THEIR, THEIR TEAM MEMBERS THAT ARE PART OF EACH OF THE DIFFERENT AREAS THAT ARE PARTNERING WITH US AND WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN AND MAKE IT SUCCESSFUL.
AND I KNOW THESE ARE EARLY STAGE, YOU KNOW, DESIGNS, UM, AND THERE ARE SOME EXISTING PLANS THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS HAD FOR SOME OF THESE AREAS.
AND I KNOW THAT YOU'VE RECOGNIZED THAT AS WELL.
WHAT IS THE, UH, UH, THE DEVICE THAT YOU USE? HOW'S IT GONNA WORK WHEN YOU'RE IN A CENTER LANE AND YOU MOVE FROM THE CENTER LANE TO THE, TO THE SIDE, DOES THAT, IS THAT A SIGNALIZED OPERATIONS THAT ALMOST LOOKS MID-BLOCK OR HOW DOES THAT WORK LIKE DOWN SOUTH AS YOU COME TOWARD THE END? SO ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE, TO THE GUIDEWAY THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM ITSELF, OR THE ROADWAY, OR BOTH THE GUIDE RAILS AS IT BOOZE, MAYBE, MAYBE, UH, MAY OR MAY, OR MAYBE IT'S TOWARDS THE STASSNEY EXAMPLE? I THINK COULD BE A GOOD EXAMPLE THAT MAYBE YOU WANT TO BRING THAT SLIDE BACK UP FOR THE MAYOR AND WALK THROUGH THE, HOW THE SIGNAL OPERATION WOULD WORK.
THERE ARE JOHN, YOU KNOW WHAT SLIDE THAT IS ALWAYS THE VERY FIRST ONE, ALMOST YOU WERE ALL THE WAY DOWN SOUTH.
I'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING.
I THOUGHT ABOUT IT WOULD HAVE HAD A QUESTION OUT OF NORTH WALES.
FAST-FORWARD SORRY, HERE WE GO.
SO YOU HAD IT, I JUST WONDER WHAT THE, SORRY.
SO IN THIS, IN THIS AREA, THAT FOR, AS FAR AS THE MOVEMENT FOR THE TRACKS, THIS IS ALL DONE BY THE SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR THE LIGHT RAIL TRAIN SYSTEM.
SO, UM, WE WILL BE USING A COMMUNICATION-BASED TRAIN CONTROL SYSTEM.
SO IS THAT LIKE AN AT GRADE CROSSING THAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW? SO, SO THAT'S WHERE THE INTERFACE, UH, WITH THE ROADWAY, THE, UH, GRAY CROSSING, THE GRAY CROSSING, UH, SAFETY EQUIPMENT, YOUR GATES, YOUR BELLS, OR WHISTLES AND THINGS YOU TYPICALLY MAY BE USED TO, BUT WE'RE ACTUALLY DESIGNING THE SYSTEM TO BE, UM, A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AS FAR AS THE CONTROL OF THE SYSTEM TO WHERE YOU WOULD HAVE THOSE, UM, WARNING SYSTEMS, BUT YOU, YOU WOULD HAVE INTERFACE WITH THE SICK TRAFFIC SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR, FOR THE ROADWAY.
SO AS IT TRANSITIONED, UH, YOU ACTUALLY WOULD HAVE AN INTERSECTION THAT, UH, FROM A
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TECHNOLOGY STANDPOINT, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ALL OF THE GATES AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU WOULD SEE.WE WOULD TRANSITION BEING CONTROLLED BY, UH, THE SIGNALING SYSTEM AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNAL.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE, THE LOSS OF LANE IS SOMETHING THAT THERE'S OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE ALL OVER THE CITY CONCERNED ABOUT THOSE KINDS OF ISSUES.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT NOW DOWNTOWN IN LOTS OF PLACES.
UH, AND I DON'T KNOW, GINA, IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO IT NOW OR SOMETHING, THEY COULD COME BACK, BUT IN TERMS OF THE, THE ACTUAL TIMING AS PEOPLE MOVE THROUGH DOWNTOWN, AND THE IMPACT OF THE LOSS OF LANES IS NOT WHAT PEOPLE THINK.
UH, IT ACTUALLY, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT STILL MOVES TRAFFIC THROUGH.
UH, EVEN THOUGH YOU'VE LOST THOSE LANES.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN SPEAK TO HERE.
I THINK THAT THAT CASE STUDY WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD THING TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD WITH AND TALK ABOUT.
YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP, MAYOR.
UM, WOULD YOU HAVE ATD, THAT'S DONE SOME TRAFFIC STUDIES AND SOME TIMING WE'VE MADE SOME TIME IN CHANGES TO SOME OF THE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND WHAT WE'VE FOUND IS THAT THEY GENERALLY MAKE, MAKE IT SAFER FOR THE PEDESTRIAN, BUT THEY ALSO KIND OF SMOOTH OUT THE TRAFFIC FLOW.
SO THAT WOULD BE A GREAT TOPIC FOR US TO COME BACK TO.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE IT'S COUNTERINTUITIVE TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WHEN YOU LOSE A LANE, IT'S HARD TO GET THROUGH DOWNTOWN, BUT IT'S HARD.
IT'S NOT HARD TO GET THROUGH DOWNTOWN BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF LANES THAT ARE RIGHT.
AND IT'S HARD TO GET THROUGH DOWNTOWN BECAUSE EVERYBODY AT FOUR 30 STARTS LEAVING WORK.
UH, AND THAT'S WHAT CREATES THAT, THAT ISSUE.
SO THAT KIND OF CASE STUDY, I THINK, WOULD BE A REALLY GOOD THING TO COME BACK AND, AND GIVE A KIND OF A PUBLIC AIRING OF THAT.
AND THEN THE LAST THING I WOULD SAY IS, AGAIN, TO THE END OF, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU MOVE PEOPLE'S CHEESE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU MAKE CHANGES, THAT'S ALWAYS HARD.
SO LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT THE DRAG AS A PLACE CAN BE ONCE YOU, ONCE YOU REWORK THAT AREA, I MEAN, THAT THAT'S COULD BE SUCH AN INCREDIBLY POPULAR AND PEDESTRIAN AND BITE TRAFFICKED AREA IN THE CITY.
IT'S GOING TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT, WHICH IS WHY PEOPLE ASK ABOUT THAT.
CAUSE IT'S THE MOST CONSTRAINED, BUT MORE THAN ANY OTHER PLACE YOU HAVE SOWN SHOWN US THUS FAR, THAT HAS THE GREATEST UPSIDE POTENTIAL FOR ME, IN TERMS OF USING THIS, TO CREATE AN AMENITY THAT THAT REALLY DOESN'T EXIST IN THIS CITY RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE DRAG HAS ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF TO ME AND AN AWKWARD AND UNDERUTILIZED PART OF, OF CAMPUS, UH, BUT IT HAS INCREDIBLE POTENTIAL.
AND I LIKE THE PICTURE OF AUCKLAND TOO.
UM, THE OTHER ONE I WOULD URGE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD STUDY AS I, UH, DIANE AND I TRAVELED TO IRELAND, AND WE WENT TO DUBLIN AND DUBLIN RETROFIT THEIR CITY WITH SIMILAR KIND OF DOWNTOWN RAIL, A LITTLE DIFFERENT THAN THIS.
AND THE ONE PART OF THEIR PLAN WHEN THEY SAT DOWN TO DO THEIR PLAN LIKE THIS, THAT BECAME THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL AND THE MOST PADDLED LEADING INTO IT.
SO I'M TOLD, CAUSE I TOOK DIANE DOWN TO THEIR TRAFFIC CONTROL CENTER FOR THE AFTERNOON BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO SHOW A GIRL A GOOD TIME.
AND, AND THEN THE AREA THAT, THAT WAS MOST FOUGHT AFTER, IT WAS AN AREA WHERE THEY HAD LIKE SIX LANES ALL COMING TOGETHER IN A TRAFFIC CIRCLE.
AND IT WAS THE MOST, IT WAS THE MOST CONGESTED SPOT OF THEIR DOWNTOWN AREA AND, AND THEIR PLAN CALLED FOR THEM TO REMOVE ALL CARS FROM THAT INTERSECTION.
AND PEOPLE JUST WENT, SOME PEOPLE WENT APOPLECTIC, UH, AT THE THOUGHT THAT YOU WOULD DO THAT.
UM, AND THEN WITHIN TWO, THREE YEARS OF IT HAVING BEEN DONE THE MOST POPULAR PART OF THEIR DOWNTOWN TRANSIT SYSTEM IN TERMS OF HOW IT'S BEEN BUILT OUT WITH, UH, WITH, WITH COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS AND NOW OPEN UP TO THAT AREA, THEY'RE FINDING THERE'S A LOT MORE TRAFFIC PEOPLE WHO ARE, THEY'RE ACTUALLY BUYING MORE THAN, THAN PEOPLE DID BEFORE, BECAUSE IT'S NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO GO INTO THOSE COMMERCIAL PLACES.
NOW I DEAL WITH THE CAR TRAFFIC.
I MEAN, YOU JUST CAN'T GET THERE, BUT TO HAVE THAT MANY PEOPLE COME AND BE ABLE TO USE THE SHOPS, IT CHANGED THE ORIENTATION OF THE KIND OF SHOPS THEY HAD NO CARS, UH, AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, TO SEEING THAT SOMEDAY IN THE DRAG AIR.
UM, JUST TO PIGGYBACK ON WHAT THE MAYOR SAID, YOU KNOW, I SPENT SOME TIME IN TIMES SQUARE AND I KNOW PETER YOU'RE FROM NEW YORK AND THAT'S AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF WHEN YOU ELIMINATED THE CARS THAT THAT'S TOTALLY
[01:50:01]
CHANGED AND PEOPLE WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IT AND NOW PEOPLE LOVE IT.AND, UH, YOU COULD SEE WHAT THAT MIGHT DO FOR THE DRAG.
AND THIS IS PROBABLY A QUESTION THAT MAY BE MORE APPROPRIATE FOR ANOTHER YEAR DOWN THE LINE AS WE GET FURTHER ON, BUT I JUST THOUGHT I'D ASK IT, GIVEN THAT WE SEE ALL THESE TRANSIT CENTERS, AND I KNOW NEXT MEETING, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT REPUBLIC SQUARE.
WHAT'S KIND OF THE EARLY VISION FOR CUSTOMER MANATEES, COFFEE SHOPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT ON ALL OF THEM, BUT PERHAPS ON THESE TRANSIT CENTERS AND CERTAINLY REPUBLIC SQUARE, YOU KNOW, RETAIL, TRANSITORY DEVELOPMENT.
AND I'M ALSO SELFISHLY THINKING ABOUT THE REVENUE LINE ITEMS. YEAH.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK OBVIOUSLY REAL ESTATE IS, IS LIMITED IN A LOT OF PLACES, BUT WHERE WE HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THEM.
UM, IN ADDITION, I WILL SAY IT MAY NOT BE SO MUCH AS A REVENUE OPPORTUNITY, BUT WORKING WITH DEVELOPERS AND, AND PROPERTY OWNERS ADJACENT TO STATIONS, UM, IS SOMETHING THAT THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE ALREADY STARTING.
BECAUSE, UM, AND I THINK THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHERS AS WELL IN THOSE AREAS.
SO YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THEN, BECAUSE THIS IS SUCH A LONG ALIGNMENT AND WHERE ARE THEY CROSSING THROUGH THE HEART OF THE CITY? WHAT, WHAT IS THE CURRENT TIMING THAT WE'RE THINKING AS WE TRANSFERS THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR? HAVE WE LOOKED AT THE, THE SPEED FROM END TO END OF WHAT IT WOULD BE, BUT THAT IS PART OF THE MODELING MODELING, THIS BEING PERFORMED.
AND AS WE HAVE THE DIFFERENT DISCUSSIONS IN REGARD TO THE ALIGNMENT, SOME OF THOSE, UH, IMPACT THE SPEED, UH, BASED ON THE TYPE OF, UH, SEPARATIONS THAT WE HAVE BETWEEN THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM VEHICLE OR TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIAN, TRAFFIC, SO FORTH.
UH, SO THOSE, THOSE, UH, THINGS ARE CONTINUING TO BE MODELED, UH, AND LOOK THAT, UH, FOR, FOR THE, THE SPEED THAT THE VEHICLE WILL BE TRAVELING.
SO I THINK JUST AS A BENCHMARK TO HELP US COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC OF CALL LONG, IT TAKES RIGHT NOW BY CAR TO TRANSFERS WITH ALL OF THESE UNKNOWN CONDITIONS.
UM, AND THEN WHAT IT COULD POTENTIALLY BE ON THE TRAIN AND WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE BASED ON DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS.
MY ASSUMPTION IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE PRIORITIZING SIGNALIZATION FOR THE TRAINS OR CARS, AND THAT'S THAT SYNCHRONIZATION OF SIGNALING IS GOING TO BE HAPPENING AT, AT ALL OF THESE INTERSECTIONS.
BUT BECAUSE WHAT I CAN SEE FROM, FROM THIS ALIGNMENT A, OF THESE ARE AD GRADE CONDITIONS.
SO THAT, THAT INTERFACE OF ALL THOSE INTERSECTIONS, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF TIMING? AND I THINK THAT IF WE REALLY START THINKING OF WHAT'S OUR CURRENT SITUATION AND WHAT WE FORESEE, UM, IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S GOING TO HELP US COMMUNICATE THE VALUE OF THIS PROPOSITION, BUT TO YOU MAYOR ADLER, I DO CON YOU KNOW, I AGREE WITH YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WHEN WE ELIMINATE THE LANES, YOU KNOW, WE THINK OF THE BEST DESCRIPTION I'VE HEARD OF THIS IS THAT CARS WILL TAKE UP AS MUCH SPACE AS YOU GIVE IT.
THEY BEHAVE AS A GAS VERSUS PEOPLE THINK THAT IF YOU REMIT, YOU TAKE AWAY A LANE THAT IS GOING TO FLOOD ALL OF THE ADJACENT STREETS AND BEHAVE LIKE A LIQUID.
SO THAT IDEA BETWEEN A GAS AND A LIQUID COMPARISON, I THINK IS VERY EFFECTIVE TO HELP COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC, HOW SOMETIMES WE TAKE AWAY A LANE, BUT WE IMPROVE MOBILITY.
WE'RE NOT JUST MOVING VEHICLES, WE'RE MOVING PEOPLE.
AND I THINK JUST ALL OF THIS IS REALLY EXCITING WORK.
AND, UM, AND THE OTHER QUESTION I DO HAVE, BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE THE ASPIRATION OF THAT RENDERING SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE WE'RE PROTECTING THE BIKE, THE CYCLIST WITH A ROW OF TREES, SEPARATING THEM FROM THE TRAFFIC LANES, PROVIDING SHADE, ALL OF THE BEAUTY THAT, THAT CAN COME WITH IT.
SO I LOVE THE ASPIRATION ASPECTS OF IT, BUT OF COURSE THEY LOOK REALLY IMPECCABLE BECAUSE WE DON'T SEE ANY CATENARY CABLES ON THOSE RENDERINGS.
ARE WE THINKING OF ANY KIND OF ELECTRIFICATION SYSTEM YET, OR YES, WE ARE.
AND WE ARE ACTUALLY, UH, WORKING ON, UH, DEVELOPMENT OF A DESIGN THAT WOULD MINIMIZE THE USE OF CATENARY OF OVERHEAD CATENARY THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM.
SO THAT, THAT USE WOULD BE PRIMARILY, UH, LIKE IN THE TUNNEL AREA.
UH, WE WOULD HAVE A VEHICLE, UH, THAT WOULD OPERATE THEN OF COURSE, AS A HYBRID ON BATTERY, AS WELL AS ON WIRE.
AND, AND SO, UH, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE THINGS WHERE WE'RE LOOKING INTO AS PART OF THE DESIGN CURRENTLY, UH, SO THAT YOU DON'T SEE ALL OF THE CATENARY POLES AND THE WIRE AND EVERYTHING IN THE AIR TO CLEAN THAT, THAT AREA UP SO THAT IT, UM, IS LESS IMPACTFUL, UH, TO
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THE, THE VISUAL IMPACT IT HAS FOR THE COMMUNITY.AND I'M THINKING ALSO IN TERMS OF ANY KIND OF STORMS, I MEAN, TEXAS, WHEN IT STORMS THE STORMS INCREDIBLY VIOLENTLY, I MEAN, THERE IS WIND OR, OR RECENTLY OUR ICE STORMS THAT ARE NOT SO COMMON, BUT ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF MAINTAINING THE CATENARY IS ANY OF THESE SYSTEMS HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED AND BEING GOOD WORKING ORDER.
SO ARE WE ALSO THINKING OF ELECTRIFICATION, LIKE THE THIRD RAIL? WHAT, I MEAN, JUST REALLY ALL OF THOSE SEDIMENTS THAT WE'VE CON CONSIDERED, UM, MANY OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, STANDARD ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE OUT THERE, THIRD RAIL, OVERHEAD, CATENARY, BATTERY POWER, SO FORTH.
UH, ONE OF THE AREAS AND, AND, AND THE THINGS THAT WE REALLY WANTED TO DO FROM AN INNOVATION PERSPECTIVE IS REALLY, UH, HAVE A SYSTEM THAT OPERATED, UH, WITHOUT CATENARY.
UH, AND, AND THAT WAS AUTOMATED.
AND SO THOSE ARE THE TECHNOLOGIES THAT WE ARE LOOKING INTO SO THAT WE HAVE, UM, A SYSTEM, UH, THAT IS THE LEADER, UH, IN THE NATION WHEN IT COMES TO INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY, WHEN WE GO INTO REVENUE SERVICE.
SO DO WE HAVE SYSTEMS LIKE THAT ALREADY IN OPERATION, THE SYSTEMS THROUGHOUT THAT HAVE THIRD RAIL THEY'RE SYSTEMS THAT OF COURSE ARE CATENARY AND THE DIFFERENT TYPES THAT I MENTIONED.
UH, BUT WE, WE REALLY ARE WORKING WITH THE, UH, INDUSTRY, UH, THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS, UH, TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SYSTEM, UH, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, THAT REALLY OPERATES, UM, MORE SO WITHOUT, UH, THE NEED FOR THE CATENARY SYSTEM.
AND, UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE, UH, MADAM CHAIR, JUST, JUST TO YOUR, TO YOUR POINT, ABOUT THE TIMING ALONG THE SYSTEM, UM, RANDY DIDN'T WE PRODUCE THAT DOCUMENTATION EARLY ON LIKE LA I THINK IT WAS LAST THIS TIME, OR, GOSH, WHEN IT LAST SUMMER, UH, WHEN WE WERE CONSIDERING THE, UH, PUTTING PROJECT CONNECT TO THE VOTERS, I, I SEEM TO REMEMBER SOME DOCUMENTATION WHERE WE ACTUALLY DID SOME PRELIMINARY NUMBERS.
THE STAFF AT CAP METRO HAD DONE THAT.
AND YOU THINK MAYBE IT'D BE POSSIBLE TO PULL THAT BACK OUT FOR THE BOARD OR FOR PUBLIC CONSUMPTION AGAIN.
I WAS JUST GOING TO MENTION THAT.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE TRUMP TRAVEL TRIP TIME, ALL DONE AS PART OF THE ROAMING TO THE LPA APPROVAL.
AND SO YOUR COMMENT IS, IS, UH, IS GREAT BECAUSE WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK TOWARDS IS OUR JULY KIND OF MORE PUBLIC MEETING FACE.
SOME OF THOSE OLDER MATERIALS ABOUT TRIP TIME AND SAFETY AND PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY HAVE TO BE INTEGRATED TO THIS PIECE.
SO, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY THERE'S SO MUCH INFORMATION.
SO THE TEAM IS TRYING TO BREAK PIECES APART FOR YOU ALL, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT IS A, THAT'S A HARD HOUR OF JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, DESIGN ELEMENT, BUT YES, EXPLAINING THE STORYTELLING OF HOW TRANSIT WORKS AND THE VALUE.
SO TO THE MAYOR'S POINT, YOUR POINT, UH, WE HAVE TO MOVE PEOPLE, NOT CARS ONLY.
IT DOESN'T MEAN WE'RE NOT MOVING CARS, BUT WE CAN'T BE CAR DEPENDENCY ONLY.
AND WE'RE TRYING TO TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE MOVING VOLUMES OF PEOPLE IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY THAT ALSO WILL PLAY INTO THEIR CONVERSATIONS THAT THE TEAM WILL BRING NEXT MONTH ON, UM, ON TUNNELING.
WE ARE GOING TO, I THINK IF I RECALL DAVE CAN CORRECT, BUT I THINK, I THINK THE DOWNTOWN CORE, WE MISS SOMETHING LIKE 25% OF ALL THE SIGNALIZED INTERSECTIONS ON THE ALIGNMENT WITH THE TUNNELING THAT WE HAVE.
SO AGAIN, EVERY SIGNAL WE CAN AVOID IS GOOD FOR GENUS TEAM ON ALL OTHER MODES.
IT'S GREAT FOR OPERATIONS CAUSE IT ENHANCES SAFETY AND THROUGHPUT.
SO, BUT THEN IT'S BALANCED WITH AND OTHER TYPES OF ACCESS.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHAT THE TEAM IS WORKING ON, BUT YES, UH, BOARD MEMBER, WE, WE HAVE THAT INFORMATION AND WE TOLD STORIES OF, UH, YOU KNOW, ERIC WAS GOING FROM HERE TO HERE.
HERE'S HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE AND THE TEAM IS UPDATING THOSE.
SO WHEN WE ROLL OUT IN JULY, WE TELL THAT STORY OF ACCESS TO THE MAYOR'S POINT AND ASPIRATION.
UM, NO, I THINK THE TEAM IS, I'LL BE HONEST.
I THINK THAT'S WHY THE TEAM IS SO EXCITED EVERY DAY.
UM, IT'S THE IDEA OF, WE ARE CREATING A BETTER CITY AT THE SAME TIME AS JUST TRAINS AND BUSES KIND OF GO THROUGH THE CITY AND GINA'S TEAM HAS BEEN HAND IN GLOVE WITH EVERYONE.
SO THAT DRAG IS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF COMMUNITY WANTS TO DRIVE TO BE BETTER.
EVERY UNIVERSALLY, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, EVERYONE WANTS TO DRIVE TO BE BETTER.
NO, NOT NECESSARILY ONE KNOWS WHAT THAT MEANS YET, OR THEY HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS, BUT THEY WANT IT TO BE SOMETHING BETTER THAN IT IS TODAY.
I THINK NEXT MONTH, WHEN THE TEAM COMES TOGETHER, I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE FOUR STREET, FOUR STREET HAS THE CAPABILITY OF BEING POTENTIALLY THE BEST, CERTAINLY THE BEST RATING, AWESOME.
ALL THE BEST STREETS IN AMERICA.
IF WE DO THAT CORRECTLY, UH, PLEASANT VALLEY AND RIVERSIDE INTERSECTION THAT WE TALKED ABOUT LAST MONTH, THAT RIGHT NOW IS JUST AN INTERSECTION THAT NEEDS TO BE A PLACE WHERE TWO LINES CAN COMBINED.
AND SO ACROSS FEW PETER TALKED ABOUT OLD TOUR WHERE HEB IS DOING THEIR NEW DEVELOP THERE'S, THERE'S ALL OF THESE ACTIVITY CENTERS AND NODES.
THAT IS A CHANCE TO DEFINE THE COMMUNITY FOREVER.
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I THINK THAT'S REALLY EXCITING.AND QUITE FRANKLY, THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG VALUES PETER BRINGS TO THE PROGRAM THAT, UM, HA HAS THAT ARCHITECTURAL HUMAN CENTRIC LENS A LITTLE BIT, ALWAYS THE BATTLE BETWEEN ARCHITECTS AND ENGINEERS.
UH, AND PETER BRINGS UP A LITTLE BIT OF THAT, UH, EXTRA, WELL, THIS IS REALLY EXCITING GUYS.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON REALLY A LOT OF WORK AND PASS ON THE GRATITUDE TO YOUR TEAM BECAUSE I KNOW THEY PROBABLY PULLED A LOT OF ALL-NIGHTERS ON THIS, SO THIS IS GREAT WORK.
I THINK WE'RE DONE WITH OUR, OH YEAH, YOU GOTTA DO YOUR PART.
WE'LL TAKE THAT AS A HINT, THAT MADAM CHAIR I WILL.
[VI. Executive Director Report]
UM, BUT, UH, I DO THANK YOU FOR RECOGNIZING THE STAFF.I WILL SAY, UH, THE STAFF IS, IS, UH, IS, UH, I DON'T HAVE A WORKING ALL NIGHTERS, BUT THEY ARE WORKING VERY, VERY HARD.
UM, AND I HAVE TO COMPLIMENT, UH, THE CITY STAFF.
I KNOW, UH, NICK WAS ONBOARD, UH, VIRTUALLY, AND I THINK SHE'LL BE HERE.
YOU KNOW, THE IDEA IS THIS IS A DESIGNED BY A TEAM, THIS ISN'T CAMP METRO'S DESIGNS ON ATPS DESIGN, IT'S THE PROJECT CONNECT DESIGN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE GINA'S LEADERSHIP AT THE CITY.
AND, UH, QUITE FRANKLY, THE CITY STAFF I THINK, ARE PRETTY EXCITED ABOUT THIS WHOLE PROGRAM AND REALIZE THE BENEFIT TO ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND DIVISIONS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, UH, WE'LL ALSO, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MOMENT HERE ON IN MY REPORT, RECOGNIZE JULIANA AND ALL THE HIRING SHE'S DONE.
I HOPE, UH, THE BOARD CONTINUES TO GAIN CONFIDENCE IN THE TEAM.
UH, WE ARE REALLY BUILDING QUITE FRANKLY.
I KIND OF, THIS IS LIKE THE, THIS IS LIKE THE 1992, UH, OLYMPIC DREAM TEAM.
WE'RE PICKING PEOPLE FROM ALL THESE DIFFERENT CITIES AND PUTTING, UH, AND IN PEOPLE LOCALLY, UH, THE BEST OF THE BEST.
AND WE ARE CREATING A TRULY REMARKABLE GROUP OF PEOPLE WORKING ON THIS PROGRAM FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND, AND WE W PEOPLE WERE REALLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS.
UM, I TOOK, UH, I TOOK THEM A MOMENT THE OTHER DAY TO REFLECT, UH, A MAYOR, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU AND GINA, AND PROBABLY ERIC, UH, WERE THE, PROBABLY THE, THE MOST RELEVANT TO THIS WAS WE'RE, WE'RE ONLY A COUPLE OF DAYS AWAY FROM A YEAR AGO.
WE PASSED OUR LPAS LOCAL PREFERRED ALTERNATIVES.
THERE'S COMMUNITIES THAT TAKE YEARS AFTER AN LPA TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE, AND WE ARE A YEAR AND IT IS, UH, DAVE AND I, THE OTHER DAY KIND OF JUST PINCHED OURSELVES.
WE SAID LIKE, HOW ARE WE OVER TO HERE? AND, AND IT IS THE EFFORT.
UM, PEOPLE ARE JUST REALLY WORKING HARD.
I WILL TELL YOU IN DC, PEOPLE ARE RECOGNIZING OUR PROGRAM.
PEOPLE, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS AWARE OF OUR PROGRAM.
NATIONALLY PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT OUR PROGRAM.
UM, SO IT HAS BEEN AN AMAZING YEAR AND WE SHOULD ALWAYS TRY TO REFLECT THIS HOW HARD WE'RE WORKING OF, HOW MUCH WE ARE ACCOMPLISHING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, JUST QUICKLY, I GOT A COUPLE OF SLIDES TO GO THROUGH, UH, SAM, UH, UH, OH, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, I, I WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A PICTURE OF COMMISSIONER.
TREVELYAN CUTTING A RIBBON UP A DECILE, BUT, UH, THE TEAM WOULDN'T BE UP THERE SIGNING, SIGNING A LETTER.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, I DID SIGN THESE LETTERS, UM, AND THOSE ARE PROJECT ENTRY.
UH, TWO HOURS, NEW STARTS, AS DAVE MENTIONED.
UM, WE HAVE GOT RESPONSES BACK AND WE, WE HOPE TO GET, UH, APPROVAL INTO PROJECT, UH, PROJECT DEVELOPMENT LATER, LATER THIS SUMMER.
AND THAT IS A VERY BIG STEP, A REAL CRITICAL MILESTONE TO MAINTAINING THE VOTER APPROVED SCHEDULE AND TO SECURE FEDERAL FUNDING, UH, WHICH REALLY GOES TO HOW WE MANAGE RISK, UH, BACK TO WHAT I, THE PICTURE THAT, UH, COULD HAVE BEEN THERE WOULD BE IT'S, UH, COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN AND A FEW OTHERS, UH, JOINED, UH, JUST, JUST YESTERDAY AND OR SORRY, MONDAY FOR THE LAUNCH OFFICIALLY YESTERDAY OF THE DESKTOP PICKUP ZONE.
AND WHILE THAT IS ONLY A COUPLE OF VEHICLES FROM A OVERALL EXPENDITURE, IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT FIRST STEP IS THE FIRST PROJECT IN PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM TO OFFICIALLY, UH, YOU KNOW, START, START IN SERVICE.
AND THAT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD THAT'S SIGNIFICANTLY NEEDS, BETTER ACCESS.
AND, UH, WE THINK THIS MICRO TRANSIT ZONE IS REALLY GONNA ALLOW PEOPLE TO CONNECT TO MULTIPLE FIXED ROUTE, UH, BUS BUS ROUTES, BUT ALSO THERE'S AN HEB DOLLAR GENERAL, A COUPLE OF SCHOOLS.
UH, IT'S AN, IT'S A NICE FIRST PIECE TO GET OUT OF THE GATE.
UH, SELF-MADE CHECKA AND OAK HILL ARE BOTH, UH, MOVING ALONG PER SCHEDULE AND WE'LL BE READY TO GO OPERATIONAL, UH, THIS SUMMER, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
JUST ONE SECOND, SOME NEXT STEPS HERE.
UH, WE ARE WORKING ON, UH, WHAT ACTUALLY WE ORIGINALLY CALLED THE JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT, BUT I THINK PHRASE PHRASIOLOGY, WE WILL TURN MORE INTO JOINT PARTNERSHIP IS MUCH MORE ACCURATE OF WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, TRUE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN ATP CAP METRO AND THE CITY STAFF HAS WORKING ON THAT.
UH, IT IS, I WILL SAY A MAJORITY OF THE DOCUMENT IS GOING TO BE VERY TECHNICALLY FOCUSED ON THINGS LIKE RIGHT OF WAY EASEMENTS, UH, UTILITIES, UTILITY RELOCATIONS.
IF I I'D BE SURPRISED IF IT'S NOT 80% OF A DOCUMENT OF THOSE
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TOPIC AREAS.SO VERY TECHNICAL IN NATURE STAFF WILL BE WORKING ON THOSE IN EARNEST ALL SUMMER.
AND, UH, WE WILL TRY TO GET INTO MEETINGS WITH YOU ALL IN THE LATE KIND OF LATE AUGUST TIMEFRAME TO GET INTO SOME BRIEFINGS WE'RE WORKING ON.
IT SHOULD BE IDEALLY ON SOME EVERYONE'S CALENDAR I'LL WORK SESSION, A TRI-PARTY WORK SESSION IN SEPTEMBER TO KIND OF DO A COMMUNITY OVERVIEW OF THAT WHOLE PROCESS.
AFTER THAT WE WOULD HAVE ENGAGE, UH, OUR C S CAC, OUR TECHNICAL EVENTS COMMITTEES ON THE CAP METRO SIDE, PROBABLY, UM, THE ACCESS AND THE C-SAT COMMITTEES TO KIND OF JUST REVIEW ANY COMPONENTS.
UH, AGAIN, MOST OF IT IS HIGHLY, QUITE FRANKLY, SOME OF IT ABOVE MY HEAD, UH, VERY TECHNICAL IN NATURE.
OTHER PARTS THOUGH, ARE HOLISTIC APPROACHES, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THE COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS ALL THAT, ALL THOSE PIECES AND ANY COMMENTS ON IT WORK TOWARDS, I THINK IT'S OCTOBER 20TH, BUT I COULD BE OFF BY A COUPLE OF DAYS THERE A JOINT WORK SESSION FOR ALL OF US, UH, TO, UH, FINALIZE THE JOINT, UH, PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT AT THAT MEETING AS WELL.
UH, ON AN ANNUALIZED BASIS, I AM REQUIRED TO PROVIDE A MANAGEMENT REPORT TO THE ATP BOARD, AND THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, I'LL BE PRESENTING TO, TO THE, UH, TO THE GROUP AT THAT TIME AS WELL.
I WANTED TO JUST REINFORCE HOW CLOSELY WE WERE WATCHING EVERYTHING GOING ON IN DC.
IT IS A PURE SAUSAGE MAKING, UH, RIGHT NOW IN DC IS, IS TRULY THE TERM THAT IS USED THERE.
AND THERE ARE PROPOSALS AND COUNTERPROPOSALS AND AMENDMENTS ON AMENDMENTS RIGHT NOW.
UH, SENATE IS ACTUALLY, I JUST GOT WORD THERE IN THE MIDDLE OF MARKUP NOW, UH, T AND I, AND THE HOUSE SIDE DID MARKUP.
THEY DID A ACTUALLY AN ALL-NIGHTER LAST WEEK WITH ALL OF THEIR AMENDMENTS.
UH, SO THERE'S A LOT HAPPENING IN DC.
WE ARE WATCHING IT VERY CLOSELY.
WE'VE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH OUR DELEGATION, UH, PRETTY EXTENSIVELY.
UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO SOME MORE COMING UP.
UM, WE HAD CONGRESSMAN GRAVES HERE THE OTHER DAY.
THANK YOU CHAIR FOR, FOR JOINING THAT, UH, BOARD MEMBER STRATTON JOINED FOR A LITTLE BIT.
HE IS THE REPUBLICAN RANKING MEMBER OF TNI.
HE SPENT, UH, FOUR AND A HALF HOURS HERE, TOURING AUSTIN WITH US, WHICH IS JUST AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF TIME FOR, TO DO RESEARCH ON, ON OUR SYSTEM.
UH, SO WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, PART OF OUR APTA, UH, MEMBERSHIP, UH, UH, TRADE INDUSTRY MEMBERSHIP.
THEY ARE PUSHING VERY HARD AS WELL.
I WOULD SAY WE'RE CAUTIOUSLY OPTIMISTIC THAT THERE'S LOTS OF GOOD THINGS HAPPENING IN DC RELATE TO NOT JUST FUNDING LEVELS.
THAT'S THE THING EVERYONE GENERALLY GOES TO IS FUNDING LEVELS, BUT THERE'S LOTS OF NUANCES TO HOW THE PROGRAMS WORK, NOT JUST CIG, BUT ALL THESE PROGRAMS AND HOW THEY CAN BENEFIT US ON TIMELINE AND, YOU KNOW, USE OF REAL ESTATE AFTER CONSTRUCTION.
AND THERE'S JUST A, AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF THINGS THAT LOOK KIND OF TRANSFORMATIONAL FROM TRANSIT AS A COUNTRY THAT WE ARE TIMING WISE, UH, PRETTY POSITIONED WELL.
SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING BACK ANY INFORMATION WE CAN TO THE BOARD EVERY MONTH ON WHAT'S GOING ON IN DC.
IF I, UH, WITH THAT SAID, WE MAY HAVE A MEETING LIKE THIS, AND I SAY THE FOLLOWING, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY SOMETHING HAPPENS, UM, THAT IS THE NATURE OF DC, BUT WE WILL TRY TO KEEP THE BOARD INFORMED AS MUCH AS WE, WE CAN KEEP OUR EAR TO THE GROUND ON WHAT'S GOING ON THERE.
UM, AND AGAIN, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'RE GOING TO START NEW ROUNDS OF MEETINGS WITH, UH, DIFFERENT DELI DELEGATIONS AS DC STARTS OPEN UP AND ALL BOARD MEMBERS, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT YEAR.
AND QUITE FRANKLY, MULTIPLE YEARS, WE'LL BE ASKING YOU TO CONTRIBUTE TO SOME OF THOSE MEETINGS.
THEY MAY BE AT AN APTA CONFERENCE THAT WE MAY ASK A COUPLE OF YOU TO ATTEND, TO BE PART OF SOMETHING.
UH, AND WE WILL TRY TO GIVE AS MUCH NOTICE AND SEE WHICH INTEREST TO ALL OF YOU MAY HAVE ON THOSE, ON THOSE PIECES.
UM, AS ALWAYS, I JUST WANT TO THANK THE STAFF.
I'M JUST REALLY PROUD OF THE TEAM.
THEY ARE, THEY ARE DOING REALLY GREAT WORK AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE BOARD FOR ALL OF YOUR, UH, TIME COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT IT.
THAT IS A LOT OF WORK THAT'S BEEN GOING ON, AND IT'S EXCITING.
SO THANK YOU FOR KEEPING THE ENERGY AND THE OPTIMISM, AND EVERYBODY'S SO ENERGIZED AND MOVING FORWARD.
SO ANYBODY HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS, FINAL REMARKS OR ANYTHING THAT YOU'D LIKE TO DISCUSS FOR NEXT MEETING? I WOULD JUST SAY, IT'S AMAZING HOW FAR WE'VE COME IN SIX MONTHS, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WHEN WE HAD OUR FIRST MEETING ONLINE AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE JUST A STARTUP ORGANIZATION, WE'VE GOT TEAMS AND PRESENTATIONS AND THINGS GOING ON IN WASHINGTON.
IT'S, IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO SEE SO MUCH IN SIX MONTHS, SO EXCITED TO SEE THE NEXT SIX.
THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBER ELKINS.
ANYBODY ELSE? NOPE, THAT'S IT.
SO I THINK THIS CONCLUDES OUR MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
THE TIME IS 4 23 AND THIS MEETING STANDS ADJOURNED.