[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
IS 5 0 2 OR SO ON, UH, CERTIFICATE 7 21.
THIS IS THE EVERY TIME COMMISSION.
WE HAVE A FORM IN THE BUILDING.
SO WE CAN GET THIS MEETING STARTED.
UH, ARE THERE ANY, UH, CHRISTOPHER, ANY SPEAKERS SIGNED UP, WHICH IS NOT A KNOCK ON THE AGENDA TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE.
THIS IS FOR SPEAKERS WHO WANT TO SPEAK ON SOMETHING, KNOCK ON THE WINDOW.
MAY I MAYBE GO AROUND AND JUST, OR SAY THEIR NAMES? GREAT IDEA.
BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE OUR LITTLE PENS.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW, PUSH THE LITTLE BUTTON.
SO YOU SHOULD GET A LITTLE RED LIGHT UP HERE.
CAN EVERYONE HEAR ME NOW? THAT'S ALL MARS.
WE WERE JUST GETTING OURSELVES SITUATED.
SO, UM, THE MEETING HAS BEEN CALLED THE ORDER AND WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED SO YOU ALL CAN HOPEFULLY HEAR ALL OF US.
FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS INTRODUCE OURSELVES BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT SEEN EACH OTHER IN PERSON.
I'LL GIVE HIM A RIDE UP ON THE MIC.
SO THE FIRST THING WE'RE GOING TO DO IS INTRODUCE OURSELVES.
UH, SINCE MANY PEOPLE DO NOT KNOW WHO THE COMMISSIONERS ARE.
UM, WE'LL START OVER HERE ON THE LEFT.
AND IF YOU DON'T MIND SAYING, WHAT IS YOUR APPOINTED? UM, I'M FOR, I REPRESENT DISTRICT SIX, UH, FEMALE EATON.
AND, UH, IT WAS PLANTED BY PAIGE ELLIS, DIANA WHEELER.
I REPRESENT DISTRICT SEVEN AND I WAS APPOINTED BY LESLIE POOL.
SO I WAS APPOINTED BY COUNCILMEMBER KITCHEN.
I'M SUSAN SUMMERS AND I WAS APPOINTED, UM, AND DISTRICT FOUR BY GREG CASAR.
I AM REPRESENTING DISTRICT TWO APPOINTED BY, UH, VANESSA FERNANDEZ AND I'M ALLIE ROUNIS, UH, REPRESENTING, UH, KELSEY MEMBER TOVO.
UH, SOME SOMEWHAT FRANCO, UH, REPRESENTING DISTRICT THREE APPOINTED BY COUNCIL MEMBER, ANDREA JIM DALE, I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR YOUR TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND EXECUTIVE FROM OUR DEPARTMENT.
THAT'S ASSIGNED TO, THAT WOULD BE TRANSPORTATION AND I'M CHRISTOPHER PARKS.
UM, AND IT'S NICE TO FINALLY MEET ALL OF YOU IN PERSON.
HEY, I JUST ENDED UP DOWN HERE.
UH, DANIELLE VERADO ON VIDEO, A TEACHER, ANYBODY WANT TO SPEAK UP CINDY, WHETHER BE APPOINTED BY MAYOR ADLER AND I'M SITTING IN A HOTEL IN AMARILLO, TEXAS.
RUBIN BROOK, WHERE TO BUY ALL OF THEM OLD GROUP.
AND ARE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS THERE ONLINE SINCE TWO FACES? I DON'T KNOW.
THANKS EVERYBODY FOR SAYING WHO YOU ARE.
UH, SO THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA, CITIZEN COMMUNICATION, WE DETERMINED THERE WAS NOBODY SIGNED UP FOR, UH, TO SPEAK ON A NON AGENDA ITEM.
[1. APPROVAL OF August 18th, 2021 MINUTES]
ONE, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE AUGUST 18TH MINUTES.UM, I DON'T KNOW THAT THOSE ARE IN OUR WE'RE LISTED ON THE SITE.
WE'RE GOING TO SHOW THEM ON THE SCREENS FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
WANT A MEETING INVITE NEXT SCREEN.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THESE MINUTES? MOTION TO APPROVE SECOND.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, SAY AYE.
OUTSTAYING CAUSE THERE WASN'T HERE.
MOTION TO APPROVE THE AMENDMENTS, THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES APPROVED.
[00:05:01]
UM, THAT BRINGS[2.A. TxDOT I-35 Presentation Presenters: Susan Fraser]
US UP TO OUR FIRST, UH, ITEM OF NEW BUSINESS, WHICH IS ITEM TWO, A TEXT, UH,UM, THIS ISN'T FRASER HERE OR ONLINE.
UM, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING THIS TIME TO JOIN.
I'M WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND I'M THE MOBILITY THIRTY-FIVE PROGRAM MANAGER.
UM, BUT BEFORE I GO INTO MY PRESENTATION ON CAPITOL EXPRESS PROGRAM AND THE CENTRAL PROJECT, I BELIEVE WE HAVE, UM, THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE PRESENTATION LINED UP AND TINA GEISEL, BRAD WILL BE LEADING THAT.
SO, UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO PULL UP THAT PRESENTATION, THE TTI PRESENTATION? WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT FIRST.
AND I'LL JUST SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THIS, THIS, UM, NEXT DISCUSSION POINTS.
SO WE RECEIVED A NUMBER OF, OF COMMENTS FROM THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDERS ASKING US TO REVIEW SOME OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS THAT WERE BEING PROPOSED.
AND SOME OF THESE CONCEPTS, YOU, YOU PROBABLY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THEM RETHINK AUSTIN.
AND THEN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND ULI ALSO WORKED TOGETHER TO BRING FORTH A CONCEPT.
UM, WE WORKED WITH TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE.
WE ASKED THEM TO DO AN INDEPENDENT STUDY ON THESE COMMUNITY ALTERNATIVES, UM, TO STUDY THEM, TO ANALYZE THEM.
AND WE REALLY ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT IT AT THREE MAJOR MAJOR, UH, ANSWER THREE MAJOR QUESTIONS.
ONE IS, COULD THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS BE STANDALONE ALTERNATIVES, UM, IN OUR ALTERNATIVE STUDY FOR THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.
UM, AND THEN WE ASKED THEM TO LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ASPECTS OR ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS WERE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE, UM, HAD ALREADY IDENTIFIED FOR THE CENTRAL PROJECT.
AND THEN THE THIRD ITEM WAS, ARE THERE SOME ELEMENTS OR ITEMS THAT WERE MISSING THAT ARE NOT IN THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE COULD PULL IN? AND SO THEY LOOKED AT THAT AND UM, I HAVE WITH ME HERE TONIGHT, TEEN AND GEISEL BREATH WITH THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION INSTITUTE, AND SHE'S GOING TO GO OVER THE FINDINGS OF THEIR, OF THEIR STUDY.
TINA I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU.
UM, THANKS TO EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE.
I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT I HAVE MY COLLEAGUE, DR.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE ANY HARD QUESTIONS, UM, WE CAN, WE CAN TURN THEM OVER TO 10 FOR THAT.
SO, UH, WITH THAT, I THINK WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
AND I THINK SOMEBODY THERE IS DRIVING THE SLIDE.
SO IF YOU COULD ADVANCE TO THE NEXT ONE, PLEASE WRITE DOWN.
SO, UM, AS SUSAN MENTIONED AND TEXTS THAT AUSTIN DISTRICTS ASKED, UM, TTI TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE, THE THREE, UH, COMMUNITY CONCEPTS THAT ARE, UM, BEING PROPOSED FROM RECONNECT AUSTIN, RETHINK 35 AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UM, URBAN LAND INSTITUTE WORK THAT WAS DONE LAST FALL.
UM, SHE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WERE GOING TO EVALUATE AND IN DOING THAT EVALUATION, WE CONSIDERED, YOU KNOW, THE ANTICIPATED GROWTH IN THE BOTH POPULATION AND THE, UM, ACCOMPANYING TRAP TRAFFIC VOLUME IN THE AREA.
WE ALSO LOOKED AT DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY CONTACTS, CONCEPTS, ALONG WITH THE TECH BUILD ALTERNATIVES.
UM, WE WANTED TO ALSO SEE THE IMPACTS OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS ON THE CITY GRID AND THE, UM, HIGHWAY NETWORK AROUND
AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO KIND OF, UM, TEST FOR ALIGNMENT WITH, WITH TEXTBOOKS, IDENTIFIED PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT.
AND SO IN ORDER TO, UM, DO, TO ACCOMPLISH THOSE THINGS, WE, UM, SET A PRETTY EXTENSIVE LITERATURE AND MEDIA REVIEW WHERE WE WENT BACK AND WE KIND OF LOOKED AT ALL THE ITERATIONS OF, OF
UM, WE INTERVIEWED A LOT OF PEOPLE ASSOCIATED WITH THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS, AS WELL AS SOME PEOPLE, UM, THAT MAY REPRESENT SOME IDEAS KIND OF, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE THE DOWNTOWN CORE.
UM, AND THEN WE, YOU KNOW, COMPARED, UM, ELEMENTS OF EACH OF THAT, BUT I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE AS WE GO THROUGH.
UM, WE ALSO, UH, WANTED TO LOOK AT, UH, UH, DEVELOPMENT PARCEL ANALYSIS BECAUSE A COUPLE OF THE PROPOSALS SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED, WELL, ACTUALLY ALL THREE OF THE PROPOSALS
[00:10:01]
SPECIFICALLY MENTIONED KIND OF GREED DEVELOPMENT, UM, UM, ANY LEFTOVER RIGHT AWAY THAT WOULD BE AVAILABLE.AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO TOOK A LOOK AT THE TRAVEL BANAN MODEL AND WE USE THE CAMPO, UM, PROBLEM DEMAND MODEL TO KIND OF ASSESS HOW, UM, VARIOUS, UM, CONCEPTS WOULD IMPACT THE, THE NEIGHBORHOOD OR THE CITY STREETS AND, AND, UM, SURROUNDING HIGHWAYS NEXT, PLEASE.
SO AS SOON AS I MENTIONED, UM, I BELIEVE PROBABLY MOST OF YOU ALL ARE FAMILIAR WITH, UM, THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPT.
UM, SEVERAL OF THE ELEMENTS ARE, ARE COMMON ACROSS ALL THREE.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THE DEPRESSING OR LOWERING THE NAME LANES OF
UM, WE ALL, THEY ALL WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE AN INCREASE IN MULTIMODAL PROBABLE, UH, AS I MENTIONED, SOME ARE CONTEMPLATING DEVELOPMENT OF, UH, RECLAIMED LAND ON THE RIGHT OF WAY, BUT THOSE ARE KIND OF LIKE THE OVERARCHING, UM, PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF EACH OF THE COMPONENTS, UH, NEXT PLEASE.
SO WHEN WE DID OUR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS, WE WANT US TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS AND THAT SUSAN TALKED ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT ART OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS WERE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE TEXTILE ALTERNATIVES, WHAT WERE PARTIALLY INCLUDED IN THERE? UM, WHAT COULD BE, UH, WHAT PART WOULD ALL COULD BE INCLUDED THAT WEREN'T INCLUDED? UM, WE ALSO LOOKED AT, UM, THINGS THAT WERE LIKE OUT OF TEXAS PURVIEW AND HOW THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS TABLE, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, IT'S KIND OF IN THAT MIDDLE COLUMN IDENTIFIED SPECIFIC ELEMENTS OR ISSUES.
AND THEN WE MADE A NOTE BESIDE IT ABOUT HOW IT COULD OR COULD NOT BE ACCOMMODATED.
AND THOSE THERE, WE HAVEN'T DIVIDED THESE INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH ELEMENT OR ISSUE CAME FROM WHICH COMMUNITY CONCEPT OR THEY'RE KIND OF ALL GROUPED TOGETHER HERE, BUT, UM, THIS KIND OF GAVE US A BASIS FOR, FOR COMPARISON.
UM, YOU'LL ALSO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, THERE WERE CERTAIN ELEMENTS THAT WE WERE NOT FEASIBLE AT ALL.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, DIVERTING TRUCKS TO
UM, THE SAME THING WITH THE THINGS LIKE CREATE AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UM, THAT'S AN ISSUE THAT'S COME UP QUITE A BIT, UM, IN THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS, UM, THAT CAN'T BE ACCOMPLISHED WITHIN A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT NECESSARILY, BUT IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, GET ALL THE PLAYERS TOGETHER TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO IT TALKS ABOUT COULD SERVE IN A ROLE TO, UM, PARTICIPATE IN THOSE KINDS OF DISCUSSIONS.
UM, I, I THINK SUSAN MENTIONED, BUT MAYBE NOT, UM, THERE'S A LOT MORE DETAIL ABOUT EACH OF THESE.
I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR YOU TO KIND OF READ THOSE, UH, PART AS WE QUICKLY GO THROUGH THIS.
UM, BUT YOU CAN FIND MUCH MORE DETAIL IN OUR REPORT ON EACH OF THESE, UM, ALTERNATIVES.
UM, SO I WOULD INVITE YOU TO GO THERE AND I CAN ADD THAT LINK TO THE CHAT AND JUST, UH, IN JUST A MINUTE TO, UM, BUT THAT WAS KIND OF HOW WE WENT ABOUT LOOKING OUR COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE ALSO LOOKED AT THE, UM, OUTPUTS FROM THE TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL.
SO IF YOU COULD ADVANCE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO WHAT THIS ILLUSTRATION SHOWS IS KIND OF WHAT HAPPENED TO, UM, THE TRAFFIC VOLUMES ON
[00:15:01]
THE CITY STREET AND HIGHWAY NEAR, UM, WITHIN THE 35 CENTRAL EXPRESSWAY REGION, UM, ACCORDING TO THE, THE THREE DIFFERENT CONCEPTS.SO FOR EXAMPLE, YOU SEE THE TXDOT ALTERNATIVE THERE ON THE LEFT, UM,
AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S BECAUSE OF VOLUME INCREASES ON
UM, BUT IT DECREASES ON SOME OF THE, THE CITY STREETS ROUNDING, ESPECIALLY IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, THE LEGENDS IS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO READ THERE, BUT THE THICKER THE LINE, THE GREATER, THE VOLUME AND RED INDICATES A VOLUME INCREASE AND BLUE INDICATES A VOLUME DECREASE.
SO AS YOU SEE IN THE TEXT THAT BUILDS ALTERNATIVE MODEL RESULTS, UM, BECAUSE CAPACITIES INCREASE ON
UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE RECONNECT AUSTIN, UM, OUTPUT, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, REDUCED ACCESS THROUGH DOWNTOWN, UM, PUSHES MORE OF THE TRAFFIC ONTO THE CITY STREETS AND PRIMARILY IN THE EAST AUSTIN AREA.
AND THEN WITH RETHINK 35, BECAUSE THE, UM, THE INTERSTATE IS ESSENTIALLY CONVERTED TO A BOULEVARD, UM, A LOT MORE TRAFFIC AS PUSHED TO CITY STREET.
UM, AND AGAIN, PRIMARILY IN EAST AUSTIN, UM, YOU SEE THAT, THAT
SO ALL THE TRAFFIC THAT, THAT NEEDS TO GO THAT DIRECTION IS PUSHED ONTO ALTERNATE.
UM, ROADWAYS ARE AROUND, AROUND, UH, CENTRAL AUSTIN THROUGH DOWNTOWN, IF YOU WILL, ON
UM, WE, WE TALKED SPECIFICALLY IN THE RAPPORT ABOUT SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS, UM, UH, OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS.
UM, THERE ARE VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF, OF THE CONCEPTS THAT, UM, THAT THE AUTHORS OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPT, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT THAT THAT TXDOT SHOULD, SHOULD PURSUE, BUT IN MANY CASES THEY ARE UNABLE TO DO SO, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, I TALKED ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING, YOU KNOW, TECHS THAT STATE LAW SPECIFICALLY PROHIBIT THAT FROM, UM, CONTROLLING LAND USE OR DEVELOPMENT CODES.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE PURVIEW OF THE, OF THE CITY, UM, STATE POLICY RIGHT NOW FOR HER THAT'S TEXTILE FROM FUNDING, UM, THAT, OR A CAP OR STITCHES.
UM, I THINK YOU'D PROBABLY KNOW THAT THE, THE RE UH, THE UBI ENACT AUSTIN, UM, COMMUNITY CONCEPTS IMAGINED, UH, AN EXTENSIVE, UH, TAP ACROSS, UM, ACROSS
UM, SEVERAL PEOPLE ASK ABOUT, UM, WHY RAIL WAS NOT REAL AND I, 35 WAS NOT, UM, INCLUDED, UM, AND NOT BECAUSE IT'S NOT FUNDED IN THE, UM, PROJECT CONNECT 20 YEAR PLAN.
SO THERE'S ARE KIND OF SOME OF THE LIMITATIONS ON, ON TEXTILE SIDE.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO THE EXPENSE OF THE LOCAL ENHANCEMENT.
SO I TALKED ABOUT, UM, NOT BEING ABLE TO FIND, UM, CAPS OR STITCHES OR DUCKS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, AND IF, IF THAT, IF ANY OF THAT WERE TO COME TO FRUITION, THAT WOULD BE, UM, A LO A LOCAL ENHANCEMENT, UM, PAID FOR BY, BY LOCAL MONEY.
AND SO WE DID KIND OF A, UM, LIKE ANALYSIS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT THAT WOULD COST AND, AND EACH OF THOSE ALTERNATIVES ARE, ARE EXPENSIVE.
AND AGAIN, I WOULD, UM, INVITE YOU TO LOOK FOR MORE DETAIL ABOUT THEM AND THE RAPPORT I, I REALIZED THIS WAS PROBABLY KIND OF HARD FOR YOU TO READ ON THE SLIDE THERE.
UM, SO I WOULD, AGAIN, INVITE YOU TO GO TO THE REPORT TO LOOK AT THAT, UH, NEXT.
SO, UM, WHAT WE DETERMINED WAS, UM, AS SUSAN MENTIONED, THAT NONE OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS ON THEIR OWN ARE VIABLE AS STANDALONE ALTERNATIVES.
[00:20:01]
WE TALKED ABOUT THE CONTINUOUS CAP REQUIRING A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT, UH, THIRD-PARTY FINANCING IN A VERY CONSTRAINED TIMEFRAME.UM, YOU KNOW, SIDE IS, UM, UH, ON A CLOCK IF YOU WILL, WITH, WITH THE PROJECT AND THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN THEIR SCHEDULE.
UM, BUT WE ALSO FOUND IN SEVERAL INSTANCES, THERE ARE LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPLEMENT A LOT OF THE ELEMENTS, UM, IN, FROM THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS.
AND THOSE ARE, ARE GOING TO BE STUDIED FURTHER.
UM, MY UNDERSTANDING THOSE ARE GOING TO BE STUDIED FURTHER, UM, THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU LOCATE THE FRONTAGE ROADS.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, I THINK SUSAN'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE THEY ARE NOT IN A TYPICAL CONFIGURATION THAT WE'RE USED TO WHERE, UM, YOU'VE GOT, UH, A FRONTAGE ROAD ON EACH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
UM, WE ALSO DETERMINED THAT, OR IN MOST INSTANCES, UM, MANY OF THE COMMUNITY, UM, MANY OF THE ELEMENTS OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPT ARE ALREADY INCORPORATED INTO, UM, THE TEXTILE ALTERNATIVES, INCLUDING THE, THE LOWERED MAIN LANE, UM, TECH THAT PROVIDING FOUNDATIONAL SUPPORT, UM, FOR, FOR CAP OR STITCHES, IF, IF THOSE WERE TO BE FUNDED BY THIRD PARTY, UM, ALL OF THE ALTERNATIVES, UH, FEE TO INCREASE MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY, UM, MULTIMODAL ENHANCEMENTS WITH EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY AND TRANSIT ACCESS AS WELL.
SO, UM, IN THAT REGARD, UM, A LOT OF THE FUNDAMENTAL ART OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS ARE INCLUDED AND THE TAX BOUGHT ALTERNATIVE, I THINK THAT'S IT.
SO I'M HAPPY TO REFER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO 10 THE HO UH, FEEL FREE TO GO AHEAD, OR I'M NOT SURE HOW, HOW WE WANT TO DO THIS GOING FORWARD ON IF YOU WANT TO SEE SUSAN'S PRESENTATION FIRST OR WHAT YEAH.
LET'S DO ONE PRESENTATION AT A TIME.
AVA, CAN YOU SHOW THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS SO WE CAN SEE WHO THANK YOU.
UH, SO DO PEOPLE HAVE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, FEEDBACK, UH, JAMES OR JAMES RUCKER, RIGHT? YES.
MR. RECORD, RAYMOND BROOKS, SORRY, MY BAD, SORRY.
YOU REFERRED TO, YOU KNOW, YOU REFERRED TO THE APPLE TRAVEL DEMAND MODEL.
I DON'T RECORD FROM THE CAPITOL 2045 DEMOGRAPHIC FORECAST AMONG FORECASTS HAVE COME UNDER A LOT OF, UM, 2040 FORECAST AND SHOW MAJOR PARTS OF WILLIAMSON COUNTY RUBIN POPULATION.
NOW, APPLES THEMSELVES HAVE GONE OVER TO A NEW AND VASTLY BETTER PROCESS FOR DOING
NOW I KNOW THE QPR HAS BEEN SOME ALTERNATIVE FORECASTS.
AND I WONDER WHAT THE OUTCOME IS OF THOSE ALTERNATIVE FORECASTS ON THE TROUBLE.
I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO 10.
CAUSE I THINK HE WAS PART OF THAT.
W WE, WE, WE DID RUN ONE OF THOSE SCENARIOS IS BASICALLY WHAT HAPPENS IF ALL THE, UH, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS ZONES INCREASE AT THE SAME PERCENTAGE RATE ACROSS THE REGION AND THE MAP THAT, UH, TINA SHOWED WITH THE, THE THREE ALTERNATIVES, THE, THAT THIS OTHER GROWTH, UH, FORECAST, WHICH, UH, YOU KNOW, THE MAP IS SORT OF FOCUSED ON DOWNTOWN.
IT, IT, UH, I THINK I WOULD CHARACTERIZE WHAT HAPPENED AS, UH, TRAFFIC AND POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT CAME FROM THE SUBURBS BACK IN TOWARDS THE DOWNTOWN.
UM, ALTHOUGH DOWNTOWN HAS A FAIRLY ROBUST AMOUNT OF GROWTH IN IT, IN BOTH POPULATION AND JOBS, THE CONCLUSIONS YOU WOULD DRAW FROM THOSE, THOSE MAPS FROM THAT PATTERN ARE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME AS WHAT YOU SAW ON THE MAP.
THE, THE EAST AUSTIN PROBLEM GETS A LITTLE BIT WORSE WITH THE, UH,
[00:25:01]
WITH THE ALTERNATIVE GROWTH PATTERN, BUT NOT SUBSTANTIALLY.THEY DON'T LOOK SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT.
UM, CERTAINLY THERE ARE A WHOLE RANGE OF OTHER FORECASTS, UH, THAT, THAT ONE COULD, DID YOU GET A CHANCE TO RUN THE ONE WHERE THE INCREASE IN DENSITY DEPENDENT ON THE AVAILABLE? ONE THING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER IN THIS WHOLE GAME IS AMPLE, DID NOT TAKE INTO EFFECT, DID NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY EFFECTS OF PROJECT NET.
YOU'RE APPROXIMATELY $125 ADDITIONAL TRIPS PER DAY, THAT WOULD BE ADDED BY PROJECT CONNECT.
THEY COULDN'T APPLE CAME OUT WITH THE MODEL IN MARCH AND THE ELECTION WASN'T UNTIL NOVEMBER.
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT ANY MODELS THAT TRY AND CONSIDER THE EFFECT OF ADDING A HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE THOUSAND TRIPS, ALL OF WHICH WOULD BE ALONG THE CORRIDOR, BUT A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION.
WE, UH, WE WERE, WE RAN THE MODEL THAT AMBO HAD.
UH, I WILL SAY WE ARE WE'RE IN DISCUSSION WITH THEM ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY WAS IN THAT MODEL.
SOME ELEMENTS OF PROJECT CONNECT WERE INCLUDED IN THE MODEL THEY ESSENTIALLY LOOKED AT, I GUESS, LOOKED AT THE POLLS AND SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS THING'S PROBABLY KIND OF PASSED.
I THERE'S SOME QUESTION BETWEEN OUR MODELERS ON THEIR MODELERS ABOUT WHAT SPECIFIC ELEMENTS GOT INCLUDED.
I'M NOT SURE, UH, CAN IN THE ELECTION FORECASTING FOLLOWS THE DEMOGRAPHIC FORECAST.
OBVIOUSLY THOSE ARE MY WORDS, NOT THEIRS, BUT, UM, I LIKE IT TELL, I KNEW WHAT THE, WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THE MODEL IT WILL LOOK LIKE.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS SIX MONTHS BEFORE THE MODELS WERE IN FIVE LINES, BUT THE ANOTHER EFFECT YOU MIGHT CONSIDER IS WILLIAMSON COUNTY EFFECT WHERE PRIOR TO 20 AND 20, 40, AND EARLIER YESTERDAY, WE'RE LARGELY, EVERYBODY SITS AROUND A TABLE AND ASK FOR THEIR NUMBERS AND ADJUST THE NUMBER.
SO DON'T, EXCUSE ME, FOR THE 2045 FORECAST, UM, CAMPO DID A MUCH BETTER JOB.
THEY HAVE MY ADMIRATION AND THEY PROMISED TO DO EVEN BETTER IN THE FUTURE REAL MODELING TOOLS, EXCEPT AT THE VERY LAST MINUTE WILLIAMS COUNTY CAME IN AND ADDED ANOTHER 300,000 POPULATION.
AND NOW FOLKS THERE CANNOT OVERRIDE WILLIAMSON COUNTING.
SO AGAIN, I WOULD BE, WE GET A LESS PUT ASIDE PROCESS COMING UP WITH FORECAST.
I WOULD BE A LITTLE BIT CAUTIOUS ABOUT CAMPO IF I CAN JUST ADD TO THAT TOO.
AND I WOULD INVITE TECHS THAT SAID SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO, SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT, WELL, FIRST LET ME BACK UP AND SAY, AND PCI DIDN'T RUN THE MODEL.
WE WEREN'T GIVEN MODELED ONE BY TEXTBOOKS CONSULTANTS.
THAT'S NUMBER ONE, BUT NUMBER TWO, AND THAT'S REQUIRED TO USE THAT THE FEDERALLY APPROVED PROBABLY IN AN MODEL.
UM, I REALIZED THERE WAS A LOT OF, YEAH, THINGS THAT, THAT COME WITH THAT, BUT, BUT THAT'S THE TOOL THAT THEY HAVE TO USE.
I SEE HEATHER IN THROUGH THE MOUTH.
SO PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
I DIDN'T SEE YOU THERE EARLIER.
YEAH, I'LL GO AHEAD AND SPEAK UP, TINA.
UH, YEAH, MY NAME IS HEATHER ASHLEEN AND WHEN I'M THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR AT PRESCOTT AUSTIN DISTRICT, AND, UM, TINA'S CORRECT.
WE, UH, TO BE LEGALLY SUFFICIENT IN OUR NEPA PROCESS, UH, WE HAVE TO USE THE ADOPTED APPROVED CAMPO MODEL AND, UM, PROJECT CONNECT IS STILL UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND, UM, WE'RE WORKING ON THE METHODOLOGY FOR TRAFFIC FORECASTING.
AND, UM, BUT RIGHT NOW WE ARE, UH, FULLY IN SUPPORT OF THE CAMPO MODEL THAT WAS COORDINATED WITH ALL THE STAKEHOLDERS.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY COORDINATED WITH OUR TRANSPORTATION DIVISION.
THEY COORDINATED WITH OTHERS ON, ON THE MODEL AS WELL.
AND SO THAT'S THE ADOPTED AND APPROVED MODEL THAT WE'RE WE'RE USING.
I WOULD POINT OUT THAT YEAH, PROJECT CONNECT IS UNDER EXACTLY THE SAME REQUIREMENTS.
SO PROJECT CONNECTS, CURRENT KINDS OF FORECASTS ARE BASED ON PATTERNS OF MODELS THAT DIDN'T CONSIDER ANY EXPERT WROTE TO PROJECT CONNECT WITH HILL.
SO I'M VERY SURE AND THERE AND TRANSIT AGENCIES ARE REQUIRED.
YOU STOPPED SMILING, THEN I'M GOING TO TRY IT THE MODEL.
[00:30:01]
THAT THE BURREN PROJECT CONNECT UP SUMMIT IS AROUND 250,000 PER DAY OF THOSE $175.I DO BEEN WHEN I USE EVERYBODY WROTE THE SAME MODEL TODAY HAS ABOUT TWENTY-FIVE PERCENT MORE, UH, FOOD.
BUT WHEN I GO TO THE PRIVATE ORDER DEVELOPMENT MODEL, IT'S DOUBLED, BUT IF I WERE A BETTING PERSON, I WOULD BET ON TRUCK PROJECT COMMITTEE RIDERSHIP, HEY, I WOULD LIKE TO CHIME IN AND SAY, WE STARTED THIS SERIES, IT'S CALLED THE CAPEX VOICE, IT'S VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE HAVE ON OUR ROS ON OUR LIST OF POTENTIAL VOICE MEETINGS, A TRAFFIC WORKSHOP THAT ALLOWS US TO DIVE INTO MORE DETAIL ON CERTAIN SPECIFIC TOPICS.
AND SO RUBEN, I'D LIKE TO PUT YOU ON THE LIST FOR THE CAPEX VOICE FOR THE TRAFFIC WHEN WE HAVE OUR TRAFFIC DISCUSSION, OUR DEEP DIVE ON THAT.
UM, I THINK IT'D BE GOOD IF HE COULD ATTEND THAT AND I'VE ALREADY BEEN ATTENDING THOSE MEETINGS AND THEY ARE EXCELLENT.
COMMISSIONER BROOKS, COMMISSIONER FRANK.
UM, I I'D LIKE TO GET A COPY OF IT, UNFORTUNATELY, I'M NOT IN THE CHAT, SO THERE'S A WAY WE CAN GET THAT SENT OUT TO COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I GUESS WHAT I'M HEARING FROM THIS DISCUSSION SPUR BOND BY, BY RUBIN'S QUESTION IS THAT, UM, THERE IS SOME, UM, DISCREPANCIES IN THE MODELING ITSELF, WHETHER IT BE BECAUSE OF, UM, NUMBERS THAT WERE USED PRIOR TO ELECTIONS OR, UM, FEDERALLY MANDATED NUMBERS THAT ARE, THAT ARE DIFFERENT POTENTIALLY FROM LOCAL NUMBERS OR EVEN FTA VERSUS, UM, F F H W NUMBER MANDATES, UM, POINT OF THAT BEING, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S TWO GINORMOUS PROJECTS ON THE TABLE HERE.
I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT
SO AS A COMMUNITY 7 BILLION VERSUS THE BILLIONS, RIGHT, 35, I THINK IF WE COULD SLOW THIS PROCESS DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND GET CONSENSUS ON WHAT THOSE NUMBERS SHOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE A VERY, VERY RESPONSIBLE DECISION TO MAKE IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT THESE ARE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS BEING SPENT.
THAT'S ALL MY COMMENTS IS TXDOT OR TTI.
I HAVE HAD A COMMENT OR AN OPINION, SO I CAN TELL YOU, UM, BECAUSE THIS IS AN INTERSTATE, WE HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION AS WELL.
SO WE'RE, UH, WE DID A METHODOLOGY AND YOU HAVE TO GET APPROVAL AT THE HIGHEST LEVELS THAT AT, UM, AT EPIC SHOULD BE I AS WELL ON OUR TRAFFIC FORECASTING AND OUR METHODOLOGY.
SO WE WORK WITH OUR DESIGN DIVISION.
UM, WE ALSO DISTRICT WORKS WITH DESIGN DIVISION AND, UM, WE GET ALL OF THAT APPROVED BY HWA.
SO THAT'S REALLY THE ONLY WAY WE'RE ABLE TO ILLEGALLY YOUR VOICE HAS DROPPED LAST YEAR.
YOUR VOICE HAS DROPPED YOUR, YOU WENT ON MUTE OR YOUR VOICE DROPPED.
SO, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT DOING IT IN A VACUUM, THE TRAFFIC, UH, METHODOLOGY AND FORECASTING THAT WE'RE DOING, UH, AND WE DID RECENTLY TAKE SOME MORE TRAFFIC COUNTS TO KIND OF PROVE OUR NUMBERS.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE DOING SOME THINGS TO, TO KIND OF, UH, MAKE SURE THAT MEL METHODOLOGY IS SOUND, AND WE'LL TAKE YOUR COMMENTS HERE TODAY AND GO BACK AND TALK TO THE TEAM ABOUT IT.
UM, IF I COULD HAVE A FOLLOW-UP COMMENT.
UM, SO AS A PROCESS, YOU KNOW, IT'S THIS WE'RE SOFTWARE, I'LL JUST SPEAK TO THIS, THAT'S MY FIELD.
YOU KNOW, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BEING AGILE AND BEING WATERFALL.
AND THE QUESTION WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DISCREPANCY OR DISCUSSION, I THINK GOOD FAITH DISCUSSION FROM BOTH SIDES ON THE DISCREPANCY, IN THE NUMBERS.
IS THERE ANY ELEMENT OF THE PROCESS AS THIS GOES ALONG WHERE YOU LITERALLY SIT DOWN AND RECONSIDER ONE MONTH IN ONE YEAR IN, BEFORE IT TURNS SHOVELS, IS THERE A PLACE TO RECONSIDER THE VALIDITY OF THE NUMBERS OR DO YOU PICK THE NUMBER RIGHT NOW? AND THEN THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS AND $8 BILLION? WELL, IT'S ACTUALLY A FIVE-YEAR MODEL.
SO, UM, THERE'S TYPICALLY A DIRECT GRANDFATHER PERIOD.
SO, UH, LIKE COMMISSIONER BROOKS WAS MENTIONING, UM, THE 20, 40 MODEL WE'RE WORKING ON THE 20, 45 MODEL RIGHT NOW.
AND, UM, DURING THAT FIVE YEARS, THEY'D TAKE EVERYTHING AND THEY COORDINATE WITH THE STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO IT IS EVERY FIVE YEARS AND I, 35 IS NOT THE ONLY PROJECT THAT'S USING THE CAMPO MODEL, EVERY SINGLE PROJECT THAT TXDOT PUTS OUT, UM, IN THIS REGION
[00:35:01]
AND THE CAPITAL AREA, METROPOLITAN METRIC POLITAN REGION IS USING THAT MODEL.AND SO EVERY PROJECT THAT WE'RE USING IS, IS USING, IS USING THAT MODEL.
SO, UM, WE STAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW.
BUT AGAIN, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WE'LL TAKE YOUR COMMENTS BACK AND, AND, UM, LIKE SUSAN MENTIONED, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL GET A DEEP DIVE INTO TRAFFIC.
WE'LL HAVE OUR SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS, EXPERTS AT THE TABLE AND DISCUSS WITH YOU AT THAT TIME.
SO THE TAKEAWAY IS THAT EVERY FIVE YEARS YOU COULD RECONSIDER THE NUMBERS.
THE CAMPO MODEL IS UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
IT'S FISCALLY CONSTRAINED, UM, PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THAT 20 YEAR PLAN.
CAN I ENTER THE ROOM TO KEEP THEIR MOUSE ON OVER THEIR MOUTHS AND NOSES? GOOD POINT.
UH, ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH COMMENTS, QUESTIONS FOLLOW UP? YEAH.
UM, ON VIDEO, UM, HI, UH, I WAS CURIOUS, SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CURRENT CAMPO MODEL, WHICH YOUR FAMILY YOU ARE REQUIRED TO USE.
UH, SO IT WAS BASED IS THIS MODEL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, W WHEN DID THE ANALYSIS OF THE ALTERNATIVES, UM, OPPOSITIONS, UH, ESSENTIALLY AS WE CONNECT AUSTIN, DID YOU TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, A REDUCED DEMAND FROM, UM, THE LAW, UH, REDUCE RELIANCE ON PARTS? UH, TYPICALLY IN THE URBAN CORE, UM, IT DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THE ABILITY TO CRISSCROSS THE INTERSTATE ON FOOT BICYCLE AND OTHER MOBILITY OPTIONS, AND, UH, JUST VARIOUS WAYS THAT YOU MIGHT THAT PROPOSAL OR OTHER PROPOSALS LIKE THAT WOULD, UH, REDUCE CONGESTION AND MAYBE BALANCE OUT, UH, THE TRAFFIC LOAD, OR DOES IT ONLY TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UH, THE CAR, UM, UH, LOAD THAT YOU ARE EXPECTING FROM I'LL LET TIM TRY THAT ONE AT FIRST, BECAUSE HE IS MORE OF A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT ON TRUCK THAN I AM.
UM, BUT TIM, YOU WANT TO TRY THAT AND THEN I'LL FOLLOW.
I, UH, THERE IS A FAIR AMOUNT OF, UM, SORT OF NON-CAR MODE.
I THINK, UH, THE, THE OPTIONS THAT YOU SAW US PRESENT, I THINK ALL OF THOSE MEET THE 50% NON SINGLE-OCCUPANT VEHICLE MODE SHARE GOAL THAT THE CITY HAS EXPRESSED.
UM, THE, AND THERE'S A FAIR AMOUNT OF BIKE AND PAD AND TRANSIT, UH, IN THERE.
UH, I, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE SPECIFICS ON, ON HOW MANY TRIPS THERE ARE, BUT YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, UM, THING, UH, THAT IT, IT WOULD BE, UH, TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE, THE TRIP SPLIT THE 50%, UH, TRIPS SPLIT THAT, UM, OFTENTIMES AS THE SUMMARY RESULTS THAT I SAW SHOWED THAT THAT'S THAT'S OCCURRING IN THE MODEL.
WELL, YEAH, THAT'S INTERESTING.
UH, BUT I, I WOULD JUST COMMENT THAT I REALLY BELIEVE THAT THESE KIND OF, UH, THESE FORECASTS TEND TO BE PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC AND, UM, I, I DON'T REALLY, UH, BUY FRANKLY THAT, UH, THAT THEY JUST HAPPENED TO FEEL EXACTLY WHAT TXDOT WANTS TO SHOW.
MR. SANDERS, I GUESS THIS IS MORE OF A COMMENT THAN A QUESTION, BUT LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THE CHARTS THAT YOU SHOWED US, PARTICULARLY THE SLIDE THAT SHOWED LIKE ELEMENTS PROPOSED BY THE COMMUNITY, UM, COMMUNITY CONCEPTS THAT WERE ADDRESSED IN TXDOT.
I JUST REALLY WANT TO SAY THAT, THAT, THAT ISN'T SUPER SATISFYING TO ME IN CERTAIN CASES, LIKE WHERE IT SAID MORE ME AND MORE EAST, WEST CONDUCTIVITY, MORE CROSSINGS, I THINK THERE WAS ONE AT IT AND THE TECHSTOP PROCESS.
THAT'S NOT VERY, LIKE IF WE HAVE PROPOSALS THAT BASICALLY CALL FOR ELIMINATING ALL EAST WEST CONDUCTIVITY PROBLEMS, AND YOU'RE SAYING, WELL, WE'RE GOING TO ADD ONE MORE STREET.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT REALLY IS A SATISFYING SENSE TO ME THAT LIKE THE TECHSTOP PROPOSAL SATISFIES WHAT THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS ARE LOOKING FOR.
SO I GUESS THAT'S MORE OF JUST AN OBSERVATION OR COMMENT YOU CAN RESPOND, BUT, UM, I DON'T FEEL AS STRONGLY FROM THE SLIDE THAT YOU SHOWED THAT THE TECHSTOP PROPOSAL MEETS THOSE A LOT OF THOSE SAME ELEMENTS THAT YOU SAID, OH, THIS WAS ADDRESSED BY THE TECHSTOP PLAN, THE, WHAT THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS ARE CALLING FOR.
NOT QUITE AS SURE ABOUT I CAN, I CAN JUST ANSWER REALLY QUICKLY, UM, YOU KNOW, AND WORK ON A LOT OF LAST YEAR.
[00:40:01]
ATTIC CRUSTY, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE WORK ON, UH, THE MAJOR PROJECTS IN AUSTIN, 180 3 NORTH MOPAC EXPRESS, UH, MOPAC SOUTH.A LOT OF THOSE PROJECTS, WE DON'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD EVERY SINGLE BRIDGE.
SO WE USUALLY HAVE TO SQUEEZE IN THE BIKE AND PET ACCOMMODATIONS ON THOSE EXISTING STRUCTURES, WHICH IS NOT EASY, UM, IN THIS PROJECT, WE'RE RECONSTRUCTING EVERY SINGLE CROSSING.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO, BUT I UNDERSTAND, UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR COMMENT.
AND JUST TO, I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT WE DO HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, NOT HAVE TO RETROFIT A BRIDGE, UM, FOR THE STRUCTURAL SUPPORT THAT'S NEEDED FOR ANY OF THE ACCOMMODATIONS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE ON THIS PROJECT.
AND I'LL JUST ADD, UM, WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION THAT, UH, I'LL, I'LL WALK THROUGH, WE WERE GOING TO SPEND SOME TIME TALKING ABOUT THAT EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY.
AND AS HEATHER SAID, REBUILDING THOSE BRIDGES, IT REALLY IS GOING TO CHANGE THE EXPERIENCE OF THE, OF MOVING EAST AND WEST THROUGH AUSTIN.
UM, WE ARE ALSO ADDING SOME ADDITIONAL CROSSINGS, UM, ON THE PET SIDE, WE'RE ADDING A PEDESTRIAN, UM, UH, STRUCTURE BRIDGE OVER, UM, I 35.
AND THIS IS BETWEEN US 2 92 AROUND 51ST STREET IN THE CAPITAL POSIT ROOM.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, A PEDESTRIAN CROSSING BRIDGE AT FOURTH STREET.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT AN EAST WEST CROSSING OF HISTORY.
UM, BUT WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT A BIT MORE WHEN I, THIS IS A PRESENTATION.
I DIDN'T SEE THE ANALYSIS MAP OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, A ULI PROGRAM.
WAS THAT JUST FOR SPACE OR DID YOU NOT DO A MAP ON THAT WHEN YOU WERE COMPARING THE IMPACT FROM THE 35 AND YOU HAD THE ED, THE RECONNECT AND THE RETHINK, BUT NOT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
UM, TAKE THAT, UH, WE LOOKED AT WHAT THE BIA ALTERNATIVE
IT'S NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT.
UM, THE TXDOT OPTION IN TERMS OF WHERE THE TRIPS ARE GOING FROM, YOU KNOW, THE MA MY SUMMARY IS THEY WENT LOOKING FOR CAPS AND STITCHES AND BETTER, UM, CONNECTIONS THAT ARE WIDER, UH, YOU KNOW, CROSSINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
THOSE DIDN'T RISE TO THE LEVEL OF SOMETHING THAT WE FELT LIKE A MODEL WAS GOING TO GIVE US ANY INPUT ON.
WE, WE, WE DO HAVE, UH, AN ANALYSIS OF THAT IN THE, IN THE FULL REPORT, UH, AND, AND LOOKED AT THE ELEMENTS OF THAT EA IT'S JUST NOT GRAMPY OUT.
UH, ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS WITH COVID HERE BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE NEXT PATIENT? OKAY.
UM, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE, UH, BIGGER PRESENTATION.
YOU READY FOR ME TO START? WE'RE READY WHEN YOU ARE.
AND I REALLY ACTUALLY PREFER TO START WITH QUESTIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION.
SO I KIND OF KNOW WHERE TO FOCUS MY TIME.
AND SO THIS EARLY DISCUSSION WITH TTI AND THOSE QUESTIONS WERE GREAT.
UM, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO STOP DURING THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW A LOT OF YOU ARE PROBABLY VERY FAMILIAR WITH A LOT OF THIS CONTENT ALREADY.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE A VERY BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE MOBILITY 35 PROGRAM, AND THEN WE'LL TALK MOSTLY ABOUT THE CAPITOL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.
I'LL GIVE A VERY BRIEF UPDATE ON OUR NORTH AND SOUTH PROJECTS AS WELL, WHICH ARE PART OF THE CAPITAL EXPRESS PROGRAM.
SO THE CAPITAL EXPRESS PROGRAM PROJECTS ARE UNDER THE
[00:45:01]
MOBILITY THIRTY-FIVE PROGRAM UMBRELLA.THESE ARE GOALS THAT REALLY GUIDE THE, UM, THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT OF ALL OF OUR PROJECTS IN MOBILITY 35 AND MOBILITY 35 SPANS I 35 THROUGH WILLIAMSON, TRAVIS AND HAYES COUNTY.
UM, THE CAPITAL EXPRESS PROGRAM PROJECTS ARE SOME OF OUR MAJOR PROJECTS, BUT THESE ARE GOALS THAT WE DO APPLY TO ALL OF THEM.
AND WHAT I REALLY WANT TO POINT OUT FROM HERE IS INCREASING CAPACITY IS ONE OF THE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE OTHER GOALS AND OBJECTIVES THAT REALLY COME INTO PLAY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE CAPITAL EXPRESS PROGRAM PROJECTS AND, AND REALLY RESPOND TO THE FEEDBACK THAT WE'RE HEARING LIKE IMPROVING EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY, UM, COMPASSION, IMPROVING COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOODS, ENHANCING OUR FACILITIES FOR PEOPLE BIKING AND PSYCH AND WALKING AND, AND USING TRANSIT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY ENHANCING SAFETY SAFETY IS A NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AT TXDOT, UM, OPTIMIZING THE ROADWAY FOOTPRINT SUSTAIN WITHIN, OR AS CLOSE TO WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY AS WE CAN.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE INCREASING OUR CAPACITY AND FINALLY MANAGING TRAFFIC BETTER.
SO, ONE THING ABOUT THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT IS WE ARE ADDING SOME OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE REALLY GOING TO IMPROVE CONGESTION AND INTERSECTIONS IN ON FRONTAGE ROADS.
SO THIS IS SOME PROGRAM HISTORY.
I THINK YOU WILL, YOU ALL HAVE A COPY OF THIS, SO YOU CAN LOOK AT IT IN SOME DETAIL, BUT I WANT, WHAT I WANT TO POINT OUT FROM THIS IS THAT WAKE TECH SAW HAS BEEN WORKING ON THIS, THESE PROGRAM OF PROJECTS FOR YEARS, AND REALLY STARTING BACK IN THE 1980S, THE MOBILITY 35 PROGRAM WAS STARTED IN 2013.
UM, WE THEN WORKED WITH THE DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP IN 20 13, 20 14, AND THEN ALSO HAD A DEX NEIGHBORHOOD WORKSHOP, UM, IN 2014, THROUGH 2015, AND REALLY THE OUTCOME OF THE DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP AND THE DECKS NEIGHBORHOOD WORKSHOP WAS TO LOWER
AND THAT WAS A MAJOR, UM, TAKEAWAY AND CONCLUSION OUT OF THOSE, UH, COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT EFFORTS IN 2020 CAMPO AND THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION APPROVED THE, UM, THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT FOR FUNDING IN THE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
AND TH AND TODAY WE ARE NOW IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEMATIC PHASE FOR CAP CENTRAL CAPEX CENTRAL NEXT SLIDE.
AND THEN THESE ARE OUR PROJECTS.
SO IT'S THREE STANDALONE PROJECTS, NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTH OR NORTH AND MYTHS GO FROM SH 45 NORTH TO UST.
90 EAST CENTRAL GOES FROM US TO 90 EAST TO THE SH 71 THAN WHITE BOULEVARD INTERCHANGE.
AND THEN SOUTH GOES FROM SH 71, THEN ONE TO SH 45 SOUTH EAST, AND WE'RE PROPOSING TO ADD MANAGE LANES.
SO NON TOLD HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE MANAGED LANES.
THOSE WILL BE RESTRICTED TO TRANSIT CARPOOLS VANPOOLS AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE.
SO AGAIN, OUR CENTRAL PROJECT IS ABOUT EIGHT MILES.
OUR, OUR, OUR PROPOSAL IS TO CONSTRUCT TWO NON TOLD MANAGED LANES IN EACH DIRECTION.
ALONG WITH THAT, WE WOULD BE RECONSTRUCTING RAMPS AND BRIDGES.
WE WOULD BE IMPROVING THE FRONTAGE ROAD, ENHANCING OUR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, ACCOMMODATING TRANSIT ROUTES.
UM, AND THEN ALSO MAKING A NUMBER OF OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE BYPASS COLLECTOR DISTRIBUTOR SYSTEM.
OUR TOTAL CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COSTS IS ABOUT 4.9 BILLION.
WE'RE ANTICIPATED TO START CONSTRUCTION IN 2025.
UM, HOWEVER, I WILL SAY, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS, THERE MAY BE SOME PRE-CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES IDENTIFIED BY A UTILITY RELOCATION.
UM, SOME, UH, SOME SMALLER PROJECTS IDENTIFIED THAT THAT MAY OCCUR BEFORE 2020.
SO FOR THE CENTRAL PROJECT, WE, UM, INITIALLY HAD OUR FIRST OPEN HOUSE WHERE WE PROVIDED A DRAFT PURPOSE, A NEED, AND A COORDINATION PLAN FOR THE AGENCIES AND THE PUBLIC.
UH, WE HAD A SECOND OPEN HOUSE TO SHOW DRAFT EVALUATION CRITERIA, AND THIS IS THE CRITERIA THAT WE WERE GOING TO USE ON THE THREE BUILD ALTERNATIVES THAT WE WERE PROPOSING.
UM, WE S WE SOUGHT FEEDBACK ON THAT CRITERIA, AND THEN WE ADJUSTED THE CRITERIA PRIOR TO DOING THAT PRELIMINARY SCREENING.
[00:50:01]
IN THE MIDDLE OF OUR THIRD OPEN HOUSE THAT WE HAD AN IN-PERSON OPTION ON AUGUST 10TH.UM, IT IS AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW AND COMMENT THROUGH SEPTEMBER 24TH.
IT WAS GOING TO CLOSE SEPTEMBER 8TH, BUT IT WILL NOW BE AVAILABLE FOR COMMENT ON SEPTEMBER 12TH THROUGH SEPTEMBER 24TH.
UM, WHAT WE SHOWN IN THIS IS OUR ALTERNATIVES WITH THE, THE PLAN VIEW.
SO THE SCHEMATICS AND EXHIBITS THAT SHOW RIGHT OF WAY FOOTPRINT ACCESS A LOT OF OTHER DETAILS.
AND WE'VE ALSO SHOWN THE RESULTS OF OUR PRELIMINARY EVALUATION SCREENING.
AND I'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER ON, UM, THE NEXT IMPORTANT MILESTONE THAT WE'LL HAVE IS GOING TO BE IN ABOUT A YEAR IN THE FALL OF 2022, WE'LL HAVE ONE RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE.
AND THEN IN THE SUMMER OF, UH, AND THEN ALONG WITH THAT IN THE FALL OF 2022, WE'LL HOLD OUR PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN IN THE SUMMER OF 2023, UM, WE ARE TARGETING THE, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE AND RECEIVING RECORD OF DECISION THAT IS APPROVED.
SO YOU, THIS, THIS SIDE REALLY IS JUST TO TOOT TO ILLUSTRATE WHY THE DEPARTMENT IS PUTTING THE RESOURCES TO IMPROVE BY 35.
THE LAST TIME I 35 RECEIVED A MAJOR UPGRADE WAS, UM, YOU HAVE TO, A CENTURY AGO, A LOT HAS CHANGED SINCE THEN.
OUR AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC NOW IS MORE THAN 200 VEHICLES PER DAY.
AND BY 2045, THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO GO TO 300,000 VEHICLES PER DAY.
AND ANOTHER, ANOTHER REASON FOR THIS UPGRADE, AS WE KNOW THAT THE CRASH RATE ON I 35 IN THIS, IN THE SECTION OF THE CAP CAPITAL EXPRESS PROGRAM PROJECTS IS, IS HIGHER ABOVE AVERAGE THAN FOR SIMILAR STATE ROADWAYS.
IN 2019, WE HAD 1,132 CRASHES IN THE PROJECT LIMITS THAT RESULTED IN EIGHT FATALITIES AND, AND 21, ANOTHER 21 OF THOSE PRESSURES WERE, UM, RATED AS SEVERE.
AND THIS NEXT SLIDE, THIS NEXT SLIDE DISCUSSES THE PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROJECT.
UM, I WILL LET YOU GUYS LOOK AT THAT IN DETAIL FURTHER, WE'LL GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR PUBLIC OUTREACH, AND THIS IS JUST PUBLIC OUTREACH WITHIN THE LAST ABOUT 18 MONTHS SINCE THE PROJECT WAS INCLUDED IN THE UNIFIED TRANSPORTATION PLAN, BUT WE'VE HAD, UM, 28 MEETINGS WITH COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND, AND AREA LEADERS.
WE'VE HAD OVER 50 MEETINGS WITH, UH, AGENCY COORDINATION MEETINGS AND MEETINGS WITH THE CITY.
UM, CAMPO ARE OUR OTHER PARTNER AGENCIES, AND THEN OVER 50 MEETINGS WITH, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS, COMMUNITY ASSOCIATIONS.
UM, AND THESE MEETINGS, LIKE I SAID, HAVE INCLUDED MEETINGS WITH SO-CALLED LEADERS, FACT, UM, ELECTED OFFICIALS, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESS, AND PROPERTY OWNERS, COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, PUBLIC AGENCIES.
AND THEN WE'VE ALSO STARTED, UM, A FEW MONTHS AGO, OUR CAP CAP EX BOYS MEETINGS, WHICH STAND FOR VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
AND I, I MENTIONED IT DURING THE Q AND A EARLIER, BUT MEETINGS, THE VOICE MEETINGS ARE VERY SPECIAL MEETINGS SET UP TO ALLOW US TO TAKE A DEEPER DIVE INTO SOME OF THE TOPICS THAT WE HAVE MOST OF OUR MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE ABOUT MAYBE 30 MINUTES IF WE'RE LUCKY 45 MINUTES WITH Q AND A TO TALK ABOUT THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, MASSIVE TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS.
SO THIS ALLOWS US TO REALLY DIVE INTO MORE FOCUSED SUBJECT AREAS.
SO THESE WERE THE COMMON THEMES FROM OUR VIRTUAL SCOPING MEETINGS.
NUMBER ONE, AND NUMBER TWO, UM, WE, WE HEARD A LOT OF, UM, REQUESTS TO CONSIDER CLASSES OR CAPS AND CROSS STREET AMENITIES, UM, SUPPORTIVE TRANSIT, AND ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT SUPPORTS TRANSIT EVALUATING IMPACTS TO HEALTH INEQUITY, UM, CONSIDERING THE MANAGED LANES.
SO LOT OF COMMENTS ON TOTALLING, UM, THE MANAGED LANES AND VARIABLE PRICE TOLLING, UH, ADDRESSING AIR QUALITY AND ANALYZING THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS.
AND SO HOW WE'RE RESPONDING IS, UM, WE ARE, UM, AS WAS ESTABLISHED BACK IN, IN THE SUSIE EARLIER ROUTE, UH, OUTREACH IN THE 20 13, 20 15 TIME, WE ARE STILL COMMITTED TO LOWERING THE TRAVELINGS.
UH, WE ARE ALSO UPDATING MORE THAN 15 WIDENED, UH, EAST WEST CROSSINGS.
AND THAT INCLUDES A NEW CONNECTION AT FIFTH STREET FOR ALL USERS, AND THEN PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS AT THE CAP METRO RED LINE AND FUTURE GOLD LINE SOUTH
[00:55:01]
OF AIRPORT BOULEVARD.AND THEN ALSO BETWEEN 51ST STREET.
AND
WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT, WITHIN THE, THE CENTRIC CORE 35 MILES PER HOUR.
AND WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ENHANCED PERSON CARRYING CAPACITY ALONG THE CORRIDOR, DO THE MANAGED LANES, AND THAT'S GOING TO HELP PROVIDE A RELIABLE ROUTE FOR OUR TRANSIT.
AND THEN ALSO OUR PEOPLE IN CARPOOLS AND POLES AND OUR EMERGENCY RESPONDERS.
WE ALSO, UM, AS YOU HEARD FROM TINA AND TIM, WE WORKED WITH, UH, TTI TO ANALYZE THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS AND THEN LAST AND, AND WELL, THIS ISN'T, THIS IS THE LAST ITEM THAT I HAVE, BUT WE'RE OPEN REOPENING THE AESTHETICS PROCESS.
AND THAT'LL, I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT WITH THIS NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.
I THINK, UM, SO HERE I WANT TO GO OVER, THIS IS A RENDERING OF A TYPICAL EAST WEST CROSSING ALONG LIGHT 35.
AND AS HEATHER MENTIONED EARLIER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE RARELY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO REBUILD THE EAST WEST CROSSING THROUGHOUT A FULL PROJECT, BUT ON THE
AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS WE'RE SHOWING ABOUT, ABOUT 30 FEET OF BUFFER AND SHARED USE HALF SPACE ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ROADWAY.
SO TYPICALLY THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD RELATE, OR THAT WOULD TRANSLATE INTO A 10 FOOT SHARED USE PATH AND A 20 FOOT BUFFER IN DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE HAD WITH THE CITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE SOME DISCUSSION OF PERHAPS PUTTING A BUFFER ON EITHER SIDE OF THE SHARED USE PATH OR IN SOME LOCATIONS POTENTIALLY, UM, ADJUSTING THE WIDTHS OF THE BUFFER AND THE SHARED USE PATH.
BUT BOTTOM LINE IS WE'RE LOOKING AT 30 FEET OF ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR THE, UM, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN USERS.
AND THIS WOULD BE ON, ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROADWAY.
SO 60 FEET TOTAL, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO, DO DO SOME RECENT CHANGES IN THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN GUIDANCE THAT TEXTS THOUGHT FOLLOWS.
AND SO, UM, ALONG WITH THAT, ALONG WITH JUST THE DIFFERENT, THE ADDITIONAL WIDTH ON OUR BRIDGES, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE CITY TO PARTNER TO BRING SOME ADDITIONAL AMENITIES LIKE SUNSHADES, UM, LANDSCAPING, SOME DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAVERS, UM, POSSIBLY MURALS AND ARTWORK.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU'LL, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE CITY ON BECAUSE, UM, THAT THE CITY WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE ELEMENTS, BUT, UM, IN THE FUNDING AND THE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE ELEMENTS, BUT THEY, UM, DEFINITELY WOULD IMPROVE THAT USER EXPERIENCE IN THE EAST WEST, IN THE EAST WEST CROSSINGS.
AND SO TYING INTO THAT AND WHAT THOSE ON THOSE EAST WEST CROSSINGS AND WHAT GOES ALONG THE ENTIRE CORRIDOR, WE ARE RELAUNCHING OUR AESTHETICS PROGRAM AND THE AESTHETICS CONCEPTS THAT WILL GUIDE THE PROJECT.
THIS ACTUALLY CAME ABOUT THROUGH, UM, A LOT OF STAKEHOLDER AND COMMUNITY FEEDBACK TO REOPEN THAT PROCESS WANT TO SAY ABOUT SIX, SEVEN YEARS AGO, THE TECHS THAT DISTRICT DID HOLD A SERIES OF A SET OF WORKSHOPS AND DEVELOP, AND THE AESTHETIC CONCEPTUAL PLAN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN CHANGE IS CHANGING SO MUCH.
WE'VE HAD A LOT MORE, YOU KNOW, TREMENDOUS POPULATION GROWTH.
AND SO THE COMMUNITY FELT THAT, UM, THAT IT WAS, YOU FELT THAT THERE WAS A NEED TO REOPEN THAT.
UM, WE'RE RELAUNCHING THE PROGRAM AND OUR AESTHETICS WILL INCLUDE ELEMENTS LIKE SHADE STRUCTURES, THE ENHANCED BIKE LANES AND SIDEWALKS, UM, CANDLES, LANDSCAPING, POTENTIALLY SOME ARTWORK.
UM, WE WANT TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT THE PROJECT AND THE DEVELOPMENT AND THESE SETTINGS REFLECT COMMUNITY VALUES, AND WE'RE WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UM, TO DEVELOP THIS NEW CONCEPT PLAN.
UM, WHAT I REALLY WANT YOU TO TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS, UM, THIS IS SHOWING ALL OF OUR BUILD ALTERNATIVES, ONE, TWO, AND THREE, AND OUR NO GOLD ALTERNATIVE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NO BUILD ALTERNATIVE, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE OUT THERE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S EXISTING.
YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF, YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF RED DOTS AND THOSE RED DOTS REPRESENT EAST WEST CROSSINGS, WHERE THE HIGHWAY GOES OVER THE CROSSING.
UM, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE OTHER TWO, IN THE OTHER THREE ALTERNATIVES ARE THOSE RED DOTS ARE NOW YELLOW DOTS.
AND THAT REALLY, UM, THAT REALLY ILLUSTRATES THE OPENING OF THOSE, THESE WEST CROSS SCENES.
[01:00:01]
WE'RE SHOWING IS THAT THE HIGHWAY IS GOING TO GO UNDER THE INTERSECTIONS.THIS WILL BE MADE A LOT CLEAR IN SOME OF THE RENDERINGS THAT I'LL SHOW YOU IN WITH THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
UH, SO I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION CRITERIA.
THIS IS THE MAIN PART OF OUR OPEN HOUSE, AND REALLY THIS ALLOWED US TO LOOK AT, AT EACH ALTERNATIVES IN VILLA ABILITY TO ENHANCE THE SAFETY ADDRESS DEMAND AND CREATE A MORE DEPENDABLE TRAVEL ROUTE CRITERIA UNDER THE FEASIBILITY DESIGN AND ENGINEERING CATEGORY INCLUDED THINGS LIKE CONSTRUCTABILITY, SUCH AS RISK AND DURATION, UTILITY CONFLICTS, AND DRAINAGE, CONSTRUCTION, AND RISKS.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES CRITERIA INCLUDED POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO MINORITY AND LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES, HISTORIC PROPERTIES, AIR QUALITY, AND TRAFFIC NOISE, AND THEN DECKS THE DEBT CAP.
LOCAL ENHANCEMENTS CATEGORY LOOKED AT ALTERNATIVES ABILITY TO ACCOMMODATE DEBT CLASSES OR CAPS.
AND FINALLY, THE PROJECT COST CATEGORY INCLUDED AN APPROXIMATION OF TOTAL PROJECT CONSTRUCTION COSTS AS WELL AS OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FOR EACH ALTERNATIVE.
THE CRITERIA WAS THEN APPLIED TO THE BILLS AS WELL AS THE THREE BUILD ALTERNATIVES PUT FORWARD BY TEXTILE.
AND THIS SIDE REALLY SPEAKS TO A LOT OF THE CONSTRAINTS WITH OUR CAPEX CENTRAL PROJECT.
WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A LOT OF UTILITIES AND PARKLAND TEACHER DEVELOPMENT.
THAT'S ACTUALLY BEING CONSTRUCTED RIGHT NOW, OR PERMITS BEING FOOLED RIGHT NOW, AS WE SPEAK, YOU KNOW, AS I SPEAK, UH, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HOSPITAL AND MEDICAL FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE ALL DIFFERENT ASPECTS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE ARE, ARE EVALUATING THESE CRITERIA.
SO BASED UPON ALL OF THE CRITERIA THAT WE REVIEWED TECHS THAT DETERMINED THAT THE COMMUNITY ENHANCE THAT THE ALTERNATIVES TWO AND THREE WE'LL FORWARD FOR FURTHER EVALUATION IN THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, ALTERNATIVE ONE IS NOT GOING TO BE FOR A CARRIED FORWARD FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS.
AND TO SUMMARIZE THE DATA FOR ALTERNATIVES TWO AND THREE HAVE, UM, THEY SHOW FASTER RESPONSE TIMES FOR EMS FIRED POLICE AND HOSPITALS.
UM, THIS IS A BIG ONE SHORTER CONSTRUCTION DURATION BY ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF.
AND THEN DURING THE CONSTRUCTION TIME IMPROVE TRAFFIC OPERATIONS, YOUR WHILE THE PROJECT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION WITH FEWER LANE CLOSURES, SO LESS IMPACT THE TRAVELING PUBLIC WITH ALTERNATIVES TWO AND THREE, WE HAVE FEWER UTILITY CONFLICTS AND LOWER RELOCATION COSTS.
THERE WERE LESS DRAINAGE CONFLICTS, UM, LOWER CONSTRUCTION COSTS, AND THEN MUCH LOWER ANNUAL AND LIFETIME MAINTENANCE REQUIREMENTS AND COSTS.
AND THESE, WE HAVE, WE PROVIDE A LOT MORE DETAIL IN OUR, ABOUT OUR ALTERNATIVES, EVALUATION RESULTS AND TECHNICAL WORK FOR AT OUR OPEN HOUSE.
SO IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN, UM, DRILLING DOWN INTO THE CRITERIA AND THE ACTUAL MEASURES AND THE RESULTS, YOU CAN FIND THAT INFORMATION THERE.
SO THIS IS GOING TO SHOW, UM, SOME OF THE RENDERINGS, THIS IS THAT SIXTH STREET, AND WE'RE LOOKING SOUTH IN NEW ORLEANS.
I SHOWED THIS IN A POWERPOINT THAT SHOWS THE BEFORE AND FADES INTO THE AFTER, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE LOOKING SOUTH AT SIX, NORMALLY WHAT YOU WOULD SEE HERE IS, UM, YOU SEE THE BRIDGE OF THE HIGHWAY GOING OVER, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S REALLY, UH, AN OBSTRUCTION VISUAL OF THIS OBSTRUCTION FROM THE EAST AND WEST SIDES.
AND HERE, WE'RE LOOKING AT EIGHTH STREET, I'M LOOKING SOUTH.
AND AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE THAT, UM, REALLY THAT EAST WEST VISUAL SPACE IS OPENED, AND THIS IS ANOTHER AREA WHERE YOU WOULD SEE UNDER THE EXISTING CONDITION AND WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
YOU WOULD SEE THE BRIDGE GOING OVER THE EAST-WEST CROSSING.
WELL, NOW THE HIGHWAY IS UNDER THE EAST WEST CROSSING.
AND SO REALLY OPENING UP THAT VISUAL SPACE.
AND THIS IS WHERE WE HAVE THE UPPER DECKS.
WE'RE LOOKING SOUTHWEST TOWARD ST.
DAVID'S AT 32ND STREET AND HERE, UM, UNDER THE EXISTING CONDITIONS, IT'S PRETTY DARK AND SHADED BY THE UPPER DEPTHS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, VERY, UH, KIND OF ENCLOSED SPACING.
[01:05:01]
AND AGAIN, REALLY WITH THE UPPER DECKS GONE AND THE LANES OF MAIN LANES CONTINUING TO BE LOWERED UNDER THESE WEST CROSSING, IT REALLY OPENS UP THAT VISUAL SPACE AND THAT USER EXPERIENCE.AND THIS IS, THESE ARE ALL THESE RENDERINGS ARE ALL CONCEPTS.
UM, THEY MAY BE MODIFIED SOME AS WE MOVE THROUGH AND GET MORE DETAILED IN DESIGN, BUT THIS IS A, UH, CONNECTION THAT WE'RE SHOWING FROM THE LADY BIRD, LIKE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS DOWN TO THE BOARDWALK AREA OF THE LADY BIRD, LADY, BIRD, LAKE TRAIL.
THIS IS AN AREA THAT WE ARE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY ON.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL WORKSHOPS TO DISCUSS THIS AREA IN PARTICULAR, ALONG WITH OTHER, UM, AREAS ALONG THE HIGHWAY.
BUT, UM, WE WILL BE, UM, CONNECTING INTO THE LADY FOR LIKE TRAIL.
SO THIS REALLY SHOWS, UH, SOME OF THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN OUR ALTERNATIVES TWO AND THREE.
THIS IS AN AIRPORT AND WE'RE LOOKING SOUTH AND YOU'LL SEE.
AND THE, IN THE BACK AND THE HORIZON, OR IN THE FURTHER DISTANCE, YOU'LL SEE THE RED LINE AND THE RED LINE IS ACTUALLY ELEVATED OR IT'S ON A BRIDGE STRUCTURE.
SO WE'RE PROPOSING TO GRADE SEPARATE OR TO, TO, TO RAISE UP THE, THE RED LINE AND LOWER THE MANAGED LANES AND MAIN LANES.
AND SO YOU'LL ALSO SEE THE, ALL OF THE MANAGING THE MAIN LANES ARE UNDER AIRPORT BOULEVARD.
UM, AS IT PROCESS THAT'S WHAT'S ALTERNATIVES TO, AND THEN THE BOTTOM PICTURE SHOWS ALTERNATIVE THREE.
AND WHAT YOU'LL SEE HERE IS THAT THE, UM, THE MANAGED LANES ARE UNDER AIRPORT BOULEVARD, AND THEN WE HAVE THE AIRPORT BOULEVARD LEVEL, AND THEN WE HAVE THE MANAGED LANES GOING OVER AIRPORT BOULEVARD, AND THE MANAGED LANES ARE GOING OVER THE RED LINE, FUTURE BOVINE CROSSING IN ALTERNATIVE THREE.
THE, THE RED LINE IS GRAY, IS ALL, IS SEPARATED.
SO IT IS ON ITS OWN LEVEL FROM THE MANAGED LANES AND THE MAIN LANES AND THE FURNITURE IT'S.
BUT, UM, THE MANAGING TWO WOULD SPAN OVER FOR ALTERNATIVES TWO AND THREE.
AND THEN WHILE WE'RE ON THIS PAGE, UM, I, I DON'T HAVE THE RENDERING FOR IT HERE, BUT WE'RE ALSO PROPOSING TO DO SOMETHING SIMILAR AT WOODLAND, SOUTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE.
SO FOR ALTERNATIVES TO WOODLAND, UH, THE WOODLAND INTERSECTION WOULD BE OVER THE MANAGED LANES AND MAIN LANES.
AND THEN FOR ALTERNATIVE THREE, UM, THE MANAGERS WOULD GO OVER WOODLAND AVENUE.
WE DO HAVE A RENDERING OF THAT ON OUR OPEN HOUSE WEBSITE, IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN TAKING A LOOK, OKAY, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT ALSO.
UM, THIS IS AT FOURTH STREET AND WE'RE LOOKING WEST, AND RIGHT NOW YOU'LL SEE THE, UM, EAST WEST CROSSING IS UNDER THE HIGHWAY AND YOU'LL SEE THE, THE RAIL TRACKS FOR THE, UM, RED LINE THROUGH HERE.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO IS TO LOWER THE MANAGED LANES, MAIN LANES IN AND FURNITURE.
IT'S ALL, UM, BELOW THE RED LINE, AND THEN WE'LL HAVE A SEPARATED, SHARED USE PATH OR SHEPHERD SEPARATED PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE FOR BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIANS.
SO, UM, THIS IS, IS WHAT THIS DEPICTS, WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH CITY OF BOSTON AND CAP METRO, UM, ON THIS CONFIGURATION, BUT THIS IS, IS THE CONCEPT THAT WE ARE CURRENTLY STUDYING.
SO I'VE MENTIONED OUR OPEN HOUSE.
UM, THIS IS WHERE YOU CAN FIND THE INFORMATION.
ALL COMMENTS SHOULD BE SUBMITTED PLEASE BY SEPTEMBER 24TH, BUT WE STILL ACCEPT COMMENTS AFTER THAT.
WE ACCEPT COMMENTS ALL THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PHASE.
THAT SEPTEMBER 24TH DEADLINE IS JUST, UM, THE, THE CUTOFF THAT WE HAVE FOR IT TO BE INCLUDED IN THE COMMENT RECORD FOR THIS OPEN HOUSE.
BUT IF YOU SUBMIT IT AFTER THE 24TH, WE STILL, UM, WE STILL ACCEPT IT.
WE REVIEW IT AND, AND, AND IT BECOMES PART OF OUR, OUR PROJECT DEVELOPMENT.
OH, AND THEN I ALSO WANT TO SAY SO TONIGHT AND THE QUESTIONS AND THE, AND THE DISCUSSIONS THAT WE'VE, WE'VE HAD.
WE'RE, WE'RE ALL LISTENING TO THAT, BUT IF YOU WANT IT TO BE AN OFFICIAL COMMENT FOR THIS OPEN HOUSE, UM, I WOULD NEED TO ASK THAT YOU GO TO THE OPEN HOUSE WEBSITE AND USE THE PORTAL TO ACTUALLY SUBMIT A FORMAL COMMENT, UM, THROUGH THAT.
UM, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT HARD TO READ, BUT THIS IS SOMETHING WE, THAT WE ARE WORKING ON WITH THE CITY, THE POTENTIAL DEBT PLAZA, THE CAPS, AND THE WIDER VIRTUAL LOCATIONS.
YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD OF THAT.
HEARD THAT THERE WERE VIRTUOUS CAPTAIN STITCHES.
AND I DO WANT TO POINT OUT THE WIDER BRIDGE TO LOCATIONS ARE WIDER
[01:10:01]
BEYOND THAT 60 FOOT OF ADDITIONAL BUFFER THAT I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.SO ANYTHING BEYOND THE EAST WEST CROSS SCENES WITH THE, THE 60 FEET OF BUFFER ON EITHER SIDE, ANYTHING BEYOND THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A STITCH.
AND SO THAT ADDITIONAL WIDTH, THAT INCREMENTAL COST OF THAT WITH WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WOULD, UM, WOULD BE FUNDING WITH THE STITCH.
YOU CAN DEVELOP, UH, LIKE LITTLE POCKET PARKS, UM, AND THEY, THEY REALLY IMPROVE THE, THE, UM, EAST-WEST EXPERIENCE WHEN YOU'RE GOING OVER 35.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THE DEBT CLAUSES, WHICH ARE THE CAPS.
AND SO WE'VE IDENTIFIED THESE AREAS ALONG THE CORD OR WHERE POTENTIAL CAPS, UM, COULD GO.
AND SO YOU'LL SEE HERE WE HAVE FROM FIRST TO CESAR CHAVEZ AND THEN 11TH TO 12TH STREET, UM, OH, SORRY.
UH, FROM CESAR CHAVEZ UP TO EIGHTH STREET, 11TH THROUGH 12TH STREET, A STITCH AT 15TH STREET.
UM, ALSO POTENTIALLY AS A STITCH WOULD BE FOR MAINER TO, UM, A LITTLE PASTIN KEATON.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, UH, THE CITY'S SETTING A STITCH AT 38TH STREET AND THEY JUST INCLUDED INTO THE STUDY AREA AND THAT'S A CITY, A POTENTIAL CAP AT AIRPORT BOULEVARD TO THE RED LINE.
AND SO THE CITY, SORRY, SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT, UH, COULD YOU, COULD YOU, YOU MENTIONED SOME CRITERIA FOR WHAT, WHAT IS THE CAPTAIN? I MEAN, WHAT IS A STITCH AND WHAT'S NOT AS FAR AS A CERTAIN DISTANCE.
COULD YOU GO OVER THAT AGAIN? SO, UM, RIGHT NOW, ARE YOU SWEATS CROSSINGS ARE GOING TO HAVE THAT 30 FEET ON EITHER SIDE OF THE, THE TRAVEL LANES FOR THE SHARED USE PATH.
ANYTHING BEYOND THAT ADDITIONAL 30 FEET ON EITHER SIDE WOULD BE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, WIDER AND BEYOND WHAT'S REQUIRED FOR OUR GUIDANCE.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE BECOME A, WE WOULD CALL IT A STITCH.
NOW A STITCH DOES NEED TO STAY WITHIN 300 FEET.
IF IT GOES WIDER THAN 300 FEET, THEN IT TURNS INTO, UH, WE HAVE TO, UH, CLASSIFY IT AS A TUNNEL.
SO THEN IT REQUIRES ALL OF THE FIRE LIFE SAFETY REQUIREMENTS.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY A STITCH IS GOING TO BE SMALLER THAN A 300 FOOT WIDTH, BUT LAR LONGER THAN OR WIDER THAN WHAT WE NEED FOR OUR TRAVEL LANES WITH THE 30 FEET OF BUFFER ON EITHER SIDE.
SO THESE, YEAH, THESE ARE OUR POTENTIAL DEBT CAP IN SITU LOCATIONS THAT, UM, THAT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON THEY'RE GOING TO BE KICKING OFF A PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT PHASE AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PHASE FOR THESE LOCATIONS.
UM, THEY'VE ALSO, THEY ALSO HAVE A TEAM THAT IS LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY OF THESE LOCATIONS, AND THEN THERE'LL BE ENGAGING THE PUBLIC, DETERMINE WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS TO SEE.
UM, THE CITY IS ALSO GOING TO BE FUNDING THESE, UM, THESE WE'RE CALLING THEM LOCAL ENHANCEMENTS, AND THEN THEY'LL ALSO BE MAINTAINING AND OPERATING THE, THE ELEMENTS.
I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FUTURE-PROOFING OUR, OUR CORRIDOR, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ARE BUILDING THE ROADWAY NOW FOR TECHNOLOGY THAT HASN'T YET BEEN INVENTED OR HAS NOT BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT WAS NOT MAINSTREAM.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CONTINUED GROWTH IN ADVANCING TECH TECHNOLOGY OF OUR COMMUNITIES, IT'S REALLY ESSENTIAL THAT OUR ROADS ARE EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE FOR THE FUTURE.
SO WE'RE DESIGNING AND IMPLEMENTING FUTURE-PROOFING TECHNOLOGIES THAT WILL HELP WITH SAFE, INCREASING SAFETY, PROTECTING AGAINST EXTREME WEATHER EVENTS, UM, REDUCE OUR LIFECYCLE COSTS AND INTEGRATE CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
UM, ONE OF THE WAYS WE'RE DOING THAT IS BY BUILDING THE FIBER BACKBONE NOW, AS WE RECONSTRUCT
SO WE'LL BE CONSTRUCTING AND INSTALLING WITH THIS PROJECT, A DEDICATED HIGH-SPEED COMMUNICATIONS LINK BETWEEN DEVICES AND PUTTING THAT BACKBONE IN AND THE TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT CENTER.
THIS IS REALLY A FURRED MIND, THE DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS, UM, REFERRED TO IT AS WE'RE BUILDING THE FIBER BACKBONE, THAT'S GOING TO ALLOW, UH, THE PLUG AND PLAY APPROACH TO FUTURE TECHNOLOGIES.
UM, SOMETHING THAT SOME OF US ENGINEERS FIND SUPER EXCITING AS PAVEMENT TEMPERATURE SYSTEMS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT SYSTEMS THAT HELP US DETECT TEMPERATURE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE TEMPERATURE OF THE PAVEMENTS AND PROVIDE CONDITION ASSESSMENTS FOR THE ROAD AND THE BRIDGES.
AND THESE SENSORS PROVIDE UPDATED INFORMATION DURING COLD WEATHER EVENTS, AND THEY REALLY HELP US TEXT OUT BETTER, UM, HELP OUR MAINTENANCE STAFF AND ALSO BETTER INFORM THE PUBLIC WITH ISSUES ALSO, UH, WRONG WAY DETECTION.
[01:15:01]
SO, UM, THAT HAS BEEN, I LITTERED ON A NUMBER OF PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE AREA.I KNOW THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY HAS AS PILOTED.
THIS TECH SAW HAS, IS IT'S GOING TO BE PILOTING THIS ON THE 180 3 I 35 AREA, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE FLASHING LEDS AND DETECTION CAMERAS ON ROADWAY SIGNS THAT HELP US DETECT WRONG WAY DRIVERS AND HELP PREVENT PATCHES AND NOTIFY TRAFFIC, UM, OPERATIONS PERSONNEL FOR CRASH RESPONSES.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING, UH, WE'RE GOING TO BE IMPLEMENTING SMART WORK ZONES DURING CONSTRUCTION.
THAT'S GOING TO HELP US WITH CUE DETECTION.
SO HOW LONG PEOPLE ARE BOTTLING AFTER SITTING IN AND STOP TRAFFIC, UH, SPEED MONITORING.
UM, IT'S GOING TO HELP WITH CONSTRUCTION VEHICLES ENTERING, EXITING INTO CONSTRUCTION AREAS, UM, OVER HIGH VEHICLE WARNINGS AND INCIDENT DETECTION.
UM, AND THEN WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT SECURITY UPGRADES.
SO WE'LL BE EMPLOYING MORE DIGITAL SMART LOCKS AND OTHER SECURITY MEASURES THAT ARE ITS HUBS DURING THE PANDEMIC.
A LOT OF OUR ITSN HUBS FOR TECH SIDE AND OTHER AGENCIES, CITY CTR, MAY, WE'VE EXPERIENCED A LOT OF VANDALISM WITH PEOPLE, UM, GETTING INTO OUR ITS HUBS AND RIPPING OFF THE CABLE.
AND, AND, UH, SO WE'RE LOOKING AT DIGITAL SMART LOCKS THAT WILL REALLY HELP US CONTROL WHO HAS ACCESS AND CHANGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, CAN, CAN CHANGE THE CODES FOR ACCESS.
AND THEN ALSO ALERT US AS SOON AS, AS THEY'RE ABLE TO DETECT SOME TAMPERING.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALSO, AND THIS IS IN THE STUDYING PHASE, BUT WE ARE STUDYING HOW WE CAN MAKE ACCOMMODATIONS FOR AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES AND CONNECTED VEHICLES.
AND WE KNOW THAT ENHANCED STRIPING AND SIGNS THAT CONNECT THAT WORK, THAT TALK TO THE CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
THAT'S GOING TO BE KEY, UM, WITH THAT.
SO IF WE, IF WE AREN'T INCLUDING THAT STRIPING BY THE TIME THIS PROJECT GOES, WE AT LEAST ARE PROVIDING, UM, THE, THE, WE AT LEAST ARE AWARE OF IT SO THAT WHEN, WHEN WE GO TO MAKE THESE OPERATIONAL UPDATES, THAT CAN BE EMPLOYED AT THAT TIME.
AND SOME OF THE BENEFITS FOR THIS, OUR FUTURE PROOFING PROGRAM ARE REALLY SAFETY.
UM, SO ADVANCED WARNING SIGNS WE KNOW HAVE HELPED REDUCE RUNWAY CRASHES BY NEARLY 40%, UM, WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS, ALLOWING THOSE CONNECTED AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES TO TALK TO TRAFFIC SIGNALS, WORK ZONE, SCHOOL ZONES, UM, REAL TIME VEHICLE ALERTS, UH, ANY SORTS OF UNEXPECTED ROADWAY CONDITIONS, UM, THE ROADWAY WEATHER SYSTEMS, YOU KNOW, REALLY PROVIDING UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, UH, TO INFORM THE PUBLIC OF EXISTING ROADWAY, CONDITIONS AND HAZARDS, AND THEN, UH, TRAVEL TIME.
SO HELPING US MONITOR THE TRAVEL TIME.
UM, SO THAT'S, UH, JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR FUTURE PROOFING TECHNOLOGY.
I HOPE AS WE MOVE FORWARD OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO, AS WE CONDUCT OUR OUTREACH, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, TO DISCUSS THIS MORE.
UM, I DO HAVE IT AS A TOPIC FOR FUTURE CAPEX VOICE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR COMMUNITY, OUR HIGH TECH COMMUNITY HERE, I KNOW WE HAVE A HUGE KNOWLEDGE BASE, A LOT OF INTEREST AND EXPERIENCE IN THIS, THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IMPORTANT, UH, VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
AND, UH, BUT, UM, WE, WE HAVEN'T YET STARTED TO DISCUSS IT, BUT WE WILL BE AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH THESE VERY QUICKLY, CAUSE I KNOW I'VE, I'VE TALKED FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, OUR NORTH PROJECT, NEXT SLIDE.
I ALREADY WENT THROUGH THE LIMITS, BUT IT'S ABOUT 11 AND A HALF MILES.
WE'RE CONSTRUCTING ONE MANAGED LANE IN EACH DIRECTION, RECONSTRUCTING THE BRIDGES, THE, UM, UH, INTERSECTION BYPASS LANES, UH, INNOVATIVE INTERSECTION AT WELLS BRANCH PARKWAY AND IMPROVING THE BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN PATH.
THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST IS AROUND 385 MILLION.
THAT'S A, UH, PRELIMINARY COSTS AND WE ARE ANTICIPATED TO START CONSTRUCTION IN 2022.
AND THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, THIS IS JUST THE TIMELINE.
UM, WE ARE IN THE FINAL PHASES OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINAL DESIGN.
AND, UM, AS I SAID, LOOKING TO START CONSTRUCTION IN 2022.
TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OURSELF PROJECTS.
AND IN HERE FOR THIS PROJECT, WE'LL BE CONSTRUCTING TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION.
UM, AGAIN, WE WILL BE ADDING BYPASS LANES.
UM, WE WILL BE RECONFIGURING AND OPTIMIZING THE ENTRANCE AND EXIT RAMPS.
WE WILL BE IMPROVING OUR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCOMMODATIONS IN OUR CONSTRUCTION PRELIMINARY CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THAT IS ABOUT 315 MILLION.
[01:20:01]
SO THIS IS THE TIMELINE FOR THE SOUTH PROJECT AND WE ARE, UM, OUR ANTICIPATE CONSTRUCTION START IS ALSO 2022 AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR THE SOUTH PROJECT.SO THIS IS A LINK WHERE YOU CAN REACH A LOT OF OUR INFORMATION.
MOST OF OUR CONSTRUCTION RELATED INFORMATION IS ON THE CAPITAL AREAS.
UM, THE, MY 35 CONSTRUCTION.ORG, BUT FOR CAPITAL EXPRESS PROJECTS, I WOULD WANT TO POINT YOU TO MY 35 CAP X.COM.
YOU CAN ALSO ACCESS OUR OPEN HOUSE, GOING TO MY 35 CAP X.COM.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO PLACE ALL OF OUR LATEST INFORMATION.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE INTERACTIVE.
UM, AND WE HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY TO ADD STUFF TO THAT PAGE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER PAGES.
AND ALSO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, WE ARE WORKING ON DEVELOPING TWO NEW PAGES FOR THAT, WHICH WILL FOCUS SPECIFICALLY ON OUR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT OUTREACH, AND THEN ALSO A SEPARATE PAGE THAT WILL FOCUS ON OUR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, I'D BE HAPPY TO TAKE SOME QUESTIONS IF YOU ALL HAVE SOME TIME.
PRESENTATION IS A, IT'S A LOT OF WORK.
THERE'S SOME, SOME GOOD THINGS IN THERE.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME ISSUES IN THERE AS WELL.
UM, I WANT TO START WITH, UH, KIND OF A BROAD QUESTION, YOU KNOW, WELL, THIS IS THE SIMPLE VERSION, WHAT'S THE SUCCESS CRITERIA FOR THIS PROJECT AND WHO'S ON THE LINE FOR MAKING SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS.
AND THEN WE EXPAND THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT.
THIS IS GOING TO TAKE, LET ME JUST A LITTLE BIT IS GOING TO TAKE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS AND YEARS, AND IT IS HARD.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S DIFFICULT ABOUT GETTING CITIZEN INVOLVEMENT IS THAT IT'S, IT'S HARD TO SEE THAT INVOLVEMENT HAVE, UH, HAVE ANY IMPACT.
SO YEAH, WHAT'S THE SUCCESS CRITERIA AND WHO'S ON THE LINE FROM, FOR MEASURING THAT AND THEN, UM, EITHER CELEBRATING OR NOT CELEBRATING.
WELL, HEATHER MAY WANT TO HELP CHIME IN ON THIS, BUT LET ME START WITH, AND I SHOULDN'T HAVE BREEZED.
I BREEZED OVER THE SIDE, WHICH I SHOULDN'T HAVE, BUT IF YOU CAN GO BACK TO THE, I THINK IT'S, IT'S GOING TO BE SITE 11 AND IT'S THE PROBLEM WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE AND THE PURPOSE AND NEED, RIGHT? SO I AM FAMILIAR WITH THAT.
SO THE PURPOSE AND NEED IS HOW WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE THE SUCCESS OF THE PROJECT AND THAT WE ARE MEETING THE CRITERIA OF, OF THE PROJECT, THE PURPOSE, AND NEED REALLY DEFINES WHY ARE WE, WHY WE ARE DOING THE PROJECT, UM, THE NEED FOR IT.
AND THEN THE MEASUREMENT OF SUCCESS WILL BE HOW WELL IT MEANS THAT PURPOSE AND NEED.
UM, IT'S SO CRITICAL THAT THAT'S WHY WE HAD THE FIRST OPEN HOUSE THAT FOCUSED JUST ON THE DRAFT PURPOSE AND NEED, RIGHT? SO I'M ASKING LIKE A VERY SPECIFIC QUESTION.
IF IT IS, UM, IF, UH, TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS ARE DOWN BY 5%, THAT'S A SUCCESS.
IF TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS SAY FLAT, THAT'S A SUCCESS.
IF THAT'S HER UPPER DOWN, IF TRAVEL TIME IS UP OR DOWN BY 1% OR 5% OR EIGHT OF WHAT IS, WHAT ARE THE NUMERICAL QUALITIES BY WHICH THIS IS SUCCESSFUL? SO WE, WE DO NOT HAVE DEFINED METRICS OF MEASURING THAT OF SUCCESS OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO MEASURE.
AND IN FIVE YEARS AFTER CONSTRUCTION AND IT NEEDS TO HIT THIS THRESHOLD, UM, THAT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT'S BUILT INTO THE PROCESS WE DO HAVE.
ONE OF OUR MAJOR PURPOSES IS TO ENHANCE SAFETY WITHIN THE CORRIDOR, UM, ADDRESSING DEMAND, IMPROVING THOSE OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AND CREATING THAT MORE DEPENDABLE AND CONSISTENT ROUTE.
BUT WE, WE DO NOT HAVE DEFINED, UM, UH, QUANTITATIVE METRICS THAT WE WILL LATER BE MEASURING.
UM, SO I GUESS THEN MY, UH, I'LL STOP HERE AFTER THIS UP.
I GUESS WHAT I WOULD SUGGEST IS THAT THE PUSHBACK FROM, I WON'T SPEAK FOR COUNCIL OR ANY OTHER GROUP, BUT THE PUSHBACK THAT IS SORT OF IN THE COMMUNITY, AT LEAST FOR ME COMES FROM, OKAY, GREAT IDEA.
LET'S SPEND $4 BILLION AND JUDGE THAT, HOW LET'S SPEND FIVE OR 10 YEARS BUILDING THAT AND JUDGE THAT HOW, AND, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A CRAZY ASK AND I THINK THAT IT WOULD HELP YOUR CAUSE TO BE ABLE TO PUT SOME NUMBERS ON IT.
WELL, I, I CAN TELL YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES.
SO, UM, ULTIMATELY WE KNOW I 35 WITH BUILT.
[01:25:01]
OKAY.CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN NOW.
SO, UH, WE'RE USING THE MOST, UH, CURRENT ROADWAY STANDARDS, UM, TO, TO DESIGN I 35.
AND YOU KNOW HOW SHORT THE WEAVING DISTANCES ARE, HOW CLOSE THE INTERSECTIONS ARE.
ALL OF THE WE'VE LOST YOU AGAIN.
SORRY, HEATHER, WE LOST YOU AGAIN.
WELL, UM, IF WE, WHEN YOU GET BACK, OKAY, HEY HEATHER, YOU, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TURN THE VIDEO OFF AND IT MIGHT HELP WITH THE CONNECTION.
WELL, WE STILL LOST YOU HEATHER.
WELL, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS JUST MY COMMENT ABOUT, LIKE, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME VERY DECENT IDEAS AND, AND, AND, AND I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD BE OPPOSED TO ENHANCING SAFETY OR, YOU KNOW, HELPING CONGESTION, BUT IS GOING WIDER GOING TO GET THERE.
AND WHAT'S THE MEASURE IS GOING HIGHER GOING TO GET THERE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S MY COMMENTARY IS ANY KIND OF COMMISSIONER AND, YOU KNOW, THE HOPE, THE HOPE IS WITH THE MANAGED LANES, THE MANAGED LANES ARE REALLY, UM, ABOUT INCREASING THROUGHPUT AND INCREASING PERSON THROUGHPUT WITH THE RESTRICTIONS TO TRANSIT AND THE, AND CARPOOLS AND VANPOOLS AND THEN THE ADDITION OF THE SHARED USE.
WELL, UM, LET'S OPEN IT UP TO THE FLOOR.
UH, DOES ANYONE IN THIS ROOM, IF WE CAN SEE EACH OTHER, HAVE SOME COMMENTARY DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO MUTE DIFFERENT MICROPHONES? OKAY.
I WAS JUST ASKING IF THE AAV COULD DELETE THE, UM, WEBEX MICROPHONES OR AUDIO, ARE WE PICKING IT UP FROM ANOTHER ROOM IN CITY HALL IS YEAH.
WELL, UM, LET'S JUST CONTINUE HERE IF WE CAN, ARE THERE OTHER COMMISSIONERS IN THE ROOM WHO HAVE SOME COMMENTARY OR QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK? YEAH.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO THANK THE FOLKS FROM TXDOT FOR ALL OF THEIR HARD WORK.
UM, I THINK THESE PLANS ARE FANTASTIC.
UM, I THINK THAT THE MAT, THE IDEA THAT YOU COULD GET THIS DONE WITH $4.5 BILLION, UM, WHEN THIS CITY IS PROBABLY GOING TO SPEND 10 TO BUILD A TRAIN SYSTEM IS PRETTY AMAZING.
I THINK THAT'S AN EFFECTIVE USE OF FEDERAL TAX DOLLARS AND, UM, LOCAL TAX DOLLARS.
AND, UH, I APPRECIATE YOUR WORK.
ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS? NOPE.
I CAN'T SEE THE PEOPLE ON VIDEO YET, BUT, UM, DO ANY OF THE COMMISSIONERS WANT TO JUST SPEAK UP? OH, THERE WE GO.
THERE'S A LOT OF BACKGROUND NOISE.
WE'RE TRYING TO WORK IT OUT OVER HERE.
THERE'S SOME SORT OF CROSSOVER, UM, CURATION OR BROOKS, OR WHETHER IT BE OR ALVARADO.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? I HAD NO QUESTION.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS REAL TURBO, EVERYTHING OFF THE AIR, NORMALLY OUT IN ONE MORE 35 ON THERE CURRENTLY THEY ARE WIDER AND BETTER HUGHES GO ON.
IS IT CORRECT THAT THE CAPTAIN HAD ANY OF YOUR FIRST PART OF THE QUESTION? THE QUESTION YOU HAD AN EARLIER BOARD MEETING, IT WAS MENTIONED THAT THE GOAL WAS GET CROSSINGS EVERY QUARTER TO HALF A MILE.
HOW CLOSE ARE YOU TO THAT GOAL? OKAY.
UM, WELL, LET ME, LET ME I'LL ANSWER THE LAST QUESTION
[01:30:01]
FIRST.SO, UM, IN THE DOWNTOWN COURT AREA, WE ARE MUCH CLOSER THAN THAT QUARTER MILE THROUGHOUT SCHOOL.
UM, MOST OF OUR PROSECUTORS ARE, ARE MUCH CLOSER AT TEMPLE.
UM, WE ARE IN THE FURTHER AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE URBAN CORE, WE ARE PRETTY MUCH A MILE OR LESS FOR ALMOST EVERY LOCATION.
I THINK THERE'S ONE AREA WHERE IT'S POINT LIKE 0.6.
UM, BUT WE'RE, WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO ACHIEVING THAT GOAL AND, AND ACTUALLY BETTER THAN, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE LIMITATIONS.
UM, AND THEN FOR YOU, THE FIRST QUESTION YOU WERE ASKING DID THE CONCEPTS, AND I'M SORRY, I KIND OF FORGOT.
DID THE CABIN SIX CONCEPTS ADD ANY ADDITIONAL EAST WEST CROSSINGS? YEAH.
I MIGHT ASK TINA AND TAM, IF THEY RECALLED ANY ADDITIONAL CROSSINGS WITH THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS.
I KNOW THAT ULI DA CONCEPT IS, IS VERY SIMILAR TO OUR ALTERNATIVES.
UM, BUT TIM AND TINA, ARE YOU ABLE TO, TO HELP WITH THAT ON SPECIFIC? SO I WILL TELL YOU, UM, MR. BROOKS, THAT THE, THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS HAS SHOWN ARE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY THEY'VE SHOWN SOME CONCEPTUAL RENDERINGS AND, BUT THEY D THEY'RE NOT FULLY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT FULLY DEVELOPED PLANS.
LIKE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE ARE, UM, LIKE FULL SCHEMATIC SHOWING, YOU KNOW, TO THE DETAIL THAT OURS ARE.
SO I, I DON'T KNOW THAT IT SPECIFICALLY SHOWS ANY AWESOME.
I WAS LOOKING AT EARLIER TRYING TO MATCH THAT UP.
AND I THINK THERE'S AN EXTRA ONE AT THIRD STREET THAT Y'ALL DON'T HANDS.
UM, THERE'S SEVERAL OTHERS THAT, UH, LIKE 10TH AND NINTH, MAYBE THAT GET, UH, THAT ARE SORT OF POSSIBLE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY, THE RAMPING STRUCTURE THAT IN TAKING THE CONCEPT, AS YOU DESCRIBE IT AND PUTTING IT INTO SOMETHING THAT WE COULD CODE, WE DIDN'T ADD THAT CROSS STREET BECAUSE, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR RECONNECT, YOU NEEDED TO GET UP AND DOWN OUT OF THERE, OUT OF THE FREEWAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I REMEMBER AS WELL, TOO.
UM, AND, AND JUST AS, AS 10 SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WHILE OUR STUDENTS THAT ACTUALLY THE, UM, THE COMMUNITY CONCEPT, NONE INCLUDED, UM, YOU KNOW, DETAILED SCHEMATIC ON HOW TO, UM, LIKE CODE ANYTHING INTO THE NETWORK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
TIM AND KEN AND HIS TEAM SPENT A LOT OF, UH, TIME WITH, UM, RUBBER LIFTED AS FROM EACH OF THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS TO KIND OF UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW AND WHERE ACCESS, WHAT HAPPENED, COMMISSIONER BERKS.
DO YOU HAVE ANY FOLLOWUPS? UH, I HAVE A QUESTION ON IT ON SOMEBODY ELSE, IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS A QUESTION, BUT SHE DIDN'T.
I ACTUALLY HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
SO, UM, WE, THIS, THIS, THIS BODY HAS A COUPLE OF TIMES TAKEN UP QUESTIONS ABOUT TOLD LANES VERSUS MANAGED LANES.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT TOLD LANES ARE NOT AT THIS PARTICULAR MOMENT IN OUR STATE, VERY POLITICALLY FEASIBLE OR, OR FOR TXDOT TO DO.
UM, I KIND OF WONDER, UM, WE HAD A PRESENTATION IN DECEMBER THAT PRETTY WELL DESCRIBED HOW, UM, BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENT NATURE OF A TOLL LANE VERSUS A MANAGED LANE, THAT IF WE WERE ABLE TO HAVE THE NEW LANES BE TOLD LANES, THAT WE COULD ACTUALLY REDUCE THE OVERALL FOOTPRINT OF
AND SO I'M A LITTLE CONCERNED THAT WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF PLANS RIGHT NOW IN THIS MOMENT WHERE, UM, TOLL ROADS ARE SORT OF NOT ALLOWED.
AND WE KNOW THAT TOLL ROADS ARE REALLY THE BEST WAY TO KEEP A LANE OPEN FOR TRANSIT AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS, AND THAT ENFORCEMENT OF HOV LANES IS CHALLENGING FOR CARPOOLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK, I THINK WHAT MY QUESTION IS IS WE'RE MAKING ALL THESE PLANS RIGHT NOW, BASED ON THE FACT THAT WE CAN'T DO TOLD LANES, BUT THAT POTENTIALLY COULD CHANGE IN A COUPLE YEARS TIME IF THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN THE STATE CHANGES, WHAT IS THE CAPACITY LIKE? WE'RE JUST, IT JUST FEELS LIKE WE'RE JUST BARRELING FORWARD RIGHT NOW WITH, WITH PLANS.
UM, AND, UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS WHAT IT'S, WHAT'S THE CAPACITY TO CHANGE IF SOMETHING CHANGES POLITICALLY WE'RE TOLD LANES, UM, WHICH I THINK ALMOST EVERYBODY I'VE SPOKE TO AGREES THAT THAT WOULD
[01:35:01]
BE DEFINITELY THE BEST WAY TO MANAGE NEW LANES IS, UM, SORT OF LIKE WHAT WE DID ON MOPAC AND BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM REALLY FREE FOR TRANSIT, UM, AND EMERGENCY VEHICLES AND DIFFERENT, UM, USES LIKE THAT.SO I WANNA, I WANNA SAY THAT I NEED TO LOOK AT THE PRESENTATION AND STUDY, BUT IF, IF THE, WHETHER THE LANES ARE MANAGED LANES OR TOLL LANES, IF THEY'RE TOLL LANES, IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN IT WOULD BE A SMALLER FOOTPRINT.
UM, BUT WHAT, WHAT IT WILL TELL YOU IS THAT THE MANAGED LANES IN OUR CAPITAL EXPRESS PROGRAM PROJECTS, THEY, THEY COULD BE CONVERTED TO TOLL LANES AT SOME POINT PHYSICALLY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE TOLL OR NOT TOLL, THAT'S A POLITICAL DECISION.
THAT'S A, UH, YOU KNOW, LEADERSHIP GOVERNANCE DECISION.
BUT, UM, THE, THE FACILITY COULD BE TOLD AT SOME POINT PHYSICALLY THERE'S NOTHING THAT WOULD PRECLUDE IT, UM, FROM A PHYSICAL DESIGN STANDPOINT AND WHAT, WHAT'S THE CURRENT ENFORCEMENT MECHANISM FOR, UM, HOV LANES IN THE STATE OF TEXAS.
SO WE HAVEN'T WORKED OUT THE DETAILS ON THAT.
GET, YOU KNOW, THAT'LL BE SOMETHING THAT WE WORK WITH, UM, THE LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES ON ENFORCEMENT.
THANKS ANYBODY BEFORE WE GO BACK TO COMMISSIONER BURKE.
UM, WHAT ARE I'VE BEEN TOLD ARE REAL TRAFFIC IN HERE? I TOLD WAYNE HAS ABOUT QUITE THE RETROMOLAR CAPACITY OF AN UNMANAGED FLAG CARRY UP TO 1500 CARS AN HOUR.
SO EFFECTIVELY THE ONE LANE ON ROLL PACK
NOW THAT NUMBER WOULD FACE ON CONGESTION.
THEY FALL AWAY, OR YOU
YOU HAVE ANY NUMBERS ABOUT HOW MUCH TRAFFIC CAPACITY ROOM, IF WE'RE LIMITED HOV VERSUS PROJECTION BASED.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE'VE DONE WELL.
WE'VE NOT DONE THAT STUDY SPECIFICALLY ON CAPITOL EXPRESS PROGRAM AND THE PROGRAM PROJECTS, BECAUSE WE HAVE OUR DIRECTION TO DEVELOP THE MANAGED LANES.
I CAN MAKE SOME INQUIRIES WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT AND SEE IF THERE HAVE BEEN SOME STUDIES.
AND I'VE, I GUESS I WOULD ALSO ASK HIM AND TINA, IF YOU'RE AWARE, AWARE OF ANY STUDIES THAT HAVE LOOKED AT TO PASS CITY OF TOLL LANES VERSUS MANAGED LANES, ARE YOU, ARE YOU AWARE OF ANYTHING? I MEAN, I WOULD WANT TO, I WOULD WANT TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE ENGINEER THAT YOU TALKED TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT HE WAS FIGHTING AND, AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, HE RECEIVED THE DATA AND YOU'LL LOOK AT THAT, BUT, UM, OH, BECKY, TIM AND TINA, I, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION TO ANSWER WITHOUT A FEW MORE SPECIFICS, YOU KNOW, WITH THE HOV LANES THAT HAVE A LOT OF BUS TRAFFIC, AND CERTAINLY, UH, A MANAGED SET OF MANAGED LANES THAT ARE FOCUSED ON DOWNTOWN WOULD HAVE A PRETTY HIGH PROPENSITY FOR BUS RIDERSHIP.
THOSE ALWAYS CARRY MORE PEOPLE THAN THE SAY SUBURBAN HOV LANES HAD AN HOV LANE BETWEEN ROUND ROCK AND, AND LEANDER.
YOU WOULD EXPECT THAT TO CARRY MOSTLY CARPOOLS AND VERY FEW BUS RIDERS, UH, RELATIVE TO, UH, A ROAD DOWNTOWN.
LIKE THAT'S JUST AN OBSERVATION.
I WILL SAY THAT IT'S NOT AT ALL OPTIMAL TO HELP ONE VARIABLE LABOR SITUATION OR ONE MANAGING SITUATION BECAUSE, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE, WITH TRAFFIC INCIDENTS AND CRASHES, IT'S IT REALLY LEAD TO ISSUES, RIGHT? YOU COULD CONVERT AN EXISTING UNMANAGED LANE TO A MANAGE, RIGHT.
AND EFFECTIVE TO DOUBLE WITH THE PROFIT OF A LAW, THE BONES IN ONE MANAGED LANE ON THAT PLANE.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WAY FOR BIRDING UNMANAGED PLANES.
THE MANNERS PLANES ARE THE WAY OF CREEPING CAPACITIES ON THE ROAD WITHOUT INCREASING THE WIND.
IF I CAN FOLLOW UP WITH THAT FOR JUST A SECOND, THERE WAS A COMMENT, UM, I WANT TO SAY FROM SO MANY TTI, BUT I FORGET EXACTLY WHO EARLY ON THAT SORT OF PLEDGE THAT THE EFFORTS WERE TO LOOK AT, UH, GOING NO WIDER HILL HIGHER.
I SORT OF WHERE THAT PHRASE CAME FROM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT PLEDGE
[01:40:01]
IS NOT REALLY EXPRESSED IN THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE SEE TODAY.UM, IS THERE ANY CHANCE THAT DOT, UH, PURSUES ALTERNATIVES THAT CONTAIN MANAGED LANES CONTAINED APPS OR STITCHES, UH, CONTAINED NEW BRIDGES, BUT DON'T GO WIDER OR IS IT GOING OUR DISTRICT NEAR TUCKER FERGUSON ADDRESS THE NO HIGHER, NO WIDER DISCUSSION AT THE CITY OF BOSTON COUNCIL MOBILITY.
AND THAT WAS, UM, IT'S BEEN ATTRIBUTED TO A QUOTES THAT CHAIRMAN BUGS OF THE TRANSPORTATION, THE TEXAS TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION MADE, AND, UM, TUCKER READ THE FULL QUOTE, WHICH I DON'T HAVE TO HAVE YOUR IN FRONT OF ME, BUT THE CHAIR BOX THAT THAT IS OUR GOAL, BUT THERE MAY BE AREAS.
AND AS WE MOVE INTO DETAILED DESIGN, THERE MAY BE AREAS WHERE THE FOOTPRINT DOES TO BE EXPANDED.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO, IF, IF YOU ALL, HAVEN'T SEEN THAT COUNCIL MOBILITY DISCUSSION THAT HAPPENED LAST WEEK, IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GO BACK AND REVIEW THAT, UM, YOU ALL HAVE A LOT OF, OF, UH, GOOD COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK.
AND I, I, I, I WANT, YOU KNOW, VERY GRATEFUL AND THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS ARE THINKING ABOUT THIS PROJECT, UM, AND FOR A COMMUNITY, BUT A LOT OF THE DISCUSSIONS AND QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE BRINGING UP REALLY AREN'T MADE AT THE PROGRAMMATIC LEVEL, UM, AND AT THE PROJECT LEVEL.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I, I'M ALWAYS VERY INTERESTED TO HEAR IT AND TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, HOW, YOU KNOW, HOW OTHER PEOPLE ARE LOOKING AT INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT AND FUNDING.
AND, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S THE PROGRAM LEVEL.
MY, UM, YOU KNOW, MY CHARGE IS TO DEVELOP THE PROJECTS ALONG THE PROGRAM WITHIN CERTAIN PARAMETERS AND PART OF THAT, THE, YOU KNOW, NON TOLD, MANAGED LANES.
UH, NATHAN, WILL YOU HAVE TO SAY SOMETHING, OH, SORRY, LET ME DO THAT REAL QUICK.
SO THIS IS POSTED FOR POSSIBLE ACTION.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE INTO, UH, THE RECOMMENDATION? ANY OTHER COMMENTS? OKAY.
WELL, UH, DEFINITELY WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN COME TO SOMETHING THAT WORKS FOR, UH, A WIDER VARIETY OF PEOPLE.
I THINK 80 IS PULLING UP THE RECOMMENDATION.
HM, MARIO, I ASKED THE QUESTION.
BEFORE THEY LEAVE AT THIS POINT, HOW MUCH WIDER AND HOW MUCH TALLER IS THE PLAN FOR, DO WE EVEN HAVE A FEEL FOR THAT FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE? WE DO.
SO IT IS, IT IS NO HIGHER AND WE ARE TAKING YEAH, YEAH.
CONSTRUCTING TAKING DOWN THE UPPER DECKS.
AND FOR ALTERNATIVE THREE, THERE ARE TWO AREAS WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT PUTTING THE MANAGEMENT LANES OVER AT THE CROSS TRADE SETS AT AIRPORT AND WOODLAND.
BUT IN THOSE LOCATIONS, IT'S NO HIGHER THAN WHERE THE EXISTING HIGHWAY IS.
SO THAT, THAT HAS BEEN MET THE NO HIGHER, NO WIDER FOR THE NO HIGHER PORTION, BUT IN THE WIDER SECTION, THERE ARE VARYING AREAS OF, UM, RIGHT AWAY NEED THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED IN MANY OF THE LOCATIONS.
THOSE ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT FULL WIDTH OF THE PROPERTY ARE THERE, WE CALL THEM SLIVERS, BUT THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW TWO PROPERTY OWNER, THEY'RE NOT THINKING OF IT AS A SLIVER, BUT IT MAY BE FIVE FEET.
IT MAY, FROM THE EXISTING RIGHT OF WAY LINE IN A LOT OF LOCATIONS WHERE RIGHT AWAY IS NEEDED FOR CENTRAL, OUR RIGHT AWAY IS SO CONSTRAINED THAT THAT'S MUCH OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT ADDITIONAL WEAPONS NEEDED TO ACCOMMODATE THE SHARED USE PATH AND BUFFER.
SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THERE AS TO THE EXACT, LIKE HOW MUCH WIDER I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, IF WE DO HAVE THE SCHEMATICS ON OUR OPEN HOUSE WEBSITE.
AND SO FOR ALTERNATIVES TWO AND THREE, IT DOES SHOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROPOSED RIGHT AWAY WITH, BUT IT VARIES THROUGHOUT THE CORRIDOR.
SO I HAVE TO MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT.
UM, SO YOUR SLIPPERS ARE SUPPORTED TO BE 150 PROPERTIES THAT YOU WILL BE TAKING, UM, THE END OF THE MOON.
UM, SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, UM, DOES THE BUDDY, WHAT DOES HE LIKE ALSO, I REALLY TAKE ISSUE WITH YOU BLAMING THE I'M SORRY, I GOT MUTED.
WE ARE HEARD YOU HAVE TO, I REALLY TAKE ISSUE WITH, OH, UH, BLAMING THE EXPANDED RIGHT AWAY ON THE SHARED USE PATHS.
WELL, I MEAN, ON THE SHARED USE PATH, THE
[01:45:01]
REASON THAT YOU'RE, UH, MAYBE EXPANDING ROADWAY BECAUSE YOU'RE SPINNING AND ON THE BLINKS AND BLOOMING ON THE SHIRT, YOU USE PADS IS PRETTY BUSY DOING THIS AND DOING IT WELL, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT BLAMING IT ON THE SHARED USE PATH, BUT IT IS IF WITHOUT THE SHARED USE PATH IN THE BUFFER THAT A DEFAULT RIGHT AWAY MAY NOT BE NEEDED WITHOUT THE ADDITIONAL LANES, THEY ALSO WOULDN'T NEED THAT.I THINK WE'RE MOVING INTO, I STARTED FURTHER QUESTIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO MOVE INTO THE RECOMMENDATION POSSIBLE ACTION STAGE.
IF WE CAN GET IT ON THE MONITOR.
WAS THERE FOR A MOMENT? THERE WE GO.
IF YOU, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND ZOOMING IN, I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP A BIT.
CAN EVERYONE READ IT? OKAY, THAT'S FINE.
SO WE HAVE BEFORE US A, A RECOMMENDATION, I THINK OUR PROCESS IS, UM, FIRST TIME IT HAS TO MAKE A MOTION TO, UM, WHAT IT'S CALLED OPEN THIS RECOMMENDATION.
IT'S A LOT DIFFERENT DONE THIS.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION TO ENTERTAIN THIS RECOMMENDATION? YEAH, LET'S SEE.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
SO THIS IS UP FOR DISCUSSION NOW.
SO THERE'S A RECOMMENDATION WHICH HAS BEEN EMAILED TO YOU, BUT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ IT, WE CAN GO OVER THE SORT OF BRIEF OUTLINE OF IT.
BASICALLY IT MENTIONS THAT WE'VE ALREADY DONE A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN WHOOPS.
SCROLL THE OTHER DIRECTION A BIT.
SO, UM, I WON'T READ THIS OUT LOUD TO YOU.
I DON'T THINK I'M REQUIRED TO DO THAT, BUT IF I AM COOL.
WE'RE GETTING A LITTLE, UH, CROSSOVER ACTION FROM SOME OTHER MEETINGS.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL BULLET POINTS.
IF YOU SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT TO THE BULLET POINTS, OR I GUESS UP IN THIS DIRECTION, HERE WE GO.
UM, THE TECHSTOP PLAN IN AND OF ITSELF IS, UH, LESS OF DISCUSSION AND MORE ABOUT THE OUTCOMES, YOU KNOW, TH THIS PLAN, UH, DEMOLISHES AUDIO, I HAVE, I GUESS, TALK OVER PEOPLE.
THIS SAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THE TECHSTOP PLAN OUTCOMES, UM, UH, DEMOLISHED, UM, HOMES AND SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, INCLUDING, IT SEEMS THE WHIP IN, IF YOU'RE A FAN OF THAT, UH, IT WIDENS EITHER 35, AS MANY AS 20 LANES, UM, WHICH EXACERBATES THE DIVIDE AND FRANKLY HAVE A HARD TIME SQUARING, UH, ADDITIONAL LANES WITH ENHANCED SAFETY, JUST AS A PERSON WHO'S ON A BIKE A LOT THAT JUST DOESN'T SEEM LIKELY, UM, YOU KNOW, IT ADDS MILES OF A SQUARE MILES OF CONCRETE.
WE'RE ALREADY IN A CLIMATE CATASTROPHE THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT IN A PREVIOUS, UH, RESOLUTION.
UM, IT SPENDS BILLIONS OF DOLLARS WITHOUT A CLEAR, UH, SUCCESS CRITERIA AND NOBODY AT STAKE FOR THOSE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
I'M NOT SAYING PEOPLE NEED TO LOSE THEIR JOBS, BUT IT'S NOT EVEN A NUMBER YOU CAN LOOK TO.
THAT'S, THAT'S A PECULIAR WAY TO SPEND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, AND, AND FINALLY IT IMPOSES THE KIND OF THESE NEGATIVE OUTCOMES.
UM, AND THIS DISRUPTION, EVEN THOUGH THERE IS, UH, THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO REPRESENT THE VOTERS OF THIS CITY, I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS PLAN AS IT STANDS.
SO, UM, THEREFORE, UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UH, THE UTC URGE CITY MANAGER, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS PURSUE ALL LEGAL, UH, METHODS TO, UH, DEFER, UM, TO DEFER THIS PROJECT.
UM, AT LEAST UNTIL THE
UH, THE UTC HAS ALREADY RECOMMENDED THE TXDOT NOT PURSUED THIS PROJECT.
THAT'S THE RECOMMENDATION AS IT STANDS.
UH, THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR COMMENTARY SUGGESTIONS OR MOVE TO VOTE.
[01:50:01]
YES.NUMBER TWO SAYS, WIDEN 30
UM, HOW EXACTLY WOULD THAT EXACERBATE RACIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVIDES ANY WORSE THAN THE GENTRIFICATION THAT IS TAKING PLACE IN EAST AUSTIN OVER THE LAST YEAR? SO THOSE WOULD BE TWO SEPARATE ISSUES.
IS THERE GENTRIFICATION IN EAST AUSTIN? THAT'S A PROBLEM.
IS THERE TRAFFIC AND, UH, PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE? THAT'S A PROBLEM.
SO I WOULD SAY PERSONALLY FOR HER SPECIFIC EXAMPLE, WHEN I LOOK AT THOSE, UM, UH, RENDERINGS, I KNOW THE RENDERINGS ARE NOT COMPLETE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE GIANT BRIDGES AND THAT GIANT OPEN SPACE.
IT'S A BETTER USER EXPERIENCE BECAUSE IT'S MORE OPEN.
I DO NOT CONSIDER THAT BETTER USER EXPERIENCE CROSSING THAT AMOUNT OF OPEN SPACE TO GET FROM EAST 11TH AND TO THE DOWNTOWN IS NOT A BETTER EXPERIENCE, UH, CROSSING, UH, 120 FOOT WIDE SUN BAKED A CAR PLANE.
TO ME DOESN'T SEEM LIKE A BETTER USER EXPERIENCE.
SO I WOULD SAY THAT THAT IT DOESN'T HELP, UH, IT DOESN'T HELP AS IT, AS IT PROPOSED TO HELP.
WELL, I GUESS I'M ASKING WHY, IF THERE'S ANY DATA TO BACK UP EXACERBATING RACIAL AND ECONOMIC DIVIDES, UM, FOR THAT STATEMENT TO BE IN THERE, I'M ALSO ASKING IF THERE'S ANY, UM, IF THERE'S ANY DATA TO BACK UP, UM, THE IDEA THAT THERE WOULD BE ANY POSITIVE OUTCOMES.
UM, I MEAN THE, THE CITIES ARE GOING TO SPEND MORE MONEY ON A, ON A TRAIN SYSTEM.
THAT'S GOING TO SERVE LESS PEOPLE THAN I, 35 WILL SERVE.
AND I, 35 HASN'T, I'VE LIVED HERE 35 YEARS AND IT HASN'T BEEN EXPANDED IN DOWNTOWN AT ALL.
UM, AND SO, UM, I'M JUST NOT SURE THAT, THAT IT'S, THERE'S A LACK OF, OF BENEFIT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC FOR THAT TO BE EXPANDED.
AND I GUESS, LASTLY, THIS IS MORE OF A PROCEDURAL QUESTION.
WHEN DID THE COMMITTEE, WHEN DID THIS COMMISSION DISCUSS THIS PARTICULAR, WE'RE DISCUSSING IT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE DISCUSSING IT NOW, BUT WE D WE DIDN'T GET TOGETHER AND DISCUSS WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS GOING TO BE PROPOSED, RIGHT? IT DOESN'T, THAT'S NOT THIS WORD.
THESE ARE THE SHARED VIEWS OF THIS COMMITTEE.
DID, DID, DID ALL OF THE COMMITTEE HAVE INPUT ON THIS? NO, THIS IS THE TIME WHERE ALL THE COMMITTEE, THIS IS THE TIME.
SO THIS WAS WRITTEN BEFORE WE HAD A CHANCE TO HAVE INPUT, UH, AS, AS A PROCEDURAL RULE, AS LONG AS THE AGENDA SAYS POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS, WE CAN DISCUSS ANY POSSIBLE ACTION ITEMS AND YOU CAN BRING YOUR OWN PROPOSALS.
SO ANYTIME YOU SEE POSSIBLE ACTION, YOU CAN BRING, UH, YOU CAN BRING ANYTHING LIKE THIS.
I AM THE NEW GUY, SO I'M JUST, NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.
AND FOR THE RECORD, YOU, YOU DON'T EVEN ACTUALLY HAVE TO, TO BRING A PROPOSAL.
YOU CAN DRAFT A PROPOSAL ON THE FLY, IF YOU DON'T.
I JUST RECEIVED IT TODAY AND TODAY'S THE MEETING.
AND I WAS LIKE, I WAS JUST, IT WAS, IT WAS, IT WAS, UH, YEAH, NO, THAT, THAT'S FINE.
AND THIS IS THE TIME WHERE, YOU KNOW, UM, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PARLIAMENTARIAN DOING SO, UH, WE'LL JUST SORT OF GO OUR, TO OUR BEST ABILITY, BUT THE WAY IT HAS WORKED IN THE PAST FOR THE LAST YEAR, BEEN ON THE COMMISSION, UM, ANYBODY CAN, UM, PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT THAT SAYS, I WANT TO BREAK THIS BULLET, OR I WANT TO CHANGE THE WORDING OF THIS BULLET.
YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR YOU, BUT IF YOU WANT TO SAY, I THINK EXACERBATE IS TOO BIG OF A WORD.
I WOULD RATHER USE THIS OTHER WORD.
NOW WE CAN HAVE A VOTE ON THAT AMENDMENT.
AND IF THE, IF THE, IF THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE PRESENT SAY, YEAH, YEAH, THAT BULLET POINT IS NOT ON POINT.
WE SHOULD EDIT IT OUT, THEN THAT'S A LITTLE BIT, AND SO IT'S JUST FOR A DEMOCRATIC UNTIL JUST, UH, YEAH.
SO THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED.
WE JUST HAVE, IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, SINCE IT DOESN'T HAVE A, UM, THE RESOLUTION IS NOT A COMPLETE NUMBER, HAS THREE EXES.
UM, THIS WE'RE GOING TO, IF WE PASS THIS, IT'LL GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL AND BECOME THE ACTUAL RESOLUTION.
WELL, IT BECOMES JUST A, IT'S A RECOMMENDATION TO THEM TO DO.
SO WE'RE JUST, UH, WE'RE A SOVEREIGN BODY, BUT WE DON'T PASS ANY LAWS.
SO IT'LL JUST GO TO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTED IN THE CITY MANAGER, THE COUNCIL, AND THEY'LL LOOK AT IT AND DECIDE IF THEY WANT TO ACT ON IT OR NOT.
UM, DO YOU WANT TO PROPOSE ANY PARTICULAR WORDING CHANGE? UM, DO YOU WANT IT JUST TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON IT? WE CAN DO ALL OF THE ABOVE.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE MORE ACTUAL DATA BEHIND SOME OF THESE BULLET POINTS, BUT IF THERE'S NOT AND COMMISSIONER DRISCOLL, IT'S ALWAYS FUN TO ADDRESS PEOPLE, COMMISSIONER,
[01:55:01]
AND THEN THEIR LAST NAME.UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY READ ON THAT LINE AND HAVING JUST READ THIS TODAY, MYSELF, UH, FOR THE FIRST TIME IS, IS REALLY, YOU KNOW, I, 35 IS THE, THE RACIAL AND ECONOMIC SORT OF SEGREGATING LINE IN THE CITY AND HAS BEEN SINCE 1928.
UM, AND SO WHEN I READ THIS, YOU KNOW, FOR THIS ENTIRE RECOMMENDATION, MY READ ON IT ISN'T THAT WE WOULD NOT ASSUME THAT AT SOME POINT ANY CONSTRUCTION ON I, 35 IS BAD.
UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT IT'S UNLIKELY, UH, AS A MUCH TO THE DISMAY OF MANY PEOPLE ON THIS COMMISSION WITH ME, UH, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY, UH, TEXANS ARE GOING TO GET RID OF THEIR, THEIR BIG TRUCKS.
I'VE GOT ONE MYSELF, UM, AND WE LIKE THEM, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, MY READ RIGHT NOW IS THAT I THINK UNLIKE THE 20 YEAR PROCESS THAT TURNED INTO PROJECT CONNECT, UM, THAT THIS FEELS LIKE IT'S MOVING A LITTLE QUICK.
UM, AND THAT IN ORDER TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE AUSTIN FEELS GOOD ABOUT WHAT THOSE CHANGES ARE SPECIFICALLY THROUGH THE HEART OF DOWNTOWN, UM, IT MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER FOR US TO GET THERE AND WE JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT COMMUNITY INPUT IT.
AND, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT TXDOT HAS DONE, UH, TO TRY SO HARD, TO LISTEN TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, ME PERSONALLY, YOU KNOW, COMING FROM, I LEARNED TO DRIVE IN WHITNEY, TEXAS, WHERE THERE NO TRAFFIC AND THEN, UH, STARTED DRIVING FROM WORK, UH, TO AND FROM WORK IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, WHERE THERE IS A LOT OF TRAFFIC.
UM, AND THEY HAVE EXPANDED LANES IN LA, UH, FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS.
AND IF YOU'VE BEEN TO LA, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE IS STILL TRAFFIC IN LA.
UM, AND SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US AS THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION TO COMMISSION, UH, URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO, TO REALLY THINK THROUGH, UM, WHAT IS BEST IN AN URBAN ENVIRONMENT AND HOW CAN WE SHAPE THAT RIGHT NOW, UM, WITH THIS PROCESS WITH TEXTILE.
UM, AND SO, UM, I KNOW I KIND OF EXPANDED ON, ON THE INITIAL THING, BUT I DO THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY IN LIGHT OF WHAT
UM, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS YOU KNOW, FROM, FROM MY TWITTER FEED, HOW MUCH I AGREE WITH YOU, UH, THAT WE NEED A WHOLE LOT MORE HOUSING IN AUSTIN, UH, IN GENERAL, BUT, BUT YEAH, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW I FEEL ABOUT THIS PROCESS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I, UH, AFTER READING IT TODAY, I WILL BE VOTING YES.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER RYAN, NOT, NOT TO, UM, I DON'T WANT TO BE IN A POSITION WHERE I HAVE TO DEFEND WHAT I SAID, BUT, UM, I, LIKE I SAID, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 35 YEARS AND I KNOW WHAT
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WORSE IN MY OPINION FOR THAT COMMUNITY, IT'S AN EXPANDING,
UM, AND SO, UM, MY BEEF FOR LACK OF A BETTER TERM IS THAT I THINK THERE ARE WORSE THINGS HAPPENING IN THIS COMMUNITY, UH, REGARDING EQUITY THAN EXPANDING HIGHWAY.
UH, AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT, YEAH, I'M SO, VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
I DO JUST WANT TO KEEP THIS CONSCIOUS OF TIME.
WE DO HAVE TWO OTHER PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND SO I, IF I WOULD JUST URGE YOU ALL, UM, WE DO UNDERSTAND, OBVIOUSLY THIS IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT TOPIC.
UM, BUT IF, IF YOU COULD, UH, MOVE TO A VOTE IN ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT, PINKY MIND, WE CAN ALSO TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT AGENDA, BUT I JUST WANTED TO REMIND YOU ALL THE TIME CONSTRAINTS AND THE OTHER PRESENTERS THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING PATIENTLY FOR US.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE, THANK YOU FOR THE FOCUS.
DO WE HAVE A HARD STOP AT SEVEN 30 IN THIS ROOM? UM, WE'D LIKE TO GET AS CLOSE TO GETTING DONE BY EIGHT O'CLOCK AS WE CAN.
[02:00:01]
ALL RIGHT.UM, THANKS FOR THE COMMENTARY.
IS THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTARY, OR SHOULD WE MOVE TO, I JUST WANT TO SAY SOMETHING REALLY QUICKLY, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, I DO AGREE THAT THE CURRENT ITERATION OF
AND IT SEEMS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS THAT THE TIMELINE THAT WAS SHOWN WE'VE ACTUALLY SORT OF BACKED OFF FROM SOME OF THE BETTER THINGS THAT WERE DISCUSSED.
LIKE WE'RE NOT EVEN REALLY APPARENTLY DISCUSSING A FULL CAP ANYMORE.
THE COMMUNITY CONCEPTS HAVE BEEN DISMISSED.
I KNOW WE SAW SOME RENDERINGS UP HERE THAT LOOKED PRETTY GOOD, BUT IT SAYS THERE, YOU KNOW, MAY NOT REALLY HAVE ANY SIGNIFICANCE.
THERE WERE A LOT OF LIKE CAVEATS THERE, AND THERE WAS SOME RENDERINGS GOING AROUND ON TWITTER THAT LOOK A LOT WORSE THAN WHAT WE JUST SAW THAT I THINK ARE ALSO OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS.
SO I THINK THAT LIKE, WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW IS THAT THE PROCESS SEEMS TO BE NOT GOING IN A DIRECTION THAT SEEMS POSITIVE.
AND SO JUST SORT OF LIKE COOL THE BRAKES AND MAKE SURE WE DO THIS RIGHT.
WHICH IS WHAT I THINK WE ACTUALLY DID DO WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
THAT WAS A 20 YEAR PROJECT PROCESS, LOTS OF STOPS AND STARTS AROUND THE WAY WE COULD ARGUE ABOUT THAT BACK AND FORTH, BUT LIKE, LET'S GET THIS RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE PERFECT.
I DON'T WANT PERFECT TO BE THE ENEMY OF THE GOOD, BUT RIGHT NOW I DON'T FEEL CONFIDENT WE'RE IN A PLACE.
I'M GOING TO MOVE THAT, MOVE THAT, UM, WE TAKE THE VOTE.
I DON'T THINK WE NEED A SECOND FOR THAT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF THE RECOMMENDATION AS POSTED, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY AYE.
AND WHETHER IT BE, DID YOU SAY, NAH, YOU'RE ON MUTE.
PARDON COMMISSIONER? WHETHER IT BE, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU SAID NICK.
CAN I SHARE BROOKS? UH, WHETHER IT BE ORNATE.
SO THAT MAKES, UH, EIGHT TO THREE RESOLUTION PASSES.
UH, EVER FOR YOUR TIME, UH, THERE WAS TWO HOURS.
I THINK IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT TOPIC.
THANKS FOR KEEPING US ON TRACK.
UM, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO WANT TO, OKAY, WELL THEN LET'S MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU, TXDOT STAFF FOR YOUR PRESENTATION AND YOUR TIME.
AND THANK YOU MARIO FOR I'M SPONSORING THAT.
[2.B. Taxicab Franchise Transfer Presenters: Jacob Culberson]
TO THE TAXI CAB FRANCHISE.I ALSO WANTED TO CLARIFY IF ALL I SAID EIGHT, UM, HE ACTUALLY HAVE THE ROOM IS OPEN UNTIL 10:00 PM.
I'M GOOD WITH
I ALSO WANT TO THROW OUT THERE BEFORE WE KICK OFF THIS NEXT SECTION.
UH, ALL THAT HAD BEEN STEWING IN MY BRAIN THE ENTIRE TIME WE WERE TALKING.
SO COMMISSIONER DRISCOLL, THAT WAS NOT DIRECTED AT YOU.
THAT WAS JUST ME THINKING OUT LOUD AFTER ALL OF THAT STUFF.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE CITY VERY, VERY WELL.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS CLEAR.
JUST TAKE A CALL WITH HIM AND YOU'RE READY.
I'M THE PARKING ENTERPRISE MANAGER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UH, WE'RE HERE TO TALK ABOUT TAXI CABS AND PROVIDE SOME STATISTICS.
AND JACOB CULBERSON IS OUR DIVISION MANAGER OVER MOBILITY SERVICES AND HE'LL BE THE ONE PRESENTING GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
UM, MY NAME IS JACOB CULVERS AND I'M THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR MOBILITY SERVICES.
UM, AND I'M HERE TODAY TO GIVE AN UPDATE ON TAXI CAB SERVICES, UM, IN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS ASCA RECOMMENDATION.
UM, FOR CERTAIN THINGS INVOLVING THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY.
UH, ALSO, UM, THERE IS A, UM, APPLICATION FOR A TRANSFER OF FRANCHISE LICENSE.
UM, RECENTLY, UM, A YELLOW CAB WAS PURCHASED BY A COMPANY CALLED CTRIP.
UM, AND THEY HAVE, UH, PUT IN AN APPLICATION TO, UH, REBRAND A YELLOW CAB TO Z TRIP.
AND WE'LL BE DISCUSSING THAT AS WELL.
COULD YOU MOVE TO THE NEXT SLIDE? ALL RIGHT.
SO CURRENTLY IN AUSTIN, UM, WE HAVE THREE CURRENT, UH, TAXICAB FRANCHISES THAT ARE STILL IN OPERATION ATX CO-OP TAXI CENTRAL CITY TAXI AND YELLOW CAB,
[02:05:01]
UM, FRANCHISES THAT CLOSED DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, AND, AND DISCUSSING WITH THE FRANCHISE HOLDERS, UM, ABOUT THE SITUATIONS AS THEY CLOSED WAS MOSTLY DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, BUT ALSO DUE TO PREVIOUS CIRCUMSTANCES THAT WE'LL DISCUSS AS WELL.SO LONE STAR CAB, UH, CLOSED THEIR DOORS IN MAY OF 2020 AND LONGHORN TAXI CAB COMPANY, WHICH STARTED IN SEPTEMBER OF 2020, UH, ENDED UP, UH, HAVING TO CLOSE IN DECEMBER BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT MEET THE DEADLINES, UH, ESTABLISHED BY, UH, FRANCHISE ORDINANCE, UM, IN OUR CITY CODE.
UM, THIS IS A THREE YEAR COMPARISON OF THE NUMBER OF TAXI CABS OPERATING WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, AND OF COURSE, UH, IT'S A DRASTIC REDUCTION, UM, IN THIS THREE YEAR COMPARISON GOING FROM 1016, UH, TAXI CABS OPERATING IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, IN FISCAL YEAR 18 AND 19.
UH, AND THEN IN 19 AND 20, UH, MOVING TO 245 TOTAL CABS IN THE CITY.
UH, AND THAT, THAT INCLUDES ALL COMPANIES OPERATING AT THAT TIME.
UH, AND NOW 220 CABS OPERATING, UH, WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, RIGHT NOW ATX, CO-OP HOLDS A HUNDRED TAXI CABS IN OPERATION, UH, AND THESE ARE ALL PERMITTED CABS HERE ON THIS LIST.
UM, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT THE BEER BEING OPERATED ON THE STREET, BUT IT MEANS THAT THEY'RE PERMITTED AT THIS TIME.
UM, 93 STANDARD TAXI CABS AND, UH, SEVEN WHEELCHAIR LIFT CABS, UH, CENTRAL CITY TAXI HAS 25, UH, 21 STANDARD IN FOR WHEELCHAIR LIFT AND YELLOW CAB HAS 95, 95 TAXI CABS, 87 STANDARD AND EIGHT WHEELCHAIR LIFT.
UM, HERE WE HAVE A FIVE-YEAR COMPARISON OF NUMBER OF TRIPS, UH, FOR ALL TAXI CABS OPERATING, UH, AND PERMITTED WITHIN THE CITY.
UH, AS YOU CAN SEE FOR FISCAL YEAR, UH, 2016 AND 2017, WE HAD JUST ABOVE 3 MILLION TRIPS, UH, AND FOLLOWING THAT TREND DOWN, UH, TO, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR, UM, OF COURSE, UH, THIS IS ONLY UP TO AS OF AUGUST.
UM, SO CONTINUING THIS, I WOULD PREDICT SOMEWHERE AROUND 300,000 BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND OF COURSE THAT'S A, A 90% REDUCTION IN THE NUMBER OF TRIPS, FAIRLY DRASTIC, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY.
AND THEN, UH, MOVING TOWARDS WHERE WE ARE NOW, TAXI CAB COMPANIES WERE FIRST LICENSED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN UNDER AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL, UH, ON MARCH 8TH, 1932.
UH, SO IF ANYONE'S INTERESTED IN SEARCHING THE RECORDS ON THAT, UM, THEY CAN LOOK THAT UP ON JUNE 8TH, 1950 TAXI CAB COMPANIES WERE DECLARED A PUBLIC UTILITY, UH, BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND FORMED INTO TAXI CAB FRANCHISES BY SUBS, SUBSEQUENT ORDINANCE, UM, UH, BEING DECLARED A UTILITY, UH, FOR THOSE WHO MAY NOT BE AWARE, UM, IS ESSENTIALLY, UH, THE TAXI CAB NEEDS TO, UH, THE TECH'S KEPT COMPANY NEEDS TO OFFER SERVICE TO THE ENTIRE CITY, UM, AND, UM, BE HELD TO CERTAIN ACCOUNTABLE STANDARDS.
UM, TAXI CAB COMPANIES REACHED THEIR PEAK SERVICE IN 16 AND 17 WITH OVER 3 MILLION TRIPS AND MORE THAN 1500 TAXICABS DEPLOYED WITHIN THE CITY, UH, IN 2017 TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES, SUCH AS UBER AND LYFT BEGAN OPERATING IN AUSTIN UNDER STATE REGULATORY AUTHORITY AND TAXI CAB FRANCHISES EXPERIENCED IN AN EVENTUAL SEVENTY-FIVE PERCENT DECLINE IN THEIR NUMBER OF TRIPS.
THE FOLLOWING YEAR IN 2018 COUNCIL APPROVED ATDS TAXI CAB, FRANCHISE REGULATORY REFORM RECOMMENDATIONS INTENDED TO ADDRESS THIS DECLINE, UH, LIGHTENED FRANCHISE RESTRICTIONS AND LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD BETWEEN TAXI CABS AND OTHER TRANSPORT TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS.
THIS DID, UM, LEVEL OFF THE NUMBERS FOR A TIME, UH, BUT WITH THE ADVENT OF MICRO MOBILITY OPTIONS AND OTHER OPTIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, UM, A CITY, UH, DECLINED, DID A RESUME AND INTO OF COURSE, 20, 20 AND 2021 DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC, A TAXI CAB FRANCHISES HAVE NOW EXPERIENCED THE LOWEST TRIP NUMBERS ON RECORD, UM, DUE TO THIS, UH, CHANGE, UH, IN THE, IN THE, YOU KNOW, MOBILITY LANDSCAPE WITHIN AUSTIN, UH, NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, DUE TO THE TNC,
[02:10:01]
THE ENTRANCE OF THE TNCS, UM, SUCH AS UBER AND LYFT, BUT MICRO MOBILITY OPTIONS AND MANY OTHER OPTIONS BEING OFFERED THROUGHOUT THE CITY.UM, ATD RECOMMENDS THAT TAXI CAB COMPANIES NO LONGER BE REGARDED AS PUBLIC UTILITIES, BUT RATHER AS A VALUABLE PART OF A DIVERSE AND EVER EVOLVING NETWORK OF COMPETITIVE MOBILITY OPTIONS.
AND THAT COUNCIL, UH, TRANSITIONED TAXICABS FROM A FRANCHISE LICENSING MODEL INTO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY LICENSING MODEL, THE BENEFITS OF LICENSING TAXI CAB COMPANIES UNDER AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL VERSUS A FRANCHISE ARE DEMONSTRATED IN THE FIGURE BELOW.
AND WE'LL TOUCH ON A COUPLE OF THESE, BUT I WILL SAY THAT CURRENTLY TAXI CABS ARE THE ONLY, UM, UH, TRANSPORTATION COMPANY THAT ARE CATEGORIZED IN A FRANCHISE MODEL.
WE, UH, LICENSED, UH, LIMOUSINES, UH, CHARTER VANS, CHARTER BUSES, UM, UH, PETTY CABS, UH, UH, HORSE AND CARRIAGE, UM, AND ALL OTHER OPTIONS AS OPERATING AUTHORITIES.
AND I WOULD ALSO SAY THAT WE WOULD NOT CHANGE ANY OF THE, UH, REAL, UM, OPERATOR PARAMETERS.
IF WE DID SWITCH TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY, UH, THE 25, UH, CAB, UH, OPERATING MINIMUM WOULD, WOULD ALSO BE REQUIRED.
UM, THERE ARE ISSUES INVOLVED IF YOU, IF YOU REQUIRE LESS THAN 25, UH, TAXI CABS TO START A TAXI CAB BUSINESS, UH, SUCH AS, YOU KNOW, CUSTOMERS CALLING AND NOT BEING ABLE TO GET SERVICE, UM, UH, DUE TO NOT ENOUGH CABS, UH, AVAILABLE.
UM, AND WE WOULD STILL HOLD THEM TO THEIR, UH, 6% REQUIREMENT FLEET REQUIREMENT, UH, FOR WHEELCHAIR LIFT TAXI CABS.
UM, SO NONE OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS WOULD CHANGE UNDER AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.
UM, BUT THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF BENEFITS.
UM, WE BELIEVE FOR SWITCHING TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL, UM, AND GOING OVER SOME OF THOSE, THE APPLICATION WOULD BE, CAN BE COMPLETED IN ONE BUSINESS DAY VERSUS PUTTING IN AN APPLICATION THAT TAKES, UH, AN EXCEPTIONAL AMOUNT OF TIME TO, TO PREPARE, UM, AND, UM, UH, MEETING ROOMS, REQUIREMENTS, AND DEADLINES.
AND THEN OF COURSE, GOING TO COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS PROCESS, UM, AS WELL AS MEETING WITH COMMISSIONS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND, AND, UM, ALL OF THE OTHER STEPS REQUIRED, UH, FOR THAT TECH SCOUT FRANCHISE AS A UTILITY TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, AS WITH THE APPROVAL RENEWAL OR TRANSFER AS WE ARE HERE TODAY, UH, LATER I'LL INTRODUCE, UH, XE TRIP AND, UM, THEY CAN PRESENT TO YOU, UM, THEIR APP, THEIR APPEAL TO TRANSFER, UM, UH, THE FRANCHISE LICENSE OF YELLOW CAB INTO CZI TRIPS, UH, BRAND NAME, UM, THERE'S MORE FLEXIBLE APPLICATION, TIMEFRAMES AND DEADLINES.
IT'S EASIER FOR THE COMPANIES TO SCALE THEIR FLEETS, UH, TO DEMAND.
UM, THEY WOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO SEE SOME RESUME OPERATIONS THAT WILL, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT, UH, WE LEARNED, ESPECIALLY IN THE PANDEMIC WAS EXCEPTIONALLY HELPFUL FOR LIMOUSINE COMPANIES, CHARTER VANS, CHARTER BUSES, TO BE ABLE TO CLOSE THEIR DOORS FOR A TIME AND PLACE A PAUSE ON THEIR BUSINESS, UM, AND THEN BE ABLE TO RESUME LATER.
UM, THIS WOULD BE POSSIBLE UNDER AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL, BUT IT IS NOT UNDER A CURRENT UNDER THE CURRENT FRANCHISE MODEL, UM, SCALING VEHICLE, UH, FLEETS TO DEMAND.
UM, THIS HAS TO DO WITH OUR OPERATING AUTHORITIES, UM, CAN GET SPECIAL PERMITS FOR SPECIAL EVENTS, UH, ALMOST ON DEMAND.
UM, THE VEHICLE OF COURSE, HAS TO BE INSPECTED.
UM, DRIVERS HAVE TO HAVE SHOW FIRST PERMITS, UM, BUT THEY CAN GET A FIVE DAY PERMIT AT A TIME TO OPERATE AN UPSCALE FOR EVENTS GOING ON IN AUSTIN AND BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE, THOSE KINDS OF RIDES, UH, MORE FLEXIBLY, UM, UH, GREATER DRIVER, AUTONOMY AND CHOICE.
UM, IT GIVES THE DRIVERS THE ABILITY TO, UM, CHANGE COMPANIES EASIER IF THEY WOULD LIKE OR WORK FOR ALTERNATIVE COMPANIES.
UM, IT OPENS THE OPTIONS MORE FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO EVEN PUT AN APPLICATION FOR THEMSELVES.
IF THEY'RE ABLE TO MEET THE MINIMUM PREREQUISITES TO, UH, OPEN THEIR OWN TAXI CAB BUSINESS THEMSELVES, UM, WITH GREATER EASE, I WOULD SAY, UM, ALSO IT ALIGNS WITH ALL OF THE VEHICLE PER HIRE PERMITTING, UH, IN, IN AUSTIN, AS I'VE MENTIONED WITH LIMOUSINES AND CHARTER VANS AND CHARTER BUSES, ALL OF THE OTHER OPTIONS THAT WE FARM IT, UM, ALSO, UH, THERE ARE NO OTHER TEXAS CITIES LEFT, UH, THAT, UH, HAVE THEIR TAXICABS UNDER A FRANCHISE.
UM, AUSTIN IS THE ONLY CITY LEFT WITH A, UH, A FRANCHISE SYSTEM FOR TAXI CABS, UM,
[02:15:01]
THAT REQUIRES TAXI CABS AS UTILITIES TO OPERATE THEREFORE, UH, ATD, UH, RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THAT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL ON TRANSITIONING TAXICABS FROM A FRANCHISE MODEL INTO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL.ANY QUESTIONS, OR, OH, JUST SAY REAL QUICK.
I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD SORT OF THE OPPOSITES OF THIS OPPOSITE DISCUSSIONS IN THE ATX CO-OP MODEL CAME AROUND AND THE TMC, UH, THE FLOOR IS OPEN FOR DISCUSSION.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS IT'S YEAH.
UM, IF YOU ANTICIPATE HOW THE WHEELCHAIR LIFT NUMBERS IN THE FLEETS WOULD BE IMPACTED BY SWITCHING THEM TO THE DIFFERENT MODEL.
SO THE REQUIREMENT WOULD STILL BE THERE, UH, FOR 6% OF ANY OF THEIR FLEETS TO BE WHEELCHAIR LIFT CALVES.
UM, AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT AND THAT WOULD REMAIN AS A REQUIREMENT.
UM, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD NEED 25 CABS TO, UH, TO HAVE A TAXI CAB BUSINESS MINIMUM AND MAINTAIN THAT 25 CABS, UH, AND 6% WOULD NEED TO BE WHEELCHAIR LIFT.
I WAS WONDERING WHERE THAT NEVER CAME FROM WOULD, UM, IS ATD OPEN TO JUST SAYING YOU WOULD GET THE SAME RESULT, WHATEVER THE SIZE OF, IF IT WAS 10, AT LEAST ONE NEEDS TO BE WHEELCHAIR LIFT CAPABLE, YOU'D STILL GET AT LEAST ONE TH THEIR, THEIR FLEETS CAN EXPAND QUITE DRAMATICALLY, UM, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON, THE YEAR.
UM, SO HAVING THAT 6%, UH, MINIMUM, UH, IT, I THINK IS A GOOD REQUIREMENT.
ALSO, IT'S A FEDERALLY MANDATED LAW AS WELL, SO, YEAH.
SORRY, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? UM, WHAT OTHER STEPS ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN? IS THERE AN ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT OR, YEAH, YES, THERE WOULD NEED TO BE, UH, COUNCIL READING AND AN ORDINANCE PLACED FOR A TAXI CAB, UH, OPERATING AUTHORITY SPECIFICALLY, UM, AND A, UH, A REVOCATION OF THE TAXI CAB FRANCHISE ORDINANCE.
SO IT WOULD ESSENTIALLY BE A SWAP, UH, AT ONE COUNCIL SESSION, UM, LINKED, MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PROCEED IN SUPPORTING THEIR RECOMMENDATION REAL QUICK.
BEFORE WE DO THAT, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS TOPIC? YEAH.
COMMISSIONER WHERE THE VISA WAS COMING UP TO SPEAK TO JUST BEFORE WE JUST A CLARIFICATION THING BEFORE HE SPEAKS, UH, YOU MENTIONED, SO THESE ARE THE CTRIP THING AND THERE'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, OR I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED HERE.
THEY, THEY ARE SEPARATE ISSUES.
UM, SO WE'RE ALSO, UH, COMING TO PRESENT AND MY, UM, PRESENTATION WILL CONTINUE, UH, WITH INTRODUCING, UH, BILL GEORGE WHO'S, THE CEO OF, OF
UM, IF, UH, COUNCIL DID APPROVE, UH, TRANSITIONING TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY, UM, WE WOULD NOT NEED TO GO TO A THREE READINGS, UH, PROCESS, UM, TO GET THE FRANCHISE TRANSFERRED.
WE WOULD ESSENTIALLY, IF THE ORDINANCE WENT INTO APPROVE AND OPERATING AUTHORITY, WE COULD ISSUE A LICENSE ON THAT OPERATING TORY ONCE THE ORDINANCE WAS PASSED.
UM, HOWEVER, IF, IF THAT DOES NOT GO THROUGH COUNCIL, UM, THEN WE WOULD STILL NEED TO DO THE THREE READINGS PROCESS TO TRANSFER THAT LICENSE IN ORDER FOR ZEE TRUCK TO OPERATE UNDER THEIR BRAND.
SO I GUESS THERE'S A PROCESS QUESTION, JUST TO CLARIFY A BIT, DO WE NEED TO HEAR FROM MR. GEORGE, MR. MR. GEORGE, BEFORE WE, YEAH.
CAN WE DO THE OTHER PART FIRST? DO WE NEED TO REVOCATION? ABSOLUTELY.
IF YOU DON'T MIND, MR. GEORGE, LET'S DO THAT ONE FIRST, JUST SO WE CAN FINISH THAT ONE OUT AGAIN.
UM, UH, HE DOESN'T MIND PUTTING THE COMMISSIONERS BACK ON THE SCREEN OR CHRIS CAN GET THEM.
CAN MR. WEATHERBY, WE ALMOST, WE INTERRUPTED YOU A LITTLE BIT, UH, IN ERROR.
SO YOU WERE ABOUT TO MAKE A MOTION.
I WILL REPEAT THE MOTION I MADE PREVIOUSLY THAT WE ENDORSED THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE STAFF TO SUPPORT THIS CHANGE IN MANAGEMENT.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? OKAY.
[02:20:01]
OUR AUTO WHERE YOU'RE ABOUT TO SAY SOMETHING.I'M NOT TO BELIEVE IT IS TOO MUCH, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS, UM, THIS IS PROBABLY A QUESTION FOR THESE OPERATORS, BUT, UH, THEY THOUGHT THE DRIVERS, HOW WOULD THIS AFFECT DRIVERS IN TERMS OF, UH, WOULD THEY BE MOVING FROM A EMPLOYEE AND CONTRACTOR TYPE POSITION OR IS THAT, UM, WOULD THAT BE THE CASE OR ARE THEY ALREADY CONTRACTORS? IS THAT SOMETHING YOU CAN CLARIFY FOR ME? YES.
AS FAR AS I'M AWARE, A TAXI CAB DRIVERS IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN ARE INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS, UM, TO A LARGE DEGREE, UH, THERE ARE ALSO EMPLOYEES OF THE VARIOUS COMPANIES THAT OPERATE AS WELL.
AND WOULD THIS, UM, CHANGE IN, UM, FRANCHISE SYSTEM, UM, AFFECT THAT EMPLOYMENT STATUS? UH, TRANSITIONING TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL WOULD NOT AFFECT THAT.
UM, ANY OTHER STATEMENTS, QUESTIONS? HAVE I HAVE A QUESTION? YES.
DID WE SOUND A, LIKE WE WENT THROUGH THIS SEVERAL YEARS AGO WITH, UM, UM, SAFETY BACKGROUND CHECKS, THINGS LIKE THAT WOULD, WOULD ANY OF THAT CHANGE? I JUST BECAME A LITTLE CONCERNED WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT RAMPING UP FOR CERTAIN EVENTS, UM, WHAT'S THE, UM, WHAT'S THE FIREWALL TO PREVENT, UM, AN UNSCRUPULOUS PERSON FROM BECOMING, UM, A DRIVER IN A, FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME WITH, UH, WITH A LOT OF THINGS.
YEAH, THAT'S A VERY GOOD QUESTION.
SO OUR, OUR, UH, REQUIREMENTS WOULD NOT CHANGE FOR THAT.
UH, ANY DRIVER IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT DRIVES FOR A LICENSED OPERATING AUTHORITY OR TAXI CAB FRANCHISE WITHIN THE CITY, UH, MUST HAVE AN, UH, UH, A CHAUFFEUR'S PERMIT ISSUED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN ISSUED BY MY OFFICE.
SO THEY STILL DO THE STANDARD DPS BACKGROUND CHECK AND THEY MUST PASS THAT AND A WRITTEN EXAM, UM, BEFORE THEY'RE ABLE TO BE ISSUED A CHAUFFEUR'S PERMIT.
GOING ONCE GOING, UH, THIS TIME.
UH, UH, NO, MY QUESTION IS VERY BASIC.
SO THIS IS ESSENTIALLY JUST CHANGING THE NUMBER OF HOOPS THAT THESE COMPANIES WHO ALREADY HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND, UH, SECURITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN PLACE.
THIS IS CHANGING THE NUMBER OF HOOPS THAT THEY NEED TO JUMP THROUGH ON THE CITY SIDE, IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE SCALE UP DOWN, THINGS LIKE THAT, NOT REALLY CHANGING THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, JUST CHANGING THE WAY THEY INTERACT WITH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, AND I HAD THE, THE, THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY ASKING ME THE SAME QUESTION AND THAT IS CORRECT.
IT, IT, IT ESSENTIALLY JUST ELIMINATES, UM, HAVING TO GO TO COUNCIL FOR THREE READINGS, UM, TO CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE TAXI CAB, UH, LICENSING, UH, AND TO BE ISSUED A LICENSE, UH, UH, UNDER, UNDER THE TAXI CAB, UH, FRANCHISE SYSTEM.
UM, THIS WOULD ESSENTIALLY ESTABLISH THE SAME PRE PREREQUISITE CRITERIA THAT THEY WOULD NEED TO MEET.
UM, BUT MY OFFICE COULD ISSUE THE LICENSE, UH, JUST AS WE ISSUE LIMOUSINE, UH, AND CHARTER VAN AND CHARTER BUS LICENSES.
UM, AND IT WOULD BE IN THE SAME WAY.
LET'S MOVE TO, I HAVE ONE QUESTION JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, I'M ASSUMING THE TAX GIVEN INDUSTRY IS, IS ON BOARD WITH THIS.
SO THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY HAS MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT THIS EVER SINCE WE, UH, ASKED FOR THE SAME RECOMMENDATION IN 2018, UM, UH, SOME TAXI CAB COMPANIES HAVE EXPRESSED SUPPORT.
UM, A LOT OF DRIVERS HAVE EXPRESSED SUPPORT PREVIOUSLY.
UM, BUT WE DO GET SOME MIXED FEELINGS ON THIS, I GUESS, I GUESS, TO EXPAND ON THAT.
I MEAN, OH, BASED ON WHAT YOU EXPLAINED OVERALL, TO ME, IT SEEMS LIKE A NET POSITIVE.
UM, COULD YOU GIVE SOME OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM THE TAXI CAB INDUSTRY? UH, THE CON THE LARGEST CONCERN THAT WE'VE HEARD PREVIOUSLY IS, UH, THAT IT, IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR MORE COMPETITION.
JUST WANTED TO HEAR WHAT, WHAT THEY, YEAH.
WE'VE IN THE PAST DISCUSS THAT, UH, THAT FACET AS WELL.
UH, ARE YOU READY TO TAKE A VOTE? ALL RIGHT.
DO, DO WE HAVE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT WE ARE APPROVING? YEAH, IT WAS ON THE SCREEN.
UM, IF ADRIAN COULD PUT THAT BACK ON THE SCREEN, THAT BLUE SLIDE WITH THE, OH, SINCE I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING THAT
[02:25:01]
PROVIDES ME WITH THE DESCRIPTION, THE WORDING, UH, EITHER IN THE PRESENTATION OR IN MY WRITTEN MATERIALS, IT'S HARD FOR ME TO SAY IT EXACTLY AS THEY DESCRIBED IT.THERE, THERE IS A, THERE IS A SLIDE THAT, UM, AVI IS GOING TO FIND HERE IN JUST A MOMENT.
I THINK IT WAS THE LAST SLIDE ON JACOB'S PRESENTATION.
YOU CAN PULL A LANGUAGE FROM THERE.
UH, I, I THINK, YEAH, THAT'S WHY I SAID SUPPORTING THE ATDS RECOMMENDATION ON CHANGING THE METHOD OF INTERACTION WITH THE TAXI CAB, WHATEVER.
WELL, SINCE, UH, COMMISSIONER WEATHERBY, THIS IS YOUR EMOTION DO, WHOOPS.
IF YOU PUT THAT BACK UP, I'D BE VERY APPRECIATIVE.
I MAKE A MOTION THAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDS TO THE CITY COUNCIL TRANSITIONING TAXICABS FROM A FRANCHISE MODEL TO AN OPERATING AUTHORITY MODEL.
DO YOU STILL HAVE A SENSE? YEAH, I SUPPOSE STILL SUCK AT THAT.
WE'VE HAD DISCUSSION ON THAT AND NOW WE'RE VOTING ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE.
UH, WE DON'T SEE THE, UM, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ AND BROOKS.
AND IF WE COULD GO BACK TO MY SLIDES, THE NEXT SLIDE AFTER THAT LAST ONE, THAT WAS POSTED.
SO AS I EXPLAINED BRIEFLY PREVIOUSLY, UM, WE'LL GO TO COUNCIL WITH YOUR RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO TRANSITION THE TAX GIFT FRANCHISES INTO, UM, AN OPERATING AUTHORITY.
HOWEVER, IF THAT TRANSITION DOES NOT HAPPEN IN A TIMELY MANNER, UM, I WOULD NOT WANT Z TRIP TO BE HELD UP AND NOT ABLE TO OPERATE UNDER THEIR BRAND NAME AND TO HAVE TO CONTINUE OPERATING UNDER YELLOW CABS BRAND NAME.
UH, THEREFORE, UM, I ALSO CAME ASKING FOR ANOTHER RECOMMENDATION TO TRANSFER THE FRANCHISE LICENSE, UM, OF, OF YELLOW CAB INTO Z TRIP'S NAME, UH, IN ORDER THAT THEY CAN OPERATE UNDER THEIR BRAND, UH, YEAH, THAT THERE IT IS.
SO ON AUGUST 5TH, 2021, WHC ATX LLC DOING BUSINESS AS
UH, Z TRIP HAS APPLIED FOR A TRANSFER OF THE TAXICAB FRANCHISE LICENSE FROM YELLOW CAP TO Z TRIP IN ACCORDANCE WITH 13 TO 403 OF CITY CODE AND YELLOW CAB HAS PROVIDED A NOTARIZED LETTER OF INTENT TO TRANSFER THE FRANCHISE LICENSE TUESDAY TRIP.
UH, THE MOBILITY SERVICES DIVISION OF THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT HAS REVIEWED THE APPLICATION AND LETTER OF INTENT TO TRANSFER AND HAS FOUND ITS CONTENTS COMPLIANT WITH THE APPLICABLE SECTIONS OF CHAPTER 13, TWO OF CITY CODE ATD RECOMMENDS THE TRANSFER OF, UH, THE YELLOW CAB TAXI CAB, FRANCHISE LICENSE, TUESDAY TRIP, UM, AND ATD RESPECTFULLY REQUESTS THAT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ON THIS TRANSFER.
AND WITH THAT SAID, UM, AS I PREVIOUSLY INTRODUCED, UH, UH, MR. BILL GEORGE, WHO IS THE CEO OF
SO MR. GEORGE HAS FLOWN IN TODAY, UM, PREPARED TO, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HIS, UH, CAB COMPANY Z TRIP, UH, AND, AND ASK HIM AS WELL FOR THAT RECOMMENDATION.
SO ONE PREFACING QUESTION FIRST, YOUR DEPARTMENT HAS ALREADY MADE A, UH, ADJUDICATION THAT THEY'VE MET THE LEGAL DEPARTMENTS.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DRESS YOU, AND I WANT TO BE SENSITIVE TO YOUR TIME, CAUSE I KNOW WE'RE RUNNING A LITTLE BIT LATE.
UM, I HAVE A TENDENCY TO TALK FAST ANYWAY, SO THAT MIGHT BE A GOOD THING HERE.
I'M A LIFELONG RESIDENT OF KANSAS CITY.
I'VE BEEN IN THE CAB BUSINESS SINCE 1985 IN KANSAS CITY WITH THE YELLOW CAB HAD THAT COMPANY.
I SOLD IT ACTUALLY TO A TEXAS BASED COMPANY OUT OF HOUSTON IN 1997, STAYED ON TO RUN IT FOR THEM, FOR COACH USA, AND THEN BOUGHT IT BACK IN 2002, RIGHT AFTER NINE 11.
AND THEY WEREN'T SURE WHAT DIRECTION I WANTED TO GO.
I SOLD IT TO A COMPANY CALLED TRANSDEV IN 2007 AND IN 2010, I STARTED RUNNING
[02:30:01]
THEIR CAB OPERATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY.UM, DURING THAT PERIOD, WE WERE FACED WITH THE TNCS AND THE NEW COMPETITION THAT COME IN THAT DISRUPTED OUR INDUSTRY AND MY HISTORY IN KANSAS CITY.
WE WERE A REGULATED ENVIRONMENT AND OUR FIRM HOLD HELD 88% OF THE PERMITS IN A PERIOD FOUR MONTHS AFTER WE BOUGHT THE COMPANY, THE CITY COUNCIL IN KANSAS CITY DEREGULATE AND SAID, WHOEVER WANTS A PERMIT, COME GET ON.
SO WE WENT FROM 88% TO 40% OVERNIGHT, AND THIS WAS BACK IN 1984.
UM, AND WHEN I JOINED IN 85 W IT WAS A DISASTER, BUT IT PREPARED US FOR THE DISRUPTION THAT WAS GOING TO OCCUR.
SO I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO SURVIVE AND, AND NOT ONLY SURVIVE, BUT THRIVE ON THIS.
SO AS TRANSDEV WAS GOING THROUGH THIS, THIS DILEMMA OF WHAT TO DO IN THE TAXI CAB BUSINESS, THEY SAID DECIDED THEY FIGURED IT WAS A DEAD INDUSTRY.
THEY DIDN'T WANNA PUT ANY MORE FUNDS TOWARDS IT.
SO I APPROACHED THEM ABOUT BUYING IT AND THEY SAID, NO.
AND I DEVELOPED THE Z TRIP CONCEPT WITH THEM AND SAID, WE WANT TO BE THE PERFECT HYBRID BETWEEN THE SAFETY AND SECURITY AND PREDICTABILITY AFFAIR OF A TAXI CAB, ALONG WITH ALL THE OTHER FEATURES THAT A TMC OFFERS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE CREATED WITH Z TRUCK.
UM, WE STARTED THIS, I, THE ACTUAL PARENT COMPANY IS WHC WORLDWIDE IN EACH CITY.
WE HAVE A WAC ENTITY IN AUSTIN INSTEAD OF UHC ATX.
AND ONE THING I DO WANT TO CLARIFY FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT MAY NOT KNOW A GREATER AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION COMPANY, WHICH OPERATE A YELLOW COLLAB, DECLARED BANKRUPTCY AND THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT IN JULY OF THIS YEAR, JULY 17TH.
AND ACTUALLY WE WERE BROUGHT IN, IN JUNE AND TOLD THAT THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN.
AND WE PUT AN OFFER ON A STOCKING HORSE BID WITH THE BANKRUPTCY COURT, AND WE PURCHASED ALL THEIR ASSETS TO A BANKRUPTCY COURT SALE, BOTH IN HOUSTON, SAN ANTONIO, AND AUSTIN EFFECTIVE AUGUST 9TH.
SO THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE SO QUICKLY.
TYPICALLY WE DON'T LIKE TO COME IN AND SAY, BY THE WAY, WE'RE HERE, UH, WE USUALLY HAVE A PROCESS THAT GOES THROUGH, BUT IT IS CRITICAL.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS, CAUSE YOU BROUGHT UP THE WHEELCHAIR QUESTION.
YOU CAN'T SHUT DOWN WHEELCHAIR SERVICE OVERNIGHT.
AND JUST SAY, A COMPANY IS GOING TO GO AWAY BECAUSE YOU HAVE PEOPLE DEPENDING ON FOR DIALYSIS TREATMENTS, FOR NUTRITION AND OTHER THINGS.
SO IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE.
SO THE LIGHTS NEVER WENT DARK.
THE CARS NEVER CAME OFF THE STREET AND WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
AND A LOT OF THIS NOW IS, IS LEGAL STEPS.
WE NEED TO TAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT'S PERMANENT, BUT I DO WANT TO LET YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW WE GOT HERE IN SUCH A RAPID MANNER.
SO AS I MENTIONED, UM, I TOLD TRANSIT, I WANTED TO BUY THE COMPANY BECAUSE THEY REFUSE TO DO ANY MORE INVESTMENT.
AND I SAID, I'M GOING TO LEAVE.
AND THEY SAID, WELL, WHY DON'T YOU GO TO YOUR OWN THING AND STILL RUN OUR COMPANIES AS A CONSULTANT, WHICH I DID.
AND I FORMED WHC WORLDWIDE IN, UH, JANUARY OF 2018.
AND WE DID OUR FIRST ACQUISITION IN OMAHA AND LINCOLN, NEBRASKA IN APRIL OF 18.
UM, WE ALWAYS GET ASKED, WHAT DOES WHC STAND FOR? AND, AND QUITE FRANKLY, WHEN YOU SAW THOSE GRAPHS, IT'S PRETTY DEPRESSING.
ISN'T IT? WHEN YOU SEE WHAT'S HAPPENED TO THE NUMBER OF TRIPS AND, AND THE NUMBER OF CABS.
AND WHEN I WAS SPOKE TO MY BANK, EVERYBODY SAID, YOU'RE CRAZY.
AND I ALWAYS SAID, WHY HATE CALVES? SO THAT'S ACTUALLY WHERE WHC CAME FROM, BUT NOW IT MEANS SO MANY OTHER THINGS.
AND ONE OF THEM IS WE HAVE COVERAGE.
AUSTIN WILL BE OUR 26 CITY, AND WE HAVE GONE ON A, A TEAR AND ACQUIRING CITY SINCE OUR FIRST ONES IN, UM, APRIL OF 18.
WE NOW, UM, ARE IN 16, US STATES, 26 DIFFERENT CITIES.
AND OUR FLEET IS APPROACHING 5,000 VEHICLES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE COMMIT TO TO EVERYONE IS SAFETY.
AND THESE ARE ALL THE THINGS THAT I GOT TO LOOK AT FROM LOOKING IN THE REAR VIEW MIRROR.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE DID HERE.
IN FACT, THE WEEK THAT WE BOUGHT THESE ASSETS, WE INSTALLED A BRAND NEW CAMERA SYSTEM CALLED NATTO, THAT EVERY INTERACTION FROM EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR IS RECORDED FOR BOTH DRIVER'S SAFETY AND PASSENGER SAFETY.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE'S A COMPLETE, COMPLETE TELEMATICS SUITE IN IT.
WE GET EVERY DRIVER GETS SCORED DAILY BASED ON THEIR PERFORMANCE.
SO IF THEY'RE DOING SUDDEN STOPS SUDDEN ACCELERATIONS, IF THEY'RE HITTING A CURB, THINGS WE WOULD NEVER KNOW ABOUT, THEY GET TO SEE THEIR SCORE DAILY, DAILY, AND THAT PROVIDES FOR US TO COACH AND EVERYBODY IN THE CAB BUSINESS IS GOOD AT CANCELING A DRIVERS CONTRACT.
AFTER THEY'VE HAD AN ACCIDENT, OUR GOAL IS TO COACH THEM BEFORE THEY HAVE THE ACCIDENT AND BY INVESTING WHAT WE HAVE IN THE SYSTEM, WHICH WE SPEND UPWARDS OF $2 MILLION A YEAR ON IT IS DESIGNED TO WATCH THESE VIDEOS, WATCH THE INTERACTIONS, GET THE SCORES AND WORK WITH DRIVERS.
AND THEN WE FIND OUT, HEY, THEY'RE JUST NOT GOING TO CHANGE THEIR HABITS.
THERE'S NO LONGER A PLACE FOR THEM BECAUSE WE JUST CAN'T HAVE THAT SAFETY RISK THERE.
UM, ALL OF THIS, WE SAY IT'S WELL-KNOWN CONCLUSIONS WE DEVELOPED.
AND WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THE PANDEMIC THAT WE WERE ABLE TO HIRE SOME DATA SCIENTISTS THAT WE PUT ON BOARD.
THERE WAS ABOUT 27 DIFFERENT DATA POINTS THAT GO INTO COMPLETING THE TRIP.
AND WE MARK EVERY ONE OF THEM.
SO WE HAVE A SYSTEM THAT WE DEVELOPED CALLED Z METRICS THAT
[02:35:01]
ALL OF OUR GENERAL MANAGERS GET DASHBOARDS DAILY, OUR REGIONAL VICE PRESIDENTS GET DASHBOARDS DAILY.I GET ONE, IT SEES WHAT OUR COMPLETION RATES ARE, HOW LONG IT TAKES FOR A PHONE CALL TO ANSWER, UM, HOW WE'RE DOING ON RECRUITING ALL THESE DATA POINTS.
SO WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF THE ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE OUT OF THE BUSINESS AND REALLY LOOKED AT WHAT THE IMPORTANT DATA POINTS ARE TO MAKE THE BUSINESS BETTER AND HOW WE INCREASE CUSTOMER SATISFACTION.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IS HOW WE WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, DURING THE PANDEMIC WE SWITCHED FROM TRANSPORTING SCHOOL CHILDREN TO ACTUALLY TAKING MEALS TO THE SCHOOL CHILDREN, TO GET THEM HOME.
WE ARE PARTNERING WITH SEVERAL HOSPITALS TO OFFER FREE TRANSPORTATION TO COVID VACCINATION SITES.
UM, WE'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE HOSPITALS BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH BURNOUT AND THEY HAVE TO GET SOMEBODY IN WITH NURSES AND STAFF THAT WERE TRANSPORTING TO AND FROM IF THEY'RE WORKING EXTRA HOURS, BECAUSE TRANSPORTATION IS NOT AVAILABLE, WE'VE DEVELOPED SEVERAL MICRO TRANSIT PROGRAMS AND DIFFERENT CITIES AND EMERGENCY BACKUP AS BOTH THE NEED FOR FULL-SIZED BUSES WENT DOWN WHILE AT THE SAME TIME DRIVERS WERE CALLING OFF BECAUSE THEY WERE SICK.
WE WERE ABLE TO REALLY PUT UP A MICRO TRANSIT SYSTEM IN SEVERAL CITIES.
SO WE, WE DO A LOT OF THINGS LIKE THIS, THAT WE CAN TAKE OUR RESOURCES THAT ARE NATIONAL, BUT ALSO WITH A LOCAL FLAIR AND WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY.
UM, EVERYTHING FROM NUTRITION TO SAFETY TO SCHOOL, CHILDREN WERE INVOLVED IN.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ASK WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YOU AND A TNC, THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE FACING THIS MONTH.
WHEN THEIR CHILDREN GO BACK TO SCHOOL, THEY MAY HAVE TO GET TO PRACTICE THREE DAYS A WEEK AFTER SCHOOL.
IT IS NICE THAT YOU CAN HIT AN APP ON A TNC AND SEE WHO THE DRIVER IS AND OUR SYSTEM, YOU CAN CONTACT US THROUGH ANY OF OUR MEANS.
AND WE WILL SET YOU UP WITH A PERSONAL DRIVER THAT WILL COME TO YOUR HOUSE, MEET WITH YOU, AND YOU CAN TELL YOUR SON OR DAUGHTER, THIS IS THE ONLY DRIVER YOU GET IN WITH.
YOU'LL HAVE THE CAMERA ACCESS, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO SEE IT ON OUR APP, AND YOU'LL BE ABLE TO REALLY MONITOR AND KNOW WHO'S PICKING UP.
SO WE TRY TO WORK IN THOSE NICHES WHERE TAXI CABS TRADITIONALLY HAVE NOT DONE A GOOD JOB AND WHERE TNCS REALLY CAN'T BASED ON THE SCALE THAT WE ARE.
AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT THE SECRET OF OUR SUCCESS HAS BEEN.
AND WE BOTH SAID THAT WITH, LOOK, IF YOU'VE BEEN IN THE CAB BUSINESS AND YOU SAW THOSE NUMBERS IT'S AND EVERYBODY IN OUR INDUSTRY, WOULDN'T LIKE A SCARED TURTLE.
AND WE WERE ABLE TO COME IN AND BUILD THIS, AND WE GIVE THE EMPLOYEES A NEW SWAGGER ON THEIR STUFF, BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE SAY, HOW ARE THE TNCS HURTING YOU? YOU CAN NOW SAY, LET US TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE DOING.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE THE BEST PEOPLE, BOTH FROM INDIANA INDUSTRY, AS WELL AS OUTSIDE OF THE INDUSTRY.
AND WE'RE A TEAM NOW THAT, UM, HAVE OVER 500 EMPLOYEES PLUS CLOSE TO 5,000 DRIVERS AROUND THE COUNTRY.
UH, WE'RE ALSO VERY INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY.
ALL OUR GENERAL MANAGERS, OUR LOCAL STAFF, WE'VE RETAINED THEM.
THEY WORK WITHIN OUR SYSTEM, BUT WE'RE VERY INVOLVED.
IN FACT, RIGHT NOW OUR, UH, BILOXI AND MOBILE OPERATIONS ARE DOING RUNS TO NEW ORLEANS OF BOTTLED WATER AND OTHER SUPPLIES.
AND WE'RE COLLECTING IT OUR PLACES AND DRIVING IT DOWN THERE.
SO WE WANT TO BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
OUR DRIVERS COME FROM THIS COMMUNITY AND WE'RE BUILDING SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN BE PROUD OF.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING.
UM, IT USED TO BE MANAGEMENT VERSUS CAB DRIVERS SINCE YOU'VE BEEN IN THESE MEETINGS BEFORE ANYBODY THAT HAS A HISTORY WITH THEM, IT'S USUALLY THE OWNERS OF THE FRANCHISE IS SITTING HERE COMPLAINING AND THE DRIVERS COMPLAINING SOMETHING ELSE.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO TURN THAT EQUATION AROUND THAT.
IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A COMMON ENEMY AND WE'VE DONE SO WITH THE TNC.
ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE DO IN EACH CITY IS WE CREATE A FACEBOOK GROUP FOR THE DRIVERS IN THAT CITY, BECAUSE MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN USUALLY THE LOUDEST PERSON IN THE GROUP IS USUALLY THE LEAST INFORMED.
AND WE DID THAT TO GET RID OF THE RUMOR MILL.
SO WE CREATE A FAMILY GROUP WITH ALL THE LOCAL EMPLOYEES AND DRIVERS.
AND IF THEY HAVE A QUESTION, JUST TAG ME IN IT AND I'LL ANSWER THE QUESTION AND WE GET THAT AND WE GET A DIALOGUE GOING AND IT HELPS BUILD THIS SENSE THAT WE ARE REALLY PART OF THIS COMMUNITY, BUT PART OF THE TRIP, AND WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT HERE.
AND WE DO THAT ALSO WITH OUR CUSTOMERS AND THE OUTREACH THAT WE DO, UM, IN KANSAS CITY, WE WERE ABLE TO DEVELOP THE FIRST ON-DEMAND PARATRANSIT SERVICE.
AND I BELIEVE SIR, YOU ASKED ABOUT THE WHEELCHAIR SERVICE, OR I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY.
I KNEW IT WAS ON THIS CORNER OVER HERE.
WE WERE ACTUALLY THE LARGEST PURCHASER OF WHEELCHAIR VANS IN THE INDUSTRY, IN THE, IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW.
UM, WE WILL SURPASS THE THRESHOLD HERE BECAUSE WE THINK IT'S ONE OF THE MOST GROWING PARTS OF THE BUSINESS, BUT ON OUR APP NOW YOU'LL BE ABLE TO REQUEST A WHEELCHAIR, UM, AT THE SAME RATE AS THE TAXI CAB.
AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO ADD THOSE VEHICLES IN HERE.
YOU CAN SET IT UP FOR NOW, OR FOR LATER, YOU CAN CHOOSE YOUR FAVORITE DRIVER.
IF YOU WANT, ALL THAT CAN BE DONE THROUGH THE APP TO A TWENTY FOUR SEVEN CALL CENTER, YOU CAN CALL YOUR DRIVER DIRECTLY.
EVERY BOOKING CHANNELS ARE THERE, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY PROMOTE AND WE'VE HAD GREAT SUCCESS WITH.
[02:40:01]
HEY CABS, WE HAVE CALVES.AND ONE OF THE MOST NOTABLE THINGS YOU'LL SEE IS WE ARE PURCHASING A HUNDRED NEW VEHICLES FOR THIS MARKET AND YOU'LL START TO SEE THEM HITTING THE STREET.
IT'S SO, YES, OUR MODEL IS THIS THAT WE HAVE A SEPARATE COMPANY CALLED SILVER LINING MOTORS THAT WE BUY ONE-YEAR-OLD RENTAL CARS.
AND THE REASON WE PICKED SILVER FOR OUR FLAGSHIP IS BECAUSE IT WAS THE MOST COMMON RENTAL CAR.
WE'LL GET THESE CARS WITH ABOUT 40,000 MILES ON THEM.
WE'LL KEEP THEM IN SERVICE FOR 24 MONTHS.
AND THEN WE SELL THEM OFF TO A RETAIL OPERATION.
WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVES US THE CARS THAT PASSENGERS HAVE VOTED, THAT THEY WANT TO RIDE IN NO LONGER OLD HIGHWAY PATROL CARS WITH SIGNS ON TOP.
UM, IT GIVES US CARS, THE DRIVERS WANT TO DRIVE.
THEY'RE MUCH MORE ECO-FRIENDLY THAN A 2014 FORD CROWN VICTORIA.
SO THEY'LL DOUBLE THEIR GAS MILEAGE, BUT BY KEEPING THEM FRESH AND ROTATING THESE CARS THROUGH IT AVOIDS BREAKDOWNS, AND IT KEEPS A MUCH NICER, CLEANER FLEET.
SO WE'VE ALREADY GOT, I BELIEVE 35 IN THE MARKET.
IT'S A LITTLE TIGHT RIGHT NOW BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH AUTO MANUFACTURERS OR RENTAL CAR COMPANIES.
UH, THERE'S JUST A SHORTAGE, BUT WE'LL GET ON.
AND I WOULD THINK WITHIN SIX MONTHS, UH, YOU WILL NOT SEE ANOTHER YELLOW CAB THAT WILL PHASE THEM OUT EACH TIME AND IMPROVE WITH THESE CARS.
UM, THIS WAS AN IMPORTANT ONE FOR US AND IT'S, WE HATE COMPLIANCE AND, UM, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE BANK ACCOUNT THAT OUR TNC COMPETITORS DO TO COME IN AND TELL YOU HOW WE'RE GOING TO DO IT.
UH, WE WILL GIVE YOU OUR SUGGESTIONS AS TO WHAT IT IS, AND BY THE WAY, WE FULLY SUPPORT THIS CHANGE FROM THE FRANCHISE TO THE OPERATING AUTHORITY.
WE'LL BE VOCAL ABOUT WHEN WE THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE CHANGED, BUT WE'RE NOT GOING TO COME IN AND SAY, HERE'S WHAT IT IS.
AND BY THE WAY, YOU'RE GOING TO GET A THOUSAND EMAILS TOMORROW ON ROBO EMAILS TELLING YOU WHAT WE WANT TO DO.
SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WITH US.
AND, UM, ON THIS, WE, WE SUPPORT COMPLETELY THE, UM, CHANGE.
AS I MENTIONED TO THE FRANCHISE MODEL, ONE THING WE WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT IS THE INSURANCE LIMITS.
AUSTIN HAS THE HIGHEST INSURANCE LIMITS OF ANY OF THE CITIES IN TEXAS, AND SOME OF THE HIGHEST IN THE NATION COMMERCIAL INSURANCE FOR TAXI CABS OR ANY COMMERCIAL VEHICLES IS SKYROCKETING NOW.
SO I, WE WILL BE COMING BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION THROUGH JACOB'S OFFICE FOR THIS CONSIDERATION, AND WE'LL PROVIDE A LOT OF DATA ON THAT.
AND THEN FINALLY, WC IS WHERE HONESTY COUNTS.
THIS IS A QUOTE THAT HAS STUCK WITH ME FOR THE LONGEST TIME.
AND IT'S LISTENING WITH CURIOSITY, WHICH WE'VE DONE HERE TODAY, SPEAK WITH HONESTY AND THEN ACT WITH INTEGRITY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE CAN PROMISE YOU.
UM, WE'LL LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR CONCERNS ARE.
AND PART OF MY JOB, I'VE SPENT MORE NIGHTS IN AUSTIN, I THINK IN THE PAST SIX TO EIGHT WEEKS, WHICH I LOVE BY THE WAY, UM, PROBABLY TOO MUCH.
UH, BUT, UM, WE WANNA, WE WANT TO HEAR WHAT THE CONCERNS ARE.
SO OUR MAIN GOAL WAS STABILIZE THE SERVICE, MAKE SURE THAT THE PEOPLE ARE GETTING PICKED UP, THE DRIVERS WERE SUPPORTED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I DO WANT TO TELL ON OUR, UM, WHAT WE DID WHEN THE COMPANY'S DECLARED BANKRUPTCY, ALL THE DRIVERS THAT HEAD UP DEPOSITS, TECHNICALLY THOSE BECAME UNSECURED DEBTS, UNSECURED ACTIONS.
SO THE DRIVERS LOST THEIR DEPOSITS AS PART OF OUR PLAN THAT WE PRESENTED TO THE BANKRUPTCY COURT.
WE RESTORED ALL THEIR DEPOSITS.
AND SO IT WAS A GOOD FAITH GESTURE ON OUR PART TO SAY, WE DON'T WANT TO COME IN ON THE FIRST TASTE YOU HAVE IN YOUR MOUTH IS I JUST LOST $1,500 IN SAVINGS.
SO WE RESTORED THAT FOR ALL THE DRIVERS AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THINGS THAT, UM, I THINK LIVE INTO THE SPIRIT OF WHAT I'VE SEEN AND WHAT I KNOW OF AUSTIN.
SO YOU CAN COUNT ON US TO BE A GOOD PARTNER IN THAT MATTER.
AND THAT IS I'M SORRY, IT WENT QUICKLY.
AND BY THE WAY, UM, ALL OF WHAT I JUST SENT YOU, IF YOU'D GO TO Z TRIP APP.COM AND JUST CLICK ON AUSTIN ON THE MENU, THE PRESENTATION I JUST WENT THROUGH WILL BE THERE.
SO Z TRIP APP.COM AND CLICK ON AUSTIN.
THAT PRESENTATION THAT'S STICKY PRETTY, PRETTY AMAZING.
UM, AND THANKS FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
UH, AND WHILE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT HERE TO TRY TO TELL ANYBODY HOW TO RUN THEIR BUSINESS, BUT IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN THAT WE GET THE CEO OF A COMPANY IN, IN THE, IN THE ROOM.
I'M JUST CURIOUS AS TO WHAT THE LONG RANGE PLAN IS FOR POTENTIAL OF, UM, TRANSITIONING OVER TO ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
I KNOW YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT PURCHASING MORE, YOU KNOW, MORE ECO-FRIENDLY VEHICLES, BUT WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? AND WHAT IS THE POTENTIAL FOR POTENTIAL ALL ELECTRIC FLEET? OR IS THERE, ARE THERE THOUGHTS FOR THAT? THE NUMBER ONE THING IS RANGE, AND THAT'S THE THING THAT CONCERNS US.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR IT'S GETTING BETTER, BUT A TAXI CAB IN HIS OVERALL A DRIVER HAS TO HAVE SOMEWHERE AROUND 150 PAID MILES A DAY TO JUSTIFY, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE A LIVING HOW GOOD YOU ARE AND HOW MUCH DENSITY YOU HAVE IN THE CITY.
DEPENDS ON HOW MANY OF YOUR TOTAL MILES ARE
[02:45:01]
PAID.SO THE AVERAGE CAB COMPANY IS AROUND 50%, TOTAL MILES TO PAID MORE.
I'M SORRY, PAID MILES TO TOTAL MILES.
WE WITH OUR TECHNOLOGY CAN GET IT UP TO AROUND 70%, BUT THAT STILL LEAVES US WHERE YOU HAVE TO HAVE A 350 STUDY RANGE.
AND WHEN YOU SEE, WHEN THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT 350, WHEN YOU PUT ON THE AIR IN TEXAS HEAT AND YOUR AIR CONDITIONING, AND WHEN YOUR LOAD AT THE CAR DOWN THE RANGE, JUST AS ISN'T QUITE THERE YET, BUT IT'S GETTING CLOSER.
SO WE ANTICIPATE IT'S GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS AND FINDING THE RIGHT CAR AT THE RIGHT PRICE TO DO THAT.
THERE'S SOME OPTIONS OUT THERE, BUT I WOULD SAY YOU'LL START TO SEE THEM IN EARNEST PROBABLY IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS.
AND I THINK WE'LL TRANSITION IN CITIES THAT HAVE THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH IS THE OTHER BIG THING WITH, IF YOU DON'T HAVE RAPID CHARGERS, YOU JUST CAN'T DO IT BECAUSE YOU THINK ABOUT HOW THE CAB BUSINESS WORKS.
IT'S THROUGH DRIVE TIMES AND THROUGH PEAK TIMES, AND THE IDEA TOO, TO HAVE TO DO AN OVERNIGHT CHARGE, WON'T WORK IN A LOT OF TIMES, BUT THOSE TWO THINGS WILL BE THE DECIDING FACTORS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT INFORMATION.
IF WE CAN BRING THEM UP THE, UH, FINAL BLUE SLIDE, UM, OR SECOND TO LAST, I THINK, UM, YEAH, SO ATD IS RECOMMENDING, UM, THAT, UH, Z TRIP BE ALLOWED TO PROCEED TO COUNSEL, UM, AND, UH, TRANSFER THE YELLOW CAB FRANCHISE LICENSE TO Z TRIP.
UM, AND WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL ON THAT TRANSFER.
UM, AND IT COULD BE LIKE THE SECOND TO THE LAST BULLET THERE.
UH, IS THERE A MOTION? THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US TODAY.
WE GOT A NEW BUDDY HERE IN TOWN NAMED ELON MUSK.
HAVE YOU TALKED TO HIM ABOUT THAT ELECTRIC TRANSFER? GIVE US, GIVE US THE NEIGHBORLY DEAL.
UM, NOW I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO RECOMMEND THE TRANSFER OF YELLOW CAB TAXI CAB FRANCHISES, LICENSE TO Z TRIP.
IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND, SECOND.
UH, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT, LET'S MOVE TO VOTE ALL IN FAVOR OF THIS RECOMMENDATION.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS IT'S UNANIMOUS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE TIME TODAY.
WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
[2.C. Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy Presentation Presenters: Nina Rinaldi]
IS SHOAL CREEK PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY PRESENTATION.WHAT DO YOU ALL THINK ABOUT A FIVE MINUTE BREAK BEFORE WE GET STARTED? UH, THAT'S FINE IF YOU, UH, YES.
IF YOU NEED TO, NO, WITH POWER.
IF, IF, IF THERE'S A WATER BOTTLE WATER BOTTLE NEARBY, I MIGHT TAKE ONE OF THOSE, BUT, UH, OTHERWISE I'M GOOD.
UH, I DON'T TRUST FOUNTAINS ANYMORE.
I HAVE THE PRESENTATION ON A FLASH DRIVE IF WE ALL NEED THAT.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND A WILLINGNESS TO GO LAST.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING US.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE THE FASTEST 32 PAGE DECK.
UM, I GOT TO SAY OUR FIRST BACK IN PERSON IS THE MEDIA'S TO AGENDA WE'VE HAD IS.
YEAH, THIS IS, THIS IS A DOOZY.
SO THANK YOU EVERYONE FOR, FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR PATIENTS AS WELL.
AND, UM, I'M REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO PRESENTING ABOUT THIS TONIGHT.
UH, MY NAME IS NINA RINALDI AND I AM WITH SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY.
UM, I'M WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
SO WE ARE HERE TODAY TO PRESENT SOME CONCEPTS TO YOU THAT ARE THE RESULT OF A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND THE SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY AND EFFORT TO IMPROVE THIS REALLY IMPORTANT, RAPIDLY CHANGING AREA OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, RIGHT AROUND THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL.
SO WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE AREA, UM, BY THE NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY AND SEE HOME, UM, RIGHT AROUND WE'RE THIRD STREET IN EACH SHELTER.
UM, SO FIRST I'D LIKE TO PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT ABOUT WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY THIS IS AN IMPORTANT AREA AND WHY WE DECIDED TO THIS YEAR.
[02:50:01]
AND I'M GOING TO SLIP SKIP AHEAD HERE.UM, THE PROJECT AREA IS IN A PLACE IN DOWNTOWN WHERE WE HAVE DEVOTED A LOT OF PUBLIC DOLLARS TO CREATING THESE IMPORTANT COMMUNITY RESOURCES THAT ARE MEANT TO SERVE A WIDE AUDIENCE.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THINGS LIKE THE NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY, THE SEAHOLM REDEVELOPMENT, THE BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, THE PFLUGER BRIDGE.
UM, THESE ARE ALL, UM, REALLY IMPORTANT ASSETS AND RESOURCES THAT WE WANT EVERYBODY IN THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO ACCESS EASILY.
BUT WHEN YOU MAKE IT DOWN TO THIS AREA, UM, IT'S INCREDIBLY HARD TO NAVIGATE.
IT'S VERY CONFUSING, IT'S DANGEROUS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S HARD TO GET FROM PLACE TO PLACE AND IT JUST FEELS, IT FEELS VERY CROWDED AND DISJOINTED.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR SENSE IS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO COME DOWN HERE EVERY SO OFTEN FOR MAYBE EVENTS AT THE LIBRARY OR PROGRAMMING OR, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE-OFF KIND OF THINGS AS WELL AS THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THAT, THAT WORK HERE AND LIVE HERE.
UM, BUT IT'S, UH, THIS AREA PRESENTS EVEN THOUGH IT'S VERY HEAVILY USED, IT PRESENTS A LOT OF CHALLENGES FOR EVERYONE.
SO SOME CONTEXT ABOUT WHERE THIS IS, UM, IT IS THE, THE, WHERE YOU CAN SEE THE LITTLE WATER DROPLET AT THE BOTTOM OF THE MAP THERE.
THIS SHOWS HOW THIS AREA IS, UM, SITUATED WITHIN SOME OF OUR PLANNED URBAN TRAIL NETWORK THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO IT'S SITTING AT THE VERY SOUTHERN EDGE OF WHAT WE CALL THE BIG LOOP, WHICH IS A 30 MILE PLANNED LOOP UP URBAN TRAILS AND BIKE WAYS THAT TRAVERSE THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, THAT IT IS NOT COMPLETELY BUILT OUT YET.
UM, BUT IT'S BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE, UM, THE CITY IS WORKING TOWARDS AND HAS FUNDED THROUGH, UM, THROUGH VOTER APPROVED FUNDS.
UM, AND THE SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY, UM, IS ACTIVE IN A 13 SQUARE MILE SHOAL CREEK WATERSHED THAT INCLUDES THIS 11 MILE TRAIL CORRIDOR THAT FOLLOWS THAT NATURAL PATHWAY ALONG SHOAL CREEK.
SO IN 2018, WE FACILITATED A PROCESS TO COME UP WITH A, UM, A VISION FOR THE FUTURE OF THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL THAT WOULD BE COMMUNITY GUIDED.
UM, IT WAS CREATED WITH THE ACTIVE PARTICIPATION OF OVER A HUNDRED DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDER GROUPS.
AND WHAT CAME OUT OF THAT VISIONING PROCESS WAS THE DESIRE FOR A SERIES OF SEAMLESS, CONNECTED PATHWAYS THROUGHOUT THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL SYSTEM THAT CONNECTED TO OTHER URBAN TRAILS AND IMPORTANT DESTINATIONS.
UM, AND THAT WAS ACCESSIBLE TO ALL AGES AND ALL ABILITIES.
UM, SO IN 2018 THAT, UM, THE TRAIL PLAN, UH, UPON ITS COMPLETION WAS ADOPTED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AS THE GUIDING DOCUMENT FOR FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL.
UM, SO W PART OF THE, WHAT CAME OUT OF THIS TRAIL PLANNING PROCESS AS WELL? IT WAS NOT JUST THE VISION, BUT THE STEP-BY-STEP.
HOW DO YOU GET THERE? AND, UM, ONE OF THOSE, UM, ONE OF THOSE STEPS THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AS A VERY, VERY HIGH PRIORITY BY OUR STAKEHOLDERS WAS IMPROVING THIS AREA AROUND THIRD STREET IN SHOAL CREEK, BECAUSE IT WAS SO, SO DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE SO DANGEROUS.
UM, AND THAT'S, UH, THAT'S HOW WE CAME TO CONDUCTING THIS PROJECT.
SO TO ZOOM IN ON, UM, ON THIS AREA HERE A LITTLE MORE, YOU CAN SEE THAT, UM, THAT IT ENCOMPASSES THESE TWO KIND OF MAJOR AXES.
SO THE NORTH SOUTH ACCESS IS, UM, THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL AND THE EAST WEST ACCESS IS, UM, WHAT'S KNOWN AS THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY, WHICH IS A CROSS TOWN BIKE WAY THAT TAKES YOU, UM, FROM EAST AUSTIN TO WEST AUSTIN.
UM, AND IT, UM, THESE ARE REALLY TWO, TWO PATHWAYS THAT THAT FOLKS USE TO, TO GET ACROSS TOWN FROM DIFFERENT PLACES.
AND SO THIS, THIS IS MISREPRESENTS THEIR CONVERGENCE.
SO THIS MAP SHOWS YOU WHERE, UM, THE CYPRESS CENTRAL CREEK AREA IS SITUATED RELATIVE TO SOME OF THESE PATH PATHWAYS THAT FOLKS TAKE.
SO, UM, THE BLUE OR THE GREEN IS THE, THOSE ARE THE EXISTING PATHS.
AND THEN THE ORANGE IS THE PATHWAY.
UM, AND THE INTERSECTION THAT THIS SERIES OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE PROPOSING TO THIS AREA, UM, THAT'S THE PATHWAY THAT KIND OF NEEDS TO BE CLARIFIED AND MADE SAFER AND MORE INVITING FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND ALL ABILITIES, SO THAT YOU CAN REALLY USE THIS AREA SAFELY AS A PEDESTRIAN OR A CYCLIST OR SOMEBODY ON A SCOOTER AND A WHEELCHAIR.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT WE THAT DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND SHELL CREEK CONSERVANCY ARE WORKING TOGETHER ON THIS, IS THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF AN URBAN TRAIL, UM, THE STREETSCAPE IS REALLY PART AND PARCEL OF THE TRAIL EXPERIENCE.
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THAT GOES THROUGH THE STREET, THE WAY THAT THAT SHOAL CREEK DOES, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IN THE URBAN FABRIC, YOU KNOW, A BLOCK AWAY FROM THE CREEK REALLY GOVERNS YOUR INTERACTIONS WITH THE NATURE OF THE CREEK OR HOW YOU ACCESS THE TRAIL.UM, SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE CONTEXT OF THE STREETS THAT LEAD YOU TO THE CREEK AND HELP YOU EXPERIENCE WHAT THE FREAKEN TRAIL HAD TO OFFER.
UM, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY ARE, UM, HIGH-LEVEL CONCEPTS FOR THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT, UH, WE CREATED WITH THE HELP OF A CONSULTANT TEAM LED BY 10 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS.
UM, THE PROJECT PROCESS FOR THIS, UH, LARGELY TOOK PLACE DURING THE PANDEMIC.
SO IT WAS PRETTY DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE HAD ENVISIONED, PARTICULARLY AROUND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND BEING ABLE TO EXPERIENCE THE SITE IN PERSON WITH A LOT OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS.
UM, BUT THE PROCESS TO COME UP WITH THESE CONCEPTS INVOLVED A LOT OF ON THE GROUND SITE, INVENTORY AND ANALYSIS.
SO VISITING THE SITE AND MAKING OBSERVATIONS, UM, WE HAD TWO ROUNDS OF COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT THAT REALLY BUILT ON THE EXTENSIVE STAKEHOLDER INPUT THAT WE ALREADY CONDUCTED, UM, DURING THE TRAIL PLAN AND, UM, 20 17, 20 18.
UM, WE ALSO CONVENED A TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP THAT WAS COMPRISED OF REPRESENTATIVES OF DIFFERENT CITY DEPARTMENTS THAT WERE RELEVANT TO MAKING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS AREA TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK, UM, AND YOU KNOW, TO, TO SEE WHAT KIND OF FLAGS THIS RAISED FOR THEM, UM, AND GET THEIR, JUST GET THEIR ADVICE ON, UH, YOU KNOW, CONCEPT AND IMPLEMENTATION.
WE ALSO CONSULTED WITH VARIOUS PROPERTY OWNERS, UM, BECAUSE MANY OF THEM ARE INVOLVED IN THE DAY-TO-DAY MAINTENANCE OF, UM, THE PUBLIC SPACES HERE, UM, THROUGH LICENSE AGREEMENTS.
AND SO THEY HAVE A LOT OF INSIGHT INTO HOW ARE PEOPLE CURRENTLY USING THESE SPACES? YOU KNOW, WHAT DO WE NEED TO LOOK OUT FOR? WHAT KINDS OF CHALLENGES CAN WE ANTICIPATE IF WE'RE, UM, YOU KNOW, CHANGING THE WAY THAT, THAT THE PUBLIC SPACES ARE BEING USED? OH, AND I SHOULD SAY TOO, THAT, UM, THE NAME FOR THIS PROJECT, CYPRESS ESSENTIAL CREEK COMES FROM THE ORIGINAL NAME FOR THIRD STREET, UM, WHICH WAS CYPRESS STREET.
UM, BACK WHEN THE CITY WAS ESTABLISHED, ALL OF OUR NUMBERED STREETS USED TO BE NAMED AFTER TREES.
AND SO THIRD STREET WAS CYPRESS STREET.
SO, UM, IT'S KIND OF A NOD TO CREATING THIS NEW PATHWAY AND GREENWAY ALONG THIRD STREET, WHICH IS FORMERLY KNOWN AS CYPRESS STREET.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH FIVE OR SIX DIFFERENT AREAS HERE, UM, AND THE CONCEPTS THAT WE'VE PROPOSED, UM, TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES AND THE SAFETY CHALLENGES, AND JUST MAKE THEM ALL BETTER CONNECTED.
UM, SO I'M GOING TO TAKE YOU FROM WEST ALL THE WAY OVER EAST THROUGHOUT THIS, THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE AREA.
SO THE BUOY STREET UNDERPASS IS PROBABLY ONE THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH BEING URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONERS, BECAUSE THIS IS A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION THAT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS A LOT RECENTLY.
UM, YOU CAN SEE HERE, THE EXISTING CONDITIONS ARE GOING TO BE SHOWN ON IN THESE PHOTOS ON THE RIGHT.
UM, SO THIS IS A VERY, A LONG PLANNED CONNECTION, UM, UNDERNEATH THE EXISTING ACTIVE UNION PACIFIC RAIL LINE.
UM, AND THIS HAS BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
UM, AND THE CITY HAS BEEN NEGOTIATING WITH UNION PACIFIC ABOUT THE, UM, THE PARTICULARS OF, UM, UH, GOING UNDERNEATH THAT RAIL LINE IN ORDER TO CREATE A SEAMLESS CONNECTION WITH THE PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS THE RENDERING OF, OF, UM, HOW WE WERE ENVISIONING THE CITY'S ALREADY PERMITTED DESIGN.
THEY HAD COMPLETED THIS DESIGN AND PERMITTED IT A LONG TIME AGO.
UM, THE, THE, THE LAST KIND OF REMAINING BARRIER WAS, UM, SECURING AN EASEMENT WITH UNION PACIFIC, UM, TO COMPLETE THEM.
AND THAT, UH, THE CITY, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT RECENTLY, UM, COMMUNICATED IN A MEMO THAT, UM, THEY NO LONGER BELIEVE THAT THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE FEASIBLE.
AND SO DEPENDING ON HOW THAT, UM, CONTINUES TO PROCEED, WE MIGHT BE LOOKING AT, UM, ALTERNATE ALIGNMENTS FOR, UM, TO GET FOLKS IN A SAFE CONNECTION FROM THE FLU GROUP BRIDGE TO DOWNTOWN.
UM, BUT THIS WAS THE, AT THE TIME THAT WE ARE CONDUCTING THIS PROJECT, THIS IS THE, THE IDEA.
UM, SO THE NEXT AREA HERE IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING MARKET PLAZA.
SO THIS IS THAT, THAT FUNKY AREA IN BETWEEN, UM, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE TRADER JOE'S AND THE SEAHOLM POWER PLANT WHERE WE HAVE THOSE DOUBLE STREETS.
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SO THIRD STREET IS THE ONE TO THE NORTH, AND THEN THE ONE TO THE SOUTH CLOSEST TO TRADER JOE'S IS CALLED POWERPLANT DRIVE.AND, UH, IT'S VERY, IT'S CURRENTLY VERY CAR DOMINATED, EVEN THOUGH THERE'S A TON OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY HERE, IT'S, IT FEELS VERY DANGEROUS.
UM, THERE IS, UM, IT, IT BASICALLY THESE PHOTOS TO REALLY DO IT JUSTICE, LIKE THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ALL THE TIME.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO WITH THAT CONFUSING REDUNDANT STREET IS TURN THAT FROM, UM, A NEGATIVE INTO AN ASSET.
AND SO OUR PR OUR PROPOSAL IS TO TRANSFORM POWER PLANT DRIVE INTO A PEDESTRIAN ONLY PLAZA WHERE, UM, CYCLISTS WOULD DISMOUNT.
THIS COULD BE KIND OF A, UM, AN AREA FOR EVENTS OR FESTIVALS IF THE NEED WERE TO ARISE.
UM, AND THEN CYCLISTS, UM, WHO WOULDN'T, WHO WANTED TO CONTINUE MOVING ON THEIR BIKES AND GO FASTER WOULD HAVE A DEDICATED PATHWAY THAT YOU CAN SEE, UM, JUST TO THE NORTH THERE, AND THEN REGULAR CAR TRAFFIC WOULD BE MAINTAINED ON THIRD STREET.
UM, SO WE HAVE THIS NICE SEPARATED BIKE PATH, A PLACE FOR CYCLISTS AND A PLACE FOR PEDESTRIANS, AND THEN A PLACE FOR CARS.
SO IT'S REALLY GREAT HOW, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS REDUNDANCY IN THE GRID ALLOWS US TO, UM, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT AND PROVIDE FOR ALL MODES TO BE THERE TOGETHER.
UM, INTERSECTION SAFETY WAS ALSO A BIG CONCERN.
IT WAS A HUGE THEME THROUGHOUT THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS.
UM, PEOPLE WERE REALLY, REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE DANGER, THAT JUST HOW DANGEROUS IT IS TO CROSS WEST AVENUE, UM, AND THE STREET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THIS PLAZA, ESSENTIALLY.
SO MAKING IMPROVEMENTS TO THIS INTERSECTION LEADING INTO THE MARKET PLAZA WILL BE REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO THEN THE NEXT AREA HERE, I'M MOVING JUST A BLOCK TO THE EAST IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING CONVERGENCE PLAZA.
UM, SO HERE WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING, WE'RE CONTINUING THE SAME THEMES OF IMPROVING THIS NAVIGABILITY FOR, FOR ALL TYPES OF USERS, GIVING CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS SEPARATED PATHS SO THAT THEY DON'T GET IN EACH OTHER'S WAY, UM, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE.
UM, THIS IS A CHA A MORE CHALLENGING AREA BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THOSE DOUBLE STREETS LIKE WE DO FOR MARKET PLAZA.
THIS IS A MUCH, MUCH MORE CONSTRAINED SPACE.
IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY THE AREA RIGHT BETWEEN THE AUSTIN ENERGY SUBSTATION AND THE INDEPENDENT.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES HERE TO MAKE THIS BETTER.
UM, SO THESE ARE THE KINDS OF CONCEPTS THAT WE'RE IN THAT WE'RE ENVISIONING FOR, FOR THIS AREA.
IT'S, IT'S IN BETWEEN, UM, THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES TO THE EAST AND THEN WEST AVENUE TO THE, LET'S SEE, AND THEN THIS IS ANOTHER REALLY IMPORTANT PIECE.
SO WE HAVE, WE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE THESE TWO, UM, BRIDGES THAT GO OVER SHOAL CREEK.
UM, ONE OF THEM IS A, UM, A NEARLY CENTURY OLD RAILROAD TRESTLE THAT WAS BUILT IN 1925 IS THE MOST, UM, THERE WAS A, A RAILROAD THAT WENT THROUGH THIS AREA LONG BEFORE THAT, BUT THE CURRENT, THE EXISTING TRESTLE STRUCTURE WAS CONSTRUCTED IN 1925.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE THIS 12 FOOT WIDE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
SO WHAT WE ARE PROPOSING HERE IS TO COMPLETELY REPLACE THE EXISTING PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WITH, UM, WITH A MUCH WIDER BRAND NEW STRUCTURE TO ACCOMMODATE THE LEVEL OF TRAFFIC THAT THIS BRIDGE CURRENTLY GETS AN ALLOW FOR MODE SEPARATION, UM, AND THEN, UH, TRANSFORM THE TRESTLE INTO A SCENIC OVERLOOK AND GATHERING PLACE.
SO BASICALLY REPURPOSING THIS ABANDONED STRUCTURE, UM, INTO, UH, EFFECTIVELY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, A PUBLIC PLAZA.
SO THE WAY THAT THIS WOULD WORK IS WE WOULD KEEP THE KEEP, KEEP FOLKS THAT WANT TO BE MOVING ON THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, AND THEN SIMILAR TO MARKET PLAZA.
THE TRESTLE WOULD SERVE AS A, UM, A PEDESTRIAN ONLY AREA WHERE IF YOU HAD A BIKE, YOU COULD BRING IT IN, BUT WE'D WANT YOU TO DISMOUNT.
UM, SO THAT YOU'RE NOT MOVING THROUGH REALLY, VERY QUICKLY MORE OF A CONTEMPLATIVE AREA TO ENJOY THE, THE NATURE OF THE CREEK.
AND THEN, UM, UNDERNEATH THESE TWO BRIDGES, UM, EXISTING
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CONDITIONS ARE THIS, YOU HAVE THIS FUNKY SWITCHBACK WHERE YOU HAVE TO TAKE, GO UPSTAIRS OR TAKE THIS LONG PATH ALL THE WAY UP TO STREET LEVEL, AND THEN YOU GO LIKE A BLOCK OUT OF YOUR WAY.AND THEN YOU GO BACK DOWN ONTO THE TRAIL.
IT'S VERY HARD TO SHOW, UM, BECAUSE IT TAKES UP SO MUCH SPACE.
UM, BUT I'M LIKE BETTER WAY TO DO THIS WOULD BE TO BUILD A NEW ADA ACCESSIBLE URBAN TRAIL STANDARD PATH THAT GOES UNDERNEATH BOTH OF THOSE BRIDGES.
UM, AND OF COURSE, WHENEVER YOU'RE BUILDING A NEW TRAIL BY THE STREAM, BY THE STREAM BANK, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO STREAM BANK RESTORATION, UM, AND LANDSCAPING.
AND FOR US REALLY THE GOLD STANDARD OF DOING A, UH, CREEKSIDE TRAIL WITH LANDSCAPING AND TERRACING IS WHAT WE HAVE AT THE, UM, NEW CENTRAL LIBRARY.
SO IF YOU'VE EXPERIENCED THAT CREEKSIDE TRAIL, THAT'S KIND OF, THAT'S THE MOOD AND THE KIND OF FACILITY THAT WE WANT TO BRING, UM, TO THIS NEW, UNDER THE BRIDGES TRAIL CONNECTION, MOVING OVER TO THE VERY EAST HERE.
UM, THIS IS CURRENTLY A CUL-DE-SAC, UM, IT'S A, IT'S A PLAZA, UM, CALLED, UH, NAMED FOR, UM, FOR MARGARET MOSHER.
UM, THE, SO THE MARGARET MOSHER PLAZA, UM, AND, UM, THIS IS A REALLY INTERESTING AREA BECAUSE IT'S THE, THE EXISTING, UH, SEPARATED BIKE LANES ALONG THIRD STREET, WHICH ARE PART OF THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY, THOSE COME TO AN END HERE.
AND SO IT CURRENTLY FEELS LIKE THE END OF THE BIKE WAY.
IT JUST KIND OF PETERS OUT HERE AND THERE'S NO KIND OF SIGNAGE OR FACILITY IS TELLING YOU, UM, CONTINUE THROUGH HERE TO GET TO THE LIBRARY OR TO GET TO THE PFLUGER BRIDGE OR, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER.
AND SO THIS IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO SIGNAL AND PROVIDE FOR THE CONTINUATION OF THAT BIKE WAY IN A WAY THAT, THAT FEELS INTUITIVE AND MAKE SENSE.
UM, THERE, THIS PLAZA DOES, UM, DOES LIKE QUADRUPLE AND QUINTUPLE DUTY.
THERE'S A, WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE A LOT HERE.
SO THERE IS, UM, THERE'S AN, AN ACCESS OR A GARAGE HERE THAT, UM, THAT, THAT THE BUILDING HERE USES AS A THEY'RE KIND OF IN AND OUT LOADING DOCK FOR MOVING AND STUFF.
UM, THERE IS, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE PEOPLE KIND OF DOING, YOU TURNS IN THIS PLAZA RIGHT NOW, JUST BECAUSE IT HAPPENS TO BE, YOU KNOW, A DEAD END DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THERE'S A LOT THAT WE CAN CHANGE ABOUT THE ENTRANCE TO THIS PLAZA AND THE, AND THE ARCHITECTURE INSIDE OF IT TO ENCOURAGE DRIVERS THAT HAVE TO BE THERE, TO USE IT IN MUCH SAFER WAYS AND AT DRASTICALLY REDUCED SPEEDS, UM, AND ALSO TO PROVIDE SPACES FOR PEOPLE ON FOOT AND ON BIKE.
SO THE, UM, THE CONCEPT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR, FOR MARGARET MOSHER PLAZA IS WHAT WE CALL A LUNAR.
UM, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF THESE IN THE UNITED STATES.
IT'S A DUTCH CONCEPT, UM, AROUND HOW TO SHARE A STREET, UM, BETWEEN DIFFERENT MODES.
UM, AND THE KEY IS TO REALLY BUILD IT.
SO CARS ARE TYPICALLY A FEATURE OF WINNERS.
THEY'RE NOT, UM, UH, IT'S NOT SHUT OFF FROM CAR TRAFFIC, BUT THE WAY THAT THE STREET IS DESIGNED, UM, IS SET UP.
SO THAT CARS GO VERY, VERY SLOW WHEN THEY'RE ON THE STREET, THEY'RE NOT INVITED TO GO VERY QUICKLY.
UM, AND PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS ARE ABLE TO DOMINATE AND, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PROCEED THROUGH SAFELY.
SO FINALLY, UM, THIS LAST AREA HERE, UM, THIS IS THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL WHERE IT BENDS AROUND, UM, AND MEETS RIO GRANDE STREET WITH THE, WITH THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE CURRENTLY, THIS PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WAS REALLY NICE.
UM, UNFORTUNATELY IT CONNECTS YOU TO A VERY, VERY NARROW, UM, TRAIL, UM, IT'S REALLY DARK.
UM, SO WE HEARD, UM, THAT PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WANT JUST MORE BASIC AMENITIES ON THIS PART OF THE TRAIL, UM, LIKE LIGHTING AND TRASH CANS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE HAVE VERY, VERY LITTLE REAL ESTATE ON THE STREAM BANK TO EXPAND THE TRAIL HERE BECAUSE THE IT'S JUST VERY STEEP.
AND SO, UH, THE SOLUTION TO THAT IS A BOARDWALK CONCEPT THAT WILL ALLOW YOU TO CREATE, UM, JUST MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE WITHOUT HAVING TO USE
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THE STREAM BANK ITSELF AS A BUILDING SURFACE.AND JUST LIKE WITH OUR OTHER CREEKSIDE TRAILS, ANY TIME YOU, UM, ANYTIME YOU BUILD OVER THE STREAM BANK OR TOUCH THE STREAM BANK IN ANY WAY, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO STREAM BANK RESTORATION AND, UM, YOU KNOW, RE HABITAT WITH, UM, REPOPULATE WITH, WITH NATIVE SPECIES AND DO SOME RESTORATION TO CREATE THAT KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, FLOURISHING, UM, RIGHT.
UM, SO WE DO HAVE SOME, SOME GREAT EXAMPLES OF WHAT, UM, WHAT THESE BOARDWALKS ON, YOU KNOW, STEEP STREAM BANK CONDITIONS, UM, CAN LOOK LIKE.
SO IN TERMS OF PHASING AND, UM, AND FUNDING, UM, WE REALIZED THAT THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A VERY, VERY, YOU KNOW, COMPLEX SET OF AND PRETTY, YOU KNOW, A COMPLEX SET OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT REALLY WILL FUNDAMENTALLY CHANGE THE LOOK AND FEEL AND EXPERIENCE OF THIS REALLY IMPORTANT AREA, UM, FOR THE BETTER, UM, THEY, UH, THERE'S A LOT TO BE DONE HERE.
IT, UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT, UM, JUST LIKE WITH ANY KIND OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT THERE, UM, THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES TO START OUT IMPLEMENTATION WITH SOME LIGHTER TOUCH IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE LOWER COST.
UM, SO FOR EXAMPLE, UM, CREATING SOME OF THESE, UM, CREATING SOME OF THESE PEDESTRIAN PLAZAS OR, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, JUST THROUGH CHANGING, UM, STREET ACCESS, UM, TO MAKE THEM, UM, FOCUSED ON PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS, UM, UH, BOTH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND SHELL CREEK CONSERVANCY WILL BE FOCUSED ON, UM, PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVATION THROUGH ALL PHASES OF, UM, OF IMPLEMENTATION.
SO CONTINUING TO INTRODUCE PEOPLE TO THIS AREA AND HELP THEM BECOME ACQUAINTED WITH HOW TO NAVIGATE IT, HOW TO USE IT, WHAT'S COMING UP, UM, USING, UM, YOU KNOW, USING THIS PROJECT TO BE ABLE TO TEACH PEOPLE ABOUT THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN AND TELL THOSE STORIES, UM, THROUGH INTERPRETATION AND THEN OVER TIME, UM, YOU KNOW, WE CAN MOVE INTO A MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, I GUESS THE MORE INVOLVED, UM, CAPITAL COMPONENTS, UM, THERE IS, UM, IN TERMS OF FUNDING, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE, THE COST ESTIMATES THAT I SHARED, UM, ON THESE SLIDES, UM, AND THE TOTAL THAT YOU SEE HERE, UM, THIS INCLUDES, UM, SOFT COST CONTINGENCY.
SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE LONGER THAT IT TAKES TO IMPLEMENT IT, THE MORE IT ENDS UP COSTING.
UM, WE ALSO NEED TO THINK ABOUT EFFICIENCIES, LIKE, UM, IT MIGHT MAKE SENSE TO, UM, IF THERE'S ANY KIND OF INTENSIVE PREP WORK THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN FOR CERTAIN ELEMENTS, LIKE, UM, LIKE PREPARING THE CREEK TO HAVE EQUIPMENT COME DOWN IN IT, OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, TO DO ALL THOSE PROJECTS AT ONCE THAT REQUIRE THAT KIND OF INTENSIVE PREP PREP WORK THAT CAN ALSO HELP WITH THE COST.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS ABOUT FUNDING IS THAT THERE IS ALREADY AN EXISTING, UM, FUNDING SOURCE IN PLACE IN THE SEAHOLM AREA TO SUPPORT IMPROVEMENTS, UM, TO THE PUBLIC SPACES AND TO SUPPORT SAFETY.
UM, AND THAT IS THE, UM, THE C HOME TAX INCREMENT FINANCING DISTRICT.
UM, AND THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE GENERATING TAX REVENUE, UM, DEDICATED TO, UM, TO SAFETY AND CONNECTIVITY IMPROVEMENTS IN THIS AREA THROUGH 2038.
SO, UH, MOST OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE WITHIN THAT, UM, WOULD FALL WITHIN THAT DISTRICT.
SO, UM, THAT IS, THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR NOW, BUT, UH, I, WE JUST WANTED TO PRESENT THIS AS A BRIEFING TO, UM, HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS, QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND WE'D LOVE TO KEEP THIS COMMISSION POSTED AS WE PROCEED THROUGH JUST DIFFERENT, UM, STAGES OF IMPLEMENTATION AND, UM, PROGRESS.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW THAT AREA IS SUPER WELL.
I BIKE THROUGH THERE ALL THE TIME.
UM, IT COULD USE SOME, SOME LOVE COMMENTS, QUESTIONS, JUST WANT TO SAY IT LOOKS GREAT.
UM, THIS COMMISSION RECENTLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAS HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TRAIL INFRASTRUCTURE ALSO SUPPORTS PEOPLE'S MOBILITY.
AND SO TRYING TO GET THE CITY TO BE MORE THOUGHTFUL ABOUT, YES, THIS FACILITY COULD BE USED FOR RECREATION AS WELL AS FOR COMMUTERS WHO WANT TO GO KIND OF FAST.
AND SO THIS IS ACTUALLY A STANDOUT PROPOSAL IN THAT REGARD, IN
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THAT THROUGHOUT THE PROPOSAL, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF YOUR BIKE, FAST BIKE LANES, AND THEN YOUR RELAXED BIKE, OR D YOU KNOW, DISMOUNT LANES.AND I THINK THAT THAT'S REALLY POSITIVE AND SOMETHING WE SHOULD SEE THROUGHOUT MORE PROPOSALS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING.
HOW ARE YOU GOING TO ACTUALLY KEEP THE BICYCLISTS IN THE PAST AND SEPARATE? YEAH, I MEAN, THAT WAS A HUGE THEME THAT WE HEARD THROUGHOUT COMMUNITY FEEDBACK WAS JUST INCREDIBLE FRUSTRATION OVER THE CONVERGENCE OF ALL OF THESE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION IN AN UNCONTROLLED WAY WHERE THE BIKES FEEL REALLY THREATENED BY THE CARS.
THE PEDESTRIANS FEEL VERY THREATENED BY THE BIKES AND THE CARS.
UM, IT'S, UH, IT'S REALLY TRICKY.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK THE KEY HERE TO RESOLVING A LOT OF THAT CONGESTION AND FRUSTRATION IS GIVING EVERYBODY MORE ROOM.
SO, YOU KNOW, SO OFTEN WHEN WE'RE IN A YOU'RE IN A TRAIL OR BIKE WAY OR SHARED USE PATH SITUATION, YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE, UM, UH, ALL OF THESE CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS FIGHTING OVER A VERY, VERY NARROW SPACE OR NO SPACE.
IN SOME CASES, SOMETIMES THEY'RE TRYING TO, TO SHARE THE ROAD WITH CARS AND THAT'S REALLY NOT SAFE FOR ANYONE.
AND SO WHAT I THINK FIRST AND FOREMOST, WHAT WE DO IN THESE PROPOSALS IS ALLOW PEOPLE ON FOOT AND ON BIKE TO HAVE JUST MORE SPACE IN THESE PATHWAYS AND MORE BREATHING ROOM.
UM, AND THAT ALLOWS EVERYONE TO STAY OUT OF EACH OTHER'S HAIR, I THINK A LOT MORE EASILY.
UM, I THINK IN TERMS OF THE, HOW DO YOU KEEP, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU, YOU KNOW, KEEP THESE, KEEP THE CYCLIST IN THIS BIKE WAY ALL THE TIME AND THE PEDESTRIANS ON THEIR PATHWAY ALL THE TIME.
THAT'S REALLY JUST NOT GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE CROSSING THE PATHS TO GET DIFFERENT PLACES.
UM, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A HERMETICALLY SEALED ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE CAN KEEP THESE MODES COMPLETELY SEPARATE.
UM, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S, UH, IT'S JUST HARD TO YOU.
CAN'T TELL PEOPLE LIKE NOT TO CROSS THE BIKE WAY, IF THEY THERE'S LIKE SOMETHING ON THE OTHER SIDE RIGHT THERE THAT THEY NEED TO GET TO.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT BY PROVIDING SAFER INTERSECTIONS THAT PEOPLE ACTUALLY FEEL COMFORTABLE USING, UM, WE'LL ENCOURAGE, I THINK THAT WILL HELP PEOPLE KNOW WHERE IT'S SAFE TO MAKE A CROSSING.
UM, AND I THINK THAT, AGAIN, THE KEY IS JUST GIVING EVERYONE MORE SPACE INSTEAD OF FORCING THEM ALL INTO THESE CONSTRAINED AREAS.
UM, SO THAT IS, UM, YEAH, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
IT DOES, BUT, UM, I GUESS MY ONLY REAL POINT OF REFERENCE IS THAT, UH, THE BIKE PATH THAT GOES ALONG THE METRO ON FOURTH STREET, YOU'VE GOT THE BIKE PATH AND THEN THE PEDESTRIAN PEDESTRIAN PATH, BUT NOBODY EVER USES THE PEDESTRIAN ONE BECAUSE IT'S NOT THE MOST DIRECT ROUTE.
WILL YOU HAVE, WILL IT MAKE SENSE JUST TO NATURALLY TAKE THE BIKE AREA OR FOR THE PEDESTRIANS TO STAY IN THEIR AREA? LIKE, WILL IT JUST, YEAH.
I MEAN, THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION THAT GETS DOWN TO THE LEVEL OF HOW YOU DESIGN SOMETHING.
I THINK THAT WHENEVER WE'RE, WHENEVER YOU'RE LOOKING AT A, AT, AT THE DESIGN, UM, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S INTUITIVE AND THAT IT'S GUIDING PEOPLE TO USE IT IN THE WAY THAT IT WAS INTENDED.
SO, UM, WE'VE TRIED TO GET AT THAT, TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE IN THINKING THROUGH THESE CONCEPTS, ALTHOUGH WE'RE NOT QUITE AT THAT OF, YOU KNOW, STEP BY STEP, WHAT DOES THIS PATHWAY GONNA LOOK LIKE? EVERY, EVERY STEP OF THE WAY, BUT IF WE CAN PUT THE SLIDES BACK UP, I CAN SHOW KIND OF WHAT WE'VE THOUGHT OUT ABOUT THAT WHILE YOU'RE FINDING THAT I'LL SAY ONE PLACE I'VE SEEN IT FAIRLY SUCCESSFUL ACTUALLY IS ALONG WHERE THE NEW TARGET AND WHOLE FOODS ON THE EAST SIDE, RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S RED, YOU KNOW, OFTEN I WILL SEE THAT RIDE THAT ROUTE QUITE A BIT.
MOST, MOST OF THE PEDESTRIANS STAY OFF OF THE RED, ESPECIALLY NOT EVERYBODY, BUT, UH, MORE THAN SO THAN IN OTHER PLACES, THE DIFFERENT SURFACES ARE GOOD FOR SOME PEOPLE.
THEY CAN BE A ACUTE, BUT YEAH, TO YOUR POINT, UM, IF IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH PEDESTRIANS, IF IT DOESN'T FEEL INTUITIVELY GOOD TO USE THE PEDESTRIAN PATH BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT IT'S DESIGNED, PEOPLE WON'T WANT TO WALK IN IT.
UM, I MEAN, THAT'S WHY WE HAVE DESIRE PATHS.
UM, SO WE MIGHT NOT HAVE ANY GOOD AERIALS OF THIS, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO THINK THROUGH AT A HIGH LEVEL, YOU KNOW, HOW DO
[03:20:01]
WE, UM, HOW DO WE CREATE, OR WHAT'S GOING TO BE THE MOST INTUITIVE FLOW FOR CYCLIST VERSUS PEDESTRIAN STARTING AT MARGARET MOSHER AND GOING TO THE WEST AND VICE VERSA.AND SO, UM, UH, KIND OF WHAT WE'VE COME UP WITH AT THIS POINT IS THAT, UM, CYCLISTS WOULD BE, UM, MORE TOWARDS THE, UM, EITHER THE CENTER OF THE BRIDGE OR TO THE, AN S IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE BRIDGE.
AND THEN PEDESTRIANS WOULD BE ROUTED TO THE NORTH OF THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
SO THAT IF YOU WERE A, IF YOU WERE ON FOOT, YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO TAKE EITHER THE YOU'D HAVE TO TWO OPTIONS BECAUSE PEDESTRIANS ALWAYS WANT, LIKE THE SHORTEST, MOST CONVENIENT OPTION.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA, YOU KNOW, UM, THEY'RE NOT AS ABLE TO DO SOMETHING CIRCUITOUS OR NOT, NOT AS WILLING TO, UM, SO THAT WOULD GIVE, THAT GIVES PEDESTRIANS, UM, BOTH IN NORTH AND SOUTH OPTION TO CROSSOVER SHOAL CREEK, UM, AND IT WOULD KEEP THEM, UM, UM, THAT ALSO WOULD LIKE ALLOW THEM TO, WE HAVE STAIRCASES BOTH ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE, THE NEW PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE AND THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE, OF THE TRESTLE.
SO THERE'D BE PEDESTRIAN ACCESS MAINTAINED THERE.
UM, I'M SORRY THAT I DON'T HAVE ANY BETTER, LIKE CLOSER ZOOMED IN AERIALS, BUT WE HAVE THOUGHT THROUGH THIS TO THE EXTENT THAT WE CAN DURING A CONCEPT, THE CONCEPT PHASE, I THINK YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB.
UH, FOURTH AND, UM, CYPRUS, I MEAN, WESTERN CYPRUS IN FRONT OF THE INDEPENDENT, I MEAN, THAT IS ON A SUNDAY OR A SATURDAY MORNING AT NINE O'CLOCK THAT'S GRAND CENTRAL STATION FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS AND THEIR LITTLE PUPPIES AND THEIR LITTLE PUPPIES.
AND IT'S, IT'S DIFFICULT TO COME UP FROM TOWN LAKE OR FROM LADY BIRD LAKE AND EXIT THE SHOAL CREEK TRAIL RIGHT THERE, BECAUSE YOU, AS SOON AS YOU COME UP, IF YOU'RE ON A BICYCLE, YOU DO THAT LITTLE SWITCH BACK AND THERE'S, THERE'S SOMEONE COMING AND THEY LOOK AT YOU, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALWAYS, IT'S CALLED THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN A, A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE, UM, COEXISTENCE THERE BETWEEN THE CYCLISTS AND THE HIKERS.
UM, SO I THINK WHAT YOU'RE DOING IS FANTASTIC AND VERY, VERY MUCH NEEDED.
I'M THINKING ABOUT WHERE TO LOOK AT FIRST, YOUR VOICE IS COMING FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I WAS LIKE, I THINK IT'S A WELL, VERY EXCITING PROJECT.
THESE ARE MOVING, THIS IS HAPPENING.
UM, WE JUST, UH, THERE ARE A LOT OF MOVING PARTS TO MAKING THIS HAPPEN.
UM, SO THE, THE FIRST IS THAT WE'VE RECEIVED THIS KIND OF LATE BREAKING NEWS ABOUT THE BUOY STREET UNDERPASS.
UM, SO WE ARE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ADVOCATING FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, RE-EXAMINING WHAT ALL OF OUR OPTIONS ARE FOR, UM, FOR MAKING THAT CONNECTION SAFELY.
UM, AND LET ME THINK, UM, I'M IN, I'M IN FAVOR OF IT.
SO THAT'S, UH, SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN.
UM, ANOTHER BIG THING THAT WOULD NEED TO HAPPEN TO REALLY SECURE FUNDING FOR THIS IS FOR, UH, THESE PROJECTS TO BE SPECIFIED IN THE SCENE HOME TAX INCREMENT FINANCING PROJECT PLAN.
UM, SO ALTHOUGH THERE IS ANOTHER 17 YEARS OF FUNDING, UM, THAT'S PLANNED FOR THIS, UM, THIS TAXING DISTRICT, UM, THE, UM, THERE ARE NO, UH, THERE'S NOT, UH, AN EXISTING SET OF PROJECTS FOR ALL OF THAT FUNDING THAT'S PLANNED TO COME IN.
AND SO THIS WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR, UM, FOR, FOR UTILIZING, UM, THE, THE REMAINDER OF THOSE FUNDS THAT ARE PROJECTED TO COME IN AND REALLY FULFILL, UM, THE PURPOSE OF WHY THAT TAXING DISTRICT WAS ESTABLISHED.
AND SO TWO FOLLOW UP QUESTIONS THERE.
UH, THAT MEANS THAT, IS THERE AN INDEPENDENT GROUP THAT WOULD MAKE THAT DETERMINATION AT SEAHOLM? THIS DOES NOT INVOLVE COUNCIL.
SO, UM, SO CITY COUNCIL APPS AS THE, UM, AS THE SEAHOLM TIF BOARD.
AND SO IT WOULD BE CITY COUNCIL THAT WOULD COME TOGETHER AND VOTE TO AMEND THE, THE, THE TIF PROJECT PLAN TO INCLUDE THIS SET OF PROJECTS.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE PROCESS, UM, THAT WE HAD.
AND THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE JUST THROUGH THIS TAX PROJECT PLAN, NOT FROM A GENERAL FUND OR THERE'D BE VERY LITTLE IF ANY,
[03:25:01]
COME OUT OF A GENERAL FUND.UM, FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ESTIMATE THROUGH THE, UM, THE COST ESTIMATION AND IMPLEMENTATION RESEARCH THAT WE DID, UM, MOST OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING THROUGH THE TIF DISTRICT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE THERE'S OTHER FUNDING OPTIONS AS WELL, LIKE GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS, UM, AND POTENTIALLY, UM, UH, SOME OTHER SOURCES, BUT REALLY THE, UM, UH, I'M FOCUSING ON THE, THE TIF FUNDS HERE BECAUSE THEY'RE, UM, THE EXISTING KIND OF LOGICAL FUNDING SOURCE THAT COULD SORT OF, AS THE LION'S SHARE, UM, FOR THESE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY, UM, PREFERABLE TO, UM, A BOND ELECTION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IT'S, UH, YEAH, BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S BEEN SET UP ALREADY, UM, THEY'RE SET TO KEEP COMING IN.
UM, AND, UM, BUT THAT, THAT MAKES THE REST OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS, UM, MUCH LIGHTER OF A LIFT.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION WAS, WHAT WAS THAT FUN WORD? IS THAT LIKE WOLFNER OR SOMETHING? OH, WHO NERF? WHAT IS, WHAT IS IT? WOUND NERF.
IT'S IT'S YEAH, YEAH, YEAH, YEAH.
WELL, COMMISSIONER ALVARADO JUST WANTED TO PICK UP REAL QUICK AND SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE THIS PRESENTATION.
I THINK YOU GET A LOT OF BANG FOR YOUR BUCK IN THIS LOCATION, UM, ARTICULATING THE ISSUES AND REALLY HOW TO FIX THEM WITH A BETTER FAITH FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, AND MY, MY ONE LITTLE, UH, SUGGESTION FOR THE SEGREGATED USES, UH, THE PSYCHOPATH IT'S JUST HAVING LIKE REALLY CLEAR AND PROMINENT SIGNAGE.
UH, I FEEL LIKE SAYING LIKE THIS IS AN ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CORRIDOR, OR THIS IS AN ACTIVE BIKE PATH, LIKE PLACING THAT SPAN HERE, BUT I AGREE WITH YOU COMPLETELY THAT ADD ALLOCATING APPROPRIATE SPACE FOR PEDESTRIANS.
WELL, I THINK GREATLY ALLEVIATE THE COMPETITION FOR THE SPACE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
I DAY, YOU WERE STAYING TILL EIGHT 30.
[3. STAFF BRIEFINGS]
THROUGH STAFF BRIEFINGS, DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.AND WHETHER WE, DO YOU HAVE ANY UPDATE? I DO.
I THINK MOST EVERY ITEM ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING ON AUGUST 18TH WAS TRANSPORTATION ACTUALLY.
UH, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION BY HOUSING AND PLANNING ON COMING UP WITH A FEE IN LIEU PROGRAM FOR FUNDING, GREAT STREETS, A GREAT STREETS IMPROVEMENTS THAT ODDLY ENOUGH, TXDOT CAN'T FUND, UH, I THINK THIS PARTICULAR AREA IS AROUND THE PALM SCHOOL, AND THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO CONSIDER GETTING A PRESENTATION ON.
UM, DAN HENNESSY, AS YOU RECALL, A FORMER MEMBER OF OUR COMMISSION WHO'S NOW WITH ATD WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PRESENTING ON THE RED RIVER EXTENSION.
UH, I THINK THAT'S HAD SOME CONTROVERSIES, SHALL WE SAY ATTACHED TO THAT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE STANDING OF THAT IS NOW, PERHAPS THE COUNCIL, UH, CHAIRMAN CHAMPION HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN I DO WANT TO BRING UP AGAIN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN WORKING GROUP.
UM, I MENTIONED LAST MEETING THAT, UH, YOU MIGHT, WE, I FELT LIKE IT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD VERY MUCH WANT TO BE INVOLVED IN, UH, BASED ON, UH, THEIR KEY ISSUE, UH, RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN PLAN IS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND AS THEY ARE SCHEDULED FOR A MEETING SOON, AND THE CONVENTION CENTER STAFF ARE GOING TO, AGAIN, PRESENT TO THEM SOME MORE DETAIL, BUT AS IT WAS PRESENTED AT THE LAST TIME THEY PRESENTED IT WAS, THEY WERE GOING TO TEAR DOWN THE CONVENTION CENTER THAT WAS JUST BUILT AND REBUILD.
AND THAT SEEMED TO BE, UH, A LITTLE ODD, BUT IT ALSO IS A NEXUS POINT FOR THE PROJECT CONNECT.
AND AS A TRANSPORTATION DIRECTOR, SPILLER MENTIONED IN OUR LAST MEETING, THAT'S A REALLY TIGHT FIT.
SO I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT OUR COMMISSION SHOULD
[03:30:01]
BE ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN ON THE WORKING GROUP.UNFORTUNATELY, I CHECKED AND YOU HAVE TO BE A COMMISSIONER ASSIGNED FROM ONE OF THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS TO SERVE ON THE WORKING GROUP.
SO I WILL ONCE MORE OFFER I'LL, I'LL BE GLAD TO SERVE ON THAT WORKING GROUP, BUT, UH, JUST AS JD GINS GAVE UP HIS POSITION ON THE GROUP, IF THERE'S SOMEONE WHO'S REALLY INTENT ON GETTING MORE INVOLVED WITH THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AND THE WHOLE PLANS, TRANSPORTATION PLANS FOR DOWNTOWN, I WOULD, I WOULD BE HAPPY TO STEP ASIDE AND LET YOU TAKE OVER THAT POSITION.
I THINK IT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE TO GET INVOLVED IN.
SO IF THERE'S ANY NEW MEMBERS WHO HAVE A BURNING DESIRE TO WORK ON DOWNTOWN, UH, I THINK IT'S TOTALLY UP TO OUR COMMISSION TO SELECT WHO REPRESENTS THE COMMISSION AS A LIAISON TO THE OTHER COMMISSION, THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HANDS.
I'M NOT SEEING ANY HANDS SHOOT INTO THE AIR.
I WILL SAY I HAVE AN INTEREST, BUT I ALSO HAVE A PATTERN OF OVER-COMMITTING AND I'M CONCERNED THAT I WOULD DO THAT.
PERHAPS WE CAN A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM IT, IF YOU ODDS LOOK AT IT AGAIN.
UM, AND I GUESS I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE PUT THE RED RIVER, UH, EXTENSION ON OUR AGENDA AS WELL.
IT WOULD SEEM TO MAKE SENSE WHEN IT'S TIME FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT'S COME UP IN THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE DISCUSSIONS? UM, WE CAN JUMP AHEAD TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND THE LAST ONE.
SO, UM, I FLIPPED VERY QUICKLY THROUGH THEIR AGENDA AND NOTES.
IT DOESN'T, I DIDN'T WATCH THE VIDEOS.
SO LET'S MOVE ON INTO JOINT SUSTAINABILITY.
SO THEY LAST MET ON AUGUST 25TH AND THERE WAS NOTHING DIRECTLY RELATED TO URBAN TRANSPORTATION, BUT WE DID DISCUSS THAT ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.
THERE'S GOING TO BE THE COUNCIL VOTE ON THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN ADOPTION.
THIS IS A MANY YEARS IN THE MAKING, UM, UPDATED CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
SO THAT'S KIND OF EXCITING THAT IT WILL GO UP FOR VOTE ON SEPTEMBER 30TH AND THE JSC VOTED, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE WERE, WE WERE FOR IT, THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THAT COMMITTEE WHO HAD BEEN INVOLVED IN THE REWRITE OF IT, OR THE UPDATES OF IT AT THE REWRITE.
AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER, THERE WAS A PRESENTATION BY SOMEONE FROM THE OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, THAT WAS VERY INTERESTING TALKING ABOUT CLIMATE RESILIENCE AND RESILIENCE HUBS.
UM, SOME CITIES HAVE THESE ALREADY.
THEY'RE BASICALLY WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY TO, UM, HAVE, UH, TO INITIATE PLACES THAT CAN BECOME NOT LIKE A FEEDING CENTER OR SOMETHING.
IT'S NOT LIKE A LONG-STANDING, IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S THERE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
IT'S MORE LIKE A POP-UP, YOU KNOW, A POP UP RESILIENCE HUB.
SO A CHURCH OR A COMMUNITY CENTER OR SOMETHING THAT CAN BE USED IN MOMENTS OF CRISIS AND EMERGENCY AS A, UM, AS A PLACE TO HAVE PEOPLE CONGREGATE.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO WORK ON CREATING A PILOT FOR THAT.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY UPDATES BECAUSE NOW THAT WE ARE MOVING EARLIER IN THE MONTH, LIKE MY SCHOOL ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETS AFTER US.
SO I'LL HAVE THAT DATE NEXT MONTH.
PEDESTRIAN PEDESTRIANS, SAME HERE.
[4. Future Agenda Items]
OKAY.FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UH, THE LAST ITEM ON OUR LIST.
UM, I THINK SO SOMETHING ABOUT RED RIVER CONVICTED CENTER, CINDY, UM, THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO MENTION FOR THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS IS THAT CHRISTOPHER, UH, SENT ME A NOTE FROM AMANDA JASSO WITH THE, UH, SHE'S A PROJECT MANAGER FOR A MOBILITY AND, UH, EQUITY APPLICATION AND AFFORDABILITY FOR AFFORDABILITY AS RELATES IN THE EQUITY OFFICE.
AND THIS IS TO, UH, RECEIVE A BRIEFING ON THE TOOL THAT THEY'RE DEVELOPING, THAT THEY ARE PLANNING TO USE FOR, UH, SELECTING PROJECTS FOR THAT $300 MILLION SET ASIDE FOR THE ANTI-DISPLACEMENT MEASURES RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT.
AND, UM, I AGREED TO CO-SPONSOR AS I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER DRISCOLL DID.
AND I FORWARDED THAT TO AMANDA FOR HER, UH, CONSIDERATION AND ANSWER A QUESTION OR TWO, I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY
[03:35:01]
WHAT THE ASK IS FOR CHRISTOPHER FATHER BIRD FORWARDED HER NOTE TO ME TO FILL OUT A FORM, BUT I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REQUEST IS REALLY FOR.THEY WANT 40 MINUTES TO PRESENT THE, UH, OVERVIEW OF THE DEVICE OF THE TOOL.
THAT'S THE ASK, ISN'T IT, THE PRESENTATION.
IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL HERE TOO, BECAUSE I AM SERVING I'M THIS BODY'S APPOINTEE TO THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR PROJECT FOR THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
SO ADVISING OF THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE COULD DO A LOT OF THINGS.
BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS THE EQUITY TOOL AND THE 300 MILLION OF AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO GET THAT IN OUR BRIEFINGS LIST, LIKE ADD AN H UNDER THE G CAUSE I'VE BEEN HESITANT TO LIKE PIPE UP, CAUSE IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA, BUT SINCE I AM SERVING ON THAT, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, BUT WE SAW PROBABLY A SIMILAR PRESENTATION AT OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT THE EQUITY TOOL.
SO I THINK THAT THAT COULD BE HELPFUL FOR THIS BODY TO SEE FOR SURE.
SO DID THEY ASK FOR, OR RECOMMENDATION TO SUPPORT OR DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEIR TIMELINE IS OR THAT, THAT WAS MY QUESTION.
IT'S UM, IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR ME TO SUM IT UP BRIEFLY.
THERE'S A LOT OF, UH, SORT OF BACK AND FORTH DISCUSSION ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE TOOL AND IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, THERE'S WE RECEIVED SOME COMMENT FROM, UH, THE COMMUNITY THAT REALLY NEEDED REVISION.
UM, IT'S UNCLEAR IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR THAT.
SO WE HAD, I, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN WATCH OUR MEETING THAT WE HAD ON IT.
UM, I'M HESITANT TO GET TOO MUCH INTO IT CAUSE IT GETS REALLY FAST INTO SOME OF THE POLICY POLITICAL ISSUES AROUND IT.
SO I THINK WE MIGHT WANT TO SEE A PRESENTATION ON IT AND IT'S, AND WE DON'T HAVE IT ON HER.
BUT I THINK FOR A FUTURE ITEM, IT WOULD BE BENEFICIAL AND ALSO GETTING AN UPDATE FROM ME ON OUR REGULAR BRIEFINGS H ITEM.
AND I GUESS I WOULD HAVE A QUESTION TOO ABOUT THE FUTURE MEETINGS AND TODAY'S MEETING, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT NOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE TWO SPONSORS FOR EACH AGENDA ITEM AND THAT THE PERSON THAT'S SPONSORING HAS TO DO THE FORM TO FORWARD TO THAT.
IT'S BEEN THAT WAY FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
SO WHO WERE THE SPONSORS FOR TODAY'S ITEMS? IT WASN'T ON THE AGENDA.
UH, THE TEXT, THAT ONE WAS MYSELF.
AND I FORGET YOU LITERALLY, I DO FORGET AT THE MOMENT.
I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME FOR, I DON'T KNOW WHAT HER BEFORE.
UM, THERE ARE, I MEAN, WE CAN LOOK THAT UP, BUT YEAH, IN OUR OLDER AGENDA ITEMS, WE WOULD SAY WHO THE SPONSOR AND THE CO-SPONSOR WORK.
SO NOW YOU CAN GO BACK TO ADDING THAT.
I DO REMEMBER MOVING THEN YOU GUYS CAN SIGN OFF ON IT.
WE'VE BEEN, YOU DID SUBMIT THE, UH, AUTUMN REQUEST FORM.
WELL, UM, THIS IS A VERY MEATY MEETING, SO LET'S, UH, YOU KNOW, KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO FOR THE NEXT ONE.
I WOULD PERSONALLY LIKE ALSO LIKE AN UPDATE ON THE RED LINE, BIKEWAY PARKWAY, WHATEVER IT'S CALLED OFFICIALLY, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO.
UM, BUT THERE'S NO URGENCY FOR THAT.
ANYBODY ELSE WITH THE ITEMS? WHAT ABOUT A GENERAL UPDATE ON PROJECT CONNECT? I MEAN, YOU GO TO CERTAIN MEETINGS, YOU CAN GET A WEEKLY UPDATE.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT STAGE THEY'RE IN.
I HAVE TO ADMIT IF IT'S LIKE A GOOD INFLECTION POINT.
ANYBODY DOING THAT? THERE ARE 15%.
WELL, THERE ARE PROBABLY NOW 15% BECAUSE I'VE ACTUALLY GOT WORD.
PATIENTS ARE GOING TO GO IT'S IT'S MOVING VERY FAST.
SO I THINK FREQUENT UPDATES WOULD BE, YEAH, IT'S NOT TRY AND PACK THE NEXT AGENDA, BUT MAYBE TOO, TOO MUCH OF NOW SEE WHERE THEY ARE, THE ONE AFTER THAT.
AND IT'LL GIVE US TIME, ADD ANOTHER ITEM THERE OR SEE IF SOMETHING POPS UP.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, THIS IS MY LAST MEETING AS A COMMISSIONER MOVING SANTA FE.
SO I'M GOING TO HAVE SOME FRESHMEN STARTING NEXT MONTH.
UM, MAYBE THEY CAN SAY GOODBYE TO EVERYBODY.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EAT THIS CAKE ALL BY OURSELVES WITHOUT ALL THESE TACOS.
[03:40:02]
THE NEXT TIME I'M IN TOWN.THANKS FOR, UH, ALWAYS TRYING TO GET IT IN FOR A CHIPPING AGAIN.
IT'S BEEN GREAT EXPERIENCE, SO, YEAH.
UM, ON THAT SAD NOTE, UH, CITY ONE, THERE MAY BE A CELEBRATION.
IT'S LIKE A WAKE, UM, A MOTION TO ADJOURN ALL IN FAVOR.
THANKS FOR SAYING LIKE WHAT TIME IS IT?