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[CALL TO ORDER]
CITY HALL, EVERYONE.THIS IS THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
I AM JOINED BY VICE CHAIR ZOE CADRE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY, COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON HERE ON THE DAIS WITH ME AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, UM, IS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US FOR TODAY'S MEETING.
DO WE HAVE ANY? IT IS ONE O'CLOCK.
UM, SO I WILL GO AHEAD AND BRING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE THAT SIGNED UP LAST MINUTE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? ALL RIGHT, THEN WE WILL GET MOVING RIGHT ALONG.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Mobility Committee meeting of May 11, 2023.]
APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING OF MAY 11TH, 2023.DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE VICE CHAIR CADRE? SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND HARPER MADISON.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THAT ITEM.
WE'VE GOT UNANIMOUS ON THE DAAS WITH ONE ABSENT.
[2. Update from the chair of the Urban Transportation Commission (UTC) regarding recent UTC]
INTO ITEM NUMBER TWO, AN UPDATE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.DO WE HAVE OUR CHAIR WITH US YET? WE'RE ADDING HER IN NOW.
HELLO, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, WE CAN.
SO, UM, SINCE I WAS LAST, I THINK I JOINED YOU IN MAY, UM, AT YOUR MAIL 11TH MEETING.
UM, WE HAD ALREADY MET IN MAY, AND SO THEN WE HAD JUNE AND JULY MEETINGS.
OUR AUGUST MEETING WAS CANCELED.
SO I, I'M HERE TO UPDATE, UH, PRIMARILY ON THE JUNE AND JULY MEETINGS.
UM, SO OUR JUNE MEETING, UM, THERE WERE SOME ACTIONS TAKEN.
WE HAD, UM, THREE, UH, UH, RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS THAT WERE APPROVED TO FORWARD IT, UM, TO COUNCIL FROM THAT.
SO THOSE WERE, UM, FAIRLY STRAIGHTFORWARD.
AND THEN, UM, WE ALSO HAD PRESENTATIONS FROM THE RIGHT OF WAY DIVISION AND THE SPECIAL EVENTS DIVISION OF, I'M GONNA GET THIS WRONG, THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
SO THOSE FOLKS CAME OUT AND SPOKE TO US, BUT THE MAIN ACTIONS WERE JUST THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATIONS.
IF WE LOOK AT OUR JULY MEETING, UM, WE DID HAVE A LITTLE BIT, UM, MORE, UH, GOING ON THERE.
WE DID HEAR, UH, UH, ANOTHER, I THINK THE, THE RIGHT OF WAY VACATION ACTUALLY GOT PUSHED, DIDN'T IT? CHRISTOPHER, CAN YOU REMIND ME? WE DIDN'T ACTUALLY DO THAT ITEM, UM, OR DID WE? NO, WE DID.
THAT WAS I CAN YOU WE, WE WE DID, YES.
SO WE DID APPROVE ANOTHER RIDE OF WAY VACATION,
AND THEN, UM, WE HAD A, A PRESENTATION FROM THE TRANSPORTATION AND MANAGEMENT CENTER, BUT THEN OUR TWO ACTION ITEMS, WHICH ARE THE FROM JULY, WHICH ARE THE, UH, RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I REALLY WANNA HIGHLIGHT AND SHARE WITH YOU TODAY.
THE FIRST ONE WAS ACTUALLY IN RESPONSE TO A GROUP OF INDIVIDUALS OF CITY EMPLOYEES HAD COME TO US IN OUR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION ON OUR JUNE MEETING TO SPEAK TO US ABOUT THE CITY TELEWORK POLICIES.
AND IN PARTICULAR, UM, WITH THE MISSION OF OUR, UM, BOARD TO, UM, TO OUR COMMISSION TO SPEAK ABOUT HOW, UM, TELEWORK IS A CRUCIAL PART OF THE AUSTIN CITY OF AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN.
UM, MOVING TOWARDS A 50 50 MODE SHARE WHERE PEOPLE ARE NOT ALL DRIVING IN SE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES TO WORK AND THEIR COMMUTES.
AND SO THAT TELEWORK IS A CRUCIAL PART OF THAT AND EXPRESSING MANY OF THE, UM, YOU KNOW, THE CHANGES IN POLICIES WITH TELEWORK.
SO WE ACTUALLY WROTE A RECOMMENDATION, UM, WITH A MIND, ESPECIALLY TO TRANSPORTATION COMING FROM OUR COMMISSION.
UM, AND, UM, I'LL, UM, UH, LET ME JUST READ THE, BE IT RESOLVE TO YOU, AND Y Y'ALL CAN REVIEW THIS ON PAPER, BUT IT SAYS, BE IT RESOLVED THAT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT 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 TOWARD IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT OPTION BY REQUESTING THAT THE INTERIM CITY MANAGER FINALLY DELIVER THE REPORT ON THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF TELEWORKING, WHICH WAS REQUESTED BY COUNSEL IN JUNE, 2022.
THE REPORT SHOULD CONTAIN AT LEAST THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, A PROPOSED LIST OF WHICH JOB CLASSIFICATIONS AND POSITIONS ARE SUITABLE FOR TELEWORKING, THE ESTIMATED FINANCIAL IMPACTS OF OFFERING TELEWORKING AS AN OPTION FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES WHOSE JOBS CLASS CLASSIFICATIONS ARE SUITABLE.
SIMILAR TO THE REPORT PREPARED BY DELOITTE CONSULTING FOR TRAVIS COUNTY.
THE REPORT SHOULD IDENTIFY WHICH PROPERTIES WOULD BECOME AVAILABLE FOR OTHER PURPOSES, SUCH AS AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR LEASE TERMINATION IF A SUBSTANTIAL FRACTION OF EMPLOYEES WERE ELIGIBLE FOR TECH TELEWORKING AT THOSE LOCATIONS, CHOSE TO DO SO.
AND THE REPORT SHOULD ALSO IDENTIFY COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH EXPANDING TELEWORKING, SUCH AS ADDITIONAL IT COSTS COST TO UPDATE PERSONNEL POLICIES AND PROCEDURES, TRAINING COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH LEARNING TO
[00:05:01]
WORK AND MANAGING IN A DISTRIBUTED ENVIRONMENT AND A SKILL SOME MANY MANAGERS DON'T CURRENTLY POSSESS.UM, UM, YOU KNOW, THE INDIVIDUALS, THE EMPLOYEES WHO SPOKE TO US AT JUNE, MANY OF THEM RETURNED IN JULY AS WELL.
I FELT LIKE THAT WAS A GREAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE REALLY THOUGHT THAT THIS IS PART OF OUR OVERALL MOBILITY PICTURE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND IT WAS GREAT BECAUSE, UM, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE MOMENTS WHERE OUR CITIZENS COME THE NEXT MEETING, WE'RE ABLE TO GET IN OUR AGENDA AND PASS SOMETHING.
SO THAT WAS, UM, ONE OF OUR RECOMMENDATIONS.
OUR SECOND RECOMMENDATION, I WANNA TAKE SOME CARE WITH THAT.
UM, SO Y'ALL MAY REMEMBER WE HAD A PROPOSAL FOR, UM, UH, WE, WE, WE'VE BEEN TALKING QUITE A LOT.
U T C AND TRANSPORTATION ADVOCATES HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT BIKE LANE PARKING AND THE FACT THAT, UM, WE HAVE SORT OF A EPIDEMIC OF
A A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST DO IT EVEN THOUGH THEY KNOW THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BECAUSE IT'S, UM, ENFORCEMENT IS VERY DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY KNOW IF THEY JUST DO IT FOR 15 OR 20 MINUTES, IT, THEY MAY NOT GET CAUGHT.
SOMEBODY MAY NOT COME OUT AND TICKET THEM IN TIME, UM, EVEN IF THEY'RE CALLED IN.
BUT, UM, IT DOES CREATE IN THAT TIME, UM, A LOT OF POTENTIAL DANGER TO BIKERS AND PEDESTRIANS WHEN THAT DOES HAPPEN.
AND SO WE HAD, UM, HAD A PROPOSAL, UM, BACK LAST YEAR, UM, WHICH WAS SORT OF LIKE A CITIZENS', UM, BIKE LANE, UH, REPORTING THING SO THAT PEOPLE COULD ACTUALLY, A PROPOSAL THAT PEOPLE WOULD BE ABLE TO CALL IT IN AND THEY WOULD ACTUALLY BE INCENTIVIZED TO GET A LITTLE BIT OF LIKE, MONEY BACK IF THEY CALL IN BIKE LANE VIOLATIONS.
WE DIDN'T SEE A LOT OF ACTION FROM THAT.
SO THE COMMISSION WAS TRYING TO SORT OF SUGGEST MAYBE A MENU OF OPTIONS FOR PEOPLE WITH BIKE LANE VIOLATIONS AND SORT OF TO IMPROVE THIS SITUATION IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, LET ME, I'LL TRY TO GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY, BUT WE HAVE A COUPLE WHERE AS IS, IT SAYS, UM, YOU KNOW, BACK LAST YEAR OUR URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WE ISSUED A RECOMMENDATION, UM, THAT SAID WE WOULD, UM, TO AUSTIN, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL TO DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM WHICH PROVIDES TO ANY INDIVIDUAL USING 3 1 1, UM, TO PROVIDE CURRENT PHOTO EVIDENCE OF A VEHICLE BL BLOCKING A BIKE LANE TO RECEIVE 20% OF THE REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE CITY.
SO I KNOW THERE'S SOME ISSUES MAYBE WITH LEGALITIES, BUT THEN, UM, SO, UM, THAT WAS DISCUSSED BY COUNCIL, UM, AND THE BI BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL ALSO SUPPORTED THIS.
UM, AND, UM, ONLY, UM, AND WE ALSO WANTED TO NOTE IN THE WHEREAS HERE THAT ONLY 21% OF BIKE LANE BLOCKAGE COMPLAINTS REPORTED IN THREE 11, UH, 3 1 1 WERE CLOSED, UM, WITH A CITATION.
AND 67% OF THEM ARE CLOSED WITH THE VEHICLE HAVING BEEN MOVED BEFORE PARKING ENFORCEMENT ARRIVES.
SO, UM, WE CAN SEE THAT EVEN FOR THINGS THAT ARE GETTING REPORTED, THEY'RE NOT REALLY RESULTING IN, UM, UH, CITATIONS.
SO, UM, UH, ANYWAY, I'LL KIND OF MOVE INTO SOME OF OUR, BE IT RESOLVED HERE.
SO WE HAVE A FEW POSSIBILITIES AND WE WOULD JUST ASK THAT SOME OF THESE BE EXPLORED.
WE KNOW THAT THERE MAY BE OBSTACLES TO SOME OF THEM EITHER POLITICALLY, FINANCIALLY, LEGALLY, BUT WE THOUGHT MAYBE IF WE GIVE A RANGE OF OPTIONS FOR CITY COUNCIL TO EXPLORE, WE CAN GET SOME MOVEMENT IN THIS REGARD.
SO, UM, I'LL READ THE BE IT RESOLVES AND THEN I'M, I'LL BE HOPEFULLY DONE WITH THIS, MY PORTION HERE FOR YOU TODAY.
BUT IT DOES SAY, UM, BE IT RESOLVED.
THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION RECOMMENDS THAT THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL ADOPT AT LEAST ONE OF THE FOLLOWING MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF BICYCLISTS BY ENSURING BIKE LANE PARKING VIOLATIONS ARE ENFORCED.
UM, FIRST EITHER DEVELOP A AND IMPLEMENT A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS BIKE LANE PARKING VIOLATIONS TO BE ENFORCED USING A PHOTO AND INFORMATION SUBMITTED BY AUSTIN 3 1 1 APP OR ONLINE SERVICE USER REQUEST.
AND DO NOT REQUIRE A PHYSICAL CONFIRMATION FROM CODE OR PEACE OFFICERS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THE PERSON SUBMITTING THE PHOTO AND INFORMATION RECEIVES 25% OF THE REVENUE COLLECTED BY THE CITY FOR THAT CITATION.
OR TO DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT A BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM EITHER MODELED OFF OF OR AS AN EXPANSION OF THE EXISTING ACCESSIBLE PARKING ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM WHERE THE CITY, AUSTIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUB OF DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, CAN TRAIN VOLUNTEERS TO ISSUE CITATIONS AND WARNINGS FOR ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES AND BIKE LANES.
AND THREE, DESIGNATE MULTIPLE, UH, TRANSPORTATION MOBILITY SERVICE OFFICERS ON EACH SHIFT WHO WILL TRAVEL BY BICYCLE AND PRIMARILY FOCUS ON ISSUING CITATIONS AND WARNINGS FOR ILLEGALLY PARKED VEHICLES AND BIKE LANES.
SO THOSE ARE OUR THREE SORT OF OPTIONS.
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PHOTOS, TWO VOLUNTEER, UH, ENFORCEMENT PROGRAM, OR THREE, DESIGNATE MORE EMPLOYEES FOR THIS TASK.AND WE ALSO, AND THEN BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, UM, FOLLOWING SUPPLEMENTARY POLICIES TO FURTHER ENHANCE THE SAFETY OF BICYCLISTS, UM, ALTER ANY RELEVANT ORDINANCE REQUIRING A POST-IT SIGN EXPLICITLY MARKING PARKING IN THE BIKE LANE ASSIGNABLE OFFENSE.
AND INSTEAD TO CREATE AS A DEFAULT THE REVERSE POSITION OF SANCTIONED PARKING IN A BIKE LANE ONLY WHERE IT IS EXPLICITLY POSTED AS ALLOWED.
SO THIS HAS BEEN AN ISSUE WITH CITATIONS IS THAT, UM, SOMETIMES PEOPLE AREN'T CITED BECAUSE IT DOESN'T SAY YOU CAN'T PARK IN THE BIKE LANE.
WE USED TO SORT OF SUGGEST REVERSING THAT ASSUMPTION THERE.
UM, UH, OR TWO, A DIRECT AUSTIN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO UPDATE CITY BICYCLE MAPS TO INDICATE WHERE PARKING IN THE BIKE LANE IS ALLOWED, EITHER BY A LACK OF SIGNAGE OR BY SPECIFIC SIGNAGE ALLOWING VEHICLES TO PARK IN THE BIKE.
LANE THREE, EXPAND THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLE LOADING PERMIT PROGRAM CITYWIDE AND CLEARLY INDICATE THAT IT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PREFERENCE THAT THE COMMERCIAL VEHICLES BLOCK GENERAL TRAVEL LANES, NOT BIKE LANES OR SIDEWALKS WHEN TWO OR MORE GENERAL TRAVEL LANES IN ONE DIRECTION ARE AVAILABLE.
AND FOR ENGAGE IN A CITYWIDE AWARENESS PEN CAMPAIGN TO CREATE A GENERAL COMMON KNOWLEDGE THAT BLOCKING A BIKE LANE WILL RESULT IN A CITATION EXCEPT WE'RE EXPLICITLY ALLOWED BY POST-IT SIGNAGE.
SO, UM, UH, THAT, AND THEN OUR FINAL BE IT RESOLVED, U T C RECOMMENDS THAT IF MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND CITY COUNCIL DO NOT ADOPT ANY OF THE RECOMMENDED MEASURES TO IMPROVE THE SAFETY OF BICYCLISTS BY ENSURING BIKE LANE PARKING VIOLATIONS ARE ENFORCED, THE CITY COUNCIL DIRECT, THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, THE AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE CITY ATTORNEY TO RESEARCH OPTIONS TO REDUCE ILLEGAL PARKING AND BIKE LANES AND REPORT BACK TO THE CITY COUNCIL BY THE END OF THE CALENDAR YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SAY WE HAVE A LOT OF IDEAS FOR WORKING ON THIS MATTER.
UM, WE KNOW THAT SOME OF THEM MAY STICK AND OTHERS MAY NOT, BUT WE WANT IT TO SORT OF GIVE YOU A MENU OF OPTIONS TO WORK WITH, UM, ON THIS ISSUE, WHICH IS DEFINITELY ONE WE'RE HEARING ABOUT FROM A LOT OF FOLKS ACROSS THE CITY.
I KNOW THAT WAS A LOT, BUT I THINK IT WAS A PRODUCTIVE COUPLE, A PRODUCTIVE SUMMER FOR U T C, SO THAT'S GREAT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE UPDATE.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE DS OR COMMENTS? NATASHA HARPER MADISON, UH, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR THE RECOGNITION.
UM, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I RECOGNIZE WITH A GREAT DEGREE OF FREQUENCY IS THAT PEOPLE USE THE BIKE LANE TO PASS.
SO IF SOMEBODY'S TURNING LEFT, THEY GO THROUGH THE BIKE LANE TO PASS.
AND I JUST DUNNO THAT I'VE EVER SEEN ANY SIGNAGE OR HEARD ANY ADVISORY AROUND PEOPLE RECOGNIZING YOU DON'T USE THE BIKE LANE TO PASS, YOU WAIT UNTIL THAT PERSON TURNS LEFT.
UM, I'M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT YOUR THOUGHTS AROUND THAT.
YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD DEFINITELY, UH, CATEGORIZE THAT AS, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I'D HAVE TO GO POUR INTO CODE, BUT I WOULD LIKE, I WOULD SAY THAT THAT'S REALLY PART AND PARCEL OF THESE SAME ISSUES THAT WE'RE NOTICING IS THAT PEOPLE SORT OF USE IT AS THEIR RELIEF LANE, WHETHER THAT'S FOR PASSING, WHETHER THAT'S FOR, UH, PARKING DELIVERIES.
UM, SO I, I AGREE THAT THAT'S DEFINITELY A THING, UM, THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THOSE MOMENTS OF PASSING IN THE BIKE LANES, THOSE ARE PROBABLY REALLY HARD TO CATCH EVEN MORE THAN PARKING IN THE BIKE LANES 'CAUSE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, PRETTY FAST AND EPHEMERAL.
IT HAPPENS QUICKLY AND YOU MAY NOT GET SOMEBODY'S LICENSE PLATE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT I AGREE, ABSOLUTELY THAT IS PROBLEMATIC AND, YOU KNOW, IF THIS IS A MATTER THAT WE WANNA INCREASE AWARENESS IN, IN THE CITY, THAT I WOULD SAY THAT THAT WOULD BE ALIGNED WITH, WITH THIS AS WELL.
SO THAT WOULD BE MY THOUGHTS ON THAT.
SO, SO I WONDER IF THERE'S A WAY FOR THERE TO WORK IN YOUR, BE IT RESOLVES AND YOUR, WHEREAS IS, WHEREAS THE CITIZENS OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN DON'T RECOGNIZE THAT YOU ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO USE THE BIKE LANE TO PASS THE PERSON TURNING LEFT.
I THINK FOLKS JUST DON'T KNOW.
YEAH, I THINK, AND YOU KNOW, I WILL SAY I THINK THERE'S SOME LACK OF KNOWLEDGE.
I DO THINK SPECIFICALLY IN SOME OF OUR REALLY IMPACTED AREAS, DOWNTOWN AND WEST CAMPUS AND PLACES LIKE THAT, I THINK THAT PEOPLE DO KNOW, BUT THEY ALSO JUST KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET CAUGHT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A LITTLE OF BOTH ENDS, YOU KNOW? UM, AND RIGHT NOW IT'S KIND OF ASSUMED LIKE WE'RE NOT ASSUMING THAT PEOPLE KNOW THIS, RIGHT? BECAUSE IT ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IT'S, UM, WE'RE NOT CITING PEOPLE, I THINK, EXCEPT IN PLACES WHERE IT SAYS DON'T PARK IN THE BIKE LANE.
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REVERSE THAT ASSUMPTION CULTURALLY AS A CITY SO THAT LIKE WE ALL ASSUME DON'T PARK IN THE BIKE LANE UNLESS THERE'S A SIGN THAT SAYS YOU CAN.SO I THINK THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF BOTH.
I THINK THERE IS SOME, THERE ARE SOME BAD ACTORS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO KNOW THAT THEY CAN GET AWAY WITH IT AND KNOW THAT THEY SHOULDN'T BE.
BUT THERE'S ALSO PEOPLE THAT JUST DON'T KNOW OR MAYBE USE THE FACT THAT THERE'S NO SIGNAGE AS A EXCUSE NOT TO KNOW SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I THINK ULTIMATELY AT THE END OF THE DAY, MOST PEOPLE JUST DON'T KNOW.
THEY THINK IF YOU CAN GET AROUND THE PERSON TURNING LEFT, YOU JUST TAKE THE SPACE THAT YOU CAN.
BUT NOT RECOGNIZING THAT THE BIKE LANE IS INACCESSIBLE TO MOTORIZED VEHICLES, I, I THINK THEY JUST DON'T KNOW.
SO I WONDER IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK COLLABORATIVELY ON WITH THE CHAIR OF THIS DEPARTMENT OR THIS COMMITTEE.
UM, AND JUST MOVING FORWARD, IF WE CAN JUST REALLY TEACH PEOPLE THE BIKE LANE IS INACCESSIBLE TO CARS.
YEAH, I, I THINK WHAT'S FRUSTRATING, I THINK CHAIR SUMMERS SAID IT VERY WELL AND THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, MAY KNOW AND JUST THINK, OH, I'M ONLY GONNA DO IT THIS ONE TIME.
UM, BUT IF YOU HAVE EVER NAVIGATED THESE AREAS ON A BICYCLE, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT SPLIT SECONDS AND JUST THE INABILITY TO SEE PEOPLE CAN CREATE VERY DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES.
AND UNLESS THERE'S AN ACTUAL PHYSICAL BARRIER, LIKE A CURB OR SOMETHING CONCRETE OR A METAL RAILING, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT JUST TAKE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE AND, YOU KNOW, SAY, I DON'T NECESSARILY WANT TO WAIT, SO I'M JUST GONNA, I'M GONNA GO.
AND THE MORE PEOPLE ARE DOING THAT, ESPECIALLY IN PLACES WHERE WE HAVE THE UNPROTECTED BIKE LANES, THE MORE DANGEROUS IT IS FOR PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THAT.
YEAH, WE CERTAINLY SEE SOME PEOPLE GET THEMSELVES IN INTERESTING SITUATIONS, EVEN WHEN THERE ARE SOME, SOME SORTS OF BARRIERS AS WELL.
WE'VE SEEN SOME INTERESTING PHOTOS OUT THERE.
SO YEAH, I'VE SEEN PEOPLE SOMETIMES GET PRETTY DETERMINED
AND I THINK THAT WAS INADVERTENT, BUT, UM, ALWAYS A GOOD REMINDER FOR PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, SLOW DOWN A LITTLE BIT, TAKE A MOMENT, LOOK EVERY DIRECTION YOU POSSIBLY CAN TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE DRIVING SAFELY.
SO I THINK, I THINK IT'S THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION.
LIKE WE, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD, EVEN IF IT'S JUST AWARENESS CAMPAIGNS OR IMPROVED SIGNAGE OR THINGS LIKE THAT, WE WOULD LOVE THAT.
BUT I THINK IF THERE'S WAYS THAT WE CAN UP SOME OF THE ACTUAL ENFORCEMENT PARTICULARLY, YOU KNOW, LIKE I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, IN AREAS WHERE THERE MAY BE A PERSISTENT PROBLEM WITH THIS, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF JUST EXPLORE ALL SOLUTIONS AND WE TRIED TO CAPTURE THAT IN OUR RECOMMENDATION AS BEST WE COULD.
UM, YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST WANT TO KIND OF, I, I DON'T, I DUNNO IF FLAG'S THE RIGHT WORD, BUT, YOU KNOW, REPRESENTING THE DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, UH, A LOT OF TIMES, ESPECIALLY DURING FESTIVALS SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST COMES TO MIND, UH, WE HAD A LOT OF CONSTITUENTS REACH OUT TO US, UH, AND A LOT OF FOLKS, UH, WHO WERE IN TOWN VISITING, AND I GUESS THEY FOUND OUT THAT DISTRICT NINE IS A DISTRICT THAT, THAT THE, UH, THE FESTIVAL IS OCCURRING IN, UH, WHO TALKED ABOUT THEIR DANGERS AS THEIR DANGERS AS A CYCLIST, UH, DURING THAT TIME.
UH, AND I, I, I LIVE IN THE AREA AND THE AMOUNT OF TRUCKS THAT I SEE AT BUSINESSES THAT ARE UNLOADING, THAT JUST PARK IN THE, IN THE BIKE LANES, CARS THAT ARE PARKED THERE, UM, I THINK I'VE SOMETIMES SEEN CITY, UM, CARS ALSO PARKED IN THE BIKE LANES.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT WHEN, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE SAFETY OF, OF, OF RIDERS AND JUST TO, YOU KNOW, BETTER, UH, TO BE BETTER ABOUT IT.
AND, AND MAYBE IT IS AN AWARENESS CAMPAIGN, RIGHT? BECAUSE MAYBE IT'S PEOPLE JUST THINKING, OH, THIS, THIS WON'T CAUSE TOO MUCH DAMAGE, OR TAKE UP TOO MUCH TIME, I'LL BE IN AND OUT.
OR, YOU KNOW, I'M ONLY HERE FOR A BIT WHILE WE'RE UNLOADING, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, CRATES FROM THE, FROM THE TRUCK.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT, IT TAKES A SPLIT SECOND FOR, FOR SOMETHING REALLY BAD TO HAPPEN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I, I ALSO JUST WANNA KIND OF FLAG, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WORKING ON, ON A DRAFT I I F C, UH, AS AN OFFICE ON CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT.
UH, AND I KNOW THAT THE STAFF IS WORKING ON IT, UH, ON A LOT OF THIS STUFF AS WELL.
AND, AND I JUST HOPE THE PROCESS WILL INCLUDE A HARD LOOK ON HOW DO WE KEEP BIKE LANES SAFER FOR BICYCLISTS AND CLEAR FROM CARS.
ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR OUR CHAIR OF THE U T C? I THINK THAT DOES IT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US TODAY.
WE APPRECIATE THE WORK Y'ALL ARE DOING IN THE COMMISSION.
[3. Austin Strategic Mobility Plan 2039 Mode Shift Goal Progress Update.]
BE AN UPDATE ON THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN 2039 MODE SHIFT GOAL.I KNOW IT IS STILL RELATIVELY NEW, BUT I WAS HERE WHEN WE ADOPTED THE VERY FIRST VERSION.
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DIVISION MANAGER FOR THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.UM, I OVERSEE OUR SMART MOBILITY OFFICE, AND PART OF OUR PORTFOLIO IS THE TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AS WELL.
AND I'M JOINED BY JACOB BARRETT WHO MANAGES THAT PROGRAM.
SO, UM, HERE TO TALK ABOUT THE 2039 GOAL, UM, THAT WAS, UH, ADOPTED IN THE A S M P BACK IN 2019.
AND I GUESS WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS JUST GIVE YOU KIND OF AN OVERVIEW OF HOW I'D LIKE TO APPROACH THIS.
IT'S A FAIRLY BIG TOPIC, UM, IS FIRST TALK ABOUT THE GOAL AND JUST REFRESH EVERYBODY'S MEMORY ABOUT WHAT WAS ESSENTIALLY ADOPTED BACK IN 2019.
AND I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE DATA, ANY GOOD GOAL HAS DATA ASSOCIATED WITH IT, SO WE CAN TRACK OUR PROGRESS TOWARDS, UM, TOWARDS WHAT OUR EVENTUAL OUTCOMES ARE GONNA BE.
AND THEN I'D LIKE TO DIVE INTO EACH MODE THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AT THAT TIME, AND TO TALK ABOUT KIND OF AT A HIGH LEVEL, YOU KNOW, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES WE HAVE, WHAT CHALLENGES WE'RE SEEING, AND THEN, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT CHANGES WE'VE BEEN SEEING OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
SO IT IS, WE'VE NOW ABOUT FIVE YEARS INTO THIS GOAL.
IT'S A 20 YEAR GOAL, LONG RANGE GOAL.
AND THE GOAL WAS TO TAKE A, TO EVENTUALLY HIT IN 20 YEARS FROM 2019, A 50 50 MODE SPLIT.
AND THAT WOULD BE TAKING THE SIX DIFFERENT MODES THAT WE HAVE AND ESSENTIALLY HAVE, DRIVE ALONE, ONLY ACCOUNT FOR 50% OF THOSE.
AND THAT IN THE 20 YEARS THAT IT WOULD TAKE ALL THE OTHER MODES, BIKING, WALKING, TRANSIT, CARPOOLING, TELEWORK, ALL OF THOSE MODES WOULD SHIFT AND INCREASE TO EVENTUALLY EQUAL 50%.
SO THE IDEA WOULD BE THAT THE NUMBER OF CARS THAT WERE ON THE ROAD TAKING COMMUTES IN 2019 WOULD STAY THE SAME FOR 20 YEARS.
AND ALL THE ADDITIONAL DRIVING THAT OCCURRED WOULD BE ABSORBED IN THESE OTHER MODES.
AND THIS IS WITH THE IDEA THAT BA BASICALLY WITHIN THAT 20 YEARS, THE POPULATION WOULD DOUBLE.
SO OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, WE'VE SEEN ABOUT 70,000 ADDITIONAL PEOPLE COME TO OUR COMMUNITY.
SO THE IDEA IS ALL THOSE ADDITIONAL COMMUTE TRIPS WOULD BE NOW, UM, TAKEN IN BY THE OTHER, THE ALTERNATIVE MODES.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT.
SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS GO AHEAD AND JUST TALK ABOUT THE DATA REAL QUICK, AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF JUMP INTO THE DIFFERENT MODES.
SO THIS IS A GRAPH THAT IS IN THE A S M P AND IT, UM, COMES FROM THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY.
AMERICAN COMMUNITY SURVEY IS PUBLISHED ONCE A YEAR, UH, WITH ESSENTIALLY SAMPLE DATA.
AND THEN EVERY FIVE YEARS THAT DATA IS AGGREGATED, UH, TO A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF, UM, OR LOWER LEVEL OF STATISTICAL RELEVANCE.
SO, UM, BACK IN 2019, ALMOST THREE QUARTERS OF OUR TRIPS BY COMMUTING WERE DONE BY DRIVE ALONE CARS.
WE HAD 11% WERE CARPOOLING OR RIDE SHARING TRANSIT, ACCOUNTED FOR, UM, UM, EXCUSE ME, TRANSIT ACCOUNTED FOR 4% AND TELEWORK WAS EIGHT.
AND ROUNDING IT OUT WAS A 1% AND 2% FOR BICYCLING AND WALKING RESPECTIVELY.
AND THE IDEA WOULD BE WITHIN 20 YEARS, WHILE THAT NUMBER OF TRIPS STATE REMAINED THE SAME, DRIVING ALONE WOULD ONLY ACCOUNT FOR 50%.
WE WOULD SEE INCREASES IN ALL THE OTHER MODES, PARTICULARLY IN TRANSIT.
AND A LOT OF THE PROJECTIONS WERE BASED UPON THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAD IN 2019, POTENTIAL INVESTMENT INTO TRANSIT, POTENTIAL INVESTMENT INTO ALL AGES AND ABILITIES NETWORK AND SUCH.
SO THERE WAS SOME ART TO COMING UP WITH THOSE DIFFERENT PERCENTAGES.
AND THOSE AREN'T HARD AND FAST.
I MEAN, THE IDEA IS MOSTLY THE 50 50 MODE SPLIT, BUT THIS IS HOW IT WAS ENVISIONED AT THAT TIME.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT THE DATA FROM THE A C S IS FOR COMMUTE PATTERNS, BUT IT'S KIND OF A PROXY FOR ALL TRIPS.
SO THE LATEST DATA WE HAVE FROM THE A C S IS FOR 2021.
AND THIS REALLY NEEDS TO BE SET.
UH, WHEN WE LOOK AT THIS, IT REALLY NEEDS TO BE PUT IN CONTEXT.
'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY IN 2021, WE WERE AT THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC, AND THE PANDEMIC HAD A MAJOR EFFECT ON HOW PEOPLE CHOSE TO TRAVEL, HOW PEOPLE CHOSE TO WORK, GET TO THEIR SERVICES, ET CETERA.
SO WE DID WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS DATA, BUT WE REALLY WANT TO PUT A BIG ASTERISK BESIDE IT TO SAY, UM, WHILE IT'S NOT BAD DATA, IT'S THE SAME METHODOLOGY AS ALL A C S DATA.
[00:25:01]
IT, IT'S IN THE BACKGROUND AND IT'S, IT'S A FALSE EQUIVALENCY COMPARED TO THE DATA THAT WE HAD BEFORE.UM, SO IF WE LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT MODES, BICYCLING AND TELEWORK DEFINITELY INCREASED WHILE CARPOOLING AND DRIVING ALONE IN TRANSIT ALL DIMINISHED BECAUSE AGAIN, WAS IT DURING THE HEIGHT OF THE PANDEMIC? UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
SO I'D LIKE TO NOW, UH, MOVE INTO THE DIFFERENT MODES AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EACH GOAL AND THEN SOME OF THE BIG, AGAIN, HIGH LEVEL INVESTMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE INTO EXPANDING THE MODE SHARE.
FOR EACH ONE OF THESE, UH, BICYCLE, WE HOPE TO EXPAND THAT BY 4% AND WITHIN THE 20 YEAR WINDOW.
AND PROBABLY THE BIGGEST IN INVESTMENT IN THIS IS INTO INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE ALL AGES AND ABILITY, UM, NETWORK IS NOW MORE THAN 50% COMPLETE.
UM, OBVIOUSLY PROVIDING SAFE FACILITIES, AS Y'ALL WERE JUST DISCUSSING, IS PARAMOUNT TO INCREASING PEOPLE'S USAGE OF THOSE FACILITIES AND USE OF THAT MODE.
WE HAVE EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGNS, UM, THROUGH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS, UH, THROUGH OUR T D M PROGRAM SUCH AS GIALLO, WHICH IS WORKING, UM, DOING ALL KINDS OF OUTREACH TO GET PEOPLE IN DIFFERENT, UM, COHORTS TO GET OUT THERE AND USE BIKES.
WE HAVE A PROGRAM CALLED GOLDEN ROLLERS WHERE THEY'LL WORK WITH FOLKS WHO ARE ELDERLY TO GET THEM ON BIKES AND GIVE THEM ONE-ON-ONE INSTRUCTION.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO CREATE DIFFERENT DATA SETS, IDENTIFY DATA, AND THE DATA IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE DATA TELLS US CAN HELP US TELL US WHERE TO PUT INFRASTRUCTURE, WHERE TO DO PROGRAMMING AND SUCH, AGAIN, TO HELP IMPROVE THE OUTCOMES FOR THE DIFFERENT MODES.
UH, THE 15 TO 18% OF ALL BIKE TRIPS LOGGED, UM, IS ACTUALLY COMING FROM STRAVA, WHICH, UH, I USE KIND OF ON THE WEEKENDS TO TRACK MY TRIPS.
AND SO I GUESS IT'S ALL GETTING AGGREGATED, SCRUB TO P I I AND BEING PROVIDED TO DIFFERENT CITIES.
SO WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE, WE'RE ALWAYS ON THE LOOKOUT FOR NEW DATA SETS, BETTER DATA SETS, AGAIN, TO HELP US WITH OUR PLANNING.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT, UH, FRICTION ELEMENTS LIKE HEAT, UM, AND PERHAPS LACKS OF FACILITIES LIKE SHOWERS AND FACILITIES THAT AGAIN, THE CITY COULD LOOK AT FOR THEIR OWN STAFFING TO IMPROVE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE TAKING, UM, BIKES AS A OPTION.
AND THE TWO MAIN THINGS I REALLY WANNA TALK ABOUT AS FAR AS KIND OF NEAR TERM IS, UM, OUR METRO BIKE SYSTEM.
UM, THE METRO BIKE IS OUR BIKE SHARE SYSTEM THAT IS MANAGED ESSENTIALLY BY CAPITAL METRO AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.
UM, WE'VE ADOPTED A LOT OR HAVE BROUGHT IN A LOT OF E-BIKES INTO THAT SYSTEM AND THEY HAVE BEEN A GAME CHANGER.
UM, THE CHANGE OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS IN MONTHLY RIDERSHIP HAS GONE UP ABOUT 20,000.
UM, SO BIKE SHARE I THINK IS GOING TO BE A REALLY IMPORTANT ELEMENT MOVING FORWARD IN GETTING MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ONTO BIKES AND USING BIKES TO GET AROUND.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, KIND OF SEGUEING IN WITH E-BIKES IS AUSTIN ENERGY HAS A REBATE SYSTEM WHERE THEY'VE SEEN ALMOST A DOUBLING OF APPLICATIONS AND THEY'VE ALSO INCREASED THE AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR EACH E-BIKE.
SO I THINK THAT, UH, AS WE LOOK IN THIS NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS, WE'RE GONNA SEE E-BIKES AGAIN, MORE AND MORE AFFECT HOW PEOPLE CHOOSE BICYCLING AS A MODE.
CARPOOLING RIDE SHARE AND OTHER, UM, AUSTIN'S CARPOOLING RATE IS, UH, LOWER THAN SOME OTHER CITIES.
AND ONE REASON WOULD BE IS AN INVESTMENT INTO THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT, UH, INCENTIVIZES PEOPLE TO USE IT.
UM, THAT WOULD BE SUCH AS LIKE O H O V LANES.
UM, IT SEEMS, LOOKING AT WHAT TXDOT RELEASED YESTERDAY, THE H O V LANES WILL BE A PART OF THE I 35 PLAN.
SO PERHAPS WE'RE GONNA SEE AN INCREASE IN THAT.
UM, THAT TYPE OF INFRASTRUCTURE ALSO HELPS TRANSIT RIDERS 'CAUSE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO RIDE IN THE H O V LINES FOR FREE.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME CURB MANAGEMENT PRACTICES PROVIDING DROP OFF AND PICKUP ZONES SUCH AS A, UM, A D I A AND WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS TO, UM, HELP WORK WITH EMPLOYERS TO GIVE THEIR EMPLOYEES AND THEIR STAFF DIFFERENT PROGRAMS AND OPTIONS FOR CARPOOLING.
AND THAT'S DONE THROUGH OUR TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT PROGRAM.
SO THE TOTAL TRAFFIC VOLUMES, UM, HAVE NOW REACHED PRE COVID LEVEL, AND THAT'S BASED UPON OUR OWN DATA.
UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FRICTIONAL ELEMENTS THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW HOW THEY'RE GONNA PLAY OUT, IN EFFECT DRIVE ALONE, SUCH AS GAS PRICES.
UM, THERE ARE SOME INCENTIVE PROGRAMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO, UH, WORK WITH DIFFERENT EMPLOYERS TO SAY, HEY,
[00:30:01]
INSTEAD OF PROVIDING FREE PARKING FOR ALL YOUR STAFF, YOU COULD DO A PARKING CASH UP IN WHICH YOU'RE PROVIDING AN INCENTIVE, A DOLLAR VALUE TO THAT PARKING SPACE TO INCENTIVIZE THEM TO FIND ANOTHER WAY TO GET INTO WORK.AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING WITH MOVABILITY AND OUR NON-PROFIT PARTNERS TO HELP THEM WORK WITH THESE EMPLOYERS TO IDENTIFY DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODES AND OPTIONS FOR THEIR STAFF.
TELEWORK, I'D LIKE TO START WITH THE, THE IMAGE HERE, AND I HOPE YOU GUYS CAN SEE IT.
UM, 'CAUSE TELEWORK HAS, HAS REALLY PROVED, UM, TO BE A WAY FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE TO GET TO AND FROM WORK.
OBVIOUSLY IT WAS VERY IMPORTANT DURING THE PANDEMIC, UM, BUT THERE SEEMED TO BE SOME PRO AND CONS TO THIS THAT NEED TO BE KIND OF, UM, IDENTIFIED AND KIND OF WORKED THROUGH.
UH, THE ONE THAT REALLY STRUCK ME AS, IF YOU LOOK AT THE, UM, MAP THERE, THE DARKER BLUE AREA TO THE WEST OF I 35 IS, UH, THE DARKER IT IS, THE MORE PEOPLE TELEWORK AND THE LIGHTER IT IS, THE LESS PEOPLE TELEWORK.
SO I DON'T KNOW THE FULL REASONS FOR THE DATA DIFFERENT, THE DIFFERENTIATION BETWEEN THE DATA, BUT ONE CAN MAKE SOME ASSUMPTIONS THAT CERTAIN FOLKS CAN TELEWORK AND CERTAIN PEOPLE CANNOT BASED UPON THEIR JOB DUTIES.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN CHANGES IN TRAFFIC PATTERNS IN WHICH MIDDAY TRIPS HAVE RISEN, EVEN THOUGH THE PEAK TRIPS, THE PEAK PEAK TIME DURING COMMUTES HAVE LOWERED.
UM, WE'VE ALSO SEEN DIFFERENTIATIONS BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT DAYS OF WEEK WHERE MONDAYS AND FRIDAYS HAVE LOWER TRAFFIC VOLUMES, UH, THAN THE MIDWEEK.
AND THERE ARE POLICIES OUT THERE AT LEAST ON THE CITY LEVEL IN WHICH, UH, TELEWORK IS ALLOWED.
AND FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING AND HOTEL POLICIES ARE ALSO IN PLACE.
SO TELEWORK, UH, WE DO SEE IT INCREASING BY 2039, BUT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC AND SUCH, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO TELL, YOU KNOW, HOW THIS DATA IS GONNA LOOK OVER THE LONG TERM, PARTICULARLY OVER THE 15 YEARS REMAINING IN THIS GOAL.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT THIS IS NOT, UH, 100% INCLUSIVE OF EVERYTHING CAPITAL METRO IS DOING BY ANY MEANS, BUT SOME OF THE BIGGER THINGS IS THAT WE ARE STARTING TO SEE AN INCREASE IN TRANSIT RIDERSHIP.
UM, EVEN THOUGH IT IS STILL BELOW PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS, UM, EXCUSE ME.
UM, METRO BIKE PASSES ARE NOW AVAILABLE, UH, TO BE INTEGRATED INTO CAPITAL METRO'S PASS.
SO IT IS TRYING TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR PEOPLE TO SHIFT MODES, UH, USING ONLY ONE APP.
SO THE CUSTOMER SERVING COMPONENT IS REALLY IMPORTANT.
THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY MAJOR INVESTMENTS IN PROJECT CONNECT, WHETHER IT'S THE METRO RAPID LINES OR THE LIGHT RAIL, WHICH IT'S ESTIMATED COULD BE UP TO 28,000 OR SO, UH, RIDERS PER DAY.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE POLICIES AND, UM, IN PLAY TO ESSENTIALLY CREATE TODS OR TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOP, LOOKING AT LAND USE AND HOW THAT WORKS WITH TRANSIT, UM, AND TRYING TO CREATE POLICIES THAT CAN AND CREATE DENSITY AND CREATE THAT RIDERSHIP THAT WILL SUPPORT, UM, OUR TRANSIT, UM, PLANS NEXT.
UM, WALKING, UM, ONE OF THE BIG, UH, INVESTMENTS IN WALKING IS, IS OUR SIDEWALK INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, THERE'S SOME INTERESTING ANALYSIS GOING ON TOO, AGAIN ABOUT, UH, SHADE AND HOW SHADE PROVIDES A WELCOMING PLACE FOR, UH, PEDESTRIANS, BUT HOW IT IS NOT EQUITABLE BETWEEN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND I SUSPECT THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE COMING FORWARD IS SOME POLICIES TO INCREASE SHADE IN AREAS WHERE WE HAVE A DEFICIT OF THAT.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO JUST POINT OUT FOR WALKING THAT WE WILL BE LAUNCHING OUR, UM, LIVING STREETS PROGRAM, UH, HERE THIS FALL.
AND WE HOPE TO HAVE A SUCCESSFUL BUILDUP OF THAT PROGRAM, AGAIN, CREATING A COMFORTABLE SPACE WITHIN THE RIGHT OF WAY FOR PEOPLE TO WALK AND TO SOCIALIZE.
SO JUST AGAIN, LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR HIGH LEVEL OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE COMING KIND OF IN THE NEAR TERM.
UH, ONE IS, UM, WE DID APPLY FOR A TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SETASIDE GRANT TASA, UH, WITH TXDOT.
UH, WE ARE HOPING TO HEAR BACK FROM THEM IN OCTOBER.
AND UM, WE APPLIED FOR ESSENTIALLY A $15 MILLION, UH, PROJECT.
12 MILLION OF THAT WOULD BE FEDERAL FUNDS, UM, TO EXPAND THE SYSTEM EFFECTIVELY A THREEFOLD, UM, THAT WOULD TAKE US INTO, UH, NEW NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNSERVED.
UM, IT WOULD IMPROVE CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE ASSETS
[00:35:01]
THEMSELVES.UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT NEW WAYS, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, GETTING BETTER DATA.
AND ONE OF THOSE IS PER PUTTING OUT MORE ECO COUNTERS.
WE HAVE APPROXIMATELY 13 OUT THERE RIGHT NOW.
THESE COUNTERS CAN COLLECT DATA ON PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES AND, AND THEY'RE ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, PUT IT RIGHT NOW PRETTY MUCH AT THE ENTRANCES TO URBAN TRAILS.
BUT WE CAN SEE, PUT THEM IN CONJUNCTION WITH TRANSIT OR OTHER AREAS CAN COLLECT DATA.
WHERE ARE PEOPLE BIKING? WHERE ARE PEOPLE WALKING? UM, AND BEHAVIOR CHANGE.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH OUR NONPROFIT PARTNERS AT MOVABILITY, GILO AND OTHERS TO, TO HELP EDUCATE THE COMMUNITY, TO HELP, UM, HAVE THEM LEARN SAFE PRACTICES, UM, REGARDING ANY OF THE MODES, UM, TO TAKE, TO LOOK AT HAVING EMPLOYERS IMPLEMENT PROGRAMS TO AND SUPPORT THEIR EMPLOYEES AND STAFF TO TAKE ALTERNATIVE MODES AND WHAT THOSE BENEFITS WOULD BE.
THAT'S IT FOR MY PRESENTATION AND WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW WITH THE 2039.
AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
I LOVE THE IDEA OF THE ECO COUNTER.
I'M NOT SURE THAT WAS ON MY RADAR.
IS THERE, UH, ARE, ARE THERE TOOLS CURRENTLY ON THE TRANSPORTATION WEBSITE WHERE PEOPLE CAN GO IN AND SAY, HEY, I WANT TO BE ABLE TO BIKE MORE IN THIS AREA, AND CAN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS GO LOOK AT THOSE AREAS TO FILL IN THE GAPS? 'CAUSE I'M IMAGINING WE'RE GONNA BE COUNTING WHERE THE, THE GOOD LANES ALREADY EXIST, RIGHT? AND I'M TRYING TO SEE IF THERE'S A WAY TO BE PROACTIVE ABOUT THE REQUEST FOR MORE LANES.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE'RE COLLECTING INPUT LIKE THAT FOR WHERE WE WOULD PUT THE FACILITIES.
UM, THE ECO COUNTER WOULD SIMPLY KIND OF GIVE YOU THE RAW DATA OF LIKE WHERE PEOPLE ARE BIKING AND HOW MUCH AND WHAT THE QUANTITY IS.
SO, UM, WHY DON'T I GET WITH LAURA DEERFIELD AND ASK HER THAT AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
I KNOW THERE'S ONE THAT EXISTS FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALKS, CROSSWALKS, STOP SIGNS, THAT SORT OF INFORMATION FOR STAFF TO REVIEW.
I JUST WASN'T SURE IF IT INCLUDED BIKE LANES AS WELL.
DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS? LET'S GO VICE CHAIR CADRE AND THEN COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, YOU CHAIR.
UH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
WELL, I GUESS IT'S ONE QUESTION WITH TWO PARTS.
UM, THE FIRST QUESTION IS HOW DO YOU THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THINGS WE'VE DONE ON THE, ON THE DIOCESE AS IT PERTAINS TO LAND USE AND, AND ZONING RULES.
HOW, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT'S GONNA AFFECT MODE CHOICE? UM, YOU IN THE CITY AND THEN WITH I 35 EXPANSION, YOU KNOW, KIND OF ON THE HORIZON, HOW DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD ALSO AFFECT MO MODE CHOICE, UM, IN THE CITY AS WE MOVE FORWARD? WELL LAND, I'LL TAKE THE FIRST ONE.
UM, I THINK LAND USE IS VERY IMPORTANT TO MODE CHOICE.
IF YOU CAN LIVE CLOSE TO WHERE YOU WORK, IF YOU CAN HAVE A SAFE ROUTE TO WORK, UM, TO BIKE, TO WALK, THEN I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FRICTIONAL ELEMENTS OF THE COST OF OWNING A CAR AND SUCH MAY DRIVE PEOPLE TO TAKING THAT, MAKING THAT OPTION.
UM, I THINK ONE POLICY THAT IT'S GONNA IS INTERESTING TO ME IS THE ELIMINATION OF THE PARKING REQUIREMENT, WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN, AGAIN, YOU'RE CREATING A FRICTION TO OWN THAT CAR.
IT'S NO LONGER YOU HAVE YOUR SPACE.
UM, SO TO ME, OFTEN FRICTION, WHETHER IT'S IN THE FORM OF TIME OR COST OR SUCH, LIKE THAT IS A DRIVER TO MAKE PEOPLE CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIORS.
SO, UM, SO I, I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND I ALSO THINK THAT IN THE OPPOSITE NEURO BRAIN, IF YOU CONTINUE TO CREATE LESS DENSE AREAS, UH, AREAS WITH CUL-DE-SACS AND NO BICYCLE FACILITIES, IF YOU MAKE IT HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE AN ALTERNATIVE MODE CHOICE, THEN PEOPLE WON'T.
UM, AND THE SECOND QUESTION WAS I 35? YEAH.
I I 35 EXPANSION AND HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT, YEAH, I THINK THE, UM, THE, THE CONSTRUCTION OF IT IS DEFINITELY ON OUR RADAR AND HOW CAN WE IMPLEMENT, UM, T D M PROGRAMS OR POLICIES TO HELP GET PEOPLE AROUND WHEN WE ESSENTIALLY CLOSE DOWN THE MAJOR CORRIDOR THROUGH OUR CITY.
SO THAT, I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT EVERY ALTERNATIVE THAT WE CAN.
AND I THINK BIKING IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THEM.
AND PEDESTRIANS, I MEAN SOME OF THE, I DON'T KNOW ALL THE PLANNING THAT THEY HAVE IN PLACE, BUT TO BE ABLE TO GET PEOPLE ACROSS THAT CORRIDOR, IT, IT'S GONNA TAKE OUT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF PLANNING.
BUT I, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO INCLUDE MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE CAN BIKE.
UM, I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT WITH METRO BIKE MM-HMM.
UM, BUT IT IS, IT'S DEFINITELY ON OUR RADAR AND WE ARE AT THE TABLE TO TALK ABOUT T D M POLICIES AND HOW WE CAN GET, GET THROUGH THE NEXT 10 YEARS OF I 35 AND PROJECT CONNECT AND SUCH.
AND THEN, I'M SORRY, I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, ARE WE COLLECTING DEMOGRAPHIC DATA ON, ON THE DIFFERENT MODE CATEGORIES? UM, I'M GONNA USE MY CALL ON, DO YOU KNOW IF THE A C S UH,
[00:40:01]
SO THE A C S DATA DOES CONTAIN, UM, DEMOGRAPHIC CROSS TABS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE BROUGHT TO THIS PRESENTATION 'CAUSE IT WAS SUCH A HIGH LEVEL, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT A C S DATA DOES HAVE.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE WE CAN, IT SEEMS LIKE WE CAN SLICE AND DICE IT BY GI AND GIVE YOU DIFFERENT TYPES OF DEMOGRAPHIC COHORTS.
AND THEN HAVE WE, BASED OFF THE DATA THAT YOU, YOU, YOU GUYS HAVE GOTTEN FROM THAT, HAVE WE, HAVE WE LEARNED ANYTHING? IS THERE ANYTHING THAT MIGHT STICK OUT? ANYTHING? HAVE WE TAKEN A LOOK AT IT ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO KIND OF TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN WITH THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF MODES BY AGE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT? UM, FROM AN AGE PERSPECTIVE.
SO WE DO, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR GET THEIR A T X FOR EXAMPLE, WE FOCUS A LOT ON THE 18 TO 35 YEAR OLD DEMOGRAPHIC.
BUT WE DO WORK ACROSS PUBLIC WORKS OR TRANSPORTATION.
PUBLIC WORKS WITH OUR SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM, UM, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH GIALLO ON THEIR GOLDEN ROLLERS PROGRAM FOR SENIORS TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR AGE RANGES AND DEMOGRAPHICS ARE CHOSEN OR, UM, ARE UH, ADDRESSED BY ALL OF OUR PROGRAMMING.
SO, UM, I HOPE THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
AND THAT A C S DATA, DOES THAT GET, DOES THAT INFORMATION GET RECEIVED ANNUALLY OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS EVERY TWO TO FIVE YEARS? I THINK IT'S AN ANNUAL, UM, PUBLISHING AND WE WILL SEE THE NEXT ONE I THINK IN DECEMBER.
'CAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS, THERE WAS OTHER FORMS OF DATA COLLECTION THAT JUST WERE ON PAUSE BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY THAT DOES DATA ANALYSIS AND NUMBER CRUNCHING HAD BEEN, YOU KNOW, RECRUITED ON TO DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT WERE OBVIOUSLY MORE PRESSING, UM, AT THE TIME.
SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF THAT WAS STILL HAPPENING AT THE NATIONAL LEVEL.
UM, THIS IS THE PROBLEM WITH GOING BEHIND A, A BRILLIANT COUNCIL COLLEAGUE WHO'S GONNA ASK THE QUESTIONS YOU ALREADY WANTED TO ASK.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I HAD JOTTED DOWN WAS YOU SAID THE I I 35 PLAN.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A SOLIDIFIED PLAN, IN WHICH CASE, I'M JUST CURIOUS.
UM, AND THIS IS NOT A QUESTION YOU HAVE TO ANSWER TODAY.
I'M JUST CURIOUS HOW Y'ALL ARE TRACKING HOW THAT PLAN GOES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I PUT ADJACENT TO THAT WAS THE 180 3 PLAN.
SO SOME OF THE DEVELOPMENT ABOUT 180 3 HAS LIKE A LARGE PEDESTRIAN CONSIDERATION MM-HMM.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE SEEN THAT IN ANY OF THE ITERATIONS OF I 35 YET IN A WAY THAT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
UM, SO I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO, FOR OUR CHAIR TO BE ABLE TO MOVING FORWARD, BE ABLE TO KEEP US, YOU KNOW, ALIGNED WITH WHEN YOU SAY THE I 35 PLAN, WHICH ONE ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? BECAUSE
IT'S A MOVING TARGET
I MEAN, IT'S NOT YOUR FAULT, IT'S A MOVING TARGET.
UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO KNOW MOVING FORWARD, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN TO OUR CONSTITUENTS? UM, THERE ARE SOME CAP AND STITCH CONVERSATIONS THAT ARE ACTIVELY HAPPENING IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD AND IN MY DISTRICT WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
IS THAT CLYDE WARREN? IS THAT, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, SO I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO FOLLOW ALONG ACTIVELY WITH YOU ALL.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WROTE, AGRA, I WROTE ABOUT WAS THIS DEMOGRAPHIC DATA.
SO THE CHAIR AND I HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BOTH EXPERIENCE THE MAGIC OF MULTIMODAL TRANSIT AND THE TERROR OF TWITTER
AND JUST GETTING TO SEE ALL AGES, ALL ABILITIES.
PEOPLE IN WHEELCHAIRS, PEOPLE WITH STROLLERS, PEOPLE ON BUSES, TRAINS ON BIKES.
I MEAN GETTING TO SEE THAT COMPREHENSIVE BIKE TRANSIT AND STORAGE AND I MEAN I THINK IT'S A DREAM THAT WE PROBABLY WON'T SEE FOR A LONG TIME.
THAT SAID THOUGH, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CYCLING AND MOBILITY, I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS AROUND, SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO WHILE WE WERE THERE IS HAVE THEM REALLY TALK US THROUGH HOW THEY
[00:45:01]
GOT THERE.THEY, IN ALL HONESTY, HAD BUILT LIKE ALL THIS INFRASTRUCTURE AND DECIDED IT WAS NOT MOBILITY FRIENDLY, IT WAS NOT PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.
THEY BUSTED IT UP, THEY BLEW IT UP AND THEN STARTED OVER.
I JUST DON'T THINK WE'RE THERE YET.
UM, SO MOVING FORWARD, I'M REALLY CURIOUS HOW WE AS A COMMUNITY GET PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR DUALLYS AND GET 'EM ON BIKES.
I MEAN, I THINK FROM A CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE, I'M CONCERNED THAT WE MAY NEVER GET THERE.
UM, IN WHICH CASE I WOULD LOVE TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY, UM, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT Y'ALL'S IDEAS ARE AROUND GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS.
THESE SINGLE, THAT GRAPH THAT Y'ALL SHOWED ABOUT SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES, IT'S KIND OF TERRIFYING.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW HOW HOT IT IS OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW MY AC SET AT 73 BUT MY HOUSE IS AT 79 'CAUSE MY UNIT CAN'T KEEP UP.
AND SO GETTING PEOPLE OUT OF THESE SINGLE OCCUPANCY VEHICLES, I THINK IT'S JUST GONNA REQUIRE MORE IN THE WAY OF OUR LIKE OUTREACH.
AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I'D LOVE TO BE TALKING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS I WROTE DOWN WAS, OOH, AND I'M SO SORRY JG, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE MY FAVORITE INTERIM CITY MANAGER, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A WHOLE SITUATION AROUND TELEWORK RIGHT NOW.
SO AS YOU HAVE THAT CONVERSATION, MY HOPE IS THEY HAVING DIRECT COMMUNICATIONS WITH THEIR INTERIM CITY MANAGER WHO IS ENCOURAGING THAT WE DISCOURAGE TELEWORK.
I HAVE SPOKEN DIRECTLY WITH CONSTITUENTS FOR WHOM THE ONLY WAY THEY'RE MAKING IT RIGHT NOW IS BEING ABLE TO TELEWORK NOT HAVING TO FIGURE OUT MOBILITY OPTIONS AND CHILDCARE OPTIONS.
AND THEM BEING ABLE TO TELEWORK IS EXACTLY HOW THEY CAN MAKE IT WORK RIGHT NOW.
SO I THINK THERE'S SOME INCONGRUENCE BETWEEN WHERE WE'RE AT AT A CITY MANAGEMENT LEVEL AND WHAT'S PRACTICAL FOR FOLKS.
SO MY HOPE IS THAT THAT'S A CONVERSATION Y'ALL ARE HAVING AND IF NOT, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION.
UM, THE ADVOCATES FEEL A WAY ABOUT IT.
MY CONSTITUENTS FEEL A WAY ABOUT IT OR INTERIM CITY MANAGER FEELS A WAY ABOUT IT AND I THINK IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE A DEEPER DIVE ON.
UM, THEN, UM, THERE WAS SOMETHING IN THIS ONE SLIDE ABOUT SHOWER FACILITIES AND HEAT AVERSION.
I'M REALLY CURIOUS TO KNOW, AGAIN, NOT A QUESTION YOU HAVE TO ANSWER TODAY, BUT MAYBE A FOLLOW UP.
UM, I'M VERY CURIOUS ABOUT THAT.
SO FOR EXAMPLE, HERE AT CITY HALL WE HAVE SHOWER FACILITIES, BUT THERE'S TWO STALLS FOR HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK AT CITY HALL.
WE, WE GOT TWO STALLS AND A TEENY TINY BIKE STORAGE FACILITY.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ARE ENCOURAGING IT.
UM, AND IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT E-BIKES, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH CHARGING FACILITIES EVEN HERE AT CITY HALL.
UM, SO I WOULD LOVE FOR US TO HAVE SOME FOLLOW UP ABOUT HOW WE CAN HAVE A MORE COMPREHENSIVE CONVERSATION THERE.
UM, AND THEN THE SLIDE ABOUT WALKING.
I THINK ABOUT IT FROM AN A D A COMPLIANCE PERSPECTIVE.
UM, I'M A PERSON WHO WILL VERY SOON HAVE A VERY PUBLIC CONVERSATION ABOUT BEING A DIFFERENTLY ABLE PERSON.
THE WAY MY LUPUS IS SET UP, ESPECIALLY WITH THIS HEAT, I COULDN'T WALK AROUND THE BLOCK EVEN IF I TRIED.
SO I THINK ENCOURAGING PEOPLE TO WALK IS THOUGHTFUL, BUT I THINK THERE DEFINITELY NEEDS TO BE SOME ADDITIONAL LAYER OF CONVERSATION AROUND WALKING.
NOT EVERYBODY CAN DO THAT AND I THINK THAT'S A LONG CONVERSATION WE SHOULD HAVE AROUND BEING REALLY CONSIDERATE AROUND DIFFERENTLY ABLED PEOPLE.
UM, THEN LASTLY, UM, A D A PARKING FOR EXAMPLE, I, AGAIN, AS A DIFFERENTLY ABLED PERSON, I DON'T EVEN DRIVE ANYMORE.
UM, I RECOGNIZE THAT THE WAY MY LUPUS IS SET UP MY HIPS AND
[00:50:01]
MY KNEES AND MY ANKLES, I COULDN'T STOP ABRUPTLY IF I TRIED.I'M NOT A SAFE DRIVER SO I DON'T DRIVE ANYMORE.
THAT SAID THOUGH, WHEN I WAS A DRIVER, I COULD HANG MY HANDICAP PLACARD ON MY REAR VIEW MIRROR AND PARK ANYWHERE IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN FOR FREE.
I DON'T THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT THEY CAN DO THAT.
I THINK THEY'RE PAYING FOR PARKING FOR NO REASON.
UM, I'M NOT ENCOURAGING DRIVING AND OR PARKING, BUT IF YOU NEED TO DRIVE AND YOU NEED TO PARK, I JUST WONDER HOW MUCH INFORMATION PEOPLE ARE GETTING ABOUT YOU COULD HANG YOUR HANDICAP PLACARD AND PARK RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE METER AND NOT PAY A DIME.
AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I THINK A LOT OF FOLKS KNOW ABOUT.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE PUT ON OUR RADAR.
I THINK WE REALLY JUST AREN'T DOING A GOOD JOB OF INFORMING PEOPLE WHAT THEIR MOBILITY OPTIONS ARE.
WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M OLD ENOUGH TO REMEMBER WHEN WE ADOPTED THIS A S M P IN 2019 AND WHEN TELEWORK WAS ONE OF THE OPTIONS EVERYBODY SAID, IS THAT REALLY PART OF OUR PLAN? WE'RE WE'RE GONNA REACH THESE GOALS BY TELLING PEOPLE TO, YOU KNOW, USE THEIR COMPUTER AT HOME.
AND WE HAD NO IDEA WHAT 2020 WAS GOING TO BRING.
AND THE FACT THAT WE WERE ALL GONNA HAVE TO VERY QUICKLY LEARN HOW TO WORK FROM HOME, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR SIGNIFICANT OTHERS IN THE OTHER ROOM TRYING TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS LIKE IN TANDEM AT THE SAME TIME TALKING TO EACH OTHER AND AND SAYING, WHAT, ARE YOU TALKING TO ME? NO, I'M ON, I'M ON A PHONE CALL.
AND I JUST THINK SO MANY FAMILIES HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS AND ACTUALLY FOUND THAT WE CAN BE JUST AS PRODUCTIVE WHETHER WE GET IN, YOU KNOW, COMMUTE AND HAVE TO GO TO A BUILDING AND ALL WORK TOGETHER OR WHETHER WE CAN DO THAT FROM HOME.
AND SO I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON, JUST ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE PAST FEW YEARS HAS TAUGHT A LOT OF US HOW PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO GET OFF THE ROAD AND SPEND LESS TIME IN THEIR CARS.
AND I THINK THAT IN AND OF ITSELF GOT A LOT OF PEOPLE INTO THE IDEA THAT THEY COULD ACTUALLY CHANGE THEIR COMMUTE PATTERN AND THERE MIGHT BE ANOTHER WAY TO DO THIS.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF US ON THE DAUS THAT ARE WORRIED THAT FORCING EVERYONE TO COME BACK AND WORK IN THE OFFICE X NUMBER OF DAYS A WEEK IS SOMETHING THAT'S JUST COMMUTING TO MORE CONGESTION.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CLIMATE CHANGE REALITIES THAT WE ARE ALL FACING RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT, THIS IS AN IMMEDIATE FUTURE.
THIS IS SOMETHING WE'RE CURRENTLY LIVING IN.
UM, I KNOW THROUGH MY WORK WITH THE CLEAN AIR COALITION THAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT CHANGING AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS AND THEY WANT TO LOWER THEM.
AND AS THE LAST BIG CITY IN TEXAS THAT'S BEEN ABLE TO STAY IN ATTAINMENT OF E P A AIR QUALITY STANDARDS, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE CLOSE TO THAT LINE DEPENDING ON WHERE THEY PUT IT.
UM, AND SO I THINK THIS IS JUST SOMETHING WE NEED TO BE REALLY MINDFUL OF.
UM, BUT THE PRESENTATION WAS VERY INSPIRING.
'CAUSE EVEN THOUGH A LOT OF US HAVE BEEN LUCKY TO WORK ON THINGS LIKE BIKE LANES AND PROJECT CONNECT AND, YOU KNOW, SHADE STRUCTURES AND, AND MORE TREE COVERAGE, THERE'S STILL MORE WORK TO BE DONE.
AND SO I THINK IT'S INSPIRING TO SAY, OKAY, WE'VE, WE'VE CHECKED A LOT OF BOXES BUT IT DOESN'T MEAN WE GET TO PAT OURSELVES ON THE BACK JUST YET.
UM, 'CAUSE THERE IS STILL SO MUCH TO BE DONE.
SO I'M GONNA ASK A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS OR MAKE A COUPLE OF STATEMENTS AND I KNOW, UM, VICE CHAIR CADRE HAD ANOTHER QUESTION AT LEAST THAT HE WANTED TO ASK.
UM, WE RECENTLY LEARNED AT A CAP METRO BOARD MEETING THAT THE FOURTH STREET CROSSING AT I 35 IS GONNA HAVE AN ACTUAL SIGNALED INTERSECTION.
SO PEOPLE WHO ARE ON THEIR BIKES OR PETTY CABS AND WALKING THROUGH THAT INTERSECTION NOW HAVE THE ABILITY TO, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL PUSH A BUTTON OR IF IT'LL BE A HEAT SENSOR, UM, BUT THEY ARE WORKING WITH TXDOT TO MAKE SURE THAT FOLKS CAN SIGNAL THAT THEY WANT THOSE ACCESS ROAD LANES TO STOP.
AND IT'S NOT JUST GONNA BE LIKE PLAYING QUICK LIKE A BUNNY ACROSS A HIGHWAY ACCESS ROAD LIKE IT HAS BEEN IN THE PAST.
AND SO I'M EXCITED THAT THAT IMPROVEMENT IS COMING.
UM, I EITHER DIDN'T KNOW OR HAD FORGOTTEN ALONG THE WAY ABOUT THIS IDEA TO EXPAND THE METRO BIKE SYSTEM FROM 85 TO 300 AND THAT THAT IS BEING COORDINATED WITH TXDOT.
CAN YOU TELL ME A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT WHAT THAT APPLICATION IS? WHAT'S TDOT'S INVOLVEMENT? HOW IS METRO BIKE? UM, WHAT ARE THE CONVERSATIONS WITH THE CITY ABOUT THOSE LOCATIONS OF METRO BIKES? CERTAINLY.
UM, SO AGAIN, THIS IS A TASA GRANT, A TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SETASIDE GRANT.
SO THEY'RE INVOLVED IN THE REVIEW OF THE APPLICATIONS AND THEY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO BE ANNOUNCING THE AWARD IN OCTOBER.
SO A COMPETITIVE GRANT, UM, WE WERE LOOKING AT, IN THE STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT CAPITAL METRO AND THE CITY HAVE DONE, WE'VE IDENTIFIED ESSENTIALLY A THREEFOLD INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF BIKES, WHICH ALSO THEN WOULD INCLUDE ADDITIONAL STATIONS.
[00:55:01]
WOULD BE ABOUT $15 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THAT THREEFOLD.UH, WE HAVE A PRELIMINARY, UM, EXPANSION PLAN WHERE WE WOULD LOOK AT, WE'VE ESTABLISHED A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OBJECTIVES AND METRICS FOR WHERE WE WANT TO EXPAND BASED UPON FACILITIES, BASED UPON EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE.
WE WOULD CERTAINLY WANT TO TRY TO DENSIFY THE SYSTEM 'CAUSE WE FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN PUT STATIONS WITHIN ABOUT A QUARTER MILE OF EACH OTHER, THAT'S GOING TO GIVE PEOPLE KIND OF THE VISUAL LINE OF SIGHT.
UM, WE ALSO WANT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A STATION, THERE'S A STATION KIND OF THING WHICH IS GOING TO IMPROVE RIDERSHIP.
WE ALSO WANT TO INCORPORATE, UM, STATIONS INTO, UH, CURRENT AND FUTURE CAPITAL METRO STOPS.
SO WE'D LOVE TO HAVE 'EM WHERE THE LIGHT RAIL IS WHERE DIFFERENT, UH, METRO RAPID ARE AND SUCH.
SO THE IDEA IS YOU HAVE A FIRST LAST MILE SOLUTION.
THE BIKE SHARE IS KIND OF FILLING THAT ROLE.
SO YOU GET OFF THE BIKE, YOU CAN USE THE ONE APP, GET ON THE BIKE SHARE AND GET TO WHERE YOU NEED TO GO.
UM, THE TECH, THE OTHER TECH STOCK COMPONENT'S, KIND OF BACK TO THE QUESTION EARLIER ABOUT HOW CAN WE USE BIKE SHARE TO HELP US NAVIGATE THE, THE BIG, THE BIG CONSTRUCTION PROBLEMS OR PROJECTS WE'RE LOOKING AT, WHETHER IT'S I 35 PROJECT CONNECT OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
SO WE WOULD CERTAINLY KIND OF, BECAUSE THE BIKE SHARE SYSTEM IS ESSENTIALLY MODULAR AND MOBILE, WE CAN MOVE STATIONS AROUND.
WE WOULD USE THAT COMPONENT OF THE, THE SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE AROUND WITH ALL THAT CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING.
SO THAT'S THE OTHER, THAT'S KIND OF THE DISCUSSION AROUND INTEGRATING IT WITH TX DOTS PLANS.
SO WHEN WE HAVE THESE BIG EVENTS AND WE KNOW EVERYBODY'S, YOU KNOW, TAKING METRO BIKES FROM OUTSIDE THE DOWNTOWN CORE TO INSIDE THE DOWNTOWN CORE, WE CAN ACTUALLY HAVE STATIONS THERE MM-HMM.
UM, AND THERE WE ALSO GET GOOD DATA.
WE GET GOOD DATA FROM THE BIKE SHARE SYSTEM SO WE KNOW HOW MANY RIDES, WE KNOW ORIGIN, DESTINATION DATA, WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHICH STATIONS ESSENTIALLY HAVE THE MOST RIDERSHIP.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF DATA THAT CAN HELP IN THE PLANNING THAT CAPITAL METROS DO.
YEAH, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A CONVERSATION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS ABOUT INTEGRATING THE APPS MM-HMM.