[00:00:02]
BEING SAID, I'LL GO AHEAD AND HAND IT OVER TO SUSAN SUMMERS, OUR CHAIR, AND WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
UM, LET'S SEE, ACTUALLY, IS THERE PAPER AGENDA? THERE IS, YES.
I'M A WEIRDO THAT LIKES PAPER.
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M SUSAN SUMMERS, UM, I'M THE CHAIR OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, AND I'M CALLING THE REGULAR MEETING, UH, JULY MEETING OF OUR COMMISSION TO ORDER.THE TIME IS 5:05 PM UM, SO OUR FIRST ITEM IN OUR AGENDA IS, UH, THE
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
PUBLIC COMMUNICATION GENERAL.THIS IS FOR CITIZENS TO COME AND, OR, UH, SPEAKERS TO COME AND SPEAK TO US ON A, UH, ITEM THAT IS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
AND WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER TODAY.
UM, AND PLEASE GO RIGHT AHEAD.
FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME HERE AND SPEAK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT OUR ORGANIZATION.
I'M A RESEARCH ANALYST AT COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK.
YOU HAVEN'T HEARD OF COMMUNITY ADVANCEMENT NETWORK.
WE'RE A PARTNERSHIP OF GOVERNMENT, NONPROFIT, PRIVATE, AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, WHICH LEVERAGE MUTUAL RESOURCES TO COLLECTIVELY IMPROVE THE SOCIAL HEALTH E EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YEAH, I KNOW THAT'S A MOUTHFUL, BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT WE'RE ENGAGED IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT FIELDS.
UH, OUR PARTNERS INCLUDE, UH, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, SCHOOL DISTRICTS, CAP METRO, UH, SEVERAL CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE AND, UH, AT UNIVERSITIES, ONE VOICE.
IT'S, IT'S ALL OVER AND TOGETHER WE PROMOTE AND SUPPORT THE POWER OF COLLABORATION FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS.
WE IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO COORDINATE AND ALIGN SERVICES AMONG CAN PARTNERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY SERVICE PROVIDERS.
WE SUPPORT EFFORTS TO ADDRESS COMMUNITY CHALLENGES THROUGH COLLECTIVE ACTION.
WE CREATE CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CIVIC DIALOGUE AND CIVIC ACTION.
WE ENSURE THAT THE RIGHT STAKEHOLDERS ARE PART OF ASSESSING AND ADDRESSING THE CHALLENGES OUR COMMUNITY PHASES, AND WE INCREASE UNDERSTANDING OF EMERGING ISSUES AND TRENDS IN IDENTIFYING PROACTIVE STRATEGIES THAT MAY BE PURSUED.
AND HOW DO WE DO THAT? WELL, WE DEVELOP TOOLS TO INFORM, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE I DO MOST OF MY JOB, IS, UM, WITH THE CAN COMMUNITY DASHBOARD, WHICH HAS, UH, 18 DIFFERENT INDICATORS THAT ASSESS OUR COMMUNITY'S OVERALL HEALTH AND WELLBEING, INCLUDING ONE TRANSPORTATION INDICATOR.
IT USED TO BE VEHICLE MILES TRAVEL, BUT NOW IT'S, UH, PER PERCENT WHO DRIVE A LOAN TO WORK.
UM, AND WE ALSO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE, LIKE, UH, THE WEEKEND AT X WEBSITE, WHICH WE CREATED DURING THE PANDEMIC, WHICH HAD DATA ON, UH, THE STATUS OF THE, THE PANDEMIC.
BUT IT ALSO HAD, UH, A LIST OF PLACES WHERE PEOPLE COULD ACCESS RESOURCES AND A LIST OF WHERE PEOPLE COULD VOLUNTEER OR PROVIDE AID IF THAT'S WHAT THEY COULD DO.
AND ONE OF THE INTERESTING THINGS ON THE WE CAN TX WEBSITE NOW ARE OUR COMMUNITY RESOURCE GUIDES, WHICH, UH, ARE IN SIX DIFFERENT, UH, TOPICS INCLUDING KNOWING YOUR RIGHTS, MANAGING MONEY, STAYING SAFE, FOOD HEALTH AND NAVIGATION, NAVIGATING THE EDUCATION SYSTEM.
AND THESE ARE AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH, SPANISH, BURMESE, CHINESE, MANDARIN, KOREAN, VIETNAMESE, PTO, ARABIC, HAITIAN, CREOLE, AND FRENCH.
AND THESE WERE CREATED IN, UH, COLLABORATION WITH OUR LANGUAGE ACCESS ACTION TEAM, WHICH WAS THE GROUP OR THE, I SPEAK CARDS ON CAP METRO ORIGINATED SEVERAL YEARS AGO FROM OUR GROUP.
UM, OUR, WE ON OUR DASHBOARD STEERING COMMITTEE, WHICH ADVISES OUR, UM, INDICATORS.
UH, WE USED TO HAVE, UH, JACKIE NIRENBERG AND CAITLIN DALTON SERVED AT DIFFERENT POINTS, AND I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO THE FOLKS TODAY, UH, AT THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP TO, UH, REKINDLE THAT RELATIONSHIP.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'M OPEN, AND IF NOT, I'D LOVE TO COME BACK.
I LEFT MY, UH, CONTACT INFORMATION AND, UH, THANKS AGAIN FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS REGISTERED FOR, UH, ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA.
WE CAN GO AHEAD AND PROCEED TO THE NEXT ITEM.
UM, SO OUR NEXT ITEM WOULD BE APPROVAL OF
[1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Transportation Commission REGULAR MEETING on June 6th, 2023.]
OUR JUNE MINUTES.UM, THIS WAS, UH, SENT TO US ALL IN THE, UH, AS AN ATTACHMENT TO THE CALENDAR INVITE THAT CHRISTOPHER SHARED WITH US.
I WOULD ASK WHOEVER IS NOT ON MUTE, IF YOU COULD KINDLY
[00:05:02]
JUST PUT, SORRY, THESE ARE THE MINUTES CHAIR.UM, SO, UM, I'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE APPROVAL OF THE JUNE MINUTES.
UM, ALL RIGHT, WITH, SO WE HAVE THE MINUTES, UH, ON BOARD.
I KNOW, UH, REEN, YOU HAD MENTIONED TO ME YOU WANTED TO AMEND, UH, CORRECT.
WE DIDN'T, WE PASS RESOLUTIONS ON ALL OF THOSE, RIGHT? OF WHAT ABANDONMENTS? YES.
DO YOU HAVE A MOTION? I I MOVE THAT THE MINUTES BE UPDATED TO SHOW THE PASSAGE OF ALL OF THOSE ITEMS? YES.
SO THAT'S THE THREE, UM, RIGHT OF WAY VACATION, UH, ITEMS. SURE.
ACTION ITEMS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
WE JUST WANT TO LET THE RECORD REFLECT THAT THOSE WERE ALL, UH, APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY.
SO CAN I MAKE A SECOND AND THEN A MOTION TO AMEND THE MOTION? YES.
SO I THINK WE, WE ALSO MADE APPOINTMENTS AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS JUST ME, BUT I THINK WE ALSO, I DON'T KNOW IF WE CHANGED.
WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY, WE DISCUSSED THEM.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE DIDN'T, I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT WE TOOK A, AT LEAST A VOTE ON MOVING ME TO THE UT OR TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, BELIEVE ME.
IS THAT CORRECT? HE'S CORRECT ON THAT.
UH, THOSE SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE MINUTES, AND I CAN MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S REFLECT THAT WAS TOWARDS THE END OF THE MEETING.
AND I THOUGHT MAYBE WE ADJUSTED ONE OTHER, BUT I MIGHT BE WRONG.
WE HAVE THE RIGHT WAY, LIKE VACATION PROCESSES.
I'LL BE SURE TO MAKE SURE THE MINUTES ARE REFLECTIVE OF THAT.
I REMEMBER THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION CAN'T RECALL.
YEAH, I THINK IT WAS JUST THAT I DON'T THINK WE ACTUALLY CHANGED ANY OF THE OTHER ONES.
WE JUST HAD, LIKE, WE JUST SORT OF DISCUSSED THEM.
UM, SO THEN MY MOTION TO AMEND MOTION WOULD BE TO ADD IN, WELL, JUST A SECOND MOTION.
I'M GOING ROBERT'S RULES ON YOU.
SO, UM, YOUR SECOND, LET, LET'S, LET'S TAKE HIM AN ORDER.
UM, ALL, EVERYONE IN FAVOR OF REFLECTING THAT THE THREE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS WERE APPROVED, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
UM, AND THEN I THINK SPENCER HAS A SECOND MOTION.
SO MY MOTION WOULD BE TO, UH, AMEND THE MINUTES TO REFLECT THE APPOINTMENT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
PLEASE LET US SEE YOU OR SAY A GREAT, ALSO UNANIMOUS AMONG THOSE PRESENT.
SO THAT IS, UH, AND NOW WE'LL GO BACK TO THE BASE AND APPROVE THAT.
SO ALL THOSE WANTING TO APPROVE THE MOTION, THE MINUTES IS AMENDED, PLEASE LET US KNOW.
[2. Discussion and possible action on the Transportation and Management Center Overview]
OUR DISCUSSION ACTION ITEMS. OUR FIRST ONE IS A PRESENTATION, DISCUSSION, AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE TRANSPORTATION AND MANAGEMENT CENTER OVERVIEW WITH, UH, LANCE BALLARD AND ALISON RICHIE ARE PRESENTING FOR US TODAY.ONE MORE QUICK FORM OF ORDER FOR THOSE WHO HAVE JOINED US ONLINE THAT ARE SPEAKERS FOR ITEM THREE, WE HAVE ACKNOWLEDGED YOU AND WE WILL, UH, WE WILL GET YOU, YOU WILL HAVE YOUR TURN TO SPEAK ONCE WE GET TO THE ITEM.
JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.
UH, PRESENTATION AGAIN TO THE LEFT OF 61.
SORRY, MY EYES ARE ABSOLUTELY GOOD.
IF YOU WANNA PASS THE KEYBOARD DOWN HERE, I CAN ADVANCE IT AS WELL, IF THAT WORKS.
YEAH, THANK YOU CHAIR COMMISSION.
HAPPY TO BE WITH Y'ALL THIS EVENING.
UH, THIS IS MY PARTNER, ALISON RICHIE.
WE BOTH WORK WITH KIMLEY HORN AND STAFF, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S MOBILITY MANAGEMENT CENTER.
UM, AND SO WE REC WE RECENTLY POSTED OUR ANNUAL REPORT FROM LAST YEAR.
WANTED TO TALK THROUGH A LOT OF THOSE FINDINGS AND JUST GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE DO AS WELL.
WE ARE A PART OF THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT UNDER THE ARTERIAL MANAGEMENT DIVISION.
UM, AND SO LET'S SEE IF I CAN GET THIS.
MAY HAVE TO CLICK ON THE SCREEN.
IS IT THIS ONE? IT IS THAT ONE, YES.
SO OUR GOAL IS TO IMPROVE THE REGION'S ARTERIAL, UH, NETWORK AND FOR ALL MODES OF TRAVEL TO MAKE SURE THAT REALLY WE'RE MANAGING MOBILITY AND SAFETY, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO IMPROVE THOSE CONTINUOUSLY THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
[00:10:01]
UM, AND IN AND HONESTLY THE REGION THROUGH SOME OF OUR COORDINATION AS WELL.SO WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IN PRACTICE? WELL, WE HAVE 345 MILES OF ARTERIAL, UM, ROADWAY NETWORK IN THE CITY THAT WE MANAGE.
UM, AND WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THE MOST IMPACT IS THROUGH THE MANAGEMENT OF OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE MANAGE THE MOST DAY-TO-DAY.
WE HAVE 1100 OF THOSE THROUGHOUT THE CITY, INCLUDING THE PEDESTRIAN HYBRID BEACONS THAT YOU SEE.
UM, WE HAVE 680 CAMERAS, UM, THAT WE USE TO OBSERVE AND MONITOR TRAFFIC TO MANAGE TRAFFIC.
UM, 13 SMALL ARTER ARTERIAL DMS SIGNS THAT ALLOW US TO DISPLAY TRAVELER INFORMATION ABOUT INCIDENTS OR, UM, EVENTS OR CLOSURES IN THAT AREA.
AND 771, UM, SCHOOL ZONE FLASHING BEACONS, WHICH KEEP US QUITE BUSY WHEN SCHOOL STARTS.
UM, JUST MAKING SURE ALL OF THOSE ARE OPERATING PROPERLY TO KEEP KIDS SAFE AS THEY GO TO AND FROM SCHOOL.
WE'RE LOCATED AT 8,700 CAMERON ROAD, NOT TOO FAR FROM HERE.
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO HOST ANYBODY IF YOU WANNA COME PAY US A VISIT.
UM, WE'VE GOT SEVEN FULL-TIME STAFF ON THE PROJECTS THAT ARE HELPING US DO ALL OF THIS DAY OUT.
UM, WE'RE STAFFING THERE EVERY DAY EXCEPT FOR THANKSGIVING AND CHRISTMAS DAY.
UM, AND SO WE, WHAT WE DO ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS THERE, UM, IS REALLY COVERED HERE.
SO IF YOU SUBMIT A SERVICE REQUEST THROUGH THREE 11, THAT HAS TO DO WITH TRAFFIC SIGNAL, SCHOOLS AND BEACONS.
ANYTHING THAT WE MANAGE, IT COMES TO US.
WE PROCESS A LITTLE OVER 800 OF THOSE A MONTH.
UM, WE ALSO MAINTAIN A LOT OF THAT.
WE WORK WITH OUR SIGNAL TECHNICIANS TO MAINTAIN ALL OF THAT EQUIPMENT.
SO WE'RE ON THE PHONE A LOT, COORDINATING THEM WITH THEM FOR, UM, REPAIRS, MAINTENANCE ACTIVITIES, BUT ALSO ENHANCEMENTS, UPGRADES, UM, AND IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE'RE USING THAT SYSTEM TO MANAGE CONGESTION, MANAGE TRAFFIC ON A DAILY BASIS, STAY AWARE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING AND ADJUSTING SIGNAL TIMING, UM, FOR ANY INCIDENTS, LANE CLOSURES, UM, SPECIAL EVENTS.
AND WE ALSO ARE TWEETING OUT ABOUT CRASHES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE'LL SHOW A LITTLE BIT OF THAT IN A MINUTE.
UM, SPECIAL EVENTS ARE A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE DO.
WE MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR MAJOR EVENTS ARE COVERED AND STAFFED WITH FOLKS THERE, MULTIPLE FOLKS THERE IN THE CENTER.
UM, ADJUSTING SIGNAL TIMING IN REAL TIME FOR ALL OF THOSE.
AND WITH ALL OF THAT THAT WE HAVE GOING ON, WE COORDINATE WITH, UM, A LOT OF AGENCIES, TECH DOT, CT, RMA, OTHER LOCAL CITIES, UM, AS WELL SO THAT WE CAN BE ON TOP OF IT ALL AWARE OF ALL THE SITUATIONS, RESPONDING IN KIND, UM, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO EMERGENCIES.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY BUSY WHEN WE HAVE POWER OUTAGES, ICE STORMS, AND EVEN JUST THUNDERSTORMS WINTER, UM, THROUGH THE SPRING AND SUMMER, AS WELL AS THOSE CAN IMPACT THE POWER GRID FROM TIME TO TIME IF YOU HAVE LIGHTNING STRIKES, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO, UM, WE'RE OFTEN IN THE STORM RESPONSE MODE, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE KEEPING EVERYTHING RUNNING SMOOTHLY.
UM, SO WHEN YOU BREAK DOWN SOME OF THE NUMBERS, UH, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE PROCESSED 9,000, UM, SERVICE REQUESTS LAST YEAR, AND WE'RE ABLE TO RESOLVE ALMOST 5,000 OF THOSE WITHOUT HAVING TO DISPATCH ANYONE TO THE FIELD, WHICH SAVES TIME, UM, ALLOWS US TO ADDRESS THINGS QUICKLY, UM, AND EFFECTIVELY.
UM, WE'RE ALSO ABLE TO RESET SOME FLASHING SIGNALS REMOTELY.
SO IF A TRAFFIC SIGNAL, UM, HAS A POWER OUTAGE OR A POWER BLIP, SOMETIMES IT CAN GO INTO FLASH.
THERE'S HARDWARE IN THE CABINET THAT MAKES SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S RUNNING, DOING WHAT IT'S SUPPOSED TO.
SOME OF THOSE WE CAN RESET REMOTELY, UM, IN A SAFE WAY.
UM, AND WE DID 275 OF THOSE LAST YEAR.
AND WE ALSO DETECT ALL OF THOSE MALFUNCTIONS OR, UM, FAULTS.
UM, 84% OF, OF ALL OF THOSE, WE DETECT THEM BEFORE ANYONE ELSE DOES.
UM, SO WE'RE VERY PROACTIVE, MAKING SURE WE'RE STAYING ON TOP OF EVERYTHING AND WE'RE ADJUSTING SIGNAL TIMING PLANS ON A DAILY BASIS, AS YOU CAN SEE.
AND THAT, THAT 301 NUMBER AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT, THAT'S THE NUMBER OF TIMES WE ADJUSTED TIMINGS LAST YEAR, EXCLUDING EVENTS.
SO WE STAY INCREDIBLY BUSY, UM, AND VERY PROUD OF WHAT WE DO.
SO ALLIE, I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR SPECIAL EVENT MANAGEMENT.
UH, SO LIKE LANCE HAD MENTIONED, ONE OF THE CORNERSTONE FUNCTIONS OF THE MMC IS SPECIAL EVENT MANAGEMENT.
IF YOU'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN FOR ANY PERIOD OF TIME, YOU'RE WELL AWARE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF AWESOME EVENTS HAPPENING.
CITYWIDE, UH, SCALES, LARGE AND SMALL.
UH, YOU'LL SEE ON THE LEFT HERE A COUPLE OF THOSE MAJOR EVENTS.
ZILKER PARK HOME TO ACL AND MYRIAD OF OTHER SMALLER FESTIVALS, SOME IMPROMPTU, SOME PLANS.
UH, YOU'LL ALSO SEE SOME REFERENCES TO SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, WHICH TAKES OVER LARGE PARTS OF DOWNTOWN, SEEMINGLY AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE.
IF YOU'VE HAD THE LUXURY OF GOING TO, UH, THE Q2 STADIUM FOR THE NEW AUSTIN FC, UH, YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT WE RUN SOME VERY SPECIFIC SIGNAL TIMING THERE.
UH, FOR THOSE OF US THAT PARK IN THE DOMAIN AND THEN SCUTTLE ACROSS THE STREET, YOU MIGHT NOTICE THAT THE SIGNAL INDICATIONS DURING, UH, THE EVENTS
[00:15:01]
END HOLD ALL RED AND ALLOWS FOR EVERYBODY TO RUN ACROSS THE STREET MORE OR LESS AT THE SAME TIME.UH, THAT'S A VERY SPECIFIC SIGNAL OPERATION THAT'S MAINTAINED BY MANAGERS IN REAL TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE USING THAT AS, UH, EFFECTIVELY AS WE CAN AND AS SAFELY AS WE CAN.
UH, BECAUSE OF THAT PEDESTRIAN OPERATION, WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF NECESSARY AUSTIN POLICE OFFICERS AT THE INTERSECTION BECAUSE THEY ARE NO LONGER WORKING AGAINST THE SIGNAL, BUT IN FACT ARE AWARE OF ITS OPERATION AND ABLE TO STAFF AND RESPOND ACCORDINGLY.
SO WE'RE PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT FUNCTIONS LIKE THAT, AND WE DO SEVERAL OPERATIONS LIKE THAT FOR UT FOOTBALL, A C L, AND SOME OTHER OPERATIONS.
UM, AS YOU GO DOWN THE LIST HERE, YOU'LL SEE A MYRIAD OF OTHER EVENTS, CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS.
WE PARTNER WITH THEM, ALL THOSE, SOME OF THOSE SIGNALS ARE WITH OUR TECH STOP PARTNERS.
WE DO WORK IN COORDINATION WITH MUNICIPALITIES AND CITY AND STATE AGENCIES TO BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE OUR SIGNALS ARE IN SYNC AS MUCH AS THEY CAN AND COVERING ALL THOSE MAJOR EVENTS.
WE GENERALLY THINK OF THOSE AS ABOUT 20,000 PEOPLE AT ABOVE, WHICH IS THE STATE INCAPACITY OF AUSTIN FC.
WE'VE ALSO MOVED INTO MANAGING MINOR EVENTS, SO MINOR EVENTS.
IF YOU HAVE KIDDOS AT A HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAME PERHAPS, OR ANYTHING RELATED TO THAT, UM, YOU'RE WELL AWARE THAT SOMETIMES IT FEELS LIKE ONE SIGNAL IS KEEPING YOU FROM GETTING HOME
AND WE'VE DECIDED TO FILL THAT GAP BY BEING ABLE TO MANAGE THOSE EVENTS ON A SCHEDULED BASIS.
THEY MAY NOT BE STAFFED LIKE THESE MAJOR EVENTS HERE, BUT WE'RE ABLE TO SCHEDULE THOSE AHEAD OF TIME, USE SINGLE ANALYTICS AND OTHER DATA POINTS TO BE ABLE TO MANAGE EFFICACY AND BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULE THOSE AS NEEDED.
SO, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, BECAUSE WE'RE MANAGING BOTH AT THE MAJOR AND MINOR SCALE, WE'RE IMPACTING A LOT OF FOLKS CITYWIDE.
SO PER OUR CALCULATIONS FROM OUR ANNUAL REPORT, WE LOOKED AT ABOUT 5 MILLION ATTENDEES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY OUR SIGNAL OPERATIONS, WHICH IS PRETTY EXCITING IF WE'RE ABLE TO CUT DELAY, WHICH THEN CUTS CARBON EMISSIONS AND OTHER ITEMS THAT I KNOW ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO OUR HEARTS.
WITH THAT, THAT SAVED US ABOUT 42,000 HOURS OF DELAY.
UH, SO ABOUT P PEOPLE HOME QUICKER AND SAFER, UM, ROUNDING OUT TO ABOUT ALMOST 500 TOTAL EVENT DAYS.
SO WE'RE PRETTY EXCITED FOR OUR SPECIAL EVENTS OPERATION.
WE'RE ALWAYS GROWING, LOOKING AT OUR PARTNERS THAT MANAGE VENUES AND OTHER ITEMS TO BE ABLE TO EXPAND THAT UMBRELLA AND SEE WHAT ELSE IS IN STORE FOR US AS WE MANAGE SPECIAL EVENTS.
AS I'VE MENTIONED, MANAGING SPECIAL EVENTS IS A VERY HAND IN HAND OPERATION.
WE NEED TO KNOW WHAT OUR PARTNERS ARE DOING, AND THAT ALSO BLEEDS INTO OTHER CORNERSTONE OPERATIONS OF THE MMC.
SO CONSTRUCTION AND INCIDENT MANAGEMENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO US.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING.
THAT AGENCY COORDINATION, LIKE I TALKED ABOUT, NOT ONLY STOPS THE PLANNED OPERATION, BUT PERHAPS AN UNPLANNED OPERATION.
SO, LIKE LANCE HAD MENTIONED WITH WHAT WE'VE AFFECTIONATELY JUST STARTED CALLING SNOWPOCALYPSE AND ICE APOCALYPSE AND OTHER ITEMS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
WE WORKED WITH OUR EMERGENCY PARTNERS WITH TDOT, AUSTIN FIRE, AUSTIN PD, AUSTIN ENERGY, AND A LOT OF OTHER AGENCIES TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR SYSTEM UP IN A CRITICAL PATH METHOD TO BE ABLE TO TARGET THOSE INFRASTRUCTURE SO THAT WE'RE ABLE TO GET THAT UP IN A SYSTEM THAT MAKES SENSE, THAT AGENCY COORDINATION DOESN'T STOP THERE.
HOWEVER, WE ALSO PARTNER WITH OUR FRIENDS AT CTEC.
SO IF YOU'VE EVER BEEN OVER TO THE CTEC FLOOR, YOU'LL KNOW THAT THERE'S, UH, WILLIAMSON HAYES, TRAVIS COUNTY E M S, FOR EXAMPLE.
THEY'RE POLICE AGENCIES AND OTHER PARTNERS.
SO INSTEAD OF JUST HAVING TO PICK UP A PHONE AND SEND AN IM AND SEND AN EMAIL AND HOPE SOMEBODY'S AT THEIR DESK, WE CAN JUST STAND UP AND GO TALK TO THEM.
UM, SO THAT GIVES THEM NOT ONLY A NAME AND AN EMAIL, BUT A FACE TO RECOGNIZE.
SO WE'RE ABLE TO MAKE THAT EMERGENCY COORDINATION THAT MUCH MORE SEAMLESS.
BEING AWARE OF THOSE ITEMS IS CRITICAL TO US.
SO OUR SITU, OH, SITUATIONAL AWARENESS, PARDON ME, USES BOTH INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DATA SOURCES.
UM, SO JUST LIKE YOU MIGHT BE CHECKING OUT TWITTER TO SEE IF THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR ABSENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE'RE DOING THAT AS WELL.
WE ALSO HAVE BUILT-IN INTERNAL DATA METRICS THAT GIVE US TRIGGERS FOR CONGESTION.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS INSIDE OF WAYS THAT WILL SEND US AN EMAIL IF IT'S DETECTED AN UNUSUAL AMOUNT OF TRAVEL TIME INCREASE FOR A PARTICULAR SEGMENT.
AND THAT COULD KEY US OFF THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN INSTANT THERE THAT WE MIGHT NOT IMMEDIATELY BE AWARE OF.
CONGESTION MANAGEMENT IS GLOBALLY WHAT WE CALL THAT PRACTICE.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO MEASURE IN OUR ACTIONS PROGRAM, WHICH LANCE IS GONNA TALK ABOUT HERE SHORTLY.
BUT WE'RE REALLY PROUD OF OUR ABILITY TO BE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE, IN INSTANCE LIKE THIS.
LASTLY, WITH TRAVELER INFORMATION, IF WE CAN GET YOU THE INFORMATION BEFORE YOU LEAVE, THAT'S EVEN BETTER.
YOU DON'T EVEN SPEND THE 10 OR 15 MINUTES STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
YOU TAKE MOPAC INSTEAD OF 35, AND YOU'RE WELL ON YOUR WAY THROUGH THE DAY.
SO WITH THAT, WE HOST A LOT OF DIFFERENT RESOURCES THERE.
SO IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING US ON TWITTER, WE'RE AT AUSTIN MOBILITY, UH, WE'D LIKE TO SAY IF THERE ARE NO EMOJIS IN THAT TWEET, THAT'S PROBABLY US.
IF THERE ARE EMOJIS IN THAT TWEET, THAT'S PROBABLY PUBLIC INFORMATION.
UH, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, WE'RE TWEETING AT STENTS THAT COULD IMPACT YOUR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATION, AS WELL AS NOTIFYING WHEN SIGNALS ARE DARKER IN FLASH, WHICH ARE NEWS PARTNERS THEN HELP CONTINUE TO GET THAT INFORMATION OUT.
WE ALSO ARE ABLE TO PUSH INFORMATION RELATED TO, YOU KNOW, TRAVELER AWARENESS TO OUR DMS DEVICES LIKE LANCE HAD MENTIONED, AS WELL AS CONTINUING TO PUSH UPDATES TO GOOGLE AND WAYS WHICH WILL THEN UPDATE THE
[00:20:01]
PEOPLE'S DEVICES AS NEEDED.YEAH, SO YOU CAN IMAGINE WE'RE AT THE NEXUS OF A TON OF DATA AND FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT PLACES, AND IT'S, IT'S A LOT.
SO WE WANNA DO MORE THAN JUST BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY, OH, THIS IS NICE.
LOOK AT THIS DATA, WE WANT TO ACT ON IT.
RIGHT? UM, SO LAST YEAR WE TOOK A BIG INITIATIVE TO PULL A LOT OF THOSE INTO, UH, YOU KNOW, UNIFIED PLACES AND FORMATS SO THAT WE COULD IDENTIFY TRENDS EARLY, UM, ADJUST OPERATIONS, AND THEN MEASURE OUR IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THIS, THE TYPES OF DATA THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ARE FROM OUR SIGNAL SYSTEM THAT ALERTS US WHENEVER SOMETHING MIGHT BE GOING WRONG OR HOW A SIGNAL IS OPERATING.
WE CAN SEE SOME ANALYTICS ON IF THERE'S TRENDS IN MOUTH, YOU KNOW, UM, POOR OPERATION, I GUESS YOU'D SAY A DETECTOR IS BROKEN OR SOME PIECE OF EQUIPMENT'S NOT WORKING, HOW IT SHOULD, UM, THIRD PARTY CROWDSOURCE DATA.
JUST WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE ROADWAYS? WHERE ARE THE DELAYS? AND WHEN, UM, AS WELL AS JUST OUR ASSET MANAGEMENT DATA, WHERE ARE WE GETTING THREE 11 REQUESTS FOR SIGNAL, UH, PROBLEMS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE TAKE ALL OF THAT AND LOOKING AT EVERYTHING IN THE YEAR 2022, REALLY MOST THINGS FELL INTO THREE CATEGORIES OF BEING A AWARE OF ISSUES, INSTANT MANAGEMENT, RUNNING CONGESTION MANAGEMENT PLANS, REPAIRING DETECTION SYSTEMS, UH, AND ADJUSTING TIMINGS WHERE WE FOUND, UM, IMBALANCES IN SIGNAL DELAY THROUGHOUT THE CITY THROUGH THIS DATA.
UM, AND OUT OF THOSE 120 ISH, UM, PROACTIVE ACTIONS THAT WE TOOK LAST YEAR, UM, ASSUMING THAT WE CAUGHT THAT SO MANY DAYS, WEEKS AHEAD OF WHEN WE WOULD'VE FOUND IT OTHERWISE POTENTIALLY ADDS UP TO, UH, ALMOST $800,000 IN DELAY SAVINGS, AND REALLY LARGE IMPROVEMENTS FOR, UM, THE TARGET MOVEMENT, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT WAS FEELING THE MOST PAIN, RIGHT? BUT ALSO JUST AT THE INTERSECTION IN TOTALITY, WE'RE ABLE TO MEASURE THAT DELAY USING THAT INRI SIGNAL ANALYTICS DATA FROM THE CROWDSOURCE DATA IN THE FIELD TO SEE DID THINGS REALLY IMPROVE? UM, AND WE CAN EVEN SAY, OKAY, IT DIDN'T IMPROVE AS MUCH AS WE THOUGHT, OR IT GOT WORSE.
LET'S CHANGE THAT AGAIN, UH, TO KEEP IMPROVING.
SO, VERY PROUD THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE NUMBERS HERE, THE NUMBER OF TRIPS WE'RE IMPACTING DELAY SAVINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE ARE FROM US BEING PROACTIVE, USING THE DATA TO FIND PROBLEMS THAT WE MAY NOT HAVE FOUND OTHERWISE.
SO WHEN YOU ADD IT ALL UP AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE DO, UM, AS WE DO EACH YEAR, OUR REMOTE INVESTIGATION THAT SAVES CITY STAFF TIME AND MONEY, IMPROVES DELAY, SPECIAL EVENT MANAGEMENT, UM, LANE CLOSURE MANAGEMENT, AND DOING THOSE PROACTIVE, UM, ISSUE MITIGATION ADDS UP TO $6 MILLION IN THE YEAR 2022, UM, WITH A THREE AND A HALF, UH, OR 3.55 BENEFIT COST RATIO.
SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THAT NUMBER.
UM, CONTINUE TO TRY TO QUANTIFY ALL THE BENEFITS THAT WE CAN FROM WHAT WE DO BECAUSE, UH, WE THINK OF OURSELVES AS BEING ON THE FRONT LINE OF TRANSPORTATION IN THE CITY AND IN THE REGION, AND, UM, WANT TO NOT ONLY BE ABLE TO REACT QUICKLY TO CHANGING CONDITIONS, BUT ALSO PROACTIVELY TACKLE ISSUES AND TRENDS.
SO, HAPPY TO ENTERTAIN SOME QUESTIONS NOW.
UH, THANK YOU GUYS FOR PRESENTING.
UH, THIS IS REALLY GREAT INFORMATION.
UM, A QUESTION THAT KIND OF IMMEDIATELY STOOD OUT TO MIND, AND I'M LOOKING AT THE SLIDE HERE THAT HAS THE AGENCY COORDINATION.
UM, SO I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ALISON HAD MENTIONED WAS, UH, LIKE THE LIVE UPDATES THAT YOU GUYS GIVE ON SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
I KNOW THAT ON SOME OF THE, THOSE SIGNS ARE MANAGED BY TECH DOT NOT THE CITY.
SO WHAT WOULD YOU GUYS SAY? I'M JUST LIKE CURIOUS BECAUSE I'VE PERSONALLY NOTICED THAT THOSE SIGNS MANAGED BY TEXT DOS SEEM TO HAVE THE LONGER DELAY AS FAR AS ACCURATE INFORMATION BEING YOU LIKE, OH, THERE'S A 15 MINUTE DELAY IN, LIKE, MAYBE THE ACCIDENT HAS ALREADY BEEN CLEARED UP AND IT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S NO LONGER RELEVANT.
SO, UH, DO YOU NOTICE ANY LIKE INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION IMPEDIMENTS BETWEEN TECH O OR YOU MENTIONED A COUPLE OTHER PLACES, OR IS THIS SOMETHING THAT IS JUST, IT FEELS PRETTY, PRETTY NORMAL? SO WE'RE ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH OUR TECH O PARTNERS.
UM, TECH O MANAGES THOSE DEVICES ON THEIR, UH, SYSTEMS, AND C T R M A DOES A LOT OF THE ONES ON, UH, 180 3.
UH, WE'RE ABLE TO, WE HAVE A DIRECT LINE TO MORE OR LESS THEIR CALL CENTER AND THEY CAN CALL OUR CALL CENTER AND KIND OF NOTIFY EACH OTHER OF EVENTS IF WE NOTICE AN INSTANT ON A TECH STOP MANAGED SYSTEM, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE FEEL, YOU KNOW, THE NEED TO ALERT THEM IN CASE WE'RE NOT SURE IF THEY'RE AWARE, WE'RE WELCOME TO CALL THEM AND LET THEM KNOW THAT INCIDENT.
WHEREAS THEY CAN DO THE SAME FOR US AS FAR AS MANAGEMENT SPECIFICALLY OF THEIR DMS DEVICES.
UH, WE HIT, WE MIGHT PARTNER WITH THEM FOR, UH, PROGRAMMATIC INITIATIVES.
[00:25:01]
SO SOMETIMES FOR NEW YEAR'S, YOU KNOW, WE'LL PARTNER HAVE A, YOU KNOW, BUCKLE UP, DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE SORTS OF MESSAGE, BUT FOR IMMEDIATE INSTANT RESPONSE, I FEEL IT'S GENERALLY, UM, KIND OF THEIR, THEIR GROUP THAT IS MANAGING THOSE DEVICES.IT'S A, WE CAN DO PHONE CALL, EMAIL.
WE'VE GOT SEVERAL OPTIONS IF WE'RE OVER AT THE CTEC CENTER, IF WE'RE ON THE FLOOR WITH THEM, WE CAN, THEIR Q VILLAGE IS IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US, SO WE CAN JUST STAND UP TO
AND ON OUR ARTERIAL DYNAMIC MESSAGE SIGNS, UM, WE RUN SOME TRAVEL TIME INFORMATION.
UH, WE GET THAT TRAVEL TIME INFORMATION FROM WAYS IT'S UPDATED, I BELIEVE, EVERY FIVE MINUTES.
UM, AND WE DID A QUITE A BIT OF GROUND TRUTHING, UM, IN VALIDATION WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THAT SYSTEM.
SO IF YOU'VE DRIVEN DOWN, UM, LAMAR, CAESAR CHAVEZ, SOUTH FIRST, UM, GUADALUPE, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, WHEN THEY'RE DISPLAYING TRAVEL TIME MESSAGES, THAT'S, THAT'S OUR SYSTEM KICKING INTO THOSE.
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN TEXT DOTS, UM, SYSTEM, SO CAN'T SPEAK, UM, AS MUCH TO, TO THAT.
BUT IF WE HAVE SOMETHING ON OUR ARTERIAL, SAY CAESAR CHAVEZ NEAR 35, THAT'S IMPACTING I 35, WE GIVE THEM A RING TO LET THEM KNOW.
UM, A CLASSIC CASE IS DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST A LOT OF TIMES, UM, THEY'LL CLOSE OR AFTER UT FOOTBALL GAMES, THEY'LL CLOSE RAMPS AROUND I 35 THROUGH THAT STRETCH OF DOWNTOWN FOR SAFETY REASONS.
UM, AND SO WE'LL COORDINATE BACK AND FORTH TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY CAN PUT MESSAGES UP TO SAY THAT CERTAIN EXITS ARE CLOSED.
COULD, COULD I ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THIS QUESTION? YEAH.
JIM, DALE, I'M SERVING AS AN INTERIM LEADER FOR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS.
AND JUST TO BUILD ON YOUR, ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS I WAS PICKING UP ON WAS ABOUT THE WELL INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION AND JUST LETTING YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE MOVING TO AS A REGION.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE CTEC, WHICH ALLISON AND LANCE TALKED ABOUT, BUT WE'RE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THE PLANNING WORK FOR CTECH 2.0.
IT'LL BE LIVE WITH CTEC 1.0, CTEC 1.0.
WE'VE OUTGROWN THAT SPACE, BUT WE'RE REALLY FOCUSING CTEC 2.0 IS ON TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT, BRINGING THOSE AGENCIES TOGETHER IN ONE PLACE.
SO IT'S NOT A PHONE CALL, IT'S LIKE, ALRIGHT, JUST TALKING TO THE PERSON ACROSS THE DESK FROM ME TO WORK ON COORDINATING, LOOKING UP ON THE SCREEN AT SI YOU HAVING THAT SITUATIONAL AWARENESS OF WHAT'S GOING ON, WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO ON THE ARTERIAL STREETS AS WELL AS THE, THE FREEWAYS.
AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT THE, WITH THE INTER COORDINATION WHERE WE'RE GOING, THIS STILL MAY BE, I'M NOT SURE HOW FAR IN THE FUTURE WE'RE STARTING THE PLANNING.
UM, BUT THAT'S THE DIRECTION THAT WE'RE GOING.
THAT, THAT WAS KIND OF LIKE WHAT I WAS GETTING AT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS, THE DATA THAT'S PRESENTED HERE IS REALLY NICE AND EVERYTHING SEEMS PRETTY SEAMLESS AS FAR AS THE, THE WAY YOU GUYS ARE COLLATING EVERYTHING AND, AND PRESENTING IT.
AND I WAS JUST WONDERING IF THAT INTERAGENCY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HUMAN, THERE'S HUMAN ERROR, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES.
AND SO I WAS THAT THAT'S PERFECT.
THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I WAS WONDERING IF THERE WAS GONNA BE A, A PIVOT TOWARDS THAT IN THE FUTURE.
AND THAT SOUNDS, SOUNDS GREAT.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS HAVE ALREADY COVERED
I HAD A QUESTION, AND IT'S KIND OF ACTUALLY BUILDING ON SOME QUESTIONS THAT WE DISCUSSED AT OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, LAST MEETING WE HAD FRANCIS HARGROVE COME OUT TO US FROM, UM, THE SPECIAL EVENTS DIVISION, AND WE KIND OF DUG IN ON SOME ISSUES WHERE EVENTS ARE PLANNED FOR LIKE THE EVENT ATTENDERS, BUT MAYBE NOT PEOPLE WHO ARE REGULARLY USING FACILITIES LIKE RIGHT AROUND THERE.
AND SO IT'S LIKE, GREAT TO HEAR ABOUT THINGS LIKE I'VE DEFINITELY, UH, EXPERIENCED THE, I KIND OF LIVE NEAR Q2, SO LIKE THE DASH ACROSS, LIKE RIGHT, THAT'S PRETTY, THOSE ARE PRETTY COOL KINDS OF THINGS WHERE WE CAN, UM, ADJUST THOSE FOR EVENTS.
UM, BUT ONE OF THE ISSUES WE WERE KIND OF DIGGING IN ON, UH, LAST MEETING WAS ABOUT ACTUALLY SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THE MOODY CENTER BECAUSE A LOT OF, UM, PARTICULARLY CYCLISTS, BUT I THINK CYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS HAVE SHIFTED TO THAT NEW REBUILT RED RIVER BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A NICE FACILITY, UM, FOR, FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION USERS.
BUT SOMETIMES IT SEEMED WHEN THERE'S AN EVENT, THE EVENT IS SORT OF PLANNED TO GET, LIKE, GET PEOPLE ARRIVING TO MOODY CENTER ON CARS, KIND OF IN AND OUT OF THE FACILITY, BUT NOT AS MUCH FOR, UM, ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION USERS AROUND THERE.
SO LIKE I KNOW THAT THAT'S LIKE, LIKE NOT QUITE WHAT YOU'RE DOING EXACTLY, BUT I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN KIND OF A PAIN POINT IN SORT OF THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY OF LATE.
SO JUST LIKE, I DON'T KNOW, JUST BRINGING THAT UP TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING WHERE LIKE PEOPLE LIKE HAVE, ARE LIKE TRYING TO RIDE THROUGH THE AREA ON THE BIKE AND LIKE IT'S KIND OF CLOSED DOWN.
LIKE YEAH, THE STREET'S GONNA BE CLOSED DOWN FOR MOODY CENTER, BUT LIKE, WHY IS THE BIKE LANE
[00:30:01]
CLOSED DOWN? SPENCER MAY BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THIS A BIT MORE, BUT I JUST THOUGHT I'D MENTIONED THAT BECAUSE IT IS SOMETHING LIKE THEY'RE ALL, THEY'RE ALL COORDINATED TOGETHER, RIGHT? SO, UM, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO USE A LOT OF THOSE DATA METRICS THAT WE'VE KIND OF HINTED AT, UH, MEASURE EFFICACY OF OUR PLANNED OPERATIONS.AND WITH THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO ANALYZE IF THERE'S UNUSED TIME, RIGHT? IF WE MAYBE RAN A PLAN, WHICH IS JUST A SIGNAL OPERATION SPECIFIC TO WHATEVER IS HAPPENING.
LET'S SAY WE RAN IT FOR AN HOUR, OUR DATA MIGHT SUGGEST TO US UPON REVIEW, WE REALLY ONLY NEED IT FOR HALF AN HOUR.
AND SO SOME OF THOSE OPERATIONS THAT MIGHT BE TILTED A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS AN EVENT AS OPPOSED TO REGULAR USERS IN THE AREA, WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE THAT DATA AND FINE TUNE OUR PLAN WITH EVERY GO AROUND, IF YOU WILL.
UM, SO WE CAN TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN THE AREA AREN'T NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, STRUGGLING INFINITELY MORE IF MOODY CENTER HAPPENS TO HAVE THE VENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO WE WE'RE ALWAYS IMPROVING IN THAT CAPACITY.
AND I THINK EVEN PUBLICITY OR LIKE WAY TO CHECK, LIKE IF YOU'RE GONNA TAKE YOUR BIKE DOWN RED RIVER, BUT YOU DON'T KNOW IF BEYONCE IS PERFORMING, YOU KNOW, LIKE
LOTS AND LOTS THERE, RIGHT? THAT'S REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK.
UM, WE DO WITH OUR SIGNAL OPERATION, UH, COMMIT A LOT TO TRYING TO KEEP CYCLINGS LOW EVEN DURING THOSE EVENTS FOR THE SAKE OF DECREASING PEDESTRIAN DELAY, MAKING EVERYTHING GO QUICKER, UM, AROUND THE CYCLE, AROUND THE INTERSECTION SO THAT THEY CAN CROSS MORE EASILY CYCLICS AS WELL.
UM, BUT YEAH, THAT'S REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK AND WE'LL TALK WITH FRANCIS.
IF YOU'RE A BICYCLIST, YOU PROBABLY ARE VALUING SAFETY AND MINIMIZING INTERACTIONS WITH CARS.
SO DOES YOUR DATA SET BUILD INTO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT VALUES THAT A PERSON MAY HAVE DEPENDING ON THE MODE OF TRANSPORTATION THEY'RE USING? SURE.
LET ME GIVE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES.
SO WE, WE KNEW THAT TWO, THE SIGNALS IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE STADIUM WE'RE GONNA BE HAVING REALLY INTENSE PEDESTRIAN DEMANDS, RIGHT? UM, AND SOMETHING WE'D HAD SUCCESS WITHIN THE PAST WAS CHANGING THE PHASING TO RUN THAT WHAT WE CALL A PED SCRAMBLE PHASE, AN EXCLUSIVE PEDESTRIAN PHASE.
UM, THAT'S ONE TO PRIORITIZE THEIR TIME, MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN HELP THEM GET NOT ACROSS JUST ONE LEG, BUT IF THEY WANT TO GO DIAGONAL, THEY CAN DO THAT AS WELL.
AND ACROSS THE INTERSECTION, ONE FELL SWOOP, IT ALSO SEPARATES OUT SO THAT THEY HAVE AN EXCLUSIVE FADE WHERE THEY'RE NOT WORRIED ABOUT SOMEONE TRYING TO TURN RIGHT ON THEM, SOMEONE TRYING TO DO ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN TIME THAT'S SPOT SAFE IN THAT WAY.
UH, SIMILARLY FOR AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, UM, LAMAR AND BART SPRINGS.
BART SPRINGS IS TYPICALLY CLOSED AT THE END OF THE NIGHT, UM, FOR CYCLIST WALKS, THERE'S PETTY CABS, ALL THAT SORT OF STUFF.
UM, WE SET UP A SPECIAL OPERATIONS WHERE WE GIVE TWO MINUTES OF CROSSING TIME ACROSS LAMAR EXCLUSIVELY FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS AND, AND PETTY CABS AND ALL OF THOSE AS THEY CLEAR OUT WITH JUST ONE MINUTE OF VEHICLES ALONG THE MARCH TO TRY TO, UM, HELP THE CROWDS GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING, UH, SAFELY.
IT ALSO MAKES IT EASIER FOR PD PD TO, TO MANAGE CROWDS AT THE INTERSECTION, NOT HAVE TO WORK AGAINST THE SIGNAL LIKE ALLIE WAS TALKING ABOUT.
UM, SO WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THAT, WE REALLY TRY TO TAKE AN EVENT MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE AND THAT EVENT MANAGEMENT IS REALLY PEOPLE AND HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF THERE.
UM, AND SOME OF THOSE PEOPLE ARE IN CARS, THE PEOPLE ARE ON ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF MODES.
UM, SO WE'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN GET PEOPLE HOME AS QUICKLY AND SAFELY AS WE CAN, UM, WITH SIGNALS BY THEIR NATURE.
TYPICALLY IT'S A BIT MORE VEHICLE LANE ORIENTED.
UM, BUT IF WE HAVE LOCATIONS THAT HAVE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE LOOKING AT INCREASING WALK TIMES, DOING THINGS LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT.
I HOPEFULLY THAT HELPS A LITTLE BIT.
I, I HAVE TWO OTHER QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL GIVE IT BACK TO THE FLOOR.
I, THAT WAS MY ONLY YEAH, GO AHEAD.
I HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION, BUT IT'S NOT RELEVANT TO THE LETTER.
IT'S, IT'S, IT CAN GO, IT CAN BE THE LAST QUESTION.
UM, OBVIOUSLY YOU GUYS PICK UP ON A LOT, BUT IF I AS A CITIZEN WANT TO FLAG SOMETHING FOR YOU MM-HMM.
IS THERE A WAY THAT I CAN FLAG THAT FOR YOU AS A CITIZEN AND WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT? YES.
UM, EITHER THROUGH THE APP OR BY GIVING US A CALL, CUZ ALL THAT'S TRACKED, WE RESPOND TO THOSE, MOST OF THEM WITHIN, YOU KNOW, MINUTES, RIGHT? UM, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THEM, TRIAGING THEM,
[00:35:01]
TRYING TO INVESTIGATE THEM REMOTELY AND THEN DISPATCHING, UM, REPAIRS.SO WE REALLY PRIORITIZE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT'S WORKING AS OPPOSED TO, SO IF THERE'S SOMEONE THAT SAYS, HEY, THIS PUSH BUTTON'S NOT WORKING, THAT'S A TOP PRIORITY MM-HMM.
UM, AND SO YEAH, GIVE US, GIVE US A RING AT THREE 11, UM, AND WE WE'RE RESPONDING, MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN TRY TO GET THAT REPAIRED AND RESOLVED AS BEST WE CAN.
SO THEN, UM, THE FOLLOW UP TO THAT IS, UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION COMMUNITY WHO SPECIFICALLY THE SIGNALS AT INTERSECTIONS WITH TECH STOP ROADS ARE REALLY BAD FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION USERS WHO, WHO CONTROLS WHEN WE HAVE A CITY OF AUSTIN RIGHT AWAY INTERSECTING WITH TECH STOP RIGHT AWAY, WHO CONTROLS THE SIGNALS, HOW DOES THAT WORK? SO WE CONTROL THE, THE SIGNALS, UM, SO WE OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THE SIGNALS.
THEY'RE TECHNICALLY SORT OF STILL OWNED BY TECH DOT AND THEY PAY THE CITY TO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THIS, UH, BECAUSE IT'S A TECH DOT FACILITY.
UM, BUT WITH THAT WE DO OFTEN, YOU KNOW, CREATE UPGRADES AND, AND HAVE PROGRAM PROJECTS TO IMPROVE THOSE FACILITIES.
UM, LAMAR UM, BOULEVARD IS A BOND CORRIDOR, IT'S ALSO A TEXTILE FACILITY.
SO WE JUST COORDINATE WITH THEM ABOUT, HEY, WE'RE SEEING THIS, THESE ARE SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE WANNA MAKE AND GO TO THE TABLE.
THEN JIM CAN PROBABLY SPEAK MORE TO HOW THAT PROCESS WORKS.
UM, BUT IF IT'S AN INFRASTRUCTURE RELATED UPGRADE, LIKE CURRENT BRANCH, UM, ALL THOSE SORTS OF THINGS, IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WHAT WE CAN DO WITH JUST SIGNAL OPERATIONS, BUT WE'RE A PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
AND I DON'T WANT TO PUT YOU TOO MUCH ON THE SPOT, BUT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE LIMITATIONS ON TEXT OUT RIGHT AWAY IN TERMS OF YOUR ABILITY TO MANIPULATE THE SIGNALS THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE ON CITY BOSTON? NO.
UM, IF WE WANNA DO UPGRADES AND THINGS, WE CAN COORDINATE WITH THEM, WHICH IS I GUESS ONE EXTRA STEP MM-HMM.
UM, BUT I, I WOULDN'T SAY THAT WE FEEL LIMITED IN WHAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO IF WE DO STRIKE CHANGING MM-HMM.
YEAH, USUALLY, USUALLY THEY'RE FINE WITH THAT.
WE PRESENT THE CASE AND SHOW THE IMPROVEMENT.
I'VE GOT ANOTHER, UM, COORDINATION QUESTION.
UM, I'M CURIOUS ABOUT HOW THE MMC COORDINATES WITH CAPITAL METRO IN TERMS OF THE TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY PROGRAM FOR THE METRO RAPID.
UM, AND KIND OF LIKE HOW Y'ALL BRING THAT DATA TO THEM TO IMPROVE TRANSIT OPERATIONS AND HOW THEIR DATA ALSO INFORMS, UM, YOUR OPERATIONS FOR THOSE SIGNALS.
YEAH, WE'RE COORDINATING EXTREMELY CLOSELY WITH THEM.
WE'RE ACTUALLY HAVE A PROJECT WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO ROLL OUT OUR TRANSIT SIGNAL PRIORITY TO A MUCH GREATER, UM, PERCENTAGE OF THE CITY'S SIGNALS USING A CENTRALIZED SYSTEM.
SO THROUGH COORDINATING WITH CAB METRO, WE CAN GET THEIR DATA AS TO WHERE THEIR, UM, BUSES ARE AND WHAT THEIR STATUS IS IF THEY'RE LATE.
UM, AND SO IF THEY ENTER A ZONE NEAR ONE OF OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND THEY'RE BEHIND SCHEDULE, WE CAN PROGRAM OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS TO TRY TO GIVE THEM AN EARLY OR EXTENDED GREEN TIME TO GET THEM BACK ON SCHEDULE.
WE'RE IN ABOUT TO INTERFACE TWO OF AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM TO ROLL THAT OUT TO MORE INTERSECTIONS.
RIGHT NOW THAT'S PRIMARILY RUNNING ON JUST THE TWO EXPRESS ROUTES, BUT WE'RE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT.
UM, SO WITH THAT THEY, WE CAN SEE THEIR DATA, THEY CAN KIND OF SEE OURS, WE COORDINATE WITH THEIR, UM, THEY CALL IT AN OCC THAT'S OVER AT THE MCNEIL OFF OF BURNETT, UM, FACILITY.
UM, IF WE EVER NEED TO COORDINATE WITH SOME SORT OF PREEMPTION OR PRIORITY THING WITH THE RAIL.
UM, WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO LET THEM KNOW IF THERE'S ANY IMPACTS TO BUS ROUTES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, WE USE A VIDEO MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO LOOK AT ALL OF OUR CCTV NETWORK.
SO WE MANAGE CLOSE TO 700 CCTV CITYWIDE, UH, VARIANTS AS FAR AS WHETHER THEY'RE AT AN INTERSECTION LEVEL OR IN OUR DOWNTOWN CORE.
WE HAVE A LOT ON THE HIGH RISES, SO WE CAN SEE PROGRESSION, UM, AS NEEDED.
WE'RE LOOKING TO, AND IN THE PROCESS OF FEDERATING OUR C T V SYSTEM WITH CAP METRO, SO MUCH LIKE HOW WE CAN LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, FROM THE INTERSECTION LEVEL DOWN TO THE BUS STOP, SO CAN CAT METRO AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO SEE SOME SELECT CAMERAS INSIDE OF THEIR SYSTEM AS WELL TO KIND OF FILL THE BLIND SPOTS WHERE WE MIGHT NOT HAVE A CAMERA INSTALLED QUITE YET.
UH, SO THAT WILL CONTINUE TO HELP, YOU KNOW, TEST THAT TSV PROGRAM AND OTHER ITEMS I'M LOOKING TO ACHIEVE I ADD.
UM, YEAH, SO SOME OF THE PLANNING WORK WE'RE DOING FOR THE RAIL, WE'VE BEEN IN DISCUSSIONS PROBABLY WELL OVER A YEAR IN TERMS OF HOW WE WILL RUN THE SIGNAL SYSTEM WITH THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM AS IT MOVES THROUGH TOWN.
CERTAINLY JUST GOT CLARITY RECENTLY ON WHAT THAT ALIGNMENT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.
AND SO WE, WE EVEN HAD A MEETING THIS WEEK, SO THOSE MEETINGS ARE OCCURRING REGULARLY, BUT TO COORDINATE WHAT THAT FUTURE'S GONNA LOOK LIKE TO MOVE THOSE TRAINS IDEALLY BETWEEN STATIONS WITHOUT
[00:40:01]
STOPPING.SO A LOT OF THAT WORKS GOING ON TO THANK YOU.
THAT WAS, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY QUESTION, IS THE SCOPE OF THE COLLABORATION WITH THE AS PROJECT CONNECT RAMPS UP, UH, WITH CAP METRO, BUT THAT SOUNDS, YEAH, THAT SOUNDS GREAT.
UH, ANOTHER THING I'LL MENTION JUST TO THE, THE POINT THAT WAS MADE EARLIER ABOUT, UH, THE QUESTION THAT WAS ASKED ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE REPORT THESE LIGHTS AND WHATNOT? UM, I LUCKILY KNOW ALLISON PERSONALLY, SHE'S A GOOD FRIEND OF MINE AND SHE HAS ENCOURAGED, SHE HAS, SHE'S ALWAYS ENCOURAGED ME TO USE THREE 11, AND I HAVE NOTICED, UH, A FEW TIMES WHEN I'VE CALLED IN THAT WHEN I REPORT SOMETHING, IT IS FIXED WITHIN UNDER AN HOUR THERE WILL BE SOMETHING OR, OR QUICKER.
SO, UH, KUDOS TO YOU GUYS FOR, YOU KNOW, A WELL OILED SYSTEM.
SO, UH, AND YEAH, HOPEFULLY MORE PEOPLE USE THAT TO CALL IN FOR THINGS.
YEAH, IT'S FLASHING, IT'S, YOU KNOW.
YEAH, WE LIKE TO HEAR SHOULD SAY, I REQUEST AN L LPI THREE WEEKS AGO AND IT WAS PUT IN WITHIN A WEEK.
SO LISTEN, THAT WAS Y'ALL'S KEEP GIVING US TWO SAMPLES.
UM, AND ALSO WHEN GOING BACKWARDS, A CAB METRO DRIVER NOTICED SOMETHING, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? YEAH, WE OFTEN WILL GET CALLS FROM THEIR OCC FROM A CAT, METRO DRIVER'S SAFE, THE OCC.
THEY'LL CALL US AND SAY, HEY, THEY'VE NOTICED.
YEAH, THEY'LL CALL US DIRECTLY, UM, AND THEY'LL SAY, HEY, WE, YOU KNOW, OUR DRIVERS ARE NOTICING THIS ISSUE HERE.
MAYBE THE LEFT TURN'S NOT WORKING RIGHT.
OR, UM, A SIGNAL FLASHING, UM, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO THEY'LL CALL AND LET US KNOW.
UM, OFTEN WE'RE ALREADY AWARE, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS APPRECIATE A SECOND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE EYES EVERYWHERE, SO WE APPRECIATE IT.
AND IF YOU CALL IF THREE 11 AND REQUEST A CALL BACK, IT'S USUALLY ONE OF US TO GIVE YOU A CALL BACK TO ASK ABOUT YOUR ISSUE, SO, YEAH.
YEAH, THANKS Y'ALL WE'LL OUT AND MUCH Y'ALL HAVE A LITTLE MORE ROOM IN THE ROOM HERE.
GIVE YOU, UM, NO, CHRISTOPHER'S WORKING ON GETTING OUR NEXT ITEM, UH, IN FRONT OF US.
UH, ITEM TWO IS, UM, OR THREE, I'M JUST READING NUMBERS WRONG.
[3. Discussion and possible action on the Teleworking Policy Recommendation.]
UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE TELEWORKING POLICY RECOMMENDATION.WE DO HAVE A RESOLUTION, UM, IT'S AVAILABLE IN THE BACKUP ONLINE, UH, THAT WAS EMAILED OUT FROM, UM, CHRISTOPHER.
HE'S GONNA GET THAT PULLED UP FOR THE, UH, ONLINE MEETING.
UM, I'LL PUT ON, YEAH, WE HAVE SPEAKERS, SO I'LL JUST SET THE STAGE.
WE HAD SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS, UH, CITY EMPLOYEES THAT CAME AND SPOKE UP TO US LAST MONTH, UM, AS PART OF, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION, UH, NOT ON OUR AGENDA ABOUT THE TELEWORKING POLICIES AT THE CITY.
AND WE ALL, UH, THE COMMISSIONERS WERE EAGER TO TAKE THIS UP IN OUR JULY AGENDA.
SO, UM, I'D LIKE TO, YOU, YOU WERE THE AUTHOR OF THIS, GIVE A BIG THANKS TO REEN FOR PUTTING TOGETHER THIS, UH, DRAFT, UH, RESOLUTION FOR US.
UM, AND SO, UM, WE DO HAVE, UM, UH, SEVERAL SPEAKERS I THINK, UM, UH, WHY DON'T WE JUST GO AHEAD AND TAKE OUR SPEAKERS ON THIS, UH, WHILE WE'RE PULLING IT UP.
UH, THAT BEING SAID, I'LL GO DOWN THE LIST OF SPEAKERS, THE FIRST SPEAKER, UH, IF YOU COULD TURN THE CAMERA ON, THAT'D BE GREAT, BUT IF NOT, THAT'S OKAY.
UH, FIRST SPEAKER, PAIGE BRADLEY.
I WAS JUST ORGANIZING IN THE BACKGROUND.
IN THAT CASE, WE'LL GO ON TO MADELINE, UH, SORRY IF I'M PRONOUNCING THAT WRONG.
UM, CAN I GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED? YES.
HELLO, MY NAME IS MADELINE CIO AND I'M A BUSINESS PROCESS SPECIALIST FOR AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
UH, CURRENTLY MY TEAM IS EXPECTED TO BE IN THE OFFICE ONE DAY A WEEK.
UH, THIS WAS A HUGE DRAW FOR ME TO TAKE THIS ROLE BECAUSE I LIVE NEAR SOUTH LAMAR WHILE MY OFFICE IS UP NORTH OFF 180 3 ON RUTHERFORD LANE.
UH, THIS CAN BE UP TO A 30 MINUTE COMMUTE, UH, OBVIOUSLY MORE DURING RUSH HOUR, AND I CAN CUT THIS DOWN IF I WANT TO PAY FOR THE TOLL ROADS, BUT FOR HALF OF MY TEAM THAT LIVES OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN, DUE TO THE RISING COST OF LIVING, UH, THIS ONE DAY A WEEK ALLOWS US TO STAY ENGAGED WITH EACH OTHER, UH, WHILE ALSO ALLOWING US TO BE PRODUCTIVE AND LIVE MEANINGFUL LIVES OUTSIDE OF WORK WITHOUT MULTIPLE HOURS A WEEK SPINNING ON COMMUTING TO THE OFFICE.
THE PROPOSED TELEWORK POLICY FROM THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER
[00:45:01]
DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR HOW MUCH MORE TRAFFIC WILL BE ON THE ROADS WHEN PEOPLE ARE REQUIRED TO BE IN THE OFFICE FOR THREE DAYS A WEEK.THIS POLICY DOES NOT MAKE SENSE FOR OUR ECONOMIC SAFETY OR SUSTAINABILITY GOALS AS A CITY.
WHEN WE LOOK AT THE AUSTIN'S VISION, 0 20 23 UPDATE CAR CRASHES WERE RESPONSIBLE FOR MORE THAN EIGHT, SORRY FOR MORE THAN 6.8 BILLION IN ECONOMIC LOSSES.
THIS UPDATE ALSO STATES THAT PEDESTRIAN FATALITIES ARE RISING AT AN ALARMING RATE.
48 PEDESTRIANS WERE KILLED IN 2022, WHICH IS UP FROM A 42 IN 2021, WHILE THE PREVIOUS FIVE-YEAR AVERAGE WAS 30 DEATHS.
AND I CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT PUTTING 60,000 MORE CAR TRIPS ON OUR ROADS EACH WEEK WILL DO TO THIS NUMBER.
THERE'S ALSO A STUDY FROM GREEN CAR REPORTS THAT SHOWS THE MICROPLASTICS FROM TIRES AND BRAKES MAKE UP 52% OF THE TOTAL EMISSIONS FROM DRIVING IT.
QUOTES OF THE PARTICLES EMITTED 82% FIND THEIR WAY INTO WATER, AND 18% BECOME AIRBORNE.
THE STUDY ALSO HIGHLIGHTS THE HIGHLIGHTS, THE POTENTIAL FOR PARTICLES FROM TIRES TO ACCUMULATE IN THE FOOD CHAIN.
RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO RETAIN HIGHLY SKILLED AND VALUABLE EMPLOYEES, OUR CITY, TO BE SAFER FOR ALL AUSTINITES AND SLOW THE IMMENSE EFFECTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
I'M ASKING EACH OF YOU TO CONTACT THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE DISTRICT YOU REPRESENT, AND EXPLAIN WHY THEY SHOULD VOTE IN SUPPORT FOR YOUR RESOLUTION AT THE COUNCIL MEETING ON JULY 20TH.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME AND MY COWORKERS TO SPEAK TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR NEXT SPEAKER, MERA BEDROS MIERA, CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR US, MS. BEDROS? MS. BEDROS, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO, UH, HEAR YOU.
UM, I'M NOT ABLE TO GET IN TOUCH WITH MS. BARROWS.
UH, SHE, SHE SAYS COMPUTER AUDIO IS NOT WORKING.
SHE'S ON THE PHONE, BUT I CAN'T SHE PHONE CODE THAT SHE CAN, SHE SEES SHE IS CALLING.
I AM A MEMBER OF F 1624 AND A GRADUATE ENGINEER WITH WATERSHED DETECTION DEPARTMENT.
UH, MY JOB IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 60 TO 80% REMOTE, AND I HAVE COWORKERS WHO ARE UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT REMOTE.
I'VE TALKED TO SEVERAL OF THEM WHO HAVE, UH, STATED THAT THEY'RE ALREADY LOOKING FOR OTHER POSITIONS, OR THAT EVEN IF THEY DO STICK AROUND WITH THE CITY, THEY ARE GOING TO DO IT BEGRUDGINGLY IF THE, UH, THE PROPOSED TELEWORK POLICY CHANGE GOES THROUGH.
AND I, I HOPE YOU'LL FORGIVE MY NONCHALANT, I JUST GOT HOME FROM BIKING BACK FROM WORK, SO, YOU KNOW, STICKING TO THAT URBAN TRANSPORTATION, UH, PLAN, BUT, UH, YEAH, TELEWORK IT, THE POLICY THAT WE HAVE IN PLACE HAS MADE US MORE PRODUCTIVE AS EMPLOYEES, AS IT IS.
IT HAS MADE US ABLE TO LIVE MORE FULFILLING LIVES OUTSIDE OF WORK.
AND THE ONLY OUTCOME THAT THIS POLICY WILL HAVE WILL BE TO DRAIN THE CITY OF REALLY VALUABLE TALENT AS PEOPLE LEAVE FOR BETTER JOBS IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT ACTUALLY ALLOW THEM TO WORK FROM HOME.
UH, WE HEARD FROM SEVERAL EMPLOYEES AT WATERSHED PROTECTION WHO HAVE HEALTH RISKS OR HEALTH CONCERNS WITH COMING INTO THE OFFICE WHO HAVE IDENTITY RISKS AND CONCERNS OF COMING INTO THE OFFICE.
AND, UH, I ALSO TAKE ISSUE WITH THE WAY THAT THE POLICY CHANGE WAS PLAYED OUT.
UH, YOU KNOW, IT IT WAS DESIGNED TO PIT TELEWORK EMPLOYEES AGAINST EMPLOYEES NOT ELIGIBLE TO TELEWORK, WHICH THEN HAD THE KNOCKDOWN EFFECT OF CAUSING SOME DISRUPTION AND DISCORDANCE WITHIN THE OFFICE AND CAUSING CITY SERVICES TO POTENTIALLY BE DISRUPTED AS PEOPLE HAD TO WORK THROUGH INTERPERSONAL ISSUES.
SO THE PATH FORWARD IS TO ACTUALLY GIVE US AN EQUITABLE TELEWORK POLICY THAT BENEFITS BOTH TELEWORK ELIGIBLE AND NON TELEWORK POSITIONS EQUALLY, AND OFFERS TRAVEL STIPENDS WHILE NOT PUTTING MORE CARS ON THE ROAD.
I KNOW I'M PROBABLY PREACHING TO THE CHOIR BECAUSE I BELIEVE THAT YOU ALSO SUPPORT A MULTIMODAL TRANSIT SYSTEM.
SO I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE SUPPORT THE JOINT, UH, OR THE, SORRY, THE, UM, EXCUSE ME, JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
IN THEIR REPORT AND ALSO IS YOUR, YOUR OWN IN SUPPORT OF INEQUITABLE TELEWORK POLICY.
UH, OUR LAST SPEAKER, I BELIEVE IS WHITNEY, WHITNEY HOLE, BUT NOT SURE IF SHE'S ABLE TO JOIN US TODAY.
SO I THINK, SORRY, UH, PAIGE EMAILED
[00:50:01]
ME AND LET ME KNOW THAT WHITNEY'S NOT ABLE TO JOIN.SO THAT BEING SAID, OKAY, WITH THAT BEING SAID, CHAIR, THAT IS ALL OF OUR SPEAKERS FOR THIS ITEM.
I'LL GO AHEAD AND PULL UP THE, UH, RESOLUTION.
YEAH, I WOULD LIKE TO NOTE, UH, COMMISSIONERS, IF YOU WANTED TO REVIEW WHITNEY'S, UH, THERE'S A SHORT, JUST SHORT SLIDE DECK.
IT'S IN OUR BACKUP, UH, IF YOU WANTED TO REVIEW THAT JUST FOR YOUR OWN INFORMATION SINCE, UH, THEY WEREN'T ABLE TO BE HERE.
SO JUST A POINT OF INTEREST ON THAT.
UM, UH, I GUESS, UM, AND I ALSO WANNA DRAW YOUR ATTENTION.
I'M GONNA LET REEN MAKE HIS MOTION, BUT, UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, I KNOW ONE OF THE SPEAKERS MENTIONED THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION, UH, FROM JUNE 28TH.
WE HAVE THAT IN OUR BACKUP AS WELL FOR OUR REFERENCE LOOKS LIKE THAT PAST LA BODY UNANIMOUSLY ON THAT DATE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN EMOTION ABOUT THIS RESOLUTION.
I MAKE MOTION WITHOUT THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTION INTO THE RECORD.
WHEREAS THE LONG-TERM TREND OVER THE PAST DECADE IN THE AUSTIN LABOR MARKET HAS BEEN FOR INCREASING NUMBERS OF PEOPLE TO WORK FROM HOME OR OTHER LOCATIONS OUTSIDE THEIR EMPLOYER'S LOCATION.
THIS NUMBER GOING FROM 5.7% IN 2010 TO 8.7% IN 2019 BEFORE THE PANDEMICS, NOT PANDEMICS BETTER SOMETHING'S HAPPENED, WHEREAS THE POST PANDEMIC RETURN TO EMPLOYEES OFFICE IS TAKING PLACE FAR MORE SLOWLY THAN RECENT NEWS ITEMS, WHICH IS SUGGEST, FOR EXAMPLE, AS OF 6 21 20 23, THE CASTLE BACK TO WORK.
BAROMETER BAROMETER, UM, SHOWS THE CURRENT OFFICE OCCUPANCY RATE IN AUSTIN HAS ACHIEVED ONLY 58.2% OF THE PRE PANDEMIC LEVEL, DESPITE THE HEADLINES OF BUSINESSES REQUIRED EMPLOYEES TO WORK IN THEIR OFFICES.
AND WHEREAS THE CITY OF AUSTIN COMPETES WITH OTHER EMPLOYERS IN BOTH THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SECTORS, THE AVAILABILITY OF TELEWORK OPPORTUNITIES WILL INCREASE THE SIZE OF THE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEE WHO WILL BY OPENING OPPORTUNITIES FOR THOSE WHO TRAVEL TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN FACILITY IS DIFFICULT, SUCH AS THOSE LIVING FAR FROM CITY OF AUSTIN FACILITIES, THOSE WHO HAVE DISABILITIES, AND THOSE WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY ARRANGING FOR TRAFFIC.
AND WHERE SUBSTANTIAL NUMBERS EMPLOYEES TELEWORKING WOULD RESULT IN SUBSTANTIAL FLOOR SPACE OR ENTIRE CITY BUILDINGS BECOMING AVAILABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES, SUCH AS THE DELOITTE CONSULTING REPORT FORECAST FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
AND WHEREAS THE PREPONDERANCE OF STUDIES ON EMPLOYEE PRODUCTIVITY SHOWING THAT EMPLOYEES ALLOWS WORK, INCREASES PRODUCTIVITY, AND WHEREAS THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION RECOMMENDED IDENTIFIES THE ENVIRONMENT EFFECTS OF IN CHARGING TELEWORKING AND WHEREAS THE CHANCE OF SUCCESSFUL OUTCOMES IN SWITCHING TO TELEWORKING FOR INCREASED, IF MANAGERS AND EMPLOYEES RECEIVE TRAINING IN BEST PRACTICES REMOTE WORK, IT RESOLVED THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL IMPLEMENT A PERMANENT OPTION FOR ALL EMPLOYEES WHOSE JOB DUTIES PERMIT TELEWORKING TO TELEWORK SOME OR ALL OF THE TIME, AND SHOULD MOVE TOWARDS IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT OPTION BY REQUESTING THAT THIS INTERIM CITY MANAGER FINALLY DELIVER THE REPORT ON ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES TELEWORKING, WHICH WAS REQUESTED BY COUNCIL ON JUNE, 2022.
THE REPORT SHOULD CONTAIN AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, A PROPOSED LIST OF WHICH JOB CLASSIFICATIONS AND POSITION ARE SUITABLE FOR TELEWORKING, THE ESTIMATED FINANCIAL IMPACTS OFFERING TELEWORKING AS AN OPTION.
THOSE EMPLOYEES' JOB CLASSIFICATIONS ARE SUITABLE SIMILAR TO THE REPORT PREPARED BY DELOITTE CONSULTING FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
THE REPORT SHOULD ALSO IDENTIFY WHICH PROPERTIES WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR LEASE TERMINATION AND SUBSTANTIAL FRACTION OF EMPLOYEES OR ELIGIBLE FOR TELEWORKING AT THOSE LOCATIONS.
TO DO SO, THE REPORT SHOULD ALSO IDENTIFY COSTS OF EXPANDING TELEWORKING SUCH AS ADDITIONAL IT COSTS, COST UPDATE, PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES AND TRAINING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH LEARNING TO WORK AND MANAGE AND DISTRIBUTE ENVIRONMENT A SKILL MANY OTHER MANY MATTERS DON'T CURRENTLY POSSESS.
SO THAT'S THE END OF THE RESOLUTION.
RIGHT? SO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THIS, UH, DRAFT RESOLUTION.
UH, IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
[00:55:01]
EXCELLENT, THANK YOU.UM, ALL RIGHT, UH, COMMISSIONERS, WE HAVE BEFORE US THIS DRAFT RESOLUTION.
IS THERE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION OR, I'M GOOD.
UM, I GUESS I'M NOT ENTIRELY CONVINCED THIS IS WITHIN OUR PURVIEW AS A BODY, AND I'M JUST CURIOUS TO HEAR WHO, LIKE, TALK ABOUT RUMAN, LIKE YOU WROTE THIS OR LIKE OTHER PEOPLE, LIKE WHAT ARE WE DOING COMMENTING ABOUT THE CITY'S TELEWORK POLICY HERE? UM, I THINK IT'S A FINE RESOLUTION, BUT I'M JUST, YEAH, YEAH.
I THINK, UM, I I, I CAN RE AND YOU WERE, YOU WERE HERE LAST MONTH.
SO, UM, LAST, LAST MONTH, JUNE MEETING, WE HAD I THINK FOUR CITY EMPLOYEES COME OUT AND SPEAK TO US.
AND THEY WERE, UH, REALLY, UM, EMPHASIZING AS SOME OF THE SPEAKERS DID AGAIN TODAY, SORT OF THE TRANSPORTATION IMPACTS OF, OF THE RETURN TO TELEWORK, LIKE MORE CARS ON THE ROAD, YOU KNOW, MODE SHARE, UH, AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, COMMUTING GOALS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, SO I THINK THAT WE, UM, FROM THE DISCUSSION THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, OR THE QUESTIONS THAT WE HAD FOR THOSE SPEAKERS LAST MONTH, WE, UH, DETERMINED THAT IT WOULD BE AN ITEM THAT WE WOULD TAKE UP AND THAT WE WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE, ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT WOULD INTERACT WITH TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT IN THAT WAY.
SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS THE CONNECTION.
UM, I DON'T WANNA, I, LIKE MAYBE RUBEN CAN SPEAK TO LIKE HIS, HIS MOTION, BUT THAT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY PRESENT IN, UM, A BIT IN THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
UM, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THIS COULD BE A WAY THAT WE MOVE TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION TO MAKE THAT CONNECTION MORE CLEAR.
I I ACTUALLY HAVE THE SAME QUESTION AND THE WAY I ANSWERED IT FOR MYSELF IS I ASKED WHICH OTHER BOARD OR COMMISSION HAS THIS RESPONSIBILITY? AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTICE AND INFORM ON LONG-TERM TRENDS IN WHERE PEOPLE ARE LIVING BECAUSE THAT AFFECTS TRANSPORTATION.
THAT HAS A CORE AND COMPLETE EFFECT ON TRANSPORTATION.
AND MERELY NOTING IT, IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
IF THERE'S BEEN A BIG SHIFT FROM PEOPLE WORKING IN OFFICES AND PEOPLE WORKING AT HOME, IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO INFORM COUNSEL ABOUT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THAT SHIFT.
SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE VERY FIRST STATEMENT, UH, IS WHAT QUALIFIES THIS FOR.
I WILL ALSO SAY, AND I THINK THAT'S MAYBE SOMETHING THAT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE PUTTING IN ONE OF THE WAREHOUSES, BUT I DON'T THINK IT'S A HUNDRED PERCENT NECESSARY.
UH, THE 2020 AUSTIN SECURITY MOBILITY PLAN, PART OF THE 50 50 MODE SPLIT IS TO INCREASE TELEWORKING FROM 8% TO 14%.
RIGHT? SO THE CITY HAS IDENTIFIED TELEWORKING AS A GOAL TO REDUCE CONGESTION AND REDUCE TRANSPORTATION AND EMISSIONS.
SO I, I THINK THAT IN AND OF ITSELF KIND OF PUTS THIS IN THE TRANSPORTATION ECOSYSTEM.
I GUESS, YEAH, I'M CONVINCED THAT IT IS INDEED.
I ACTUALLY WOULD, I THINK IT IS WORTHWHILE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, MAYBE ADDING WHEREAS IS, ISN'T LIKE SUPER IMPORTANT TO LIKE, SPEND A LOT OF TIME DOING, BUT I ACTUALLY DO THINK THIS ONE IS SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MOVE TO AMEND TO ADD THAT, WHEREAS THAT SPENCER JUST STATED SO CLEARLY AND NICELY.
CAN YOU RESTATE, I'M MOVING? SURE, SURE.
UM, SO IT WOULD BE, WHEREAS THE, IS ANYONE WRITING, ETC.
I WRITE IT DOWN
UM, WHEREAS THE 2020 AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN IDENTIFIED INCREASING THE SHARE OF AUSTINITES TELEWORKING AS A STRATEGY TO ACHIEVE A 50 50 MODE SHARE.
SPENCER, I GUESS YOU MY, YOU CAN BE MY SECOND.
UM, LET'S, UH, DO PEOPLE LIKE THAT
[01:00:01]
AMENDMENT THERE? LET'S TAKE A QUICK, UH, READ ON THAT.THAT'S WHY WE, THAT'S WHY WE, AMEN.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR, UM, PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE RECOMMENDATION RESOLUTION? I JUST SUGGEST SEMICOLONS AFTER THE, WHEREAS CLAUSES.
THAT'S THE BILL DRAFTER IN ME.
OH, I MEANT AT THE END OF THIS.
SO
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS? COMMISSIONERS? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, I, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF THIS RESOLUTION, THESE LOOKS LIKE THAT IS UNANIMOUS.
UM, WE WILL BE SURE TO, UM, I KNOW THAT SOME OF THIS, I THINK SOME OF OUR SPEAKERS ARE STILL ON THE CALL.
WE'LL BE SURE THAT THAT GETS FORWARDED THE CITY COUNCIL IN ADVANCE OF THEIR TAKING THIS UP.
UM, THIS IS SUCH A GREAT EXAMPLE OF PUBLIC.
I DON'T KNOW THAT THIS WOULD'VE COME TO OUR ATTENTION NECESSARILY ON THIS BODY WITHOUT PUBLIC SPEAKERS COMING OUT TO US LAST MONTH.
SO WE'RE EXTREMELY APPRECIATIVE OF YOU DOING THAT.
IT'S A GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW OUR CITY WORKS FOR EVERYBODY.
OKAY, SO THAT TAKES US TO, UM, I BELIEVE IT IS ITEM FOUR.
[4. Discussion and possible action on the Bike Lane Recommendation]
UM, SO THAT IS GOING TO BE, UH, A BIKE LEGGING RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS, UH, PROPOSED BY SPENCER.I'LL JUST HAND THAT OVER TO YOU TO, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SPEAKERS ON THAT.
UM, I'LL JUST HAND THAT OVER TO YOU.
DO YOU WANT ME A MOTION? UH, SURE.
SO I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATION.
SO BEFORE I GO TO DEPTH THEN AND EXPLAIN, CAN I LIKE SEE A SHOW OF HANDS AS WHO WAS HERE FROM MARIO'S ORIGINAL? 1, 2, 3.
SO I'LL LIKE, I'LL GLOSS OVER THE ORIGINAL ONE AND IF SOMEONE WANTS TO EXPLAIN HOW THAT ONE CAME ABOUT.
BUT, UM, UH, LAST YEAR, JUNE 7TH, 2022, JUST ABOUT O OVER A YEAR AGO, THIS BODY APPROVED A RE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES INDIVIDUAL USING THE CH THREE 11 MOBILE APPLICATION, UH, TO PROVIDE CURRENT PHOTO EVIDENCE OF A VEHICLE BLOCKING THE BIKE LANE AND RECEIVED 25% OF THE REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE CITY FOR THAT CITATION.
UH, NOW THE REASON THIS CAME ABOUT IS, UH, BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT IS WOEFULLY INADEQUATE IN THE CITY AND HAS BEEN FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, THE ABILITY TO, UH, TAKE A PHOTO OF SOMEONE PARKING IN THE BIKE LANE AND THEN SENDING THAT TO THREE 11 CAME ABOUT 2020.
UH, AND SINCE THEN, ENFORCEMENT NUMBERS HAVE BEEN REALLY, REALLY LOW.
UH, WHEN THE UTC BROUGHT THIS UP LAST TIME, UH, I WENT AHEAD AND CRUNCHED SOME NUMBERS ON IT AND, UH, ONLY 21% OF COMPLAINTS WERE RESULTING IN A CITATION, UH, WITH 67.5% OF THE COMPLAINTS BEING CLOSED BECAUSE THE VEHICLE MOVED BEFORE PARKING ENFORCEMENT HAD ARRIVED.
UM, AND SPECIFICALLY THIS CREATES, UH, VERY BIG EQUITY CONCERNS BECAUSE THE BIGGEST OFFENDERS, THE DELIVERY VEHICLES, UH, KNOW THAT AS LONG AS THEY PARK IN THE BIKE LANE FOR UNDER AN HOUR, IT'S VERY UNLIKELY THAT PARKING ENFORCEMENT IS GOING TO GET TO THEM.
UH, WHAT I ALSO DISCOVERED THROUGH THAT IS THAT PARKING ENFORCEMENT, AND THIS WILL COME INTO PLAY LATER, UH, IS MUCH MORE LIKELY TO ENFORCE BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT, UM, ON NON-PROTECTED BIKE LANES.
UH, NOW MY THEORY BEHIND THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT THE VAST MAJORITY, IF NOT ALL, OF, UH, MOBILITY OFFICERS AND POLICE OFFICERS TRAVEL BY, UH, A CAR AND THERE'S VERY LITTLE PARKING WHERE MOST PROTECTED BIKE LANES ARE, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE JUST NOT CHECKING THOSE AREAS.
UH, SO WHAT YOU END UP HAVING IS A SYSTEM WHERE THE BIGGEST OFFENDERS KNOW THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT PRETTY MUCH EVERY TIME.
AND THOSE WHO ACTUALLY DO GET TICKETED ARE RESIDENTIAL OFFENDERS WHO PROBABLY DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT IN THE FIRST PLACE, UH, AND ARE DEFINITELY NOT, YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL BAD.
NOT AS BIG OF A SAFETY CONCERN AS A MASSIVE SEMI-TRUCK OR U P S DELIVERY TRUCK OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
UM, SO WHEN THE U T C PASSED THAT RECOMMENDATION LAST TIME AROUND, UM, I WAS STILL ON THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL, WE VERY MUCH GOT BEHIND IT, WENT TO THE MOBILITY MOBILITY COMMITTEE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF IT.
UM, AND I ALSO FOLLOWED UP WITH A COUPLE OF COUNCIL OFFICES, UH, BEFOREHAND.
[01:05:01]
TWO REASONS THAT THAT APPROACH KIND OF PETERED OUT.UM, THE FIRST WAS THAT THERE WERE MANY WHO WERE CONCERNED WITH THE PRECEDENT OF WHOEVER REPORTS THE FINE GETS 25% OF THE REVENUE.
UH, THE OTHER CONCERN WAS IT WAS NOT CLEAR IF THAT WAS ALLOWED UNDER STATE LAW.
UH, STATE LAW IS VERY BIG RESTRICTIONS ON AUTOMATED ENFORCEMENT OF ANY TRAFFIC VIOLATION.
UH, THAT'S CUZ OF THE RED LIGHT CAMERA LAW.
THEY FELT LIKE IT MAY EXTEND, AND EVEN IF IT DIDN'T, THE STATE MIGHT ABANDON IT AFTERWARDS.
SO, UH, THE RESOLUTION IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY IS A RESOLUTION THAT WAS PASSED BY THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL LAST MONTH.
UM, AND IT BASICALLY GIVES A MENU OF OPTIONS, UM, THAT BASICALLY SAYS THE CITY COUNCIL, LET'S PICK ONE OF THESE AND MOVE FORWARD.
SO THE FIRST IS THE ONE THAT THE UT C SUGGESTED THE FIRST TIME AROUND, UH, WHICH SAYS THAT, UH, IF YOU TAKE A PICTURE OF A THREE 11 VIOLATION, YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE IT'S IN A NO PARKING ZONE AND YOU CAN CLEARLY SEE THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER, THEN LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND FIND THEM FROM THERE.
WHETHER OR NOT WHOEVER GETS AGAINST 25% OF THE REVENUE COLLECTED, THAT'S REALLY NOT THE RELEVANT PART.
THE RELEVANT PART IS THAT WE HAVE A WAY TO ENFORCE IT.
UH, THE SECOND OPTION IS TO DEVELOP A VOLUNTEER BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, EITHER MODELED AFTER OR AS AN EXTENSION OF THE VERY SUCCESSFUL ACCESSIBLE PARKING PROGRAM.
UM, SO STATE LAW, AND THIS CAME OUT IN THIS WAS VERIFIED, UH, IN THE, UM, MEMO THAT AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION, UT OR AND E T D UH, PUT OUT REGARDING, UH, TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, UH, NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS CAN ENFORCE NON-MOVING VIOLATIONS, UM, THAT INCLUDES PARKING VIOLATIONS.
SO THERE IS SOME SPECIFIC AUTHORIZATION FOR ACCESSIBLE PARKING ENFORCEMENT BY VOLUNTEERS, AT LEAST IN MY READING OF STATE LAW.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT PREVENTS YOU FROM EXPANDING THAT.
UM, THE STATUTE IS RESTRICTIVE, NOT PERMISSIVE, RIGHT? SO, UH, OR SORRY, FLIP THAT.
UM, SO I THINK EASILY AUSTIN COULD JUST EXTEND THAT PROGRAM TO INCLUDE BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT.
UH, AND THERE WOULD BE PLENTY OF PEOPLE LIKE ME WHO WOULD HAPPILY TAKE FIVE HOURS OFF OF WORK TO JUST GO UP AND DOWN CONGRESS AND TICKET PEOPLE TO OUR HEART'S DESIRE.
UH, IF YOU DON'T BELIEVE ME, COME TO THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL.
THAT WILL BE THE TEAM RIGHT THERE,
UH, THE THIRD ONE IS, ALL RIGHT, IF THOSE TWO DON'T WORK, YOU DON'T FEEL 'EM.
THE THIRD ONE IS LET'S DESIGNATE MULTIPLE TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY OFFICERS ON EACH SHIFT WHO WILL TRAVEL BY BICYCLE AND PRIMARILY FOCUS ON BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT.
UH, AND THE REASON WHY TRAVELING BY BICYCLE IS IMPORTANT IS FOR SPECIFICALLY THE THING I SAID AT THE BEGINNING.
UH, BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT WHEN IT DOES HAPPEN, ISN'T REALLY HAPPENING ON PROTECTED BIKE LANES, WHICH IS WHERE THE PROBLEM IS.
IT'S MOST ACUTE AND WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD EXPECT TO BE THE SAFEST AS BICYCLISTS IN THE CITY.
UH, SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE PROTECT THOSE FIRST.
THERE ARE A COUPLE OF SUPPLEMENTARY POLICIES.
UM, SOME OF THESE CAME FROM PAST UTC RECOMMENDATIONS.
SOME OF THESE CAME FROM THE BAC THEMSELVES.
UM, SO THE FIRST ONE IS SOMETHING THAT WAS TAKEN FROM THE PREVIOUS UTC UM, RECOMMENDATION.
UH, RIGHT NOW IT IS ONLY ILLEGAL TO PARK IN A BIKE LANE IF THERE IS A SIGN THAT EXPLICITLY SAYS NO PARKING.
UH, THERE ARE SOME LEGACY BIKE LANES THAT DON'T HAVE THIS SIGN.
JOHN'S IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS IF YOU EVER TRIED TO BIKE ON ST.
JOHN'S, UH, IT JUST BECOMES IMPOSSIBLE CAUSE IT'S JUST PARKING.
UM, SO TECHNICALLY THERE THAT'S NOT CITABLE.
SO WE'RE ASKING CITY COUNCIL TO FLIP THAT.
SAY YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PARK IN THE BIKE LANE UNLESS THERE'S A SIGN THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS YOU CAN.
UH, THE NEXT IS TO UPDATE THE CITY'S, UH, UH, MAPS REGARDING BICYCLES TO INDICATE WHERE PARKING IN THE BIKE LANE IS ALLOWED, EITHER BY LACK OF SIGNAGE OR BY SPECIFIC SIGNAGE.
UH, AND FRANKLY REMOVE THOSE AS ALL AGES IN ABILITY OR EVEN PREFERRED ROUTES.
UM, CUZ I CAN TELL YOU THERE ARE PLENTY OF TIMES, RIGHT? LIKE, AGAIN, ST.
JOHN'S AGAIN, RIGHT? I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I WENT OUT TO ST.
I THOUGHT I HAD THIS BUFFERED BIKE LANE FIRST TIME I USED IT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN I WAS DODGING VEHICLES, RIGHT? SO WE DEFINITELY WANT BICYCLISTS TO BE ABLE TO EXPECT WHEN THAT'S HAPPENING.
UH, THE THIRD IS TO EXPAND THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE LOADING PERMIT PROGRAM CITYWIDE.
SO THIS IS THE PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS COMMERCIAL VEHICLES TO TAKE UP A GENERAL TRAVEL LANE, UH, WHEN THERE ARE TWO OR MORE GENERAL TRAVEL LANES.
UH, AND THEN THE SECOND PART OF THAT IS MAKE IT CLEAR THAT IT'S THE CITY'S PREFERENCE THAT COMMERCIAL VEHICLES BLOCK A GENERAL TRAVEL LANE TO A BIKE LANE.
UH, CAUSE IF YOU'VE EVER ASKED A TRUCK TO MOVE FROM THE BIKE LANE, THE FIRST THING THEY'LL TELL YOU, ONE, THEY MIGHT MISTAKENLY BELIEVE THEY CAN PARK THERE OR TWO, THEY'LL SAY, WELL, THERE'S NOWHERE ELSE FOR ME TO PARK.
UH, RIGHT NOW IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THEY ARE ALLOWED, IF THEY HAVE A COMMERCIAL VEHICLE, PARKING, PARKING PERMIT, UH, THEY CAN PARK IN A GENERAL TRAVEL LANE WHERE THERE ARE TWO OR MORE.
[01:10:01]
SENSE.IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR A CAR TO GO AROUND A PARKED CAR, UH, THAN FOR A BICYCLIST TO MERGE INTO TRAFFIC THAT'S GOING TWICE ITS SPEED, UH, TO GET AROUND A CAR THAT MAY JUST DOOR THEM ON THE OTHER SIDE.
UH, SO IT'S MUCH BETTER FOR SAFETY THAT WAY.
UH, AND THEN THE FOURTH IS TO ENGAGE IN A CITYWIDE CAMPAIGN, UH, TO CREATE GENERAL KNOWLEDGE THAT, UH, BLOCKING AND BIKE LANE WILL RESULT IN A CITATION.
UH, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO, UM, DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET A CITATION OR THEY BELIEVE BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN SO LAX ABOUT ENFORCEMENT OVER THE LAST DECADE, UH, THAT THEY'RE INVINCIBLE, RIGHT? THEY CAN PARK AS MUCH AS THEY WANT, NOBODY'S GOING TO COME ENFORCE IT.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT THAT IF WE TAKE THESE STEPS, WE EDUCATE THE PUBLIC THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A NEW DAY IN AUSTIN.
UH, AND THEN THE LAST ONE'S KIND OF A CATCHALL THAT JUST SAYS, IF THE CITY COUNCIL DECIDES TO NOT LISTEN TO US AT ALL.
AT THE VERY LEAST, CAN YOU ASK THE CITY AUDITOR, UH, THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS AND, UH, SORRY, NOT THE CITY, THE CITY ATTORNEY, UH, CAN YOU ASK ALL THEM TO GET TOGETHER AND FIND SOME MEASURES THAT WE CAN DO THAT ARE LEGAL UNDER STATE LAW AND REDUCE ILLEGAL PARKING AND BENEFITS, UH, AND PROTECT BICYCLISTS? UM, ALSO SAY, UH, ASSUMING THIS PASSES, I DO WANNA MAKE, UH, A MOTION TO REFER THE MATTER TO A COUNCIL COMMITTEE, UH, SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THERE'S A, A RECORD OF US SENDING THIS TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THEN MOVING ON IT, THE CITY COUNCIL'S GOING TO BE CONSIDERING, UH, SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO, UH, UH, THE FIRM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
UH, SO THIS COULD DEFINITELY FIT IN THERE, WHICH IS WHY I WANTED TO BRING IT NOW AND IMMEDIATELY REFER TO COUNSEL.
AND, AND TYPICALLY THAT'S JUST PART OF OUR PROCESS, RIGHT? SO ANY, ANY RESOLUTIONS WE PASS? I SAW YOU HAD EMAILED ME.
AND I DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO RESPOND CAUSE I WAS ON VACATION.
BUT, UM, ANYTHING THAT WE PASS TYPICALLY DOES GET REFERRED.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT CALLS OUT HERE, UM, LIKE IN YOUR, UH, YOUR BE IT RESOLVED, LIKE WHOEVER YOU NAME, LIKE IF YOU'RE NAMING THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL, THEN CHRISTOPHER'S PART OF HIS WORK WOULD JUST, JUST AS A MATTER OF COURSE, RE SEND THAT TO THEM.
AND THEN WHENEVER I GO TO MOBILITY COMMITTEE OF CITY COUNCIL, THEN I'LL BRING THIS UP AS WELL.
SO THAT WILL BE PART OF WHAT I WILL PRESENT IS LIKE ALL OUR RESOLUTIONS THAT WE HAVE DONE OVER THE LAST, IT'S GONNA BE A COUPLE MONTHS THIS TIME CUZ THERE'S A, A GAP IN THERE.
SO, UM, BUT YES, THAT, THAT'S PART OF WHAT WE DO.
BUT OF COURSE INDIVIDUAL COMMISSIONERS, BAC MEMBERS INTERESTED, PUBLIC TENANT SHOULD ALSO JUST GO AHEAD AND EMAIL IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY TO, UH, AS WELL.
SO, UM, CUZ THAT WILL OBVIOUSLY DRAW EVEN MORE ATTENTION TO IT.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY, UH, DISCUSSION OF THIS, UH, PROPOSED, UH, RECOMMENDATION? I HAVE SOME VERY MINOR, LIKE NON SUBSTANTIVE, SUBSTANTIVE, UH, CHANGES.
UM, THERE SHOULDN'T BE A TH AFTER EACH DATE.
AND THEN ON THE LAST SECOND, LAST PARAGRAPH ON PAGE ONE, IT SAYS THE, UM, ON DECEMBER 8TH, IT SAYS THE THEN INTERIM DIRECTOR OF OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION.
WITH ALL THE INTERIM DIRECTORS AND INTERIM DEPUTY DIRECTORS, IT'S GETTING VERY DIFFICULT TO TYPE THIS OUT.
THE SECOND TO LAST, WHEREAS IS WHERE I DID THAT, IT'S IN THE ONE THAT IS, WHEREAS ON DECEMBER 8TH.
THEN INTERIM DIRECTOR OF, OF, OH, I SEE IT.
WHAT PAGES IS ON PAGE ONE? PAGE ONE.
THE TEAM JUST THROUGHOUT, UM, THE ENTIRE YEAH, YEAH.
DID I MISS ONE? IT SAYS, WHEREAS ON DECEMBER 20.
OH, THEN INTERIM DIRECTOR, THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE.
I FEEL THAT WE'RE, WE'RE CHANNELING, UH, ALLIE WHO ALWAYS WAS OUR HELPER AND FOR THESE MATTERS.
SO I'M, I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE, UH, CONTINUING, CONTINUING TO CATCH THOSE THINGS.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? WHAT DO WE KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THE STATUS OF CITIES PASSING ORDINANCES THAT THEY HAVE NO INTENTION TO ENFORCE
I THOUGHT IF WE'RE GOING TO, IF WE'RE GOING TO DECLARE AN AREA AS A BIKE LANE, AND WE, AND ANY ENFORCEMENT WILL HAVE TO WAIT
[01:15:01]
FOR A SIGN TO GO UP AND OUR, WE AFFECT, I MEAN, SOME OF THOSE BIKE LANES HAVE BEEN THERE FOR A DOZEN YEARS.SO OF THE SIGN, WE HAD A, A LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT THIS AT THE, THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL MEETING.
UH, IT SEEMS TO HAVE JUST BEEN LIKE A LEGACY ISSUE.
MOST OF THE PLACES WHERE THIS HAS HAPPENED, IT'S, IT'S ONE OF TWO THINGS.
UH, ONE, IT'S EITHER LIKE A BIKE LANE THAT WAS BUILT IN THE NINETIES AND THEY JUST DIDN'T DO IT THEN.
OR IT'S, UH, A BIKE LANE WHERE SOMEONE KIND OF MESSED UP AND FORGOT TO PUT UP THE SIGNS.
AND IT IS APPARENTLY A VERY LONG PROCESS.
I HAD BEEN TOLD BY, UH, UH, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS PEOPLE.
UH, BUT I WILL SAY, UM, I, I THINK THIS GETS CITED AS KIND OF A BIGGER PROBLEM THAN IT IS.
UH, SO LIKE IN THE, UM, PER PERCENTAGES OF HOW ALL OF THESE, UM, ENDED AND I LINKED TO THIS IN THE RESOLUTION.
SO RIGHT, 63% ARE ALL, THE PERSON CAME THERE AND THE VEHICLE WASN'T THERE ANYMORE.
UH, ONLY 2% OF ALL THREE 11 COMPLAINTS ARE THROWN OUT OR CLOSED BECAUSE THERE ISN'T NO PARKING SIGNS OF THE BIKE LANE.
IT'S NOT THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WHEN IT COMES TO BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT.
BUT THOSE ARE, UH, COMPLAINTS THAT THERE WAS AN ATTEMPT TO ENFORCE THEM.
THAT DOESN'T, PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T, SO WE'RE, WE'RE JUST, THESE ARE JUST NOT PRIORITIZED FAST ENOUGH AND, AND THE, THE PEOPLE DOING THE VIOLATIONS JUST KNOW, OKAY, IF I'M ONLY DOING THIS FOR 30 MINUTES, EVEN IF I'M REPORTING, BUT EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THERE'S GONNA BE NO RESULT FOR COMPLAINING CUZ THERE'S NO POSTED SIGN.
DO THEY EVEN COMPLAIN IN THE FIRST PLACE? WELL, AND THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
AND THAT'S KINDA THE PROBLEM WITH ALL OF THIS IS I THINK IN REALITY THIS ISN'T A FULL SCOPE OF THE BIKE LANE PROBLEM, IT JUST SHOWS THAT THE CURRENT SOLUTION ISN'T WORKING.
BECAUSE I'M SURE THERE ARE, AND I KNOW OF PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO STOPPED REPORTING THE 3 1 1 YEARS AGO CAUSE THEY REALIZED IT DIDN'T DO ANYTHING.
I MEAN, I PULL UP MY THREE 11 APP NOW, YOU'LL SEE A TON OF, OF BIKE LANE COMPLAINTS AND IT'S ALL NO PROBLEM.
FOUND NO PROBLEM WITH FOUND NO PROBLEM.
WELL IT SEEMS, STRIKES ME AS AN ISSUE THAT MIGHT GET COUNSEL'S ATTENTION CUZ KIND OF IT'S SOMEWHAT SENSITIVE PLACE OR HOPEFULLY SPECIFIC PLACE CUZ YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY SAYING THEY'RE NOT DOING THEIR JOB, THEY'RE PASSING OR ALLOWING THESE ORDINANCES TO CONTINUE THAT THEY HAVE NO CHANGE.
YEAH, AND I, I DEFINITELY TRIED TO MAKE IT CLEAR IN THE, WHEREAS AS LIKE, YOU KNOW, HEY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME WE BROUGHT IT UP.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE FLAGGED THIS MULTIPLE TIMES.
WE WEREN'T THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO ARE FLAGGING THIS.
THIS HAS BEEN A PROBLEM THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED.
AND I'LL SAY, I, I HAVE TALKED TO FOLKS IN COUNCIL OFFICES AND I THINK THERE IS MOMENTUM NOW, UM, TO GET THIS DONE.
I HOPE THIS IS THE PUSH TO GET IT DONE.
I, I'M HOPEFUL WE CAN GET IT DONE THIS SUMMER OR AT LEAST GET ON THE PATH TO GETTING YEAH.
AND AND ONE OF THE THINGS TOO THAT, I MEAN WITH THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE PROBLEM IS LIKE EVEN THINGS THAT HAVE A PHYSICAL TREATMENT, A PHYSICAL SEPARATION IN A LOT OF CASES FOR THESE DELIVERY VEHICLES, THEY'RE LARGE ENOUGH VEHICLES THAT THEY CAN KIND OF DEFEAT AT LEAST SOME OF THE TREATMENT.
SO I HAVE THESE SITUATIONS WHERE THEY LIKE HAVE PULLED OVER, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER PHYSICAL TREATMENT IS THERE TO PROTECT, MAKE IT A PROTECTED FACILITY.
WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, YOU AND ME OR WHOEVER DRIVING IN OUR PERSONAL VEHICLES MIGHT NOT REALLY WANNA DO THAT CUZ WE MIGHT DING OUR CAR.
LIKE THEY CAN JUST DRIVE RIGHT OVER IT, WHICH IS PARTICULARLY GALLING.
BUT YOU AND I ARE BOTH ON ROBERT DEADMAN ALL THE TIME.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE IN FOOTBALL SEASON, ESPN JUST TAKES OVER THE BIKE LANE.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY'VE GOT EVERY SINGLE TRUCK UP THERE, HEAVEN FORBID IT'S COLLEGE GAME DAY.
YOU, YOU JUST GOTTA AVOID ALL THE CAMPUS.
ANY OTHER, UH, DISCUSSION, UH, FROM COMMISSIONERS? UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I REALLY LOVE THIS RESOLUTION AND MY ONLY CONCERN IS THE FIRST RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE THREE 11 REPORTING.
DOES CODE ENFORCEMENT CURRENTLY USE THAT TYPE OF PROGRAM FOR OTHER REPORTING IN WHICH, LIKE A PHOTO CAN RESULT IN A CITATION? OR IS THIS LIKE KIND OF A MORE RADICAL PROPOSITION THAN HOW THEY CURRENTLY OPERATE? I I DON'T KNOW.
IF I GO SO FAR AS THE SAY IT'S RADICAL.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANYTHING THAT THEY ENFORCE SOLELY OFF OF THAT IT WOULD REQUIRE A RETOOLING OF THE IT SOFTWARE THERE.
BUT I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S A VERY DOABLE THING.
YOU HAVE A CLEAR PHOTO EVIDENCE OF A VIOLATION.
IF YOU HAVE A CLEAR LICENSE PLATE, THEN YOU KNOW, THERE SHOULD BE NOTHING AMBIGUOUS ABOUT IT.
WHEN YOU SEND A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER THERE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE FIRST THING THEY DO? THEY TAKE PHOTOS, RIGHT? THEY TAKE A PHOTO OF THE LICENSE PLATE, A PHOTO OF THE NO PARKING SIGN, A PHOTO OF THE CAR.
SO IF WE ALREADY HAVE THOSE PHOTOS, I DON'T THINK THE IT
[01:20:01]
INFRASTRUCTURE IS THAT MUCH.DOES DOES THE APP ALLOW YOU TO ATTACH A PHOTO? YES.
SO THEY ALREADY, YOU CAN ALREADY SEND IN A PHOTO WITH A THREE 11 COMPLAINT.
AND IF, IF, YOU KNOW, THE PHOTO ISN'T CLEAR, IF YOU'RE NOT, IF IT DOESN'T SHOW IN THE BIKE LANE, IF YOU'RE NOT SURE IF IT'S A NO PARKING SITUATION, IF YOU CAN'T READ THE LICENSE PLATE NUMBER, THEN YOU JUST GO AHEAD AND SEND OUT A CODE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER.
BUT THE IDEA IS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN CUT DOWN THE NUMBER OF ONES THEY HAVE TO GO OUT THERE FOR BY 50, 60% CAUSE THERE'S CLEAR PHOTO EVIDENCE, UH, THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT MAKES THEIR LIVES A LOT EASIER AND MAKES ENFORCEMENT A LOT EASIER.
UM, YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THIS WORKS WITH HOW CODE ALREADY WORKS AND THAT THEY WILL BE LIKE, YOU KNOW, UM, AMENABLE TO THIS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT IT REALLY HAS, UM, LEGS.
BUT I, I SUPPORT IT AS STAN JUST WAS BRINGING THAT UP AS A CONCERN.
THEY MAY NOT BE AMENABLE, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THE U T C DID TRY THIS ONCE BEFORE WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT AND A LOT OF MEDIA ATTENTION AND IT DIDN'T GET THROUGH.
UM, BUT THAT'S PRECISELY WHY WE HAVE TWO OTHER OPTIONS THEN.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, SAYING, HEY, LET'S DO SOMETHING.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE OPTIONS HERE.
I DO LIKE THE MENU OF OPTIONS BECAUSE I DO THINK THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO THINK OF SOMETHING THAT, THAT OPERATES EXACTLY LIKE THIS AND MAYBE THERE ISN'T.
UM, AND MAYBE THERE'S GONNA BE CONCERNS ABOUT LEGAL STUFF, BUT IT GIVES THEM SOME CHOICES OF THINGS TO EXPLORE, WHICH I LIKE.
AND SO EVEN IF THEY CAN'T DO, YOU KNOW, ALL THE THINGS OR, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST THEY CAN TRY ONE THING, UM, MAYBE ANYTHING.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS? DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
I WILL CALL FOR A VOTE ON THIS ITEM.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THIS RECOMMENDATION.
AND JUST SIDE NOTE, WE WILL SEND THAT TO CITY COUNCIL AND THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
WAYNE, I THINK WE'RE WAITING TO HEAR FROM WAYNE THERE.
EVERYBODY ELSE LOOK LIKE, YES.
SO IF YOU COULD HOLLER AT US, WAYNE AND LET US KNOW, OR ARE WE, LET'S SEE.
SO, CAUSE WE HAD SIX IN FAVOR.
UM, THAT BRINGS US TO OUR NEXT ITEM.
[5. Discussion and possible action on the Right of Way Vacation of area abutting 2408 S/ 3rd Street]
FIVE, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION AND ACTION ON RIGHT OF WAY VACATION OF THE AREA, BUDDING 24 0 8 SOUTH THIRD STREET.OUR PRESENTER IS, UH, MICHELLE SMITH.
UH, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER OF THE LAND MANAGEMENT GROUP UNDER THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DIVISION.
I AM SITTING IN FOR MICHELLE ON THIS AS SHE IS UNAVAILABLE TO ATTEND.
UM, THIS IS MY VERY FIRST PRESENTATION TO THIS AUGUST BODY, SO PLEASE BEAR WITH ME.
UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR PUTTING UP THE SLIDE.
SO, YES, UM, THIS IS A, UM, STREET RIGHT OF WAY VACATION APPLICATION, UH, AS WAS STATED OF AN AREA ABUTTING 24 0 8 SOUTH THIRD STREET.
UM, FILE NUMBER 20 22 1 0 0 9 31.
UH, WE'LL SHOW THE AREA THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, 24 0 8 SOUTH THIRD STREET ON THIS MAP.
UM, WE HAVE A BETTER, UH, AREA OF VIEW OF THIS ON THE NEXT ONE.
IT IS, UM, SOUTH, SOUTH OF WEST UL TORF, UH, AND WEST OF SOUTH FIRST STREET.
UM, IT IS AN UNPAVED, UNDEVELOPED RIGHT OF WAY THAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO A FULL VACATION ON.
UH, THE NEXT PICTURE WILL SHOW YOU THE UNDEVELOPED AREA THERE.
IT'S IN FURNITURE AND SOME MATTRESSES FOR EFFECT, UM, SHOWING THERE.
VACATION TRACK IS APPROXIMATELY 4,572 SQUARE FEET.
THE ADJOINING PROPERTY OWNER IS THIRD STREET AUSTIN, L L C.
UM, ALL PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 300 FEET WERE SET PUBLIC NOTICES ON MAY 31ST, 2023.
NO OBJECTIONS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM THE PROPERTY OWNERS WITHIN 300 FEET.
UM, ALL AFFECTED CITY DEPARTMENTS AND EXTERNAL STAKEHOLDERS HAVE REVIEWED AND RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS RIGHT OF WAY VACATION APPLICATION SUBJECT TO THE TWO CONDITIONAL APPROVALS BELOW.
[01:25:01]
FROM AT AND T AND ONE FROM, UM, ELECTRIC.UM, ALL HAVE BEEN APPROVED OR APPROVED WITH CONDITIONS.
UM, WHEN, WHEN ASKED SOMETHING, I'LL MUTE THE MIC.
UM, WHEN THE CLIENT OR THE, UH, CUSTOMER, THE APPLICANT WAS ASKED HOW YOU PLAN TO DEVELOP THE AREA TO BE VACATED, THE ANSWER, UM, I'M NOT GONNA READ THE ENTIRE THING, BUT THEY SAID THE SUBJECT AREA WILL BE USED AS A PARKING AND DETENTION AREA TO SUPPORT THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.
THEY ARE REQUIRED, UH, TO HAVE PARKING FOR 34 SPACES, AND WHEN THEY DO THIS RIGHT OF VACATION AND INSTALL THE PARKING, IT WILL IN FACT PROVIDE 42 SPACES FOR THEIR PARKING, UH, VIA FIRST FLOOR GARAGES.
THEY ALSO REQUESTED, UH, ZONING CHANGE FROM SF THREE, SINGLE FAMILY THREE TO MF MULTIFAMILY TWO.
I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS REGARDING THE RIGHT OF WAY PROCESS, UH, ON THIS AND, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING ELSE THAT WE DO.
UH, BUT THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME, COMMISSIONERS.
UM, I'M OPEN TO QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
COULD YOU JUST REPEAT, I JUST MISSED, YOU SAID THE ZONING CHANGE WHAT IT'S GONNA BE? YEAH, IT'S GOING FROM SF THREE TO MF TWO.
THINK IF THEY AREN'T CONCERNED WITH LACK OF LOSS OF FURNITURE STORAGE, APPARENTLY NOT.
THEIR, THEIR FURNITURE STORAGE APPARENTLY IS, IS GONNA, THEY HAVE OTHER PLANS FOR THE MATTRESS AND THE, AND THE CABINET THAT'S SHOWN THERE.
SO IS IT, LIKE, WAS APPLICANT HERE MAYBE, IS IT LIKE THIS IS BEING REDEVELOPED AND THEY'RE GONNA USE THIS CORRECT.
FOR THE, UM, FOR THE DETENTION? RIGHT, RIGHT.
THEY'RE GONNA MAKE THAT INTO THE PARKING AREA, THE WHOLE AREA THERE.
AND AGAIN, IT'S BEEN THROUGH ALL THE REVIEWS, THERE'VE BEEN NO OBJECTIONS, UH, EXCEPT FOR THE TWO, UH, APPROVALS WITH CONDITIONS.
AND, UH, WE, WE, UH, ARE MOVING FORWARD PROVIDED, UH, WE HAVE APPROVAL, ET CETERA.
UM, IT LOOKS LIKE THE REZONING WAS ALREADY APPROVED TO MF TWO FOR THOSE TWO PARCELS.
UM, BASICALLY IMMEDIATE EAST OF THE SUBJECT PARCEL PARCEL WHERE THERE'S THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATION.
I KNOW THAT IN REGARDS TO THE PARCEL THAT THEY'RE REQUESTING OR THE RIGHT OF WAY SPECIFIC TO THE RIGHT OF WAY AREA, THEY'RE REQUESTING VACATION OF THAT ZONING IS, IS WHAT WAS CALLED OUT IN THE PRESENTATION.
SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE ADJOINING PARCELS.
SO OUR AREA IS JUST THAT, THAT RIGHT OF WAY AREA.
UM, BUT SO UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T HAVE THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WEREN'T OTHER ZONING CASES IN MOTION, CUZ IT LOOKED LIKE THE ONE THAT WAS REFERENCED IN THE PRESENTATION HAS ALREADY BEEN APPROVED.
ARE THERE GONNA BE SIDEWALK OR CURB IMPROVEMENTS MADE? BOTH, OR ABSENT? YEAH, THAT'S, UH, IT'S, IT'S PARKING, SO I'M ASSUMING THAT IT'S LITERALLY JUST PARKING.
UM, THIS WILL BE THE ENTRANCE TO A MULTI-FAMILY MM-HMM.
THEY'LL HAVE TO DO A SITE PLAN AND IF THERE IS LANDSCAPING AND IMPROVEMENTS THAT COMES INTO A LICENSE AGREEMENT, UH, UNLESS, I MEAN, IF THEY VACATE THE ENTIRE RIGHT OF WAY, THEN YES, THEY CAN PUT THAT STUFF IN, BUT IT WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE SITE PLAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WITHOUT THE SITE PLAN TO SHOW YOU, UH, I DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THAT AVAILABLE, BUT ONCE, ONCE IT'S VACATED, IT'S VACATED, THE PUBLIC'S INTEREST IN THE RIGHT OF WAY IS ABANDONED.
SO THEY CAN PRETTY MUCH DO WHATEVER THEY WANT TO.
DO, DO WE HAVE ANY WAY TO ENSURE THERE WILL BE SO, SO WHEN YOU REDEVELOP AND DO A SITE PLAN, YOU HAVE TO DO THE SIDEWALKS.
ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A FEE IN LOOP, UH, PROGRAM, WHICH HAS COME UNDER DISCUSSION ON THIS COMMISSION BEFORE.
THAT LIKE WHETHER WE SHOULD CONTINUE, ALLOW PEOPLE, THE THINKING WAS ORIGINALLY, ESPECIALLY, ESPECIALLY A SITE LIKE THIS KIND OF EMBEDDED IN THE INTERIOR OF A NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE THERE'S NO OTHER SIDEWALKS.
WHY DO WE WANNA JUST BUILD A SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF ONE PERSON'S HOUSE IF THERE'S NOT ANY HOPE OF CONNECTIVITY? AND SO I THINK THE THINKING WAS, LET'S TAKE THE MONEY, BUT THEN THE FEE AND LU PROGRAM HAS BEEN SORT OF, UH, LIKE MAYBE IT TAKES A WHILE TO BUILD UP THE FUNDS.
MAYBE IT'S NOT REALLY WORKING AS ORIGINALLY INTENDED.
AND PEOPLE ARE FEELING ACTUALLY MORE THAN NEED TO KEEP THOSE STUBS.
SO THERE'S LIKE, EVEN IF THEY ARE STUBS FOR A WHILE, MAYBE THEY WON'T BE THAT LONG.
SO THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION OF WHETHER THE FEE IN LIEU IS APPROPRIATE, BUT I WOULD ASSUME FOR THE PORTION OF THIS PROPERTY THAT FRONTS THE STREET, THIS DEVELOPMENT, ESPECIALLY IN MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENT, IS GONNA END UP HAVING TO DO THE SIDEWALKS.
I'M SURE THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE THOSE, I MEAN, THEY HAVE TO, UH, BUT YOU KNOW, ONCE, ONCE IT'S VACATED AND AS LONG AS THEY BUILD IT PER PLAN AND
[01:30:01]
IT'S APPROVED, UM, THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE, WE END OUR PURVIEW.I GUESS MY CONFUSION IS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO SUBMIT THE SITE PLAN BEFORE THEY ASK FOR THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATION.
UH, IF IT HAPPENS IN CONJUNCTION, THE SITE PLAN'S ALREADY BEEN SUBMITTED.
IN FACT, I THINK THERE'S A CALL OUT FOR THE SITE PLAN, UH, IN THE BEGINNING HERE SOMEWHERE.
WILL THERE NOT? THERE SHOULD BE.
THERE'S DEFINITELY A SITE PLAN OUT HERE.
UM, UH, I THINK IT'S BACK IN THIS PACKET.
UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S, THAT ALL HAPPENS IN, IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, ARE THE LAND DEVELOPMENT DIVISION OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
WE ARE ESSENTIALLY THE CONDUITS OF TRANSFERRING THIS INFORMATION BACK AND FORTH.
AND IN THIS PARTICULAR CASE, IT WOULD GO BEFORE COUNSEL, ONCE THEY PAY THE APPRAISED VALUE OF THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATION.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE ENGAGE THE APPRAISER, WE GIVE THEM THE, THE, THE AMOUNT, UH, THEY AGREE TO IT, THEY PAY THE AMOUNT OF THE APPRAISAL GOES BEFORE COUNSEL, COUNSEL APPROVES IT.
WE VACATED OFFICIALLY FOR DOCUMENTATION AND, AND THEN THEY'RE OFF.
I WOULD THINK THAT JUST BATMAN OF THE PROPERTY, HE DOESN'T NECESSARILY REQUIRE ANY FURTHER ACTION.
I JUST WANNA PLAN A ALL FOR YOU.
AND, AND THERE'S DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF, AND NOT TO GET TOO DEEP INTO THE WEEDS HERE, BUT WHAT WE DO IN TERMS OF, OF THAT RIGHT AWAY VACATION VERSUS SOMETHING LIKE A LICENSE AGREEMENT WHERE IT'S TEMPORARY, THIS IS PERMANENT.
SO A LICENSE AGREEMENT WOULD BE A TEMPORARY'S GONNA LIVE TIME.
AND BASICALLY IT LOOKS LIKE SOUTH THIRD STREET TERMINATES INTO THAT.
UM, ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OR QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONERS? I JUST CHECKED ON IT AND IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S A SITE PLAN UNDER VIEW.
IT'S, IT'S NOT ON THE ABC DATABASE, LIKE WHETHER OR NOT THERE'S SIDEWALKS INCLUDED.
BUT I FEEL LIKE VERY CONFIDENT SUPPORTING THIS IN THAT LIKE, GENERALLY WE'RE ALLOWING FOR A DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR UNDER MF TWO ZONING, MORE SPACE FOR HOUSING, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PARKING, BUT STILL LESS SPACE FOR CARS VIA THIS VACATION.
I SHOULD BE CLEAR, I'M NOT INTERESTED IN VOTING AGAINST THAT.
I WILL MOVE TO APPROVE THIS RIGHT OF WAY VACATION.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVAL.
THAT LOOKS LIKE IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH ALL SIX OF US PRESENT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND FOR PUTTING UP WITH MY FIRST TIME EVENT TODAY.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT, UH, TAKES US THROUGH OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. UM, WE'RE GONNA TAKE,
[BRIEFINGS]
UM, OUR BRIEFINGS HERE.UM, UH, AND I MAY, I MAY USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO REMIND OURSELVES OF OUR APPOINTMENTS A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND WE, WE CAN THINK THROUGH THOSE A LITTLE BIT.
UM, SO DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, NOW THAT ONE IS FORMALLY UPDATED TO SPENCER.
THAT ONE WE DID TAKE A VOTE ON, SO, UM, DID DON'T, YES.
SO I'M NOT ON THE, I WON'T BE ON THE COMMISSION UNTIL AUGUST.
CAUSE WE DIDN'T MAKE THE CUTOFF FOR CITY COUNCIL APPROVAL.
AND THEY GOT A LITTLE BUDGET THEY GOT DUE.
SO, UH, BUT NONETHELESS WATCHING IT ON, UH, A X T N WAS A LOVELY, UH, THEY WERE PRETTY BUSY.
UH, ONE THEY RECOMMENDED, UH, LITTLE OVER HALF A MILLION DOLLARS, UH, FOR MOVABLE STEEL BARRICADES TO, UH, IT'S BASICALLY A TRAFFIC, UH, UH, BULLARD, UH, IT'S MOVABLE FOR, UH, AT D TO USE SPECIFICALLY ON SIXTH STREET.
UH, THEY PASSED A RESOLUTION, UM, COMMEMORATING PRIDE MONTH AND UH, ADVOCATING FOR SAFETY.
UH, AND THEN THEY RECOMMEND THAT CITY COUNCIL RENEW, UH, THE EAST SIXTH STREET PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT WHEN IT COMES TO BEFORE COUNCIL NEXT YEAR.
UH, AND THEN IN TERMS OF BRIEFINGS, THE ONLY ONE THAT MAY BE OF INTEREST AND UH, UH, WOULD BE THE, UH, SIX OR SIXTH STREET, UH, CONGRESS AVENUE DESIGN INITIATIVE.
UM, I WOULD HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU JUST TO LOOK THROUGH THAT POWERPOINT.
UM, IS GONNA BE REALLY, REALLY AWESOME.
IT MIGHT ACTUALLY MAKE SENSE FOR US TO GET A BRIEFING ON THAT AT SOME POINT.
[01:35:01]
GOING ON FOR WHAT FEELS LIKE FOREVER.I THINK WE HAVE SEEN SOMETHING AT SOME POINT, BUT IF IT'S CREEPING ITS WAY CLOSER TO LIKE FINALITY, THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING TO GET ANOTHER YOU.
I DON'T EVEN REMEMBER WHEN WE HEARD IT.
I KNOW WE HAVE HEARD SOMETHING ABOUT IT, HAVEN'T WE? WAS THIS SONG, IT'S LIKE IN MY FOGGY MEMORY, THE CONGRESS, UM, AVENUE IMPROVEMENT, DESIGN IMPROVEMENT LAST YEAR I CAME.
SO THEY'RE MOVING TOWARDS, UM, COMING OUT WITH THEIR, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF IT'S A 30% DESIGN OR 40% DESIGN.
UH, BUT THAT SHOULD BE COMING OUT LIKE WITHIN THE NEXT MONTH OR TWO.
UM, SO THAT'S KIND OF WHY THEY WERE DOING THAT.
UH, THEY ALSO BRIEFED THE, UH, BICYCLE ADVISORY ACCOUNTS ON THAT.
WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM WHENEVER IS APPROPRIATE.
I REMEMBER BEING EXCITED, BUT I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ANYMORE.
UM, SO DIANA FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION IS NOT HERE.
UM, WE DO KNOW AT LEAST ABOUT, UM, THEIR MEMO THAT THEY DID ON TELEWORK, CUZ WE REFERENCED THAT.
AND OURS, I HAVE, DO YOU HAVE AN UPDATE? I'M SO VERY SORRY.
I DO NOT, BUT I DO HAVE AN UPDATE FROM OUR CITY CLERK.
APPARENTLY, I, I APOLOGIZE IF NOT KNOW THIS UNTIL LITERALLY YESTERDAY.
UM, WE ACTUALLY NEED TWO, UH, APPOINTS FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
UM, DIANA, WE DON'T NEED BOTH THE COMMISSIONERS TO ATTEND.
UM, I AGAIN FOUND THAT OUT YESTERDAY.
DIANA WILL HAS BEEN REPRESENTING US OBVIOUSLY THIS WHOLE TIME, BUT WE DO NEED A SECOND.
SO IF THERE ARE ANY VOLUNTEERS, UM, I'LL ZOOM OUT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS MEETING.
WE CAN CERTAINLY TAKE IT UP NEXT MEETING AS WELL.
SO, UM, BUT JUST, JUST THINK ABOUT IT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE AN ALTERNATE FOR DIANA.
UM, I, I THINK THE, THE LOGIC IS THAT IN CASE ONE COMMISSIONER MISSES IT, THAT ANOTHER ONE COULD BE THERE.
UM, BUT EITHER WAY WE ACTUALLY DO HAVE TO APPOINT TWO PEOPLE FOR THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION.
SO JUST THINK ABOUT IT AND WE CAN, WE CAN TALK ABOUT IT NEXT MEETING.
I THINK THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE.
I MEAN, DIANA REPORTED ON THIS, THEY'VE HAD A LOT OF TROUBLE WITH QUORUM.
I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT'S GOING BEHIND THAT.
UM, IS ANYONE OFF THE BAT JUST INTERESTED? WE DON'T HAVE TO BELABOR THAT TOO MUCH, BUT, UM, YEAH, WE NEED TO, UM, AND WE HAVE, PART OF OUR ISSUE IS WE'RE OPERATING WITH VACANCIES AS WELL.
AND THAT ALSO I'LL JUST HIGHLIGHT AGAIN WITH BICYCLE ADVISORY AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY.
UM, SO ACTUALLY WITH BICYCLE ADVISORY ATHENA, ARE YOU OH, ATHENAS ARE, CAN YOU SOMEBODY REMIND ME WHO, SO SPENCER IS ON BICYCLE ADVISORY.
HE WAS BEFORE HE JOINED U UTC, BUT ATHENA, WERE YOU OUR APPOINTEE TO BAC? I WAS.
UM, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ATTEND IN A LITTLE BIT.
AND THEN LAST MEETING WE DISCUSSED HAVING SPENCER TAKE OVER BECAUSE HE IS ACTUALLY ON THE BAC AND THEN WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON IT.
SO I MEAN THE, THE OPPORTUNITY, LIKE, SO IF SPENCER AND DANIEL CONTINUE TO REP US THERE, LIKE, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY SERVING ON LIKE, AS IN PEDESTRIAN DANIEL'S ON PEDESTRIAN SPENCER'S ON BICYCLE ALREADY.
SO LIKE THERE'S A SYNERGY THERE, BUT THAT ALSO MEANS THAT LIKE WE DON'T GET TO SEND YET ANOTHER PERSON TO GO FOR ALL OF US WHO ARE JUST RABID TO GO TO MEETINGS ALL THE TIME.
WHICH, YOU KNOW, UM, SO I JUST LIKE WANNA MAKE SURE PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF THAT AND NOT DENY SOMEBODY THE OPPORTUNITY TO ALSO GO.
BUT LIKE, UM, BASICALLY WHAT I'M ASKING IS FOR BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN, IF PEOPLE OTHER THAN DANIEL AND SP SPENCER AND DANIEL RESPECTIVELY WANT TO BE ON THOSE, PLEASE SPEAK UP CUZ WE'D LOVE TO SEND A REP AND THEN WE HAVE SORT OF MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO BOTH.
BUT OTHERWISE I'M, I'M COMFY, UM, YOU KNOW, VOTING SPENCER AND DANIEL, THE OFFICIAL U T C PEOPLE ON THERE AND THEN, THEN THAT CAN SHAKE OUT FROM THERE.
UM, SO BASICALLY I'M SAYING SPEAK UP IF YOU WANNA BE ON ONE OF THOSE PRETTY SOON BECAUSE I THINK WE MAY JUST GO AHEAD AND VOTE TODAY.
OTHERWISE ON THEIR B THOSE, THOSE TWO BEING OUR OFFICIAL REPS.
YEAH, WE'VE HAD FOUR PEOPLE DROP FROM THE BAC THIS YEAR.
SO IF ANYONE WANTS TO, YOU ARE MORE THAN WELCOME TO JOIN.
ATHENA, IF YOU WANNA KEEP SERVING, I THINK WE HAVE YOU ON THE ROSTER, SO, NO, I'M GOOD.
I'D LIKE TO MAYBE TAKE A VOTE.
LET'S QUICKLY THEN TAKE A VOTE ON, UM, HAVING SPENCER BE OUR OFFICIAL UT C REP ON BAC.
UM, ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? SOME YES.
CAN I SUGGEST THAT MAYBE BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE HAVE TWO VACANCIES, YOU KNOW, IT'S POSSIBLE THAT MAYBE ONE OF THOSE TWO PEOPLE DO WANNA TAKE THE SLOT.
MAYBE WE JUST LEAVE IT OPEN FOR NOW.
WE CAN, WE CAN HOLD I'M COM I'M COMFY WITH THAT.
I'LL, I'LL, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY I'LL BE AT THE BAC MEETING, SO I CAN DEFINITELY BRIEF US ON IT.
YEAH, LET'S JUST, I'M COOL WITH THAT.
[01:40:01]
GIVE US A REPORT.UM, SO WE ALSO GOT THE CONGRESS AVENUE INITIATIVE BRIEFING, UH, FROM LAUREN DEERFIELD OVER AT AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, WE HAD, UM, UH, THREE THINGS THAT WERE PASSED.
UM, ONE IS A GROUP SAFETY EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN.
UH, BASICALLY THIS IS ASKING AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION TO DEVELOP GUIDELINES BOTH FOR BICYCLISTS AND FOR, UH, MOTORISTS ON HOW TO APPROACH ROUTE RIDES.
SO SOCIAL RIDES, STUFF LIKE THAT.
ANYTIME YOU SEE A MASS OF CYCLISTS GOING DOWN SOMEWHERE.
UH, AND THEN THE OTHER THING WAS THE BIKE LANE BLOCKAGE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE JUST PASSED.
UM, AND THEN ALSO WE OFFICIALLY SYNCED UP WITH THE P AAC AND ALLOWED OUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR TO SERVE, UH, TWO ONE YEAR TERMS. UM, THAT'S ABOUT IT.
UM, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO PEDESTRIAN AND FOR PEDESTRIAN.
I DO JUST WANNA LIKE PIN HERE THAT LIKE OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO P A C WAS ALLIE UNIS WHO'S ROLLED OFF THE COMMISSION.
I THINK SHE WAS TERMED OUT, OR AT LEAST HER COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, SHIFTED.
SO SHE IS, UM, THAT THAT IS TECHNICALLY A VACANT SPOT ON P A C AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT AFFECTS YOUR, WE LET'S US TALK SOON ABOUT THIS CHRISTOPHER, ME AND YOU.
BUT, UM, I THINK I DO LIKE THE STRATEGY OF HOLDING ON THAT A LITTLE BIT.
DANIEL, DO YOU WANNA JUST GIVE US A REPORT ON THE P A C? UM, CHRISTOPHER WAS THERE, IT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS ONE IN THE, BETWEEN NOW AND THE LAST ONE.
AM I LIKE CRAZY OR IS, AM I CORRECT ON THAT? I CAN'T, UM, I CAN'T QUITE REMEMBER.
I WANNA SAY NO, BUT I, I DON'T THINK THERE WAS.
CAUSE I, I SAW MYSELF, BUT THEN I HAVEN'T BEEN TO ONE SINCE THE LAST ONE.
THERE'S NOTHING IN MY EMAIL ABOUT IT, SO THERE WAS NO MEETING.
I'M GOING TO JUST, I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT.
CITY COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE ALSO DID NOT MEET, WE, THEY MET ON MAY 11TH.
UM, I REPORTED ON THAT LAST TIME.
UM, THEY DO NOT MEET AGAIN TILL AUGUST 31ST, WHICH MEANS THAT THIS BODY WON'T HEAR BACK FROM ME ON, UH, UNTIL SEP OUR SEPTEMBER MEETING.
UM, BUT I WILL, WE'LL HAVE A LOT TO SHARE WITH CITY COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE AT THAT TIME.
UM, AND I'LL BE READY FOR THAT.
AND THEN THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, SO, UM, WE HEARD, UM, UH, UH, A COUPLE ITEMS THERE.
SO THE BIG ONE, ONE OF THE BIG ONES WAS THEY GAVE US A COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT REPORT.
SO THEY, I MEAN IT'S ACTUALLY JUST REALLY MIND BLOWING AND REMARKABLE IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME BETWEEN MARCH THE END OF MARCH AND LATE MARCH.
AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, EARLY MAY WHEN THEY WERE, WE WERE DISCUSSING THE RIGHT LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS.
UM, SO IT WAS REPORTING ON THE NUMBER OF MEETINGS AND SORT OF HOW THEY MOVED ON THEIR FEET AND HOW THE TEAM OPERATED WHEN THEY WERE GOING OUT TO ALL THESE DIFFERENT SITES, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS AND COLLECTING DATA AND SHARING.
SO IT WAS SORT OF LIKE AN OVERALL REPORT ON, OF COURSE VERY PRETTY INITIAL IMPRESSIONS ON THEIR ANALYSIS OF WHAT THEY HAD DONE AND HOW THAT WENT AND WHAT COMMUNITIES THEY REACHED.
SO THAT WAS REALLY, UM, REALLY COOL AND I THINK IT'S REALLY REMARKABLE JUST THE AMOUNT THAT THEY DID IN SUCH A, UH, CONDENSED TIME AND THE NUMBER OF EVENTS THEY GOT TO WAS PRETTY MIND FLOWING.
SO WE HEARD A REPORT ON THAT AND THEN WE HEARD, UM, UH, LIGHT RAIL UPDATE.
UM, SO THAT INCLUDED UM, THE RECOMMENDATION OF ALIGNMENT FOR AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL, UM, UH, SOME OF THE UPDATES ON THE JOINT PARTNERSHIP, UM, UH, AND AS WELL AS SORT OF WHAT COMES NEXT.
SO NOW THAT WE HAVE FINALLY RESELECTED IT, I DUNNO IF THAT'S THE RIGHT PHRASING, BUT REELECT IT, THE LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION OPTION, UM, WHAT COMES NEXT.
AND SO THEY SORT OF WALKED US THROUGH THE NE NEPA PROCESS AND WHAT THEY SEE AS THEIR UPCOMING WORK.
UM, WE DID HEAR A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE ON, UM, LEGISLATION THAT MAY HAVE AFFECTED A T P AND SOME THAT WAS PROPOSED THAT DIDN'T AFFECT A T P IN THE END, UH, FROM THE LEGISLATURE AND HOW THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD ON THAT.
UM, WE, UH, TALKED ABOUT, UM, UH, SO UM, SOME CAP METRO RELATED UPDATES INCLUDING, UH, APPOINTMENTS TO THE, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, UM, JP J JOINT PARTNERSHIP AMENDMENTS, UM, COMING FROM CAP METRO AS WELL AS, UM, SO PART OF, UM, SO PART OF, AND THEN THE FINAL THING WAS THE COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS.
SO, UM, Y'ALL MAY BE AWARE THAT, UM, IN PROJECT CONNECT THERE
[01:45:01]
WAS $300 MILLION FOR HOUSING THAT FLOWS OUT AND UM, OVER A NUMBER LIKE I THINK A 10 YEAR PERIOD.UM, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS PROPOSED IN THAT THAT'S, UM, UH, PRETTY UNIQUE, UM, UH, AND I DON'T WANNA SAY EXPERIMENTAL, BUT IT'S INNOVATIVE AND, AND NEW WAY OF LOOKING AT AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOLLARS.
SO THERE WAS A TRANCHE OF THAT MONEY, UM, A SEX SEGMENT OF THAT MONEY THAT WAS DEDICATED FOR WHAT THEY CALL COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS, WHICH WAS FOR LOCAL NONPROFITS ADDRESSING AFFORDABLE HOUSING, UM, TO PROPOSE PROJECTS AND BE FUNDED THROUGH GRANTS FOR THEIR PROJECTS.
SO IT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, COUNSELING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, HOME REPAIRS OR LIKE DIFFERENT, LIKE ALL DIFFERENT KINDS OF THINGS THAT WERE OWNERSHIP RENTAL, UM, AND EDUCATIONAL KIND OF PROGRAMS THAT WERE PROPOSED.
WE HAD APPROVED THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE PLUS A LOT OF OTHER COMMUNITY INPUT.
THEY HAD SORT OF PEOPLE FROM THE COMMUNITY THAT WERE PAID THAT EVALUATED THE PROPOSALS, HAD EVALUATED ALL THE GRANT PROPOSALS, AND THEY BASICALLY, THEY WERE UPDATING US ON, SO WE HAD SAID FUND THESE ONES, UH, NOT WE, BUT LIKE, UH, C A C AS WELL AS UM, UH, THE COMMUNITY RECOMMENDA COMMUNITY, UH, INPUT FOLKS AS WELL AS, UM, AND THEN ULTIMATELY CITY COUNCIL HAD SAID, FUND THESE PROJECTS.
AND SO THEY WERE UPDATING US ON THE STATUS OF THOSE CONTRACTS AND GETTING THE MONEY OUT TO THE ORGANIZATIONS.
SO, UM, AND THEN WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, DO WE DO ANOTHER ROUND OF COMMUNITY INITIATED SOLUTIONS? IS THAT SOMETHING THEY WANNA DO IN THE PROGRAM GOING FORWARD IN FUTURE, UM, IN FUTURE FUNDING CYCLES? SO, UM, WITH OUR MONEY FOR THAT.
SO WE HEARD A LOT OF UPDATES ABOUT THAT.
I THINK, UM, PARTICULARLY THE, UH, THE NEPA AND SORT OF THE NEXT STEPS PROCESS IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
AND WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF MOVING QUICKLY, ESPECIALLY KNOWING, YOU KNOW, WITH THE LEGISLATIVE UPDATES, KNOWING THE CYCLE OF OUR LEGISLATURE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING A LOT OF RAPID PROGRESS TO GET THIS FUNDED AND STARTED, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THAT AND, AND ALSO IN TERMS OF COMMUNICATING TO THE COMMUNITY.
CAUSE I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE, I MEAN WITH THESE KIND OF HUGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS, RIGHT, PEOPLE ARE OFTEN IMPATIENT, LIKE WHY, WHY HAVEN'T WE ALREADY BUILT THE LINE? YOU KNOW, LIKE, UM, AND IT'S ALWAYS GONNA TAKE A WHILE, BUT MAKING SURE THAT LIKE IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS WE SORT OF COMMUNICATE THAT URGENCY TO FOLKS OF, OF HOW WE'RE OPERATING.
WE MEET AGAIN ON THURSDAY, SO THEY'RE USUALLY LIKE RIGHT TOGETHER THESE TWO MEETINGS.
UM, THAT BRINGS US TO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. WE
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
DID FLAG MAYBE THE SOUTH CONGRESS THING.I THINK I'M GONNA BRING THIS UP AGAIN.
I THINK IT'S ON PROBABLY YOUR DOCKET AS WELL IS, I THINK I BROUGHT IT UP BEFORE, IS CORRIDOR PROGRAMS UPDATE, UH, CORRIDOR AND BOND? UH, MAYBE, I MEAN THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM IS MORE THAN JUST BOND BOND, BUT LIKE SORT OF THE UPDATES ON THE 2016 BOND 2018 BONDED SORT OF GENERAL CORRIDOR PROGRAM UPDATES IS SOMETHING WHENEVER IT'S TIMELY AND IT FITS INTO OUR CALENDAR, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR.
UH, I THINK IT'S BEEN ANO A LITTLE BIT SINCE WE HEARD FROM THEM LONG TERM THING, BUT STILL BE USEFUL IS HOW DO CITIZEN REQUESTS GET PROCESSED? I STILL GET THE, UH, WHAT'S THE, WHAT'S THE OVERALL IT IS NOW AT D PW G PW, G P W WHAT SOMEBODY TODAY ASKED ME ABOUT HOW THEY GOT, UH, A SIDEWALK INSTALLED.
THEY HAPPENED TO KNOW THAT, BUT BE USEFUL TO HAVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE WHOLE PROCESS, INCLUDING THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN CITIZEN.
ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS, SUGGESTIONS? GOT TO, OKAY.
UM, BUT I WOULD REALLY LOVE AN UPDATE ON OUR FUTURE 35, UH, THE CAPTAIN STITCH EFFORTS.
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT, UM, THOSE CAN'T NECESSARILY REALLY KEEP PACE WITH TECH DOT GIVEN THAT TECH DOT HAS GUARANTEED FUNDING FOR THEIR PROGRAM, WHEREAS, YOU KNOW, THIS EFFORT HAS TO SCRAMBLE IN TERMS OF WHERE THEY'RE PRIORITIZING WHAT FUNDING THEY DO OR DO NOT YET STILL HAVE.
UM, SO I'D LOVE FOR OUR COMMISSION TO WEIGH IN KIND OF LIKE ON THE PRIORITY INTERSECTIONS, UM, OF WHERE CAP AND STITCH IS POSSIBLE, UM, AND JUST GENERALLY GET AN UPDATE ON WHERE THEY ARE AT IN THEIR PROCESS.
[01:50:02]
OKAY.YEAH, WE'VE DONE A, WE ELLEN WE HAVE DONE A LOT, UM, ON 35, INCLUDING THAT THIS BODY, UH, WE PASSED A SERIES OF THREE, UM, INCREASINGLY
UM, SO WE WERE PRETTY MUCH ROUNDLY IGNORED FOR THAT, BUT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S OUR, OUR ROLE MAYBE.
UM, YEAH, SO, UM, SO I DO, I THINK WE HAVE LIKE A ROLE MOVING FORWARD IN THAT.
LIKE IT'S NOT STOPPING, BUT WE HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO LIKE MAKE REALLY IMPORTANT BIKE AND PEN IMPROVEMENTS WITH THE, OUR FUTURE 35 CAPTAIN STITCH PROGRAM.
SO I WOULD LOVE, I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO GET INTO THE NITTY GRITTY THERE AND, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A VOICE IN HOW THAT PRIORITIZATION IS WORKING, UM, AS THEY START TO MAKE THOSE CRUCIAL DECISIONS.
I THINK, UM, AND I'M, I'M JUST GONNA SAY HERE, THE LAST TIME WE HAD SOMEBODY OUT, WAS IT, IT WASN'T THAT LONG AGO, WE HAD SOMEBODY OUT FROM TECH DOT THAT WAS TALKING ABOUT SORT OF THEIR ACTIVE PROGRAM AND THE CAPTAIN STITCH AND LIKE HOW THIS IS GONNA BE A KINDLER GENTLER FREEWAY TYPE OF THINGS.
AND I REALLY PUSHED BACK ON THAT PERSON, AS YOU MAY REMEMBER.
UM, SO I, I WOULD LIKE TO GET IN LIKE SOMEONE CAME OUT FROM TDOT TO TALK ABOUT JUST THOSE THINGS.
I WOULD, I AGREE WITH YOU ELLEN, AND THAT LIKE, I REALLY LIKE IF THIS THING IS GONNA HAPPEN AND WE CAN'T CONVINCE THEM TO STOP, WHICH PROBABLY SEEMS LIKE WE CAN'T
I DO THINK THAT, UM, GETTING INTO SOME OF THE NITTY GRITTY AND I FEEL LIKE FIGURING OUT THE RIGHT SPEAKER TO ENGAGE WITH US ON THAT, UM, WHETHER THAT'S SOMEBODY FROM, UH, T P W OR TDOT OR SOME OF BOTH WOULD BE HELPFUL.
UM, AND REALLY SOMEONE WHO WANTS TO GET INTO IT WITH US AND SORT OF INSTEAD OF LIKE MARKETING HOW GREAT THE WHOLE IDEA THAT THEY MIGHT EVEN DEIGN TO CONSIDER KATHERINE STITCHES.
I'M SORRY TO BE SO VOCIFEROUS, BUT, UM, NO, I LIKE, I UNDERSTAND THIS CYNICISM COMPLETELY.
UM, I'M WAY MORE INTERESTED IN HEARING SOMEONE FROM THE CITY SIDE THAT'S IN, LIKE THAT'S IN CHARGE OF THE CAPITAL PROGRAM, UM, FOR WHAT VERSIONS OF CAP AND STITCH ARE POSSIBLE.
I DON'T, I DON'T REALLY CARE ABOUT TEXTILE.
PERSON WON'T BE ABLE TO SAY ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT FINANCING.
WE'RE A TPW PERSON, PRESUMABLY.
SO I THINK WE NEED TO FIND THAT RIGHT PERSON TO LIKE REALLY DIG IN ON THAT WITH US BECAUSE I MEAN, CANDIDLY, I, I'M GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A ONE MEETING, I GUESS IT WAS WHEN, UM, ROB, UH, FROM THAT'S THE FORMER DIRECTOR OF A T D CAME OUT AND IT FELT LIKE HE WAS MARKETING THE PROJECT TO US, YOU KNOW, SO LIKE I THINK I, I AGREE WITH YOU ELLEN, BUT LIKE LET'S REALLY GET THE RIGHT PERSON TO LIKE GIVE US A DETAILED PRESENTATION ON THE SCHEMATICS, THE WHAT, WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT, THE MONEY, LIKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT LIKE, GIVEN THAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING FORWARD, I THINK THIS COMMISSION WANTS TO DIG IN AND JUST LIKE REALLY HEAR FROM THAT AND HEAR SOMEBODY THAT CAN REALLY HEAR FEEDBACK FROM US.
UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT PERSON IS MICHELLE MARKS, SHE RUNS THE, OUR FUTURE 35 PROGRAM AT THE CITY.
UM, SHE'S LIKE THE PROGRAM MANAGER FOR IT.
UM, YEAH, I I WOULD ALSO SUGGEST, I THINK A WAY WE COULD BE USEFUL ON 35 IS MAKING SURE THE CITY DOESN'T TAKE US DOWN A ROAD WE CAN'T GET BACK FROM.
I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE'S CONCERN IS, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYONE ON THIS COMMISSION WHO TRUSTS TDOT, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, THE AUSTIN LEVEL PEOPLE SAY THEY'RE WILLING TO LET US DO CAP AND STITCH AND THEN THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, PULLS OUT THE RUG.
ITS SAYS, ACTUALLY NO, YOU CAN'T DO CAP AND STITCH.
UH, THERE'S NO VENTILATION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I THINK MAKING SURE THE CITY DRILLS DOWN BEFORE THE, YOU KNOW, BIRD STARTS GETTING MOVED, HEY, WE ARE ALLOWED TO CAP AND STITCH THIS.
EVEN IF WE HAVE TO FIND OUR OWN FUNDING, YOU'RE NOT GONNA STOP US FROM DOING THAT.
RIGHT? I THINK IF WE, WE CAN PUSH THE CITY TO MAKE AN AGREEMENT ON THAT FRONT, THAT'S A PLACE WHERE WE CAN REALLY MAKE SURE 35 IS BENEFICIAL FOR THE CITY LONG TERM.
BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, THERE'S NO WAY WE'RE GONNA STOP IT.
IT'S JUST LIKE WHAT LEVERS DOES THE CITY CONTROL AT THIS POINT AND HOW CAN WE ENSURE THAT THE DESIGN OF LIKE THE INTERSECTIONS THAT THEY CAN FUND VIA CAPTAIN AND STITCH, UM, YOU KNOW, MEET THE WILL AND CONCERNS OF THIS COMMISSION.
WELL, IN MY FRUSTRATION, AND I THINK I'VE HEARD THIS FRUSTRATION ECHOED BY COUNCIL MEMBERS TOO, IS IN THE TIMES WHERE I HAVE HEARD FROM THEM THE, UH, R 35 PEOPLE, WHAT I, WHEN YOU ASK THEM THOSE QUESTIONS OF LIKE, OKAY, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH VENTILATION? HAS TECH STOCK COMMITTED THAT WE CAN DO THIS? OR IS IT JUST SOMETHING THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO?
[01:55:01]
THEIR ANSWER IS LIKE, OH WELL WE'RE WAITING FOR THE ENVIRONMENTAL PHASE TO END, BUT IT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE THERE WAS ANY EVALUATION OF THAT IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL PHASE.AND WE NOW KNOW THAT RIGHT AFTER THE ENVIRONMENTAL PHASE, THEY'RE GONNA GO STRAIGHT INTO CONSTRUCTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE TWO, THREE YEARS IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF 35 BEFORE WE ACTUALLY HAVE WORD ON WHETHER OR NOT WE CAN DO THIS.
SO THAT'S WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO PUSH THE CITY UP.
YOU NEED TO GET OUT IN FRONT OF THIS AND GET, EVEN IF IT'S A NO FROM THE TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, YOU KNOW, LET'S KNOW NOW.
CAUSE THAT CHANGES HOW WE FIGHT THIS.
I, I ALSO WANNA KNOW ELLEN, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, OR, UM, MAYBE, UH, JIM OR CHRISTOPHER KNOWS THIS, UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT MY EMPLOYER UT AUSTIN, LIKE FUNDING CAP AND STITCH.
I DON'T KNOW, LIKE ARE THEY WORKING WITH OR IS UTL ON THE TABLE WITH? UH, CERTAINLY, UH, I'M NOT SURE THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY'RE AT THE TABLE, BUT LIKE CERTAINLY WITH THE PLANS FOR THE MEDICAL DISTRICT AND INNOVATION DISTRICT SURROUNDING 35, LIKE IT'S, IT'S A WIN FOR UT TO HAVE A MORE LIVABLE, WALKABLE CAMPUS THERE.
SO THAT'S LIKE AN AREA WHERE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE PRIORITIES OF UT COULD REALLY ALIGN WITH THE PRIORITIES OF THE CITY TO LIKE MAKE THAT A FOCUS AREA.
BUT I, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT ACTUALLY STANDS.
SO THAT'S WHERE I'D LOVE TO HEAR FROM SOMEONE.
LIKE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S COME UP IS LIKE WHEN I SAY WHO'S GONNA FUND THE CAP AND STITCH? AND PEOPLE WILL BE LIKE, OH, UT WILL FUND THE PART NEAR THEM.
AND I WAS LIKE, DID THEY SAY THIS OR DO YOU JUST LIKE, OR IS THAT JUST YOU HOPING THAT WILL HAPPEN? TWO FEET OF IT.
SO, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF LIKE WE COULD GET SOMEBODY FROM UT OR MAYBE SOMEBODY FROM ATD THAT'S ACTUALLY ACTUALLY TALKING TO THAT SAY, YES, I ACTUALLY TALKED TO SOMEBODY AT UT.
IT'S LIKE, CUZ IT'S JUST LIKE, OH YES, UT WILL PAY.
DID THEY SAY THAT? I, AND THE OTHER THING IS UT HAS TWO MOTIVATIONS HERE.
CAUSE THEY CERTAINLY HAVE A MOTIVATION TO, YOU KNOW, CONNECT THAT AREA OF CAMPUS.
35 DOES SLOW THEIR EXPANSION, BUT AT THE SAME POINT THEY ALSO HAVE THAT EAST GARAGE THAT THEY ARE NOT MAKING ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THEIR DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS THAT ARE LOSING ON.
SO THEY ALSO HAVE AN INCENTIVE TO MAKE GARAGE ACCESS EASIER THROUGH FREEWAY EXPANSION.
YOU KNOW, PEDESTRIAN OVERPASSES THAT AREN'T REALLY USEFUL FOR, FOR, FOR CONNECTING THE GRID, WHICH WAS IN THE FIRST DRAFT OF IT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A DUAL, NORMALLY I THINK UT HAS GOTTEN A LOT BETTER ON TRANSPORTATION, BUT THEY HAVE TWO MOTIVATIONS HERE AND THEY'RE CONFLICTING.
TRYING TO THINK OF, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE DALLAS PROJECT? OH YEAH, I CAN'T REMEMBER EITHER.
THAT ONE WAS A HODGEPODGE OF FUNDING FEDERAL FUNDING.
CITY FUNDING, PRIVATE FUNDING.
IT'S GONNA BE THE SAME THING HERE.
LIKE ARE WE APPLYING FOR THE FEDERAL FUNDING? THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO KNOW.
ANYWAY, I, I THINK WE'VE SAID ENOUGH HERE, BUT I THINK WE, WE REALLY NEED THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO REALLY DIG IN AND LIKE HEAR OUR ENGAGEMENT ON THIS.
SO, UM, THAT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD DO THAT.
AND WAS THE, I THINK DANIEL HAD HAD HIS HEAD ON FOR ANOTHER, ANOTHER ITEM AS WELL FOR FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. UM, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO SEE AN UPDATE ON THE CITY'S, UM, FROM CITY STAFF ON THEIR E T O D PLAN.
MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION, WHICH IS, ARE WE, ARE WE EVER GONNA MEET, UH, DOWNTOWN AGAIN? LIKE AT CITY HALL? LIKE, UM, YES.
WE, WE KEEP, THE SUMMERS ARE WEIRD.
UM, OKAY, BECAUSE WE SHOULD BE ACTUALLY AT CITY HALL, THE REMAINDER OF THE, ARE YOU IN YOUR NEW OFFICE? DANIEL
SO ANYWAY, YEAH, SO WE'RE, I'M UP ON, IT'S ON 15TH STREET.
WE'RE ON 15TH NOW, BUT NOW, NOW IT STILL IS EASIER TO GET DOWNTOWN THAN, UH, TO THE, UH, WHEREVER YOU DEVELOP A PLAN.
OUR OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE AUGUST 1ST AND WE'LL BE BACK AT CITY HALL.
I'M SORRY, WE KEEP GETTING BOOTED.
WELL, AND, AND ONE OF THE THINGS TOO IS LIKE IF WE FIND THAT THERE'S A CONSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS, WITH GETTING CITY HALL, LIKE WE CAN LOOK AT MOVING OUR MEETING, UM, WHEN THE NEXT TIME WE ADOPT MEETING DATES.
UM, WE ALREADY DID THAT TWO YEARS AGO CUZ WE WERE GETTING BUMPED FROM CITY HALL AND WHERE THERE WAS A PROSPECT OF COMING BACK AND SO WE MOVED, WE MOVED IT TO LIKE, WAS IT FIRST, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT IT EVEN WAS BEFORE THE SECOND TUESDAY OF EVERY MONTH TO THE FIRST.
SO, SO WE COULD LOOK AT DOING SOMETHING LIKE THAT AGAIN.
UM, I LIKE THE CONS, KEEPING THE CONSISTENCY, BUT LIKE IF WE FIND FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR THAT RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING LIKE WE GOT OUR SPACE, BUT IF WE GET BUMPED AGAIN, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN ALWAYS EXPLORE TO GET CITY HALL.
I WILL SAY THAT THAT HAS BEEN, IT'S BEEN A CONSISTENT PROBLEM.
LIKE EVEN BEFORE WHEN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE PANDEMIC WE WERE GETTING BUMPED.
WE WERE MEETING AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
I FORGET THAT MEETING ROOM SITE.
[02:00:01]
UM, SO YEAH, I DON'T, I'M I'M WITH YOU DANIEL.WE'LL KEEP WE'LL KEEP WATCH ON THAT.
CAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S BEEN A, A BIG, A BIG ITEM ON YOUR PLATE.
SO, AND THEN YOUR, UM, WHAT WAS YOUR ITEM AGAIN? CUZ THERE WAS SOMETHING I THINK I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THAT UTAH AUTO UPDATES EAD, I, I DON'T EVEN KNOW CAUSE I KNOW THAT THEY PUT A PLAN, LIKE A CONCEPT PLAN BEFORE COUNCIL AND I, I'M SO OUT OF IT.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE I ASSUME THAT PASSED.
BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE ANOTHER EAD UPDATE AS WELL.
THE, THE PLAN PASSED, BUT IT'S A PLAN AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE COMING BACK GRADUALLY OVER TIME WITH WHAT THOSE AC WITH THE ACTUAL RULE MAKING AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DOING.
LIKE, WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE MIDST OF THEIR LIKE ENGAGEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT AND ALL THAT RIGHT NOW.
WHICH I FEEL LIKE WOULD BE GOOD FOR US TO BE A PART OF AND TO SEE WHAT THE ACTUAL RULES ARE GONNA BE.
CAUSE THE PLAN IS JUST A MENU OF IDEAS AND UH, WE DON'T KNOW ANYTHING ESPECIALLY AROUND LIKE THE STREETSCAPES CAUSE UM, THE LAND USE AND HOUSING, THAT'S A WHOLE OTHER THING.
BUT LIKE, UM, STREETS I THINK ARE, ARE DEFINITELY WITHIN OUR PURVIEW.
AND I WOULD IMAGINE HOUSING IS IN OUR PURVIEW BECAUSE IT, IT DIRECTLY RELATES TO THE FUNCTIONING AND SUCCESS OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT.
SO I WOULD ARGUE THAT IT, THAT IT IS EVEN THAT ELEMENT IS IN OUR, IN OUR, IN OUR SCOPE.
BUT UM, YEAH, THE BOTH OF THE RIDERSHIP LIGHT RAIL PROJECT DEPENDS ON THE DENSITY AROUND THE STATIONS.
SO ANY GAME THEY PLAY, THE DENSITY AROUND THE STATIONS WILL DIRECTLY AFFECT RIDERSHIP LIABILITY, FINANCIALLY OF PROJECT AND FUTURE EXTENSIONS, THE APP, ALL THE THINGS.
DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANNA SAY SPENCER? I WAS GONNA SAY THAT, UM, I THINK THEY PROBABLY ARE GONNA REACH OUT SOON CAUSE I KNOW THEY REACHED OUT TO THE BAC AND P AAC TO SCHEDULE, UH, AN UPDATE.
SO I'D IMAGINE USUALLY WERE THEIR TEST GROUNDS BEFORE THEY, YOU KNOW, COME TO THE REAL FORMS.
I THINK IT COULD BE A, A FALL ITEM.
UM, I WOULD LOVE AN UPDATE FROM INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS, UH, ABOUT HOW THEY'RE WORKING WITH, UH, NEW STATE LAWS AS THEY RELATE TO TRANSPORTATION.
UH, THEY SPECIFICALLY THE, THE NEW SPEED LIMIT LAW.
UM, AND THEN SOME OF THE, THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT LAWS THAT WERE PASSED, WHICH WILL DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, CHANGE CITY OPERATIONS.
ANY OTHERS? SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BUSY REST OF 2023.
OH, WITH NO OTHER FURTHER AGENDA ITEMS, THAT DOES BRING US TO THE CONCLUSION OF OUR, UH, AGENDA TODAY.
SO, UH, UNLESS I HEAR ANY OBJECTIONS, I WILL, UH, OH, I'M SORRY.
I'LL SEND YOU ALL AN EMAIL ABOUT, UH, WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE START SIGNING THE ATTENDANCE SHEET.
SO I'VE SENT YOU ALL THE DOCUMENT FOR THAT AS WELL AS A, UM, ANOTHER DOCUMENT SAYING THAT WE HAVE NO CONFLICTS OF INTEREST AS YOU ATTEND THE MEETINGS.
IF YOU JUST SIGN THOSE OR SENT THEM IN THE FORM GOOGLE DOCUMENT, I'D APPRECIATE THAT AND MAKE MY LIFE A LOT EASIER.
SO DO YOU WANT US TO JUST LIKE BOLD? NO.
IF IT'S A NO, YEAH, JUST YEAH.
OR, OR HIGHLIGHT AND SIGN YOUR NAME NEXT TO IT AND TYPING OUR NAME IS FINE.
WE'LL, WE WILL FIND, UM, YEAH, BETTER WAYS TO DO THIS, BUT THIS WILL BE WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
I, THAT I DIDN'T MEAN TO STOP THE ADJOURNMENT.
I'M GLAD I THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.
SO, UM, I WILL GO AHEAD AND UNLESS I HEAR OBJECTIONS, ADJOURN THE MEETING.
THE TIME IS 7:08 PM ALL RIGHT.