[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
ALL RIGHT.AND IS THIS, UH, THIS IS A REGULAR MEETING, I THINK, UH, OR IS IT SPECIAL CALLED SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE, UM, CITY OF AUSTIN, URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
UM, SO DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, CITIZEN COMMUNICATION THERE'S DIFFERENT? UH, NO.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE MINUTES IF YOU LIKE.
SO THE FIRST ITEM ON OUR AGENDA, THEN ITEM
[1. APPROVAL OF June 17th, 2021 MINUTES]
ONE IS THE APPROVAL OF OUR MINUTES FROM JUNE 17TH, 2021.IS THAT, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE MINUTES? ANY DISCUSSION? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE DIANA WHEELER.
SO, UM, IF I COULD, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE A VOTE UNLESS THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION OF THE MINUTES, ANY DISCUSSION CORRECTIONS.
ALL RIGHT, THEN LET'S TAKE A VOTE.
IF YOU'RE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
OR RAISE YOUR HAND C SO C UH, CYNTHIA, DANIEL, ALLIE.
I'M FROM ATHENA, BUT I THINK WE'RE THERE.
WE HAVE APPROVED OUR MINUTES, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR NEW BUSINESS, WHICH IS, UM, UM, ITEM TWO.
UM, WE HAVE THREE ITEMS TODAY.
WE HAVE THE LIVING STREETS, PRESENTATION, UH, PROJECT CONNECT UPDATE, AND A CTRM UPDATE.
SO I'M CHRISTOPHER, UNLESS YOU GUIDE ME OTHERWISE, SHOULD I GO IN ORDER DOWN THESE ITEMS? ARE THERE ANY THAT HAVE A SPECIAL NEED FOR THE PRESENTER TIME OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? NO, MA'AM, YOU'RE DOING, UM, JUST FINE.
[2.A. Living Streets Presentation: Discussion and Possible Action Presenters: Chris Riley (Part 1 of 2)]
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND PRESENT.WE'LL PUT THE PRESENTATION UP FOR YOU AND WHENEVER YOU'RE READY TO MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE JUST SAY NEXT SLIDE.
AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND DO THAT FOR YARD.
I'M WITH BIKE AUSTIN, AND IT'S A PLEASURE TO SEE EVERYBODY THIS AFTERNOON.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TAKING THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT THIS OVER THE PAST YEAR OR SO.
BIKE AUSTIN HAS BEEN HIDING THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON, BEEN GOING ON ON THE STREETS IN AUSTIN AND AROUND THE WORLD.
AND, UM, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, THE RENEWED INTEREST THAT WE'RE SEEING AMONG THE WATER PEOPLE AND IN GETTING OUT AND EXPERIENCING HEALTHY ACTIVITY ON STREETS.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH A LOT OF FOLKS ABOUT WAYS THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN COULD IN BOOKLETS THAT, THAT MOMENTUM AND, UM, AND ESTABLISHED PROGRAMS THAT WOULD ENABLE RESIDENTS TO PLAY A MORE ACTIVE PART IN RESHAPING THEIR STREETS, UH, IN ORDER TO CREATE PLACES THAT ARE SAFE AND INVITING AND THE, AND THE BUILD COMMUNITY FOR EVERYONE ALONG THE STREETS.
AND SO THEN ALL THOSE DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN, UM, UM, AND HAVE BEEN INFORMED IN PART BY WHAT WE'VE SEEN AROUND THE COUNTRY.
A LOT OF OTHER CITIES HAVE BEEN DOING HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROGRAMS OF, UH, INVOLVING ENABLING PEOPLE TO DO CREATIVE THINGS WITH THEIR STREETS.
AND SO WE, UH, MIKE AUSTIN AND, AND, UH, WALK AUSTIN HAVE JOINTLY DEVELOPED PROPOSAL FOR COUNCIL TO CONSIDER THAT WOULD ESTABLISH BUSH.
I FORMAL PROGRAM WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO, UH, TO ENABLE MORE ACTIVITY LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND THERE ARE REALLY FOUR PILLARS, FOUR PILLARS TO THE PROGRAM THAT, THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING, UH, AND YOU SEE THEM RIGHT HERE IN THIS INITIAL SLIDE.
THERE, THERE, UH, NEIGHBOR LED TRAFFIC CALMING, AND PLACEMAKING HEALTHY STREETS PERMITS FOR RESONANCE PLACE PRIESTS AND BLOCK PARTIES.
AND I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON, ON EACH OF THOSE AND HOW THEY WOULD WORK STARTING OFF IN F UM, CRISPR, IF YOU COULD MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, A LOT OF THIS DISCUSSION, UM, WAS SPURRED BY, BY, UH, UH, THE PANDEMIC AND PEOPLE WANTING TO GET OUT AND EXPERIENCE THE STREETS.
AND HERE IN AUSTIN, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE DID, UM, UH, JOIN OTHER CITIES IN ESTABLISHING A PROGRAM TO TRY TO, UH, ENABLE, UH, MORE OF THAT, THAT ACTIVITY IN THE STREETS.
WE CALLED IT HERE IN AUSTIN, AND IT WAS CALLED THE HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM.
UM, AND AT ITS PEAK, WE HAD ABOUT 10 MILES OF CITY STREETS THAT WERE SET UP USING BARRICADES LIKE THIS, UH, TO ENABLE PEOPLE TO GET OUT AND ENJOY THE STREETS, UM, UH, IN WAYS THAT THEY MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE FEEL SAFE DOING.
SO IF YOU COULD JUST GO, GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE,
[00:05:01]
JUST TO GIVE YOU A, UH, A BIG PICTURE OF HOW THIS LOOKED IN AUSTIN.THERE WERE A SCATTERING OF THESE INSTALLATIONS, EACH, EACH JOB WITH A PRETTY GOOD DISTANCE.
THESE WERE PLACES THAT WERE CHOSEN BY THE CITY WITH, WITH, UH, UM, WITH INPUT FROM, UH, FROM AUSTIN RESIDENTS.
UM, SOME WERE MORE SUCCESSFUL THAN OTHERS, UH, SOME MANY IN PLACE AND NOT MOST DO NOT.
UM, REALLY THE ONE THAT HAS STOOD OUT AS BEING THE MOST EXCITING IS THE ONE YOU SEE RIGHT THERE AT THE TOP CENTER, WHICH IS ALONG AVENUE G FROM 38TH, UP TO 51ST.
UM, THE ONE ALONG, UH, UM, BOLDEN IN THE RIGHT THERE IN THE CENTER OF THE SLIDE IS ALSO STILL IN PLACE.
UM, OTHERS HAVE, HAVE FADED AWAY, BUT, UH, WHAT WE SAW, UM, AT, AT, AT, AT ITS BEST, WE SAW SOME REALLY EXCITING THINGS COMING OUT OF THIS PROGRAM.
AND IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, WE HAVE A FEW IMAGES TO, TO CAPTURE SOME OF THAT.
UM, IT SEEMS LIKE THIS WORD BECAME JUST AN EVERYDAY THING ALONG THOSE STREETS, WHERE YOU HAD PEOPLE EITHER, UM, ROLLING OR WALKING, OR JUST ARE WALKING THEIR DOGS, OR JUST STOP IN AND CHAT WITH NEIGHBORS, UM, AND ENJOY THE STREETS, UM, WITHOUT FEAR OF GETTING RUN OVER BY CARS.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK, SHOWS SOME, SOME SIMILAR STUFF.
WE'VE GOT A FEW SLIDES HERE JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU, REMIND YOU OF, OF WHAT THIS HAS BEEN LIKE.
UM, IF, IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, UH, A LOT OF, UM, I THINK THIS ONE WAS PROBABLY FROM AVENUE G.
THERE WERE ACTUALLY, I'M NOT SURE WHERE THIS WAS, BUT WE HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY GETTING OUT AND, AND DOING AND SUPPLEMENTING THE CITY'S INSTALLATION BY DOING THEIR OWN LITTLE DRAWINGS ON THE STREETS SINCE THEY HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY NOW WITHOUT, UH, BEING OUT THERE WITHOUT FEAR OF GETTING RUN OVER, THEY WERE ABLE TO GET OUT AND DO FUN THINGS THAT THEY, THAT THEY ORDINARILY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO.
UH, AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IN AREAS THAT LACK ADEQUATE ACCESS TO PARKLAND, AS YOU, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE HAVEN'T MET OUR GOALS AS A CITY OF HAVING ADEQUATE PARK MAN WITHIN EASY WALKING DISTANCE OF ALL HOMES.
AND SO THIS SORT OF THING MAKES USE OF THE PUBLIC SPACE THAT WE HAVE IN OUR STREETS IN ORDER TO CREATE THOSE SAFE SPACES FOR PEOPLE THAT TO EXPERIENCE HEALTHY AND FUN ACTIVITY.
THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK, SHOWS MORE OF THE SAME, UM, JUST, UH, ALONG AVENUE G I THINK THIS WAS A LONG AVENUE G THAT THERE WAS, UH, UH, UH, UH, PEOPLE GOT SO ENAMORED WITH THIS PROGRAM.
THEY REALLY WANTED TO SAVE IT.
THERE WERE THE HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM, UH, UNFORTUNATELY WITH, UH, WAS HANDICAPPED A LITTLE BIT BY NOT HAVING ADEQUATE FUNDING AT ANY POINT, THERE WAS A LOT OF STAFF WERE DOING AN AMAZING JOB OF KEEPING THIS THING GOING.
AND A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE PUTTING IN THEIR OWN VOLUNTEER TIME, DOING THEIR BEST TO KEEP IT GOING IN SPITE AND DESPITE ITS, UH, UH, DESPITE FACT THAT IT WASN'T REALLY FUNDED AS, AS, AS MUCH AS WE WOULD'VE LIKED.
UH, SO IT ALWAYS SEEMED LIKE IT WAS KIND OF UNDER THREAT, BUT THE RESIDENTS, ESPECIALLY ALONG AVENUE G REALLY LOVED IT AND WANTED TO, AND WANTED TO SAVE IT.
AND THEN THERE WERE SOME, A LOT OF VERY POSITIVE INPUT LIKE THIS.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE? UM, JUST, AND IN EVERY INTERSECT, IF EVEN TODAY, IF YOU GO ALONG AVENUE G AND I'M ON THAT STRETCH, YOU'LL SEE EVERY INTERSECTION HAS A COOL INSTILL, UH, CREATION AND LIKE THIS, THIS IS NOT, UH, THIS IS NOT PAID FOR OR DONE BY THE CITY.
THIS WAS RESONANCE GETTING OUT THERE TO ACTUALLY MIKE AUSTIN AND WALK AUSTIN HELPED RAISE A LITTLE MONEY AMONG THE NEIGHBORS TO, TO PAY THE EXPENSES OF, OF A RESIDENT ALONG AVENUE, GE WHO WAS GETTING AT AND, AND BEAUTIFYING INTERSECTIONS LIKE THIS.
SO THIS WAS PURELY A, UH, A, A PRIVATE SECTOR DRIVEN EFFORT TO SUPPLEMENT THOSE HEALTHY STREETS WITH, UH, BUT JUST COOL FUN THINGS LIKE THIS THAT MADE THE, MADE THE STREET FEEL, UM, LIKE THEIR OWN PLACE AND WHAT, LIKE MORE OF A SPECIAL PLACE, AS OPPOSED TO JUST THE UTILITARIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
CAN WE GO TO THE NEXT, UM, UM, I THINK THIS MIGHT BE THEN AVENUE G OR SWEPT AVENUE G OR WILLOW, JUST ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF PEOPLE JOINING TOGETHER TO DO SOMETHING COOL IN THE STREET, WHICH NOT ONLY BEAUTIFIED THE STREET, BUT ALSO BROUGHT THE RESIDENTS TOGETHER TO IMPROVE IT.
AND SO BUILD COMMUNITY AND MAKE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY HAD MORE OWNERSHIP OF THEIR STREET AND THAT THEY CAN ENJOY IT WITH THEIR NEIGHBORS.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I THINK, UH, YEAH, YEAH, THIS, THIS, UH, THIS IS ANOTHER SCENE FROM AVENUE G WHEN WE GOT THE, THE, UM, ONE OF THE PEOPLE RESPONSIBLE FOR CREATING ALL THIS COOL STUFF OUT THERE ENJOYING IT REALLY BEAUTIFUL.
AND SO I REALLY ENCOURAGE, IF Y'ALL, HAVEN'T BEEN OUT TO AVENUE G OVER THE PAST FEW MONTHS, I REALLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO GET OUT THERE AND SEE IT.
[00:10:01]
UM, JUST, YOU SEE, I THINK THESE ARE ALL FROM AVENUE G THEY REALLY DID AMAZING WORK OUT THERE.UM, I THINK THIS ONE WAS ACTUALLY, UH, YOU COULD SEE THE STREET SIDE OF NAVASOTA AND CANTERBURY.
THIS WASN'T EVEN ACTUALLY AN OFFICIAL HEALTHY STREET, OR, UH, TH THIS WAS REALLY JUST NEIGHBORS WHO WERE INSPIRED BY WHAT WAS GOING ON ELSEWHERE, WHO GOT TOGETHER TO DO SOMETHING ON THEIR OWN.
UH, THIS IS NOT BY WAY OF ANY AUTHORITY.
THIS IS KIND OF, THIS WAS KIND OF A, THIS IS KIND OF A BOOTLEG, UM, A GORILLA SORT OF ACTIVITY.
THAT'S NOT OFFICIALLY SANCTIONED BY THE CITY.
UM, BUT THESE NEIGHBORS HAD A GREAT TIME GETTING OUT THERE AND BEAUTIFYING THE STREAK THEMSELVES.
UM, UH, THIS, UH, THIS IS AVENUE G SAID A LOT OF, A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE, UH, JUST ENJOYING THE STREET AND, UM, AND, AND, AND MAKING USE OF THE SCREED FOR, FOR SOCIALIZING IN WAYS THAT THEY, YOU, YOU DIDN'T REALLY SEE BEFORE THIS PROGRAM STARTED.
UM, NEXT SLIDE, UM, JUST MORE AND MORE OF THE SAME, AND THEN THE NEXT ONE, UM, WE'RE JUST GETTING IN HERE.
WE REALLY JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT IT'S A L A LOT OF THIS IS INSPIRES CREATIVITY AND ARTISTRY AND BUILD UPON THOSE, THOSE CREATIVE TALENTS, ALL THE CREATIVE TALENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN, PEOPLE WHO JUST, UM, BUT ARE WILLING TO APPLY THEIR TALENTS AND HAVE, HAVE FUN CREATING, UH, A COOL PLACE ON THEIR STREET.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS THIS SORT OF THING THAT MENTALLY IS MENTALLY HAS MATERIALS ARE EXPENSIVE.
UM, THAT WAY PEOPLE MANAGE TO FIND THINGS FAIRLY CHEAPLY AND JUST DO THEM, BUT THEY WERE, UM, AT, AT, AT NO EXPENSE TO THE CITY LI THIS SORT OF EFFORT RESULTED IN MORE BEAUTIFUL, MORE AND MORE ENJOYABLE STREETS WHERE NEIGHBORS COULD FEEL COMFORTABLE INTERACTING WITH OTHERS.
AND SO WE THINK THAT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY OUGHT TO BUILD UPON AND TRY TO TRY TO, UM, WE REALLY WANT TO KEEP THIS SORT OF MOMENTUM GOING AND SEE, SEE WHAT WE CAN DO WITH IT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, YEAH, WE'RE JUST TRYING TO CONVEY THAT KIND OF, KIND OF ENERGY THAT WE SAW THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
PEOPLE ARE HAVING A GOOD TIME GETTING OUT THERE, JUST DOING FUN, CREATIVE THINGS IN THE STREET.
AND NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, THIS WAY, I THINK THIS IS, UH, ALONG, I THINK THIS ONE IS ALL ALONG WILLOW STREET, AGAIN, NOT AN OFFICIAL HEALTHY STREET.
UM, AND THIS, THIS, UH, I HAVE TO ADD THAT THIS INSTALLATION YOU SEE HERE WAS REALLY, UH, QUITE ILLEGAL.
UM, AND THEN AS SOON AS, AS SOON AS SOMEBODY CALLS 3, 1, 1, THIS SORT OF THING, WOULDN'T BE REMOVED BY THE CITY, BECAUSE IF THERE IS NO THERE'S CURRENTLY NO OFFICIAL SANCTIONED THE BASIS FOR IT, THIS WAS VERY MUCH AN EXPERIMENTAL SORT OF THING IN THE SPIRIT OF, OF A TACTICAL URBANISM.
IT WAS THAT IT WAS A TEMPORARY INSTALLATION THAT IS DONE, UH, IN AN ITERATIVE WAY, IN AN EFFORT TO DEMONSTRATE THE POTENTIAL FOR CREATING, UM, BETTER PUBLIC SPACES, UH, NEXT LINE.
UM, BUT, UH, ALL OF THAT IS TO SAY THAT, BUT, UM, WE THINK THAT THERE IS SOMETHING GOING ON HERE THAT WE SHOULD LEARN FROM AND BUILD UPON.
AND WE THINK WE CAN DO THAT BY FORMALIZING A CITY PROGRAM TO ENABLE, UH, THE FORCE, THE FORCE SORTS OF PERMITS THAT YOU SEE HERE.
UH, THE FIRST THING NEVER LEAD TRAFFIC CALMING.
AND PLACE-MAKING, I THINK WE'VE GOT ONE THAT I THINK IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK WE'VE GOT, UH, A SLIDE TO, TO SHOW THAT, YEAH, MAYBE A NUMBER OF OTHER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY HAVE EXPERIMENTED WITH THIS SORT OF THING.
NEIGHBOR LED TRAFFIC CALMING, AND PLACEMAKING, IT'S OFTEN CATEGORIZED AS, OR AS TACTICAL URBANISM.
I'D SAY IT'S A TEMPORARY INSTALLATION THAT, THAT, THAT IS DONE TO DEMONSTRATE THE POTENTIAL FOR THESE, THESE, UM, THESE PUBLIC SPACES IN AUSTIN.
WE HAVE HAD SOME GREAT TACTICAL URBANISM DONE IN THE PAST, BUT OFTEN IT WAS ACTUALLY DONE BY THE CITY.
UH, WE HAD SOME POLKA DOTTED INTERSECTIONS AND ZEBRA CROSSWALKS, AND OTHER COOL THINGS, WHICH ARE, WHICH ARE GREAT.
UM, AND, AND THEY REALLY POINT OUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S A HUGE POTENTIAL FOR THAT SORT OF THING.
IF WE COULD ENLIST HELP FROM ALL THE CREATIVE TALENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN, JUST AMONG REGULAR FOLKS WHO ARE WILLING TO GET OUT AND DO SORT OF THING, THIS SORT OF THING.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, EXAMPLES YOU SEE HERE FROM THE ARKANSAS, TENNESSEE, AND EVEN HERE IN FORT WORTH WHERE THE, WHERE THE CITY WOULD ALLOW PROGRAMS LIKE THIS FOR, FOR NEIGHBORS TO GET OUT THERE AND DO INSTALLATIONS LIKE THIS,
[00:15:01]
THERE, YOU REALLY NEED, UH, UH, UH, SOME WAY OF FORMALIZING A PROGRAM, I GUESS, BECAUSE AS I, AS I MENTIONED, IT'S CURRENTLY NOT CONSIDERED LEGAL.WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE BUY-IN FROM ALL OF THE RELEVANT CITY DEPARTMENTS, SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE WILL NOT ONLY TOLERATE, BUT EMBRACE THIS SORT OF THING, BECAUSE IT OFFERS SO MANY BENEFITS TO EVERYONE INVOLVED.
SO I THINK THAT THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR A SIMILAR PROGRAM HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, THE NEXT SLIDE, UH, IT GOES BACK TO, UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING WE WERE SUGGESTING THAT SIMILAR, THIS IS, UM, WE CAN GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
WE ARE SUGGESTING, UH, UM, AT VARIATION AND ON THE HEALTHY STREETS THEME.
THIS IS, WE'RE VERY EXCITED THAT THE CITY IS CONTINUING ITS OWN HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM AND IS PLANNING ON DOING 10 INSTALLATIONS, AS I UNDERSTAND IT IN, IN, IN VARIOUS PLACES.
UM, AND THERE'S, THERE'S A REAL VALUE TO THAT.
WE THINK THERE'S ALSO A REAL VALUE TO AN EMPOWERING RESIDENTS TO UNDERTAKE THEIR OWN HEALTHY STREETS EFFORTS.
UH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS SOME UNHAPPINESS ABOUT SOME OF THE INSTALLATIONS, SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE INSTALLATIONS, THE CITY DID THIS OVER THE PAST YEAR, DREW SOME NEGATIVE COMMENTS.
AND OFTEN IN LOOKING OVER THOSE COMMENTS, YOU GET THE IMPRESSION THAT IT'S, UH, THERE'S A SENSE THAT THESE, IN SOME CASES, THESE THINGS ARE FOISTED ON THEM, NEIGHBORS BY THE CITY THAT IT SAID THAT IT'S LARGELY A CITY DRIVEN PROCESS.
AS I MENTIONED, THERE, THERE WAS COMMUNITY INPUT, BUT I THINK IT IN GENERAL, THE, THE CITY PROCESS IS THIS IS, UH, SOMEWHAT TOP DOWN IMPOSED BY THE CITY.
AND THE CONCEPT THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING IT IS A MORE OF A BOTTOM UP APPROACH WHERE, WHERE YOU ENABLE CITIZENS TO INITIATE THEIR OWN EFFORTS.
JUST NOT, NO, WE'RE NOT SUGGESTING THAT ONE PERSON COULD INITIATE IT THE WHOLE LONG, HEALTHY STREET ON THEIR OWN.
BUT IF A MAJORITY OF PEOPLE ON ONE BLOCK SAY THAT THEY REALLY WOULD LIKE THAT BLOCK TO BE A HEALTHY STREET, THEN WE OUGHT TO HAVE A PROCESS THAT ALLOWS FOR THAT.
AND THE CITY SHOULD HAVE SOME BARRICADES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FOR USE FOR THAT SORT OF THING.
IT'S, THIS IS SIMILAR TO THE, THE FIRST PROGRAM THAT, UH, THAT, THAT WE DISCUSSED.
BUT, BUT IN THIS CASE, THIS WOULD ACTUALLY BE SIMPLER FOR, FOR RESIDENTS BECAUSE THEY WOULD MAKE USE OF THE CITY'S OWN BARRICADES.
AND IT WOULD JUST REQUIRE THE CITY TO MAINTAIN AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY OF THESE THINGS SO THAT RESIDENTS COULD HAVE ACCESS TO THEM AS NEEDED, UM, TO, TO ESTABLISH THESE PROGRAMS. AND THERE ARE, AS YOU SEE HERE, THERE ARE OTHER CITIES THAT HAVE MADE, HAVE HAD PROGRAMS LIKE THE SPC FROM SEATTLE, DALLAS, AND KANSAS HAVE HAD SIMILAR PROGRAMS THAT ARE, THAT ARE, UM, AIMED AT ENABLING RESIDENTS TO DO IT INSTEAD OF JUST RELYING ON THE CITY TO COME AND IMPOSE THESE INSTALLATIONS.
UH, THE NEXT, IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WE WERE ALSO SUGGESTING, UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS WE HAVEN'T SEEN SO MUCH OF HERE.
UM, THIS ONE IS, IS PLAY STREETS.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN VERY, UH, FUN EXAMPLES OF PLAY STREETS IN, IN, IN OTHER CITIES.
AND WE THINK THERE'S A REAL, UM, OPPORTUNITY FOR, FOR, UM, HAVING A SIMILAR EFFORT HERE.
THIS WOULD BE ESPECIALLY HELPFUL IN PLACES WHERE KIDS DON'T HAVE EASY ACCESS TO ADEQUATE PARKS AND OTHER OPEN SPACE WHERE THEY CAN PLAY THE PUBLIC SPACE IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES THAT THE STREETS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE'S HOMES IS PUBLIC SPACE, AND IT OUGHT TO BE A, UH, UH, A WELCOMING AND SAFE PLACE WHERE KIDS, WHERE PARENTS COULD KNOW THAT THEIR KIDS CAN PLAY WITHOUT WORRYING THAT THE KIDS, UH, ARE, ARE CONTINUALLY AT RISK OF GETTING RUN OVER BY CARS.
AND SO THIS IS JUST AN EFFORT TO, UH, ABOUT INSTANCES OF, OF, UH, UH, WHERE, WHERE PEOPLE WILL MAKE USE OF THE STREETS, GET PERMITS TO ESTABLISHED PLAY STREETS IN FRONT OF THEIR HOUSES.
IT WOULD BE, YOU COULD SET PARAMETERS ON HOW OFTEN THEY WOULD ACTUALLY BE WHERE TRAFFIC COULD BE RESTRICTED, BUT, UM, WE THINK THERE'S A LOT TO BE LEARNED FROM THE PROGRAMS, PROGRAMS LIKE THESE FROM OTHER CITIES.
AND WE REALLY, UM, COULD BENEFIT FROM OFFERING SOMETHING SIMILAR HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND THIS WOULD REALLY BE KIND OF IN LINE WITH THE OTHER PROGRAMS, BUT DIFFERENT.
SO WE THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO THINK OF THIS ALL AS ONE BUNDLE OF PROGRAMS. UM, BUT THIS ONE IS, UH, DOES HAVE ITS OWN INDEPENDENT, UH, USEFUL ASSETS.
AND THE LAST CATEGORY, IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, ACTUALLY I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE ONE MORE EXAMPLE.
YEAH, THERE'S ONE MORE PHOTO OF, OF PLACE STREET.
SO YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN JUST IMAGINE HOW MUCH FUN KIDS CAN HAVE WITH THESE TREATS, GETTING OUT TO BE ABLE TO ENJOY, UH, HANGING OUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND, AND, AND ENJOYING THE STREETS, UM, UH, IN, UH, IN WAYS THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO, IF, IF, UH,
[00:20:01]
IF THEY WERE, IF THEY HAD TO WORRY ABOUT GETTING RUN OVER, I THINK WE'VE GOT ONE MORE SLIDE AFTER THAT.THAT GETS TO THE LAST ONE, THE LAST CLIMB.
AND THIS IS THE, THIS IS THE LAST PROGRAM THAT WE WERE SUGGESTING AS A, A BLOCK PARTY PROGRAM.
THIS IS WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A BLOCK PARTY.
THIS ONE, I'M PRETTY SURE THIS WAS OVER ON WILLOW STREET AND, AND EAST AUSTIN, UH, AUSTIN DOES HAVE A BLOCK PARTY PROGRAM, BUT, UM, AND LOOKING AT THE PARTICULAR RULES THAT, THAT, THAT AUSTIN HAS AND COMPARING WITH THOSE, THOSE WITH RULES FROM OTHER CITIES, WHAT WE FOUND IS THAT AUSTIN SURPRISINGLY HAS REALLY THE MOST RESTRICTIVE RULES THAT WE FOUND OF ANY CITY IN THE COUNTRY.
AND WHEN IT COMES TO, TO, UH, ENABLING PEOPLE DO HAVE BLOCKED THAT WE CAN LEARN FROM SOME OTHER CITIES THAT, UM, AND, AND LOOK AT BEST PRACTICES WITH REGARD TO ALL THE DIFFERENT RULES THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE EVENTS LIKE THESE, BECAUSE THEY SERVE SO MANY GOOD PURPOSES THAT THEY BUILT BUILDING COMMUNITY AMONG NEIGHBORS, AND, UH, JUST ENABLING PEOPLE TO HAVE FUN IN THE STREETS.
AND SO THAT SORT OF THING WOULD BE, UH, UH, THAT'D BE GREAT TO BE ABLE TO REV UP THE AUSTIN VERSION OF, UH, OF A BLOCK PARTY PROGRAM.
AND THAT WOULD FIT NICELY WITH ALL THE OTHER THREE COMPONENTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO THOSE ARE THE, THOSE ARE THE FOUR PROGRAMS THAT WE THINK COULD BE REALLY HELPFUL.
WE HAVE, UM, PRESENTED A, A, UH, A DRAFT RESOLUTION WITH THE COUNCIL, AND WE ARE HOPING THAT COUNCIL WILL BE ABLE TO CONSIDER THIS SOON AFTER THEY COME BACK AT THE END OF THE SUMMER BREAK.
UH, THE TIMING OF IT IS AS CRITICAL BECAUSE WE RE WE REALLY WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THE MOMENTUM OF ALL THE ACTIVITY WE SAW OVER THE PAST YEAR BY ENABLING STUFF LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN IN THE COMING YEAR.
AND FOR THAT TO HAPPEN IN, IN, UH, IN A VIABLE AND SUSTAINABLE WAY, WE REALLY NEED TO IDENTIFY ADEQUATE FUNDING FOR THE PROGRAM.
AND THAT WILL MEAN ADDRESSING THIS IN THE UPCOMING BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.
SO WE'RE HOPING TO TALK WITH COUNCIL AND STAFF ABOUT GETTING SOME BUDGET ALLOCATION AND COUNCIL APPROVAL OF A, OF A RESOLUTION TO, UH, TO SUPPORT, TO ESTABLISH THIS SORT OF PROGRAM, UM, HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND, UM, AND SO WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING IT WITH A LOT OF FOLKS WHO ARE INTERESTED BY COSTUME AND WALK AUSTIN, AND HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS FROM THE BEGINNING, UH, BOTH THE, UH, PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL AND THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL HAVE LOOKED AT THIS AND BOTH HAVE UNANIMOUSLY EXPRESSED THEIR SUPPORT, UM, IN RESOLUTIONS THAT LARGELY TRACK THE LANGUAGE OF THE RESOLUTION WE'RE PROPOSING PRESENTING TO COUNCIL.
SO, UM, UH, WE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S, WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW ALL OF THIS WOULD WORK, OR WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT, THAT, THAT THE COUNCIL DIRECT STAFF TO COME UP WITH RECOMMENDATIONS FOR, FOR, UM, A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
UH, AND SO THERE WOULD BE OPPORTUNITIES TO FIGURE OUT SOME OF THE DETAILS DOWN THE ROAD, BUT WE THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT COUNCIL ACT ON THIS QUICKLY TO GET THAT PROCESS GOING AND ALLOCATE ADEQUATE FUNDING SO THAT IT CAN GET SOME TRACTION NOW AND, AND COULD MATERIALIZE AND BECOMING MONTHS.
UM, AND SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION FIRM, LIKE AS WE THINK THIS, UM, REALLY IT GETS TO THE HEART OF THE DIRECTION THAT WE NEED TO BE GOING IN TERMS OF RETHINKING OUR STREETS IN GENERAL IN AUSTIN.
AND I KNOW THAT UTC HAS THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT, ABOUT THIS SORT OF THING.
AND, AND WE HOPE THAT, THAT, UH, Y'ALL Y'ALL WOULD BE Y'ALL WOULD SEE SOME VALUE OF HAVING PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.
BE VERY INTERESTED IN HEARING ANY CONCERNS OR FEEDBACK THAT YOU ALL HAVE ABOUT, ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND AS WE, UM, AS WE PREPARE TO DISCUSS IT WITH COUNCIL AND OTHERS, SO I'LL STOP THERE AND SEE IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY INPUT.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE PROGRAM THAT WE'RE SUGGESTING YOU CAN, WE WOULD LOVE TO SORT OF HAVE THE SUPPORT OF, OF THE UTC AS WE HAVE, AS WE CONTINUE THE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THIS.
UM, I GUESS, UM, IF FOLKS HAVE QUESTIONS FOR CHRIS, OR IF ANYONE HAS A MOTION, UM, I GUESS WE COULD START WITH QUESTIONS.
IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS FOR ME, DID WE HEAR YOU MY TURN AND ACTUAL BUDGET NUMBER? I HEARD THE QUESTION ABOUT A BUDGET NUMBER NOW, AND THE ANSWER IS NO, WE DON'T HAVE A BUDGET NUMBER YET.
WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH SOME STAFF WHO ARE, WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN ON SUMMER VACATION.
WE'VE, THERE'S BEEN AN ISSUE WITH, UH, UM, OVERLAPPING VACATIONS.
AND SO WE'VE HAD A LITTLE TROUBLE CONNECTING ON EXACTLY WHAT INAPPROPRIATE NUMBER WOULD BE.
WE DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW, WE ARE HOPING TO SOME SAID THAT DISCUSSION WITH STAFF IN THE NEXT COUPLE
[00:25:01]
OF WEEKS IN TIME FOR COUNCIL TO ACT ON IT.I WOULD NOT THINK IT WOULD BE A HUGE NUMBER BECAUSE THIS, THIS, UM, UH, AT THE HEART, THE HEART OF THIS PROGRAM INVOLVES, UM, RELYING ON, UM, REGULAR AUSTIN RESIDENTS AS A, INSTEAD OF THE CITY.
IT'S LARGELY EMPOWERING RESIDENTS TO DO, TO DO ALL KINDS OF COOL THINGS INSTEAD OF JUST EXPECTING THE CITY TO DO IT ALL.
SO, I, MY SENSE IS THAT THE COST WOULD BE, UM, UH, VERY REASONABLE IN CONSIDERING WHAT WE'RE GETTING OUT OF IT.
BUT NO, I CAN'T GIVE YOU A BUDGET NUMBER RIGHT NOW.
WE'LL BE, WE'LL BE TALKING TO STAFF TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THAT NUMBER OUGHT TO BE.
WELL, FIRST THE STATEMENT I, A HUGE FAN OF THE WHOLE PROJECT I REALLY USED THROUGHOUT ALL OF LAST YEAR, USED THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT.
MY QUESTION IS, HAVE YOU PURSUED ANY PRIVATE FUNDING OR LOOKED INTO THAT AT ALL? IT SEEMS LIKE IN THE BACK OF MY MIND, THERE ARE SOME ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION GRANTS THROUGH BLOOMBERG, ONE OF HIS CHARITIES OR SOMEONE ELSE I CAN'T REALLY, AND USUALLY WE, WE DID THAT WALK AUSTIN AND ACTUALLY DID GET A GRANT, UM, FROM THE, UM, UM, THE SR SAYS FROM THE ARP ARP.
SO I'M NOT SURE IF I'M ABLE TO VOTE ON THIS, BUT, UH, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED AS WELL.
SO WALK AUSTIN HAS, UM, HAS BEEN A REAL CHAMPION OF THIS AND, AND, UH, AND THAT ADAM GREENFIELD IN PARTICULAR THAT, UH, WITH, WITH BLOCK HUSTON HAS PUT IN HUGE AMOUNT OF WORK ON IT.
HE WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT HE'S TRAVELING RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT SO THERE HAS BEEN, THERE WAS A GRANT FROM ARP TO LOOK AT PROGRAMS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UM, FOR SO FAR WE REALLY, EVERYTHING YOU SAW ON THOSE SLIDES, APART FROM THE CITY BARRICADES, ALL OF THE, ALL OF THE CREATIVE STUFF YOU SAW ON THOSE SLIDES WAS, HAS BEEN EITHER PRIVATELY FUNDED, UM, WITH THE BIKE COSTUME CHIPPED IN A LITTLE BIT AND HELPED ORGANIZE, UM, UH, SOME FUNDRAISING WITHIN, WITHIN HYDE PARK TO SUPPORT AVENUE, THE AVENUE G INSTALLATION, BUT REALLY JUST TRY TO HIT THE EXPENSES OF, OF ALL THAT PAINT.
UM, AND WE EXPECT TO BE DOING SIMILAR THINGS IN THE FUTURE.
WE EXPECT THAT THAT, THAT A LOT OF THE PRIVATE EFFORTS WOULD BE, UH, PRIVATELY FUNDED.
I THINK THAT THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CITY EXPENSES FOR THIS PROGRAM WOULD BE, UM, HAVING, UM, BEING ABLE TO PAY STAFF TO ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN THERE WOULD BE, WE, WE WOULD, WE DO THINK THE CITY OUGHT TO HAVE HAD SOMETHING OF A BETTER STOCK OF BARRICADES AVAILABLE FOR USE IN THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
AND SO THAT THERE WOULD BE SOME EXPENSE INVOLVED IN THAT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE CITY WAS ACTUALLY RENTING SOME OR ALL OF THE BARRICADES USED IN HEALTHY STREETS AND THAT BOOK AND THAT WHAT, THAT HAS BEEN A SIGNIFICANT EXPENSE.
SO IT SEEMS LIKE IT WOULD BE A WORTHWHILE INVESTMENT TO HAVE JUST A STOCK OF THESE BARRICADES THAT COULD BE USED, SHARED AMONG THESE SORTS OF INSTALLATIONS.
SO THOSE ARE, I THINK THOSE PROBABLY WOULD BE PUBLIC EXPENSE SUPPLEMENTED OF COURSE, BUT TO WHATEVER EXTENT WE CAN WITH PRIVATE FUNDING.
BUT, UM, UM, BUT, BUT I THINK MOST OF THE, MOST OF THE WORK INEXPENSE WOULD BE, WOULD BE, WOULD BE PRIVATE, PRIVATELY SUPPORTED RATHER THAN PUBLICLY PUBLIC WAY.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT BEDROOM NUMBERS SHOULD BE THAT BIG.
AND I KNOW THAT THERE WAS SO MUCH SUPPORT IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT EVEN IF THERE WAS A STORM OR WINDS BLEW OVER THE BARRICADES, PEOPLE WERE OUT THERE PUTTING THEM BACK UP THEMSELVES TOO.
SO THERE WAS JUST A LOT OF SUPPORT IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS.
UM, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, CHRIS.
SO I'M EXCITED TO SEE THIS PROJECT MOVE FORWARD COURSE.
AND, UM, I GET TO HEAR YOU TALK ABOUT IT.
A COUPLE OF THINGS, UM, IN GENERAL, ARE, ARE WE HOPING THAT THIS, UM, THERE, THESE, THESE STREET PROJECTS ARE OUR ELDEST RATES ARE GOING TO BE LIKE PILOT PROJECTS WHERE THEN THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD TO BECOMING PERMANENT INSTALLATIONS DOWN THE LINE AT AN ITEM THAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IN THE RESOLUTION.
UM, CAUSE THAT'S KIND OF HOW I'VE ENVISIONED THIS.
IT'S LIKE WE GET, UM, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD BUY-IN AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONCE PEOPLE SEE, HEY, THIS IS GREAT.
LET'S JUST MAKE THIS PERMANENT.
THEN WE CAN REALLY GET SOME, YOU KNOW, SOME CONFERENCE BOARD ON THAT.
THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT THAT, THAT, UM, THAT TACKLE OR TACTICAL URBANISM BY DEFINITION IS AN ITERATIVE PROCESS WHERE WE REACH TIME.
WE, WE, WE LEARN EVERY TIME WE DO AN INSTALLATION LIKE THIS AND WE SEE WHAT IT CAN DO FOR PUBLIC SPACE.
AND FROM ALL OF THAT ITERATION, WE CAN, UM, UH, WE CAN DEVELOP A BODY OF KNOWLEDGE THAT WILL HELP US CREATE BETTER PUBLIC SPACES ACROSS THE CITY.
THIS, UH, UH, IN, UH, YOU KNOW, NEW YORK CITY IS KNOWN FOR HAVING MADE A LOT OF PROGRESS ON PUBLIC SPACES OVER THE PAST
[00:30:01]
10 OR 15 YEARS.AND IN EVERY CASE THAT WAS DONE WITH, UH, IT WAS THAT INITIALLY YOU HAD A, AN EXPERIMENTAL PILOT INSTALLATION AND THEN EVENTUALLY IT BECAME PERMANENT.
I THINK, UM, IN, IN AUSTIN WE HAVE A GREAT NEED FOR HAVING SLOWER TRAFFIC ON OUR STREETS.
UM, AND THE CITY IS TRYING VARIOUS THINGS TO ACHIEVE THAT.
UM, BUT THERE MAY BE, I DON'T THINK WE'VE QUITE LANDED ON THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR THAT, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, THE LATEST THING IS, UM, SOME, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF SPEED HUMPS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, WHICH NOBODY'S REALLY THAT CRAZY ABOUT, WHEREAS IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO, TO, TO ACHIEVE THOSE SAME GOALS IN A WAY THAT ACTUALLY BEAUTIFIES US CREATE AND MAKES IT A MORE APPEALING PLACE.
UH, IN THAT I KNOW IN THE NORTHWEST THEY'VE, THEY'VE HAD BEEN USING A LOT OF, UH, PLANTED CHICANES WHERE YOU ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, UM, UH, BUMP LIKE AREAS IN THE STREET WHERE THE CURB BUMPS OUT AND YOU HAVE PLANTED THINGS ON THE STREET, YOU CAN USE LANDSCAPING AND ALL SORTS OF THINGS TO ACHIEVE THE GOAL OF CALMING THE TRAFFIC WHILE AT THE SAME TIME YOU'RE, YOU'RE BEAUTIFYING THE STREET.
AND SO I THINK TO ME, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE MOST EXCITING THING ABOUT THIS WHOLE EFFORT IS THAT IT CAN POINT THE WAY TOWARDS THE TRANSFORMATION OF OUR STREETS INTO WHAT THEY REALLY OUGHT TO BE.
THEY OUGHT TO BE WELCOMING, SAFE PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN INTERACT WITH ONE ANOTHER, ONE ANOTHER AND, UH, MOVE AROUND AND SAFELY AND, AND, AND, AND ENJOY THESE SPACES WITHOUT FEAR OF GETTING RUN OVER.
AND SO EVERYTHING WE DO EVERY TIME WE DO AN INSTALLATION LIKE THIS, IT POINTS TO HOW WE CAN DO BETTER AT MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION THAT WE WANT TO GO.
THAT'S YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
UM, AND THEN I HAD ONE OF THE, UM, QUESTIONS SLASH KIND OF SUGGESTION.
UM, IT'S KIND OF FROM AN EQUITY STANDPOINT ON WHAT IS SORT OF THE PLAN TO HELP THESE PROJECTS HAPPEN IN NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AREN'T HYDE PARK, FRANKLY, THAT ARE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE DON'T HAVE THE, UH, PRIVATE FUNDING JUST AMONG THE NEIGHBORS TO, UM, GET, YOU KNOW, GET THAT OUT THERE OR GET INTERESTED IN THOSE PLACES.
UM, AND IF I MIGHT OFFER A SUGGESTION, MAYBE THERE'S LIKE A GRANT PROGRAM WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, UH, CERTAIN AREAS ARE, ARE, UM, ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING FOR THE, FOR THESE TYPES OF SOLUTIONS WHERE THEY COULD APPLY AND POTENTIALLY GET FUNDING FROM THE CITY OR ELSEWHERE.
I KNOW THAT OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT AS DEPENDENT ON BUDGET, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
CITI IS CONTINUING ITS OWN PROGRAM OF HEALTH, THESE PERIODS.
AND I THINK THAT THIS NEXT STAGE OF THAT THE CITY LAND HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM IS GOING TO MAKE A SPECIAL EFFORT TO REACH OUT TO COMMUNITIES THAT MIGHT NOT OTHERWISE BE ACCESSING THIS SORT OF PROGRAM.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT PROGRAM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT IS GONNA HAVE A REAL EMPHASIS ON EQUITY AND WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO HAVE A, HAVE A SIMILAR EMPHASIS ON EQUITY WITH THIS SORT OF PROGRAM.
MY SENSE IS THAT, THAT, UM, A LOT OF THAT IS GOING TO ENTAIL DOCUMENTING THE, THE, THE INSTANCES THAT, THAT DO HAPPEN AND THEN SHARING IMAGES ELSEWHERE TO SEE WHAT RESONATES, UM, I THINK, UH, THE WHOLE IDEA OF, UM, BLOCK PARTIES COULD BE HUGELY VALUABLE, ESPECIALLY IN SOME AREAS THAT ARE, SAY AN AREA THAT'S GENTRIFYING.
WHEN YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT COMMUNITY THAT'S FEELING THREATENED OR AT RISK OF DISPLACEMENT AND BLOCK PARTY COULD BE A GREAT WAY FOR PEOPLE TO DEVELOP STRONGER RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS, UM, AND TO, UH, TO TALK THROUGH ISSUES.
AND, UM, AND, AND TO JUST BUILD THOSE COMMUNITY BONDS THAT OTHERWISE MIGHT SEEM AT RISK.
AND SO THERE, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR IT, AND WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS RIGHT NOW, BUT IT ABSOLUTELY IS AN ISSUE THAT WE NEED TO, UH, AND TH THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS AS, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS PROGRAM.
UM, WE HAVE, WE DID TRY TO ADDRESS IT IN THE LANGUAGE, ACTUALLY, BOTH THE BAC AND THE PAC TRIED TO EMPHASIZE THE NEED FOR ENGAGEMENT AS PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND I'M GLAD YOU RAISED IT HERE BECAUSE WE, WE ALWAYS NEED TO BE MINDFUL THAT THAT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE WORKING ON.
UH, I DO APOLOGIZE, DO HATE TO INTERRUPT, BUT I, UH, WE WILL NEED TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ITEM AND WE DO HAVE OTHER PRESENTERS, AND I'M SURE THEY'RE EAGER TO PRESENT THEIR ITEMS AS WELL.
AND SO IF IT'S OKAY WITH SUSAN, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO, UM, UNTIL ABOUT FOUR 10, AND THEN GIVE ABOUT 10 MINUTES DISCUSSION FOR THAT.
AND IF UTC WANTED TO PASS A MOTION, UH, PERHAPS WE COULD DO THAT AFTER THE LAST PRESENTATION.
UM, DOES ANYONE HAVE A MOTION OR A RECOMMENDATION DRAFTED FOR THIS ITEM? I JUST WAS
[00:35:01]
KIND OF CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.[2.B. Project Connect Update: Discussion and Possible Action Presenters: Conte Liane and Annick Beaudet]
ON THEN TO, UM, ITEM TWO B, WHICH IS, IS THAT THE ONE THAT YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING CHRISTOPHER, THAT WE WANT TO MOVE TO NEXT? THE PROJECT CONNECT UPDATE? YES, MA'AM.AND WE'LL MOVE TO THAT UNTIL ABOUT FOUR 10.
UM, I'LL ASK AT THE END OF THE OTHER ITEMS, IF, IF SOMEONE DOES HAVE SOMETHING THEY WANT TO BRING FORWARD A MOTION FOR ITEM TWO WAY, UM, WE CAN BRING THAT BACK FORWARD AT THAT TIME.
SO WE HAVE OUR PRESENTERS HERE.
I THINK WE HAVE A NIQUE AND LEANN IS THAT, HI, THIS IS LEANNE CONTI WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROJECT CONNECT OFFICE.
UM, I'M ALSO JOINED BY JACOB CALCINE WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, AND SO I'LL BE TAKING LEAD ON THE PRESENTATION TODAY AS, UM, YOU ALL MAY KNOW THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS CURRENTLY HAVING THEIR BOARD MEETING FOR THE MONTH.
SO MOST OF THEIR STAFF ARE TIED UP, UM, AT THAT MEETING.
UM, BUT I THOUGHT I WOULD BE ABLE TO GIVE YOU THIS UPDATE AND, UM, JACOB CAN HELP ME ANSWER ANY OF THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MIGHT HAVE ABOUT, UH, THE NEPA PROCESS OR ANY OF THE KIND OF LIKE TECHNICAL COMPONENTS OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, BUT I, WOULD IT BE BEST IF I SHARED MY SCREEN, UM, FOR THAT IDEAL, I CAN DO THAT.
I DON'T THINK I HAVE THE CAPABILITY AT THE MOMENT, BUT LIKE FLOATING.
UM, I'M WITH THE CITY'S PROJECT CONNECTS OFFICE.
SO THIS IS THE NEW OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGERS CREATED TO HELP, UH, IMPLEMENT PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, SO WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND CAPITAL METRO STAFF.
UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY CO LOCATED I'M, I'M IN, I'M IN THE OFFICE HERE, UM, AT, UH, AT, UM, AT THE OFFICES SO THAT WE ARE, UM, WORKING IN CLOSE COLLABORATION.
SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE I'LL GIVE SOME, SOME RECENT UPDATES, UM, WHICH, UH, I'LL JUST READ THROUGH HERE ARE, UM, THE, UM, ATP RECEIVED, RIGHT? I BELIEVE IT WAS CAPITAL METRO RECEIVED, UM, A $2.8 MILLION GRANT FROM THE FTA FOR 40 FOOT ELECTRIC BUSES, UM, AND SOME TRAINING AND TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.
UM, WE ALSO ARE WORKING TOWARD THE, UM, THE MCAULIFFE STATION AT THE Q2 STADIUMS. SO CAPITAL METRO AND THE AUSTIN, UM, FC HAVE APPROVED A FUNDING PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT FOR THAT STATION.
AND WE ARE WORKING ON THE DESIGN.
UM, NOW, UM, ALSO CAPITAL METRO HAS LAUNCHED ITS NINTH PICKUP ZONE IN, UM, NORTH DESKTOP IN JUNE.
AND THERE ARE MORE ZONES, UH, THAT WE'LL BE LAUNCHING WELL, ONE NEXT WEEK, JULY 27TH, AND SOUNDS MEN SHAKA AND NORTH OAK HILL, UM, COMING THIS FALL.
SO THAT'S, UM, A GREAT PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN EXPANDING OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND, UM, WE ARE ALSO WORKING ON, I THINK THE THING THAT MOST PEOPLE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO PROJECT CONNECT IS THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINES, UM, WITH COMPLETED THE 15% DESIGN DRAWINGS FOR THE LINES AND, UM, LETTERS HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED TO FTA REQUESTING ENTRY INTO THE NEW START CAPITAL GRANTS PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UM, ALSO, UH, 36 MILLION IN FTA, SMALL STARTUP GRANT FUNDING WAS INCLUDED IN THE PRESIDENT, UM, PRESIDENT BIDEN'S FYI 22 BUDGET, UH, FOR THE METRO RAPID PLEASANT VALLEY AND EXPO LINE, WHICH IS IN ANOTHER EXCITING, UM, UM, EVOLUTION.
SO, UM, GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UH, THIS IS ONE THAT I THINK YOU ALL HAVE SEEN MANY TIMES BEFORE, BUT IT'S A GOOD ORIENTATION FOR EVERYONE, UM, OF THE PROJECT CONNECTS PROGRAM COMPONENTS, WHICH INCLUDES THE, YOU'LL SEE ON THE MAP ON THE RIGHT, THE SYSTEM PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED AND THE INITIAL INVESTMENT THAT WE ARE IMPLEMENTING PER THE APPROVAL OF THE VOTERS IN NOVEMBER.
AND THAT INCLUDES THE ORANGE AND BLUE LIGHT RAIL LINES, UH, THE GOLD LINE, WHICH IS GOING TO BE A METRO RAPID LINE IN THIS INITIAL INVESTMENT, BUT WE ARE COMPLETING THE NEPA PROCESS, UM, FOR THE LIGHT RAIL LINE.
SO THAT WILL GO THROUGH NEPA, UM, THE DOWNTOWN TUNNEL, WHICH, UM, YOU MIGHT'VE SEEN IN THE NEWS LAST WEEK, THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT, UM, ABOUT THAT TUNNEL AND THEN THOSE, UM, METRO RAPID LINES.
I MENTIONED GREEN LINE, UM, DESIGN, UH, PLANNING, AND THEN, UM, SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THE RED LINE, AS WELL AS METRO EXPRESS PARK AND RIDE NEW TRANSIT CENTERS, THE DOWN THE NEIGHBORHOOD CIRCULATORS.
SO THOSE ARE THOSE PICKUP ZONES, UM, AND OTHER ASSOCIATED FACILITIES AND SYSTEMS TO SUPPORT THE OVERALL NETWORK.
[00:40:01]
VERY IMPORTANTLY INCLUDED THE 300 MILLION OF THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS, UM, TO SUPPORT, UH, FOR PEOPLE LIVING IN AND WORKING NEAR TRANSIT.SO, UM, MOVING TOWARDS THE NEXT SLIDE WE'VE AS THE, IS THE PROGRAM SEQUENCE PLAN AND OTHER SIDE THAT YOU'VE SEEN A LOT.
AND I THINK YOU WILL CONTINUE TO SEE ON SLIDE FOUR, UM, THE TIMELINES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, THESE PROJECTS, WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S VERY CLEAR TO THE COMMUNITY THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ALL GOING TO HAPPEN OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND SO WE'LL BE IN CERTAIN, CERTAIN PARTS OF THE PROCESS OVER, UM, A GOOD AMOUNT OF TIME RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PRELIMINARY, UM, AND NEPA PHASES.
UH, AND WHILE, WHILE YOU MAY NOT SEE CONSTRUCTION RIGHT AWAY ON, UM, THE LIGHT RAIL LINES, THOSE METRO RAPID LINES WILL BE STARTING TO GO INTO CONSTRUCTION EVEN LATER THIS YEAR.
SO THOSE MIGHT BE THE FIRST THING THAT, UM, THAT ARE BREAKING GROUND AND ALSO, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO THE RED LINE.
SO LOTS WILL BE GOING ON OVER, OVER THE NEXT 10 PLUS YEARS IN DELIVERING THE INITIAL INVESTMENT.
THIS IS A, A MORE DETAILED LOOK AT THE TIMELINE SPECIFICALLY FOR THE ORANGE AND THE BLUE LINE PROJECTS.
UM, AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE REFERENDUM IN NOVEMBER SCOPING MEETINGS WERE COMPLETED IN JANUARY.
UM, AND NOW WE'RE IN THE DRAFTS.
UM, MY APOLOGIES, MY SCREEN IS SOMETHING AROUND HERE.
UM, UH, AND, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON EVERYTHING WE'LL BE GOING INTO THAT DRAFT EIS, WHICH WE'LL BE ANTICIPATING COMPLETING IN THE SPRING OF 2022.
SO GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THIS DIVES IN MORE SPECIFICALLY ON WHAT IS HAPPENING DURING THIS, UM, DURING THIS PERIOD OF, OF THE NEPA AND E I S N EIF IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, UM, PROCESS.
AND SO, UM, AGAIN COMPLETED THE 15% DESIGN AND WE'VE REQUESTED ENTRY INTO, UM, ATP HAS REQUESTED ENTRY INTO THE FTA PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
WE'RE CURRENTLY AWAITING RESPONSE FROM THE, FROM THE FTA, BUT IT'S NOT LIKE THEY'RE BLOWING US OFF.
WE'RE IN THE WE'RE IN THEIR 45 DAY WINDOW OF RESPONSE.
SO IT'S TOTALLY NORMAL THAT WE HAVEN'T HEARD BACK.
UH, AND WE ANTICIPATE BEING APPROVED TO MOVE THROUGH THAT PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
UM, AND ATP IS WORKING CLOSELY WITH ALL OF THE CITY DEPARTMENTS, OUR UTILITIES, UM, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TOWARDS THAT 30% DESIGN, UM, TO, TO BE ACHIEVED NEXT, UM, BRING, UM, SUMMER AND THEN HOPING TO GET TO A FINAL EIS AND THAT FTA, UM, RECORD OF DECISION IN THE, IN LATE 20, 22.
SO THAT'LL BE A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE.
UM, MOVING TO THE NEXT SLIDE SPECIFICALLY TO THE METRO RAPID LINES OF FIRST TO EXPO IN PLEASANT VALLEY, COMPLETED 30% DESIGN AND RECEIVED, UM, AS A CATEGORY AT A GORUCK SKULL EXCLUSION, SAY THAT A FEW TIMES FAST, UM, FROM THE FTA FOR THOSE PROJECTS, UM, AND CONSTRUCTION ISN'T DISSIPATED TO BEGIN, UH, LATER THIS YEAR.
NOW THOSE ARE THE KIND OF BIG, UM, PROJECT DESIGN, UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, PROJECT SPECIFIC UPDATES.
NOW I HAVE KIND OF A POLICY UPDATE IF WE'RE GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE THREE AGENCIES, THE CITY CAPITOL METRO AND THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP ARE WORKING ON IS A JOINT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT.
UM, AND THIS PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT IS GRANT.
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE IS GOING TO, UM, THE REALLY DEFINE WHAT THE, UM, THE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE OF THE THREE AGENCIES IN DELIVERING PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS CALLED FOR, YOU KNOW, UM, BY, BY THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, CAPITOL METRO AND THE CITY CREATED THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION.
UM, AND SO AS AN INDEPENDENT BODY, WE, WE NEED TO, UH, ESTABLISH, UM, WHO'S DOING WHAT AND WHAT OUR ROLES ARE IN, IN DELIVERY OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS.
SO NEXT SLIDE, GETTING INTO SHOWING A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT, ABOUT THOSE RESPONSIBILITIES.
YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, WE'LL BE DELIVERING THE ORANGE AND BLUE LINES, THE TUNNEL, UM, BOTH OF THOSE THINGS THAT ARE NEW TO THE TRANSIT SYSTEM IN AUSTIN.
UM, AND THEN CAPITAL METRO IS TAKING THE LEAD ON, UM, THE METRO RAPID EXPANSIONS, THE METRO EXPRESS EXPANSION, REALLY THE EXPANSIONS OF OUR EXISTING SYSTEM.
UM, AND THEN THE CITY IS WORKING TO SUPPORT ALL OF THIS, UM, WORK WITH MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING UTILITIES AS NEEDED,
[00:45:01]
UM, GETTING THROUGH PERMITTING PROCESSES, WORKING OUT RIGHT OF WAY ISSUES.AND THEN AGAIN, THOSE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT INVESTMENTS, UM, AS PART OF THE 300 MILLION.
SO IT'S, IT'S A PROGRAM, UM, DELIVERY OF, OF ALL ENTITIES WORKING IN CONCERT.
SO THE CONTRACT OF THE VOTERS CALLED FOR ATP TO WORK WITH THE CITY AND CAPITAL METRO TO EXECUTE A JOINT POWERS AGREEMENT TO, UM, DELINEATE THOSE ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES.
SO GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, HERE'S SOME CONTENT THAT WE ANTICIPATE TO BE INCLUDED THAT THE CONTRACTOR WAS, THE VOTERS CALLED OUT SOME THINGS.
UM, AND THEN WE PUT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED TO THAT WHAT'S THE ITEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED.
SO, UM, WE'LL BE INCORPORATING ASK DIRECTIONS ON INTER-LOCAL AGREEMENTS OR REFERENCING THOSE AGREEMENTS.
UM, AND THEN, UM, COVERING, UH, TOPICS SUCH AS COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT WHERE, UM, THE, THE GOOD NEIGHBOR BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM WILL BE DEFINED.
UM, WE'LL BE INCLUDING GUIDANCE FOR, FOR THE AGENCIES ON COMMUNITY AND ENGAGEMENT.
UM, THERE WILL BE LOTS ON DESIGN PERMITTING, UTILITIES, CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK THAT WILL BE ULTIMATELY THE BULK OF THE DOCUMENT.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF DETAIL THERE ABOUT HOW, UM, HOW WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THOSE PROCESSES AND ANY CHANGES TO WHAT WAS THE STANDARD, UM, THAT THE CITY WOULD, WOULD GO THROUGH FOR A CYP PROJECT.
UM, THE WORKFORCE ITEMS WERE INCLUDED WITH DIRECTION AND THE CONTRACT WITH THE VOTERS, UM, FINANCE BUDGET AND PROCUREMENT.
SO OVER OVERVIEWING, THE FINANCIAL MODEL, HOW WE ARE, UM, GOING TO UPDATE THE SYSTEM AND SEQUENCING PLANS IT'S NEEDED, UM, AS WE DELIVER THE PROGRAM, WHAT ARE THE AUDIT PROCESSES, UM, AND THE ATPS DBE PROGRAM, UM, REAL ESTATE.
SO HOW ARE WE, UH, HOW IS ATP AND CAPITAL METRO ACQUIRING OR SELLING PROPERTY? UM, WHAT ABOUT THE CITY CITY OWNED PROPERTIES SUCH AS PARKLAND OR RIGHT OF WAY, UM, AND THEN INTERACTING WITH, UH, PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT SUSTAINABILITY, SO DEVELOPING SUSTAINABILITY CRITERIA AND ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM, UM, SAFETY SPECIFICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, TESTING AND TRAINING AND A SAFETY PROGRAM OVERSIGHT CERTIFICATION, BUT, UM, I'M SURE JACOB CONDUCTS MORE, MORE ABOUT, I'M NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH IT AT THIS POINT AND THEN, UM, OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, SO THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM ITSELF, BUT THEN ALSO, HOW DO THE UTILITIES, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, OTHER DEPARTMENTS, CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WORK IN THE RIGHT OF WAY IN OR NEAR, UM, THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, HOW WILL WE KIND OF LIKE THE RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, UM, FOR, FOR, UM, DOING ALL THE WORK THAT, THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE, UM, EITHER IN MAINTENANCE OR IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THAT IS THE OVERVIEW OF THE JOINT POWERS, AND WE ARE CALLING IT THE JOINT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT BECAUSE, UM, THAT IS REALLY WHAT IT IS.
UM, SO, SO THAT'S WHAT WE WE'VE BEEN SAYING WHEN WE TALKED ABOUT THE APA, UH, THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE, THE STEPS IN THE ADOPTION PROCESS TO GET TO THE, TO THE, UM, THE JPA THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, WE, THIS SUMMER WE'VE BEEN DRAFTING, UM, CONCURRENTLY TO ARE WORKING TOGETHER REALLY THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAPITAL METRICS TO HAVE ON THOSE VARIOUS SECTIONS.
WE'LL BE, UM, TAKING THOSE TOPICS TO POLICYMAKERS AND HAVING STAKEHOLDER BRIEFINGS, UM, IN SEPTEMBER AND DOING COMMUNITY EDUCATION ABOUT WHAT THE, WHAT THE JOINT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT IS AND IS NOT, I THINK THERE'S MAYBE SOME, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME INTEREST IN IT.
UM, BUT IT, BUT MAYBE BETTER, BETTER DIRECTED AT, UM, AT OTHER PARTS OF THE PROCESS.
AND IF WE WANT TO CLEARLY DEFINE WHAT THE DOCUMENT IS, UM, WORKING TOWARD AN OCTOBER 4TH COUNCIL WORK SESSION, UM, WHERE, WELL, NOT JUST CITY COUNCIL, EXCUSE ME, AT ACP CAPITOL MATTER AND CITY COUNCIL WORK SESSION.
SO WE TRY PARTY WORK SESSION, UM, AND THEN A MEETING TO APPROVE THE JPA WOULD BE PLANNED FOR, UM, THE END OF OCTOBER FOR OCTOBER 29TH.
SO THAT GETS US TO AT LEAST THIS VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, INITIAL, UH, G DAY PA I THINK THAT ALL, ALL THREE AGENCIES AGREE THAT THERE'S, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW YET, SO IT'S HARD TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT FOR THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND SO WE DIDN'T ANTICIPATE THERE WOULD BE FUTURE AMENDMENTS TO THE, TO THE JPA, UM, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, GOING TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I WANT TO JUST TOUCH ON SOME IMPORTANT UPCOMING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT, UM, YOU
[00:50:01]
ARE LIKELY AWARE OF, BUT WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU AND YOUR, UM, YOUR AUDIENCE, UM, ON SLIDE, THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.UM, THIS IS UPCOMING PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS THAT ARE STARTING NEXT WEEK.
SO, UM, JULY 27TH, THE FIRST, UH, VIRTUAL PUBLIC MEETING WILL BE TAKING PLACE.
UM, AND THEN OVER THE NEXT, I GUESS IT'S TWO WEEKS, THERE'LL BE, UM, SIX MEETINGS, TWO ON THE BLUE LINE AND FOUR ON THE ORANGE LINE, UM, THAT WE'LL HAVE A BREAKOUT GROUP FOR SPECIFIC PARTS OF THE LINES TO DISCUSS THE 15 PRESENT DESIGN.
SO YOU CAN GET REALLY GET MORE INTO THE DETAILS OF THOSE SPECIFIC STATION LOCATIONS, UM, AND ALIGNMENTS.
UM, SO THOSE WILL BE REALLY EXCITING MEETINGS.
AND, UM, THERE'S ALSO AN ONLINE, UM, IF YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO MAKE ONE OF THOSE TIMES@PROJECTCONNECT.COM, YOU CAN GO THROUGH A SELF GUIDED MEETING, UM, FOR THE MONTH OF JULY, END OF JULY THROUGH THE END OF AUGUST.
UM, AND YOU CAN ALSO REGISTER FOR THOSE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS@PROJECTCONNECT.COM.
YOU GO TO THE GET INVOLVED TAB.
UM, YOU CAN FIND THE LINKS TO REGISTER FOR ALL OF THESE MEETINGS.
UH, I DO HAVE ONE HERE, A BULLET FOR AN OPEN HOUSE MEETING ON JULY 31ST.
HOWEVER, I WAS INFORMED JUST BEFORE I GOT ON THIS CALL THAT, UM, THAT MEETING IS GOING TO BE CANCELED, UM, DUE TO THE UPTAKE IN, UM, COVID CASES THAT WE ARE SEEING, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT, UM, IN-PERSON OPPORTUNITY WILL BE, UM, WILL BE CANCELED.
SO WE WILL BE STAYING ONLINE FOR THE TIME BEING, BUT I ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO CHECK OUT AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE MEETINGS, UM, IN THE NEXT WEEK.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT SLIDE IS SOME PREVIEW OF ENGAGEMENT THAT WILL BE COMING IN THE FALL.
UM, SO THE METRO RAPID GOLD LINE AND THE DOMAIN AND SOUTH FROM OUR ROUTES, WE'LL BE DOING COMMUNITY MEETINGS ON STATION DESIGN, UM, IN THE FALL, AND THEN ALSO A NEW PICKUP ZONE FOR SOUTH AUSTIN.
WE'LL BE DOING ENGAGEMENT WITH ALL AS WELL AS, UM, NEIGHBORHOOD OUTREACH ON THE NEW METRO RAIL STATIONS, UM, FOR RED LINES.
SO, UH, LAST SIDE JUST LEAVES SOME, I CAN BE HERE, UH, RENDERING OF, UM, UH, POSSIBLE WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE AT THE AIRPORT TO HAVE A BLUE LINE, UM, STATION WHERE YOU COULD ACCESS, UM, ACCESS TO THE TERMINALS, UH, RIGHT OFF OF, UM, RIGHT OFF OF THE TRAIN.
SO THAT WOULD BE A REALLY EXCITING FUTURE THAT I THINK WE'RE ALL LOOKING FORWARD TO.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND I WILL, UM, ALSO, UH, DIRECT ANY OF THE JACOBS IF I, UM, IF I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS FOR LEANNE AND JACOB? WELL, WE'LL COMMENT ON MY SIDE.
IT IS STILL A FACT THAT WHEN ALL PROJECTS ARE COMPLETE OR PEOPLE WILL CONTINUE TO RIDE THE BUS EVERY DAY AND ALL THE LIGHT RAIL LINES.
AND IF WONDERING IF ALL THE ATTENTION BEING PAID TO THE FANCY LIGHT RAIL, HOPE, I BELIEVE THERE WAS SOMEBODY AT HOME WITH LOOKING AFTER THE BUSES.
YEAH, JACOB, YOU CAN SPEAK TO THAT, BUT THE UNDERLYING BUS ROUTES YET THERE IS PLANNING GOING ON FOR, UM, FOR THOSE UNDERLYING ROUTES AND HOW THEY'RE GOING TO INTEGRATE WITH THE NEW NEW SERVICES.
I THINK OF ANNUALLY, WE WILL SEE THIS AS A SYSTEM, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S NOT JUST A COLLECTION OF PROJECTS.
THIS IS REALLY BUILDING OUT A SYSTEM, UH, INTO THE OVERALL AUSTIN AREA.
AND CERTAINLY WITH THE AMOUNT OF BUS ROUTES THAT, UH, CAP METRO IS RUNNING RIGHT NOW AND TYING IN ALL THE ADDITIONAL METRO RAPID AND METRO EXPRESS AND OTHER VARIOUS SERVICES THAT WE'LL BE PROVIDING, UM, THE AMOUNT OF COVERAGE WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE AND KIND OF THE FREQUENCY AND SERVICE LEVEL OF SERVICE WE'LL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE WILL BE GREATLY IMPROVED IN THE FUTURE.
ACTUALLY, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE METRO RAPID.
SO, UM, I ACTUALLY, AS CLOSE AS I FEEL LIKE I'VE PAID ATTENTION TO THIS PROCESS, I ACTUALLY WASN'T REALLY, OH, I I'VE PROBABLY BEEN IN MEETINGS WHERE IT'S BEEN SAID, BUT, UM, IT'S REALLY EXCITING TO HEAR THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO GO INTO CONSTRUCTION OVER THE WINTER ON SOME OF THESE OTHER FIRST TWO METRO RAPID LINES.
THAT'S REALLY EXCITING, BUT, UM, I THINK THIS KIND OF ELABORATES ON, UM, WHAT RUBEN RUBEN COMMENTED OR QUESTIONED AS WELL.
BUT ONE OF MY QUESTIONS WAS, UM, WITH THE METRO LAP RAPID LINE SPECIFICALLY, OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE
[00:55:01]
GOOD, BUT THEY DON'T MEET YET MEET THE STANDARDS OF LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, BRT GOLD STANDARDS, CERTAINLY NOT, AND MAYBE NOT EVEN SOME OF THE OTHER STANDARDS FOR VRT.UM, SO I GUESS MY QUESTION IS WITH THE METRO RAPIDS, AS YOU KNOW, OVER THE NEXT 10 AND 10 YEARS IN THE PROJECT CONNECT PERIOD, PEOPLE REALLY STARTING TO UNDERSTAND A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CLIMATE IN OUR WORLD.
AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE MORE AND MORE OPEN TO REBUILDING OUR STREETS.
AND SOME OF THE WAYS THAT, YOU KNOW, CHRIS RILEY WAS ALSO DISCUSSING.
SO I WAS THINKING TOO, UM, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES ARE Y'ALL LOOKING FOR AND HOW ARE YOU LOOKING FOR, YOU KNOW, WHAT I WOULD LOVE TO SEE IS FOR THESE BUS LINES THAT ARE GETTING FUNDED THROUGH PROJECT CONNECT, TO BE UPGRADED AT EVERY POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY, AND TO LOOK AT THOSE PARTNERING OPPORTUNITIES, GRANT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, POLITICAL OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WE CAN TAKE THEM AND AN INCH THEM TOWARDS MORE OF A TRUE BRT STANDARD.
COULD YOU SPEAK TO THAT AND HOW THE TEAM IS LOOKING AT THAT AND WORKING WITH THAT SURE THING.
UM, SO OF COURSE WE'RE TRYING TO BUILD A BEST MATCH RAPID SYSTEMS AND EVERYTHING WE CAN, UH, CERTAINLY THESE PROJECTS RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE DESIGNED IN A WAY THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO OUR EXISTING 8 0 1 803 SERVICES, BUT THERE'S DEFINITELY OPPORTUNITIES.
WE'LL BE LOOKING AT KIND OF EITHER PRIORITY TREATMENTS OR EVEN LOOKING AT POTENTIAL FOR FULLY DEDICATED, UH, LANES OR TREATMENTS FOR THE BUSES.
SO WE'RE DEFINITELY KEEPING AN EYE ON DEFINITELY KEEPING AN EYE ON THOSE CERTAIN AREAS WILL BE MORE RIGHT FOR THAT TYPE OF TREATMENT THAN OTHERS, SPECIFICALLY KIND OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, BUT ANY WAY WE CAN TRY AND IMPROVE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR THESE, UH, METRO RAPIDS, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK TO TRY AND MAXIMIZE THAT POTENTIAL TO GET MORE BENEFITS TO THE RIDERS.
AND, AND THAT'S RIGHT, JACOB IN THE CITY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OFTEN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS A TRANSIT ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM THAT IS, UH, A COLLABORATION WITH CAPITAL METRO AND THEY ARE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THOSE, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THOUGHT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, ENHANCEMENTS TO, TO SERVICE, UM, AND EFFICIENCY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN A NUMBER OF THOSE PROJECTS OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS AND, AND THOSE WILL BE CONTINUING AS WE, UM, WORK ON AND DEVELOP THOSE LONGER TERM PROJECTS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I THINK YOU GUYS ARE JUST SO INFORMED, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
WELL, THANK YOU FOR BEING A CHAMPION OF THIS, UM, THIS PROGRAM AND, UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING TO WORKING WITH YOU OVER THE NEXT MANY YEARS.
AND PLEASE INFORM EVERYBODY ABOUT OUR UPCOMING PUBLIC MEETINGS, JUST TO MAKE SURE WE GET LOTS OF COMMUNITY INPUT INTO THAT.
I THINK, UM, I GUESS I DIDN'T ASK IF THERE WAS A MOTION THIS WAS POSTED FOR ACTION.
IF ANYONE, UH, ON ANY COMMISSIONER DID HAVE A POSSIBLE RECOMMENDATION OR ACTION, LET US KNOW.
[2.C. CTRMA Update: Discussion and Possible Action Presenters: Steve Pustelnyk]
WILL MOVE ON TO ITEM TWO C, WHICH IS THE CTRL UPDATE, UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION.LIKE RIGHT NOW, LITERALLY AT THIS PRESENT TIME, THEY'RE SHOWING THE FIRST SLIDE OF THE 15% OF THE ZINE ON THE DOWNTOWN PART OF PROJECT CONNECT.
HOW DOES THE UTC, IF YOU GO TO ATP MEETINGS, WHICH ARE UNFORTUNATELY IN CONFLICT, OR IF YOU'RE ON A PROJECT, HE CAN ORDER IF YOU'RE ONE OF ANOTHER SPECIAL GROUP AND YOU GET TO SEE WHAT CAP PRO IS OR NOT.
CAN'T REMEMBER PROJECT NTC, CORRECT IS SHOWING FOR PRELIMINARY DESIGN.
UM, HOW IS UTC, IS IT UP TO US INDIVIDUALLY ON THE UPC GET AT THAT KIND OF CONTENT? YOU DREW OPPORTUNITIES? WELL, WE GET, WE, UM, I THINK I CAN SPEAK TO THAT A BIT.
WE GET REGULAR UPDATES FROM THE PROJECT CONNECT TEAM, AND I KNOW A COUPLE OF US ON THIS BODY TRY TO REQUEST UPDATES.
UM, THE PECAN MEETINGS ARE OPEN, OPEN TO ANYONE.
SO, UM, UH, IF YOU WANT TO, IF ANYONE ON THIS BODY, YOU WANT IT TO GO TO THOSE MEETINGS AT THIS POINT, I, THEY PRETTY MUCH OPENED THOSE WIDE UPS.
SO YOU COULD GO TO THOSE AND SEE THOSE REGULARLY.
UM, AND THEY DO, IF ATP IS JUST SEEING IT, YOU KNOW, THE REST OF US MAY SEE IT A LITTLE BIT LATER.
UH, P CANADA'S USUALLY ONE OF THE FIRST TO SEE THINGS TOO.
SO, UM, DID I ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, RAVEN, BUT I THINK ANYBODY ON THIS BODY THAT WANTED TO GO TO PECAN MEETINGS WOULD PROBABLY BE WELCOME TO, WE HAVE TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT A WALK.
I WOULD ALSO, UH, MENTIONED THAT THE, THE BOARD PACKET FOR THE ATP BOARD MEETING THAT'S CURRENTLY GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS AVAILABLE ONLINE.
UM, AND SO IF YOU WANT TO KIND OF GET A LOOK AT THAT, MAYBE, UM, HE'S GOT A LITTLE BIT
[01:00:01]
EXTRA TIME, UH, FEEL FREE TO GO TO ATP, UH, TWO-PIECE WEBSITE AND GO TO THE BOARD SECTION AND YOU CAN GET A COPY OF THE AGENDA PACKET FROM THERE.I ASSUME SOME OF THAT MIGHT EVEN BE IN THESE PUBLIC MEETINGS THAT ARE GOING TO BE ROLLING OUT.
THAT'S IT? THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO MENTION YEAH.
THAT THOSE WILL BE DISCUSSED, UM, AT PTA MEETINGS NEXT WEEK, BUT YET IN THE FUTURE, IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC, UM, DEEP DIVES THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE AT UTC, JUST, JUST LET US KNOW.
I THINK THIS WAS A REQUEST FOR JUST A GENERAL UPDATE, BUT I DIDN'T, DIDN'T DEEP DIVE INTO ANY PROJECT IN PARTICULAR, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS BACK.
SO I THINK WE WILL, UM, MOVE THEN TO, UM, ITEM TWO C, WHICH IS AN UPDATE FROM CTRL.
HOPEFULLY EVERYBODY CAN HEAR ME.
I'M STEVE KOSTELNIK ON DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS AT THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY.
WE APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH YOU TODAY, SO WE CAN MOVE RIGHT INTO IT WITH THE NEXT SLIDE.
FOR ANYBODY WHO HASN'T HEARD ME SPEAK BEFORE, WHO OR WHO ISN'T TOTALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE AGENCY, UM, WE ARE ACTUALLY A MULTI-MODAL TRANSPORTATION AGENCY.
UH, THE IDEA FOR MOBILITY AUTHORITIES FIRST CAME UP IN THE 2001 STATE LEGISLATURE AND THEY PASSED SOME SUBSEQUENT BILLS IN LATER YEARS THAT ADDED ADDITIONAL, UM, CLARITY TO OUR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES AND AUTHORITIES.
UM, BUT IMMEDIATELY AFTER THAT INITIAL LEGISLATION WAS PASSED WILLIAMSON AND TRAVIS COUNTIES GOT TOGETHER AND CREATED OUR REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY HERE LOCALLY.
UM, TOLL REVENUE AT THIS POINT IS OUR PRIMARY SOURCE OF FUNDING.
RMAS DO NOT HAVE TAXING AUTHORITY.
SO THEY DO HAVE TO FIND A SOURCE OF REVENUE FOR THEIR PROGRAMS. WE CAN AND ARE ELIGIBLE FOR FEDERAL STATE AND LOCAL GRANTS.
SO WE CAN GET SUPPORT FROM OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, BUT WE DO NOT HAVE DIRECT TAXING AUTHORITY.
UH, WE ARE OVERSEEN BY A VOLUNTEER SEVEN MEMBER BOARD, UH, PREDOMINANTLY BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY LEADERS.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU ARE WHO THEY ARE IN SECOND HERE.
AND THEN THE NUMBER KEEPS VARYING, UH, HERE AND THERE, BUT WE'RE ROUGHLY 29 30 EMPLOYEES.
SO RELATIVELY SMALL AGENCY, UH, GIVEN THE SIZE THAT WE'RE AT NOW.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE SOMETHING LIKE THREE OR $4 BILLION NOW IN PROJECTS BETWEEN WHAT'S ALREADY OPEN AND WHAT'S, UH, UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SO THIS IS JUST A QUICK LOOK AT WHO OUR, UH, CURRENT LEADERSHIP IS.
UH, OUR BOARD MEMBERS, BOBBY JENKINS OF ABC, UM, IS OUR CURRENT CHAIRMAN.
HE'S APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR.
WE HAVE THREE MEMBERS APPOINTED BY TRAVIS COUNTY.
THOSE ARE, UH, MIKELLE MEADE, UH, MR. ARMBRUST AND MR. LANG MOORE AND THEN WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, UH, POINT OR OTHER THREE MEMBERS, DAVID SINGLETON, UH, HEATHER GADDIS AND MIKE DOSS.
AND THEN JUST RECENTLY AS OF, UH, JUNE 1ST OR SO WE HAVE A NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JAMES BASS, WHO WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION IS NOW THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF OUR AGENCY.
SO HE IS QUICKLY LEARNING WHAT WE DO HERE.
AND, UH, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO HIS TIME, UH, LEADING US HERE AT THE MOBILITY AUTHORITY.
SO JUST A QUICK SUMMARY OF WHAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE.
UM, THESE ARE ALL THE PROJECTS THAT ARE EITHER, UM, OPEN OR TO SOME EXTENT UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE, UM, DON'T OPERATE EVERY TOLL ROAD IN AUSTIN AND, UH, SEVERAL OF THEM ARE TEXTILE FACILITIES.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONFUSION HISTORICALLY OVER WHO HAS WHAT ROADS, UH, THE VAST MAJORITY OF ROADS LOCALLY ARE GOVERNMENT ROADS, UH, AND ULTIMATELY EITHER OURSELVES OR TXDOT OWNS EVERY ROAD IS JUST WHETHER OR NOT, UH, IT'S CONCESSIONED OR NOT TO A PRIVATE OPERATOR.
THERE'S ONLY ONE CONCESSION IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
AND THAT IS THE SOUTHERN SECTION OF ONE 30 FROM ROUGHLY CREED, MORE DOWN TO SEGUIN.
SO THAT ONE IS A CONCESSION, BUT TEXTILE OWNS THE UNDERLYING ROADWAY.
THEY JUST CONCESSIONED IT OUT TO A, WHAT WE CALL A P THREE OPERATOR.
EVERYTHING ELSE IN AUSTIN IS EITHER DIRECTLY OWNED AND OPERATED BY STOCK OR OURSELVES.
SO I WON'T GO THROUGH THE LIST, BUT YOU CAN SEE RIGHT THERE WHAT THE ROADS LOCALLY ARE THAT WE ACTUALLY OPERATE AND MAINTAIN NEXT SLIDE.
UM, I TITLED THE PRESENTATION, UH, DRIVING INNOVATION, AND I'VE GOT A SLIDE NEAR THE VERY END THAT TALKS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OF THE INNOVATION WE'RE DOING, BUT WITHIN OUR WORLD AND WITHIN TRANSPORTATION, THERE'S SO MANY THINGS THAT ARE CHANGING SO RAPIDLY AND SOME OF THEM COULD HAVE A MAJOR IMPACT, ESPECIALLY ON US, BUT REALLY ON ALL TRANSPORTATION OPERATORS.
AND ONE OF THE BIGGEST ONES THAT'S NOW BEING TESTED AROUND THE COUNTRY IS ROADWAY USAGE CHARGES.
AS WE ELECTRIFY OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, THE GAS TAX IS IN JEOPARDY, AND THAT IS A SERIOUS ISSUE, NOT
[01:05:01]
JUST FOR ROADWAYS, BUT ALSO FOR PUBLIC TRANSIT SINCE A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF PUBLIC TRANSIT FUNDING.UH, AND PRETTY MUCH MOST FEDERAL TRANSIT FUNDING COMES FROM THE GASOLINE TAX.
SO, UH, WHAT IS ROADWAY USAGE? CHARGING IS ESSENTIALLY TOTALLING, UH, EVERYBODY ALL THE, AND IT CAN BE A VERY SIMPLE PROCESS WHERE YOU JUST CHARGED BY THE NUMBER OF MILES YOU DRIVE YOUR CAR, OR IT CAN BE MORE COMPLICATED.
AND I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SOME OTHER WAYS IT COULD BE USED AT THE END OF THE PRESENTATION.
I WON'T READ THROUGH ALL OF THESE, BUT ESSENTIALLY AS WE ELECTRIFY, AS WE HAVE VEHICLES THAT ARE MORE AUTONOMOUS, UM, AS WE GET THINGS LIKE AIR TAXIS AND DELIVERY DRONES, WHICH SOUND LIKE SCIENCE FICTION, BUT THEY ARE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO REALITY.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE YOU ALL, I'M SURE ARE AWARE OF SOME OF THE AUTONOMOUS, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THAT'S ALSO BEING TESTED AROUND THE COUNTRY.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE DISRUPTIVE AND WILL AFFECT HOW WE THINK ABOUT OUR TRANSPORTATION NETWORK MOVING FORWARD.
AND IT'S SO HARD RIGHT NOW FOR THOSE OF US IN THE TRANSPORTATION SECTOR, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE THINGS, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN OVERHYPED.
WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHEN THEY'LL BECOME, WHEN THEY'LL ACTUALLY AFFECT US.
BUT FOR EXAMPLE, ROADWAY USAGE CHARGES ARE ALREADY BEING TESTED IN OREGON.
UH, UTAH HAS JUST PASSED A ROADWAY USAGE CHARGE PROGRAM.
UM, THERE'S ANOTHER THING THAT'S OUT THERE THAT'S BEEN USED IN EUROPE.
THAT'S SIMILAR TO A ROADWAY USAGE CHARGE.
IT'S CALLED CHORD IN PRICING OR CORRIDOR PRICING.
AND NEW YORK CITY HAS BEEN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THIS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
AND THAT IS BASICALLY DRAWING A LINE AROUND YOUR URBAN CENTER AND REQUIRING ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO DRIVE A VEHICLE INTO THAT URBAN CENTER.
IN, IN THE CASE OF NEW YORK, MANHATTAN EFFECTIVELY HAS TO PAY A CHARGE IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
AND THE POINT OF IT IS TO TRY AND DISCOURAGE PEOPLE FROM DRIVING A CAR OR A TRUCK INTO THE CITY CENTER, AND THEN TO PROVIDE ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTARY FUNDING FOR OTHER TRANSPORTATION MODES.
UH, NEXT SLIDE AND NEW YORK CITY, LIKE I SAID, HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO THAT.
AND, UH, IT'S GOING TO PROBABLY HAPPEN.
IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHEN, ALL RIGHT.
SO I THOUGHT IT'D BE INTERESTING GIVEN OUR HISTORY OVER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO WITH COVID TO SHOW YOU SOME DATA ABOUT HOW OUR SYSTEM HAS BEEN AFFECTED BY COVID AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THE WINTER STORM.
AND SO THIS CHART GOES BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF COVID A LITTLE, A LITTLE OVER A YEAR, UH, AND MAYBE TWO, THREE MONTHS AGO NOW BACK TO MARCH OF 2020, AND YOU CAN SEE WHERE A COVID HIT.
WE DROPPED ABOUT 60% IN TERMS OF OUR OVERALL SYSTEM TRANSACTIONS.
THE NUMBER OF TIMES SOMEONE PAID A TOLL, AND THEN WE STEADILY CLIMBED BACK UP.
AND THEN, UH, WE DID OPEN SOME ADDITIONAL ROADWAYS, SO THAT, UH, AFFECTS A BIT BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME ADDITIONAL TRANSACTIONS THAT WEREN'T THERE PREVIOUSLY.
UH, AND THEN YOU HAD THE WINTER STORM AND YOU CAN SEE WHAT THAT DID TO US, BUT EFFECTIVELY RIGHT NOW, IF YOU LOOK TO THE FAR RIGHT, WE'RE ABOUT 3% ABOVE WHERE WE WERE AT THE BEGINNING OF COVID.
AND IF YOU ADD OUR NEW ROADS AND WE'RE UP ABOUT 25%, BUT IN REALITY, IF YOU FACTOR OUT THOSE ROADWAYS, WE'RE BACK PRETTY CLOSE TO NORMAL.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS GOING TO LOOK AT EVERY INDIVIDUAL ROADWAY AND REALLY THEY'RE ALL ABOUT THE SAME, EXCEPT FOR TWO THINGS THAT I COULD REALLY POINT OUT.
OF COURSE, YOU CAN SEE AGAIN, THE FEBRUARY WINTER STORM AND WHAT THAT DID.
UM, BUT SPECIFICALLY TO THE TOP, RIGHT? YOU CAN SEE THAT MOPAC CONTINUES TO BE WAY DOWN SINCE IT IS A CONGESTION AND TRAFFIC BASED, UH, SYSTEM.
UH, IT HAS NOT RECOVERED TO THE SAME EXTENT THAT OUR OTHER FACILITIES HAVE.
AND WHILE TRANSACTIONS ARE ONLY DOWN 21%, BECAUSE IT IS A VARIABLE TOLL, OUR ACTUAL REVENUE AND THE TOLL RATES WE'RE CHARGING ARE LOWER THAN THEY WERE PREVIOUSLY.
AND I'LL SHOW YOU A CHART IN A SECOND, THAT GIVES YOU MORE DETAIL ON THAT.
YOU CAN ALSO SEE AGAIN, THAT WE'VE OPENED ADDITIONAL SECTIONS OF THE 180 3 TOLL ROAD.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT BIG SPIKE IN TRANSACTIONS THERE, AND JUST A POSSIBLE INTEREST TO YOU.
THE 45 TOLL ROAD IS ONE OF OUR NEWEST, AND BECAUSE IT'S STILL IN WHAT WE CALL RAMP UP, WHICH TRANSIT PUBLIC TRANSIT OFTEN GOES THROUGH THE SAME CONCEPT OF IT TAKES PEOPLE SOME TIME TO FIND A NEW FACILITY OR A NEW ROUTE, A NEW BUS ROUTE.
UM, SO YOU TEND TO SEE FASTER GROWTH ON THOSE NEWER FACILITIES.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IT'S UP CLOSE TO 27% OVER PRE COVID.
UH, AGAIN, BECAUSE IT'S STILL GOING THROUGH THE RAMP UP PEOPLE PERIOD, WHERE PEOPLE ARE DISCOVERING IT, NEXT SLIDE, IN TERMS OF WHERE WE'RE EXPECTING TO GO LONGTERM.
THIS NEXT SLIDE SHOWS OUR FUTURE, UH, PROJECTIONS FROM OUR TRAFFIC AND REVENUE CONSULTANTS.
AND REALLY WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO SHOW HERE IS THAT WE'RE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO SEE TRAFFIC INCREASE, EVEN WITH ALL THE CHANGES THAT ARE EXPECTED AND ARE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN NEVER PREDICT THE FUTURE, BUT OUR CONSULTANTS TRY TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HOW THINGS MAY CHANGE IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEY'RE STILL PREDICTING THAT WE'LL SEE ABOUT A 300% OR MORE GROWTH IN TRANSACTIONS, UH, THROUGH 2054, AS THE REGION CONTINUES TO EXPLODE IN TERMS OF POPULATION AND GROWTH.
[01:10:04]
NEXT SLIDE IS GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT MOPAC AND WHAT YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD FROM THE CITY OF AUSTIN ABOUT TRAFFIC IN GENERAL AND FROM OTHERS, AND WHAT WE'RE OBSERVING AS WELL ON THE TOLL ROADS IS EVIDENT HERE ON MOPAC THAT REALLY THE MORNING PEAK HOUR HAS NOT GOT BACK ANYWHERE CLOSE TO NORMAL.AND YOU CAN SORT OF SEE THAT, ESPECIALLY ON THAT RIGHT-HAND SLIDE TRANSACTIONS.
BY TIME OF DAY, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE BAR CHARTS OFF TO THE RIGHT KNEE EVENING ARE CLOSE TO WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE.
BUT WHAT YOU REALLY NOTICE IS THAT THE PEAK OF RUSH HOUR USED TO OCCUR MUCH EARLIER IN THE MORNING AND MUCH EARLIER IN THE AFTERNOON.
AND IT'S A MUCH SMOOTHER, UM, MORE OF A BELL CURVE NOW INSTEAD OF A SUDDEN PEAK.
AND OF COURSE THEY'LL PROBABLY COME BACK OVER TIME, BUT RIGHT NOW THE MOPAC LANES ARE ACTUALLY FUNCTIONING MUCH BETTER THAN THEY DID BEFORE.
COVID BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING HIT WITH THOSE SUDDEN SURGES OF TRAFFIC, UH, JUST BEFORE THE PEAK HOUR.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE AGAIN TO THE LEFT, HOW WE'RE BEING AFFECTED IN TERMS OF REVENUE, THE AMOUNT WE'RE CHARGING IN TERMS OF TOLL RATES AT THOSE PEAK HOURS OF THE DAY ARE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN THEY WERE PRE COVID.
LET ME TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEW PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON REAL QUICKLY HERE.
UH, THE 180 3, A PHASE THREE, THIS IS AN EXTENSION OF OUR EXISTING TOLL ROAD.
THIS IS UP IN THE, UH, LEANDER AREA AND WE'RE EXTENDING IT UP TO 29 IN LIBERTY HILL.
AND YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE ON THIS, IF YOU WANT.
UH, CONSTRUCTION IS ACTUALLY UNDERWAY ON THIS PROJECT AND WE'RE EXPECTING IT TO OPEN IN 2025, THE NON TOLL GENERAL PURPOSE LANES WERE BUILT BY TXDOT AND WILLIAMSON COUNTY SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AND SO THE MEDIAN WAS ALREADY SET OUT HERE FOR US.
AND SO WE ARE REALLY JUST BUILDING THE TOLL LANES DOWN THE MIDDLE.
AND WITH THIS INITIAL PHASE, WE'LL ONLY BE BUILDING TWO LANES, BUT THERE WILL BE ROOM IN THE MEDIA.
AND WE'RE PLANNING FOR THE POTENTIAL OF A THIRD LANE WHEN TRAFFIC DEMAND WARRANTS.
IT ALSO, THIS PROJECT WILL HAVE A SHARED USE PATH THAT WILL BE EXTENDED FROM ITS EXISTING TERMINUS, UH, DAM IN THE AIR AREA NEAR HERO WAY UP TOWARDS THE END OF THE PROJECT IN LIBERTY HILL.
AND THAT WILL BASICALLY CREATE AN ALMOST CONTINUOUS PATH, UH, FROM THE BRUSHY CREEK AREA ALL THE WAY UP TO LIBERTY HILL.
AND THIS IS A MUCH BIGGER ONE AT 580 MILLION, ALMOST TWICE THE COST.
THIS IS TO ADD A LOT OF ADDITIONAL CAPACITY ON A 180 3 U S 180 3, BETWEEN MOPAC AND 45 UP AT THE LAKELINE MALL AREA.
UH, THIS PROJECT IS AN EXPRESS PROJECT SIMILAR TO MOPAC, AND IT WILL ACTUALLY TIE INTO THE MOPAC EXPRESS LANES SO THAT AS YOU, FOR EXAMPLE, GO NORTH ON THE MOPAC EXPRESS LANES, THERE'LL BE A DIRECT CONNECT RAMP THAT WILL TAKE YOU INTO THE EXPRESS LANES ON 180 3, HEADING UP TOWARDS LAKELINE MALL.
THIS PROJECT IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, BUT WE'RE STILL IN THE IT'S A DESIGN BUILD.
SO THE CONTRACTOR IS STILL IN THE DESIGN PHASE AND WE DON'T EXPECT CONSTRUCTION TO PROBABLY BEGIN UNTIL LATE THIS YEAR OR EARLY 2022.
AND THE ESTIMATED COMPLETION WILL BE IN 2026 FOR THIS ONE, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THIS ONE'S GOING TO LOOK LIKE REAL BRIEFLY HERE.
UH, ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS ADDING TWO EXPRESS LANES IN THE MEDIAN VERSUS THE ONE THAT'S ON MOPAC.
UH, THAT IS, UH, A BIG IMPROVEMENT FOR US, YOU KNOW, MOPAC.
WE WERE SPACE CONSTRAINED AND REALLY COULDN'T DO TWO LANES, BUT TWO LANES GENERALLY OPERATE MORE EFFECTIVELY BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE IN THE LANE, THEN THERE'S A WAY TO GET AROUND THAT ISSUE AND PEOPLE CAN PASS IT.
DON'T GET STUCK BEHIND SOMEONE WHO MAY BE DRIVING SLOWER AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO WE'LL HAVE TWO LANES EACH DIRECTION ON THIS ROUTE.
WE ALSO WERE COMPLETING THE FOURTH GENERAL PURPOSE LANE IN EACH DIRECTION.
SO CURRENTLY A PORTION OF THIS CORRIDOR ONLY HAS THREE LANES EACH DIRECTION, AND WE'LL BE ADDING A FOURTH, UH, NON TOLD, UH, GENERAL PURPOSE LANE ALONGSIDE THERE.
AND THEN THERE'LL BE SOME AUXILIARY LANES THAT ARE ENHANCED AS WELL BECAUSE THIS QUARTER WAS ALREADY BEEN BUILT OUT.
WE WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE STUDY AND FOUND THAT REALLY THERE WAS NO OPPORTUNITY FOR A SHARED USE PATH THROUGH THIS QUARTER.
SO OUR PRIMARY PEDESTRIAN AND CYCLIST APPROACH HERE IS TO FILL IN ANY GAPS THAT WE HAVE WITH SIDEWALKS IN THE CORRIDOR.
AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THEM.
SO THERE WILL BE A LOT OF SIDEWALK WORK THAT WILL OCCUR IN THE QUARTER TO ENSURE THAT THERE'S A CONTINUOUS SIDEWALK ON EACH SIDE, ALL THE WAY UP ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
ONE OF THE OTHER IMPACTS THINGS WE'RE DOING IS WHEN WE WERE DOING MOPAC THE NORTH MOPAC EXPRESS LANES, WE REALLY THOUGHT THAT WE WOULD MAKE A LOT MORE PROGRESS ON THE MOPAC SOUTH EXPRESS LANES PROJECT, BUT IT HAS GOTTEN BOGGED DOWN IN A NUMBER OF, UH, ISSUES.
UH, SOME OF THEM LOCAL, SOME OF THEM STATEWIDE IN TERMS OF TOLLING AND, UM, JUST CHALLENGES WITH THIS AREA OF TOWN IN GENERAL, WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT PROJECT GOT DELAYED AND I'LL TALK ABOUT IT ON THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT IN THE MEANTIME, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAPPENED WHEN WE OPENED THE MOPAC NORTH PROJECT,
[01:15:01]
AND WE KNEW THIS WOULD HAPPEN IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE SOUTH PROJECT, IS THAT TRAFFIC CONTINUES TO BACK UP IN THE AREA AROUND BEE CAVES ROAD DOWN THROUGH 360.AND THAT EXTENDS ALL THE WAY UP, MOPAC ON MOST AFTERNOONS UP TOWARDS 35TH STREET OR EVEN FURTHER NORTH.
AND SO WE HAVE A PROJECT IT'S A NON TOLD PROJECT.
AND SO FUNDING IS A LITTLE BIT CHALLENGING FOR US HERE, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE DON'T NECESSARILY GET TAX DOLLARS TO BUILD NON TOLD PROJECTS, BUT THIS IS AN EFFORT TO REDUCE SOME OF THE RAMPS IN THE BARTON SKYWAY AREA TO IMPROVE THE TRAFFIC FLOW IN THAT AREA.
WE HAVE AUTHORIZED FUNDING FOR THE DESIGN AND RIGHT NOW, AGAIN, BECAUSE THE REVENUE IS DOWN SO DRAMATICALLY ON THE NORTH MOPAC PROJECT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE A FULL IDEA YET OF WHEN THIS MIGHT BE FUNDED IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTION, BUT IT IS A PRIORITY FOR US.
AND WE DO BELIEVE IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO HELP WITH THIS ISSUE SINCE IT IS AFFECTING PEOPLE, BOTH, UH, ON MOPAC NORTH NON TOLD AS WELL AS THE EXPRESS LANES IN TERMS OF THEIR TRAFFIC FLOW HEADING SOUTH NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO THAT LEADS ME TO ESSENTIALLY THE MOPAC SOUTH PROJECT.
AGAIN, IT HAS BEEN DELAYED SEVERAL TIMES.
I THINK WE STARTED THIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROBABLY 20 12, 20 13, SOMEWHERE BACK IN THERE.
SO, UM, IT HAS BEEN DELAYED QUITE A BIT.
WE ARE HOPING TO GET IT, UH, RESUMED THIS YEAR.
AT SOME POINT, UH, WHAT'S BEEN DONE TO DATE IS WE'VE LOOKED AT DOING UP TO TWO EXPRESS LANES IN EACH DIRECTION IN THIS AREA.
IT'S ABOUT AN EIGHT MILE STRETCH.
UH, THE COSTS BECAUSE OF THE DELAYS ARE GOING UP, BUT THE PREVIOUS COST ESTIMATES WERE IN THE $500 MILLION RANGE.
THEY WILL BE HIGHER AS WE RESTART THE ENVIRONMENTAL.
UM, AND I'LL TALK LATER ABOUT SOME OF OUR EFFORTS WITH PARK AND RIDE.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND WITH THE NORTH PROJECT IS THAT HIS, UM, REALLY, UH, RAMPED UP DEMAND FOR AN INCREASED USAGE OF THE METRO EXPRESS BUS SERVICE.
AND SO IT'S REALLY CRITICAL THAT WE PROVIDE, UH, OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE ONCE THIS PROJECT, IF IT DOES GET APPROVED, IT IS BUILT THAT WE HAVE THE FACILITIES IN PLACE TO, I'LL SAY DOUBLE WORD HERE, FACILITATE A TRANSIT SERVICE IN THIS CORRIDOR, BECAUSE WE FIND THAT WITH THE EXPRESS AND THIS CAME UP PREVIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT SOME OF THE METRO RAPID THAT IF YOU PROVIDE THIS ENHANCED SERVICE WHERE PEOPLE DON'T GET DELAYED, THEY WILL GET OUT OF THEIR CAR AND GET ON THE BUS BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY CAN GET DOWNTOWN A LOT QUICKER WITHOUT ANY DELAY.
UH, THEY CAN BYPASS ALL THE TRAFFIC IN THE REGULAR LANES AND THEY CAN SAVE MONEY BY TAKING THE BUS TO NOT DRIVE IN THEIR CAR AND EITHER HAVING TO PAY THE TOLL OR HAVING TO SIT IN TRAFFIC.
SO WE'RE EXCITED TO GET THIS PROJECT GOING AGAIN.
UM, WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT THE COMMUNITY WILL SUPPORT IT.
AND THEN AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE SOME EFFORTS TO LOOK AT THE TRANSIT CONNECTIVITY, TO IT, RELATIVE TO PARKING AND ACCESS TO EXPRESS, UH, METRO EXPRESS BUS SERVICE.
ONE OF THE OTHER PROJECTS WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, IN THE FUTURE IS EXTENDING OUR TWO 90 TOLL ROAD THROUGH MAINER OUT TOWARDS ELGON.
AND WE'RE IN THE VERY PRELIMINARY STAGES OF THIS RIGHT NOW.
I WOULD CALL IT A FEASIBILITY STUDY AT THIS POINT, REALLY LOOKING AT, UH, WHAT THE OPPORTUNITIES ARE OUT THERE, UH, WHAT PRELIMINARILY THE, THE REVENUE PICTURE MIGHT LOOK LIKE FOR THE ROAD, WHAT THE COST ESTIMATES ARE, AND WHETHER IT'S FEASIBLE AS A TOLL PROJECT OR NOT.
UH, IF WE DETERMINE THAT IT IS, THEN WE WOULD MOVE MORE INTO THE FULL ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY, UH, PROCESS, UH, TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE EXACT DESIGN CONCEPTS FOR IT AND GET A LOT OF PUBLIC INPUT AND THAT SORT OF THING.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE REALLY IN THE STAGE OF JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT MAKES SENSE AS A TOLL ROAD.
COULD IT PAY FOR ITSELF NEXT SLIDE.
AND LAST TIME I PRESENTED TO THIS GROUP, I WENT THROUGH AN EXTENSIVE, I THINK NUMBER OF SLIDES, PERHAPS ABOUT OUR BIKE PED EFFORTS, BUT WE TRY TO DO BIKE PED ON EVERY PROJECT AND OUR MOST RECENT PROJECT, 180 3 SOUTH, WE SPENT ABOUT $25 MILLION ON IT.
AND THE PICTURE BEHIND ME, AS WELL AS THE PICTURE IN THAT BOTTOM, RIGHT, ARE EXAMPLES OF SOME OF THE REALLY NICE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES.
I THINK WE'VE GOT FIVE OF THEM ON THE BOAT POWER ON THE 180 3 SOUTH PROJECT.
UM, BUT, UH, I'M NOT GOING TO GO INTO ALL DETAIL ABOUT EVERY ROADWAY WE HAVE IN EVERY PROJECT.
BUT IF YOU ARE INTO CYCLING, I WOULD REALLY RECOMMEND YOU GET DOWN TO THE 45 SOUTHWEST PROJECT.
IT IS A BEAUTIFUL, UH, QUARTER DOWN THERE.
THE SHARED USE PATH IS NOT RIGHT UP ADJACENT TO THE ROAD THE WHOLE WAY.
UM, AND OF COURSE IT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE BECAUSE IT'S EVENTUALLY GOING TO TIE TO THE VIOLET CROWN RAIL, BUT REALLY WHEREVER FEASIBLE WE HAVE A SHARED USE AND SIDEWALKS ALONG ALL OF OUR PROJECTS.
AND, UH, A NUMBER OF PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES WERE NEEDED.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING IS WORKING WITH CAPITAL METRO AND CAMPO, UH, AS WELL AS THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND OTHERS TO IDENTIFY WHERE ADDITIONAL PARKING RIDE OPPORTUNITIES ARE NEEDED.
AND, UH, WE'RE TRYING TO PRIORITIZE WHICH ONES WE SHOULD LOOK AT FIRST.
AND OF COURSE, WITH ALL OF THE MONEY THAT'S HINTED THAT MIGHT BE COMING FROM WASHINGTON, IT'S
[01:20:02]
TRYING TO PREPARE OURSELVES TO BE ABLE TO COMPETE FOR SOME OF THAT MONEY RELATIVE TO PARK AND RIDE.AND SO AT THIS POINT, WE'RE WAITING TO FINALIZE PRIORITIES WITH, UH, WITH CAPITAL METRO, BUT WE THINK, UH, UPGRADING THE HOWARD STATION, UM, AT THE NORTH END OF MOPAC WOULD BE ONE OF THE FIRST SITES TO LOOK AT REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THAT STATION PARKING LOT IS ALREADY FULL ON MOST DAYS, OR AT LEAST WAS PRIOR TO COVID AND WILL EVENTUALLY BE AGAIN, IF IT'S NOT ALREADY.
AND, UH, AS A RESULT, THE EXPRESS BUS METRO EXPRESS SERVICE HAS TO USE A CHURCH PARKING LOT THAT IS, UM, NOT IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT.
AND SO YOU LOSE SOME MULTIMODAL OPPORTUNITIES THERE IF YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH THE BUSES, THE TRAIN AND THE PARKING LOT, ALL IN ONE SPOT, BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE, COMING IN FROM ROUND ROCK WHO DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TRANSFER.
AND SO, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE'D LIKE TO LOOK AT IS EXPANDING THAT PARKING FACILITY.
SO IT CAN, UH, TAKE ON A MORE MULTI-MODAL ROLE.
AND THAT MAY ALSO ALLOW CAP METRO TO TAKE GREATER ADVANTAGE OF THE MOPAC EXPRESS LANES, AS WELL AS THE SERVICE COMING OUT OF THERE.
UH, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT MOPAC SOUTH.
AGAIN, I MENTIONED THAT RELATED TO THE MOPAC SOUTH PROJECT.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF CHALLENGES DOWN THERE JUST LIKE THE MOPAC SOUTH PROJECT, THE MOPAC SOUTH PARK AND RIDE.
UM, YOU CAN THINK ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS WOULD WANT PARK AND RIDE, BUT THEY'RE NOT FANS.
UM, SO WE'RE, UM, WE'RE REALLY STRUGGLING DOWN THERE TO FIND A PLACE GIVEN ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL CONSTRAINTS THAT EVERYBODY CAN BE HAPPY ABOUT AND SETTLE ON.
AND THERE JUST AREN'T A LOT OF LOCATIONS.
SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO THE HARD WORK TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT, UH, WHERE WE MIGHT DO A PARK AND RIDE DOWN THERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO KEEP TRYING, BECAUSE IT IS REALLY CRITICAL TO, UH, TAKING FULL ADVANTAGE OF THE MOPAC SOUTH PROJECT, UH, IF, AND WHEN IT GETS BUILT, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT MAINER, UH, BECAUSE OF, UH, THE NEED OUT THERE.
AND A LOT OF THE CONGESTION WE'RE LOOKING AT LAKELINE YET AS WELL IS, UM, GETTING PRETTY PACKED.
IT'S AN EXISTING FACILITY AND BETWEEN THE, UH, METRO EXPRESS BUSES THAT LEAVE OUT OF THERE AND ACTUALLY USE OUR EXPRESS LANE ON MOPAC AS WELL AS THE RED LINE THAT RUNS THROUGH THERE, THAT PARKING LOT IS GETTING PRETTY FULL, UH, AND, AND NEEDS SOME EXPANSION.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, WE'RE LOOKING OUT ON 71 HEADING EAST.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, COMMUNITIES OUT THERE THAT COULD USE ADDITIONAL TRANSIT OPTIONS.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE PRESERVE SOME OPPORTUNITIES OUT THERE AS WELL.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME LONGER RANGE ONES THAT I DON'T LIST HERE, BUT YOU CAN SEE ON THE MAP NEXT SLIDE.
I THINK I'M DOWN TO THE LAST SLIDE AND I JUST WANTED TO FOLLOW UP ON SOME OF THE STUFF I TALKED ABOUT AT THE BEGINNING WITH SOME OF WHAT WE'RE DOING RELATIVE TO INNOVATION.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF THINGS, OBVIOUSLY WITH ROADWAY USAGE CHARGES, ARE YOU C OR RUC? UM, I DON'T WANT TO CALL IT A THREAT TO US, BUT IT WOULD DEFINITELY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE THE WAY WE OPERATE BECAUSE, UM, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO ELIMINATE TOLL GANTRIES, UM, FRANKLY, AND, UM, AND IT COULD CHANGE WHO COLLECTS TOLLS AND HOW THEY'RE DISTRIBUTED AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO ANYWAYS, STARTING AT THE TOP, BEFORE I GET TO THAT, UH, WITH CONNECTED VEHICLES, SOME OF THE STUFF WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT IS HOW WE CAN TEST THE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMMUNICATE BACK TO VEHICLES ABOUT ROADWAY CONDITIONS.
AND SO, UM, WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR AN OPPORTUNITY.
WE'VE GOT SOME DEVICES OUT ON THE ROADWAYS CALLED, UM, UM, UH, I CAN'T THINK WHAT THEY'RE CALLED AND IT WAS THEY'RE THEIR TRANSMITTERS THAT GO ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND THEY, UM, ALLOW YOU TO TRANSMIT INFORMATION TO CONNECTED VEHICLES, VEHICLES THAT ARE COMING OUT NOW WITH THE ABILITY TO RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT SIGNALS BACK AND FORTH.
AND SO IN THE LONG-TERM WE COULD SEE THE ABILITY TO PERHAPS TO GET RID OF ROADWAY SIGNS, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE THE SIGNS WOULD ACTUALLY SHOW UP ON YOUR DASH RATHER THAN NEEDING TO BE ON THE ROADWAY.
UH, WE COULD ALSO SEND YOU IMMEDIATE ALERTS ABOUT ISSUES AHEAD, LET YOU KNOW TRAFFIC STOPS.
SO THE VEHICLE EITHER YOU OR THE VEHICLE ITSELF SLOWS DOWN, KNOWING THAT THERE'S A CONGESTION AHEAD AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES WITH CONNECTED VEHICLES.
THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE BEEN TESTING IS THE ABILITY TO ACTUALLY TOLL USING THE SYSTEM IN THE VEHICLE.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT PICTURE THERE.
WE DID A TEST LAST YEAR WITH FORD AND THEY HAVE A BUILT-IN SYSTEM WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY PROCESS THE TOLL, UH, THROUGH THE, THE VEHICLE ITSELF, RATHER THAN HAVING LIKE A TEXT TAG STICKER ON YOUR CAR.
AND THAT SORT OF FIRST STEP TOWARDS THE CONCEPT OF A ROADWAY USAGE CHARGE, WHERE THE VEHICLE ITSELF MIGHT TRACK YOUR TRAVEL AND BE ABLE TO HANDLE YOUR TOLLING.
THERE'S ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY WITH SOME OF THIS TO IMPROVE OUR WORK ZONES.
WHERE RIGHT NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU EXPERIENCED THIS.
OCCASIONALLY, I GET VERY FRUSTRATED WITH OUR OWN FOLKS.
YOU KNOW, YOU PULL UP TO A WORK ZONE AND THERE'LL BE A LANE CLOSED WITH NO WARNING OR THE OPPOSITE THAT WE ALL THESE SIGNS FOR LANE CLOSURE, AND THERE IS NO LANE CLOSURE.
SO WE HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE, WE'LL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL YOU DIRECTLY TO THE VEHICLE WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING.
WHETHER THE GUYS AND LADIES WHO ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING UP OR REMOVING THE SIGNS HAVE DONE THEIR JOB, WE'LL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO TELL YOU IN THE CAR, WHAT'S REALLY AHEAD OF TO WRAP UP AGAIN, UH, NEXT GENERATION
[01:25:01]
ROAD USAGE CHARGING.WHAT ARE SOME OF THE UNIQUE THINGS YOU COULD ULTIMATELY DO AS WE MOVE TOWARDS THAT? WE'VE STARTED TO GET THERE WITH THE IDEA OF THE VARIABLE TOOLS THAT ARE ON MOPAC THAT CAN TRY TO CONTROL BEHAVIOR AND, UM, ESSENTIALLY, UH, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO EITHER DRIVE OUTSIDE OF PEAK HOUR OR TO TAKE AN ALTERNATIVE MODE OR, YOU KNOW, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT THINGS THEY MIGHT DO ULTIMATELY WITH A ROADWAY USAGE CHARGE.
IN ADDITION TO BEING ABLE TO CHARGE SOMEBODY JUST ON THE NUMBER OF MILES THEY MIGHT DRIVE THEIR VEHICLE, YOU COULD AGAIN USE A, YOU KNOW, CONGESTION BASED TYPE OF CHARGE.
UH, YOU COULD DO A STRAIGHT TIME OF DAY CHARGE.
YOU COULD CHARGE MORE OR LESS, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF ROADWAY, JUST LIKE TODAY, YOU PAY A PREMIUM TO USE A TOLL ROAD AND YOU PAY A GAS TAX OR A PROPERTY TAX FOR OTHER ROADS YOU DRIVE ON.
UM, WE COULD CHOOSE TO CHARGE PEOPLE BASED ON THE SIZE AND WEIGHT IN THE VEHICLE, JUST LIKE WE DO ON TOLL ROADS TODAY.
IF YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A FIVE AXLE VEHICLE, WE CHARGE YOU MORE, UM, WE'LL KNOW HOW MUCH YOUR VEHICLE GENERALLY WAYS.
AND SO WE COULD CHARGE YOU BASED ON THE WEIGHT OR EVEN THE EMISSIONS OR THE GREEN PROFILE OF YOUR VEHICLE.
AND THEN FINALLY, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE HAVE TODAY, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE DON'T DO CARPOOL, UH, DISCOUNTS OR FREE CARPOOLING, UM, ON OUR EXPRESS LANES IS, UM, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO ENFORCE AND PEOPLE CHEAT.
AND THERE'S LOGIC TO THE FACT THAT, UM, IF YOU GET A DISCOUNT BY HAVING THREE PEOPLE IN YOUR CAR, YOU EACH CAN SHARE THE TOLL.
THERE'S REALLY NO REASON TO OFFER YOU A DISCOUNT ON THE ROADWAY, BECAUSE YOU'RE ALREADY GETTING A DISCOUNT BY SPLITTING THE TOLL AMONG THE THREE OR FOUR PEOPLE WHO ARE CARPOOLING.
SO WE'VE HESITATED TO, UH, ALLOW FOR DISCOUNTS OR FREE TRAVEL FOR CARPOOLING FOR THOSE REASONS.
BUT AS TIME GOES BY SYSTEMS WILL GET SMARTER AND MAYBE THERE WILL BE REASONING OR THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SOME SORT OF VEHICLE OCCUPANCY, WHERE IF YOU'RE WILLING TO PUT MORE PEOPLE IN THE CAR, MAYBE YOU DON'T PAY AS MUCH AS YOU WOULD OTHERWISE.
AND THAT CAN ALL BE DONE, UM, TO A SMART SYSTEM THAT'S BUILT INTO THE CAR.
SO ESSENTIALLY THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THERE'S ALSO COMING THE OPPORTUNITY FOR MAYBE MORE, UM, COMBINING ASSISTANCE.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S BEEN STUDIED IN THE PAST IS THE ABILITY TO HAVE YOU PAY IN ONE PLACE AND THAT'S BECOMING MORE COMMON.
SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CAN PAY FOR YOUR BUS TRIP, YOUR TRAIN TRIP, YOUR, YOU KNOW, A CAR TRIP, ALL IN ONE ACCOUNT.
UH, YOU'RE SEEING THAT ALREADY WITH SOME OF THE PAYMENT SYSTEMS FOR PARKING, WHERE YOU CAN ALSO, UM, SOME OF THEM NOW DO TOLLING AND PARKING.
FOR EXAMPLE, IF, UM, IF YOU WERE TO GO OUT AND LOOK ON THE WEB, THERE'S A PRODUCT CALLED PZ P A S Y YOU CAN SIGN UP FOR THAT AND YOU CAN USE IT ON YOUR SMARTPHONE TO PAY FOR PARKING AND, OR YOU CAN USE IT TO PUT YOUR LICENSE PLATE IN AND PAY TOLLS ON ALMOST EVERY ROAD IN THE COUNTRY THAT HAS TOLLS, AND IT JUST USES YOUR LICENSE PLATE.
AND IT MAKES SURE THAT IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, ON A ROAD BY ACCIDENT, YOU'RE COVERED.
SO THESE SORTS OF THINGS ARE COMING.
OUR AGENCY IS INVOLVED IN TRYING TO IMPLEMENT THEM AND WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
AND SO IT ALL HAS THE POTENTIAL TO DRAMATICALLY CHANGE HOW, UM, TOTALING HAPPENS, UH, BOTH HERE AND AROUND THE COUNTRY.
AND THAT IS ESSENTIALLY MY PRESENTATION.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE PRESUMED MISSING A WHOLE LANE ON 180 NORTH, SAME RULES AS OTHER TOLL LANES AND BUSES USE FOR FREE OR ANYWAY, I DON'T PAY WHEN I CORRECT.
OUR AGENCY HAS A POLICY ALREADY THAT PUBLIC TRANSIT VEHICLES ARE FREE.
IN ADDITION, ON EXPRESS LANES UNDER A FEDERAL RULE, UM, PRIVATE BUSES CAN ALSO APPLY FOR FREE TRAVEL.
UM, THERE'S A FEDERAL RULE INVOLVING EXPRESS LANES THAT ALLOWS THEM TO QUALIFY FOR FREE TRAVEL AS WELL.
SO, YES, IN TERMS OF A MULTIMODAL, WE TRY TO ENCOURAGE THAT.
AND IN ADDITION, WE ALSO ALLOW CAPITAL METRO REGISTERED VAN POOLS TO USE OUR EXPRESS LANE FOR FREE.
NOW, THE ONE THING WE DON'T DO, UM, ARE NOW PART OF THE DISABLED VETERANS.
UM, IT'S NOT REALLY ALL DISABLED.
THE, UM, THERE ARE EXEMPTIONS FOR VETERANS WHO HAVE CERTAIN EITHER, UM, YOU KNOW, PURPLE HEART, UM, MEDAL OF HONOR, UM, AND, AND, OR A CERTAIN LEVEL OF DISABILITY WHERE THEY QUALIFY FOR THE DISABLED STATE PLATE.
NOW, AS LONG AS THEY SIGN UP PROPERLY THROUGH OUR SYSTEM ON ALL OF OUR ROADS, EXCEPT OUR EXPRESS LANES.
AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, AGAIN, SINCE WE HAVE LIMITED CAPACITY THERE AND IT'S PRICE DRIVEN, IF WE GET FOLKS IN THERE WHO DON'T HAVE TO PAY, THEY'RE GOING TO DRIVE UP THE PRICE FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND SO THAT IS THE ONE EXCEPTION ON THAT.
WE DO NOT PROVIDE THE, UM, THE DISABLED VETERAN DISCOUNT TO FOLKS ON OUR EXPRESS LANE PROJECTS.
MY PAPER WAS GOING TO HAVE AN INTERESTING DECISION TO MAKE RIGHT NOW, THE TRAIN FROM LEANDER IS ABOUT FIVE MINUTES SLOWER THAN THE 9 85 BUCKS.
AND I HAD TO BE FED BOSCO ALL THE WAY USED ON 45 TO GET TO MOPAC.
[01:30:01]
WHEN YOU USE 180 3 DIRECTLY TO MOPAC? WHAT IF IT'S FASTER AND THE RAIL SYSTEM? YEAH, THAT'S POSSIBLE.OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, THE RAIL SYSTEM SYSTEM ALSO SERVES SOME OTHER STATIONS BESIDES DOWNTOWN.
SO PERHAPS YOU'LL SEE MORE PEOPLE USING THE RAIL TO GET TO SOME OF THE STUFF AROUND THE DOMAIN AND SO FORTH WITH FEWER PEOPLE GOING ALL THE WAY THROUGH TO DOWNTOWN.
IT MAY WELL BE, BUT IF YOU'RE WHERE YOU WANT TO GO IS ON THE WEST SIDE OF DOWNTOWN, YOU'RE BETTER OFF WITH THE RED LINE AS IS.
AS LONG AS WE CAN KEEP THE EXPRESS LANES MOVING, THAT HAS BEEN ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN, OBVIOUSLY THESE METRO EXPRESS BUSES REALLY AREN'T ATTRACTIVE, UH, UH, OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE.
I DIDN'T PUT THE CHART IN THERE, BUT I THINK THE GROWTH ON ONE OF THEIR LINES FROM LAKELINE DOWN THAT USES THE EXPRESS LANE WAS SOMETHING LIKE 300 AND SOMETHING PERCENT AFTER WE OPENED THE EXPRESS LANE OVER TIME.
SO, UM, THEY, THEY LITERALLY WERE RUNNING OUT OF SPACE ON THE BUSES FOR PEOPLE.
UM, I HEARD, UH, A MUCH SMALLER NUMBER, 99% OF THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ON A PER DAY BASIS WHERE YOU'RE TALKING CUMULATIVE, BUT IT'S STILL INCORRECT.
UM, AND I WISH I HAD THE CHART IN FRONT OF ME, SO I'M NOT GIVING YOU BAD INFORMATION, BUT WHAT THEY WERE TENDING TO DO IS TO LOOK AT ISOLATED PERIODS OF TIME.
AND WHAT I WAS DOING WAS STARTING AT DAY ONE AND LOOKING AT EVERYTHING FROM DAY ONE TO, YOU KNOW, PRE COVID.
AND SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOKED AT IT OVER THAT LONGER PERIOD OF TIME, THE GROWTH WAS MUCH MORE DRAMATIC THAN JUST A, YOU KNOW, A SHORTER PERIOD LIKE THIS MONTH OF THIS YEAR VERSUS THE SAME MONTH OF LAST YEAR, THAT TYPE OF ANALYSIS.
I HAVE A FEELING I'VE PROBABLY ASKED YOU THIS QUESTION BEFORE AT A PRIOR MEETING, BUT, UM, OR SIMILAR QUESTION, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK IT AGAIN.
SO I AM VERY APPRECIATIVE OF CTE RMA BECAUSE I DO FEEL THAT COMPARED TO TXDOT, UM, IN TERMS OF HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION IN OUR REGION, YOU ARE, YOU ARE A LOT BETTER AT BUILDING BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES AND, AND SUPPORTING TRANSIT IN GENERAL.
SO, UM, I DO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I THINK THAT, UM, I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT EVEN THOUGH IF I'M SOMETIMES SKEPTICAL OF NEW, NEW HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION, UM, I I'M REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
I GUESS PART OF MY QUESTION IS TO, IS WITHIN YOUR SCOPE.
I MEAN, AND, AND YOU SPOKE VERY WELL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS AND SIDEWALKS AND, UM, PATHS AS WELL AS, UH, POTENTIAL PARKING RIDE UPGRADES OR NEW PARK AND RIDE FACILITIES.
UM, WHAT, IF ANY OF THE SCOPE OF CTR MAY, COULD YOU LET US KNOW, LIKE WHAT KIND OF OTHER THINGS CAN YOU DO TO ACTIVELY SUPPORT TRANSIT WITH YOUR REVENUE? CAN YOU BUY ROLLING STOCK? CAN YOU OFFER A TRANSIT SERVICE? WHAT KIND OF THINGS ARE ALLOWABLE WITHIN YOUR SCOPE? YEAH, SO I GUESS THERE'S A KEY DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN WHAT OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR BOARD MIGHT WANT TO DO OR AUTHORIZED TO DO VERSUS WHAT OUR LEGISLATION PERMITS.
UM, OUR LEGISLATION IS VERY BROAD.
UM, NOW THE ONE CAVEAT TO THAT IS THAT WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC TRANSIT, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING THAT'S WITHIN OUR LEGISLATION RELATED TO PUBLIC TRANSIT, UNLESS CAPITAL METRO APPROVES OF IT, SINCE THEY ARE THE, UM, UM, OFFICIAL TRANSIT PROVIDER FOR OUR REGION.
UM, OUR LEGISLATION SAYS THAT WE CAN'T DO TRANSIT SO WE COULD NOT RUN A BUS ROUTE, FOR EXAMPLE, IF CAP METRO OBJECTED TO IT.
UM, BUT ASSUMING WE HAD CAP, METRO IS BY, AND THE LEGISLATION IS VERY BROAD ABOUT WE COULD OPERATE AIRPORTS, WE COULD OPERATE TRANSIT.
UM, HYPOTHETICALLY WE COULD BUY, YOU KNOW, ROLLING STOCK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WIDE RANGE.
WE COULD OPERATE THE FERRY, UM, CAUSE THAT'S COME UP BEFORE, YOU KNOW, DO WE NEED A FERRY ACROSS LAKE TRAVIS FOR EXAMPLE.
UM, SO IT'S REALLY JUST A QUESTION OF, AGAIN, GIVEN THAT OUR SOURCE OF REVENUE IS LIMITED TO USER FEES EFFECTIVELY WHEN IT GETS TO TRANSIT, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT RARELY COVERS ITS EXPENSES.
AND SO, UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALWAYS HAVE TO BE CONSIDERATE OF WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING LIKE DOING A PARK AND RIDE MAKES SOME SENSE BECAUSE WE CAN CAPITALIZE THAT COST INTO SAY A TOLL PROJECT WE PAY AT ONCE AND WE'RE DONE WITH IT.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AN ONGOING EXPENSE NECESSARILY FOR US, BUT SOMETHING LIKE RUNNING A BUS SERVICE OR RUNNING A RAIL LINE, OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE ONGOING EXPENSES.
AND IF THE REVENUE STREAM ISN'T THERE TO PAY FOR IT, WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM FOR THAT SHORTFALL? UM, THAT'S SOMETHING WORTH OUR TOLL ROADS.
YOU KNOW, WE GENERALLY DON'T HAVE SHORTFALLS AND IF WE DO, WE KNOW WHAT THEY ARE UP FRONT AND THEY EVENTUALLY ARE NOT THERE, YOU KNOW, ROAD OPENS AND IT HAS A SHORTFALL THE FIRST TWO OR THREE YEARS EVENTUALLY.
UM, IT USUALLY, YOU KNOW, GETS TO A POINT WHERE IT'S GENERATING EXCESS REVENUE RATHER THAN LOSING MONEY.
[01:35:04]
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR ME? ALL RIGHT.WELL THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
SO, UM, I, WELL, I GUESS I WOULD LEAVE SPACE.
THE CT MRI WAS WE WE'D BEEN POSTING EVERYTHING FOR POSSIBLE ACTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE HAD A POTENTIAL ACTION OR MOTION OR RECOMMENDATION ON ITEM TWO C.
[2.A. Living Streets Presentation: Discussion and Possible Action Presenters: Chris Riley (Part 2 of 2)]
WOULD LIKE TO RETURN TO ITEM TWO A AND JUST, UM, REOPEN THAT WITH SOME SPACE.IF SOMEONE DID WANT TO, UM, MAKE A MOTION OR RECOMMENDATION, IT SEEMED LIKE MAYBE THERE WAS SOME THOUGHT OF THAT THERE.
UM, DID ANYONE HAVE THAT ONE DISCUSS THAT, PUT EMOTION ON THE TABLE? HEY, THIS IS DANIEL.
UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO MAKE A MOTION.
UM, BUT I'M A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR ABOUT THE RULES OF, UH, IF I'M, UH, IT WOULD BE A CONFLICT OF INTEREST ME BEING ON THE BOARD OF WALK AUSTIN AND BEING INTENTIONALLY INVOLVED, UH, WITH THAT PROGRAM.
UM, MAYBE CHRIS, YOU COULD ENLIGHTEN ME FOR SOME, OUR, OUR COORDINATOR.
SO I'M BEING HONEST WITH YOU LOOKING OVER THE BYLAWS.
I PERSONALLY DO NOT SEE ANYTHING THAT SAYS THAT YOU CAN'T VOTE ON THIS OPTION.
BECAUSE THE BYLAWS DON'T SPECIFICALLY STATE ANYTHING AGAINST THAT.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT YOU FEEL YOU'RE FREE TO DO THAT.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT COMES UP WHERE YOU ACTUALLY WEREN'T ABLE TO VOTE, I'LL BE SURE TO LET YOU KNOW, BUT AS OF NOW, THE BYLAWS DON'T SAY ANYTHING, SO YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.
THAT'S, THAT'S KINDA WHAT I THOUGHT OF ANY FINANCIAL STAKE IN THIS PER SE.
SO, UM, YEAH, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PREPARED, BUT WE MAYBE COULD DRAFT UP A QUICK, UM, LIKE JUST RESOLUTION OF SUPPORT, UM, OR WE COULD MAYBE, UH, TABLE IT AND PRODUCE A MORE EXTENSIVE RESOLUTION FOR A FUTURE MEETING.
UNLESS THERE'S A TIME CONSTRAINT, CHRIS WILEY, YOU NEED SOMETHING FROM US SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
CHRIS, COULD YOU LET US KNOW? I KNOW YOU SAID, WHAT IS THE TIMELINE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CITY COUNCIL WITH US? WE HOPE TO BE WORKING WITH COUNCIL AROUND THE TIME THAT FIRST COMEBACK AND, UM, INSTEAD OF THE BUDGET.
SO RIGHT AT THE BEGINNING OF AUGUST, RIGHT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AS MY MOVIE, WE'LL BE TALKING WITH THEM, THEY'RE THERE WILL BE OPPORTUNITY IS AFTER THAT TO WEIGH IN, BECAUSE THIS WILL BE AN ONGOING PROCESS, BUT IT'S AT ANY INDICATION OF SUPPORT FROM UTC, WOULDN'T BE VERY HELPFUL JUST IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF GOT IT.
UM, WELL, IF WE, UH, IF WE HAVE THE TIME, THEN MAYBE WE CAN JUST DO A QUICK DRAFT OF, UH, A RESOLUTION FOR SUPPORT.
UM, AND THEN IF WE WANT TO COME BACK AND DO SOMETHING MORE IN DEPTH, THAT WOULD, THAT MIGHT BE APPROPRIATE.
IS THAT, UH, WORK FOR EVERYBODY? YEAH.
IS, WAS THAT WHILE WE WERE HAVING A SPECIAL MEETING TODAY, I DIDN'T REALIZE IT WAS A SPECIAL MEETING UNTIL YOU MENTIONED THAT.
WELL, I'M, CHRISTOPHER MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT BETTER.
I THINK IT'S JUST, UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ADHERE TO OUR REGULAR MEETING SCHEDULE WHATSOEVER PRETTY MUCH SINCE THE START OF THE PANDEMIC.
UM, IT'S NOT REALLY BEEN A THING.
AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, A LOT OF OUR MEETINGS ARE GETTING CALLED SPECIAL CALLED WHEN REALLY THEY'RE SUBSTITUTING FOR OUR REGULAR SCHEDULE.
CHRISTOPHER, CAN YOU SPEAK TO THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET OUR REGULAR SCHEDULED TIME, UH, TECHNICALLY THAT PUTS IT INTO THE CATEGORY OF A SPECIAL CALL MEETING.
UM, SO YEAH, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT IN A SPECIAL, IS THERE ANY REASON THAT OUR ENDORSEMENT NEEDS TO BE IN THE FORM OF A RESOLUTION? COULD WE NOT JUST PASS A STATEMENT THAT WE ENDORSE THE RECOMMENDATION, KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE THINKING IS KIND OF WHERE I WAS HEADED AS WELL.
JUST MAKE A MOTION OF SUPPORT.
THAT WOULD BE FINE WITH ME AS WELL.
UM, IT'S EASIER FOR EVERYBODY.
I THINK A LOT OF TIMES WE PUT A LOT TOO MUCH WORK IN DRAWING UP, WHEREAS IS WHEN THE RESULT IS GOING TO BE SO, UM, OR IN AGREEMENT THEN, UM, THAT I DID, I SHOULDN'T MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, UH, SUPPORT THE HEALTHY STREETS PROGRAM AS WAS PRESENTED BY CHRIS ROBIN.
I'LL SECOND THAT THEN, UM, HOW DO WE MAKE THAT? UM, WE HAVE A DOCUMENT OR JUST KIND OF ON THE RECORD, I THINK JUST, UM, ON THE RECORD, I, IT WILL SHOW IN THE NEXT MINUTES THAT, UM, WHILE THERE WAS NO FORMAL DRAFT PRESENTED THAT UTC
[01:40:01]
VERBALLY, UH, GAVE THEIR, UM, WHAT THE APPROVAL, UH, OR SUPPORT ENDORSEMENT, I'M SORRY, ENDORSEMENT OF, UM, THE LIVING STREETS.THAT IS THE, SO WE HAVE THE MOTION WE HAVE THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY, UM, ANY DISCUSSION FURTHER, IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE TO A VOTE ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY, AYE.
I, I, FROM ATHENA, I FROM ALLIE, RIGHT.
DID WE SEE FROM DIANE, BUT HERE I'M BLIGHTED.
I THINK WE'RE ALL ALL IN FAVOR THEN.
SO THAT PASSES WITH FLYING COLORS.
WHEN YOU DO HAVE A HUNDRED PICTURES, YOU CAN COME BACK AND DO A FORMAL RESOLUTION RECOMMENDING WE'D RATHER DO THAT, BUT THAT SOUNDS REALLY GOOD IDEA.
WELL WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO
[3. STAFF BRIEFINGS]
THE, UM, THE BRIEFINGS ARE REGULAR BRIEFINGS THAT WE HAVE.SO THE, UM, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION ACTUALLY, IT MEETS IN ABOUT 15 MINUTES.
WE TRIED TO HAVE A JOINT MEETING WITH THE, UH, MUSIC COMMISSION YESTERDAY, BUT AFTER 30 MINUTES, THE QUORUM DID NOT MATERIALIZE AND IT WAS OVER.
UH, SO, BUT TODAY AT FIVE 30 IS THE REGULAR MEETING.
I JOINED SUSTAINABILITY MEETS NEXT WEEK.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES FROM 10, FROM A PREVIOUS MEETING, UM, BICYCLE ADVISORY, UH, THAT'S ME, LET ME FIND MY NOTES.
UM, THIS WOMAN NAMED LISA REQUESTED THAT IF ANYBODY HAS ANY VISIONS, ZERO STORIES TO SUBMIT THEM VIA EMAIL OR TO CONTACT HER VIA EMAIL, UM, FOR EMAIL, I CAN EMAIL IT TO THE GROUP, BUT IT'S LISA V AS IN VANESSA BYRD WITH A Y@GMAIL.COM.
UM, AND SHE'LL SET THAT TELEPHONE CONVERSATION.
UM, THE NEXT DISCUSSION THAT WE HAD WAS OVER THE BIKE LANES ON DEAN KEETON, BETWEEN LAFAYETTE AND RED RIVER.
UM, THEY'VE REVERTED FROM HAVING CARS YIELD TO BIKE TO NOW THE BICYCLES YIELDING TO THE VEHICLES AND, UM, THEY'RE GOING TO SWITCH IT BACK FULLY.
AND THE NEXT THING THAT THEY DISCUSSED WAS THE LIVING STREETS PROGRAM THAT WE'VE REVIEWED TODAY.
UM, PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
SO, UM, CASEY MET LAST, UM, ON THE 12TH.
I WAS NOT ABLE TO CATCH IT, UH, BUT I THOUGHT THAT, UM, LIKE ACCORDING TO THEIR AGENDA, THEY HAD THE SAME LIVING STREETS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND THEN THEY ALSO TALKED ABOUT TRAFFIC SAFETY STRATEGIES.
UM, AND I KNOW I HATE TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT, UM, CHRIS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU HAD ANY MORE DETAIL THAT YOU WANTED TO SHARE.
UH, FOR PAC ME, ME, CHRIS, OR CHRIS WILEY, CHRIS WILEY ISN'T EVEN HERE ANYMORE.
SO THERE'S SO MANY QUIZZES IN AUSTIN.
UM, THE BIGGEST THING IS THAT, UH, YOU ALL JUST GAVE SUPPORT AS THE PAC FOR THE LIVING STREETS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING.
UM, CITY COUNCIL, MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UH, CO MOBILITY MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, MARIO ISN'T HERE TODAY.
UH, CHRISTOPHER, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING FOR US THERE OR ONLY THAT THEY WILL MEET ON THE 5TH OF AUGUST? UM, AND, UH, UH, WHAT WAS I GOING TO SAY? UM, PROJECT CONNECT, UH, WHO SPOKE WITH US TODAY, WE'LL ALSO, UH, BE PRESENTING TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, AS WELL, ALONG WITH A FEW OTHER ITEMS. UM, AND YOU CAN ALL FEEL FREE TO WATCH THAT ON THE, UH, ATX N I DON'T, I DON'T SEE IT ON OUR AGENDA, BUT I THINK IT'S WITHIN THE SCOPE OF TOMA TO, TO GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT, UM, OUR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. IS THERE ANYTHING ANYONE WANTS TO ELEVATE AT THIS TIME COMING OUT OF THOSE FOR, FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS? I KNOW OBVIOUSLY WE'LL HAVE OUR, UH, ITEM REQUESTS THAT CHRISTOPHER WILL SEND OUT PROBABLY PRETTY SHORTLY AFTER THIS MEETING, BUT I, YOU KNOW, CHRIS, A WHILE AGO REQUESTING AN UPDATE FROM CAP METRO ON HOW THEY MONITOR THE AMOUNT OF TICKETS
[01:45:01]
ON GAME DAYS AT THE Q2 STADIUM.CAN ACTUALLY, UH, NOT ANSWER THAT, BUT I BELIEVE A, UH, EMAIL OR MEMO SHOULD HAVE BEEN SENT TO YOU.
IF NOT, I WILL DOUBLE CHECK WITH THAT.
I THOUGHT THAT HAD SOME, I THOUGHT THAT I'D SENT OUT A WHILE AGO, BUT I WILL DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT AND, UM, GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
I THINK YOU SENT ME A FORM AND I DID RESPOND WITH IT.
I WILL LOOK INTO THAT END AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I DO WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW AS WELL FOR THE NEXT, UM, UH, UTC MEETING, WHICH IS SCHEDULED AS OF NOW TO BE AUGUST 10TH.
WE'RE GOING TO KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT THAT'S, THAT'S STILL THE CASE.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT FOR THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, ROB SPILLER AND RICHARD MENDOZA WILL BE PRESENTING ON THE BUDGET.
SO WE WILL KEEP THAT ON, UH, ONE OF THE TOP PRIORITIES FOR THE NEXT AGENDA.
ANYTHING ELSE THAT'S ON ANYONE'S MIND FOR A FUTURE AGENDA THAT WE SHOULD BRING UP AT THIS POINT? OKAY.
UM, WE'LL MOVE TO ADJOURNMENT, UH, BY A SET.
UH, I GUESS I'LL MOVE TO ADJOURN EVERYONE.
IF THERE'S ANY OBJECTIONS, LET US KNOW.
THIS MEETING IS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION IS ADJOURNED.