Sep 08, 2022 Mobility Committee

MAKING BIKE LANES COMFORTABLE FOR PEOPLE TO USE.

I WANTED TO GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO JUST, UM, DESCRIBE AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN THE RECOMMENDATION AND, UM, I THINK THE PUBLIC HAS SEEN IT, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO JUST HEAR YOU AGAIN, UH, DESCRIBE HOW, HOW, HOW YOU THINK THIS MIGHT WORK, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT THE UTC MADE.

SURE THANK YOU FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.

SO 3, 1, 1 EXISTS, AND AS IT WAS POINTED OUT, PEOPLE MAKE COMPLAINTS, BUT IT IS VERY DIFFICULT TO, UM, UH, ENFORCE THE ORDINANCE AS IT'S WRITTEN.

SO THIS ISN'T A CHANGE IN THE ORDINANCE.

IT REALLY IS A CHANGE IN ENFORCEMENT LEADS.

THE CITY OF BOSTON STILL MAKES THE FINAL CALL, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, THREE 11 AND THE OFFICERS, WHATEVER THAT MECHANISM BECOMES DECIDES IS THIS A CITABLE OFFENSE.

IF THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO CITE THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE THEM TO CITE IT, YOU KNOW, IN DISCUSSING WITH, UH, MR. RED FERN FROM ATD, WHEN THIS WAS BEING PROPOSED, HE POINTED OUT THAT IN LET'S FOR SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, DELIVERY TRUCKS DOWNTOWN CAN APPLY FOR A PERMIT TO BLOCK, UH, DRIVING LANES DURING CERTAIN TIMES OF THE DAY.

AND IT WOULD BE TOTALLY FINE FOR THE CITY TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOUR FIRST TWO OFFENSES, YOU'RE GONNA GET AN APPLICATION FOR THIS PERMIT INSTEAD OF GETTING A CITATION.

SO THIS DOESN'T FORCE ANYBODY TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, WRITE A TICKET AUTOMATICALLY, BUT IT JUST USES THE 3 0 1 MECHANISM, WHICH YOU ALREADY HAVE AND PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL SOURCE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, ENFORCEMENT POTENTIAL.

AND THEN THE LAST BIT I WANNA SAY IS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, MODELING IT AFTER THE IDLING TRUCK PROGRAM IN NEW YORK CITY, WHICH IS LISTED IN THERE, IF YOU READ THE READ THE ARTICLE, BUT IT IS LED TO MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN REVENUE FOR NEW YORK CITY FOR ORDINANCE THEY ALREADY HAD.

AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE THIS ISN'T PRIMARILY ABOUT THE MONEY IN MY DESIRE, IT'S ABOUT

[00:10:01]

UM, IT'S, IT'S NOT TO BE, NOT TO GIVE IT A SHORT SHIFT BECAUSE THERE ARE REAL DOLLARS TO STAKE AND REAL LIVES TOO.

SO IF I'M, IF I AM, YOU KNOW, RIDING A BIKE, OR IF I'M JUST WALKING BY A, UH, BIKE LINE AND I SEE A CAR PARKED IN IT, WHAT WOULD I DO UNDER THIS PROGRAM? I WOULD USE THE 3, 1, 1 APP JUST LIKE YOU COULD DO RIGHT NOW.

YOU WOULD JUST SIMPLY BE ABLE TO ATTACH A PHOTO AND THAT PHOTO WOULD SERVICE THE EVIDENCE AND, YOU KNOW, THE PHOTO WOULD BE GEO TAGGED AND TIME TAGGED.

AND, UM, JUST THE WAY THEY LOOK AT THE THREE, ONE APP NOW TO DECIDE TO SEND SOMEBODY OR NOT SEND SOMEBODY, THEY CAN LOOK AT THAT AND DECIDE, WELL, IT'S A CLEAR VIOLATION.

WE'LL STILL SEND SOMEBODY OR NOT, OR WE'LL JUST WRITE THE CITATION.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON.

THANK YOU CHAIR.

BEHAVIOR BY WAY OF HOW WE COMMUNICATE THE ISSUE.

UM, THANK YOU BARRIO FOR COMING IN AND OFFERING THIS INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, A PERSONAL PET PEEVE THAT I'VE, I'VE WONDERED WHAT THE PATH FORWARD ON IS WHEN PEOPLE IN ORDER TO BYPASS A LEFT TURNING VEHICLE, VEER INTO THE BIKE LANE TO GO AROUND THEM WHEN THEY USE THE BIKE LANE AS A PASSING LANE.

MM-HMM I DON'T KNOW WHY IT JUST, YEAH, WELL, I DO KNOW WHY.

UM, AND SO THAT SAID, I OFTEN WONDER SHORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? I MEAN, OTHER, WELL, I GUESS THE OTHER OPTION IS REALLY SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN IN GENERAL, AS WE LOOK AT MOBILITY AND, AND TRANSIT, UM, AND URBAN MOBILITY.

I HEARD SOMEBODY USE THAT TERM TODAY.

I REALLY LIKE THAT.

LIKE IT, CULTURE SHIFT KIND OF A THING MM-HMM, LIKE, DON'T USE THE BIKE LANE TO GO AROUND CARS THAT ARE TURNING THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT'S, IT'S LIKE A, LIKE THE SCHOOL ZONES, RIGHT? YES.

YOU KNOW, TO SLOW DOWN IN A SCHOOL ZONE.

I THINK THERE'S SOME CULTURE SHIFT THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN, BUT JUST OUTTA CURIOSITY, LIKE JUST SHORT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHAT, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS AROUND GETTING PEOPLE TO REALLY SORT OF SHIFT MINDSET AROUND OBSERVATION OF SAFETY AND MAINTENANCE OF BIKE LANES? I MEAN, EVEN JUST WATCHING PEOPLE BLOW ALL THEIR YARD TRASH INTO THE BIKE LANE LANE, MY CLOSEST, YOU KNOW, TO DATE ACCIDENT ON THE BIKE WAS I SKID ON SOME DEBRIS THAT HAD BEEN, I MEAN, I'VE WATCHED IT HAPPEN TOO, YOU KNOW, BUT IT WAS JUST THE WAY I WAS JUXTAPOSED WITH THE TRAFFIC HERE TO MY LEFT AND THE PERSON BLOWING THE TRASH INTO THE BIKE LANE.

I, I COULDN'T SLOW DOWN ENOUGH AND I COULDN'T GET OVER ENOUGH.

AND I SURE ENOUGH, I SLID ON THAT DEBRIS.

SO MM-HMM, WHAT, WHAT ARE Y'ALL SUGGESTIONS AROUND WHAT WE AS A BODY CAN DO TO HELP SORT OF INSPIRE THAT CULTURE SHIFT? HMM.

THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

TWO THINGS COME TO MY MIND, THE FIRST IS PROTECTED BIKE LANES.

YOU CAN'T SWERVE INTO A BIKE LANE IF THERE'S A CURB, OR EVEN IF THERE ARE BALLARDS YOU, YOU, YOU CAN, BUT THOSE BALLARDS AND THE BIG BUTTON BALLARDS CERTAINLY, UH, ACT AS A DETERRENT AND THEY GO, THEY GO A VERY LONG WAY.

SO THAT, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE PHYSICALLY PROTECTING THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

THE SECOND ONE, I THINK, IS CHICKEN AND EGG.

WHEN THERE IS MORE ENFORCEMENT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND IT BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T HAPPEN TO THEM, IT STARTS TO HAPPEN TO FRIEND OF THEIRS.

THEY SEE IT IN THE NEWS, THEY SEE IT ON TWITTER, THAT THIS IS STARTING TO BE A THING.

AND I THINK IF I LOOK AT, UH, UM, SCHOOL ZONES, THAT'S A, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD EXAMPLE ON MY WAY TO MY DAUGHTER'S SCHOOL, WE PASSED TWO OTHER SCHOOLS AND 75% OF THE CARS ARE NOT GOING THE NOT GOING INTO SCHOOL ZONE SPEED.

AND THEN A BUNCH OF PARENTS WILL CALL AND SOME POLICE WILL COME OUT FOR A WEEK OR SO, AND YOU'LL SEE THEM CONSTANTLY, UH, RIDING TICKETS AND THEN YOU'LL SEE IT, IT, IT CHANGES CUZ PEOPLE SEE IT HAPPEN TO OTHERS.

AND SO I THINK THE ENFORCEMENT, AND THIS IS WHY THE SORT OF THE CROWDSOURCED ENFORCEMENT LEAVE.

IT'S NOT REALLY CROWDSOURCED ENFORCEMENT BECAUSE I CAN'T GIVE YOU A TICKET FOR BEING IN THE BIKE LANE.

BUT THE CROWDSOURCED LEADS FOR ENFORCEMENT GO A LONG WAY.

IT DOESN'T NEED, I WOULD SAY, I DON'T THINK WE REALLY NEED POLICE OFFICERS TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME CHASING DOWN THESE LEADS BECAUSE IT'S KIND OF A DEAD END.

PEOPLE ARE GONE, UM, PRETTY QUICKLY.

THEY MAY BE STOPPING FOR FIVE MINUTES AND THEY BE STOPPING FOR 30 MINUTES, BUT YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT TO GET THERE IN TIME.

AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT.

YOU KNOW, IF, AND FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH, THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS, WAS ASKING.

I THINK THE ASSESSMENT THAT I WAS TRYING TO MAKE WAS TO BE ENTIRELY CLEAR.

I DON'T, I DON'T THINK THAT'S AN APPROPRIATE USE OF THAT RESOURCE, RIGHT? YES.

THAT TOOL.

UM, BUT THAT IS, THIS WOULD, UM, FROM AN ENFORCEMENT PERSPECTIVE, BE A PART OF THE LARGER CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT CIVILIANS CAN ENFORCE.

MM-HMM THIS STRIKES ME AS THE TYPE OF INFRACTION THAT CAN BE ENFORCED BY CIVILIANS REAL TIME WHO'VE BEEN DEPUTIZED TO DO.

AND I GUESS I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT VARIABLE IS TO DO WHAT YOU KNOW.

AND SO, UH, THAT JUST BRINGS ME BACK TO, I THINK IN A LOT OF WAYS, THIS IS THE CITY PULLING LEVERS AROUND PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, MM-HMM AND REALLY SHIFTING

[00:15:01]

SO I REALLY LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOWING UP.

THIS IS DEFINITELY SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ON THE, ON THE MIND FOR ME.

SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE PRESENTATION TODAY AND I, AND I LOOK FORWARD TO FOLLOW IT UP.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.

I, I THINK MY QUESTION WOULD START WITH, DOES THIS NEED ADDITIONAL COUNSEL DIRECTION? AND IF SO, WHAT IS IT THAT WE COULD DO TO BE HELPFUL? CAUSE I, I THINK THESE ARE REALLY IMPORTANT RECOMMENDATIONS AND WANNA HELP GET THIS TYPE OF ENFORCEMENT HAPPENING.

IS THAT A QUESTION FOR ME? YES.

THEY'LL GENERATE STORIES.

I THINK THERE ARE WITHIN THE RECOMMENDATION ITSELF, THERE'S THERE IS A, UM, SORT OF BLOCKING, UM, STATUS NOW, UM, AS IT SAYS IN THE RECOMMENDATION, THE CURRENT ORDINANCE IS ESSENTIALLY ALLOW PARKING AND BIKE LANES AND LESS EXPLICITLY FORBIDDEN.

I THINK THE FIRST STEP NEEDS TO BE TO FLIP THAT, THAT STATUS YOU, IT NEEDS TO BE BIKE LANE.

PARKING IS NOT ALLOWED UNLESS EXPLICITLY, UM, UNLESS EXPLICITLY ALLOWED, YOU KNOW, SO, RIGHT.

SO I THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A FLIP.

AND I, AND I, YOU KNOW, I USED TO BE A BIKE COMMUTER ON SHOULD CREEK, UH, BIKE, UH, LANE.

AND YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT GOES THROUGH A NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND FOR YEARS, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EITHER PARK OR SORT OF SHARE IN THE WAY THE BIKE LANE WAS STRUCTURED.

IT WAS NOT ALWAYS SUPER CLEAR.

AND SO I THINK THERE'S, THERE IS THIS CULTURAL UNDERSTANDING, WHICH I THINK NEEDS TO SHIFT THAT BIKE LANE PARKING IS NOT ALLOWED RATHER THAN IT'S ALLOWED, UNLESS I SAY YOU CAN'T.

AND SO I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST PART THAT CITY COUNCIL NEEDS TO ADDRESS.

AND IF, IF THAT CAN HAPPEN, THEN YOU CAN START THE CULTURAL SHIFT BECAUSE I THINK THAT WILL GENERATE NEWS.

THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME EDUCATION, HEY, YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS, BUT YOU CAN'T DO THIS ANYMORE BECAUSE X, Y, AND Z, THEY ON SAFE.

IT, YOU KNOW, IT, THE MONEY THAT GETS SPENT ON BILINE INFRASTRUCTURE SORT OF THROWN DOWN THE DRAIN, WHEN SOMEONE PARKS IN THERE, IT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO DO THE MODE SHIFT, DESIRES THAT AS S AND P, WHICH I TAKE TO BE A REALLY VISIONARY DOCUMENT.

I KNOW IT DOESN'T TALK AT LENGTH ABOUT BIKE MODE SHARE, BUT IT TALKS ABOUT MODE SHARE GENERALLY.

AND IF WE WANT THAT DESIRED OUTCOME, THIS IS ONE TACTIC THAT I THINK WILL LEAD US THAT WAY.

I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH THAT.

AND I KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THE BUILD OUT OF PROJECT CONNECT AND THE SAFE AND ACTIVE MOBILITY BONDS FROM 2020, I THINK BOTH OF THOSE ARE GONNA GET US A REALLY LONG WAY.

UM, AND I APPRECIATE THE CALL OUT HERE JUST SAYING THAT FOR THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS ALLOCATED FOR BIKE LANES, IF THEY'RE BLOCKED, THEN THEY'RE COMPLETELY USELESS.

UM, AND WE ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, A CYCLIST HAVING TO LEAVE A BIKE LANE, THAT'S DESIGNATED FOR THEM ENTERING A SPACE WHERE A CAR IS NOT EXPECTING THEM IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS WAYS THAT BICYCLISTS ARE TRYING TO HAVE TO NAVIGATE IN THE CITY WHEN WE'VE ALREADY BUILT THE BIKE LANE.

UM, YES, I THINK THERE ALSO IS, UM, I'M A LITTLE FOGGY ON THE LANGUAGE, BUT WHEN, WHEN WE WERE DOING THE SD 23 MOBILITY OUTCOME IN JANUARY OF 2019, I THINK WE ADDED IN A METRIC SPECIFICALLY ABOUT DEBRIS BEING CLEARED OUT OF THE BIKE LANES.

AND SO I'LL HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT LANGUAGE AGAIN TO, TO SEE WHAT SPECIFICALLY WAS CALLED OUT.

BUT I FEEL LIKE DEBRIS AND PARKING EQUALLY, UH, DISADVANTAGE THE FOLKS WHO NEED TO USE THE BIKE LANE, WHICH YES, IT'S A LOT ABOUT BICYCLING, BUT IT'S ALSO ABOUT WHEELCHAIRS AND STROLLERS AND WALKERS MM-HMM AND YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OTHER FORMS OF MOBILITY THAT, UM, PEOPLE NEED TO BE ABLE TO USE IN OUR PUBLIC SPACE.

UM, ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION.

YEP.

I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.

IT'S A GOOD DISCUSSION.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, MARIO.

IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU.

NEXT UPDATE IS GOING TO BE ON THE I 35 CAPITAL EXPRESS AND ITS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY.

OUR

[3. Update on the I-35 Capital Express and its environmental study.]

AND I WILL POINT OUT, I THINK THE BACKUP THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED IN HERE IS GONNA BE UPDATED AGAIN RIGHT AFTER THE MEETING.

SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT LINK, IT MAY NOT BE THIS PRESENTATION, BUT THIS ONE WILL BE, UH, POSTED AND BACK UP, UH, SHORTLY AFTER THE MEETING.

THERE WE GO.

WOULD YOU PLEASE INTRODUCE YOURSELF? THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

UM, FIRST I'D LIKE TO THANK THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE FOR THE INVITATION TO COME AND SPEAK MY NAME NEXT LIVE, PLEASE.

MY NAME IS, UH, TOMMY AL I'M WITH THE AUSTIN DISTRICT, UH, TECH DOT AND I'M THE MOBILITY 35 PROGRAM MANAGER.

AND FOR THE SECOND HALF, I'LL BE INVITING SONYA UP TO SPEAK AS WELL.

THAT'S GREAT.

I AM, UH, BORN AND RAISED AUSTINITE MYSELF.

LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ABOUT MYSELF.

[00:20:01]

I GREW UP IN NORTH AUSTIN AND NOW LIVE IN SOUTH AUSTIN.

I, MY WHOLE LIFE HAVE DRIVEN UP AND DOWN, UH, 35 AND, UM, UH, THIS IS A PICTURE OF ME AND MY SON AT THE DELL MATCH PLAY.

UM, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS PROJECT AND I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BUILDING A PROJECT THAT ENHANCES MOBILITY AND SAFETY FOR ONE DAY FOR HIM TO USE.

JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW ON THE CAPEX CENTRAL PROJECT.

THE CAPEX CENTRAL PROJECT STARTS AT TWO 90 EAST AND GOES DOWN TO S H 71.

UM, AKA BIN WHITE BOULEVARD.

WE ARE PROPOSING TWO NONT TOLD LANES MANAGE LANES, UH, THAT ARE, UM, HOV LANES, HIGH OCCUPANCY VEHICLE.

UH, WE ALSO PLAN TO ENHANCE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PASS AND ACCOMMODATE TRANSIT ROUTES.

THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST FOR THE PROJ PROJECT IS 4.9 BILLION WHERE THE ANTICIPATED START OF 2025.

THIS IS JUST A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR PUBLIC OUTREACH UP TO THIS DATE.

THE 18,000 THAT YOU SEE THERE IS, UH, FROM VARIOUS, UM, OUTREACH EVENTS THAT WE HAVE HELD UP AND DOWN, UH, WITH INVOLVEMENT WITH THE CORRIDOR.

MOST RECENTLY TWO SATURDAYS AGO, WE ACTUALLY ATTENDED WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AND CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEIR EVENT.

UM, AND WE RECEIVED A LOT OF GREAT INPUT FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THE PROJECT.

THIS IS JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW AGAIN, UP TO THIS DATE OF, UH, SPECIFIC EVENTS THAT WE HAVE HELD, UM, SUCH AS MEETING WITH THE NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER, UH, THE MUELLER'S FARMER'S MARKET AND THE JUTE FESTIVAL, UM, AT THAT SAME EVENT FROM TWO SATURDAYS AGO, I HEARD A GENTLEMAN SPEAK AND I COULDN'T AGREE MORE.

AND HE TALKED ABOUT INTENTIONALITY AND, UH, BEING INTENTIONAL IN WHO WE REACH OUT TO AND GOING, UH, TO THE COMMUNITY AND SPEAKING TO THE COMMUNITY.

THIS IS JUST, UH, EXPLAINING WHEN WE REACH OUT TO THE COMMUNITY, HOW WE ARE WORKING ON IMPLEMENTING THOSE CHANGES INTO THE PROJECT.

UM, SOME OF YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT OUR ALTERNATIVES, UH, ON THE PROJECT.

UH, WHEN WE FIRST CAME OUT TO PUBLIC TO TALK ABOUT ALTERNATIVE TWO AND ALTERNATIVE THREE, WE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT THEY WERE VERY SIMILAR, HENCE WHAT WE HAVE NOW, WHAT THE MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE, UH, THREE IN, IN THE PROJECT.

THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF VARIOUS THINGS THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY ON THE PROJECT.

UH, MORE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ENHANCEMENTS, ENCOURAGED TRANSIT, URBAN FIELD DOWNTOWN.

UH, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE THREE, THAT, UH, BOULEVARD SECTION THAT WE SHOW PROPOSED IN THE SCHEMATIC, UH, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AREA.

ANOTHER FOCUS OF OUR PROJECT IS EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY, AND, UM, WAYS THAT WE ARE DOING THAT IS EIGHT NEW BIKE PED BRIDGES, UH, SHOWN IN BOTH ALTERNATIVE TWO AND MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE THREE AND 14 NEW WHITEN BRIDGES.

AGAIN, SHOWN BOTH IN ALTERNATIVE TWO AND MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE THREE.

UM, I LIKE TO, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A SPECIFIC WIDEN BRIDGE THAT'S ON OUR PROJECT, UH, ON MLK BOULEVARD, WE'RE PROPOSING TO DO A WIDEN BRIDGE IN THAT AREA AND ALSO, UM, UH, BUILD A PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.

WE'RE THINKING OF WAYS ON HOW WE COULD BREAK OUT AND BUILD THAT IN ADVANCE.

SO IN ESSENCE, DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF 35 CENTRAL, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, UH, ALLOW PEDESTRIANS IN, UH, TRAVELING PUBLIC TO SAFELY, UH, MOVE EAST AND WEST DURING THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PROJECT.

AND NOW I'LL PASS IT ON TO SONYA.

WHO'S GONNA SPEAK MORE ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.

UM, AGENCIES TO COORDINATE WITH, UM, UH, OTHER AGENCIES WITH THE PUBLIC AND THE, THE MAIN TENANTS BEHIND IT ARE TRANSPARENCY, INFORMED DECISION MAKING, AND GENERALLY GIVING THE PUBLIC A VOICE IN THE PROCESS.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME'S SONYA HERNANDEZ.

I'M THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM MANAGER FOR THE MOBILITY 35 CENTRAL, UM, CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.

AND I WAS INVITED TODAY TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

SO OUR PROJECT HAS, UM, FEDERAL FUNDING BEHIND IT, WHICH MEANS THAT WE ARE IN COMPLIANCE WITH, UM, FEDERAL REGULATIONS.

THE, THE PRIMARY REGULATION THAT WE ARE FOLLOWING THAT IS A, THAT DICTATES OUR PROCESS IS THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.

UM, IT REQUIRES,

[00:25:01]

UM, UNDER NPA, OUR AGENCY IS PREPARING AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.

YOU'LL HEAR PEOPLE REFERRED TO THIS AS AN EIS.

UM, IT'S A KIND OF INTERDISCIPLINARY ANALYSIS THAT IS DONE TO DETERMINE WHAT POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS MIGHT RESULT FROM A PROPOSED PROJECT.

THIS LEVEL OF ANALYSIS IS USUALLY DONE FOR LARGE UNDERTAKINGS WHEN SUBSTANTIAL, SUBSTANTIAL OR SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ARE ANTICIPATED.

AND PROCESS INCLUDES INPUT FROM THE PUBLIC AS WELL AS FROM FEDERAL AND, UM, STATE AGENCIES.

NEXT SLIDE, AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS, UM, WE ENGAGED IN THE PUBLIC AND AGENCIES THROUGH A PROCESS CALLED SCOPING.

UM, IN SCOPING, WE GATHERED INFORMATION FROM THE COMMUNITY AND AGENCIES ON THE PURPOSE, THE NEED OF THE PROJECT, THE ALTERNATIVES BEING CONSIDERED, AND THE GENERAL SCOPE OF THE STUDIES TO BE INCLUDED IN THE E.

WE USE THAT INPUT TO DETERMINE WHAT ALTERNATIVES TO CARRY FORWARD INTO THE DRAFT E FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS IN COMPARISON TO THE NO BUILD.

WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE TECHNICAL STUDIES PHASE WHERE MOST STUDIES HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND ARE CURRENTLY BEING REVIEWED.

UM, THE RESULTS OF THAT ANALYSIS, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND COORDINATION WITH AGENCIES TO DATE WILL BE DOCUMENTED IN OUR DRAFT E AND A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE WILL BE IDENTIFIED.

THE DOCUMENT WILL BE RELEASED FOR PUBLIC AND AGENCY REVIEW DURING THE PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS AT THIS WINTER, TEXTILE WILL CONSIDER PUBLIC AND AGENCY INPUT.

UM, DURING THAT, UH, PUBLIC HEARING PHASE IN PREPARATION OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AND THE RECORD OF DECISION, THE ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THIS SLIDE, UM, SHOWS A LOT OF THE TOPICS THAT ARE TYPICALLY COVERED IN AN ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.

THAT INCLUDES, UM, WATER AND BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES, CULTURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING, UM, POTENTIAL HISTORICAL, UH, ARCHITECTURE LANDSCAPE AND HISTORICAL SITE IMPACTS AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES.

UM, THE POTENTIAL TO ENCOUNTER HAZARDOUS MATERIALS WITHIN THE PROJECT LIMITS, UM, AIR QUALITY TRAFFIC NOISE, COMMUNITY IMPACTS POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO PROTECTED LAND SUCH AS PARKS, HISTOR, HISTORICAL SITES AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES INDIRECT AND CUMULATIVE IMPACTS, UM, ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROJECT.

AND THEN BEYOND THE USUAL SCOPE OF AN E TEXT DOT, UM, BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT DURING SCOPING DECIDED TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS REGARDING CLIMATE CHANGE AND COMMUNITIES ISSUES OF PARTICULAR PUBLIC CONCERN THAT CAME UP DURING SCOPING AND DURING OUR PUBLIC OUTREACH, UM, SINCE SCOPING, UH, INCLUDE COMMUNITY IMPACTS, PROTECTED LANDS, AIR QUALITY TRAFFIC NOISE.

UM, AND I THINK THAT MIGHT BE OF COURSE COM YEAH, I THINK THAT MIGHT BE IT.

SO NEXT SLIDE.

SO I'M GONNA TALK IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT SOME OF THOSE ISSUES OF PARTICULAR PUBLIC CONCERN.

UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP A LOT DURING SCOPING AND DURING OUR VOICE MEETINGS, UM, SINCE SCOPING IS, UH, COMMUNITY IMPACTS, PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED IN WHAT WE DO, UH, WHEN WE ANALYZE POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO THE COMMUNITY.

UM, WE COLLECT DATA TO DEVELOP A COMMUNITY PROFILE.

WE IDENTIFY THE STUDY AREA, DESCRIBE THE EXISTING LAND USE AND COMMUNITY CHARACTER.

AND FOR THAT, WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE DEMOGRAPHICS, DENSITY, AND DISTRIBUTION OF DEVELOPMENT, AND WE IDENTIFY COMMUNITY FACILITIES.

UM, WE USE THAT TO, UM, EVALUATE THE EXISTING LAND USE PATTERNS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY STUDY AREA.

WE IDENTIFY ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS, WHICH ARE POPULATIONS THAT, UM, ARE, ARE PRELIM, UH, PREDOMINANTLY MINORITY OR LOW INCOME.

UM, WE IDENTIFY ANY, UH, POPULATIONS WITH, UH, LIMITED ENGLISH PROFICIENCY.

WE LOOK AT ANY OTHER POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE POPULATIONS, UM, GEOGRAPHICALLY DISPERSED, UH, TRANSIENT PERSONS, ELDERLY PERSONS, CHILDREN, FOLKS WITH DISABILITIES OR IMPAIRMENTS, UM, ET CETERA.

SO THEN WE MOVE ON TO LOOK AT, UH, POTENTIAL PROJECT INDUCED IMPACTS.

UM, AND WE REALLY FOCUS ON A LOT ON DISPLACEMENT, UM, ACCESS AND TRAVEL PATTERN CHANGES AND COMMUNITY COHESION.

UH, WE ALSO CONSIDER PUBLIC INPUT AND PUBLIC FEEDBACK, UM, IN THIS PROCESS IN DETERMINING OUR POTENTIAL IMPACTS.

UM, TOMMY TALKED EARLIER ABOUT AND SHOWED A SLIDE ABOUT, UM, SOME OF THE, THE DIRECTED, UM, PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE DONE WITH POTENTIALLY VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES.

SO WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION CONSIDERED, WE DETERMINE WHAT OUR POTENTIAL IMPACTS ARE TO THE COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE CAN DO TO MITIGATE THOSE NEXT SLIDE.

[00:30:02]

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT PROTECTED LAND, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS WE LOOK AT.

THERE ARE A FEW REGULATIONS LISTED UP HERE, UM, THAT YOU MIGHT HEAR, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTISTS TALK ABOUT AND, YOU KNOW, SECTION FOUR F AND SECTION SIX F ARE REGULATIONS THAT OFFER SOME PROTECTION TO PUBLIC RECREATIONAL LAND, WILDLIFE, AND WATERFOWL REFUGES, UM, SECTION SIX F MAINLY APPLIES TO PARKS AND RECREATION LANDS THAT WERE PURCHASED OR DEVELOPED WITH LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION ACT FUNDING.

UM, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF THOSE, UH, PROPERTIES ON THE NORTH SIDE OF LADYBIRD LAKE SECTION FOUR F HAS A LITTLE BIT OF OVERLAP WITH THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT.

AND THE ANTIQUITY CODE OF TEXAS, BOTH OF THESE REGULATIONS ARE FOCUSED ON THE PROTECTION OF CULTURAL RESOURCES, INCLUDING HISTORIC ARCHITECTURE, HISTORIC PLACES, AND LANDSCAPES AND ARCHEOLOGICAL SITES.

SO IF WE DETERMINE THAT THERE'S AN ADVERSE IMPACT TO THOSE CULTURAL RESOURCES UNDER THOSE REGULATIONS, WE INCLUDE THEM IN THE EVALUATION OF SECTION FOUR F AS WELL.

UM, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, WORKING AND COORDINATING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PARKS DEPARTMENT AS WELL, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE ON, UM, ON OUR ASSESSMENT OF IMPACTS FOR THESE, UM, THESE RESOURCES NEXT SLIDE.

SO ANOTHER THING THAT IS USUALLY AN ISSUE OF CONCERN WITH THE PUBLIC IS, UM, IN THE COMMUNITIES WITH, UH, IS, IS TRAFFIC NOISE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THE MAJOR OBJECTIVES OF TRAFFIC NOISE IS TO IDENTIFY NOISE SENSITIVE AREAS, UM, ALONG THE PROJECT CORRIDOR, UH, WHEN WE DO A TRAFFIC NOISE ANALYSIS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COLLECT THE DATA ABOUT THE EXISTING AND PROPOSED ROADWAY.

WE LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, EXISTING AND, AND PREDICTED TRAFFIC VEHICLE MIX SPEED LIMITS, UM, EXISTING ROAD DESIGN AND THE PRO PROPOSED ROAD DESIGN, UM, AND ADJACENT LAND USE, UM, AND IDENTIFY THOSE, THOSE NOISE SENSITIVE, UM, RECEIVERS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL COLLECT SOUND LEVEL MEASUREMENTS, IDENTIFY NOISE, SENSITIVE AREAS AND BUILD AND RUN A MODEL USING MODELING SOFTWARE TO PREDICT, UM, TRAFFIC NOISE LEVELS.

THOSE PREDICTIONS ARE USED TO IDENTIFY, UM, AREAS THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED BY TRAFFIC NOISE AS A RESULT OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT, AND THEN NOISE ABATEMENT MEASURES ARE EVALUATED.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE LAST ISSUE OF CONCERN THAT IS GENERALLY RAISED BY THE PUBLIC, UM, IS AIR QUALITY.

SO, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE TEXTILE EVALUATES THE POTENTIAL EFFECTS CAUSED, UH, BY THE PROJECT ON AIR QUALITY AND COMPLIANCE WITH THE CLEAN AIR ACT.

THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT, UM, THAT THE EPA IDENTIFIES AS, UH, POLLUTANTS OF CONCERN.

AND, UM, YOU'LL HEAR THESE, UH, ESPECIALLY THESE, UM, ACRONYMS THROWN ABOUT MSAT, WHICH IS MOBILE SOURCE, AIR TOXICS, UM, CARBON MONOXIDE.

AND OF COURSE, YOU'LL HEAR, UH, PEOPLE REFER TO NECKS AND THAT'S NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS.

THESE ARE STANDARDS THAT ARE DEVELOPED BY THE EPA FOR THESE POLLUTANTS.

UM, AND THEY'RE IDENTIFIED IN THE CLEAN AIR ACT.

UM, THEY'RE PRIMARY, UH, KNS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED FOR THE PROTECTION OF HUMAN HEALTH.

AND THEN THEY'RE SECONDARY KNS THAT ARE ESTABLISHED FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT.

AND WE LOOK AT, UM, WE LOOK AT THESE IN OUR ANALYSIS.

UM, SO MCATS IN PARTICULAR ARE CONSIDERED AIR TOXICS BY THE EPA.

UM, THEY'RE ASSOCIATED WITH MOBILE SOURCES.

UM, SO TRANSPORTATION IS A, YOU KNOW, A BIG FACTOR IN THAT, AND THAT'S WHY WE MODEL IT.

UM, THE F H WWA MODEL THAT WE USE, UM, CALCULATES MSAT EMISSIONS, ACCORDING TO THE FACILITY TYPE SPEEDS, VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED, UM, AND THEN LOOKS AT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PRESENT DAY BASELINE OPENING DAY OF WHEN TRAFFIC IS, UM, EXPECTED TO BE ABLE TO USE THE FULL FACILITY.

AND THEN OF COURSE, OUR DESIGN YEAR, OUR ULTIMATE DESIGN YEAR.

SO, UM, BASED ON ANTICIPATED TRAFFIC VOLUMES AND THE SCOPE OF THE PROPOSED IMPROVEMENTS, WE ARE ALSO LOOKING AT CARBON MONOXIDE, UM, TRA FOR OUR TRAFFIC AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS.

UM, AND THOSE ARE THE PRIMARY ISSUES THAT ARE RAISED, UH, THAT HAVE BEEN RAISED BY THE PUBLIC.

UM, BUT OF COURSE, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, WITH THAT PREVIOUS SLIDE, WE, WE LOOK AT ALL OF THOSE SUBJECT AREAS IN OUR ANALYSIS.

SO, UM, NEXT SLIDE, AND I THINK REALLY, WE, WE CAN JUST TAKE SOME QUESTIONS NOW.

THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.

I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN.

HELLO.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE, UM, PRESENTATION.

I HAVE A, A, UM, COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

MY FIRST QUESTION RELATES TO THE, UM, UH, THE, UH, THE LANES, UH, IT'S REALLY ON, ON SLIDE FOUR AND IT RELATES TO THE, UM, CAPITAL, UH, EXPRESS SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.

SO IS THIS, JUST HAVE TO DO WITH, WITH THE CENTRAL PART OF I 35, BECAUSE,

[00:35:01]

UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT THE POTENTIAL FOR, UM, THESE EXPRESS LANES GOING FURTHER SOUTH THAN TWO 90.

COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.

UH, I WAS IN THE PRESENTATION SPEAKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT CENTRAL MM-HMM , BUT WE ALSO HAVE, UH, HO V UH, MANAGED LANES IN THE CAPEX SOUTH PROJECT.

WHICH CONTINUES FROM, UH, CAN Y'ALL STILL HEAR ME MM-HMM UH, UH, S H 71 BEN BOULEVARD.

MM-HMM ALL THE WAY TO, UM, S H 45, RIGHT BEFORE YOU GET TO THE BUTTA AREA THAT'S FOR THE SOUTH AREA.

MM-HMM UM, UH, ADDITIONALLY, ON THE OTHER END, WE HAVE OUR CAPEX NORTH PROJECT THAT ALSO, UH, IS INCLUDING THE HOV, UH, MANAGED LANES, UH, STARTING AT TWO 90 EAST AND GOING ALL THE WAY TO THE OTHER SH 45, UH, NORTH.

THANK YOU FOR CLARIFYING THAT.

AND THEN MY SECOND AND LAST QUESTION HAS TO DO WITH THE AIR QUALITY MONITORING.

UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU MON, WHERE, WHERE THE MONITORING OCCURS GEOGRAPHICALLY.

IN OTHER WORDS, HOW, HOW FAR AWAY, AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT GEOGRAPHIC AREA DO YOU DO YOU STUDY? SO, UH, THE AIR QUALITY MONITORING NETWORK IS ACTUALLY ESTABLISHED BY THE EPA AND THE STATE AGENCY THAT WORKS ON, ON THESE ISSUES.

SO FOR US, THAT WOULD BE TCQ MM-HMM , UM, AND THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THEIR, UH, MAP OF THEIR AIR QUALITY MONITORING NETWORK, UM, AVAILABLE ON THEIR WEBSITE AND A GIS MAPPING TOOL.

UM, BUT IT'LL SHOW YOU WHERE THE EXISTING MONITORING STATIONS ARE.

UM, OKAY.

MY, MY QUESTION REALLY IS FOR PURPOSES OF AN E MM-HMM AND FOR AIR QUALITY, WHAT COUNTS, YOU KNOW, AND DO YOU HAVE TO BE WITHIN A CERTAIN DISTANCE FROM THE PROJECT, OR IS IT ALL OVER THE CITY? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IS THE SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS FROM AN EIS PER SPEND STANDPOINT, RIGHT.

UM, SO WE USE, UM, THE, THE LOCAL AIR MONITORING NETWORK TO ESTABLISH, UM, THE LEVEL OF ANALYSIS THAT WE NEED.

MM-HMM THE AUSTIN AREA IS WHAT, WHAT THE EPA REFERS TO AS IN ATTAINMENT.

WHICH MEANS THAT IT IS UNDER THE NATIONAL STANDARDS THAT HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR THE PRIMARY POLLUTANTS.

UM, SO WE, WE DO LOOK AT THAT IN OUR ANALYSIS.

UH, CURRENTLY OUR PLAN IS TO, UM, UH, DO MODELING A, UH, ON A QUALITATIVE LEVEL FOR OUR DRAFT E UM, ONCE A PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE IS IDENTIFIED, UM, IN THE FINAL E WE WILL BE DOING A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS, A QUANTITATIVE MODELING ON THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE MM-HMM .

UM, SO WE WILL BE ACTUALLY, UH, TAKING A HARD LOOK AT THE, AT THE, UM, MODELING NUMBERS SPECIFIC TO THE PROJECT IN THE FINAL E, BUT FOR WHERE, IN OTHER WORDS, ARE YOU SAYING THAT A MILE FROM THE IH 35 QUARTER, TWO MILES, FIVE MILES? SO THE MODEL IS BASED ON, UM, THE MPOS, UH, LINK SYSTEM.

AND SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S MORE REGIONAL THAN THAT.

UM, OKAY.

BUT IT'S, IT, IT USES CAMPOS MODEL, UM, TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE TRAFFIC LINKS ARE, THAT THAT ARE PULLED INTO THE ANALYSIS.

SO THE REASON I'M ASKING THIS IS A VERY, VERY DIFFERENT, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF PROJECT, BUT I DO REMEMBER WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THE AIRPORT AND POTENTIAL AIR QUALITY MONITORING, IT, IT ONLY OCCURRED ON SITE, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION'S DIFFERENT THAN THAT, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THERE WERE GEO GEOGRAPHIC BOUNDARIES TO, TO WHERE YOU WOULD IMPACT THE, UH, WHERE YOU WOULD ANALYZE THE IMPACT, BUT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE AREN'T, THAT IT'S THE WHOLE REGION.

IT IS A LITTLE MORE REGIONAL AND IT, AND IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE LOOKING AT WHAT'S CONSIDERED MOBILE, MOBILE AIR TOXICS INSTEAD OF, UM, POINT SOURCE.

THOSE WERE QUICK QUESTIONS.

I KNOW AT THE CLEAN AIR COALITION, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN FORMALLY SERVED ON, AND NOW I, UM, AM THE FIRST VICE CHAIR OF, OF THAT COMMITTEE.

UM, BUT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT LIKE WHERE THE MONITORING, UH, APPLICATIONS GO AND EXACTLY WHAT TYPES OF THINGS ARE MONITORED.

CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S USUALLY A STANDARD OF, WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT THE AMBIENT AIR QUALITY MM-HMM , AND WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND REGIONAL IMPACTS.

BUT A LOT OF THE FOLKS THAT MAY LIVE NEAR A CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ARE MUCH MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMMEDIATE IMPACTS OF THE CONSTRUCTION, UM, BECAUSE THAT IS GONNA BE PRETTY ACUTE FOR THE TIME THAT THE CONSTRUCTION'S GOING ON.

BUT I KNOW WITH THE, WITH THE MONITORING SYSTEM, YOU TEND TO WANT THINGS THAT ARE NOT GONNA SEE HIGH SPIKES YEAR TO YEAR.

YOU'RE GONNA WANNA SEE SOMETHING THAT GIVES YOU A GENERAL UNDERSTANDING OF IF THE AIR QUALITY IS BEING AFFECTED, UM, IN AN ONGOING WAY, LONG TERM.

I WILL TOSS IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON, BEFORE I FINISH WITH MY QUESTIONS.

GO AHEAD.

THANK YOU, JERRY.

UM, CAN YOU ALL TELL ME WHETHER OR NOT THE NEW, UM, MLK BRIDGE ONCE IT'S COMPLETE, WILL IT RETAIN THE NAME? JJ SEABROOK.

COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON.

UH, THAT'S THAT'S A REALLY

[00:40:01]

GOOD QUESTION.

I DO HAVE MY MOBILITY 35 TEAM HERE TO NOTE THAT QUESTION.

UH, I UNFORTUNATELY DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER COUNCIL MEMBER, HARPER, MADISON FOR THE WIN.

I STUMPED SOMEBODY .

UM, SO, UH, I APPRECIATE THE FOLLOW UP ON THAT.

THANK YOU, UH, FOR YOUR CANDOR.

I APPRECIATE IT WILL DO.

UH, I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE GET A LOT OF, UH, FLUCTUATION, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE BECAUSE A SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES.

UM, SO I WANNA KNOW HOW CONFIDENT IS TECH DOT THAT, UH, THAT $4.9 BILLION PRICE TAG, UM, IS GONNA HOLD OUT, UH, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I'M CURIOUS ALSO TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IF, UM, THERE ARE SOME SUDDEN INCREASES, YOU KNOW, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE PROCESS, THAT'S A GOOD, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UH, PART OF WHAT IT GOES INTO OUR CONSTRUCTION ESTIMATE IS, UH, THE MATERIALS, AS YOU MENTIONED, UH, AND WE, WE BREAK DOWN THE, THE CONSTRUCTION.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STRUCTURES, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE ROADWAY, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE U SHARED USE PATH AND WHAT IT TAKES TO BUILD THAT.

UM, SO WE, WE DO HAVE, UH, IN MORE DETAIL, WE'D BE HAPPY TO PROVIDE, UM, HOW, HOW WE CAME UP WITH THE, WITH THE 4.9, UH, BILLION DOLLARS RIGHT NOW.

UH, WE ARE IN THE, WHAT YOU WOULD CALL, UH, PRE PROCUREMENT PROCESS FOR A DESIGN BUILD PROJECT.

SO, UM, WE ARE ALSO, UH, SEEKING FROM INDUSTRY THEIR, THEIR INPUT AS WELL.

I, I APPRECIATE THAT.

I, AND NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, I GUESS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO, WHAT I WAS HOPING TO EXTRACT THERE IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT HAPPENS IF THE PRICE GOES WAY UP? YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A LEGITIMATE QUESTION THAT A LOT OF FOLKS ARE WONDERING, LIKE I SAID, OUR OFFICE, WE GET ALL SORTS OF COMMUNICATION FROM PEOPLE AT VARIOUS STAGES OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, AND THEY'RE NOT SCALE OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CATASTROPHIC OCCURRENCES BY WAY OF, UH, EXPONENTIAL INCREASE AND THE SCOPE AND PROJECT COST THAT I JUST, I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT HAPPENS IF THINGS GO COMPLETELY HAYWIRE.

UM, AND, AND MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER, MAYBE WE FOLLOW UP, MAYBE THAT'S ANOTHER BRIEFING, BUT I'D REALLY LIKE TO KNOW THAT.

AND THEN JUST KIND OF ON A, TOTALLY NOT TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS, I'M TRYING TO GAUGE FOR MYSELF, UM, THAT I SHOULD BACK IT UP FOR CONTEXT, YOU KNOW, LAY PEOPLE, HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS.

I THINK WE TRY OUR BEST TO TRY TO LIKE COMPARE, COMPARE IT TO SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, SO ANECDOTALLY THEN I REALLY CAN FOLLOW ALONG ON THE CONVERSATION OF SOMETHING THAT'S MASSIVE, BUT I AM, YOU KNOW, REALLY CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, LIKE ON A SCALE OF ONE TO 10, HOW CONFIDENT DO Y'ALL FEEL THAT THERE WON'T BE THAT, YOU KNOW, RED BUTTON EMERGENCY CRITICAL.

I, I UNDERSTAND HOW PERFORM A DOCUMENTATION WORKS, BUT JUST HOW CONFIDENT DO YOU ALL FEEL? UM, NUMBER ONE, AND THEN QUESTION NUMBER TWO, WHICH I RECOGNIZE MIGHT BE A FOLLOW UP.

WHAT HAPPENS IF, IF THE RED BUTTON HAS TO GET PUSHED AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THOSE, WHAT DO THOSE PLANS LOOK LIKE? IF THINGS GO REALLY SOUR, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION COUNCIL MEMBER.

I THINK, UH, I, FOR OUR, FOR OUR TEAM, WE ARE VERY CONFIDENT IN THE PROJECT AND WE ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO DELIVER AT THE SCHEDULE THAT WE, UH, CURRENTLY PRESENTED WITH THE COST THAT WE CURRENTLY PRESENTED.

I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THINGS ARE DYNAMIC AND CHANGE ALONG IN THE PROCESS.

SO I'D BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP WITH YOU AND SHARE WITH YOU, UH, SPECIFICALLY WHAT OUR, UH, CONTINGENCY PLANS ARE, SHOULD SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, COME UP.

BUT WE ARE, WE ARE, WE ARE CONFIDENT IN THE PROJECT.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE 60 DAY COMMENT PERIOD TO OPEN, OR IS THAT STILL IN FLUX A LITTLE BIT? UM, AS OF RIGHT NOW, WE ANTICIPATE THAT THAT WILL HAPPEN, UM, EARLY TO MID-DECEMBER.

THOSE WERE GREAT QUESTIONS AND IT JUST REMINDS ME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS HAPPENING LOCALLY THAT ARE HAVING TO, YOU KNOW, RECONFIGURE THEIR IMPLEMENTATION AND THEIR TIMELINE AND JUST UNDERSTANDING, UH, HOW MANY DOLLARS ARE IN PLAY.

BUT I KNOW, UH, FOUR OF THE FIVE OF THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS HERE ALSO SERVE ON CAMPO, AND IT'S NO SECRET THAT THE CONVERSATION, YOU KNOW, IF IT WERE TO, TO NEED MORE MONEY WOULD KIND OF BE A TOUGH CONVERSATION TO HAVE AT THE CAMPO LEVEL, JUST BECAUSE THERE'S MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT WHO THE HIGHWAY PROJECT IS REALLY FOR.

AND IS IT FOR THE PEOPLE IN AUSTIN OR IS IT FOR COMMUTERS? UM, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH, UM, REGIONALLY JUST UNDERSTANDING THE, THE BALANCE OF THE CAMPO BOARD AND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE PROJECTS AND COMMITMENTS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THERE.

UM, THOSE COVERED A LOT OF WHAT I WOULD'VE WANTED TO KNOW AS WELL, BUT I DID MAKE A NOTE ON, UM, THE NEXT SESSION FOR PUBLIC INPUT.

DO YOU HAVE A SET DATE ON WHEN YOU EXPECT

[00:45:01]

WE WOULD MAKE ALL THE DOCUMENTS AVAILABLE FOR PUBLIC REVIEW, UM, WITH, UH, I THINK MAYBE 45 DAYS BUILT IN PRIOR TO A PUBLIC HEARING EVENT.

AND THEN, UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AFTER THE EVENT TO CLOSE UP THE COMMENT PERIOD.

THAT'S HELPFUL.

AND YOU'LL DO THE VIRTUAL WORKSHOPS LIKE YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST.

THOSE HAVE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL TO NOT MAKE EVERYONE COME TO THE SAME BUILDING TO GET THE SAME INFORMATION TOGETHER.

IT HELPS FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO DIGEST THE PRESENTATIONS IN THEIR OWN TIME.

YEAH, THAT'S THE PLAN.

FOUR IS THE UPDATE ON SAFETY, MOBILITY, AUTONOMY RESEARCH AND TESTING SMART TRACK.

SO THAT IS GREAT.

IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I THINK WE ARE SETTLED.

THANKS FOR JOINING US.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

ITEM NUMBER

[4. Update on the Safety. Mobility, Autonomy. Research and Testing (SMART) Track initiative.]

WELCOME.

HI, GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M MIKE ANO THE, UH, DEPUTY DISTRICT ENGINEER FOR THE AUSTIN DISTRICT AND, UH, HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LEADING THIS, THIS CHARGE OF IT'S KIND OF THE NEW SHINY THING AND TRANSPORTATION.

AND SO, UM, WITH THAT, I ALSO HAVE, UH, MY COHORT, UH, JASON, JOHN, MICHAEL, WITH ME AND HEIDI ROSS FROM UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS WITH THE, UH, CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH.

RIGHT NEXT SLIDE.

SO, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE TO BE UNDER A ROCK TO KIND OF KNOW THAT WE HAVE ALL THIS EMERGING TRANSPORTATION TECHNOLOGY KIND OF COMING TO THE FOREFRONT IN THE MARKET, SUCH AS AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES, UH, ELECTRIC POWER VEHICLES AND ALL THE DATA THAT THIS CREATES IN THIS ITS NEW TRANSPORTATION, ECO ECO ATMOSPHERE.

UH, THE THING IS THAT WE DON'T REALIZE HOW FAST THE PENETRATION RATE IS INTO OUR MARKET.

AND SO THE PRIVATE SECTOR'S DONE A GREAT JOB, INNOVATING ALL THESE THINGS AND BRINGING THESE THINGS TO MARKET.

AND AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, WE'RE KIND OF STILL CATCHING UP.

AND SO LONG AGO, I, I KIND OF GAVE UP THE CONCEPTION THAT THE PUBLIC SECTOR IS DETERMINING TRANSPORTATION, FUTURE PRIVATE.

SECTOR'S DONE A GREAT JOB INNOVATING.

UH, WHAT WE GOTTA REALIZE IS THIS TECHNOLOGY HAS, IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE.

UH, WE'VE UH, VEHICLES TODAY AND, AND, UH, A ROADWAY DESIGN STANDARD ARE THE SAFEST THEY HAVE EVER BEEN BUILT TO HISTORY.

YET.

WE STILL CONTINUE TO SEE FATALITIES.

WE STILL CONTINUE A HIGH RATE OF CRASHES.

SO THIS TYPE OF TECHNOLOGY HELPS US, UH, BRING FORTH BENEFITS OF AUTONOMY AND CONNECTED VEHICLES.

GOOD.

SO WITH THAT IN CENTRAL TEXAS, WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD PROBLEM.

WE HAVE SILICON HILLS, WE HAVE ALL THESE OEMS LOCAL, LOCALLY, UH, AVAILABLE TO US AND ALL OF OUR PUBLIC AGENTS, UH, TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES HAVE BEEN LEVERAGED BY ALL THESE DIFFERENT COMPANIES TO BRING FORTH THESE SOLUTIONS.

THE PROBLEM IS AS A, AS A, AS A PUBLIC, UH, TRANSPORTATION AGENCY, INDIVIDUALLY, WE RECEIVE ALL THESE SOLICITATIONS AND ALL THESE IDEAS TO LAUNCH AND DEPLOY THIS TECHNOLOGY ON THE ROADSIDE.

BUT THERE'S A COUPLE, COUPLE ISSUES AND CHALLENGES THAT, HOW DO WE DO THAT TRANSPARENTLY TO, TO GAIN THE PUBLIC TRUST THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING OUT THERE IS SAFE.

UH, SECONDLY, THAT WE'RE NOT KIND OF, YOU KNOW, DOING INDEPENDENT EFFORTS AND, AND THAT WE REALLY ACHIEVING SOME TYPE OF, UH, OP ABILITY WHETHER YOU'RE ON A CITY ROAD OR A STATE ROAD.

UH, SO WE NEED SOME MEANS TO VET THESE TECHNOLOGIES, TO ASSURE TO THE PUBLIC THAT WE BRING THE BEST FRESH PRODUCTS, UH, TO, FROM MARKET ONTO THE ROADWAY.

THAT'S.

SO THE CONCEPT WAS, YOU KNOW, WE GOT TOGETHER WITH OUR CAMPO PARTNERS AS TECH DOT AND SAY, WE REALLY NEED A UNIFIED APPROACH TO THIS, THAT WAY IN OUR CENTRAL TEXAS REGION, UH, WE IMPLEMENT ALL THESE THINGS AND, AND, UH, KIND OF STANDARDIZE IT AND HAVE THIS COLLECTIVE APPROACH TO IT.

THAT WAY WE CAN OPTIMIZE ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, UH, BENEFITS OF ALL THESE TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATIONS AND GAIN THE BEST PRODUCTS FOR THE PUBLIC TO PUT IT OUT INTO THE, ONTO THE ROADWAY NEXT, WHAT THIS DOES.

WE, WE HAVE A VERY, WE'RE VERY UNIQUELY POSITIONED IN CENTRAL TEXAS, GIVEN THE HUGE, UH, INDIVIDUAL, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY, UH, ECO, YOU KNOW, ECOSYSTEM.

WE DO HAVE, UH, WE WE'VE BEEN STUDYING THIS AND WE REALLY FEEL THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THE PUBLIC SECTORS, I MEAN, KIND OF A LITTLE BEHIND WE'RE REALLY IN A GOOD POSITION TO, TO NOT ONLY JUST BE, YOU KNOW, A PARTNER WITH OUR PRIVATE PARTNERS, BUT ACTUALLY LEAD IN THIS, IN THIS, IN THIS WAY, UH, THIS, WITH THIS COLLECTIVE APPROACH, WE CAN SHARE DATA.

WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THIS INTER INTERDISCIPLINE COOPERATION.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, WE CAN DEMONSTRATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT NOT ALL OF THESE THINGS, THESE INNOVATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, OPERABLE, BUT THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE ALL THESE BENEFITS TO THE COMMUNITY, UH, NEXT.

SO THAT VETTING SYSTEM IS WHAT WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN PARTNERING WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, AND

[00:50:01]

WE'VE BEEN TALKING, UH, I SAY, WE, THESE ARE OUR, THESE ARE WHO'S INVOLVED IN THE PUBLIC SIDE, OF COURSE, TECH DOT CAMPO, UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS, UH, OUR, THE RMA AND ALL OF OUR CAMPO PARTNERS.

AND SO THE CONCEPT WAS TO COME UP WITH SMART TRACK WAS BASICALLY REPURPOSING THE PICKLE CENTER ON BURN AND, UH, BREAKER, UH, TO BE APPROVING CENTER.

NOW THERE'S PLENTY OF APPROVING CENTERS AROUND THE WORLD AND WE AND TECH STOCK KIND OF TOOK THE LEAD AND PUT FORTH FUNDING TO DO THE ENGINEERING SERVICES AND THE FEASIBILITY STUDY ON DEVELOPING THIS CONCEPT NEXT.

SO, AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S GONNA BE THREE DIFFERENT TIERS.

UH, AND I'LL EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT MORE TIER ONE IS KIND OF AN ENCLOSED CLOSED SYSTEM TESTED, WHICH WE CAN REALLY, UH, TEST ANY OF THESE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGIES THAT COME FORWARD IN A VERY SAFE, CLOSED ATMOSPHERE.

TIER TWO IS SOMEWHAT STILL CLOSED, BUT A LITTLE MORE OPEN INTO THE CAMPUS OF, OF, UH, THE PICKLE CENTER.

AND TIER THREE IS WHAT MAKES US UNIQUE.

WE'RE GONNA BASICALLY MAKE AN OPEN BED, PUBLIC ROADWAY TESTING LOOP BETWEEN THOSE STATE ROADWAYS.

NEXT, THIS IS A KIND OF A, A NEAT LITTLE, UH, RENDERING OF WHAT TIER ONE WOULD LOOK ON CAMPUS.

IT WOULD ADDRESS ALL THOSE DIFFERENT USE CASES THAT YOU SEE THERE.

UH, ONE THING THAT MAKES IT UNIQUE, UNLIKE ANY OTHER PROVING CENTER THAT WE'VE SEEN IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA KIND OF COMBINE MAKE AN AUSTIN ICE BECAUSE IT'S GONNA BE LIKE A HOLLYWOOD SET.

WE CAN, IT'S GONNA BE FLEXIBLE, UNLIKE MOST PROVING CENTERS THAT ARE KIND OF HARDWIRED INTO ONE USE CASE.

WE CAN ACTUALLY, WE'RE ACTUALLY ENVISIONING WHERE WE CAN HAVE DIFFERENT SETS, DIFFERENT INTERSECTIONS, DIFFERENT CONFIGURATIONS TO FIT DIFFERENT SCENARIOS THAT, THAT NOT ONLY THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN, BUT ALSO OUR PRIVATE PARTNERS WHO WOULD BE UTILIZING THIS FACILITY ALSO NEXT, AGAIN, THIS IS ANOTHER, UH, FEATURE OUT THERE THAT WOULD, UH, YOU, YOU SEE THE CURVE IN THE, SO WE ALSO HAVE SOME CAMPO PARTNERS THAT ARE IN RURAL COUNTIES, AND THEY'RE ALWAYS WONDERING, WOW, THIS IS GREAT.

THIS PLACE LEADS UNIQUELY POSITIONED IN OUR URBAN DENSE AREA THAT WE GET IT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GONNA, SO THE WORST TORTURE TEST, RIGHT? BUT WE HAVE RURAL AREAS, WILL YOU SEE CURVES AND FEATURES THAT SHE WOULD REGULARLY, YOU KNOW, FIND ON AN FM ROAD AND WE'RE ABLE TO SIMULATE THOSE, THOSE THINGS ALSO NEXT, THERE'S SOME MORE PRETTY PICTURES.

THERE'S SOME RENDERINGS OF WHAT THIS COULD LOOK LIKE NEXT, AS YOU CAN SEE THIS, THESE ARE, YOU KNOW, COMMON, YOU KNOW, UH, WE WERE TALKING EARLIER ABOUT CARS USING, YOU KNOW, BIKE LANES AS, AS PASSING ROUTES AND STUFF.

YOU CAN ACTUALLY SIMULATE THAT KIND OF STUFF HERE AND HOW, HOW THESE TECHNOLOGIES CAN HELP, UH, INTERRUPT THOSE, UH, TYPE OF CONFLICT POINTS NEXT KIND OF AN AERIAL.

UH, THIS IS KIND OF THE, THE FEATURES THAT YOU WOULD SEE OUT THERE.

WE, WE WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE, YOU KNOW, VULNERABLE, UH, USER EVALUATION AS YOU SEE WHETHER IT'S PEDESTRIANS OR BIKES.

AND WE CAN ACTUALLY SIMULATE THAT OUT THERE, ALONG WITH WHAT WE CALL, YOU KNOW, SOFT, DUMMY, SOFT VEHICLES TO ENSURE THAT THESE TECHNOLOGIES REALLY PROVE OUT TO WHERE THEY CAN ACTUALLY HELP THE DRIVER MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.

NEXT, THIS KI THIS IS KIND OF SOME COMPARISONS AROUND SOME PROVING CENTERS AROUND THE COUNTRY, AS LIKE I TOLD YOU, THERE'S, THERE'S SEVERAL OF THEM.

UH, SOME ARE VERY INVOLVED.

UM, MOST OF THEM ARE REALLY INVOLVED AROUND THE VEHICLE.

AND SO OUR CENTER IS ACTUALLY, UH, FOCUSED AROUND THE ACTUAL TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM, AS WE SAID EARLIER, OUR TIER THREE SYSTEM, WHICH IS AN OPEN TESTED, WHICH YOU DON'T SEE ON HERE MAKES US VERY UNIQUE IN OUR ABILITY TO EVALUATE SOMETHING, BUT ACTUALLY GO TO IMPLEMENTATION QUICKLY NEXT.

SO WE HAVE A GREAT BUSINESS PLAN.

UH, THIS IS THE KIND OF THEMES WE'VE BEEN PUSHING FUND FUNDING FORWARD ON OUR, OUR, UH, CAPITAL.

YOU KNOW, WE ARE TRYING TO ASSESS HOW MUCH THIS WILL COST.

THE INITIAL COST WILL BE ABOUT $18 MILLION OF KIND OF MIXED PUBLIC, UH, PRIVATE FUNDS TO CONSTRUCT, UH, TIER TIER ONE AND TIER TWO SYSTEMS. UH, WE'VE EVALUATED THAT ACTUALLY, UH, THE, IF WE GET ABOUT 30% OF OUR FUNDING FROM PRIVATE SECTOR, IT CAN PRETTY MUCH BE SUSTAINABLE AS FAR AS OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE IN THE LONG TERM.

SO, UH, WE, WE EXPECT, UH, NOT ONLY THAT, BUT IT CREATES GREAT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES AND A GREAT BREEDING GROUND FOR RESEARCH THROUGH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS.

AND SO WE CAN HAVE, HAVE A GREAT, UH, PARTNER IN THE UNIVERSITY TO HAVE A ROBUST RESEARCH SYSTEM TO TAKE UP ANY INTERRUPTER, ANY TYPE OF TREND THAT WE KNOW WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN 10 YEARS.

AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IT'S GONNA PRODUCE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER.

TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING IS MULTIDISCIPLINARY.

AT THIS POINT, I WAS TALKING TO AIT YESTERDAY.

THEIR STAFF IS, HAS 20% NON-CIVIL ENGINEERS IN THEIR CIVIL ENGINEERING TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM IS VERY INDICATIVE WHETHER WHAT THE MARKET LOOKS LIKE TODAY, UH, NEXT.

SO THIS KIND OF COMPARES US TO OTHER PROVING CENTERS AND HOW EFFECTIVE THIS PLACE COULD BE,

[00:55:01]

UH, AND HOW IT CAN BE ACTUALLY BE A WORLD TREAD CENTER.

UH, AS YOU CAN SEE THE DOTS, WHAT THOSE INDICAT IS, IF YOU'RE TO THE FAR RIGHT, UH, UPPER CORNER, THAT'S THE OPTIMAL PLACE TO BE.

SO FROM A, FROM AN INTERDISCIPLINARY PARTNER, LOCAL INDUSTRY, WE GOT THAT IN SPADES.

WE HAVE ALL THESE OEMS AND TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS HERE PRIVATELY AND CENTRAL TEXAS, AND WE HAVE GREAT, UH, DIVERSITY OF DISCIPLINES LOCALLY, UH, FROM A MOBILITY, UH, UH, STANDPOINT.

I MEAN, WE, WE, UH, HAVE GREAT ABILITY TO, UM, FORGOT MY CLASSES.

UH, WE HAVE A GREAT ABILITY TO BASICALLY HAVE A, A VARIETY OF TASTING CAP CAPABILITY.

LIKE I SAID, WE'RE ADVOCATE IN A VERY FLEXIBLE DESIGN TO WHERE WE CAN KIND OF MORPH AND EVOLVE TO, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT USE CASES THAT WE HAVEN'T EVER, UH, ENVISIONED IN THE FUTURE.

SO IT'S VERY FLEXIBLE.

UH, PHYSICALLY YOU WOULD SEE THAT WE'RE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER JUST IN THE TIER ONE, BUT WHEN YOU START EXPANDING TIER TWO AND TIER THREE, WE'RE VERY COMPARABLE TO OTHER TESTING CENTERS NEXT.

SO THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT AT THIS POINT.

UH, WE'RE WE'RE, WE'VE ALREADY GOT THE IDEA.

WE GOT THE SELECTION LOCATION.

UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HAS, HAS, UH, GIVEN US PERMISSION OVER THE NEXT 10 YEARS TO BASICALLY UTILIZE THIS CAMPUS.

I'M SURE ONCE IT'S SUCCESSFUL, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ABLE, YOU KNOW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO RENEW IT.

UH, WE'RE WE'RE AT THE CONCEPTUAL DESIGN STANDPOINT OF BUSINESS PLAN DEVELOPMENT, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY DONE PRETTY MUCH FOR THAT.

AND, UH, WE'RE UP, WE'RE UP TO BASICALLY THE, THE, UH, MAIN PART OF RAISING MONEY.

AND SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO CAMPO AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PAR, UH, PARTNERING AND ALONG WITH THE, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, IF THEY CHOOSE TO DO SO AND LEVERAGING SMART GRANTS THAT ARE COMING OUT SOON THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND DOING THOSE GRANT APPLICATIONS TO POSSIBLY PAY FOR THIS CONCEPT NEXT.

SO THERE'S OUR CONTACT INFORMATION.

UH, I THINK THIS, UH, TEXAS SMART TRACK IS NOT ONLY ESSENTIAL TO US DEPLOYING TECHNOLOGY, UH, WELL AND EFFECTIVE, BUT IT'LL REALLY ADVANCE THIS ABOVE AND BEYOND AS WORLD CLASS LEADERS TO, TO DOING THAT.

ANY QUESTIONS? SURE.

THERE'S PROBABLY A FEW.

DO YOU WANNA START A SOFT COUNCIL MEMBER? KITCHEN, JASON? YEAH.

JUST, UM, MAYBE GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT YOU MIGHT TEST THERE THAT WE MIGHT, AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, SEE ON OUR ROADS.

UH, I'M SURE THAT AUTOMATED VEHICLES IS ONE OF THE THINGS, BUT CAN YOU JUST, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, JUST, I'M JUST THINKING OF FOLKS THAT MAY BE WATCHING.

SO IT CAN BE SOMETHING THAT THEY CAN UNDERSTAND A MORE SPECIFICALLY, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT MIGHT BE TESTED.

SO I'LL, I'LL GIVE A STATE USE.

I LET JASON COME UP AND TALK ABOUT CITY USE.

SO WHAT I, MY FROM STATE USE, YOU KNOW, FREIGHT IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF YOUR BIGGEST USE CASES TODAY.

THERE'S SEVERAL SELF-DRIVING FREIGHT COMPANIES OUT THERE.

THEY'RE ALREADY OUT THERE USING OUR ROAD, OUR STATE ROADWAYS.

UH, SO ONE THING WE'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, WE'RE PROCURING SERVICES TO ACTUALLY DEPLOY TECHNOLOGY ON ONE 30 AS A TECHNOLOGY CORRIDOR.

UH, WE WANNA KNOW AND START LEARNING HOW ONCE THOSE ARE CONNECTED TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, HOW WE CAN BASICALLY HELP GUIDE THAT SAFELY.

MM-HMM , UH, I ALWAYS COMPARE IT TO AN ORCHESTRA.

I MEAN, EVERY OEM, WHETHER IT'S TESLA OR KODIAK AND ALL THESE OEMS, THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN INDIVIDUAL INSTRUMENT AND THEY THINK THEY CAN PLAY BY THEMSELVES.

BUT WHEN YOU GET ON THE ROADWAY, WE GOTTA PLAY TOGETHER.

AND SO AS A, AS A PUBLIC AGENCY, WE GOTTA HAVE THAT STANDARD SHEET OF MUSIC AND THAT STANDARD STANDARD WAY AND HOW WE'RE GONNA OPERATE TOGETHER.

AND WE HA WE HAVE TO BE THE CONDUCTOR.

AND SO, UH, WHAT THAT, WHAT THIS CENTER WILL HELP US DO IS ESTABLISH WHAT THOSE STANDARD PROTOCOLS AND REQUIREMENTS ARE FOR HAVING THE VEHICLES ARE GONNA BE ON THERE, BUT THE, THE ROADSIDE UNITS AND ALL THE SENSORS THAT WE NEED TO DO THAT COMMUNICATION BETWEEN US AND THE CARS AND HELP CONDUCT, UH, OPERATIONS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO TEST OUT THERE.

MM-HMM WE ALSO LOOKED AT, WE ALSO PROCURED THE FIRST MACHINE LEARNING, ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE DATA PLATFORM, UH, THAT LATELY THAT WOULD HELP US AGGREGATE ALL THIS DATA.

SO ONCE WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE DATA COMING OUT OF OUR YEARS, BUT WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT? MM-HMM .

AND SO THIS WILL HELP US NOT ONLY MANAGE TRAFFIC, BUT ALSO IN THE BACK END, DO A LOT OF OPTIMIZATION ON OUR SIGNAL, TIMING ON OUR LOOKING AT SAFETY CONFLICT POINTS, AND ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO DESIGN OUR, OUR ROADWAY SAFER, OR ACTUALLY COMMUNICATE THE CAR CARS ON TYPICAL SITUATIONS ON, ON, ON, UH, IN THE, ON THE ROADWAY, IF THEY'RE ON SOME LEVEL OF AUTONOMY TO AVOID SOME THINGS.

SO IT'S VERY SAFETY DRIVEN ON THE OUTCOMES, BUT ANY, ANY OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENT IS GONNA HAVE SOME TYPE OF SAFETY OUTPUT.

ALL THOSE TEAMS CAN BE SIMULATED FIRST AT THIS CENTER, AND THERE'S GONNA BE 10 PEOPLE IN LINE SAYING THEIRS IS THE BEST THEY WILL TEST ALL.

WE'LL TRY OUT ALL 10 WE'LL COME OUT WITH FIVE AND SAY THESE, THESE ARE APPROVED FIVE VENDORS FOR THIS TYPE OF, UH,

[01:00:01]

ROADSIDE TECHNOLOGY.

UH, JASON, JOHN MICHAEL ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, UH, SMART MOBILITY.

MM-HMM THANK YOU, MIKE.

UM, SO FROM THE CITY FIRST, I'LL SAY THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN IN CONVERSATION WITH TAX DOT AND UT FOR THE BETTERMENT OF ABOUT A YEAR AND A HALF OVER THIS, UH, PARTICULAR INITIATIVE.

UM, Y'ALL KNOW THAT, THAT I HAVE PARTICIPATED IN A LOT OF TESTS AROUND THE COUNTRY WITH THIS STUFF.

UM, WHAT I FIND VERY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS IT WILL PROBABLY BE THE, THE BEST WORLD CLASS FACILITY IN THE WORLD FOR NEW MOBILITY, NEW URBAN MOBILITY TESTING, TO BE SPECIFIC.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOK AT THIS FACILITY FROM OUR NEEDS AT THE CITY, WHAT I SEE IS A, A, A, A UNIQUE, VERY CLOSE TO US, UH, REMEMBER THAT THE ONLY OTHER TESTING FACILITY WE HAVE ACCESS TO RIGHT NOW IS AS AT A COLLEGE STATION.

AND SO THIS GIVES US THE ABILITY AND IT WAS BUILT FOR PREDOMINANTLY HIGHWAY TESTING AND SOME OTHER THINGS.

AND, AND AS MIKE MENTIONED, MOST OF THE TEST FACILITIES IN THE UNITED STATES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT IN THE LAST 10 YEARS SPECIFIC TO, TO HELP ADOPT ALL THESE NEW THINGS, UM, HAVE BEEN BUILT FOR SPECIFIC CHALLENGES, SPECIFIC ENGINEERING CHALLENGES THAT NEED TO BE SOLVED, UM, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SOME OF THEM CAME DOWN TO LIKE, WE NEED, WE NEED AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE TO BE IN A TUNNEL AND HAVE THE SUNSHINE DIRECTLY INTO THE TUNNEL.

SO WE UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW THAT CAN HAPPEN.

THAT'S ONE OUT IN MICHIGAN, FOR INSTANCE, AT ACM WILLOW RUN.

UM, WHAT WE FIND INTERESTING ABOUT THIS IS WE HAVE THIS UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE ALL OF THE LEARNINGS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

AND, AND SPECIFICALLY WHAT WE, AS A, AS A COMMUNITY, AS A, AS A, AS A REGION HAVE, HAVE LEARNED HERE, UH, RELATED TO OTHER MICRO MOBILITY, OTHER LOW SPEED MOBILITY DEVICES, THE, THE INTERACTION AND INTERSECTION OF, UH, MOBILITY AND HEALTH, UH, THE INTERSECTION AND, AND INTERACTION OF MOBILITY, UM, BETWEEN VULNERABLE ROAD USERS AS MIKE WAS TALKING ABOUT AND OTHERS.

SO THE FACILITY IS EXTREMELY CONFIGURABLE, UH, TO ALLOW US TO TEST ANY TYPE OF NEW THING THAT WE NEED TO.

SO, AS WE LOOK TOWARDS, AS MARIO IS MENTIONING, UM, NEW TYPES OF POLICIES AND POLICIES THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE, UH, WE CAN GO AND TRY THOSE OUT, RIGHT, AND SEE WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE WITH OUR PARTNERS, WITH OUR PRIVATE SECTOR PARTNERS THAT ARE PROVIDING THESE SOLUTIONS.

UH, IT WILL HELP US DETERMINE, UM, HOW TO USE, UH, INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE TO BUILD OUT OUR INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR CITY.

THAT WILL BE, THAT SHOULD AS MIKE.

UH, AND I ALWAYS SAY, AND I ACTUALLY TOOK IT FROM MIKE AND USE IT, UH, AS MIKE SAYS TO ALL HIS STAFF BUILD ME A ROAD THAT'S STILL USEFUL IN 2075, SAME THING WE NEED TO DO HERE.

AND IN FACT, IN OUR FACILITIES, THE AMOUNT OF ELECTRIFICATION, THE AMOUNT OF COMMUNICATION THAT MIKE'S TEAM AND MY TEAM ARE, ARE NOW TAKING ON IS, IS ALSO GONNA BUILD A LOT OF WORKFORCE.

AND SO, UH, LAST I'LL SAY IS THIS IS DIRECTLY ASSOCIATED WITH HOW AUSTIN CONTINUES TO BUILD THIS IN ITS REGIONAL WORKFORCE AS WELL.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

IS, IS THERE ANY FOCUS ON, UM, THINGS LIKE ROBOT DELIVERY? WE HAD A DISCUSSION AT OUR LAST MEETING ABOUT THAT KIND OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE AND AS TEXT DOT, UH, CONTINUES TO IMPLEMENT SHARED USE PATH SPACES INTO THEIR PROJECTS.

I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE CAR ASPECT OF IT, BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A, A DELIVERY VEHICLE THAT'S, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE BOTH AUTONOMOUS, HOW IS THAT FACTORING IN HERE? RIGHT.

AND THAT, THAT'S WHAT WE GET THE ABILITY TO TEST AND ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, THROW 'EM INTO A COLLISION COURSE WITH ONE ANOTHER, RIGHT.

ACTUALLY MODIFY THE ENVIRONMENT.

UM, THE FACILITY HAS SOME VERY UNIQUE, UH, CAPABILITIES, UH, FOR INSTANCE, THE ABILITY TO CREATE, UH, WATER RUNNING ACROSS THINGS, RIGHT? SO THAT WE CAN LOOK AT WATER, SHEETING AND TRACTION, AND THOSE TYPE OF THINGS IN THE, AS, AS, AS Y'ALL KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH ASTM AND A NATIONAL CONVERSATION WITH, WITH THE FEDS AROUND BUILDING OUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A, A, A, A STANDARD FOR THE TWO, TWO WHEEL STAND UP SCOOTER IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

THAT'S THAT THOSE NEW STANDARDS WILL BE, NEED TO BE TESTED.

UM, THOSE TESTS COULD BE DONE RIGHT IN OUR OWN BACKYARD.

UM, THEREBY WE, WE LEARN FROM THAT RIGHT, RIGHT AWAY.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE VULNERABLE ROAD USERS, UH, THE INTERACTION, BEING ABLE TO CONFIGURE THE ENVIRONMENT, SAY FOR INSTANCE, WE WANTED TO, UM, TAKE PART OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND TREAT IT LIKE, UH, SIXTH STREET.

AND WE WANTED TO APPLY OUR ALL AGES, ALL ABILITIES ORDINANCE TO THAT, AND THEN MAYBE ALSO APPLY THE SCOOTER OR, OR THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DISMOUNT APPLICATION TO THAT AS WELL, TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THAT WE CAN USE THIS FACILITY TO ACTUALLY BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE ENFORCE OUR POLICIES, UM, WHILE, WHILE GIVING OUR PRIVATE SECTOR, OUR, UM, UH, PARTNERS, AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LEARN IN THIS ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE CREATING.

IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A STANDARDIZED ENVIRONMENT, BUT IT'LL BE A CENTRAL TEXAS ENVIRONMENT.

RIGHT.

AND SO THERE GET A LOT OF THE SAME KIND OF THINGS LIKE HEAT , UH, AND

[01:05:01]

THOSE KIND OF THINGS.

AND MOST OF THESE, UM, DEVICES ARE ELECTRIC.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE BEGINNING TO NOTICE WITH SOME OF THE BOTS, FOR INSTANCE, SINCE THEY HAVE SMALLER BATTERIES IS, UH, HOW IS THE TEXAS HEAT, UM, HURTING OR MITIGATING THEIR, THEIR RANGE FOR INSTANCE? UM, SO THOSE ARE SOME, JUST A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES OF HOW, HOW THAT WOULD BE USED.

I WOULD ALSO STATE THAT WITH MOST OF THOSE TECHNOLOGIES.

UM, THEY'RE USING SOME LEVEL OF COMMUNICATIONS, UH, USUALLY OVER THE AIR CELLULAR COMMUNICATIONS.

SO IN, IN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO THEN CREATE INTERFERENCE AND CREATE OTHER, UM, OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD MAYBE LESSEN THE STRENGTH, THE SIGNAL STRENGTH, AND WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THOSE, UM, THOSE DEVICES AREN'T ABLE TO COMMUNICATE AT THE, AT THE, AT THE LEVEL THAT THEY NEED TO GO THROUGH THOSE KIND OF SAFETY SCENARIOS AS WELL.

THAT'S GREAT.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER TYPES OF TECHNOLOGY THAT ARE COMING IN HERE? YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, SIGNAGE, YOU TALKED ABOUT CARS, TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OTHER SMALLER FORMS OF MOBILITY.

ARE, ARE THERE OTHER TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE BEING TESTED HERE THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE VEHICULAR ASPECT OF IT, OF TRANSPORTATION REALLY FOCUS ON THE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM ITSELF AND THAT'S, SO EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE CONNECTED.

SO THAT LITTLE ROBOT THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT DELIVERING FOOD, WE JUST TALKED EARLIER ABOUT PEOPLE PARKING ON, ON THE, ON THE SHARED USE PATH AND BLOCKING THAT OUT.

WE CAN SIMULATE ALL THAT.

AND HOW IS IT GONNA INTERPRET THAT AND HAVE PEOPLE ON, IN A BIKE TRYING TO USE THE SAME SHARED USE PATH, BUT, UH, SOME OTHER THINGS.

SO I, I ALWAYS TALK FROM A STATE'S PERSPECTIVE.

UH, SOME THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING IS INSTALLING PRECAST CONCRETE PAVEMENT, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT USING THAT ON I 35, THE NEW, THE NEW CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, THE GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITH THAT.

AND YOU, WHEN YOU FABRICATE THOSE CONCRETE PANELS, OFFSITE IS YOU CAN EMBED ALL KINDS OF SENSORS SO THAT, SO THAT'S ENABLED TO HAVE THAT CONNECTED ABILITY WITH THE CARS ON IT, UH, WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO REIMAGINE AN, AN HIV MANAGED LANE, YOU KNOW, HOW CONNECTED IT CAN BE AND, AND HOW CAP METRO IS GONNA BE CONNECTED IN THE FUTURE AND HOW IT CAN OPTIMIZE THE OPERATIONS OF TRANSIT IN THAT MANAGED LANE USING TECHNOLOGY.

UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT ITALIAN BARRIERS, THAT INTELLIGENT BARRIER THAT HAS ALL THIS, ALL THIS TECHNOLOGY EMBEDDED IN IT WITH THE ABILITY TO RUN CONDUIT AND FIBER, AND ACTUALLY HAS AN L E D SYSTEM KIND OF LIKE IN WAYS WHEN YOU KNOW THAT WHEN YOU SEE THE RED, THE ROSE RED IT'LL ACTUALLY ILLUMINATE THE ROADWAY OR SORT OF BLINKING AND HAVE VISUAL CUES.

SO IF YOU'RE IN A UNCONNECTED, YOU KNOW, NOT SO INTELLIGENT CAR, AT LEAST YOU HAVE VISUAL CUES.

UH, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT HIGH, YOU KNOW, HIGH DEFINITION, UH, DMS BOARDS TO BE OUR GUIDE SIGNS, INSTEAD OF OUR STATIC GREEN SIGNS YOU SEE OUT THERE, WE'LL HAVE THAT IMAGE THAT EVERYBODY'S FAMILIAR WITH.

WE'LL ALSO HAVE A BUNCH OF INFORMATION THAT CAN COMMUNICATE TO ANYBODY, EVEN THOUGH IT'S A 1964 CHEVY MM-HMM .

SO THAT WAY WE'LL HAVE APPS, WE'LL HAVE VISUAL CUES, WE'LL HAVE THOSE BOARDS TO COMMUNICATE THE SAME INFORMATION FOR OUR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, WHETHER THEY'RE CONNECTED OR NOT.

I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, CAUSE I KNOW WE'VE GOT THE FOLKS IN TRANSPORTATION THAT HELP WITH THE SIGNAL TIMING.

AND FOR INSTANCE, IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE THAT NEEDS TO GET THROUGH, THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT CAN ACTUALLY PUSH THE RIGHT BUTTONS TO SAY, WE NEED TO STOP TRAFFIC OVER HERE SO THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, LET THE FIRST RESPONDERS GET THROUGH AND THEN OPEN IT BACK UP LATER.

SO I THINK BEING ABLE TO BE FLEXIBLE BETWEEN THE TECH DOT ROADS, COUNTY ROADS, CITY ROADS, UM, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO DIVERT TRAFFIC, IF THERE'S A SITUATION OR WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, UM, ONE OF THE OPTIONS WE HAVE FOR FUTURE MEETINGS IS THE IDEA OF LIKE WILDFIRE EVACUATION BEING ABLE, YOU KNOW, CUZ THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN REALLY JUST SAY, HERE'S YOUR ONE PLAN.

THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA WORK.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK CASE BY CASE AND SAY, HEY, WHEN YOU EXIT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, IT WOULD BE NICE.

IF THERE WAS A SIGN THAT SAID, YOU ALL NEED TO GO RIGHT.

AND NOT LEFT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT AN OPTION TODAY.

SO THAT'S THE EXCITING THING ABOUT THAT, THAT, THAT NEW MACHINE LEARNING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE PLATFORM WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, EVERYBODY BE CONNECTED.

SO WE HAVE CTECH, RIGHT? WHEN WE'RE, WE'RE ALL IN ONE BIG ROOM, MM-HMM , OUR PEOPLE ARE WATCHING A MILLION TVS AND THEY'RE TRYING TO RESPOND AND LOOKING IN CAMERAS TODAY, TRYING TO, TO PICK OUT ACCIDENTS AND INCIDENTS AND TRYING TO COMMUNICATE THAT OUT THROUGH DMS BOARDS OR, OR OTHER APPLICATIONS.

THIS CAN BASICALLY NOT ONLY USE THAT INFORMATION, BUT IT USES, UH, ALL THE SENSORS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PUTTING OUR ROADSIDE AND COLLECT THAT DATA, BUT CAN ALSO CONDUCT ALL THE INFORMATION FROM THE CARS THEMSELVES, THROUGH THEIR MOBILIZED, THROUGH THEIR SENSORS, ON YOUR CAR TODAY, TODAY'S CAR HAS ABOUT A HUNDRED DOLLARS WORTH OF CHIPS IN IT.

THE FUTURE GONNA BE ABOUT SEVEN TO $800 FOR CHIPS, ALL THESE SENSORS AND STUFF WE CAN BRING IN ALL THAT INFORMATION AND BASICALLY COLLECT IT IN ONE PLACE.

AND WHAT THAT DOES WHEN YOU AGGREGATE THAT INFORMATION AND GET SOME LOGIC TO IT.

IT CAN COMMUNICATE INSTANTANEOUSLY, NOT JUST TO FIRST RESPONDERS, BUT EVERYBODY USING THE SYSTEM, WHETHER YOU'RE ON A CITY ROAD OR A STATE ROAD AND GIVE YOU AND GIVE CONSISTENT MESSAGING AND CONSISTENT, WE WILL BE OUR OWN WAYS.

YOU KNOW, WE'LL TELL YOU GO THIS WAY.

NOT THAT WAY, OR BE ABLE TO PROMPT PEOPLE EITHER THROUGH AN APP OR A PHONE

[01:10:01]

OR IN THEIR CAR.

MM-HMM , THAT'S FASCINATING.

ARE THERE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS MAYBE I'LL JUST ASK.

I KNOW WE HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE FROM UT HERE.

DO YOU JUST WANT A FEW MINUTES TO TALK ABOUT UT'S INVOLVEMENT? OBVIOUSLY WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF THE RUNDOWN, BUT I WOULD HATE TO HAVE YOU COME ALL THE WAY HERE AND NOT GET TO HEAR FROM ME TOO.

YOU SURE.

UM, I'M HEIDI ROSS WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CENTER FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH, JUST A COUPLE POINTS.

UM, JASON WAS JUST MENTIONING, OR I GUESS YOU WERE MENTIONING MIKE ABOUT, UM, HOW TO HANDLE ALL THIS DATA AND HOW TO HANDLE, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY COMMUNICATE WELL SO THAT WE CAN INFORM USERS OF THE NETWORK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON AND HOW TO MAKE BETTER DECISIONS.

I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE NEED TO DO IS DEVELOP THE WORKFORCE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND AND ANALYZE ALL THAT DATA.

AND SO WE SEE THIS, THIS AS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP, UM, STUDENT UNDERGRADUATE, GRADUATE AND GRADUATE STUDENT PROGRAMS AROUND SMART TECHNOLOGY AND REALLY CHANGE THE FACE OF WHAT A TRANSPORTATION ENGINEER LEARNS WHEN THEY'RE IN SCHOOL.

SO THAT'S ONE OPPORTUNITY WE SEE THE OTHER SIDE IS RESEARCH.

OBVIOUSLY ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT THEY'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THERE NEEDS TO BE, BE RESEARCH.

FOR EXAMPLE, AS AUTOMATED VEHICLES ARE PUT ON THE ROAD, THE, UM, THE WHEEL PATHS MIGHT RIGHT NOW WHEELS, DR.

CARS DRIVE DOWN THE ROAD AND THE, IF THE WHEEL PATH VARIES BY THE PERSON DRIVING, BUT IN THE FUTURE, IF THAT'S AUTOMATED, ALL THE WHEELS MIGHT GO ON THE SAME EXACT PLACE ON THE PAVEMENT.

AND SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IMPACT DOES THAT HAVE AND HOW DO WE NEED TO CHANGE PAVEMENT DESIGN TO ACCOMMODATE THESE NEW TYPES OF VEHICLES THAT ARE ON THE FACILITIES.

AND THEN DRONES, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT USING DRONES IN THIS FACILITY TO LOOK AT HOW WE INTERACT FOR EMERGENCY RESPONSE AND HOW THEY CAN HELP AND TEST DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPROVING RESPONSE AND DEALING WITH ALL THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND AUTOMATED VEHICLES THAT ARE ON THE ROAD.

SO WE SEE IT AS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.

UM, AND JUST, UM, I GUESS IN CONCERT WITH AI, GOOD SYSTEMS, I I'M SORRY.

I'LL I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN.

I'M SORRY, HEIDI.

UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT, UH, THROUGH, THROUGH THE INNOVATION OFFICE, UH, WE HAVE THE, UM, UM, THE AI GOOD SYSTEMS, UH, CONTRACT WITH UT.

SO THAT'S WHERE ALL, UH, DEPARTMENTS AND ALL, UM, ALL OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS ACCESS TO THAT FOR, FOR USES OF, OF FINDING WAYS TO CONNECT, UH, AND DO RESEARCH AROUND HOW AI COULD BE USED FOR GOOD.

UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT HOW WE INTERACT WITH HEIDI ALL THE TIME, UH, WITH THE CENTER OF TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH AND HOW THIS NEW CONTRACT'S COMING IN, UM, GIVES US A UNIQUE ABILITY TO REALLY START LEANING INTO INTELLIGENT, UM, INTELLIGENT INFRASTRUCTURE AND ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND, AND HOW THAT, THAT, UM, HOW THAT COORDINATION NEEDS TO HAPPEN BETWEEN THE TWO.

SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT THE CITY HAS A METHODOLOGY TO REALLY, UM, BECOME A, A VERY MEANINGFUL PARTNER, UH, IN THIS, IN THIS INITIATIVE.

SORRY.

I, I THINK THAT'S GREAT.

DO WE HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER, KITCHEN.

UM, I JUST WANTED TO ASK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FLEET ELECTRIFICATION, IF, UM, IF, AND IF, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN VARIOUS THINGS TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, ABOUT THE ABILITY TO, UM, ELECTRIFY, UM, LIKE THE LIGHT RAIL LINES, YOU KNOW, THERE'S VARIOUS OPTIONS FOR HOW THOSE MIGHT BE ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE.

IS THAT THE, IN, IN, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY WORKING TOWARDS, UM, YOU KNOW, A BUS, FOR EXAMPLE, BEING ABLE TO DRIVE OVER, OVER, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING TO BE ELECTRIC, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HAVE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OPERATE LIKE A CHARGING STATION OR ANY ANYWAY, ANY, ANY OF THOSE VARIOUS ASPECTS THAT HAVE BEEN TALKED ABOUT, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD BE TESTING FOR OR NO PART OF THE FACILITY EVALUATING THOSE TYPE OF TECHNOLOGIES, UH, GOING BACK TO THE PRECAST CONCRETE PAVEMENT PANEL IDEA WHERE YOU CAN YOU FABRICATED OFFSITE, YOU CAN PUT ALL KINDS OF SENSORS AND EMBED THINGS.

MM-HMM , UH, ONE THING WE'RE LOOKING AT AS IS BASICALLY SMART PAYMENTS.

SO THERE'S A SENSOR SIDE, BUT THERE'S ALSO, WE'RE ALSO GONNA EVALUATE INDUCIVE CHARGING MM-HMM , UH, AND PUT THOSE TYPE OF HIGH POWER, UH, RESOURCES IN THERE AND CAPABILITY AND COILS TO, TO LOOK AT THE FEASIBILITY OF, IN OF INDUCTIVE CHARGING.

THE, THE BIG QUESTION IS, CAN YOU DO IT AT HIGHWAY SPEED? YEAH.

PROJECT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

AT SLOWER SPEED STATIC.

I THINK IT'S VERY FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE FEASIBILITY AT HIGH SPEED APPLICATIONS, AND WE DO HAVE SOME, SOME PILOT

[01:15:01]

UH, ONE, ONE THING I COULD DO IS I CAN LEAVE, I FOR, I PROBABLY SHOULD OFFER THIS EARLIER.

WE HAVE LIKE A, A, A WHITE PAPER OF ALL THE INITIATIVES WE HAVE.

WELL, THAT WOULD BE INTEREST GOING ON.

MM-HMM, THAT THEY KIND OF EXPLAIN ALL THOSE THINGS.

NEXT BRIEFING IS GOING TO BE ON THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM AND WELCOME BACK TO SCHOOL FOR EVERYBODY.

THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

WE CAN SHARE THAT WITH THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE FOLKS AND MAYBE POST IT INTO BACKUP AS WELL, JUST FOR FOLKS THAT ARE CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.

ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM.

I THINK THAT COVERS IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THAT INFORMATION WITH US.

AND OUR

[5. Update on the Safe Routes to School Program.]

WHO'S STILL GETTING USED TO THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR.

UM, GOOD AFTERNOON.

MY NAME IS COLLEEN GENTLES.

I'M THE INFRASTRUCTURE MANAGER OF THE SAFE FRANCIS SCHOOL PROGRAM.

UM, I ALSO HAVE, UH, IN THE BACK TO THE PROGRAM MANAGER, UM, AMIR, MOMMY, AND ALSO INTERIM DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS, JAMES SNOW.

SO THE MISSION OF THE SAFE FRANCIS SCHOOL PROGRAM IS TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WALKING AND BIKING TO SCHOOL BY CREATING A SAFER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT THAT FOSTERS HUMAN EMPOWERED TRANSPORTATION.

AND OUR VISION IS TO ENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY TO CREATE A SAFER, HEALTHIER, AND MORE EQUITABLE ENVIRONMENT THAT FOSTERS HUMAN POWER TRANSPORTATION AS A FIRST CHOICE FOR CITY OF AUSTIN STUDENTS.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO OUR SAFER ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM IS, UH, COMPOSED OF FOUR COMPONENTS.

UH, CROSSING GUARDS IS THE ONE AT THE TOP.

THERE WE EMPLOY THE CITY OF BOSTON EMPLOYS OVER 200 CROSSING GUARDS AND CROSSING GUARD SUPERVISORS AT 97 ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS WITHIN A I S D AND ALSO SIX OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

UM, OUR NEXT COMPONENT IS THE EDUCATION TEAM.

UM, WE HAVE A TEAM OF SIX, UH, FOLKS THAT GO OUT INTO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, UM, AND DO EDUCATION FOR WALKING AND BIKING, UH, SAFELY.

WE ALSO WORK WITH DAYCARE CENTERS AND PRE-KS AS, AND PRE-K AS WELL.

AND, UM, HAVE OFTEN DONE EDUCATION SESSIONS FOR PTAS, UH, IN THE EVENING.

OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE DO INCLUDE, UM, THE BIKE ON WEDNESDAY WALK ON WEDNESDAY PROGRAM, UM, WHICH IS ALSO HEADED BY OUR EDUCATION TEAM.

THE NEXT COMPONENT IS ENGAGEMENT.

UM, THAT'S THE TEAM THAT GOES OUT AND GETS, UM, STUDENTS EXCITED ABOUT WALKING AND BIKING.

AND SO WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH THE PRINCIPALS AND TEACHERS IN THE CLASSROOMS. UM, WE'LL DO COMPETITIONS WHERE, WHO WALKS THE MOST TO SCHOOL OR BIKES THE MOST TO SCHOOL, WE'LL DO THE PARKA BLOCK AND WALK CAMPAIGN, THOSE KINDS OF INITIATIVES TO GET FOLKS USING THE INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THEN THE LAST BRANCH OF THE SAFE FRANCIS SCHOOL TEAM IS INFRASTRUCTURE.

UM, AND THAT'S THE PART I'LL TALK ABOUT NEXT AND I'M THE HEAD OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE TEAM.

NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRAM WAS BORN OUT OF THE 2016 BOND.

SO IN 2016 VOTERS APPROVED 27 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS DIVIDED EQUALLY AMONG THE 10 CITY COUNCIL DISTRICTS TO ALLOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, TO ADDRESS SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.

SO, UM, AS A PARTNERSHIP WITH LOCAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS ACROSS THE CITY, WE ADDRESS SAFETY CONCERNS, UM, AND ENCOURAGE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES TO BIKE OR WALK TO SCHOOL.

UH, THE, THE, UH, 2016 BOND ALLOWS US TO CREATE A INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT, UM, WHICH IDENTIFIED NEEDS, UH, THAT WOULD CREATE THESE SAFER ENVIRONMENTS, INCLUDING THINGS LIKE SIDEWALKS, TRAFFIC, HUM, DEVICES, BICYCLE FACILITIES, AND URBAN TRAILS.

AND SO, UH, THE APPROACH TO OUR REPORT IS AS FOLLOWED.

WE DID INITIAL ASK OF CONCERNS IN 2017.

UM, WE DID WALK AUDITS AND COMMUNITY MEETINGS IN 2018 AND 2019.

WE DID AN INTERNAL REVIEW, UM, BASICALLY MEETING WITH THE AREA ENGINEER AND INTERNAL STAFF TO LOOK AT, UM, WHAT OTHER BARRIERS TO WALKING AND BIKING THAT THEY WERE COMING UP WITH, UM, FROM THEIR FEEDBACK, WE RELEASED A DRAFT INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT AT THE END OF 2019.

UM, WE DID A THREE WEEK COMMON PERIOD AND THEN PUBLISHED THE FINAL REPORT EARLY 2020, UH, JUST IN TIME FOR THE PANDEMIC TO SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN.

AND DISTRICT THREE, AND THE LOWEST NUMBER OF BARRIERS WERE IN DISTRICT'S EIGHT AND NINE, NEXT SLIDE.

SO THE RESULTS OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT, UH, REVEALED, UM, UH, 137 SCHOOLS WITHIN, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN AND, UM, IN WITHIN CITY OF AUSTIN, INCLUDING SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS, UH, HERE IS A TABLE OF THOSE 137 SCHOOLS.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, COUNCIL DISTRICTS, ONE, TWO, AND SIX HAVE THE MOST ELEMENT, PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND DISTRICTS, UH, NINE AND FIVE HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT NEXT SLIDE.

AND THIS, THE REPORT ALSO REVEALED THE NUMBER OF BARRIERS IDENTIFIED PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.

SO ALTOGETHER THERE'S OVER 4,600 BARRIERS, UM, TO STU TO ALLOW STUDENTS TO SAFELY WALK AND BIKE TO SCHOOL.

UM, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THEIR HIGHEST NUMBER OF BARRIERS WAS IN DISTRICT ONE

[01:20:01]

AND THIS IS THE ESTIMATED COST OF BARRIERS PER COUNCIL DISTRICT.

SO ALTOGETHER THE 4,600, UM, REC OVER 4,600 BARRIERS TO SCHOOL RESULTED IN, UH, OVER 825 MILLION, UH, IN COST OF TO ADDRESS THOSE BARRIERS.

SO HERE YOU CAN SEE THAT THE HIGHEST COSTS, UM, WOULD BE IN DISTRICTS ONE AND SEVEN, IF ALL THE BARRIERS WERE ADDRESSED AND THE LOWEST NUMBER OF COSTS FOR THE BARRIERS ARE IN DISTRICTS SIX AND NINE.

AND SO THIS TABLE, UM, KIND OF SUMMARIZES THE PREVIOUS BAR CHARTS, UH, WITH A NUMBER OF PROJECTS IN THEIR COSTS.

AND SO WE BROKE DOWN THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF BARRIERS INTO EIGHT, AND THEN HAD ANOTHER CATEGORY TWO, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, MOSTLY VEGETATION MAINTENANCE, UM, AND PARKING STUDIES ON SCHOOL CAMPUSES, AS WELL AS, UM, ADDING BIKE RACKS.

AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THE NUMBER OF PROJECTS AND ALSO THEIR ESTIMATED COST.

NEXT SLIDE ON THIS, UM, PIE CHART HERE SHOWS THE RECOMMENDATIONS BROKEN DOWN BY THEIR PERCENTAGE.

SO THIS LOOKS AT THE TOTAL NUMBER OF 4,600, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS OR BARRIERS TO SCHOOL.

AND YOU CAN SEE THE, THE LARGEST CHARTS, THE LARGEST PART OF THE PIE CHARTS ARE THE, UH, ASKING FOR NEW OR REHABILITATED SIDEWALKS ON THE LEFT.

THAT'S THE 37% THERE IN THE BROWNISH COLOR.

AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, UM, IS ASKING FOR, UH, NEW CURB RAMPS OR CURB EXTENSIONS OR CROSSWALK AT 34%.

SO THOSE TWO ARE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE 4,600, UM, FROM THE REPORT AND THE LOWEST, UM, CATEGORIES FOR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE THE OVER UNDERPASSES.

AND THEN ALSO, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD BIKEWAYS AND TRAFFIC CALMING NEXT SLIDE.

AND THEN LOOKING EVEN FURTHER AT THE DATA WE FOUND FROM THE REPORT, UM, WE SAW THAT THE TOTAL COST, UM, FOR THE RECOMMENDATIONS WAS THE NEW AND REVEALED A SIDEWALKS.

UM, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, BUT THEN ALSO SIDE PATHS, UH, WHICH ARE BASICALLY SHARED USE PATHS.

SO THOSE WERE RECOMMENDATIONS ON STREETS THAT DID NOT HAVE ANY SIDEWALKS OR BICYCLE FACILITIES.

AND THE RECOMMENDATION WAS THEN TO PUT IN A SHARED USE PATH.

SO THOSE TWO ARE THE HIGHEST, UH, PERCENTAGE OF THE CHART OF COSTS.

AND THEN THE LOWEST PERCENTAGE HERE YOU CAN SEE ARE THE NEIGHBORHOOD BIKEWAYS AND TRAFFIC CALMING, UH, NEXT SLIDE.

AND SO HOW DID THE REPORT BREAK DOWN IN TERMS OF THE DATA? SO THIS, UH, IS A BREAKDOWN OF THE COMPONENTS FOR THE, UM, THE RANKINGS OF THE PROJECTS.

WE LOOKED AT FOUR DIFFERENT PARTS, DEMAND, 35% SAFETY, 30% EQUITY, 20% AND STAKEHOLDER INPUT AT 15% SO DEMAND.

UM, WE LOOKED AT THE, WE LOOKED AT WALKING TO SCHOOL WITHIN A HALF MILE AND BIKING WITHIN TWO MILES.

UM, AND WE ALSO USED GIS AND THE NETWORK ANALYST TOOL TO KIND OF, UH, COME UP WITH THE RANGE OF, OF WHERE RECOMMENDATIONS SHOULD BE IN RELATION TO THE SCHOOL.

UM, WITH REGARDS TO SAFETY, WE LOOKED AT THE NUMBER OF BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CRASHES.

WE LOOKED AT THE FUNCTIONAL CLASS SCORE, WHICH IS THE RANKING OF THE STREET.

AND THEN WE ALSO USE ENGINEERING JUDGMENT ON, UH, ON SAFETY REGARDING THINGS LIKE DRAINAGE CONCERNS OR, UM, UTILITIES IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, THINGS LIKE THAT THAT WOULD IMPACT WHETHER OR NOT, UM, THE PROJECT WAS VIABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.

WE ALSO LOOKED AT EQUITY, UM, 20% HERE LOOKING AT THE FREE AND REDUCED ELIGIBILITY RATE, UM, FOR THE SCHOOLS AS WELL AS THE STUDENTS ATTENDING.

AND THEN ALSO THE POVERTY RATE, UM, PULLING FROM CENSUS TRACKS, UH, TO SEE WHAT THAT WAS AROUND EACH SCHOOL.

AND THEN THE LAST COMPONENT WAS STAKEHOLDER INPUT INPUT AT 15%.

AND SO WE LOOKED AT TWO PARTS TO THAT WIKI MAP COMMENTS, UM, WHICH IS BASICALLY WE HAD A PUBLIC MAP UP AND ANYONE COULD GO IN AND JUST ADD THEIR COMMENTS THERE.

AND THEN WE DID IN-PERSON PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, WHERE WE HAD THOSE COMMUNITY MEETINGS, LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, BUT WE ALSO WENT OUT TO OTHER PLACES OUTSIDE OF JUST THE SCHOOLS OR REC CENTERS.

WE WENT TO, UM, SUPERMARKETS, WE WENT TO CHURCHES, WE WENT TO, UM, DIFFERENT PLACES, UM, JUST TO GATHER MORE DIVERSE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT.

AND SO WE INCORPORATED ALL OF THOSE INTO THE WIKI MAP AS A TOTAL OF COMMENTS, UM, FOR THE PROJECT NEXT SLIDE HERE.

AND SO THE RESULT OF ALL OF THAT DATA WAS THE INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT BREAKDOWN.

AND SO HERE IS A SNAPSHOT OF ONE PAGE OF THE REPORT.

SO IT HAS THE BACKGROUND OF THE SAFE FRANCIS SCHOOL PROGRAM AND HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE IN THE BOND.

IT ALSO UNCOVERS THE PROCESS.

SO THAT DATA ANALYSIS THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT THAT'S EXPLAINED IN THE REPORTS, AND THEN IT COMES UP WITH THIS OVERALL BENEFIT AND ESTIMATED COST BENEFIT, UH, CATEGORIES, WHICH ARE THE TWO COLUMNS ON THE FAR RIGHT.

AND SO WE HAVE ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS, ALL 4,600 OF THEM HAVE A UNIQUE ID.

WE LISTED WHICH SCHOOLS, UM, THEY WERE CLOSEST TO, MANY OF THE SCHOOLS HAD OVERLAP, OVERLAPPING CATCHMENT AREAS.

AND SO, UH, OFTENTIMES A RECOMMENDATION WOULD BENEFIT, UM, TO ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS PLUS A MIDDLE SCHOOL OR ONE OF THE OTHER.

AND SO WE CAPTURED THAT AS WELL ON

[01:25:01]

OUR TABLE.

WE CAPTURED THE ISSUES THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS WELL AS THE RECOMMENDATIONS AND THEN GIVING THAT A SCORE.

SO IT'S A FIVE TIERED SCORING SYSTEM FROM VERY HIGH TO VERY LOW, UM, AS WELL AS AN ESTIMATED COST BENEFIT.

SO THE TOTAL COST OF THE PRO OF THE PROJECT, UM, VERSUS WHAT THE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATION WAS.

AND SO THOSE ARE THE TWO CATEGORIES ON THE FAR, RIGHT.

AND SO SOME GUIDING PRINCIPLES ON HOW PROJECTS ARE CHOSEN.

SO WE DEFINITELY, UM, HAVE A HUGE COST, RIGHT? SO 825 MILLION OVER, UH, 4,600 BARRIERS TO SCHOOL.

WE ONLY RECEIVED 27 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN 2016.

SO THERE'S NO WAY TO CAPTURE EVERY SINGLE, UH, BARRIER THAT WAS IDENTIFIED.

SO HOW DID WE, UH, CHOOSE WHICH PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD TO CONSTRUCTION? WE LOOKED AT THOSE THAT WERE RANKED VERY HIGH OR HIGH AS AN OVERALL BENEFIT OR, UH, A VERY HIGH OR HIGH ESTIMATED COST BENEFIT.

SO TACKLING THOSE, UM, MOST CRITICAL RECOMMENDATIONS, GET THOSE ADDRESSED WAS ONE OF OUR GUIDING PRINCIPLES TO MOVING PROJECTS FORWARD TO CONSTRUCTION.

UM, THE SECOND PRINCIPAL WE LOOKED AT WAS MAKING MEANINGFUL WALKING AND BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS NEAR AS MANY SCHOOLS AS POSSIBLE.

SO I MENTIONED, UM, THE CATCHMENT AREAS FOR SOME OF THE SCHOOLS INCLUDED MULTIPLE ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

THAT WAS ANOTHER FACTOR.

SO IF OUR IMPROVEMENT WOULD TACKLE MULTIPLE SCHOOLS AT ONCE, WE DEFINITELY USED THAT AS A GUIDING PRINCIPLE TO MOVE IT TO CONSTRUCTION.

AND THEN JUST AS A REMINDER, THE 2016 MO 2016 MOBILITY BOND FUNDING, UH, LOOKED AT FUNDING, UH, EQUALLY FOR ALL 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

AND SO, AS YOU SAW EARLIER, THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS AND THE NUMBER OF BARRIERS AND THE COST REACH BARRIER DIFFERED BY COUNCIL DISTRICT.

SO WE HAD TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT USING, UM, THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT DIVIDED BY COUNCIL DISTRICT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NUMBER OF SCHOOLS IN EACH DISTRICT.

UM, AND THE ONE, THE WAYS THAT WE MANAGE TO, UM, GET A LOT OF PROJECTS DONE AND WHICH I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT TOO LATER ON IS, UM, LEVERAGING OTHER SOURCES OF FUNDING.

AND SO WE PARTNERED WITH MULTIPLE, UH, PROGRAMS IN THE CITY, MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS, UM, AS WELL AS EXTERNAL PARTNERS JUST TO GET OUR PROJECTS ON THE GROUND.

AND THAT'S BEEN A HUGE BENEFIT TO MOVING OUR PROJECTS FORWARD.

AND SO HERE IS JUST A SNAPSHOT OF OUR TOTAL SPENDING THROUGH, UM, THANK YOU.

THROUGH QUARTER THREE, UH, JUNE 30TH OF THIS YEAR.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'RE AT $16.4 MILLION, 89% OF GOAL.

UM, WE'LL WRAP UP THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, IN A COUPLE WEEKS, AND THEN ONCE WE HAVE THOSE DATA, UH, DATA PUT INPUTS IN, WE ARE ANTICIPATING, UH, DEFINITELY HITTING IN THE LOW NINETIES AS OUR PERCENT TOWARDS GOAL.

AND HERE ARE THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER.

SO ONE OF THE BEST WAYS TO GET PROJECTS ON THE GROUND IS TO PARTNER IN THE CITY.

AND SO WE PARTNERED WITH MULTIPLE ENTITIES WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS, INCLUDING URBAN TRAILS, NEIGHBORHOOD PARTNERING, SIDEWALKS, AND STREAM BRIDGE.

WE ALSO PARTNER WITH OUR FRIENDS IN THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE BIKEWAYS TEAM SIGNALS, SPEED MANAGEMENT, VISIONS AREA, HEAD CROSSING, AS WELL AS OUR PARTNERS IN THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM.

UM, I MENTIONED THE SEVEN SCHOOL DISTRICTS THAT WE DO WORK IN.

SO THOSE ALSO INCLUDE PARTNERS WITH AUSTIN, UH, ROUND ROCK FLICKERVILLE, LEANDER MAYNARD ES IN DEL VALLEY.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN, UH, WORKING WITH TOO WITH THEM IS OUR, UM, OUR, UM, ILA AGREEMENTS WHERE WHEN THE SCHOOLS ARE UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS, UM, THEY'RE ASKING US FOR INPUT.

AND SO WE'RE OFTEN, UH, GOING THROUGH THEIR, UH, SITE PLAN REVIEW AND ENCOURAGING WIDER SIDEWALKS, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, WE DID THAT IN, UH, JUST MOST RECENTLY WITH BRENTWOOD ELEMENTARY.

WE ALSO WORK WITH OUR CAT METRO, EXTERNAL PARTNERS.

UM, OFTENTIMES THEY WANNA RELOCATE BUS STOPS.

AND SO WE'LL COORDINATE WITH THEM ON OUR PROJECTS TOO, WHICH IS ANOTHER WAY TO, UM, LEVERAGE DOLLARS TO GET PROJECTS GOING.

AND THEN LASTLY, QUARTER SENT FUNDING, UM, AS YOU'RE ALL AWARE, QUARTER SENT FUNDING HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN GETTING QUITE A FEW SAFE ROUTES OF SCHOOL PROJECTS ON THE GROUND.

AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL TO PARTNER WITH THOSE, UH, PROGRAMS AND ENTITIES.

AND THEN, SO LOOKING AT SOME TOTALS OF WHERE WE ARE, WE'VE DONE IMPROVEMENTS AT 97 OUT OF OUR A HUNDRED AND THIRTY, THIRTY SEVEN TOTAL SCHOOLS.

SO THAT'S 71% OF ALL THE SCHOOLS.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'VE MADE SUCH, UM, GREAT PROGRESS IN THE LAST FISCAL YEAR.

IN PARTICULAR, WE'VE DONE OVER 300 PROJECTS AS OF JULY 1ST OF THIS YEAR.

UM, AND WE HAVE ANOTHER 251 PROJECTS, UH, PLANNED.

SO THAT INCLUDES, UH, IN CONSTRUCTION, INDESIGN, UM, AND, UM, SCOPING FOR, UM, ASSIGNMENT TO A CONTRACT AS WELL.

BE SPLIT EQUALLY AMONGST THE 10 COUNCIL DISTRICTS.

AND THEN THIS BRINGS US TO 2020, SO EXCITING NEWS.

WE GOT MORE MONEY IN 2020 TO, UH, BUILD OUT MORE, UM, UH, MORE PROJECTS IN OUR INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT.

UM, WE ARE, WE ARE ALLOCATING THAT 20 MILLION, UH, AGAIN WITH THE FOCUS ON VERY HIGH AND HIGH BENEFIT, UH, UH, COST BENEFIT PROJECTS.

SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE MOST CRITICAL NEEDS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE CITY BASED OFF OF OUR REPORT.

AND THE OTHER THING TOO, THAT'S REALLY PARTICULAR ABOUT, UH, THE 2020 BOND, UH, FUNDING WAS THAT IT DOES NOT HAVE TO

[01:30:01]

SO WE'RE ABLE TO FOCUS MORE ON EQUITY, WHICH WE DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO WITH THE 2016 FUNDING, UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE, AND THEN FUTURE PLANNING.

SO WHAT'S NEXT FOR US AND OUR PROGRAM? WELL, UH, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CAPTURED, UH, ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE REPORT BECAUSE THEY HAVE A DEFINED CATCHMENT AREA.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING WITH THE 2020 BOND MONEY IS ALLOCATING 1 MILLION OF THAT TO GO TOWARDS CHARTER SCHOOLS, UM, WHICH HAVE HISTORICALLY BEEN BUILT IN LOW SOCIOECONOMIC, UH, AREAS.

AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S INTERESTING ABOUT CHARTER SCHOOLS IS THEY DON'T HAVE A DEFINED CATCHMENT AREA, WHICH IS WHY THEY WEREN'T CAPTURED IN THE 2016, UH, BOND AND THE REPORT EARLIER.

BUT, UM, A LOT OF THOSE SCHOOLS HAVE ACTUALLY BENEFITED FROM OUR IMPROVEMENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE SO CLOSE TO A LOT OF PUBLIC ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOLS.

AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO TAKE 1 MILLION OF THE 20 MILLION JUST TO LOOK AT IMPROVEMENTS AROUND THOSE.

UM, I'VE DONE SOME PRELIMINARY RESEARCH ON THAT THIS SUMMER PULLING A LIST OF ABOUT 30 CHARTER SCHOOLS TO REVIEW, UM, AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, LATER THIS YEAR AND EARLY NEXT YEAR, UM, WITH THE PLAN TO GET CHARTER SCHOOLS ADDRESSED AND I BELIEVE NEXT SLIDE, I THINK, YES, THAT'S THE END OF THE PRESENTATION I HAD.

SO THAT WAS JUST AN OVERVIEW OF THE STATE FRANCIS SCHOOL PROGRAM TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY.

UM, THERE'S MY CONTACT INFORMATION IF, UH, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME, BUT, UM, JUST, I WANTED TO OVERVIEW TO THE COMMITTEE, SO THANK YOU.

THAT'S GREAT.

THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.

I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT.

I'M JUST, I'M NOT FINDING IT RIGHT HERE.

WHERE DO WE GO TO LOOK FOR THE LIST OF SCHOOLS IN, IN PROJECTS PLANNED? UM, YES.

SO YOU CAN FIND THAT ON OUR WEBSITE, IF YOU GO TO AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV SAFE ROUTES, WE HAVE A, UH, WEB MAP THERE THAT LISTS ALL OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN WHAT SCHOOLS THEY'RE AT.

UM, AND IF YOU WANTED TO SEE THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE ACTIVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THAT WOULD BE ON THE MOBILITY ANNUAL PLAN.

SO THAT'S THE PLANNING PROCESS WE DO ANNUALLY, AND THAT SHOWS, UM, WHICH PROJECTS ARE MOVING FORWARD TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION IN THAT CALENDAR YEAR.

SO WILL IT SHOW, SO WHAT YEARS DO WE SHOW NOW? DO, WOULD WE SHOW 20, 23? SO WE ARE IN, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING THE 20, 23 MAP.

SO THAT'LL, THE DATA COLLECTION WILL START END OF THIS MONTH.

AND SO THE WEBSITE, AUSTIN, TEXAS.GOV/MOBILITY ANNUAL PLAN WILL SHOW THE REPORT FROM LAST YEAR, WHICH WILL HAVE THE 20, 22 DATA.

SO, UH, MAYBE I SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE SPECIFIC.

SO IS IT FOLLOW THE CALENDAR YEAR? ARE THEY, ARE THEY FISCAL YEAR? SO, SO THE, WE JUST STARTED THE BUDGET FOR 20 22, 20 23.

SO THOSE PROJECTS ARE ALREADY FIGURED OUT RIGHT? ENLISTED.

SO THOSE WILL BE IN THE REPORT AND THERE'S LIKE A TABLE AT THE VERY END OF THE PDF REPORT.

AND SO YOU'RE NOW STARTING THE PROCESS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON.

THANK YOU, TERRY.

UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

THERE'S A SMILING PHOTOGRAPH OF YOU AND YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION.

IT'S FANTASTIC.

UM, I WOULD LIKE TO, YOU KNOW, I'M HAVING HONESTLY A DIFFICULT TIME FIGURING OUT HOW TO ARTICULATE THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.

I KEPT SEEING THAT MASSIVE SORT OF, YOU KNOW, D ONE, UM, COLUMN ON THE GRAPH THERE.

UH, SO I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO ARTICULATE THE, THE QUESTION, UH, BEYOND SORT OF SAYING, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT MUCH OF AN OBVIOUS, ENORMOUS GLARING GAP, YOU KNOW, I, I GUESS IT'S GOING TO, IT WILL BE HELPFUL MOVING FORWARD TO HAVE SOME ADVICE FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND OTHER FOLKS WORKING ON THESE SAFE ROUTES INITIATIVES TO HELP US FIGURE OUT HOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT'S TIME TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR COLLEAGUES, THERE'S ONLY THREE OF US TODAY WHEN IT'S TIME FOR US TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR COLLEAGUES TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WHEN, AND IF THERE'S A MASSIVE, YOU KNOW, SORT OF, UH, IMBALANCE THAT IT'S BECAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE MAKING UP FOR, YOU KNOW, SUCH A GIANT GAP.

I WONDER IF, IF, IF THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT Y'ALL ARE PREPARED TO ANSWER TO WHEN, UM, WHEN WE DO BRING THOSE UP FOR THE FULL DIET.

THAT I MENTIONED, THE 2020 BOND MONEY WAS NOT BOUND BY COUNCIL DISTRICT, UH, DIVISION.

SO THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE, WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH WAS THE INEQUITABLE DISTRIBUTION OF RECOMMENDATIONS AND BARRIERS FOR THE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AND OUR BOUND TO, UM, 2.75 MILLION FOR EACH DISTRICT FROM THE 2016 BOND MONEY.

AND SO WE HAVE STRUGGLED WITH THAT, HOW TO DO LIKE THE BEST PROJECTS.

AND THAT'S WHEN I MENTIONED THAT LEVERAGING HAS BEEN GREAT.

SO SOMETIMES WE'LL JUST DO ONE INTERSECTION AT A SCHOOL, BUT THEN IF BIKE WASTE PARTNERS AND SIDEWALKS PARTNERS, WE CAN DO LIKE SIX.

AND SO THAT'S BEEN A REALLY INCREMENT, UH, REALLY INCREMENTAL WAY TO GET A LOT MORE PROJECTS DONE.

UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS TOO,

[01:35:01]

SO WE'RE ABLE TO FOCUS MORE ON EQUITY, WHICH MEANS THOSE DISTRICTS THAT HAVE THE HIGHER NUMBER OF BARRIERS, WE'RE ABLE TO FOCUS ON MORE, UH, WITH A 20, 20 BOND.

AND SO THAT SPENDING WILL START, UM, THIS YEAR AND GO, AND WE'LL RAMP UP OVER THE NEXT, UH, SIX YEARS AS WELL.

I, I, YOU KNOW, AND THIS MAY BE A LONGER QUESTION OR RESPONSE TO MY QUESTION, UM, IN WHICH CASE I'M HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET IN PERSON.

UM, I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW TO CODIFY THAT EQUITY COMPONENT, YOU KNOW, UM, I GET THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR HUMANS TO SORT OF WEIGH IN TO DATE ABOUT ALLOCATION, IN WHICH CASE, I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY TO BUILD IN AN EQUITY GAUGE, THAT'S JUST BASED ON DATA, YOU KNOW, AND THERE'S NO HUMAN DISCRETION COMPONENT RELATED TO IT IS.

IS THAT A POSSIBILITY MOVING FORWARD JUST TO SORT OF BUILD IN SOME CONSISTENCY AROUND EQUITY? YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GOOD QUESTION.

UM, I KNOW THAT PUBLIC WORKS AND TRANSPORTATION ARE WORKING ON THE WALK BIKE ROLE, UH, INITIATIVE TO UPDATE THE TRANS THE SIDEWALK PLAN AND THE URBAN TRAILS MASTER PLAN, AS WELL AS INCLUDE, UM, PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.

AND I, I DON'T HAVE THE DETAILS ON THAT.

I'M NOT PART OF THAT PLAN, BUT I DO KNOW THEY'VE, UH, STRONGLY FOCUSED ON EQUITY IN TERMS OF THE CONSULTANT WAS DOING A WHOLE INITIATIVE ON THAT.

UM, AND SO I BELIEVE, I WANNA SAY THAT THE CITY IS MOVING TOWARDS THAT IN THE PLANS GOING FORWARD AS WELL TO MAKE SURE IT'S CAPTURED, UM, SYSTEMATICALLY EQUITY CONCERNS, BUT NOT JUST, UM, NOT JUST LIKE ANECDOTAL, LIKE YOU'RE SAYING TOO.

SO, UM, BUT SO I KNOW THAT WE'RE ADDRESSING IT.

I DON'T HAVE A, A SOLUTION OF WHEN, BUT I DO KNOW THAT WALK BY ROLE WAS SPECIFICALLY, THAT WAS THE, THAT WAS THE ASK OF THAT TO LIKE YOU HAVE TO ADDRESS EQUITY.

AND I KNOW THAT THE CONSULTANT HAS BEEN DOING THAT WELL, WE'LL FOLLOW UP WITH YOU, HOPEFULLY YOU, UH, YOU WELL, WE'LL HEAR FROM YOU SOON.

YEAH, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

WE APPRECIATE IT.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

THANK YOU FOR THOSE QUESTIONS.

I HAVE JUST A COUPLE, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT UP THE MOBILITY ANNUAL PLAN, BECAUSE I REALLY LOVE THAT CONCISE WAY OF IDENTIFYING ALL THE PROJECTS HAPPENING, CUZ IT'S, IT'S SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL, BUT IT'S ALSO BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE SIDEWALKS THAT ARE NOT PART OF SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL.

AND SO THERE'S JUST A LOT OF INFORMATION IN THERE, BUT IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY DISTRICT AND PROJECT NAME AND, YOU KNOW, REALLY GIVES YOU AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ALL IS TAKING PLACE.

SO I KNOW IT'S HARD FOR US TO KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN TANDEM, BUT I LOVE ACCESSING THAT AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE IT WITH CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, THAT THE PROJECT IS ON THE LIST IT'S PLANNED TO, TO BE DEVELOPED THIS YEAR.

UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE TWO DIFFERENT BOND FUNDING.

DID THE 2016 BOND HAVE A CERTAIN YEAR SPEND.

WAS IT LIKE AN EIGHT YEAR SPEND? I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHEN THE 2016 PROJECTS WRAP UP AND WHEN THE 2020 BOND PROJECTS WILL KICK OFF.

THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I BELIEVE IT IS EIGHT YEARS.

I'M GETTING THE NODS.

IT'S EIGHT YEARS FOR THE 2016 BOND.

OKAY, FANTASTIC.

SO THERE, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS MORE COMING FROM THE SAFE AND ACTIVE MOBILITY BOND JUST TO CONTINUE.

OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A LOT OF GROUND TO MAKE UP AND A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT STILL NEED TO HAPPEN.

AND SO WE REALLY LOVE THE BONDS LOVE WHEN THE VOTERS APPROVE THESE PROJECTS AND HELP US, YOU KNOW, REALLY BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT, UH, THOSE, THOSE GOOD PROJECTS HAPPEN IN EVERYBODY'S DISTRICTS.

UM, BUT I THINK SOMEONE, I CAN'T REMEMBER WHO, SO I WON'T SAY IT'S A DIRECT QUOTE, BUT IT WAS BASICALLY LIKE THE SIDEWALKS WILL NEVER BE A HUNDRED PERCENT PERFECT AND COMPLETE IT.

AS SOON AS YOU GET ONE ONLINE, THERE'S ONE, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, DECADES OLDER, THAT'S GOING TO NEED REPAIRS OR THERE'S TREES GROWING THROUGH THEM AND THEY'RE GOING NEED TO BE REEVALUATED.

SO I KNOW THE WORK IS ONGOING AND I HOPE THAT BONDS IN THE FUTURE KEEP, KEEP THIS PROGRAM GOING BECAUSE IT'S SO IMPORTANT.

UM, AND I DON'T WANNA MISS A MOMENT TO DAYLIGHT.

THERE IS A BIG GRAPHIC ON YOUR WEBSITE THAT SAYS BECOME A CROSSING GUARD.

UM, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY CROSSING GUARDS YOU STILL NEED FOR THE SCHOOL YEAR? OOH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

UM, 30, YOU HIRED 30, 20.

SO ABOUT 30 YEARS, IF I MAY, I THINK MY STAFF MIGHT ACTUALLY EVEN HAVE SOME INSIGHT ON THAT.

THAT'S SOMETHING WE WERE WORKING ON TOO, IF SHE DIDN'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION READILY AVAILABLE.

IT'S YEAH.

IT'S 30.

SO THE, THE PROGRAM MANAGER, SORRY IN THE BACK HAD SAID WE'VE HIRED A 20 AND WE'RE, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FOR ABOUT 30 MORE SO.

AND IS THERE A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN LOOK TO SEE WHICH SCHOOLS STILL NEED CROSSING GUARDS JUST IN CASE THEY HAPPEN TO LIVE NEAR ONE AND HAVE THE TIME TO COMMIT? YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.

I THINK I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA HAVE A MIRROR COME UP AND TALK ABOUT IT.

SORRY.

I'M GONNA PASS THE MIC REAL QUICK.

GOOD AFTERNOON, AMIR.

MANIAN UH, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH OUR PAO ON PUTTING THAT TOGETHER.

UH, WAS A FANTASTIC CROSSING GUARD IN HER DISTRICT WHEN SCHOOL STARTED THIS YEAR.

AND THEN WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'LL ACTUALLY GO ON NEXT DOOR AND DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A TARGETED APPROACH.

SO WE'RE COMPILING THAT INFORMATION CURRENTLY.

THAT'S PERFECT.

I KNOW THERE'S PROBABLY FOLKS THAT JUST AREN'T AWARE THERE MIGHT BE ONE NEAR THEM THAT NEEDS A CROSSING GUARD.

UM, OBVIOUSLY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON,

[01:40:01]

SO SHE DID GREAT .

THAT IS GREAT.

AND WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE OUR CROSSING GUARD.

SO FOR ANYONE OUT THERE AT HOME THAT MAY HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO DO IT, PLEASE, PLEASE LOOK THAT UP OR SHARE WITH A FRIEND THAT THERE ARE SCHOOLS THAT STILL NEED A CROSSING GUARD.

COUNCIL, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER, MADISON, TARA.

I'M SO GLAD YOU DAYLIGHTED THIS.

IT JUST MADE ME REMEMBER SOMETHING THAT I THOUGHT ABOUT YESTERDAY WHEN AMY TEMPORARILY WAS GIVEN HER PRESENTATION AT THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE.

UM, UH, SHE TALKED ABOUT, UM, UH, PEOPLE REMAINING ACTIVE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, UM, LONELINESS THAT, THAT PART CAME UP IN THE CONVERSATION.

AND THEN I HEARD THIS REALLY GREAT NPR REPORT ABOUT HOW ENGLAND AND OTHER PLACES WITH SOCIAL MEDICINE PUT A LOT OF EMPHASIS ON PREVENTING AND TREATING LONELINESS.

AND SO I JUST REALLY WANTED TO, I, I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AT THE TIME TO MAKE SURE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE FOLKS BEHIND THE CROSSING GUARD PROGRAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING WITH ORGANIZATIONS LIKE AGING IS COOL AND FAMILY ELDER CARE, AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP OLDER ADULTS ACTIVE AND, UM, PARTICIPATING IN THE COMMUNITY'S SAFETY AND, AND EARNING A FEW DOLLARS WHILE THEY DO IT.

SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR REMINDING ME OF THAT AND THANK YOU FOR THE SUGGESTIONS.

THOSE ARE GREAT.

LAST ITEM SECOND TO LAST ITEM IS GOING TO BE THE UPDATE FROM ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER, GINA FIAN DACA.

I AGREE WITH THAT.

ARE THERE ANY LAST QUESTIONS LOOKS LIKE WE'RE ALL OUT OF QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND FOR THE GOOD WORK.

NOW OUR

[6. Update from Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca on the City's Strategic Mobility Outcome.]

WE HAVE APRIL FED HERE TO PRESENT THIS TO US TODAY.

WELCOME.

HELLO.

ON BEHALF OF ACM, FIAN, DACA, JUST HAVE A FEW PROJECTS WE WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT ARE ONGOING THIS MONTH.

UM, STASSY LANE REHABILITATION PROJECT.

THE PHASE ONE IS UNDERWAY.

UM, THIS WILL BE OF THREE PHASE PROJECT AND WE WILL BE COMPLETED HOPEFULLY BY NEXT FALL.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, UM, UNDERWAY FOR SEVENTH AND EIGHTH STREET.

UM, PRIMARILY FOCUSING ON SAFETY CROSSINGS FOR PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLISTS AT THOSE INTERSECTIONS WITH UPGRADED SIGNAL, INFRASTRUCTURE AND MARKINGS.

WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF FOLKS TRANSITIONING IN AND OUT OF THOSE INTERSECTIONS.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THOSE AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE.

UM, OVER AT THE AIRPORT, THEY HAVE RECEIVED THEIR FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND THE STAFF WILL BE HERE NEXT MONTH TO DISCUSS, UM, THE UPCOMING PROJECTS FOR THE EXPANSION, THE TIMELINE AND THE ROLLOUT OF THOSE PROJECTS.

UM, WE'RE ALSO PROUD TO REPORT THAT OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH CAP METRO AND THEIR METRO BIKE PROGRAM IS EXPANDING.

UM, WE ARE NOW UP TO 79 STATIONS WITH 500 PEDAL BICYCLES AND 347 E-BIKES.

AND, UM, WE'RE HOPING TO EXPAND OUR E-BIKE, UM, FLEET AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

AND, UM, ONE LAST THING WE'D LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT IS OVER AT THE AIRPORT AS WELL IS WE ARE HAVING A JOB FAIR SEPTEMBER 20TH.

SO FOR INDIVIDUALS THAT ARE INTERESTED IN, UM, FINDING A JOB AT THE AIRPORT, WE HAVE LOTS OF OPTIONS AVAILABLE.

WE ENCOURAGE FOLKS TO COME OUT AND, UM, FIND A PLACE AT THE AIRPORT.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS? I CAN'T SEE THE SCREEN.

SO IF ANYONE HAS THEIR HAND UP, JUST SHOUT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE IT.