[CALL TO ORDER]
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UH, CALLING A REGULAR MEETING OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 27TH INTO ORDER.
UH, NICOLE, CAN YOU CALL ROLL CHAIR WEAVER.
UM, ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? THERE'S NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING FROM OCTOBER 24TH.DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I MOVED FOR APPROVAL.
SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER LUCAS.
UM, NEXT APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION.
WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE FOR THE MINUTES.
UM, DO IT ALL VOTE IN APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UM, NEXT APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING FROM JANUARY 23RD.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION? THANK YOU.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, DO WE HAVE A VOTE? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.
[3. Staff briefing regarding Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative. Presented by Jana McCann, McCann Adams Studio, and Benedict Patrick, HDR Engineering, Inc.]
THREE, STAFF BRIEFING.UH, WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE PRESENTED BY JAN MCCANN FROM MCCANN ADAMS AND BENEDICT PAT PATRICK FROM H D R.
IT LOOKS LIKE WE'VE HAD A CHANGE OF CHARACTERS.
UM, MY NAME'S LAURA DEERFIELD.
I'M WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
WE HAVE, UH, BENEDICT PATRICK HERE, AND JANET MCCANN WITH THE CONSULTANT TEAM AS WELL AS AMALIA CARMONA WITH, UH, THE DA A A AS THIS IS THE PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE D A A.
UM, ALSO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE JORGE AND HIS TEAM AS, UM, THE CO-SPONSORS OF, OF THIS PROJECT.
I'LL JUST OFFER A FEW OPENING REMARKS AND THEN PASS IT OVER TO, TO JANNA FOR THE BULK OF THE PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, MY COLLEAGUE JILL ESCO IS VIRTUAL, I BELIEVE.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA BRING HER IN MOMENTARILY TO OFFER SOME OPENING REMARKS.
J JILL, WE'LL NEED YOUR CAMERA ON, PLEASE.
I'M THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR GREAT STREETS AND URBAN DESIGN AND DIVISION IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
FOR OVER FIVE YEARS, THE URBAN DESIGN DIVISION HAS BEEN INVOLVED IN THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE, AND WE ARE NOW IN THE IMPLEMENTATION STAGE FOR THE ENHANCEMENT OF CONGRESS AVENUE AND THE CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE.
AND WE HAVE A VERY TALENTED TEAM WHO IS WORKING ON THIS UPDATE ON EXCEL.
TURN IT OVER TO THE NEXT SPEAKER.
THANK YOU, JILL, AND THANK YOU COMMISSIONERS FOR HAVING US THIS EVENING AND FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
UH, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, FOCUS ON BEAUTIFUL DESIGN, WHICH IS KINDA THE HEART OF THIS, THIS ENTIRE PROJECT REALLY.
UM, THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE WAS, UH, STARTED WITH, UH, THE, UH, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE AS WELL AS THE CITY BACK IN 2017.
AND WE'RE REALLY PLEASED TO BE HERE TONIGHT TO BRIEF YOU ON, UH, THE NEXT PHASE OF THE WORK, WHICH IS TO SAY WE HAVE SOME FUNDING FROM THE 2020 BOND, AND WE'RE WORKING TOWARDS, UH, REALIZING THE VISION PLAN, UM, UH, TOWARDS A, A FIRST PHASE OF DESIGN.
[00:05:01]
GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.SO FOR THIS EVENING, WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS INTRODUCE YOU TO SOME OF THE, UM, UH, FOLKS INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
UM, JILL AND JORGE FROM THE, UH, DESIGN URBAN DESIGN, UH, GROUP, AS WELL AS MYSELF WITH TRANSPORTATION, ARE, UM, CO-SPONSORS OF THE PROJECT, ALONG WITH OUR PARTNER, UH, DAA, AND THEN HAVE BROUGHT ON A REALLY TALENTED, UH, TEAM, UH, WITH LED BY HDR TO AGAIN, TAKE THAT VISION PLAN INTO ACTION.
UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE PROJECT ITSELF, AS IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN QUITE A WHILE SINCE YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THE PROJECT, UM, SINCE WE HAD A, A PANDEMIC BETWEEN WHEN WE'VE LAST, UH, UH, LEFT OFF WITH THE VISION PLAN AND WENT THROUGH A, A BOND, UH, CYCLE FOR FUNDING.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE, THE CURRENT SCOPE AND OUR NEXT STEPS.
UM, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
ALL RIGHT, SO HERE'S THE PROJECT TEAM.
UM, MYSELF AND NATHAN WILS WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ARE, UM, LEADING ON THE MOBILITY SIDE AND THE FUNDING WE HAVE FOR THIS FIRST, UM, EFFORT TO TRY TO BEST UNDERSTAND THE VISION PLAN IN A SET OF DESIGN DRAWINGS AND, AND MOVE FORWARD TO AT LEAST ONE PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION IS, UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT MOBILITY BOND.
UM, AND THEN, UH, JORGE AND JILL WITH URBAN DESIGN, UH, AND THEN CRAIG MCCULLOUGH, OUR PROJECT MANAGER, AND THEN AMALIA CARMONA, WHO'S HERE TONIGHT, UH, WITH THE DAA AND OUR CONSULTANT TEAM WHO WILL BE SHARING A LOT MORE HERE MOMENTARILY.
OH, CAN I KEEP GOING? ALL RIGHT, THANKS JORGE.
SO, AGAIN, TO, UM, MAYBE REFRESH YOUR MEMORIES, UH, AND BE CURIOUS TO KNOW IF ANYONE HAS HEARD OF THIS PROJECT AS WELL, IN CASE THERE'S ANY, UH, TURNOVER WITH THE COMMISSION.
BUT, UM, THIS IS, UH, ENCOMPASSES CONGRESS AVENUE FROM 11TH STREET DOWN TO RIVERSIDE DRIVE, SO ABOUT 1.2 MILES IN LENGTH.
AND THE VISION PLAN WAS THIS REALLY INCREDIBLE EFFORT TO DIG DEEP INTO THE VISION, UH, OF THE CITY FOR THIS VERY IMPORTANT STREET.
AND, UH, HAD, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING FROM REALLY DELIGHTFUL, UM, DEMONSTRATIONS, YOU KNOW, IN THE STREET TO, UM, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF FEEDBACK AND RESULTING IN THE VISION PLAN, UM, THAT WE'RE NOW TRYING TO PUT INTO PRACTICE.
UM, THE, UM, WHAT WE HAVE ON THE 2020 BOND IS SOME INITIAL DESIGN AND, AND CONSTRUCTION FUNDING, WHICH WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
OF COURSE, IT'S NOT GONNA BE ANYWHERE NEAR, UH, THE ENOUGH FUNDING TO GET THE WHOLE THING DONE, BUT WE ARE, WE DO NEED TO SORT OF MOVE INTO THAT NEXT PHASE OF HOW, HOW COULD THIS ACTUALLY, ACTUALLY COME TO LIFE.
UM, SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO GET A 30% DESIGN AND AT LEAST SOME INITIAL CONSTRUCTION PHASE, UM, STARTED WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE.
WE'RE ABOUT SEVEN MONTHS INTO AN 18 MONTH PROCESS.
AND AGAIN, DELIGHTED TO BE HERE TONIGHT WITH YOU TO REFRESH YOUR MEMORY OF THIS VISION PLAN AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT NEXT STEPS.
WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO TAKE IT TO THE NEXT SLIDE AND HAND IT OVER TO JANNA MCCANN ON, UM, A BIT MORE ABOUT THE VISION PLAN.
MY NAME'S JANNA MCCANN WITH MCCANN ADAMS STUDIO, AND WE'RE THE URBAN DESIGN SUB CONSULTANTS TO THE HDR TEAM.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK IS GREAT ABOUT THIS PROJECT IS THAT IT'S NOT BEING VIEWED JUST AS A TRANSPORTATION PROJECT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE OF THE SLIDE, IT HAS SINCE THE VISION PLAN BEEN ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT TOUCHES PEOPLE, UM, SOCIAL EQUITY, ECONOMICS, CULTURE AND HISTORY, THE ENVIRONMENT.
SO WHILE WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN THIS FIRST PART OF, I WOULD SAY FIRST FEW MONTHS OF THE PROJECT ON REALLY FIGURING OUT THE TRANSPORTATION AND MOBILITY ASPECTS, WE'RE NOW KIND OF FILLING IN AND BRINGING ALL OF THESE OTHER ASPECTS AND VALUES TO THE FORE.
SO THIS IS THE MANTRA REALLY OF THE VISION PLAN WAS BALANCE THE AVENUE, BRING IT INTO HOW PEOPLE USE AND NEED TO USE THE AVENUE ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO THAT MEANT SORT OF RE UM, MANAGING THE SPACE OF THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY, WHICH I'M SURE YOU GUYS KNOW, IT'S 120 FEET OF RIGHT OF WAY AND MOST OF IT, HALF OF IT, UH, IS CURRENTLY GIVEN OVER TO AUTOMOBILE LANES.
THAT'S CHANGED COME SOMEWHAT RECENTLY BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SOME INTERIM SORT OF READJUSTMENT OF THE STREET TO ALLOW FOR BICYCLE LANES TO BE ON THE AVENUE IN A PROTECTED, SOMEWHAT PROTECTED WAY WITH I THINK, FLEXIBLE DELINEATORS.
SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY INSIDE THAT CURB TO CURB LEVEL.
BUT THIS WAS JUST SHOWING THE, THE IDEA AND THE VISION PLAN OF NARROWING TO
[00:10:01]
A 52 FOOT, UM, WIDTH OF THE AVENUE FROM WHAT WAS 60 FEET BEFORE.AND THEN REAPPORTIONING, UH, CHANGING THE SORT OF PARKING, THE ANGLE PARKING SITUATION.
SO WE'VE, YOU CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, DEVELOPED, UM, NEW CROSS SECTIONS, AND THIS WAS REALLY AT THE BEGINNING OF OUR PROCESS TO SORT OF DEFINE VERY PRECISELY WHAT DID THE VISION PLAN MEAN IN TERMS OF FINAL DIMENSIONS OF THE SIDEWALK.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE ON THIS SECTION ABOVE THAT WAS THE TYPICAL EXISTING STREET SECTION, UH, BEFORE THE PROJECT.
AND THEN THE VISION PLAN CALLED FOR A FIVE LANE CROSS SECTION, CUTTING DOWN THAT 10 FEET FROM, UM, GETTING RID OF A LANE AND THEN JUST, BUT CONTINUING TO HAVE A CENTER TURN LANE.
SO UP AGAINST THE SIDEWALK, I MEAN, UP AGAINST THE ROADWAY, YOU HAVE A TWO FOOT BUFFER, ABOUT A SIX AND A HALF FOOT BIKE LANE.
SO IT'S RAISED UP A BIKE AND SCOOTER LANE, AND THEN EIGHT FEET OF WHAT WE WERE CALLING AN AMENITY ZONE, WHICH IS WHERE THE TREES ARE.
AND HOPEFULLY CONTINUOUS TRENCH PLANTED WITH TREES AND BENCHES, BIKE RACKS, FURNISHINGS, MAYBE PUBLIC ART.
UM, MAYBE THAT AREA GETS TO BE DETERMINED TO SOME DEGREE BY THE, THE LOCAL BUSINESS OWNER AND WHOSE FRONTAGE IT IS.
AND THEN BEYOND THAT AMENITY ZONE IS THE THROUGH OR THE WALKING ZONE, AND THEN THE STOREFRONT ZONE.
SO THOSE SECTION ON THE BOTTOM REALLY SHOWS HOW THAT CAN, HOW THE, THE SORT OF RIGHT OF WAY THEN GETS RE MANAGED AND REAPPORTIONED CAN GO TO THE NEXT.
SO THIS IS FROM, AGAIN, FROM THE VISION PLAN, CALLING OUT THOSE MAIN ZONES.
AND YOU'LL ALSO NOTE IN THE ROADWAY, ROADWAY THERE'S A POTENTIAL NORTH OF SEVENTH STREET TO INTRODUCE A FLEX LANE, WHICH COULD BE USED FOR PARKING OR MAYBE THERE'S FOR PERMANENT, NOT NECESSARILY NEEDED FOR CAR MOBILITY, BUT WE WANTED TO KEEP THAT FIVE LANE CROSS SECTION THERE TO SORT OF, UM, THINK ABOUT THE FUTURE AND UNDER AND JUST KEEP THE FLEXIBILITY OF THE ROADWAY.
SO THAT WAS KIND OF AN IMPORTANT DECISION MADE EARLY ON IN THE PROJECT.
AND SO THIS IS JUST AN, A VERY EARLY VIEW OF WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE, WHAT COULD THE 100 CONGRESS AVENUE PRO, UM, FRONTAGE LOOK LIKE GIVEN THIS REDISTRIBUTION OF SPACE? AND OF COURSE, THIS IS THE ODD BLOCK
SO IF YOU'RE A CAR AND YOU'RE GOING SOUTHBOUND, WE ACTUALLY HAVE SIX LANES IN THAT CROSS SECTION, SO THAT'S ONLY HAPPENING IN THIS ONE BLOCK.
SO THIS PARTICULAR BLOCK IS SHOWING THE SORT OF THROUGH PEDESTRIAN SPACE, THEN A TWO FOOT SORT OF TACTILE BUFFER SPACE BETWEEN THE SIDEWALK ZONE AND THE, AND THE, UM, BICYCLE PATH.
THE BICYCLE SCOOTER LANE, AND THEN IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CONGRESS AVENUE BEFORE WE HIT THE LAKE.
YOU'RE SEEING THEN SORT OF THE APPEARANCE OF POTENTIALLY RAIN GARDENS IN A REAL TREATMENT OF CREATING GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WE'RE IN THIS AREA OF THE, UM, OF THE AVENUE THAT WE CALL THE GREEN GATEWAY.
IT'S THE LOWER PART OF THE C B D, THE BRIDGE AREA, AND THEN TO THE SOUTH ALL THE WAY TO RIVERSIDE.
SO THIS IS, UM, THIS IS A VIEW, A PERSPECTIVE VIEW FROM, FROM THE VISION PLAN, KIND OF SHOWING HOW SORT OF THE MORE CENTRAL AREA MIGHT LAY OUT THE CENTRAL ZONE OF NORTH CONGRESS AVENUE.
SO THIS WAS FROM THE VISION PLAN, AND THIS IDEA WAS TO REALLY, THEY SORT OF DEVELOPED A NOTION OF CREATING DIFFERENT CHARACTER ZONES.
AND SO I JUST MENTIONED THE GREEN GATEWAY FROM THIRD STREET TO RIVERSIDE DRIVE, WHERE THE EMPHASIS IS REALLY ON SORT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, PUT, SORT OF TELLING THE STORY OF THE ENVIRONMENT, ENHAN ENHANCING THAT ENVIRONMENT, THAT'S RIGHT BY OUR, YOU KNOW, KIND OF PRECIOUS, UH, RIVER, COLORADO RIVER THAT'S PASSING BY.
BUT THEN ABOVE THAT, NORTH OF THAT IS THE HEART OF AUSTIN.
AND THEN ABOVE THAT IS THE CIVIC STAGE FROM NINTH TO 11TH STREET, WHICH IS REALLY THE AREA WHERE WE IMAGINE THERE BEING FEWER FIXED FURNISHINGS IN ORDER TO BE, TO ALLOW FOR, UM, EVENTS, SPECIAL PARADES OR OTHER CIVIC RELATED EVENTS THAT COULD HAPPEN IN THAT NORTHERN SECTION.
AND THEN THERE'S THE BRIDGE, WHICH IS A WHOLE SORT OF ENTITY UNTO ITSELF.
AND IT CERTAINLY WILL BE AN ICONIC
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ENTRANCE INTO THE DOWNTOWN AND A PLACE WHERE HOPEFULLY ONE IS REALLY WELCOMED AND, AND HAS A DISTINGUISHED MOMENT ON THAT BRIDGE BEFORE YOU ENTER INTO THE DOWNTOWN AND GO TO THE NEXT.AND SO PART OF THE THING THAT WE ASK OURSELVES AS URBAN DESIGNERS IS SHOULD THE WHAT THINGS SHOULD BE CONSISTENT ON THE AVENUE VERSUS THINGS THAT COULD VARY WITHIN THE STREET.
AND SO OUR TAKE ON THIS, WHICH IS I THINK SIMILAR CONFIRMS OR AFFIRMS THE VISION PLAN IS TO REALLY MAINTAIN CONSISTENT TREE LINES THROUGHOUT AND, UM, PLACING THE PLACEMENT OF STREET LIGHTING POLES IN ALIGNMENT WITH THOSE TREES, UM, USING THE SAME PAVERS FOR THE STOREFRONT AND THE WALKING ZONES, WHICH WAS DEPICTED IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
AND THEN USING A SMALLER PERMEABLE PAVER FOR THE AMENITY ZONE, REMEMBERING THAT THE AMENITY ZONE IS WHERE THE TREES ARE.
AND SO WE'D LIKE TO HAVE THAT SORT OF PERVIOUS AT THAT POINT, UH, IN THAT WHOLE EIGHT FOOT WIDTH OF THE AMENITY ZONE.
SO ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH, WHICH IS, UM, A REAL STUDY UNTO ITSELF IS WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE TREES? A LOT OF THE TREES ON THE AVENUE ARE KIND OF NEARING THE END OF THEIR LIVES.
MANY OF THEM ARE, UM, STRUCTURALLY HAVE BEEN, UH, DAMAGED OR ARE NOT IN GREAT HEALTH.
SO WE'VE GONE TO THE TROUBLE OF REALLY ANALYZING, UH, ANALYZING THE TREES, SEEING WHICH ONES COULD BE SAVED AND RELOCATED.
BUT THE SORT OF END GAME IS TO ULTIMATELY REPLACE ALL OF THE TREES IN THE AVENUE AND PLANT THEM IN A MUCH MORE, UH, AN ENVIRONMENT UNDERGROUND THAT'S MUCH MORE, UM, A GREAT PLACE FOR THE THR TREES TO THRIVE.
AND SO WE'LL PROBABLY BE USING SOIL CELLS, THAT'S OUR RECOMMENDATION AT THE BOTTOM THERE TO, UM, USE THOSE KINDS OF SOIL CELLS BECAUSE THEY ALLOW FOR THE TREE TO HAVE GREAT ROOT, UH, GROWTH AND SPREAD WHILE BEING ABLE TO SUPPORT PAVEMENT ON TOP OF THE ROOT BALL.
AND WE WOULD THINK ABOUT, LOOK AT RELOCATING ALL OF THOSE EXISTING HEALTHY TREES TO ANOTHER LOCATION SUCH AS NEARBY PARKLAND.
BUT WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY ARBORIST AND WATERSHED PROTECTION AND OTHER CITY DEPARTMENTS TO REALLY COME UP WITH A AVENUE SPECIFIC TREE PLAN.
AND THIS IS A, A PERSPECTIVE VIEW THAT WE DID JUST TO, IT'S A PROBABLY ONE YOU RECOGNIZE OF THE OLD BAKERY LOOKING NORTH TOWARDS THE CAPITOL OR TOWARDS THE 11TH STREET INTERSECTION.
AND HERE WE'RE JUST SHOWING, SHOWING AND WANTING TO MAKE THE POINT THAT WE DO HAVE QUITE A FEW VERY PRECIOUS HISTORIC RESOURCES ON THE AVENUE.
THIS ONE IS A, THE OLD LUNDBERG BAKERY, AND WE'RE, THE PROJECT WILL NOT AT ALL DISTURB THIS.
WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER, UM, PROJECTS OR BUILDINGS ON THE AVENUE THAT ALSO HAVE SIMILAR STRUCTURES THAT COME OUT INTO THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT THE PROJECT LOVE WILL NOT DISTURB EITHER.
HERE TOO, WE'RE SHOWING A CONTEMPORARY STREETLIGHT, WHICH IS THE CURRENT RECOMMENDATION IS TO INTRODUCE, UH, MORE SORT OF SLEEK, THE MINIMALIST, UH, STREETLIGHT THAT CAN BE SEEN AS BEING COMPATIBLE WITH THIS NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT THAT WE ARE IN, IN THIS AREA CAN GO NEXT.
SO LIGHTING IS A BIG THING AND IT'S NOT GREAT ON THE AVENUE TODAY IN TERMS OF, IT'S A, UM, FAIRLY STANDARD TYPE OF LUMINAIRE, ALTHOUGH IT IS ON A SORT OF A SPECIAL POLE THAT'S BEEN AROUND, I THINK SINCE THE SEVENTIES.
AND IT'S A DARK GREEN PAINTED FLUTED POLE THAT HAS, UM, SORT OF A ONE LUMINAIRE, THE TOP OF THE ROADWAY LUMINAIRE.
AND THESE ARE PLACED FAIRLY FAR BACK FROM THE SIDE.
I MEAN THE CURB EDGE TODAY, KIND OF IN THOSE LITTLE LANDSCAPED ISLANDS OR THE ISLANDS BETWEEN PARKING SPACES.
SO THEY'RE NOT DOING A GREAT JOB AT LIGHTING AND THEY'RE NOT TRULY A HISTORIC FIXTURE.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE OF THE CITY AND TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION TO REALLY COME UP WITH WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF LIGHTING TO USE IN THE HISTORIC DISTRICT.
AND SO WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE, UM, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE TO INTRODUCE THE SAME LIGHT THAT'S ON IN, ON EAST SIXTH STREET PECAN STREET? BUT ANY LIGHT THAT WE WOULD CHOOSE WOULD HAVE TO CONFORM TO DARK SKY STANDARDS.
SO, UM, THOSE ARE THE MAIN POINTS AROUND LIGHTING.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS, WE'RE AT THE BEGINNING OF TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, DEVELOP OUR FINAL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THIS FINAL SCHEMATIC DESIGN.
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SO THESE ARE JUST, UM, IDEAS ABOUT THE STREET AND AND PEDESTRIAN LIGHTING AND THE NOTION FROM THE VISION PLAN SAID TO ACTUALLY ADD AN ADDITIONAL, A PEDESTRIAN LUMINAIRE TO THE EXISTING POLE, WHICH WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT I THINK AUSTIN ENERGY WOULD APPROVE BECAUSE IT WOULD BE INTERVENING ON, UM, AN OLDER FIXTURE WITH LOTS OF ISSUES WITH THAT.AND SO THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE A MORE CONTEMPORARY, UH, LIGHT POLE IN LUMINAIRES AT BOTH THE PEDESTRIAN AND THE ROADWAY LEVELS.
SO NEXT SLIDE, SEATING AND FURNISHINGS, BECAUSE AGAIN, WE'RE IN THAT NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT FROM CESAR CHAVEZ ALL THE WAY TO 11TH STREET.
THERE HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME THE SUITE OF DARK GREEN PAINTED FURNISHINGS THAT INCLUDE THOSE ITEMS THAT YOU SEE HERE, THE, THE PLANTERS, THE WASTE, THE LITTER BINS, THE, THE STREET LIGHTING POLE ITSELF, UM, ET CETERA.
BUT YOU ALSO SEE THINGS LIKE IN THE TOP LEFT JORGE AND JILL.
THOSE ARE GREAT STREETS BENCHES ON CONGRESS AVENUE.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE A CONSCIOUS DECISION.
DO WE MAINTAIN THAT SORT OF DARK GREEN FAMILY OF FURNISHINGS OR DO WE, YOU KNOW, PROPOSE TO VEER OFF AND DO SOMETHING, SOMETHING ELSE? AND SO THIS IS WHAT PART OF OUR HOMEWORK THAT WE HAVE WITH THE GREAT STREETS PROGRAM TO REALLY DEVELOP THE NEW TYPOLOGY OR THE NEW TYPE FOR CONGRESS AVENUE.
BUT I THINK THERE IS A, UH, A FEELING FROM THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICE AND THE COMMISSIONERS ON THE LANDMARK COMMISSION THAT FEEL LIKE WE SHOULD STICK WITH THESE DARK GREEN FURNISHINGS, POSSIBLY WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THAT LOW PLANTER NEXT.
AND THEN THERE'S ALL KINDS OF AMENITIES THAT WE, WE COULD IMAGINE BEING THERE.
UM, IN TERMS OF FURNISHINGS, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT ZONES LIKE THE STOREFRONT ZONE, WE DEFINITELY WANNA GIVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS OWNERS TO CREATE THEIR OWN IDENTITY, THEIR OWN LOOK THERE, THEIR OWN FURNISHINGS.
SO WE CAN IMAGINE A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS BEING IN THAT STOREFRONT ZONE, WHICH IS THE FIRST EIGHT FEET OR SO FROM THE, FROM THE FACE OF THE BUILDINGS, WHICH ARE RIGHT ON THE PROPERTY LINE.
BUT THERE PROBABLY SHOULD BE SOME, UH, DESIGN GUIDELINES AROUND WHAT COULD BE THERE.
UH, THEN WE ALSO HAVE THE WHOLE NOTION OF PUBLIC ART AND SHOULD WE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING WE REALLY HAVEN'T EMBARKED ON YET IN TERMS OF WORKING WITH ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, BUT THAT'S THE, THE IDEA EVENTUALLY.
AND I KNOW THE DAA HAS A LOT OF INTEREST IN HOW, HOW DO WE EXPRESS OUR HISTORY AND CULTURE THROUGH, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE PUBLIC ART.
AND SO THERE'S A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT THROUGHOUT THE AVENUE OR IN MULTIPLE PLACES OR IN SINGULAR PLACE LIKE THE BRIDGE.
SO THIS IS AGAIN, SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WE, UH, WOULD LIKE TO ADVANCE A BIT ON IN THE NEXT COMING MONTHS.
SO THIS IS ANOTHER LITTLE PERSPECTIVE THAT WE DID THAT SHOWS THAT SORT OF CENTRAL ZONE, THE HEART OF AUSTIN ZONE.
SO AGAIN, YOU'RE SEEING KIND OF THESE GRANITE OR GRANITE LIKE LARGE FORMAT PAVERS IN BOTH THAT STOREFRONT ZONE AND THE WALKING OR THROUGH ZONE.
AND THEN YOU START TO SEE THAT AMENITY ZONE WITH ALSO SORT OF THE PINKISH COLORED PAVERS.
AND THIS IS ALL TO KIND OF CREATE A MORE OF A SIMPLE FLOOR OF THE KIND OF GRANITE LOOKING, UH, PAVING.
AND, AND THIS WOULD BE PROBABLY ONLY IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER DISTRICT PART OF THIS, OF THE AVENUE IMPROVEMENTS.
NEXT, THIS IS A IMAGE, A PERSPECTIVE FROM THE VISION PLAN THAT, UH, ENVISIONED THESE CANOPIES PERFORATED SORT OF SHADE STRUCTURES WITH PLANTERS AND WITH SOLID GUARDRAILS THAT OPEN UP INTO, UM, MORE TRANSPARENT ONES.
AND WE ARE, WE'RE TAKING, WHILE WE'RE TAKING LOTS OF CUES FROM THE VISION PLAN, THIS IS ONE AREA WHERE WE, WE'D LIKE TO DIFFER FROM WHAT THEY SAID AND NOT DO THE PLANTERS IN THIS AREA BECAUSE WE HAVE SUCH A LIMITATION ON SPACE AND THEY'RE REALLY KIND OF CONGESTING THE SPACE AND NOT GIVING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF SHY ZONE FOR THE CYCLISTS.
UM, THEY ALSO, THE CYCLISTS ARE KIND OF HAVE A VEHICLE BARRIER ON ONE SIDE AND THEN THESE PLANTERS ON ANOTHER.
SO THE IDEA EVEN FROM THE VISION PLAN, WAS THAT THESE SPACES WOULD FLOW A BIT MORE AND NOT BE QUITE SO RELEGATED TO AND SEGMENTED NEXT.
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THE BRIDGE, UM, HAS BEEN DEFINED AS A GATEWAY AND A GATHERING PLACE.AND SO THERE IS A REAL INTEREST IN CREATING AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OVERLOOKS OF THE BRIDGE, LIKE CANTILEVER SECTIONS OF, UM, THE BRIDGE THAT COULD BE USED FOR FOUR SMALL GATHERINGS OR FOR BAT VIEWING OR SUNSET VIEWING.
BUT THIS IS, UM, THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY ALSO TO REALLY UNDERSCORE THE IDEA THAT THIS IS A GATEWAY.
AND YOU CAN SEE BOTH THESE IMAGES ARE FROM THE VISION PLAN AND WE'RE CURRENTLY STUDYING, WELL WHAT COULD THOSE OPPORTUNITIES REALLY LOOK LIKE NEXT? AND THIS IS WHATEVER WE DO ON THE BRIDGE, WE, THE MOST PHENOMENAL THING ABOUT IT, I THINK AESTHETICALLY AND HISTORICALLY IS THESE BEAUTIFUL BIG ARCHES UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE AND THE PIERS THAT SUPPORT THOSE ARCHES.
UNFORTUNATELY, IN, UM, THE BRIDGE WAS BUILT IN 1910, FORTUNATELY IN, UNFORTUNATELY THE HIGHWAY PROJECT CAME IN IN 1980 THAT WIDENED THE BRIDGE BY ABOUT 30 FEET AND THEN CLIPPED THE TOPS OF THOSE LITTLE SECONDARY ARCHES AND REALLY MADE THE ARCHES NOT FUNCTION ANYMORE, EVEN THE PRIMARY ONES.
SO THERE'S THESE HUGE FOUR AND A HALF FEET DEEP BOX BEAMS THAT ARE, THAT'S THE NEW STRUCTURE FOR THE BRIDGE.
AND THE GOOD NEWS FOR THE BATS IS IT MADE A PERFECT HABITAT FOR THEM.
AND SO WE'RE BEING VERY VIGILANT ABOUT NOT DISTURBING THAT HABITAT.
AND THAT WILL ALSO, TO SOME EXTENT, LIMIT WHAT WE CAN DO WITH THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BRIDGE.
LIKE WE WOULD NOT WANNA LIGHT THE BRIDGE UNDERNEATH IT.
WE WOULDN'T WANT TO INTERFERE STRUCTURALLY WITH ANYTHING UNDER THE BRIDGE TOO MUCH, OR CERTAINLY NOT DURING THEIR, THEIR SEASON WHEN THEY'RE NESTING.
BUT WHATEVER WE DO, WE ALSO WANT TO RESPECT THAT SORT OF STRUCTURAL RHYTHM OF THE BRIDGE AND WHATEVER SORT OF OVERLOOKS THAT WE MIGHT, UM, PROJECT OUT FROM THE EDGE OF THE BRIDGE WOULD BE CENTERED ON THOSE PEERS OR THOSE BENDS.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT FROM A STRUCTURAL STANDPOINT AS WELL AS A VISUAL ONE NEXT.
AND SO THIS WAS AN, UH, IS AGAIN, A VERY PRELIMINARY RENDERING OF WHAT THE BRIDGE COULD LOOK LIKE AND HOW THE MATERIALS MIGHT WORK AND CHANGE.
AND SO I THINK THAT, UM, WE'RE SH SEEING HERE A VIEW PRETTY CLOSE TO CAESAR CHAVEZ AND LOOKING NORTH TOWARD THE CAPITAL.
AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS A, A VEHICLE BARRIER THAT THE TOP RAIL OF WHICH IS AT 42 INCHES TO PROTECT CYCLISTS FROM THE TRAFFIC.
AND THEN YOU SEE A VERY SMOOTH, PROBABLY CON CONCRETE WITH INTEGRAL COLOR CONCRETE THAT SIGNIFIES ON THE BIKE LANE.
AND THEN YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE A TRENCH DRAIN BECAUSE THIS IS THE POINT OF DRAINAGE OF THE BRIDGE TODAY WHERE THE OLD RAISED SIDEWALK CAME IN.
BUT THEN WE WANT KEEP THE, THOSE LEVELS BETWEEN THE BIKE AND THE, THE SIDEWALK AREA, PEDESTRIAN AREA FAIRLY FLUSH AND WE'RE, UH, PROPOSING TO CHANGE THE MATERIAL TO SOMETHING WOOD LIKE IF NOT WOOD ITSELF LIKE EPE OR ANOTHER SUSTAINABLE HARDWOOD TO CREATE THE SENSE OF A, A SORT OF A LIGHTER DECK THAT YOU MIGHT FEEL LIKE, ALMOST LIKE NAUTICAL OR THAT YOU'RE NOT ON A HOT PAVEMENT.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ISSUES THAT STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITH THE BRIDGE IS THAT IT CANNOT TAKE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF NEW WEIGHT OR NEW DEAD LOAD.
SO LIGHT IS THE NAME OF THE GAME AND WE CAN STILL DO THESE OVERLOOKS, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT AS WE ADD FURNISHINGS IN, IN HEAVY OBJECTS, WHICH IS ANOTHER REASON WHY WE DISPENSED WITH PUTTING PLANTERS ON THE BRIDGE NEXT.
SO THE, I THINK ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING PIECES OF THE PROJECT IS REALLY WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE GREEN, WHAT THE VISION PLAN CALLED THE GREEN GATEWAYS.
SO THOSE AREAS FLANKING THE RIVER AND THE BRIDGE ITSELF.
AND THIS WAS FROM THE VISION PLAN, WHICH SHOWED THIS VERY, UM, AMBITIOUS BUT BEAUTIFUL IDEA OF CREATING CASCADING RAIN GARDENS.
UH, THAT WOULD BE, UM, SET OUT FROM THE CORNER OF CESAR CHAVEZ AND CONGRESS AVENUE ON THE NORTHWEST CORNER.
AND SO WE WANT TO PAY A SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THAT SORT OF, THAT IMPORTANT INTERSECTION BECAUSE IT'S A WAY WAY TO GET DOWN TO OUR TRAILS.
AND TODAY YOU MUSTER, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD MISS THE FACT THAT THERE'S A WHOLE TRAIL SYSTEM 30 FEET BELOW YOU.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE REALLY WANNA UNDERSCORE WITH THIS PROJECT, IS ITS CONNECTION TO THE ENVIRONMENT, TO THE GREEN AND TO THE TRAIL SYSTEM BELOW NEXT.
[00:30:01]
SO THIS IS JUST A, A CENTRAL IMAGE IS JUST DEPICTING THESE KIND OF FOUR CORNER OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE HAVE AT EACH OF THE BRIDGE ABUTMENTS AND KIND OF WHAT DO THEY, HOW COULD WE, ESPECIALLY ON THE SOUTHEAST CORNER, WHICH IS YOUR LOWER RIGHT OF THAT CENTER IMAGE.THAT'S WHERE THE STATESMAN PUT IS.
AND AS YOU'LL PROBABLY KNOW, CUZ I THINK THEY CAME TO VISIT WITH YOU MOST LIKELY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN AREA OF A GREAT SORT OF OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH, UH, THE DEVELOPER THERE TO ACHIEVE A SEAMLESS SORT OF REALLY UNIFIED STREET SCAPE EDGE AND CONNECTION DOWN FROM THE BRIDGE LEVEL TO THE TRAIL LEVEL NEXT.
SO, UM, AGAIN, I THINK AGAIN, ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING THINGS ABOUT IT IS DOING THIS INTERPRETIVE AND PUBLIC ART ELEMENTS, WHICH REALLY AGAIN, HAVE NOT EMBARKED ON YET.
BUT THIS WAS, UM, THESE ARE JUST SORT OF SOME IMAGES OF WHAT'S THERE NOW ON THE AVENUE AND AROUND THE AVENUE IN TERMS OF PUBLIC ART.
UM, SO I'M SURE THESE ARE ALL FAMILIAR TO YOU ALL AND THIS, THAT LITTLE EXCERPT IS ACTUALLY THE MAP FROM THE CITY'S OWN PUBLIC ART SORT OF MAP AND UM, THAT LINKS WITH WHAT IT IS TODAY.
BUT, SO I THINK SOME QUESTIONS HERE ARE WHAT IS IT THAT WE DO WANNA INTERPRET HERE ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE CULTURE OF THIS AREA AND, UH, WHAT, WHAT FORM COULD THAT TAKE? UM, I THINK ON SECOND STREET, THE SECOND STREET DISTRICT PROJECT, THE CITY OPTED TO HIRE A MASTER PLAN ARTIST, IF YOU WILL, WHO THEN SORT OF ESTABLISHED, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE IDEA WOULD BIG IDEA WOULD BE.
AND IN THAT CASE IT WAS THE CREEK SYSTEM OF AUSTIN.
AND SO THEN SHE HIRED VARIOUS ARTISTS TO, TO DO, UH, DESIGNS FOR DIFFERENT BLOCKS.
UH, THAT WOULD DEPICT IN SOME WAY OR ANOTHER THE SENSE OF THE CREEKS.
SO SHOULD IT BE SOMETHING LIKE THAT OR SHOULD IT BE, UM, SOME SET ASIDE FUNDING FOR ART AND PUBLIC PLACES THAT COULD EVOLVE MORE OPPORTUNISTICALLY THROUGH TIME NEXT.
AND SO THIS WAS A BIG IDEA IN THE VISION PLAN CALLED VIBRANT CROSSINGS.
AND SOMEHOW LIKE WITH THE, IN THE DIFFERENT AREAS YOU SEE THESE EAST WEST OR THE CROSS STREETS, THE IDEA WAS TO, THROUGH THE USE OF ASPHALT ART WAS REALLY, YOU KNOW, TAKING WHAT WAS IMPORTANT ABOUT THAT STREET AND MAKING IT COME ALIVE EVEN ON THE SURFACE OF THOSE PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.
SO THAT'S AN IDEA AND A LOT OF THAT, UH, THESE IDEAS WERE DERIVED FROM THE AUSTIN, THE STORY OF AUSTIN AUSTIN STORY, WHICH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE COMMISSIONED FROM A HISTORIAN AND INTERPRETIVE HISTORIAN TED UBANK, SO THAT THAT DOCUMENT COULD ACTUALLY BE THE INSPIRATION FOR SOME OF THESE ARTISTIC OPPORTUNITIES.
SO I THINK I'LL HAND IT BACK OVER TO LAURA, TALK ABOUT PHASING.
AND THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT AND, AND JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SPEAK WITH YOU AS DESIGN, UH, PROFESSIONALS AND AS PEOPLE WHO REALLY CARE ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THE CITY, UM, TO OFFER WHERE WE ARE.
WE HAVE THIS INITIAL DESIGN, UH, PHASE, EXCUSE ME, THAT WE ARE UNDER UNDERGOING NOW, WHICH WILL INCLUDES ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS, UH, THE STREET AND AND BRIDGE DESIGN, LIGHTING, HARDSCAPE, LANDSCAPE, UTILITY ANALYSIS, REALLY TRYING TO GET AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO REALLY REALIZE THIS VISION PLAN.
UM, WHAT WE WOULD BE DOING IMMEDIATELY NEXT IS TO OFFER, UH, SOME, UH, DESIGN CONCEPTS, UH, THAT WE HOPE TO REALLY REALIZE THAT VISION PLAN AND, AND CHECK IN WITH THE COMMUNITY, UH, ABOUT THAT, UH, HERE COMING UP SORT OF LATE SPRING TIMEFRAME.
UM, AND THEN BIG PICTURE IN TERMS OF WHAT WE'RE FUNDED TO DO AT THIS POINT IS TO GET TO A 30% DESIGN PHASE THAT REALLY KIND OF SETS, YOU KNOW, THE STAGE, IF YOU WILL, FOR WHAT, WHAT WE'RE, WHAT THE, HOW THE SPACE WOULD START TO, TO SHAPE UP AND START TO GET AT SOME OF THE, UM, WHAT CAN WE, UH, PULL OFF IN TERMS OF A PIECE OF THIS PUZZLE, UH, TOWARDS CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THAT IS JUST YET CUZ WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET AT WHAT IS THE TRUE COSTS, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THIS WHOLE PROJECT, NOT JUST THE THE HORIZONTAL FLOOR, THE SURFACE, BUT, BUT ALL OF IT, UM, UTILITIES AND ALL OF THE PIECES THAT, PIECES THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT.
BUT CERTAINLY THIS IS GETTING US STARTED AND AS, AS THE RESULT OF THE 2020 BOND.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO COME TO YOU TODAY WITH AS MUCH AS WE KNOW NOW AND, AND WORK WITH Y'ALL AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO THAT FIRST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WITH THAT, I'LL, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, JUST TO OFFER, UM, A PICTURE OF THE REALLY TALENTED
[00:35:01]
TEAM THAT'S LED BY BENEDICT, UH, PATRICK AND THE TEAM AT HTR AND ALL OF THEIR REALLY TALENTED SUB-CONSULTANTS THAT REALLY HAVE BROUGHT THE WHEREWITHAL TO, TO GET THIS, THIS PROJECT REALLY UNDERWAY.UM, AND THEN NEXT SLIDE WE'LL JUST, UH, OFFER NOW QUESTIONS AND DISCUSSION, ANYTHING THAT COMES TO MIND AND WE CAN FLIP BACK THROUGH THE DECK IF ANYTHING, IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE ANYTHING AGAIN.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? COMMISSIONER WATLEY? YES.
IT'S A REALLY EXCITING PROJECT.
UM, I HAD A QUESTION JUST ABOUT WHERE Y'ALL ARE IN THE TIMELINE.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF, IN THE PRESENTATION THERE'S A LOT OF VERY SPECIFIC KIND OF DESIGN MOVEMENTS AND PROPOSALS AND HOW MUCH SOME OF THOSE ARE KIND OF HIGH LEVEL THINGS THAT ARE Y'ALL FEEL ARE SET AND, UM, THE INPUT TO COME AND FURTHER DESIGN WOULD BE MORE DETAILED OR ARE YOU GONNA KIND OF COME BACK AND RETHINK SOME OF THE, THE LARGER MOVES? IS IT, THAT'S A QUESTION.
AND THEN THE SECOND QUESTION IS WITH REGARDS TO THE, THE TRAVEL FLEX PARKING CIRCULATOR LANE.
I'M NOT SURE IF I QUITE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS WITH DELIVERY VEHICLES AND RIDE SHARE AND BUS AND CIRCULATOR AND ALL OF THE THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE AN ABILITY FOR SOME OF THESE LANES.
IF WE DON'T HAVE A PLATE FOR EVERYTHING THEY GO, JUST A LOT OF CONGESTION TO HAPPEN ST.
THANK YOU FOR BOTH OF THOSE QUESTIONS.
UM, SO KIND OF TO THINK BACK TO THAT, UH, SECOND TO LAST SLIDE THERE, JUST IN TERMS OF TIMELINE, WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE SEVEN MONTHS INTO AN 18 MONTH PROCESS TO GET TO AT LEAST LIKE THAT 30% DESIGN CONCEPT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE IMMEDIATE KNOWN TIMELINE.
OF COURSE THE, IF WE THINK ABOUT THE BIGGER PICTURE OF THE PROJECT ITSELF STARTED IN 2017 TO REALLY ESTABLISH THAT VISION PLAN.
SO REALLY WHAT YOU'RE HEARING IN TERMS OF THE ANSWER TO YOUR SECOND QUESTION IS TAKING THAT VISION PLAN AND TAKING A LOT OF GUIDANCE FROM IT.
SO A LOT OF THE DESIGN ELEMENTS WE TALKED ABOUT TONIGHT JUST IN, UH, SERVICE TO THE AUDIENCE HERE TONIGHT AND, AND YOURSELVES AS DESIGN PROFESSIONALS.
WE, UM, WE REALLY ARE THINKING A LOT ABOUT THOSE ELEMENTS OF THE DESIGN PLAN AS IT IS REALIZED INTO A 30% DESIGN.
UM, AS FAR AS WHERE WE WOULD GO FROM THAT 30% INTO IN A, INTO A CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
I WILL SAY WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET IN TERMS OF A TIMELINE OR KNOWING HOW THAT WOULD ACTUALLY UNFOLD.
WE, WE HAVE A FEW MORE, UM, THINGS TO FIGURE OUT YET, BUT I THINK BY THE TIME WE'RE READY TO SHARE AN INITIAL KIND OF DESIGN CONCEPT WITH THE PUBLIC, WHICH WOULD BE LATER THIS SPRING, WE'D, WE'D HAVE A LOT MORE, UM, UNDERSTOOD AND, AND MORE YET AS WE GO INTO A SECOND, THERE'D BE A, YOU COULD EXPECT A SECOND MEETING THAT WOULD REFLECT BACK WHAT WE HEARD IN THE FIRST TO KIND OF BRING, UH, BRING US ALL ALONG IN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF HOW WE WOULD REALIZE THIS VISION PLAN.
OH, AND THEN, SORRY, AS FAR AS OPERATIONS GO WITH THE FLEX LANES.
UM, MAYBE THERE WERE THREE QUESTIONS IN THOSE TWO QUESTIONS NOW,
UM, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY AS WE ALL EXPERIENCE IT, IT IS, IT, IT AS WELL, BUT FROM A JUST TRAFFIC OPERATIONS STANDPOINT, IT FUNCTIONS REALLY DIFFERENTLY.
WHAT IS CONSISTENT ARE, ARE PEOPLE ARE MOVING THROUGH IT AND ACROSS IT, UM, AS WELL AS DELIVERIES AS YOU MENTIONED.
SO, UM, WITH THE FIVE LANE SECTION THAT'S GONNA OFFER THE MOST AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY, ESPECIALLY AS YOU GET UP INTO THE UPPER BLOCKS THAT ARE A LOT QUIETER, SORT OF NORTH OF SEVENTH, UM, BEING ABLE TO USE THAT SPACE IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO THE OPPORTUNITY IN SOME OF THE BLOCKS WHERE THERE'S NOT GONNA BE LEFT TURN LANES TO THINK ABOUT MAYBE DELIVERIES COULD BE DONE, UM, IN THE MIDDLE, UH, OF THE STREET THAT IS DONE IN OTHER CITIES AROUND NORTH AMERICA.
JUST THINKING REALLY CREATIVELY ABOUT HOW WE CAN USE THAT STREET SPACE TO BETTER, UM, OFFER THE FUNCTIONS THAT BOTH, UH, RETAIL, UM, PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLISTS, PEOPLE ON SCOOTERS, DRIVERS ALL NEED TO, TO USE THE SPACE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UNDERSTANDING, UM, CONGRESS IN THE CONTEXT OF ALL OF ITS, OF ITS CROSSINGS AND SIDE STREETS AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE REALLY THINKING ABOUT THE WHOLE THING AS A NETWORK WITHIN THE DOWNTOWN, UH, FOR MANAGING SOME OF THAT CURB DEMAND THAT YOU WERE SPEAKING TO, WHETHER IT'S RIDE SHARE OR OTHERS.
THERE'S, THERE'S WAYS YOU CAN MANAGE THAT, UM, MUCH, MUCH BETTER WITH, UM, AS, AS WE THINK ABOUT RE LIKE REDESIGNING RIGHT, THE STREET ITSELF AND KIND OF USING, USING A LOT OF THE SPACE IN, IN SORT OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO CREATE THAT CURB.
[00:40:02]
UH, COMMISSIONERS COMMISSIONER WILLIS IN.UH, SO CAN I JUST CLARIFY ON THAT LAST POINT, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE BOOK AS WELL.
UM, SO IT'S LESS AT CHANGES IN TIME, LIKE ONE MINUTE OR ONE DAY IN PARKING, THE NEXT DAYS OF TRAFFIC LIGHT, THE MORE THAT IT CHANGES FROM ONE BLOCK TO THE NEXT.
IS THAT CORRECT? IT'S HARD TO HEAR.
IT WAS VERY HARD TO HEAR YOU, YOU WERE KIND OF CUTTING IN AND OUT.
DO YOU MIND SAYING THAT ONE MORE TIME? I THINK THIS HAPPENED TO ME LAST TIME AS WELL.
UM, IS THIS BETTER? IT'S A BIT, YES.
YEAH, I CAN, I, SO I'M JUST ASKING IS IT LESS THAT IT CHANGES THE FLEX LANE? IS IT LESS THAT IT CHANGES IN TIME AND MORE THAT IT CHANGES FROM ONE BLOCK TO THE NEXT? SO YES, IT'S FLEXIBLE IN SPACE RATHER THAN FLEXIBLE IN TIME, IS THAT RIGHT? I IT'S REALLY BOTH AND PERHAPS MORE FLEXIBLE IN TIME.
UM, BUT SPACE IN AND OF ITSELF, THAT'S WHERE THE FLEXIBILITY COMES OUT OF, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT TALKING MAYBE, UH, UM, IT COULD BE A VARIETY OF THINGS.
MAYBE IT'S A, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY FOR FESTIVALS, RIGHT? THERE'S, UM, CLOSURES OF THE STREET, SO THAT'S MAYBE ON ONE SIDE OF THE SPECTRUM.
AND THEN ON THE OTHER SIDE, MAYBE THERE'S, UM, IN CERTAIN, BACK TO THE CURB MANAGEMENT QUESTION, UM, THAT COMMISSIONER WALEY, UH, ASKED ABOUT MAYBE THERE'S SOME EXPERIMENTATION ON CERTAIN BLOCKS, UH, AROUND USE OF THAT OUTSIDE LANE FOR CERTAIN FREIGHT OR RIDE SHARE TO KEEP EVERYBODY BOTH MOVING BUT ALSO SAFELY EMBARKING DISEMBARKING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S WAYS TO UNDERSTAND IT, IT'S JUST THAT IF YOU STEP BACK A SECOND THAT, THAT FIVE LANE SECTIONS, WHAT REALLY OFFERS THAT FLEXIBILITY BOTH IN TIME AND SPACE.
I, UM, I LOVE THE IDEA AS LONG AS WE ARE AMBITIOUS WITH THAT FLEX SPACE, BECAUSE I WANNA THINK THAT IT WILL JUST BECOME A TRAFFIC LANE AND THEN WE WILL HAVE LOST THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TAKE THAT SPACE BACK IN A MORE DEFINED WAY.
SO, UM, I GUESS MY COMMENT IS, UM, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE'LL BE REALLY AMBITIOUS WITH THE WAY WE USE THAT, THOSE EXTRA FLEX LANE.
UM, BUT I'M REALLY EX AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHAT CONGRESS CAN BE.
I LOVE THE, UM, RESTROOMS, DRINKING FOUNTAINS, GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE SEATING, UM, UH, IT'S, YEAH, I'M EX I'M EXCITED.
THANK YOU FOR, APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT.
I'VE GOT A FEW, UH, COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS.
UH, SO FOR ME, PART OF THE ICONIC NATURE OF CONGRESS AVENUE ARE THE TREES AND YOU MENTIONED YOU'RE TAKING ALL THE TREES AWAY.
UM, I GUESS IT'S, IT'S MORE OF A RECOMMENDATION THAT WHAT TREES YOU GO BACK WITH.
I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT YOU GET THE LARGEST TREES THAT YOU POSSIBLY CAN BECAUSE IF WE HAVE TO WAIT 50 YEARS TO GET MORE SHADE ON CONGRESS, I MEAN, IT'S REALLY GONNA AFFECT THE WAY THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE THAT, THAT STREET.
AND I, YOU KNOW, WHILE I UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE REMOVING 'EM, IT'S ALSO KIND OF HEARTBREAKING AT THE SAME TIME.
AND I, AND I REALIZE THEY'RE NOT ALL IN GREAT SHAPE.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A COMMENT ON THAT.
UH, ALSO COMMENT ON, I APPRECIATE THE, UH, DESIGN INTENT TO SORT OF WEAVE THE, THE BIKE LANES AND THE, AND THE SIDEWALKS TOGETHER, BUT I WOULD ALSO SAY IT'S SEPARATE IS ALSO GOOD IN SOME LOCATIONS.
AS, AS AN AVID BIKER AROUND TOWN, I'VE DEFINITELY EXPERIENCED WHERE THE BIKE LANE GETS BLOCKED BY PEDESTRIANS AND IT, AND IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO, TO GET BY ON A B ON A BICYCLE.
SO, UM, I THINK THERE'S, THERE'S CONDITIONS WHERE BOTH ARE APPROPRIATE IN LOOKING AT THOSE.
UM, AND I SAY THAT BECAUSE, WELL, I KNOW THERE'S THAT AMENITY ZONE OR WHATEVER YOU CALLED IT IN BETWEEN THERE, SOME OF THE RENDERINGS SHOWED THAT THEY WERE VERY CLOSE TOGETHER AND MAYBE NOT EVEN HAVING ANY, UH, TREES OR FURNITURE SEPARATING THE TWO.
AND THEN A COUPLE OF COMMENTS.
SO JUST TO CLARIFY, THE BOND FUNDING THAT YOU MENTIONED, IS THE, THAT'S
[00:45:01]
JUST FOR THE 30% DESIGN THAT'S FUNDED OR IS THE ENTIRE DESIGN FUNDED? UH, GREAT QUESTION.SO, UM, THIS IS ONE OF FOUR NAMED BOND PROJECTS.
UH, SO IT'S DEFINITELY, UM, IN A RARE CLASS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR REALIZATION.
WITH THAT SAID, IT DOESN'T HAVE QUITE ENOUGH.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'D LIKE TO GET TO SOME PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION, CERTAINLY HAVE FUNDS FOR THE 30% DESIGN AND, AND BEYOND TO A HUNDRED PERCENT.
IT'S JUST THAT WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS APPROACH IT STRATEGICALLY, UH, TO FIND WHAT CAN WE DO WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE.
SO FIRST WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT LIKE WHAT IS IT GONNA COST
AND THEN, UM, FROM THERE, BE ABLE TO LEVERAGE WHAT THE BOND FUNDING THAT WE DO HAVE TO GET TO THAT FIRST CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
SO I WOULD SAY THERE WILL BE A CONSTRUCTION PHASE, UH, THERE WILL BE 30% TO 60, 90, A HUNDRED OF THAT CONSTRUCTION PHASE.
AND THEN CERTAINLY WE WANNA GET TO A FULL 30% OF THE ENTIRE THING SO WE CAN REALLY GRAB ALL THAT WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT IT SO THAT WE CAN ADVANCE THOSE OTHER PHASES AS OTHER AN ADDITIONAL FUNDING MATERIALIZES, UM, TO PULL OFF THE ENTIRE THING, WHICH IS YES, GONNA BE DAUNTING, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO KIND OF SET THAT BAR HIGH.
UM, AND THEN THE LAST PIECE, UH, THE BRIDGE, AND YOU TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE BRIDGE, WHICH I APPRECIATE, AND, UH, THE BATS THEMSELVES.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S SACRED TO THIS CITY, AND I SEE YOU HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT ON YOUR TEAM.
ARE THEY TASKED AT, AT BEING PROACTIVE AT KIND OF LOOKING AT HOW THE DESIGN IS GONNA SPECIFICALLY IMPACT THESE BATS? THE SHORT ANSWER IS YES, AND I THINK BENEDICT COULD PROBABLY OFFER, YOU MIGHT HAVE TO BE AT A MICROPHONE, UH, FOR OTHERS.
YEAH, WE HAVE, UH, THE HJR TEAM, UH, IS LEADING THE ENVIRONMENTAL ALSO.
WE HAVE A SPECIFIC FIRM CALLED, UH, ZARA, UH, ENVIRONMENTAL FIRM.
AND THEY'RE DOING RIGHT NOW FOR THE 30%, THEY'RE DOING A PRELIMINARY STUDY.
UH, THEY'RE INVESTIGATING THE SPECIES OF THE BATS, UH, AND, UH, WHAT KIND OF NOISE LEVELS AND LIGHT LEVELS ARE IMPACTED BY.
AND THEY'RE GIVING US A RECOMMENDATION, UH, IN TERMS OF CON LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEED TO DO DURING CONSTRUCTION SO THAT WE DON'T DISTURB THE BATS AND WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR WE NEED TO DO THE CONSTRUCTION.
SO THAT WAY, UH, WHEN THE BATS ARE FLYING AWAY, UH, THAT IS WHEN WE WANT TO DO THE WORK, UH, BUT NOT WHEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE ROOSTING SO THEY'RE DOING THE REPORTS AND WE'LL TAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN WE DO THE PLAN AND THEN ALSO THE CONSTRUCTION TIMELINE.
YEAH, WELL I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION AND I LOVE THE URBAN DESIGN CONCEPTS AND EVERYTHING THAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT, BUT I'VE BEEN ON THIS, UH, ON THIS COMMISSION A LONG TIME AND I WAS LOOKING BACK AT MY NOTES AND I SAW ONE OF THE PRESENTATIONS BALANCE THE AVENUE THAT WAS 2018.
AND, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE CAN REALLY DOWNPLAY THE TRANSPORTATION PART OF THIS ISSUE BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE WERE FOCUSED ON BACK AT THAT TIME.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WELL, WHERE'S THE PARKING GONNA HAPPEN? HOW'S ALL THIS? HOW'S THE TRAFFIC GONNA BE? KIND OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, PACIFIED THROUGH CONGRESS AVENUE AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I SEE ALL THESE KIND OF GREAT IMAGES IN.
THE OTHER THING THAT REALLY EXCITED ME ABOUT CONGRESS AVENUE WAS WHEN BART WALEY, COMMISSIONER WATLEY AND I WORKED ON THE SOUTH SHORE MASTER PLAN, AND WE WERE LOOKING AT CONNECTIONS TO SOUTH SHORE IN CONGRESS AVENUE, AND THERE WERE A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS.
AND NOW THAT SOUTH SHORE IS GONNA HA BE A MAIN TRANSIT AREA, AND YOU KNOW, I I'D LIKE TO KIND OF SEE WHERE THE, THE TRANSPORTATION REALLY, YOU, YOU CAN'T DOWNPLAY TRANSPORTATION WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT ANYTHING IN AUSTIN.
SO NO MATTER WHAT EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T GET THE CARS OFF THE STREET, IF YOU DON'T, DON'T GET THE P CARS PARKING IN A CERTAIN PLACE, IT AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN.
BUT I'D LIKE TO HEAR KIND OF LIKE WHAT IS YOUR, WHAT IS Y'ALL'S THOUGHT ABOUT CONNECTING TO SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION EFFORTS THAT ARE GOING ON IN TOWN AND THAT COULD REALLY MAKE CONGRESS AVENUE MORE SUCCESSFUL? BECAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT MY NOTES FOR 2018, THE, UH, BALANCE AVENUE, THAT WAS OUR BIGGEST CONCERN.
WHERE ARE PEOPLE GONNA PARK? WHERE ARE THE SERVICE, UH, VEHICLES GONNA PARK WHEN THEY'RE BLOCKING UP THE STREET? YOU KNOW, AND THAT WAS, I THINK THAT WAS SIX LANES BACK THEN, 13 FOOT SIDEWALKS.
SO CAN YOU KIND OF LIKE ADDRESS THAT FOR ME AND KIND OF, LET'S GO BACK A LITTLE BIT IN HISTORY AND LET'S, LET'S BE REAL THAT TRANSPORTATION IS A BIG PART OF THIS.
YES, IT, IT'S DEFINITELY A, A, A BIG PART, ALTHOUGH IT IS THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE.
[00:50:01]
THIS IS ABOUT MAKING SURE CONGRESS CAN FUNCTION, UM, AS A STREET AS WELL AS INTERACTION WITH ALL OF THE OTHER, UH, STREETS IN THE DOWNTOWN AND ALL OF THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT YOU MENTIONED, BUT ALSO TO RECOGNIZE ITS ITS ROLE AS REALLY AN ICONIC IMPORTANT STREET WITHIN OUR CITY, RIGHT? SO REALLY TAKING BOTH, UM, AND NOT THAT ONE NEEDS TO PLAY AGAINST THE OTHER AT ALL.I THINK IT, THIS IS ABOUT BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER AND, UM, THAT, THAT BALANCE, THE AVENUE CONCEPT FROM 2017 WAS REALLY ONE OF THOSE CATALYTIC, UM, PIECES OF THE VISION PLAN THAT WE'RE NOW TRYING TO REALIZE IN THIS NEXT PHASE.
SO WE'RE ABSOLUTELY, UM, IN THE, THE THICK OF, OF WORKING THAT OUT WITH, WITH ROBUST ANALYSES AS WELL AS UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, THERE'S PROBABLY NOT, NOT A, THE PROBABLY THE BEST TIME TO DO THIS WAS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE 20 YEARS AGO, BUT NOW WE KNOW RIGHT? WHAT WE DON'T KNOW, AND THERE'S ALL THESE OTHER PROJECTS LIKE PROJECT CONNECT AND, AND THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
AND SO REALLY THIS IS, AND NOT TO MENTION THERE IS A WHOLE DOWNTOWN, UM, AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THE, UM, THE ACT PLAN, THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, SO TO KIND OF UPDATE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, UM, CORE MOBILITY PLAN.
SO THERE'S REALLY THE, THE BEST TIME OTHER THAN 20 YEARS AGO IS NOW
UM, SO, SO THOSE ARE ALL PART OF THIS PLANNING OR THIS DESIGN AND PLANNING PROCESS REALLY TO TAKE THE VISION PLAN AND INTEGRATE IT IN WITH ALL THESE OTHER INITIATIVES FOR SURE.
UM, AND WHY THE TEAM AT HDR IS REALLY SO DEEP AND BROAD WITH ALL THE EXPERTISE TO REALLY GRAPPLE WITH THAT AND HELP TO MOVE FORWARD, UH, THAT VISION PLAN INTO REALITY.
SO MY FOLLOW UP QUESTION IS THAT I THINK SINCE THE, UH, 2018 BALANCE AVENUE HAPPENED, I THINK CAPITAL METRO ACTUALLY REORGANIZED THEIR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WHERE THEY HAD BUS ROUTES GOING, YOU KNOW, ONE WAY AND THE OTHER WAY, WHICH IS VERY STRATEGIC MOVE.
BUT YOU KNOW, I WOULD KIND OF LIKE TO SEE HOW YOUR NEW PLAN IS GONNA KIND OF LIKE COORDINATE WITH THOSE EFFORTS AND MAYBE I DIDN'T SEE ANY BUS STOPS OR ANYTHING IN YOUR BEAUTIFUL RENDERINGS AND STUFF, BUT HOW THAT'S ALL GONNA KIND OF LIKE WORK TOGETHER SO PEOPLE THAT DON'T HAVE CARS AND WE CAN EARN, ENCOURAGE PEOPLE NOT TO DRIVE DOWNTOWN TO ENJOY CONGRESS, BUT TO TAKE THE BUS BECAUSE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO GET OFF AND WALK OVER TO A GREAT PLACE LIKE Y'ALL SHOW IN YOUR IMAGES.
I THINK THAT'S THE CORE TO THE REBALANCE THE AVENUE OR BALANCE THE AVENUE IS REALLY ABOUT UNDERSTANDING TO YOUR POINT THAT THERE'S, IF WE CAN GIVE PEOPLE CHOICES IN HOW THEY GET AROUND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO SCENARIO BY WHICH SOMEONE SHOULD DRIVE FROM THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT TO DOWNTOWN EVER, RIGHT?
AND THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE CAN DO, YOU KNOW, TOGETHER, IF WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE RESOURCES, WE HAVE TO REALIZE THAT THAT NEXT PHASE OF DESIGN OR THAT INITIAL PHASE OF DESIGN FROM THE VISION PLAN
YOU KNOW, I WENT TO JAPAN THIS LAST FOUR, FOUR WEEKS, FOUR MONTHS AGO, AND IT'S JUST TOTALLY AMAZING HOW EVERYTHING IS SO WELL COORDINATED.
YOU CAN GET, YOU DON'T EVEN NEED A CAR, YOU DON'T EVEN WANT TO DRIVE A CAR BECAUSE EVERYTHING IS SO SIMPLE AND EVERYTHING'S SO CONVENIENT, EVERYTHING'S ON TIME.
SO I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE EMPHASIS PUT ON LIKE, LET'S, LET'S KIND OF MIX THE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
LET'S KIND OF LIKE USE CONGRESS AVENUE AS A WAY TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND MAKE IT SO EASY TO GET DOWN THERE SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO START THEIR CAR UP AND LOOK FOR A PARKING SPACE.
THAT, I GUESS THAT'S MY BIGGEST MESSAGE.
UH, SO ONE THING THAT I WANTED TO KIND OF TACK ONTO THE, UH, QUESTION ABOUT TRANS OPTIONS IS, UH, THE CONSIDERATION FOR PETTY CABS, I MEAN, KNOW THAT THAT'S KIND OF ARCHAIC GIVEN THE SCOOTER CULTURE, BUT UM, YOU KNOW, CLEARLY THEY DO UTILIZE THAT PATH QUITE A BIT, ESPECIALLY, UH, DURING FESTIVALS.
SO IS THAT SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL HAVE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO YEAH, PENNY CABS ARE GENERALLY COMPATIBLE WITH ANY OF OUR PROTECTED BIKE LANE, YOU KNOW, DIMENSIONING, LIKE THEY CAN WORK.
UM, IT'S HARD TO, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T DO TWO PETTY CAPS SIDE BY SIDE
[00:55:01]
THE PEDESTRIAN, THE SIDEWALK, LIKE HOW ALL THAT IS SORT OF INTERACTING RELATIVE TO SOMETHING THAT MAYBE COULD GO A BIT FASTER AND, AND BE, UM, YOU KNOW, COMPATIBLE WITH A, A RELAXED KIND OF, YOU KNOW, ENVIRONMENT.UM, IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN PULL THAT OFF, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE OVERALL APPROACH TO THE DESIGN.
COMMISSIONER LUKINS, THAT GREAT COMMISSIONER LUKINS IN THE MICROPHONE.
I THOUGHT THAT WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, SOME OF US WHO HAVE BEEN AROUND HERE A LONG TIME, UH, REMEMBER JUST, UH, HOW IT WAS BEFORE ALL THIS HAPPENED AND, BUT THERE ARE TWO THINGS.
ONE I'D LIKE TO SUGGEST OR RECOMMEND THAT DOWN THE TREE PLANT HAPPENED THAT THERE'S A DIVERSITY OF TREE SPECIES, YOU KNOW, IN VARIOUS PARTS OF THE COUNTRY.
THERE'LL BE, UH, UH, I DON'T KNOW, DISEASE OR INSECT INFESTATION OR KILL ALL THE TREES AT ONCE, SO A DIVERSITY OF TREE SPECIES.
THE OTHER THING THOUGH WAS, UH, ARE THERE BUSES ON CONGRESS AVENUE? YES, THERE'S A, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, WE DON'T, THERE'S NOT CURRENT BUS SERVICE.
THERE WAS SOME NIGHT SERVICE AT SOME POINT AND IT DOES CHANGE VERY FREQUENTLY.
UM, SO YEAH, SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE KIND OF THING WHERE YOU'D WANT TO THINK ABOUT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO THINK ABOUT DOWNTOWN AS A GRID, YOU KNOW, THAT SERVES ALL MODES AND WE THINK ABOUT HOW THAT WOULD, I MEANT WAS ARE THERE, IS, ARE THERE, DO YOU ENVISION HAVING BUZZED ON CONGRESS? I THINK WE, WE WOULD WANT TO APPROACH THIS WITH, AND TO NOT FORECLOSE ON THAT, BUT TO LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY WITH ALL THE OTHER NEEDS OF THE STREET AND SORT OF THINK ABOUT HOW WOULD WE INTEGRATE THAT TOGETHER AND, AND HOW WOULD WE USE THE SIDE STREETS AND THE CROSS STREETS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, PROXIMITY AND EASE AND TIME COMPETITIVENESS WITH TRANSIT SERVING THE DOWNTOWN AS A WHOLE AND, AND WHERE CONGRESS FITS INTO THAT AND, AND THEN APPRECIATING THAT, YOU KNOW, BUS, LOCAL BUS SERVICE CAN CHANGE.
SO WE, WE NEED TO JUST EMBRACE THAT FLEXIBILITY THROUGH, THROUGH THE, THROUGH THE PLANNING PROCESS AND, AND, UH, YEAH, TO KEEP THOSE OPTIONS OPEN REALLY.
I THINK I'M THE ONLY ONE LEFT.
UM, OH, DO YOU MIND ONE OTHER THOUGHT, JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENT ON THE TREES AND I JUST WANTED TO PLUG THE, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE DID, UH, A TREE STUDY AND IDENTIFIED I THINK A VARIETY OF SPECIES THAT WOULD BE MORE COMPATIBLE, UM, FOR, UM, YEAH, FOR THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS AREA.
SO COMMISSIONER CARROLL, SORRY, I JUST WANNA FOLLOW UP ON THAT.
THIS HAS BEEN A TOPIC OF, OF CONVERSATION RECENTLY THAT WE NEED TO BE COGNIZANT OF, EVEN WHEN WE'RE USING NATIVE TREES, WE'RE PUTTING THEM IN NON-NATIVE CONDITIONS WHEN THEY'RE SURROUNDED BY BUILDINGS.
AND SO UNDERSTANDING THEIR EXPOSURE TO SUN AND, AND LIGHT AND, AND WIND AND THOSE CONDITIONS ON CONGRESS.
UM, UH, CHAIR, CHAIR WEAVER, COMMISSIONER ROLLON.
CAN I SAY IT WAS THE LAST COMMENT? UM, I JUST WANNA GO ADD TO, UH, CHECK HER'S COMMENT ABOUT THE BIKE LANES.
UH, JUST THAT I AGREE THAT A SHARED USE PATH WHERE IT STRENGTH THE BIKES ARE SHARING THE SAME SPACE IS NOT, IS NOT IDEAL AND SHE SEPARATES SPEED A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT IF POSSIBLE.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE SHARED SPACE PER SE, BUT TO WHAT JANICE SHARED, WE HAVE SOME, UM, FLUID LOCATION YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT.
FIRST OF ALL, THERE'S ALWAYS A MAJOR BUFFER BETWEEN BIKES AND PETS.
SOMETIMES IT'S AN EIGHT FOOT BUFFER KNOWN AS THE AMENITY ZONE.
SOMETIMES IT'S A TWO FOOT BUFFER IN THE ONE BLOCK OF CONGRESS AVENUE, THE 100 BLOCK.
AND THEN ON THE BRIDGE WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE MORE COMPRESSED IN SPACE, THERE WILL STILL BE A TWO FOOT BUFFER.
BETWEEN PETS, WONDERFUL BIKES AND PETS.
THAT WILL BE, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO FEEL IT IF YOU'RE A BIKE AND YOU VEER OVER A TRENCH DRAIN OR RAISED COBBLES IN THE CASE OF ON THE AVENUE, YOU WILL VERY WELL SINCE, UH, SINCE THAT, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO EXPRESS EARLIER IS THAT ON THE BRIDGE WE DON'T WANNA PROHIBIT ANY, UM, AMOUNT OF POTENTIAL MOVEMENT BETWEEN THOSE TWO ZONES CUZ THERE ARE GONNA BE OCCASIONS WHERE A CYCLIST WILL WANNA DISMOUNT AND GO TO THE BAT OBSERVATION DECK OR WHATEVER.
[01:00:01]
THAT.WE'VE ONLY SPENT AN HOUR ON YOUR PRESENTATION.
WE ARE THE DESIGN COMMISSION, SO WE, WE EMBRACED THAT.
UM, OKAY, UH, FOR JILL, UM, WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING, IS JILL STILL ON THE LINE? YES, I AM.
UM, WE'VE BEEN SPEAKING ABOUT THE GREAT STREETS UPDATE.
UM, CON CONTEXTUALLY, UH, THERE IS A COMMISSIONER WHO, UH, IS NOT PRESENT TODAY, BUT SHE'S VERY INTERESTED IN THE GREAT STREETS UPDATE.
DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENT ON THAT OR CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ON YOUR THOUGHTS? YEAH, I BELIEVE WE WERE SPEAKING TO ANNE COLE, UM, IS WHAT I'M HEARING YOU SAY.
UM, YEAH, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW OF LOOKING AT DOING A GREAT STREETS UPDATE AND THAT IS A FULL UPDATE AND WE'RE THE INITIAL STAGES OF JUST LOOKING AT TIMELINES AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN THE FUTURE.