[00:00:09]
[CALL TO ORDER]
IS THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.I AM MAYOR PRO TEM PAIGE ELLIS.
I'M JOINED BY VICE CHAIR CADRE, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBER OF VANESSA FUENTES.
WE HAVE CHIEF VELA JOINING US AND COUNCIL MEMBER MCKENZIE KELLY WILL BE JOINING IN JUST A MINUTE.
I THINK SHE'LL BE LOGGING IN REMOTELY, BUT I FIGURED WE COULD GO AHEAD AND AND GET STARTED.
UM, IT IS 1:04 PM SEPTEMBER 28TH, AND WE ARE HERE INSIDE AUSTIN CITY HALL.
WE HAVE A COUPLE ITEMS TO TAKE UP TODAY.
WE HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER THAT'S JUST GENERAL COMMUNICATION THAT WE'LL TAKE UP FIRST.
AND THEN FOR THE SAKE OF TIME, I'M GONNA SUGGEST WE GO THROUGH THE, UM, APPROVING THE MINUTES, GO THROUGH THE C HOME REDEVELOPMENT TS NUMBER, UM, 'CAUSE I THINK THERE'S A, A SCHEDULING CONSIDERATION THAT WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE UP THE SPEAKERS ON SEA HOME TURS RIGHT BEFORE THAT ITEM.
AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE I 35 CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL UPDATE.
AND SO WE'LL TAKE THE SPEAKERS.
I THINK THERE'S ABOUT NINE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP.
WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE THOSE FOLKS RIGHT BEFORE THAT ITEM AND THAT WAY WE CAN STAY ON SCHEDULE.
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND KICK OFF PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
I BELIEVE WE HAVE ONE SPEAKER,
[Public Communication: General]
DIANA PROCTOR.YOU'LL HAVE THREE MINUTES AND THAT'LL BE THE CASE FOR ALL THE SPEAKERS TODAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MEMBERS OF THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
I WOULD LIKE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
ANDER PARK, ANTICIPATING HIGH SEASON NEXT SUMMER 2024.
THE ISSUES I'D LIKE YOU TO CONSIDER ARE PEOPLE PARKING AND TRANSIT PEOPLE.
ON JULY 2ND, OVER 11 AND A HALF THOUSAND UNIQUE VISITORS ENTERED THE GATES OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
IN THAT ONE DAY ALONE, MOST VISITORS ARE TOURISTS.
I PERFORMED AN INFORMAL SURVEY AND I LEARNED THAT 71% OF SURVEYED VISITORS ON LABOR DAY WEEKEND WERE TOURISTS PARKING.
THE POLO FIELD HAS BEEN DESTROYED BY OPERATING AS AN ILLEGAL PARKING AREA FOR ANOTHER SEASON.
COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL SEE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BOTH THE PARKS BOARD AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDING THAT THIS AREA BE CLOSED FOR PARKING AND RE-VEGETATED.
I HOPE THAT COUNCIL WILL CHOOSE TO STRENGTHEN THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS BY PERMANENTLY CLOSING THE POLO FIELD.
FOR ALL VEHICULAR PARKING, THE BARTON SPRINGS POOL BATHHOUSE REMODELING PROJECT WILL REQUIRE THE CLOSURE OF 140 PARKING PLACES AT THE POOL'S NORTH ENTRANCE, BEGINNING JANUARY, 2024 AND CONTINUING FOR 14 MONTHS OR MORE.
IT IS A PROJECT THAT I BELIEVE IS GOING TO BE MANAGED BY CITY OF AUSTIN'S PUBLIC WORKS TRANSIT.
PUTTING THESE IDEAS TOGETHER, I EXPECT THAT THERE WILL BE A NEED FOR BOTH EAST AND WEST EXTERNAL PARKING SOURCES NEXT SUMMER, THAT THESE SOURCES ALREADY EXIST ON CAP METRO BUS ROUTE NUMBER 30 AT BARTON CREEK MALL AND ONE TEXAS CENTER.
THE CAPACITY OF PASSENGERS WILL FLUCTUATE DRAMATICALLY DURING THE DAY WITH PEAK VISITORS POSSIBLY REACHING 1000 PER HOUR.
CAT METRO HAS THE ABILITY TO DELIVER SERVICE AT SLOW HOURS AND PEAK HOURS WITH THEIR DEEP POOLS OF STAFF AND EQUIPMENT.
MOST VISITORS WILL BE TOURISTS.
THE SYSTEM MUST BE SIMPLE AND OBVIOUS FOR TOURISTS.
CAP METRO IS ALREADY THE FACE OF AUSTIN'S TRANSIT SOLUTIONS.
PUBLIC WORKS WILL ALREADY BE INVOLVED WITH PARKING ISSUES BECAUSE OF THE BATHHOUSE REMODELING PROJECT.
THEREFORE, I ASK THIS COMMITTEE TO CONSIDER WHETHER THEY CAN MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO DESIGN AND IMPLEMENT A CAT METRO SUMMER SHUTTLE PROGRAM FOR THE PEAK USE DAYS IN ZILKER PARK FOR THE SUMMER OF 2024.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY IS NOW JOINING US REMOTELY.
[1. Approve the August 24, 2023, Mobility Committee minutes.]
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE COMMITTEE MINUTES FROM AUGUST 24TH, 2023.MOTIONED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES, SECONDED BY VICE CHAIR CADRE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE MINUTES, SAY AYE.
THAT IS UNANIMOUS WITH THE FOUR OF US COMMITTEE MEMBERS PRESENT.
[2. Seaholm Redevelopment Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) #18 Update.]
TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER TWO, THE SEE HOME REDEVELOPMENT, TAX INCREMENT, REINVESTMENT ZONE, MOST COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS TS.ACTUALLY, BEFORE YOU GET STARTED, I THINK WE HAVE SPEAKERS.
I THINK WE HAD ABOUT FOUR SPEAKERS EARLIER.
[00:05:01]
THANK YOU.THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK.
I'M HERE REPRESENTING MYSELF A 50 PLUS YEAR RESIDENT OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, AS WELL AS IN THE CAPACITY OF PRESIDENT OF THE OLD AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION, ALSO KNOWN AS OONA.
THE C HOME DISTRICT AND ITS TIFF ARE FULLY WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF ONA.
WE RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT OTHER THAN RECEIVING STAFF'S UPDATE THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE TAKE NO ACTION ON AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO.
TODAY WE ENCOURAGE THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE TO OPPOSE STAFF'S RECOMMENDED CLOSURE OF THE C HOME TIFF UNTIL AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE, TO THE BOWIE STREET UNDERPASS PROJECT IS DEVELOPED AND PAID FOR.
WE WANNA SEE A SAFER CONNECTION TO DOWNTOWN FROM THE PFLUGER BRIDGE TO THE C HOME DISTRICT, AS PRIORITIZED, UH, IN THE TIFF PROJECT PLAN, AS WELL AS IN THE CYPRUS AND SHOAL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGIES, UH, CREATED BY SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY WITH THE SUPPORT OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
THE STAKEHOLDER PROCESS CREATED BY THE 2021 COUNCIL RESOLUTION ALSO SUPPORTS THE CYPRESS AND SHOUL CREEK PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGIES PROPOSALS.
THE C HOME DISTRICT AREA OFFERS A CRITICAL HIGH VOLUME MULTIMODAL CONNECTION TO DOWNTOWN.
WE ENCOURAGE THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE TO BE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS AREA PROVIDES A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT CURRENT AND INCREASED MULTI MULTIMODAL ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN.
THIS IS LARGELY WHAT THE C HOME TIFF WAS CREATED TO DO.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
I'M THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY.
AND SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY WAS ONE OF THE STAKEHOLDER GROUPS INVITED BY THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO PARTICIPATE IN BRAINSTORMING IDEAS TO CONNECT THE LANCE ARMSTRONG BIKEWAY TO THE PFLUGER PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE WHEN THE BOWIE STREET UNDERPASS WAS DEEMED NOT FEASIBLE, UH, BY THE CITY STAFF.
THE STAKEHOLDER GROUP THAT WAS CONVENED OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS DISCUSSED A VARIETY OF OPPORTUNITIES THAT WERE NOT ULTIMATELY INCLUDED IN THE PRESENTATION THAT YOU'LL SEE TODAY.
UM, WE HAVE ASKED, COME HERE TODAY TO ASK IF YOU WILL NOT SUPPORT THE PRESENTATION THAT'S BEING SHOWN TODAY AND THE ROUTE INCLUDED IN IT, AND CONSIDER NOT CLOSING THE C HOME TIFF UNTIL A PROJECT IS SUPPORTED WITH THAT TIFF FUNDING THAT ACCOMPLISHES ALL OF THE ORIGINAL GOALS OF THE BOW STREET UNDERPASS.
THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING FOR MANY YEARS, AS TED SIFF MENTIONED THROUGH THE CYPRESS AND SHOAL CREEK PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY, AND WE HOPE TO SEE THEM BE ABLE TO COME TO FRUITION WITH THE EXISTING TIF NUMBER 18 FUND.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, CHAIR ALLISON, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS MATT GUKE AND I'M REPRESENTING THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
UM, WE AS WELL AS THE OTHER SPEAKERS DO NOT SUPPORT STAFF'S RECOMMENDATION, UH, TO CLOSE THE SEA HOME TIFF UNTIL AN ALTERNATIVE TO THE BOWIE STREET UNDERPASS IS DEVELOPED.
UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE A SAFER CONNECTION TO DOWNTOWN FROM THE LUCER BRIDGE AND SEA HOME DISTRICT, AS PRIORITIZED IN THE CYPRUS AND SHOAL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY, WHICH WE PARTNERED WITH SHOAL CREEK CONSERVANCY TO DEVELOP.
THIS IS A CRITICAL HIGH VOLUME MULTIMODAL CONNECTION TO DOWNTOWN, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S A SAFE AND ENJOYABLE EXPERIENCE TO SUPPORT CURRENT AND INCREASED MULTIMODAL ACCESS TO DOWNTOWN.
IF WE ARE TRULY COMMITTED TO CHANGING TRAVEL BEHAVIORS TOWARDS A 50 50 MODE SHARE, WE WHY WOULD WE BE MOVING THIS PROJECT? WE WOULD BE MOVING THIS PROJECT FORWARD THAT PRIORITIZES SAFETY AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS INSTEAD OF WHAT STAFF PROPOSES TODAY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
[00:10:03]
IS TOM HERE.MY NAME'S HAYDEN BLOCK WALKER.
I'M A FOUNDING BOARD MEMBER OF SAFE STREETS AUSTIN, AND I'M SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THAT ORGANIZATION TODAY.
I SERVED PREVIOUSLY ON THE WALK AUSTIN BOARD VISION ZERO A T X, AND WAS THE VERY FIRST CHAIR OF THE CITY'S PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
AND MY WORK AS A MENTOR FOR THE NATIONAL WALKING COLLEGE.
I OFTEN USE AUSTIN AS AN EXAMPLE TO FELLOWS, UM, IN THE PROGRAM OF HOW THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS WORKING TO REPRIORITIZE OUR PUBLIC SPACES AND IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY, SAFETY, AND COMFORT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE WALKING, BIKING, AND USING ASSISTIVE DEVICES.
THE SEA HOME AREA NEEDS BETTER CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN DOWNTOWN AND THE LAKE.
WE CAN ACHIEVE THAT AND IT CAN BE A SHINING EXAMPLE FOR, UM, PEOPLE ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
SO, IN SUMMARY, I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO PLEASE TAKE NO ACTION ON ITEM NUMBER TWO TODAY.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER SPEAKERS THAT HAD SIGNED UP? I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
LET'S GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO THE PRESENTATION.
GOOD AFTERNOON CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS, RICHARD MENDOZA, INTERIM DIRECTOR, TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
WE HAVE A SHORT PRESENTATION THAT MS. LAURA DARFIELD IS GOING TO, UH, RUN US THROUGH ON THIS AGENDA ITEM.
AND GOOD AFTERNOON MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
IT'S, UM, A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE RESOLUTION, UM, THAT PASSED IN OCTOBER OF 21, FOLLOWING, UM, THE, UH, CEASING OF THE COORDINATION WITH, UH, OR UNION PACIFIC ON THE BUOY UNDERPASS.
WITH THAT, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, BEFORE I GET STARTED, I DID WANNA, UH, THANK AND RECOGNIZE, UH, KIM OLIVAREZ, OUR DEPUTY, UM, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER WHO'S HERE, AND SHE'LL BE ABLE TO SPEAK MORE TO THE, UM, THE TOURS PART OF THE, UH, MOBILITY ITEM HERE.
BUT, UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND HERE, UM, THE SO-CALLED TIF 18 WAS ESTABLISHED IN 2008, INITIALLY.
AND, UM, BACK THEN IN AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, THE SEA HOME AREA WAS VERY, VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.
UM, IT WAS A PLACE THAT, UH, BUT FOR THE CITY'S, UH, INVESTMENT IN THE AREA, UM, MAY HAVE STAYED IN, UH, A BLIGHTED STATE, UH, FOR THE FORESEEABLE FUTURE.
SO THIS, THE, THE TIFF ITSELF WAS ESTABLISHED, UH, TO, TO BRING, UH, RESOURCES HERE TO, TO HELP, UH, STIMULATE REDEVELOPMENT.
UH, IT WAS, UM, ESTABLISHED THROUGH AN ORDINANCE IN TWO, 2009, SHORTLY THEREAFTER, WHICH WAS WHERE THE INITIAL, UM, PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN WAS ESTABLISHED.
SO, ANY, ANY TIFF, UH, OR TS HAS BOTH A PROJECT PLAN AND A FINANCING PLAN.
SO THAT WAS THE, UM, ENABLING MECHANISM THERE.
UH, FROM THERE, UH, IN 2012 WITH A LOT OF SUPPORT FROM THE COMMUNITY, UH, THE PROJECT PLAN WAS AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE, UH, SO-CALLED BUOY STREET UNDERPASS, UM, WHICH ESSENTIALLY WOULD, UH, PUT A TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD, UM, TO PROVIDE FOR CONNECTIVITY, UH, ONTO BUOY STREET NORTH.
AND THEN FURTHER DESIGNED FOR CONNECTIVITY, UH, TO AND, AND FROM EAST WEST, UH, ON THE, GENERALLY THE THIRD STREET, UM, ALIGNMENT.
UH, THERE WAS SOME VERY EARNEST AND, UM, HARD EFFORTS, UH, ON THE, MAINLY ON THE PART OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TO WORK WITH UNION PACIFIC ON, UM, DEVELOPING THAT UNDERPASS.
UNFORTUNATELY, UH, THOSE NEGOTIATIONS DID CEASE AROUND THE SUMMER OF 2021, I BELIEVE.
AND AT THAT POINT, UM, THERE WAS COUNCIL DIRECTION IN THE FORM OF THE RESOLUTION, UH, IN OCTOBER TO LOOK FOR ALTERNATIVES, UH, IN THAT RESOLUTION, THAT DIRECTION, UH, PRINCIPALLY ASKED US TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVES TO THE CONNECTIVITY THAT WAS ENVISIONED THERE, AND ALSO TO DO SO IN CONSULTATION WITH STAKEHOLDERS, UM, SEVERAL OF WHOM YOU'VE HEARD FROM TODAY.
AND THAT FEEDBACK IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
UM, IT ALSO LOOKED, ASKED US TO LOOK BEYOND JUST THE TIFF FOR WAYS THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE, UH, THIS VISION THROUGH OTHER FUNDING SOURCES, AND, UM, DO SO IN A WAY THAT EMBRACES, UM, DUTCH CYCLING, UH, DESIGN ESSENTIALLY, OR DUTCH MOBILITY DESIGN, MAYBE MORE, UM, ACCURATELY TO, UM, BRING BEST PRACTICE AND BICYCLE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY.
[00:15:03]
UM, THE OTHER THING THAT IT DID ASK US TO DO IS TO LOOK, UH, ALSO AT WAYS THAT THIS, UH, THIS T CAN ADDRESS, UH, AT, YOU KNOW, THEN AND NOW AS MORE, EVEN MORE ACUTELY HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS ISSUES THAT WE, THAT WE FACE AS A COMMUNITY.SO WITH THAT DIRECTION, UH, WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UH, WE, WITH STAKEHOLDERS, UH, BRAINSTORMED THE NEEDS AROUND THE AREA.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS SORT OF WHAT, WHAT WE WERE TERMING A MOBILITY MENU.
UM, SO WITH THE RESOLUTION IN OCTOBER OF 21, UH, THE PROJECT, UH, OR THE, THE SEA HOME, UM, EFFORTS TRANSFERRED FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO THEN, UM, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, NOW TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND WITH A STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION.
WE HAVE COME UP WITH, I THINK, OVER 20 DIFFERENT PROJECTS AS YOU SEE HERE.
THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT WOULD OFFER, UH, MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY OF ALL KINDS, MANY OF WHICH ARE, UM, EFFORTS TO OFFER ALTERNATIVES TO THE BUOY UNDERPASS.
AND THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS AROUND THAT, UM, UH, WAYS TO DO THAT.
AND WE HAVE SOME INSPIRATION FROM THE CYPRESS AND STROLL, UH, PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY THAT WAS DEVELOPED, UM, REALLY ALMOST CONCURRENTLY AS THE EFFORTS WITH UNION PACIFIC WERE WANING, UH, WHICH WAS GREAT TIMING IN TERMS OF BRINGING A ROBUST UNDERSTANDING OF SORT OF THE OPPORTUNITIES IN THIS AREA.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, WE'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SOME OF THE PROJECTS THAT ACTUALLY THE DEPARTMENT FEELS WOULD BE, UH, SUITABLE ALTERNATIVES TO THE BUOY UNDERPASS, RECOGNIZING THAT STAKEHOLDERS HAVE ADDITIONAL FEEDBACK AND HAVE SHARED THAT AS WELL.
THERE ARE OTHER WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN, WE CAN ACHIEVE THESE, THIS CONNECTIVITY, BUT THIS IS ONE WAY TO DO SO.
AND ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF THESE PROJECTS, WHICH CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE TO MAYBE DESCRIBE THEM, IS THAT THEY ARE RELATIVELY, UH, WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER LIKE LOWER HANGING FRUIT.
SO THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES AT WESTIN SEA HOME TO IMPROVE, UM, VISIBILITY FOR THE, THE, UM, CROSSINGS THERE, UH, USING, UM, VARIOUS DEVICES LIKE SUCH AS THE BLANK OUT SIGN THAT CAN HELP BRING MORE ATTENTION TO THOSE CONFLICTS.
UH, THERE'S ALSO WAYS IN WHICH PERHAPS WE CAN MAKE THAT WALTER SEAHOME DRIVE A BIT MORE COMFORTABLE.
AND NOTABLY, THE THIRD STREET CONNECTION, UM, THAT RUNS EAST WEST THROUGH THE AREA, CERTAINLY COULD BE, UH, IMPROVED TO BE, TO BE MORE COMFORTABLE AND SAFER FOR EVERYONE AS YOU COME OFF OF THE, UH, BRIDGE, UH, OVER SHOAL CREEK.
SO THESE ARE OUR, UM, SOME OF THE PROJECTS WE THINK WOULD, WOULD OFFER THAT ALTERNATIVE.
AGAIN, NOT TO SAY THAT THERE AREN'T OTHERS, AND, UM, DEFINITELY RESPECT THAT THERE'S BEEN FEEDBACK TODAY THAT, THAT POINT THAT OUT.
UM, WITH THAT, I THINK WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
I DID WANNA JUST REALLY ACKNOWLEDGE, THINK AND, UM, UH, FOCUS A BIT ON THE CYPRESS AND SHOAL CREEK PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY.
SO, AS I SAID, THIS WAS WORK THAT WAS CONCURRENT, UH, WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS TO, UH, REALIZE THE BUOY STREET UNDERPASS.
AND AS, UH, THAT EFFORT, AGAIN, WAS WANING, THESE PROJECTS EMERGED.
AND IT REALLY IS WORTH, WORTH LOOKING AT, UM, IF YOU HAVEN'T STUDIED IT ALREADY, BUT THERE'S A NUMBER OF PROJECTS, UM, SIMILAR TO THE MOBILITY MENU THAT PROVIDE FOR, UM, UH, A NEW VISION FOR HOW FOLKS WOULD GET NORTH, SOUTH, EAST AND WEST IN PARTICULAR, UM, THROUGH THE SHOAL CREEK AND THIRD STREET AREA.
IF YOU GO BACK A COUPLE OF SLIDES, UH, THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WOULD, UM, UH, MIRROR THE SHOAL, THE CYPRESS CENTRAL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY.
SO NOT TO SAY THAT THERE, THERE, THERE'S MANY DIFFERENT WAYS THAT WE COULD ACHIEVE, I THINK THE CONNECTIVITY ENVISIONED WITH THIS BOW PASS.
BUT, UM, AND THOSE ARE CHARACTERIZED HERE.
FOR EXAMPLE, YOU CAN SEE NUMBER NUMBER THREE AND NUMBER 11, UM, WOULD BE, UM, PROJECTS THAT WOULD, UM, WE'RE INSPIRED BY THE CYPRESS CONTROL PUBLIC SPACE STRATEGY.
UH, WE'LL HEAD BACK NOW TWO SLIDES BACK TO THAT ONE.
UM, WITH THAT, I THINK WE CAN GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
AND I MIGHT AT THIS POINT, UM, INVITE KIM UP TO JUST SPEAK A LITTLE TO THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF, UH, THE, THE TS GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS, KIMEL, LAVAR, DEPUTY C F O.
SO AS WE LOOKED AT THE, THE VARIOUS PROJECTS THAT COULD, UM, SERVE AS ALTERNATIVES TO BOWIE AND HOW WE MIGHT GO ABOUT FUNDING THEM, UH, ONE OF OUR CHALLENGES WAS WHAT IS THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK THAT WE NEED TO WORK WITHIN FOR THE TS? SO, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO TAX, UH, TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONES, YOU'VE HEARD ME SPEAK ON THEM ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS OVER THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
UH, THERE ARE, THERE'S AN ASPECT OF IT, OF THE, BUT FOR PUBLIC INVESTMENT, UM, DEVELOPMENT
[00:20:01]
OR REDEVELOPMENT WILL NOT OCCUR.SO AS WE WENT TO OUR CONSULTANT THAT HANDLES OUR MARKET ANALYSIS, BUT FOR ANALYSIS, AND THEIR IMMEDIATE RESPONSE WAS THAT THIS AREA HAS BEEN DEVELOPED TO ITS HIGHEST AND BEST USE, THERE'S NO BUT FOR ARGUMENT AS A RESULT.
UM, THEREFORE, FOR US TO MAKE THE FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR ANY OF THESE ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS OR ANY, ANY, UM, UM, USE FOR OF BY COUNCIL, WE WOULD HAVE TO CLOSE THE ZONE UNTIL WE CLOSE THE ZONE.
THEY ARE STILL SUBJECT TO THE EXISTING PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN.
UM, BECAUSE THERE'S NO, BUT FOR ASPECT, WE'RE NOT ABLE TO AMEND THAT, THAT PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN BASED ON THE REMAINING FUNDS FROM THE BUOY UNDERPASS PROJECT, AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL INCREMENT THAT HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED INTO THE FUND SINCE, UH, THE, THE TIF FUND SINCE THEN, THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 12.6 MILLION IN REMAINING FUNDS.
UM, SO THAT COUNCIL COULD THEN TAKE ACTION ON REALLOCATION OF THOSE 12.6 MILLION AS PART OF ITS MID-YEAR BUDGET AMENDMENT, OR AS PART OF THE F Y 25 BUDGET, WHICHEVER IT SEES FIT, UM, TO DO, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
UM, SO JUST THE FIRST BULLET, LIKE WHAT, WHAT WE WOULD, UH, DO STAFF IS WE WOULD BRING FORWARD THE ORDINANCE TO COUNCIL AT A FUTURE COUNCIL MEETING FOR THE TOUR'S CLOSURE.
AND THEN I'LL TURN TO, TO RICHARD FOR THE REMAINDER.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'VE HAD IN IMPLEMENTING ON THE ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS THAT WERE DEPICTED PRIOR IS THAT SINCE IT WAS TIED TO THE TURS, UH, WE, WE WERE REQUIRED TO DO AN ECONOMIC, UH, DEVELOPMENT STUDY.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF CLOSING IT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO FOREGO THAT STEP AND JUST MOVE RIGHT INTO CAPITAL PROJECT, UH, DELIVERY.
SO, UH, THE FOUR, UH, ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS THAT WERE HIGHLIGHTED PREVIOUSLY PROVIDE THE MOST DIRECT ALTERNATE, UH, ROUTE TO MEET THE ORIGINAL OBJECTIVE OF THE BUOY UNDERPASS.
BUT OUR DEPARTMENT, T P W, IS COMMITTED TO, UH, CONTINUE WORKING WITH STAKEHOLDERS ON THE REMAINING PORTFOLIO OF PROJECTS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THE VISION PLAN, AND, UH, KEEP THAT IN THE PORTFOLIO OF FUTURE C I P PROJECTS FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, LOOKING FORWARD TO CONTINUED WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN REALIZE THE VISION FOR THESE, UH, MUCH NEEDED ACTIVE MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE REGION, FOR THE AREA.
I BELIEVE THAT CONCLUDES OUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
AND, UH, I AM HERE WITH MY STAFF TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND I JUST WANT TO ADD THAT SINCE TOM WALD WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE FOR HIS PUBLIC COMMENTS, HE HAS SENT AN EMAIL.
SO IF FOLKS WANNA REVIEW, UM, WHAT, WHAT HE'S LETTING US KNOW, UH, THE EMAIL IS THE APPROPRIATE PLACE TO LOOK.
VICE CHAIR CADRE, I KNOW THAT YOU HAD SPECIFICALLY REQUESTED FOR THIS ITEM.
DID YOU WANNA KICK US OFF WITH ANY QUESTIONS? UH, DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT.
I JUST WANTED TO LISTEN AND LEARN, SO, UH, NO QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW.
QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COUNCIL MEMBER VELA DID THE 12.9 MILLION, THAT IS, UH, THE TIFF MONEY, THE T'S MONEY THAT'S SET ASIDE FOR SEA HOME DISTRICT? YES, ITS, SO THERE WAS 6.8, UM, THAT WAS SET ASIDE FOR THE BUOY UNDERPASS PROJECT AND THE REMAINING FUNDS FROM THAT.
PLUS THERE'S SOME FUNDS WITHIN THE, THE TIF THAT HAVE NOT BEEN APPROPRIATED.
IT'S JUST A CASH BALANCE AT THAT POINT.
AND COMBINE, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 12.6 MILLION.
BUT I MEAN, REGARDLESS OF WHAT HAPPENS, UH, WITH THE TIF IN THE FUTURE, THAT MONEY HAS TO BE SPENT WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THE TIFF.
IT, AS LONG AS THE TIFF IS STILL OPERATIONAL, IT'S, IT'S SUBJECT TO THE PROJECT AND FINANCING PLAN, WHICH HAS VERY SPECIFIC PROJECTS MM-HMM.
UM, BUT BECAUSE THE, UH, IN ORDER SINCE THAT BUOY UNDERPASS PROJECT IS NOT POSSIBLE TO CARRY OUT, THAT'S WHY I WERE SUGGESTING TO CLOSE IT BECAUSE THAT GET, THAT FREES UP THOSE DOLLARS FOR YOU TO APPLY TOWARDS OTHER ALTERNATIVE PROJECTS OR, OR HOWEVER Y'ALL SEE FIT.
SO THAT JUST BECOMES GENERAL FUND MONEY IF, UH, THE TIFF IS CLOSED? CORRECT.
UM, AND MAYBE THIS IS JUST A REPHRASING OF WHAT YOU HAD ALREADY SAID IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, THERE WAS A LIST OF OTHER WORKAROUNDS SINCE THE UNDERPASS WITH UNION PACIFIC RAIL LINE WAS NOT ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD.
ARE, ARE YOU SAYING THAT THE MONEY THAT'S STILL IN THE TIFF CAN BE USED FOR ANY OF THOSE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS, OR ARE YOU JUST SAYING THOSE ARE POTENTIAL REPLACEMENTS AND THE TIFF MAY NOT BE ABLE TO BE USED? IT'S THE, THE FUNDING CAN BE USED FOR ANY OF THOSE PROJECTS.
UM, IT COULD BE USED FOR ANY, ANY PROJECTS AT THAT POINT.
[00:25:01]
'CAUSE AS SOMEONE WHO HAS CYCLED THROUGH THE AREA, UH, I HAVE SOME OPINIONS ABOUT EXACTLY WHERE THE, THE HICCUPS ARE.AND I, I THINK THERE'S SOME AREAS THAT ACTUALLY COULD BE QUITE MINIMAL THAT HOPEFULLY SHOULDN'T TAKE TOO MUCH MONEY TO GET.
UM, AND ONE OF THOSE PINCH POINTS IS RIGHT IN BETWEEN WHERE, UM, THE INDEPENDENT AND TRADER JOE'S IS.
THERE'S A WEIRD LITTLE JOG TO GET OVER TO THE BRIDGE SIDE OF THE CROSSING OF SHOAL CREEK.
UM, BUT THERE'S JUST SOME REALLY WEIRD TRAFFIC PATTERNS THAT ARE HARD FOR PEOPLE TO NAVIGATE, EVEN WHEN THEY'RE ALL USING THE SAME MODE OF TRANSPORTATION, LET ALONE MIXING WALKERS, BIKERS, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE DRIVING CARS IN THAT AREA.
AND SO IT'S JUST, IT'S VERY CONFUSING.
EVERYBODY I THINK HAS A DIFFERENT WAY OF GETTING THROUGH IT, WHICH IS ADDING TO SOME OF THE CONFUSION.
UM, BUT COMING OFF OF THE PFLUGER BRIDGE AND TRYING TO MAKE YOUR WAY OVER TO CROSS SHOAL CREEK IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, KIND OF THROWS YOU INTO WHERE THE PARKING GARAGE ENTRANCE AND EXIT IS.
AND IT'S JUST REALLY CLUNKY AND DOESN'T FEEL VERY SAFE.
AND, UM, SO I THINK THERE'S SOME IMPROVEMENTS WE COULD DO THERE.
IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT THE CORRECT POT OF MONEY IS.
THANK YOU CHAIR, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE THAT FEEDBACK AS WE CONTINUE TO ANALYZE THESE POTENTIAL REPLACEMENT PROJECTS.
I LOOK FORWARD, I LOOK FORWARD TO THAT.
IT'S A LOT EASIER TO SEE THESE, UH, THESE INTRICACIES WHEN YOU ACTUALLY JUST GO DOWN THERE AND LOOK AT THEM IN PERSON AND TRY TO SEE HOW IT FUNCTIONS AND WATCH, YOU KNOW, WATCH PEOPLE IN REAL TIME TRY TO NAVIGATE THESE AREAS.
UM, AS FAR AS ACTION TODAY, I WOULD LIKELY SUPPORT NOT TAKING ACTION ON THIS NECESSARILY.
IT SOUNDS LIKE STAFF STILL HAS THE ABILITY TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, BUT GIVEN THE NATURE OF THE CONVERSATION, I THINK IT MIGHT BE HELPFUL FOR THE FULL DAAS TO WEIGH IN AND MAYBE POTENTIALLY HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION ON THIS, UM, JUST SINCE IT'S SUCH A, AN INTERESTING TOPIC THAT HAS, UH, DIFFERENT LEGAL FRAMEWORKS AND, AND A LONG HISTORY OF WHAT PROJECTS WERE LISTED AND, AND WHAT OUR OPTIONS ARE.
ARE WE COMFORTABLE WITH THAT? LOOKS LIKE IT.
[3. I-35 Capital Express Central Update.]
WILL LEAD US INTO OUR CONVERSATION ABOUT I 35 CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL UPDATE.BEFORE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION, I THINK WE HAVE 10 SPEAKERS.
AND DO I SEE THERE'S A PRESENTATION BEING HANDED OUT? IS THAT INFORMATION THAT EITHER, UM, CAN BE EMAILED TO US? I'M HAPPY TO PUT IT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD FOR FOLKS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THESE SLIDES, BUT I KNOW THAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE, I THINK, DOESN'T UPLOAD UNTIL ABOUT 3:00 PM SO IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO EMAIL IT TO ME OR JULIE, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, AND WE CAN GET IT ON THE MESSAGE BOARD.
LET'S GO AHEAD WITH OUR SPEAKERS.
HI, COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAYDEN BLACK WALKER.
UM, I'M THE DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AT A LOCAL ARCHITECTURE FIRM AND CHAIR OF THE BOARD FOR RECONNECT AUSTIN.
UM, FOR THE LAST 11 YEARS, RECONNECT, AUSTIN'S BEEN ADVOCATING FOR A BETTER I 35.
WE'VE SEEN SOME AMAZING PROGRESS OVER THOSE YEARS, AND THEN WE ARE GRATEFUL TO EVERYONE WHO'S WORKED HARD ON THIS PROJECT.
I DO SEE TECH DOT STAFF HERE IN THE ROOM AND WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THEIR HARD WORK ON THIS PROJECT AS WELL.
AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE IMPACTS FROM THIS PROJECT WILL BE SIGNIFICANT.
TDOT'S BEEN WIDENING, WILL BE WIDENING THE RIGHT OF WAY, BULLDOZING LOCAL HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
WE'LL BE LIVING WITH SIGNIFICANT CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS STARTING NEXT MARCH FOR THE NEXT EIGHT TO 10 YEARS WHILE THEY RIP OUT EVERY HIGHWAY LANE, FRONTAGE ROAD AND BRIDGE TO PUT 20 LANES THROUGH THE HEART OF AUSTIN.
NEARLY DOUBLE THE VEHICLES MEAN NEARLY DOUBLE THE NOISE.
AIR POLLUTION IMPACTS THE LOCAL STREETS, GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, AND A MORE SIGNIFICANT BARRIER TO CROSS.
I THINK WE CAN ASSUME THAT RAMPS IN AND OUTTA THE HIGHWAY MAY BE HIGHER THAN TODAY, BUT TX DOT'S NOT SHARED THOSE PROFILES WITH THE PUBLIC THAT I HAVE SEEN.
AS WE ALL KNOW, THIS PORTION OF I 35 OPENED IN 1962 BEFORE WE HAD THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT.
THE CLEAN AIR ACT OR THE CLEAN WATER ACT, TEXTILE HAS NEVER CONSISTENTLY MONITORED OR MITIGATED THE POLLUTED AIR THAT AUSTIN KNIGHTS HAVE BEEN BREATHING NEAR I 35 CAPS WILL HELP MITIGATE SOME OF THE DAMAGE.
BUT AS YOU KNOW, TXDOT IS INSISTING THE CITY PAY FOR ALL CAPPING AND $600 MILLION IN FUNDING IS DUE BY DECEMBER 24.
RECENT 9,000 PAGE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT HAS AN ANALYSIS OF CARBON MONOXIDE, BUT ONLY CARBON MONOXIDE.
DESPITE REQUESTS FROM THE CITY AND TRAVIS COUNTY, THEY FAILED TO ANALYZE CARCINOGENS, VOLATILE ORGANIC CHEMICALS, PRECURSORS TO OZONE OR PARTICULATE MATTER WITH THE F E I S.
THEY DO NOT TEST THE AIR THAT DID NOT TEST THE AIR THAT PEOPLE ARE CURRENTLY BREATHING
[00:30:01]
AND HAVE BEEN BREATHING FOR OVER 60 YEARS.CONSULTANTS MADE ASSUMPTIONS AND PLUGGED THOSE ASSUMPTIONS INTO THE MODEL.
AUSTIN ENGAGED AN AIR QUALITY SPECIALIST TO REVIEW THE AIR POLLUTION PORTION OF THE F E I S.
THAT EXPERT FOUND AN I QUOTE, LACKING AN AIR QUALITY ANALYSIS THAT COMPARED TO CONCENTRATIONS OF ALL TRANSPORTATION RELATED AIR POLLUTANTS BETWEEN THE NOBLE ALTERNATIVE AND THE PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE AND THE HEALTH RISK ANALYSIS FOR INCREASES IN MOBILE SOURCE AIR TOXICS, IT APPEARS THAT TXT CANNOT STAY WITH ANY SORT OF CONFIDENCE THAT THE PROJECT WILL NOT HAVE A DISPROPORTIONATELY HIGH IMPACT.
IF AN ADVERSE EFFECT ON ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE POPULATIONS RECONNECT, AUSTIN BELIEVES THIS PROJECT CAN BE FURTHER IMPROVED WITH A GREATER UNDERSTANDING OF THE POLLUTION IMPACTS, INCLUDING AIR POLLUTION IN GENERAL AND GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS.
SPECIFICALLY, WE SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION BEFORE YOU TODAY.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M HERE ON BEHALF OF C N U C T X.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH AGAIN FOR YOUR CONTINUED ENGAGEMENT ON THIS CRITICAL ISSUE.
IT'S A VERY IMPORTANT ISSUE, UH, PROJECT FOR THE CITY, AND IT'S CRITICAL THAT WE TAKE THE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND IF THAT'S THE ONE THING THAT I HOPE TO GET ACROSS TODAY, IT'S THAT WE NEED MORE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT AND I HOPE YOU'LL SUPPORT THE, UM, PROPOSED RESOLUTION.
UH, WE ARE ALL UNITED IN THAT WHICH DIVIDES US.
THE PROBLEM IS TEXTILE SOLUTION IS DOUBLING DOWN ON A BET THAT IS NEVER PAID OFF AND NEVER WILL PAY OFF THAT HIGHWAY.
WIDENINGS WILL FIX CONGESTION.
THE TRUTH IS THAT IF A, AFTER ENDURING EIGHT OR 10 YEARS OF CONSTRUCTION, COMPUTERS WILL ENJOY ONLY A TEMPORARY RELIEF FOR A FEW YEARS BEFORE THEIR FREEWAYS FILL AGAIN TO CAPACITY, AS THEY ALWAYS DO AND ALWAYS WILL.
THE PREMISE FOR THIS PROJECT IS BASED ON FLAWED NOTION THAT CAN CONGESTION, CAN RELIEVE, CAN BE RELIEVED BY CAPACITY, AND THAT IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE.
THE REASON FOR THIS IS SIMPLE.
I DON'T REALLY LIKE THAT TERM BECAUSE IT HIDES WHERE THAT DEMAND IS COMING FROM.
THE REAL TERM WE SHOULD USE IS INDUCED SPRAWL, OR TO BE MORE ACCURATE INDUCED AUTO DEPENDENCY.
WITH ALL THE ILLS THAT COME WITH THAT, INCLUDING ALL THE NEGATIVE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS.
TEXTILES EXPANSION CAPACITY WILL RELIEVE CONGESTION ONLY LONG ENOUGH FOR BUILDERS TO TRANSFORM FARM FIELDS INTO SUBDIVISIONS THAT WILL NEVER BE SERVED WELL BY TRANSIT AND SELL UNITS TO COMMUTERS.
UNTIL THAT CAPACITY FILLS AGAIN, WITH RESIDENTS WHO HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO USE THE FREEWAY TO ACCESS THEIR DAILY NEEDS, WANTS AND DESIRES, THE CAPACITY WILL GET QUICKLY ABSORBED AND THE CYCLE OF HIGHWAY EXPANSION WILL BEGIN ANEW.
CITIES ARE SHAPED BY THEIR TRANSPORTATION NETWORKS.
WE NEED TO DIRECT OUR INVESTMENTS INTO THE CITY THAT WE ASPIRE TO BE, NOT HOW OUR CITY HAS BEEN SHAPED BY THE MISTAKES OF PREVIOUS GENERATIONS.
WE HAVE STATED GOALS TO GROW AS A COMPACT AND CONNECTED CITY, AND A HIGHWAY WIDENING SIMPLY DOES NOT HELP US ACHIEVE THAT.
THE SECOND POINT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE HERE IS THAT THE PROJECT PROCLAIMED THE WONDERS THAT WE'LL DO FOR DOWNTOWN BY DEPRESSING THE FREEWAY AND BUILDING CAPS AND PARKS AND LANDSCAPING.
AND NO, THAT DOUBT, SOME OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS WILL HELP, BUT THESE FACILITIES ARE MITIGATION FOR THE HIGHWAY EXPANSION THROUGH THE HEART OF OUR CITY AND KNOW WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS MITIGATION.
IT'S, WE, WE ARE TEXTILE ASKING CITIZENS AND TAXPAYERS OF, OF AUSTIN, UM, AND VOTERS WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED FOR APPROVAL ON THAT PROJECT.
AND WE GET TO PAY FOR THE MITIGATION IN THE FORM OF CAPS OF A VERY LIMITED SECTIONS OF THE FREEWAY.
AND THE HIGHWAY IS LITERALLY DESIGNED TO WHISK AWAY OUR TAX BASE TO OTHER COMMUNITIES SUCKING WEALTH OUT OF OUR CITY.
SO WE ARE IN FACT PAYING TWICE AND WE DON'T GET A VOTE.
UH, THE FUNDAMENTAL PREMISE FOR THE WIDENING IS BADLY FLAWED.
THE MITIGATIONS ARE BEING OFFERED, ARE BOTH INSUFFICIENT AND ILLUSORY AND TAX HAS PUT THE BURDEN ON MITIGATION ON, UH, THE CITY.
AND WE HOPE THAT YOU WILL SAY TO TEXAS THAT THIS IS SIMPLY NOT GOOD ENOUGH.
[00:35:04]
HI, GOOD AFTERNOON.MY NAME IS TOM WALD, AND I WA WHILE I DO WEAR A NUMBER OF HATS IN I 35 DISCUSSION, I'M COMING HERE TODAY AS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF REDLINE PARKWAY INITIATIVE.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA PUT ON THE TABLE RIGHT AWAY IS THAT I, I BELIEVE THAT TECH STOCK HAS GONE A TREMENDOUS, JUST A REALLY LONG WAY IN ACCOMMODATING THE REQUESTS OF REDLINE PARKWAY INITIATIVE.
UH, WE HAVE BEEN OFFERED TWO CAR-FREE CROSSINGS FOR THE RED LINE PARKWAY, AND THAT WILL BE TERRIFIC FOR THE TENS OF THOUSANDS AND MILLION OF MILLION USERS THAT WILL USE THE PARKWAY ONCE IT'S COMPLETED EVERY YEAR.
UM, I THINK THE REASON WHY I, YOU KNOW, AND I WAS WONDERING WHETHER TO SPEAK HERE, GIVEN HOW MUCH TEXDOT HAS OFFERED, UH, BASED ON WHAT WE REQUESTED, AND I THINK THE, THE SINGLE THING THAT CAUSES ME THE MOST CONCERN IS THAT THERE IS NOT FUNDING SECURED FOR ANY OF THE CAPS AND STITCHES ASIDE FROM PERHAPS THE ET T CAP.
UM, SO THE, THE I 35 CAP CENTRAL PROJECT DOES NOT INCLUDE CAPS OR STITCHES.
AND I THINK PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC SHOULD, SHOULD BE CLEAR ON THAT.
THE CITY AND OTHER SOURCES HAVE TO COME UP WITH THAT MONEY, AND THAT MONEY HAS NOT BEEN ESTABLISHED YET.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HUNDREDS OF HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT PERHAPS WILL BE TAKEN AWAY FROM OTHER NEEDS THAT THE CITY HAS, SUCH AS HOUSING TO HOMELESS OR KEEPING OUR POOLS OPEN.
UM, OTHER TRANSPORTATION NEEDS FOR WALKING AND BIKING WHEN REALLY THAT MONEY FROM THE, FROM THE START SHOULD HAVE BEEN COMING OUT OF THE PROJECT.
IT'S MITIGATION FOR THE PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, MY CONCERN IS THAT THAT PROJECT WON'T COME IN TIME, BUT WE'RE STILL GONNA BE LEFT WITH A PROJECT THAT CREATES A HUGE GAP THAT WILL BE VERY DIFFICULT TO PATCH UP IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 15 MONTHS FROM NOW, WE'RE GONNA, THE CITY'S GONNA COME UP, HAVE TO COME UP WITH HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SO I, AT THIS STAGE, I REALLY THINK IT'S CRITICAL THAT, UM, ANY, ANYONE, ESPECIALLY CAMPO THAT HAS A CHOICE TO PUT A PAUSE IN A PROJECT CAN DO THAT AND DOES DO THAT.
I'M ALTA ALEXANDER AND ON BEHALF OF THE OUR FUTURE 35 COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE, THANK YOU, UH, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU TODAY.
THE, OUR FUTURE I 35 COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE IS A GROUP CHARTERED TO ENSURE THAT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT EFFORTS ARE APPROPRIATE, INCLUSIVE, AND TRANSPARENT THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND ITS PROJECT TEAM INTEGRATE PUBLIC INPUT INTO THE CAP AND STITCH PROGRAM AT EVERY STEP, AND THAT THE COMMUNITY BENEFITS INVESTMENTS IN EQUITABLE OUTCOME ARE PRIORITIZED AND BALANCED ACROSS THE STATE, OR I'M SORRY, ACROSS THE STUDY AREA AT EVERY STEP, WE HAVE UTILIZED THIS MOMENT AS A GROUP TO STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF INCLUDING A FULL CAP BETWEEN 11TH AND 12TH STREET IF THIS PROJECT IS GOING TO LIVE UP TO A MINIMUM STANDARD OF EQUITY.
THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET CORRIDORS ARE PROFOUNDLY IMPORTANT, UH, AS THEY ARE A CULTURAL AND HISTORIC MARKER FOR THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY.
IN THE FACE OF THE SEGREGATION CODIFIED IN THE 1928 PLAN AND DECADES FOLLOWING POLICY THAT HAVE EXCLUDED PEOPLE OF COLOR FROM INVESTMENT AND AGENCY, THEIR NEXUS.
THE NEXUS OF 11TH AND 12TH STREETS AT I 35 IS BOTH SYMBOLIC, A SYMBOLIC CROSSING OVER THE FORMER EAST AVENUE AND CONFLUENCE OF THESE TWO STREETS THEMSELVES.
AS WE APPROACH THE HISTORIC LANDMARK OF THIS 100TH YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE HARMFUL 1928 PLAN, OUR ENDEAVOR IS TO HELP ENSURE THAT BY 2028, WE ARE, WE NO LONGER ARE MAKING THOSE SAME MISTAKES.
A CAP AT THIS LOCATION CAN PROVIDE A ONE OF A KIND SPACE FOR ACTIVITY, INTERPRETATION, COMMUNITY SERVICE, PROTEST, AND CELEBRATION.
THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET CORRIDORS ARE THE ONLY AREAS WHERE AFRICAN-AMERICANS MAKE UP AT LEAST 25% OF THE CITY'S POPULATION.
WE ARE PLEASED TO SAY THAT AFTER CONVENING WITH T EXECUTIVES, REPRESENTATIVE COLE, CHERYL COLE, AND MAYOR WATSON, WE ARE THRILLED TO REPORT THAT THEIR COMMITMENT TO REVISIT ENGINEERING TO MAKE A FULL CAP POSSIBLE, AS WELL AS THE RECEIPT OF ENDORSEMENT FROM THE EX, FROM THE ELECTED OFFICIALS TO COMMIT TO A FULL CAP AT THESE HISTORIC CORRIDORS IS THUMBS UP.
THIS COMMITTEE, THIS COMMITMENT GIVES THE COMMUNITY STEERING COMMITTEE THE CONSOLE NEEDED TO
[00:40:01]
PROCEED IN SUPPORTING THE PROJECT.GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
UH, JIM WALKER, I'M WITH THE CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
UM, WE ARE A MEMBER OF THE INSYNC NEIGHBORHOOD COALITION THAT'S BEEN WORKING ON VARIOUS ITERATIONS OF THIS, THIS IDEA OF, UH, I 35 FOR A LONG TIME.
UH, FIRST THING TO LEAD OFF WITH IS OUR RESIDENTS ARE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE UPPER DECKS COME DOWN.
THAT PROSPECT HAS BEEN A LONG SOUGHT INITIATIVE AND PEOPLE ARE EXCITED ABOUT IT.
UM, WE SHARE A LOT OF THE CONCERNS THAT HAVE BEEN EXPRESSED ABOUT THE, THE PREMISE AND THE LONG-TERM IMPACTS OF FREEWAY EXPANSION IN THE MIDDLE OF URBAN CENTERS, UH, IN THIS DAY AND AGE WITH CLIMATE CHANGE AND WITH THE, THE IMPACTS TO CONGESTION AS MATEO MENTIONED, UH, AS WE SHARE THOSE.
BUT WE'RE ALSO A PRETTY PRAGMATIC GROUP.
SO THE IDEA OF TWEAKING AND TXDOT HAS BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE.
WE WERE VERY EXCITED TO SEE THE NORTH CENTRAL DECK BETWEEN 38TH AND HALF STREET AND AIRPORT IN THE F B I S, UH, CAME OUT A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
VERY EXCITED TO BE PART OF AMY KIND OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW TO MAKE THAT ACTUALLY COME TO FRUITION SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST A DRAWING, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS.
UH, VERY EXCITED TO HEAR THAT THE 11TH, 12TH STREET CAP GOT APPROVED.
CHERRYWOOD IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF THAT CAP, DON'T WANT THAT NORTH CENTRAL ONE TO BE DONE AT THE EXPENSE OF, OR, OR TAKEN AWAY FROM THE 11TH, 12TH STREET CAP.
UM, SO WE THINK THAT IN THE, THE TIMELINE AS THESE OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPRESSED IS PRETTY DRAMATIC.
SO THIS IDEA OF A PAUSE OR SLOW DOWN TO BE SURE AND THAT AUSTIN CAN MEET OUR SIDE OF THIS, UH, CONVERSATION WITH TXDOT AND GET ALL THESE BENEFITS THAT, THAT RIGHT NOW ARE, ARE JUST DRAWINGS.
I THINK THAT'S, THERE'S A STRONG, UH, ARGUMENT FOR THAT, THAT PAUSE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN ACTUALLY GET THIS FOR THE NEXT 75 YEARS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE TIME, ADAM GREENFIELD.
UM, IF IT'S OKAY, I WOULD LIKE TO DONATE MY TIME TO VALERIE MAYNARD.
LET ME JUST CHECK REALLY QUICKLY, DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK AND HADN'T SIGNED UP? RIGHT? UM, I'M GONNA ALLOW BOTH OF YOU TO SPEAK SO YOU CAN BOTH HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES.
WE, WE TYPICALLY DON'T, AND IT MAY NOT WORK THIS WAY WITH A FULL DAIS OR OTHER COMMITTEES, BUT, UM, I THINK YOU'RE THE ONLY PERSON THAT CAME AND JUST DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO SIGN UP YET.
SO I'LL, I'LL LET BOTH OF YOU HAVE YOUR THREE MINUTES.
UH, I'LL, I'D BE HAPPY TO SAY SOMETHING.
UM, ADAM GREENFIELD, RETHINK 35.
UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR, UM, CONSIDERING THIS RESOLUTION TODAY.
UH, THE CONTEXT OF THIS RESOLUTION IS, IS VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT.
UM, AS MAYBE SOME OF YOU KNOW, UH, ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE INCREASINGLY BECOMING VOCAL ABOUT THE, THE PREMISE OF THIS PROJECT.
UH, RECENTLY, UH, CONGRESSMAN GREG CASA SAID HE OPPOSES EXPANDING I 35.
UM, STATE REPRESENTATIVE GINA HEINA HOSA QUESTIONED, WHY ARE WE, WHY ARE WE DOING THIS? WHY ARE WE EXPANDING THIS HIGHWAY WHEN WE KNOW IT DOESN'T WORK? UH, SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS SPOKE, UH, INCLUDING COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE HERE A FEW WEEKS AGO AT A PRESS CONFERENCE, UH, SPEAKING OUT, UH, AGAINST EXPANSION.
AND EARLIER THIS WEEK, UM, THE TRAVIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT SAID TO TDOT, DON'T PROCEED WITH THIS PROJECT UNTIL YOU'VE ADDRESSED OUR CONCERNS, AIR AND WATER QUALITY AND, AND SO MUCH MORE.
SO THIS RESOLUTION IS VERY MUCH IN THAT CONTEXT.
I THINK WE AS A COMMUNITY ARE INCREASINGLY FINDING OUR VOICE, UM, ON THIS PROJECT.
AND WE'RE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE, UM, PREPARING THE WAY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS HERE.
WE CAN'T MESS THIS UP, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE SUMMER THAT WE'VE JUST HAD AND THE SUMMERS WE'RE EXPECTING IN THE FUTURE.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, VALERIE MENARD.
UM, YES, MY NAME IS VALERIE MENARD AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT ONE.
UM, I'M HERE TODAY TO ECHO WHAT, UM, THE FOLKS ARE SAYING ABOUT PUMPING THE BRAKES ON THIS MASSIVE PROJECT.
RE AND PLEASE RETHINK, UM, UH, THE EXPANSION OF I 35.
UH, THE CURRENT PLAN IS NOT A VIABLE OPTION OR A SOLUTION.
IT'S TOO DISRUPTIVE AND WILL NOT IMPROVE TRAFFIC.
WE, WE'VE ALREADY SEEN THIS, WE'VE ALREADY BUILT THESE ROADS.
WE, THEY'RE CALLED TOLL ROADS AND THEY HAVE NEVER, UH, UH, DELIVERED ON THEIR PROMISE TO REDUCE TRAFFIC, YET.
WE'RE GONNA BUILD MORE AND, AND INCREASE THE LANES.
WE'RE JUST GONNA INCREASE THE TRAFFIC.
[00:45:01]
LET'S, UM, LIKE THE FOLKS HAVE SAID, PLEASE SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION, UM, BEFORE WE EMBARK ON 10 YEARS OF MISERY OF THIS KIND OF INTENSE, UH, CONSTRUCTION.UM, MAYBE WE SHOULD THINK, RETHINK THOSE TOLL ROADS.
MAYBE WE COULD OPEN THEM, UH, THEY'RE ALREADY BUILT AND WOULD BE MUCH LESS DIS DISRUPT, DIS DISRUPTIVE, PROBABLY COST ABOUT THE SAME.
SO, UM, ONCE AGAIN, UM, PLEASE CONSIDER THAT THE PUBLIC HAS NOT APPROVED THIS.
WE'RE NOT PART OF THIS, BUT WE ARE HERE TODAY TO SAY THAT WE DON'T SUPPORT THIS.
SO YOU'RE ALREADY HEARING THAT THE PUBLIC IS NOT BEHIND THIS, THIS PLAN.
UM, SO I ALSO WANT TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO HAVE ALREADY SUPPORTED US.
AND, UM, LIKE ADAM SAID, WE NEED TO HAVE ALL OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS ON BOARD, UM, BEFORE WE CAN EVER EVEN STOP SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
BUT WE DO APPRECIATE THE SUPPORT WE'RE GETTING, UM, TODAY.
AND SO PLEASE ONCE AGAIN, UM, SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION.
THANK YOU MIRIAM SCHOEN FIELD.
WHICHEVER ONE YOU'RE MORE COMFORTABLE WITH, THE ONE, UH, THAT IS AT THE DESK, YOU MAY NEED TO PUSH THE BUTTON AND MAKE SURE THE LIGHT COMES ON TO TURN IT ON AND OFF.
UM, I WANNA JUST START BY EXPRESSING MY HEARTFELT GRATITUDE, UM, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE HERE TODAY AND FOR THE RESOLUTION, UM, THAT IS, THAT WE SAW ON THE MESSAGE BOARD, UM, THIS MORNING.
AS SOMEBODY THAT WORKS WITH A LOT OF YOUNG ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATES AT UT, UM, I CAN SAY THAT IT REALLY MEANS THE WORLD TO PEOPLE IN MY GENERATION AND THE NEXT TO KNOW THAT OUR ELECTED LEADERS ARE LINKING ARMS WITH US DURING THIS EMERGENCY THAT WE ARE FACING IN THE FACE OF CLIMATE CHANGE.
FREEWAY INFRASTRUCTURE IS FOSSIL FUEL INFRASTRUCTURE AND CLIMATE LEADERS FIGHT FREEWAY EXPANSIONS.
IMAGINE IF THE STATE OF T THE STATE OF TEXAS DECIDED TO BUILD A POWER PLANT IN THE MIDDLE OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
IMAGINE THAT THEY WERE GONNA DISPLACE HOMES AND BUSINESSES IN ORDER TO BUILD THIS, UM, COAL-FIRED POWER PLANT.
NOW IMAGINE FURTHER THAT, UM, BY BUILDING THIS PLANT, IT WOULD BECOME INCREASINGLY DIFFICULT TO USE ANY OTHER OTHER FORM OF ENERGY.
IMAGINE THAT IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN THIS COAL PLANT, WE WOULD NEED TO BE BUILD MORE COAL PLANTS.
AND WORST OF ALL, IMAGINE THAT IF THIS COAL PLANT GETS BUILT, IT WILL BE INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT TO REMOVE AND WE WILL BE STUCK WITH ITS CONSEQUENCES FOR ABOUT A CENTURY.
THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN INSTITUTE CALCULATOR, UM, CALCULATES THAT THE GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM EXPANDING I 35 ARE THE SAME AS THAT OF A COAL PLANT.
I'VE RECENTLY BEEN READING THE COLOR OF LAW, WHICH DESCRIBES THE HISTORY OF URBAN FREEWAYS AND AUSTIN FEATURES PROMINENTLY IN THAT NATIONAL STORY.
AND AS I'M SURE YOU ALL KNOW, THE PICTURE IS NOT A FLATTERING ONE, BUT THE HISTORY IS NOT OVER.
IT'S BEEN SAID THAT WHEN IT COMES TO FREEWAYS, AUSTIN IS EITHER GONNA BE ONE OF THE LAST TO GET IT WRONG OR ONE OF THE FIRST TO GET IT RIGHT.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME IS GOING TO BE, BUT WHATEVER PROJECT WE END UP WITH, THE HISTORY OF URBAN FREEWAYS IN AUSTIN MUST INCLUDE THE FACT THAT DURING OUR SECOND GO AROUND, WE DID EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY COULD TO GET IT RIGHT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
MY NAME IS MONICA SANCHEZ AND I WAS BORN HERE IN AUSTIN AT BRACKENRIDGE, AND I'M A RESIDENT OF DISTRICT FIVE IN SOUTH AUSTIN.
UM, I'M HERE TO SPEAK AGAINST THE I 35 EXPANSION, AS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE STATED, IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT TO DIVIDE THE CITY BETWEEN WEST AND EAST AND CONTINUING THAT EXPANSION WOULD CONTINUE THAT DIVISION WE'RE.
I'M HERE TO ASK YOU TODAY TO CONSIDER YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND HOW THE EXPANSION OF THIS HIGHWAY WOULD AFFECT ALL OF US, ESPECIALLY PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS THAT, UM, RIDE OR WALK NEAR 35.
[00:50:01]
OF THIS HIGHWAY EXPANSION IS VERY, UM, HUGE.IT OBLITERATES THE AUSTIN VISION ZERO PLAN.
MORE LANES EQUALS MORE DEATHS
INSTEAD OF THERE BEING LESS TRAFFIC, THIS WILL ACTUALLY INCREASE CONGESTION.
THERE'S ALSO AN INCREASE IN THE HEALTH IMPACT, INCLUDING HIGHER NUMBERS OF PEOPLE HAVING ASTHMA AND A LOSS OF OVER A HUNDRED HOMES AND BUSINESSES.
IN A, UM, IN AND AROUND I 35, THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT INCLUDES THE RIPARIAN HABITAT THAT'S BELOW THE DAM WILL BE DESTROYED.
TOWN LAKE AND THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, WHICH IS ALSO KNOWN AS LADYBIRD LAKE, WILL BE INTERRUPTED WHILE THIS CONSTRUCTION IS GOING ON.
AND WHAT'S TROUBLESOME ABOUT TX DOT'S FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT IS THAT INSTEAD OF GIVING US A COUNT ON HOW MANY TREES WILL BE AFFECTED OR OTHER, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL, UM, THINGS LIKE THAT, THEY SAY THEY DON'T KNOW THE COUNT YET AND THAT RAISES A HUGE RED FLAG.
UH, ANOTHER THING THAT WE'RE, THAT'S SEE 'EM ABOUT CHECK DOT'S PLAN IS THAT THEY DON'T STAY ON TIME.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY'RE SAYING IT'S GONNA TAKE SIX YEARS, EIGHT YEARS, 12 YEARS, BUT WE ALL KNOW THEY GO INTO OVERTIME.
THEY ALSO DIVIDED THIS INTO THREE DIFFERENT PROJECTS SO THAT THEY COULD AVOID, UM, MEETING FEDERAL LAWS.
AND FINALLY, WE ALL KNOW THAT WIDER DOESN'T WORK.
SO I ASK YOU TO PLEASE SAY NO TO THE I 35 EXPANSION AND PLEASE SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS VERY WELL WRITTEN AND RESEARCHED.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR, UH, TAKING THE TIME TO, UH, SPEAK TO US TODAY.
UH, NO LESS, AS I JUST FOUND OUT ON TWO OF Y'ALL'S BIRTHDAY.
UM, I JUST, UH, AGAIN, CAME HERE TO SAY I ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION.
UH, I THINK IT'S VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH A TREND THAT WE'RE SEEING OF ELECTED OFFICIALS, YOU KNOW, STANDING, UH, IN LINE WITH STUDENTS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ACTIVISTS, WITH CLIMATE ORGANIZERS WHO ARE, YOU KNOW, IN CONSISTENT OPPOSITION TO THE EXPANSION OF THE FREEWAY DOWNTOWN.
NOW, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO BRING UP IS THAT I FEEL A LOT OF STUDENTS FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THE FACT THAT THE EXPANSION OF THE FREEWAY KIND OF TRADES IN, YOU KNOW, LONG-TERM SUSTAINABILITY FOR A SHORT-TERM SOLUTION TO A PROBLEM.
UH, YOU KNOW, TRANSIT OR, OR TRAFFIC DOWNTOWN WILL BE ALLEVIATED FOR A COUPLE YEARS, AND THEN IT'S GONE LIKE THAT.
WE'RE GONNA EXPAND SOME MORE, TEAR DOWN SOME MORE BUSINESSES.
THIS IS IN THE CONTEXT OF A CLIMATE CRISIS, OF COURSE, WHICH MEANS THAT IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, EXPANDING THE FREEWAY SIMPLY IS NOT GOING TO BE A SUSTAINABLE OPTION.
IN FACT, ARGUABLY, AS MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, IT ALREADY ISN'T.
UH, THIS IS COUPLED WITH THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THE LONG TERM, WE'RE GOING TO BE SEEING CAPITAL MOVE OUT OF THE CITY.
SO YOUNGER RESIDENTS AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO REAP THE BENEFITS OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE WOULD IN A WORLD WHERE AUSTIN WAS BUILT IN A FASHION THAT WAS SUSTAINABLE.
UH, BEYOND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUNGER PEOPLE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE RAMIFICATION OF INCREASING CARCINOGENS, PARTICULATES IN THE ATMOSPHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN DIRECT, YOU KNOW, UM, CONJUNCTION WITH, UH, SOME OF OUR BIGGEST URBAN CENTERS.
SO, YOU KNOW, AS IT STANDS RIGHT NOW, UH, THE I 35, YOU KNOW, PROJECT DOES NOT REALLY WORK IN FAVOR OF LONG-TERM PLANNING.
IN FACT, IT CONTRADICTS SOME OF THE REALLY GREAT STRIDES THAT THE CITY IS MAKING AS IT RELATES TO PROJECT CONNECT AND OTHER, YOU KNOW, UH, MORE SUSTAINABLE ENDEAVORS.
SO, YOU KNOW, OVERALL I SAY WE SHOULD SUPPORT THIS RESOLUTION, MOVE IT FORWARD, AND ENSURE THAT THE CITY CONTINUES TO USE EVERYTHING IN ITS TOOL CHEST TO MAKE SURE THAT IF A PROJECT DOES GO THROUGH, IT WORKS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF ALL AUSTINITES FOR THE LONG TERM, NOT THE IMMEDIATE DEMAND TO ALLEVIATE SOME TRAFFIC THAT'S OCCURRING THROUGH THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
I 35 IS PARTICULARLY SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE IT STANDS AS ONE OF THE GREATEST MISTAKES AND INJUSTICES THAT HAVE OCCURRED IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT'S A SCAR IN THE FABRIC OF OUR URBAN CORE.
INSTEAD OF DEEPENING THAT SCAR AND MAKING IT WORSE IN THE LONG RUN, I FEEL VERY STRONGLY THAT ELECTED LEADERS SHOULD WORK ALONGSIDE THE STATE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE REDUCING IT, ALLEVIATING IT, AND MAKING SURE THAT THE CITY WORKS BEST FOR
[00:55:01]
EVERYONE IN THE LONG RUN.THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOBBY LAVINSKY.
I'M AN ATTORNEY WITH THE SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UH, WE ARE HERE TO SPEAK IN FAVOR OF MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS'S RESOLUTION, AND WE'RE VERY MUCH APPRECIATIVE FOR YOU BRINGING IT FORWARD.
UM, WE'D SUPPORT THIS ACTION AND ANY OTHER ACTION THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST TO, UH, POSE THESE HIGHWAY EXPANSIONS THAT ARE DAMAGING OUR REGION.
UM, THE RESOLUTION IS VERY MUCH CONSISTENT WITH THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION'S EFFORTS TO RESTORE THE FORCE OF THE NA NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION ACT AND UNDO THE DAMAGE THAT TRUMP DID TO THE C E Q REGULATIONS.
UM, IT'S ALSO VERY MUCH IN LINE WITH NEW GUIDANCE THAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WITH RESPECT TO CUMULATIVE EFFECTS, LOOKING AT THE LONG-TERM AND CUMULATIVE, UH, IMPACTS OF AIR QUALITY FROM ALL SEGMENTS OF A PROJECT.
UM, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE DIRECTION, UH, TO LOOK AT THE CAMPO MODELS, UM, ESPECIALLY TO ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT THIS COULD HAPPEN, UM, AND SHOW PEOPLE THAT THERE IS A SOLUTION FORWARD, UM, AS A WATER, UH, BASE RE UM, ORGANIZATION.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE NOTE TO THE IMPACT TO LADY BIRD LAKE AND ITS PARK SYSTEM THAT WILL BE PERMANENTLY AND IRREPARABLY HARMED BY THE EXPANSION OF I 35.
UM, MOST OF THE PARKLAND IS OWNED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN, SO NOT ONLY DO WE HOPE THAT THE AUSTIN ACTS AS THE MOST IMPACTED AGENCY, BUT ALSO AS A LANDOWNER AND FIGHTS BACK AGAINST THE, UM, THE, THE TAKE OF PARKLAND THAT WE KNOW, UM, WAS LISTED IN THE RECORD OF DECISION.
UH, THE SAVE OCEAN SPRINGS ALLIANCE, UM, IS READY TO SUPPORT THE I 35 COL COALITION TO THE, UM, FULL R FOUR FOUR FORCE.
AND WE HOPE THAT THE CITY AND THE COUNTY AND ALL ELECTED LEADERS IN OUR REGION, UM, AREN'T JUST SILENT PRO SILENT PARTNERS IN THIS PROCESS.
UM, WE THINK THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE A HUGE IMPACT TO OUR REGION AND, UM, THIS IS THE TIME TO ACT.
AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE MAYOR PRO TEM ELLIS'S LEADERSHIP ON THIS.
THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO HAS SPOKEN TODAY.
LET'S GO AHEAD INTO THE PRESENTATION.
UH, AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO, UH, INVITE MS. HEATHER ASHLEY NEEN, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING DEVELOPMENT, UH, WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO PROVIDE THE UPDATE.
WE HAVE POSTED THIS PRESENTATION TO THE MESSAGE BOARD, UM, SINCE WE CAN'T GET IT ONTO THE WEBSITE UNTIL AFTER THE MEETING.
UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
UM, I WANTED TO JUST THANK ALL OF THE, THE SPEAKERS THAT, UM, GAVE US, UH, CONSIDERATION OF ALL THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE MADE TO THE PROJECT.
AND, AND JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY.
UM, AS I PUT THE PRESENTATION TOGETHER TODAY, UM, I PUT TOGETHER A LOT OF THE HISTORY OF THE PARTNERSHIPS.
MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, UM, HERE, WE, I FEEL LIKE AS A PARTNER AND A FRIEND.
AND SO, UM, I'LL, I'LL JUST START FROM THERE.
ALL RIGHT, SO THIS IS THE PROJECT OVERVIEW.
I DIDN'T WANNA GO TOO MUCH INTO IT 'CAUSE I THINK WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT WHAT I DID WANNA HIGHLIGHT IS THAT THIS IS A FOUR AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS PROJECT OVER EIGHT MILES.
AND, UM, THE, THE MIDDLE CHART SHOWS RIGHT THERE THAT TYPICALLY ARE PROJECTS THAT ARE OVER 500 MILLION ARE DESIGN BUILD PROJECTS.
AND THESE ARE THE LAST PRO THE DESIGN BUILD PROJECTS THAT WE'VE DONE, UM, ACROSS THE STATE, 680 MILLION OAK HILL PARKWAY, 1.5 BILLION N E X IN SAN ANTONIO.
AND, UM, THIS FOUR AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS PROJECT IS, IS, IS VERY, VERY LARGE FOR, UM, FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS AND FOR TXDOT.
NOW, UM, WE HAVE ORIGINALLY WE WERE GONNA DO THE WHAT IF YOU SEE THE, THE IMAGE AT THE BOTTOM, THE UNIVERSITY AND THE DOWNTOWN IS DESIGN BUILD.
UM, BUT WE MADE THE DECISION LATE LAST YEAR TO GO AHEAD AND DO BID BUILD, WHICH THAT'S ACTUALLY HELPED US WITH A A NUMBER OF THINGS.
IT'S HELPED US, UM, DO THE FINAL DESIGN ON OUR OWN OF THE CAPS AND NOT PUT THAT INTO A CONTRACT DOCUMENT SO THAT, UM, OTHERS COULD, COULD DESIGN IT AFTER, UM, AFTER THE CONTRACT EXECUTION.
UM, BUT WE HAVE A BIG, BIG, UH, PROJECT AHEAD OF US.
AND, UM, JUST WANTED TO, TO SHOW THAT NEXT SLIDE.
SO THESE ARE THE, THE THREE MAJOR TYPES OF NE NEPA, UH, PROJECTS THAT, THAT WE DO AT TXDOT.
UH, WE DO CATEGORICAL EXCLUSIONS.
WE DO ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTS, WHICH TURN INTO A FONZI OF FINDING OF NO SIGNIF SIGNIFICANT IMPACT, AND WE DO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENTS.
AND OVER, SINCE, UH, THE LAST THREE, ALMOST
[01:00:01]
FOUR YEARS, WE'VE DONE FIVE, WE'VE, WE'VE AWARDED FIVE RECORD OF DECISIONS.SO NOT ONLY IS THIS ONE OF THE BIGGEST PROJECTS, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN THE STATE OR THAT WE'VE DONE, IT'S A RARE, UH, TYPE OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH NOW, UM, I WANTED TO SHOW HERE THE ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS OF NEPA ARE FOR FEDERALLY FUNDED PROJECTS.
AND, UM, WE HAVE TO CON, WE, THESE NEPA PROJECTS ARE DUE TO OUR FEDERAL FUNDING NOW LOCALLY FUNDED PROJECTS, NEPA DOESN'T APPLY, BUT THEY STILL ARE REQUIRED TO, UM, CONSIDER OTHER LAWS.
YEAH, SO E E I S IS A REALLY 0.1% OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE DO AT TX DOT.
SO IN THE CAPITAL CENTRAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT, UM, WE LOOKED AT IMPACTS TO THE HUMAN NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NOISE, AIR QUALITY, QUALITY, PROTECTED LANDS, COMMUNITY IMPACTS, NATURAL AND BIOLOGICAL RESOURCES, WATER RESOURCES, PARKLANDS, LAND USE, UH, CUL CULTURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES.
ONE OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE STUDIES THAT WE DID, BUT IT WASN'T A REQUIREMENT, WAS THE GREENHOUSE GAS AND CLIMATE CHANGE.
UM, STUDY WHEN WE PUBLISHED THE NOTICE OF INTENT IN 2020, THAT WAS NOT A REQUIREMENT.
AND SO WE DID THAT STUDY, AND I THINK THAT'S PART OF, UM, KINDA WHAT I'VE, I'VE, UH, BEEN HEARING TODAY IS SOME OF THAT STUDY HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND INDUCED GROWTH.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I PUT THOSE IMAGES THERE AT THE BOTTOM IN OUR RECORD OF DECISION, THERE'S, THERE'S PLENTY OF COMMITMENTS REQUIRED BY POLICY OR RE REGULATION, AND YOU CAN FIND THAT IN OUR RECORD OF DECISION.
AND THERE'S A LONG LIST OF, UM, REQUIREMENTS.
AND AS I MENTIONED, WE'VE DONE FIVE OF THESE OVER THE LAST ALMOST FOUR YEARS.
WE HAVE A VERY, VERY, UM, STRONG, UH, LEGAL COUNSEL THAT, THAT REVIEWS OUR DOCUMENTS AND MAKES SURE THAT WE, WE, UH, FOLLOW ALL THE REQUIRED.
AND ON THIS PROJECT, WE ACTUALLY WENT OVER AND ABOVE.
NOW IN THE ROD, THERE'S ALSO PROPOSED MITIGATION, AND WE'LL GO OVER THAT LATER.
THIS IS ACTUALLY IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT.
THIS IS, UH, THREE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE LOOKED AT, UH, BACK IN 1994.
AN ELEVATED SECTION, I THINK THAT'S 11TH THROUGH FOURTH.
UM, A LOWERED WITH ADDITIONAL ELEVATION, UH, COLLECTOR DISTRIBUTORS, UH, THERE ON THE MIDDLE, AND THEN MORE UPPER DECKS.
AND SO ALL OF THOSE THINGS WERE LOOKED AT, UM, LONG AGO.
UH, ONE OF THE, UH, I STARTED UP WORKING ON THIS PROJECT IN 2017, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF FOLKS THAT I WAS, I WORKED AT THE DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME AND IN 2014, THE STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP WAS FORMED AND THEY FOUND THAT EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE DONE BY, IN, YOU KNOW, FAST FORWARD 10 YEARS, LOWER I 35, SAFE WIDE BICYCLE CROSSINGS, UH, RECONNECT AUSTIN WAS THERE, CONGRESS FOR NEW URBANISM WAS THERE.
ALL OF OUR PARTNERS THAT WE STILL WORK WITH TODAY, UH, WERE AT THAT, UH, AT THAT STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP.
AND IT WAS CHAIRED BY, AT THE TIME, SENATOR WATSON.
AND THE UNRESOLVED ISSUES I FIND IS INTERESTING.
THE NATURE OF THE, AND OF THE DESIRED DEVELOPMENT ON THE CAPS HADN'T BEEN FULLY DEFINED.
AND THE PLAN TO CHAMPION AND FUND AND CONSTRUCT HADN'T BEEN ESTABLISHED.
SO THIS WAS BACK IN 2014 IN THAT, IN THAT FINDING.
NOW, UH, FAST FORWARD TO 2020.
UM, BEFORE WE EVEN PUT THE NOTICE OF INTENT OUT FOR THE PROJECT, WE, I HAD BEEN, UM, ATTENDING SOME OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE TASK FORCE MEETINGS, AND I GOT THIS REAL BIG SENSE OF, UM, WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR PARTNERS.
AND SO WE HAD A FOUR DAY, THREE OR FOUR DAY WHAT WE CALLED A, A CHARETTE.
UM, WE HAD CITY OF AUSTIN, CAP, METRO, F H W A, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, UT UM, YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE PICTURES THERE OF OUR FOUR DAY WORKSHOP.
AND, UH, A T D IS, IS, WAS ATTENDED THERE.
AND THEN OF COURSE, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS U L I REPORT.
AGAIN, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT THE DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDER, UH, WORKING GROUP FOUND IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT SIX TO 12 MONTHS, THIS WAS BACK IN 2020, WAS CRUCIAL IN TERMS OF, UH, MAKING THE CAPS A REALITY.
SO FAST FORWARD TO NOVEMBER OF 2020.
THIS WAS IN THE DEPTHS OF COVID.
UM, WE PARTNERED WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT AND WE HOSTED WHAT WE CALLED FOCUS GROUPS.
AND, UH, WE CONVENED AT THE, THE CITY OFFICES OFF OF, UH, CAMERON, OUR VERY, AND REALLY WHAT WE DID IS WE, WE HAD LESS THAN 10 PEOPLE IN A ROOM.
WE WERE ALL MASKED UP FOR A GOOD EIGHT HOURS.
AND WE REALLY WANTED TO START OFF WORKING WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OF AUSTIN, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY KNOW BEST
[01:05:01]
HOW TO GET PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN.SO REALLY, THAT WAS THE FOCUS OF THE VERY FIRST, UH, WORKSHOP, WAS HOW DO WE GET PEOPLE IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN? AND THAT WHITEBOARD RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE, YOU CAN SEE NATHAN WILKES.
THEY'RE STANDING BY THE, BY THE WHITEBOARD.
AND WE, WE DID OUR BEST, WE DID TWO OPTIONS OF GETTING PEOPLE IN AND OUTTA DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE ALSO HAD PARKLAND WORKSHOPS.
WE HAD BIKE AND PET, WE HAD DRAINAGE.
I DIDN'T HAVE IT LISTED THERE, JOE JOE'S THERE IN ONE OF THE PICTURES.
UM, BUT WE, WE DEFINITELY HAVE BEEN MEETING QUITE OFTEN, UM, AND DOING AS MUCH COLLABORATION AS WE CAN.
AND WE REALLY THINK OUR CITY PARTNERS IN, IN HELPING WITH THE PROJECT.
SO THIS IS THE PROJECT TIMELINE.
I PUT THE ONE ON THE BOTTOM BECAUSE, UM, THAT IS THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAD IN AUGUST OF 2021.
AND THE, AND THE TIMELINE THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
WE, WE, WE MET THE SCHEDULE AND THE, AFTER AUGUST OF 21, RIGHT THERE, WE SHARPENED OUR PENCILS AND WE KEEP SHARPENING OUR PENCILS ON THE PROJECT.
SO IN AUGUST OF 2021, WE WENT OUT FOR THE FIRST TIME WITH, UM, SCHEMATICS.
AND WE HEARD FROM THE PUBLIC THAT ALL THE ALTERNATIVES DOWNTOWN LOOKED THE SAME.
AND THEY DID, YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT THERE.
AND SO WE SHARPENED OUR PENCILS.
AND FROM AUGUST OF 2021 TO NEXT SLIDE TO JANUARY OF 2022, UH, WHICH IS A, A SHORT TIME TO MAKE THAT THAT BIG ADJUSTMENT, IS WE PROPOSED MODIFIED ALTERNATIVE THREE, WHICH IS THE B BOULEVARD STYLE, UM, UH, SECTION RIGHT THERE.
AND WE DID, WE GOT, UM, SUPPORT FROM, UH, FROM SOME OF OUR, OUR CLOSE PARTNERS.
AND THERE IT SAID, YOU KNOW, MODIFIED THREE REFLECTS PROGRESS TOWARDS COMMON GOALS, GRATIFIED BY THE CONTINUED WORK OF TXDOT, OVERJOYED TO SEE TXDOT ADOPT URBAN STREET DESIGN.
SO REALLY FROM, UH, IN JANUARY, UH, THIS IS MARCH OF 22.
UM, WE, AT THAT MEETING THAT WE ROLLED OUT THE BOULEVARD, I SAT AND I SPOKE WITH A CHERRYWOOD NEIGHBORHOOD QUITE A BIT, ACTUALLY, JIM WALKER IN THE ROOM.
AND I STOOD OVER THE, THE PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE THERE FOR QUITE A WHILE.
AND FROM JANUARY TO MARCH, WE SHARPENED OUR PENCILS MORE.
AND YOU CAN SEE THE TOP PICTURE THERE WEREN'T NEAR AS MANY, UH, STITCHES IN, IN THAT AREA.
REALLY, THE PROBLEM IN THIS AREA TO NOT CAP WAS THE DRAINAGE.
WE, WE COULDN'T LOWER THE, THE HIGHWAY ANY FURTHER HERE DUE TO THE DRAINAGE AT THAT TIME.
AND THEN, UM, AFTER WE ROLLED THIS OUT, WE REALLY WENT FORWARD INTO OUR TECHNICAL STUDIES AND THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT.
AND SO I HAVE JOE GLING HERE WITH ME.
HE'S, UH, THE, THE AUSTIN DISTRICT HYDRAULICS ENGINEER, AND HE'S GONNA SPEAK TO THE DRAINAGE DESIGNS.
SO, UM, YEAH, AS YOU CAN SEE UP HERE, UM, THE PROJECT IS LOWERING THE MAIN LANES OF I 35.
SO THE MAP IN THE CENTER IS A DRAINAGE AREA MAP SHOWING THE DRAINAGE AREAS THAT THE PROJECT WILL BE INTERCEPTING.
SO THOSE ARE DRAINAGE AREAS THAT ARE FLOWING TO AND THROUGH THE RIGHT OF WAY, UM, THAT BECAUSE WE'RE LOWERING THE HIGHWAY WILL BE INTERCEPTED BY OUR PROJECT.
SO IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THAT DRAINAGE, WE ARE GOING, WE ARE PROPOSING, UM, TWO DRAINAGE TUNNELS THAT ARE QUITE SIGNIFICANT.
SO WE'RE TALKING 22 FEET INTERNAL DIAMETER.
UM, THEY'LL BE ANYWHERE BETWEEN 70 TO 200 FEET DEEP IN THE AUSTIN CHALK, WHICH IS THE SAME MATERIAL THAT THE O WALL CREEK TUNNEL WAS BUILT IN.
UM, AND SO ONE IS GOING ALONG I 35 AND ONE IS GOING DOWN CAESAR CHAVEZ TO A VERY LARGE PUMP STATION THAT WE'LL BE BUILDING.
UM, ALSO THERE'LL BE ABOUT 10 ACCESS SHAFTS.
SO SHAFTS FOR THE WATER WILL COME INTO THE TUNNEL.
UM, AND AT THE PUMP STATION, UH, THERE'LL BE A LARGE MECHANICAL TRASH SCREEN.
SO IF YOU'VE BEEN TO WATERLOO PARK AND YOU'VE LOOKED AT THE WALLER CREEK TUNNEL INTAKE STRUCTURE, IT WILL LOOK SOMETHING LIKE THAT, ALTHOUGH IT WON'T BE VISIBLE AND IT WILL HAVE, UH, MECHANICALLY CLEANED MEANS.
SO THERE'LL BE A, A, A MECHANISM TO TAKE TRASH THAT FLOWS INTO THIS TUNNEL AND BRING IT UP TO THE SURFACE INTO LARGE HAUL OFF DUMPSTERS THAT WILL AUTOMATICALLY WORK WHEN, UH, THERE'S WATER IN THE TUNNEL.
SO, THE TUNNEL WE BUILT WITH A, UM, T B M, SO IT'LL BE A DIFFERENT MECHANISM THAN THE WALLER CREEK TUNNEL.
UH, T B M IS LIKE WHAT YOU SEE IN THE, THE PICTURE ON THE LEFT BOTTOM LEFT THERE.
UM, AND THESE ARE SOME OTHER PICTURES OF TUNNEL TRIPS THAT T DOT AUSTIN INJECTORS HAS, UM, TRAVELED TO, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM.
UM, THE, THE PURPOSES OF THE TUNNEL, LIKE I JUST DESCRIBED, IS TO COLLECT ALL THIS STORM WA WATER, TAKE IT SAFELY AWAY FROM THE HIGHWAY.
UM, AND ONE, ONE THING TO NOTE ON THAT IS IT,
[01:10:01]
IT WILL BE REMOVING, ESPECIALLY IN THE BOCK BOGGY CREEK WATERSHED, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, OF PEAK FLOW.SO THERE WILL BE A LARGE FLOOD REDUCTION IN THOSE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS ADJACENT TO I 35 THERE.
UM, AND THIS ALSO ALLOWS US TO PROVIDE WATER QUALITY TREATMENT.
'CAUSE WE HAVE A CENTRALIZED LOCATION WHERE ALL THE WATER FROM THE PROJECT IS GOING.
SO, UM, THE ORIGINAL APPROACH THAT TXDOT TOOK WAS TO PROVIDE TREATMENT IN OUR, THE RIGHT OF WAY THERE AT THE 180 3 CAESAR CHAVEZ FIFTH STREET INTERCHANGE IN THIS, UH, AS WATER QUALITY TENSION PONDS.
UM, BUT WE'VE KIND OF ITERATED IN THAT PROCESS WE WORKED WITH WATERSHED STAFF AND WE, UH, HAVE NOW CAME UP WITH A CONCEPT THAT THAT WILL, UM, THIS, THAT WILL BASICALLY ALLOW THE CITY TO BUILD A FUTURE REGIONAL POND FOR THIS.
SO, UM, THIS WILL OCCUR THROUGH, UM, A MODIFICATION TO OUR PUMP STATION THAT WILL ALLOW THE WATER TO GET PUSHED FURTHER.
UM, SO BASICALLY A PRESSURIZED LINE AND THE CITY, UH, AS, AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS, LARGER PUMPS, DIFFERENT, UH, ELECTRICAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, THIS WILL ALLOW THE CITY TO BUILD THIS FUTURE POND THAT WILL TREAT, UM, AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WATER.
SO, UM, THIS IS KIND OF BUILDING OFF THAT WHAT YOU SEE IS A, AND THE PICTURE IS AN AERIAL OF THE PUMP STATION.
UM, SO THIS IS DIRECTLY CONNECTING TWO OF THE LOW FLOW PUMPS TO THIS PIPELINE.
THE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS ARE THAT TEXT.IS INCORPORATING INTO OUR PROJECT IS AROUND $5 MILLION.
AND THEN THE CITY'S RESPONSIBILITY IS TO FUND, CONSTRUCT THIS PIPELINE AND TO, UM, SITE ACQUIRE AND BUILD AND MAINTAIN THIS LARGE WATER QUALITY POND.
UM, THE BENEFITS OF THIS IS THIS IS ALLOWING THE PROJECT TXDOT AND THE CITY AS IN A PARTNERSHIP TO EXCEED THE TREATMENT REQUIREMENTS THAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE.
AND NOT ONLY TREATMENT FOR THE HIGHWAY, BUT TREATMENT FOR LARGE AMOUNTS OF AREAS OF DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
AND THAT, AND THAT ANG MAP I SHOWED THAT CURRENTLY REALLY DON'T HAVE THAT MUCH TREATMENT 'CAUSE THEY WERE BUILT OUT BEFORE, UH, THE CITY'S E C M REQUIREMENTS WENT INTO EFFECT.
SO, AND THIS'S JUST A REMINDER, UNDER THE NO BUILD TREATMENT, BASICALLY, LIKE I SAID, MUCH OF THAT IS DRAINING THROUGH CITY OF AUSTIN STORM DRAINS THAT DRAINED DIRECTLY TO LADY BIRD LAKE WITH CERTAINLY NO REGIONAL LEVEL TREATMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT IS NEXT SLIDE.
I THINK THIS IS ALL THE WATER QUALITY ONES.
UM, YEAH, THIS IS JUST GOING BACK TO THE, THE, THE TUNNEL.
AND ONE THING I DIDN'T MENTION HERE THAT SHOULD BE IS THERE WILL PROBABLY BE, UM, AN ACCESS SHAFT SOMEWHERE ALONG CAESAR CHAVEZ.
THIS IS A VERY LARGE ASSET, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, IF YOU'VE EVER, IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE WALL OR CREEK TUNNEL, THIS IS, UM, BIGGER THAN THAT.
AND SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE ARE ABLE TO MAINTAIN IT.
UM, ONE THING THAT ALSO I WANTED TO MENTION IS WE, WE HAVE, AS HEATHER MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT MEETINGS, UM, WITH WATERSHED DEPARTMENT GOING BACK, UM, 2017, BUT REALLY IN EARNEST SINCE 2020, UH, TALKING ABOUT DIFFERENT ITERATIONS.
UM, WE MET WITH WALLER CREEK TUNNEL FOLKS.
WE'VE MET MISS MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENTS, UM, REALLY TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE BEST SOLUTION.
UM, SO JOE'S HERE FOR ANY ANY TECHNICAL QUESTIONS AFTER THIS.
AND I ACTUALLY HAVE, UH, TIM WOOD, HE'S FROM OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AFFAIRS DIVISION, AND HE IS THE, UM, HE'S OUR EXPERT THAT, UH, REVIEWS ALL OF OUR, UH, AIR QUALITY STUDIES STATEWIDE.
NOW, WHAT WAS, WHAT WAS, UH, STUDIED IN THE F E I S WAS CARBON MONOXIDE AND SSAT, UM, AND THE F E I S UH, DISCLOSED THE AREAS CURRENTLY IN ATTAINMENT, UM, FOR ALL CRITERIA POLLUTANTS AND, AND M SSAT ARE PROJECTED TO DECLINE IN THE FUTURE.
UM, OVERVIEWED, UH, MESS METHODS OF CON CONTROLLING CONSTRUCTION EMISSIONS AND PROPOSED VISUAL MONITORING OF PARTICULAR LEVELS.
UH, NEXT SLIDE, UH, WANNA JUST SHOW HERE, UH, THE F E I SS, UH, ROD WAS THEN PUBLISHED IN JANUARY OF 2023.
UM, AND WE HAD THE PUBLIC HEARING IN FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR, AND WE RELEASED THE F E I S AND ROD IN AUGUST.
UH, THIS, THIS SHOWS, I THINK, UH, THERE WAS A, A REQUEST OF THE MITIGATION THAT WAS IN THE DOCUMENT.
UM, WE COMMITTED TO ONGOING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UH, WE COMMITTED TO, UH, 9.4 MILLION TO, UM, FOR CAP METRO SERVICE THAT MIGHT BE IMPACTED DURING CONSTRUCTION OF THE, THE REDLINE, UM, ACCELERATE CONSTRUCTION OF THE CAT METRO REDLINES, LIKE, UH, TOM WAS MENTIONING.
THAT'S GONNA REALLY, UM, ALLOW, WE'RE GOING TO CONSTRUCTION ON THAT NEXT YEAR
[01:15:01]
SO THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD, UH, BRIDGES ON THE GROUND SO THAT WHEN THE ROADWAY CONTRACTOR COMES AND EXCAVATES UNDERNEATH THAT, THAT SERVICE IN AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN, UM, WILL, WILL RE, WILL MAINTAIN ADVANCED ACQUISITION AND RELOCATION ASSISTANCE TO COMMUNI COMMUNITY FACILITY RENTERS.WE, UM, ARE PURCHASING A NEW PROPERTY NEXT TO THE ESPERANZA COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE COMMITTED TO 100 MILLION TOWARDS AESTHETICS.
WE'RE PROVIDING NOISE BARRIERS.
WE ARE PROPOSING GRANT WRITING ASSISTANT AND PERMANENT NOISE BARRIER FOR THE FESTIVAL, BEACH COMMUNITY GARDEN AND THE FESTIVAL BEACH FOOD FOREST.
UM, WE ARE PARTNERING WITH THE, WITH THE CITY AND, AND, AND JIM AND, AND HIS TEAM ON THE CONSTRUCTION PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM.
AND WE ACTUALLY ADDED IN MITIGATION, UM, TO PROVIDE A PHONE-BASED APP DURING CONSTRUCTION.
UM, UH, LIKE, LIKE JOE MENTIONED, STORM WATER CONTROLS AND, AND PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND A CAT METRO T RAMP AT THE TECH RIDGE PARK AND RIDE AND BOARDWALK CONSTRUCTION IN FRONT OF THE HYATT UP TO 25 MILLION.
REALLY, THE PROJECT ENHANCEMENTS, THE, THE PRO THE PICTURE THAT YOU SEE THERE ON THE LEFT IS, UH, A, A BIG PARTNERSHIP THAT WE HAD WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
ORIGINALLY, THE, THE BRIDGE THERE WAS, WAS IN LINE WITH THE ROADWAY.
WE'VE LOWERED IT, WE'VE WIDENED IT, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE WIDER THAN THE BOARDWALK IS TODAY.
AND THESE ARE ALL SOME OF THOSE CHANGES THAT WE'VE JUST BEEN ADDING, UH, BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE HAVE REGULAR MEETINGS WITH THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, AND THESE ARE THINGS THAT SHADE STRUCTURES, THOSE ARE JUST THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN ADDING EVEN THIS OVERLOOK AREA ON THE, ON THE BRIDGE.
AND THAT WILL GO TO CONSTRUCTION, UM, APRIL OF THIS YEAR.
THE, THE WIDEN CROSS STREET BRIDGES ARE, ARE DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE HAD IN VISION IN THE BEGINNING.
IT'S, IT'S AN ENHANCEMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA FUND AND, AND DESIGN, AND THEN WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE CITY FOR MAINTENANCE.
SO, COMMUNITY OUTREACH, UM, WE HAD 18,000 VIRTUAL AND IN-PERSON MEETINGS.
I KNOW I'VE MET WITH ALL OF YOU COUNCIL MEMBERS QUITE OFTEN ON THE PROJECT.
UH, WE'VE MET WITH COMMUNITY LEADERS.
ANYTIME WE ROLL OUT SOMETHING NEW, WE MAKE THE ROUNDS AND, AND MEET WITH ALL OF THE PARTNERS.
WE ACTUALLY HAD, YEAH, 18,000, UM, COMMENTS FROM THE, FROM THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD MEETINGS.
WE FOCUSED OUR EFFORTS FROM EJ COMMUNITIES.
WE HELD OUR OPEN HOUSE IN AUGUST OF 21 AT HOUSTON TILLSON IN OUR, IN OUR HEARING AT THE MILLENNIUM YOUTH COMPLEX.
UM, AS, AS MS ALL ALEXANDER MENTIONED, WE CONTINUE TO SHARPEN OUR PENCILS.
THE DOWNTOWN AND UNIVERSITY PROJECTS ARE CONTINGENT UPON THAT DRAINAGE TUNNEL, AND WE'RE HOPING THAT DRAINAGE TUNNEL WILL BE COMPLETED IN A APPROXIMATELY THREE YEARS.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE DOING IS LOOKING AT THE 11TH AND CAP, UH, UH, DESIGNS THERE AND TRYING, TRYING TO PROVIDE A CAP.
WE ARE ENTERING THE FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, AND WE ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN.
WE, WE, WE MAINTAINED THIS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL SCHEDULE, AND WE'RE DOING EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO SHORTEN THE CONSTRUCTION DURATION.
AND THAT'S A COMMITMENT THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE.
THE AUSTIN DISTRICT, UM, TEXDOT IS GONNA ENVIRONMENTALLY CLEAR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THE UT CAPS WITH THE CATEGORICAL EXCLUSION, ONE OF THOSE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESSES, PROCESSES THAT I HAD DISCUSSED EARLIER.
AND, UM, NEXT STEPS ALSO IS, LIKE WAS MENTIONED, CITY OF AUSTIN TO IDENTIFY 700, 730 MILLION TO CAP, UH, BY, I DIDN'T PUT DECEMBER OF 24, BUT THAT MEANS DECEMBER OF NEXT YEAR.
SO THE PICTURE RIGHT THERE, I LIKE TO USE THIS PICTURE TO SHOW WHAT THAT 730 MILLION IS.
SO THE BLACK IS WHAT TXDOT WOULD BUILD, UM, IF THERE WAS NO HIGHWAY CAP, THE HATCHED AREA AND THOSE JET FANS IS, IS WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO BUILD.
WE WOULD NEED TO BUILD WIDER COLUMNS.
WE'D NEED TO LOWER THE ROADWAY FOR CLEARANCE OF THE JET FANS.
AND SO THAT HATCHED AREA IS WHAT THAT 730 MILLION IS.
IT'S THE FIRE LIFE SAFETY, IT'S THE ADDITIONAL RETAINING WALLS.
IT'S THE, THE LOWERED LOWERED HIGHWAY.
AND THEN THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD PUT IN THE TECH STOCK CONTRACT.
AND THEN ON TOP WOULD WOULD BE A DIFFERENT CITY CONTRACT TO THEN BUILD THE AMENITIES ON TOP.
AND THAT ENDS TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
LET'S BRING IT UP TO THE DAAS.
DO WE HAVE SOME COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? NO.
LET'S GO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
I GUESS MAY I PRETEND MY QUESTIONS ARE KIND OF, UM, IN RELATION TO YOUR I F C, SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANNA LAY THAT OUT FIRST AND THEN, UM, BECAUSE I WANTED ASK
[01:20:01]
TEXT SCOTT ABOUT IT.YEAH, WE COULD ABSOLUTELY DO THAT.
UM, I POSTED TO THE MESSAGE BOARD EARLIER TODAY A RESOLUTION TO BRING TO THE COMMITTEE.
UM, AND THIS HAS COME FROM CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN HAVING ON THE VARIOUS BOARDS THAT I AND OTHER FOLKS SERVE ON, UM, AS WELL AS JUST SOME OF THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD OVER THE YEARS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF ENTITIES THAT ARE JUST NOW UNDERTAKING, UH, PROJECTS THAT ARE SOMETIMES FEDERALLY FUNDED THAT ARE ESSENTIALLY FOR CARBON REDUCTION, UM, BETTER AIR QUALITY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF ISSUES THAT HAVE BEEN BROUGHT UP WHERE WE NEED TO BE THINKING REGIONALLY, WHETHER THAT'S THROUGH CAMPO KEP COG OR SOME OTHER ENTITY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE HEADING IN MOBILITY AS AN ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
SO OBVIOUSLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS, IS PUSHING OUT THINGS LIKE RECONNECTING COMMUNITIES, AND WE, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL JUST PASSED, UH, THE AUTHORITY FOR OUR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENTS TO START TRYING TO LOOK AT WHERE WE'RE GETTING FUNDING FOR CAPS.
UM, BUT THERE IS GENERALLY KIND OF THIS BIG QUESTION OF THE TIMELINE OF WE'VE GOT THESE BIG REGIONAL, UM, AIR QUALITY PLANNING GOING ON THAT IS BASICALLY JUST GETTING UNDERWAY.
UM, THE E P A IS LOOKING AT ITS NATIONAL AMBIENT AIR QUALITY STANDARDS AND POTENTIALLY LOWERING THEM.
SO AS A CITY THAT IS THE LAST BIG CITY IN TEXAS THAT IS IN ATTAINMENT OF E P A STANDARDS, AND LOOKING AT THAT PROCESS OF WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE SETTING THOSE AIR QUALITY STANDARDS MOVING FORWARD.
UM, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ECHOING WHAT ONE OF THE SPEAKERS SAID, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THIS CAN BE A, A CHANCE TO HAVE ONE OF THE LAST HIGHWAYS BUILT THE WAY THAT HIGHWAY DESIGN HAS TYPICALLY BEEN.
OR WE COULD LOOK TO SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES AND OTHER FOLKS ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE, UM, DONE EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MITIGATE FOR AIR QUALITY IMPACTS.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THE CONVERSATION AROUND I 35 IN PARTICULAR ALSO CREATES AIR QUALITY IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY FOR FOLKS OF COLOR AND OUR COMMUNITY.
AND IT'S NO SURPRISE HERE, I KNOW EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM KNOWS WHAT I 35 ORIGINALLY WAS, AND IT WAS A RED LINE OF SEGREGATION.
UM, AND WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE IT RIGHT AND MAKE IT BETTER.
UM, I WILL SAY THAT TXDOT HAS COME A LONG WAY IN THESE CONVERSATIONS, AND THEY'VE DONE THINGS LIKE MOVING THE ACCESS ROADS CLOSER TOGETHER SO THAT THEY ARE MORE WALKABLE.
UM, UT IS STEPPING UP INTO DOING CAP SMEAR WHERE UT YOU KNOW, OWNS LAND ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HIGHWAY.
AND SO I THINK WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT I'VE JUST HAD THESE BIG QUESTIONS OF, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES OUR REGIONAL AIR QUALITY PLANNING GET ACCOMMODATED THROUGH HIGHWAY DESIGN AS TXDOT MOVES FORWARD WITH SHARP SHARPENING ALL THE PENCILS, UM, AND WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T MISS THE BOAT ON, ON GETTING THIS RIGHT.
SO THE, THE MOTION WILL BE TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION AND SEND IT TO THE FULL COUNCIL.
UM, BUT IT MOSTLY SPEAKS TO ISSUES OF GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS, UM, CARBON REDUCTION EMISSION PLANNING, UM, AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE REGIONAL COLLABORATIONS.
IS THAT A YES, THAT'S BRIEF ENOUGH SYNOPSIS.
THANK YOU MAYOR PRIAM, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR LEADERSHIP IN BRINGING THAT FORWARD.
UM, BOTH YOU AND I SERVE ON CAMPO CAP, THE CAPITAL AREA OF METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE HAD THE CONTRACT, UH, FOR CONSIDERATION ON FUNDING A CARBON REDUCTION, UH, REGIONAL PLAN.
UM, AND IT, IT WAS QUITE A BIG AMOUNT, UH, A FUNDING AMOUNT FOR IT.
I HAD SOME CONCERNS BECAUSE I KNEW THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAD SIMILAR WORK UNDERWAY.
AND SO MY QUESTION TO TXDOT IS, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE KIND OF TWO CARBON REDUCTION EMISSION CARBON EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS PLAN, UH, EFFORTS, YOU KNOW, HAPPENING IN THE AREA BOTH AT THE LOCAL LEVEL AND WITH OUR M P O, HOW ARE Y'ALL TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN IT COMES TO TEXT? OR TO WHAT EXTENT WILL Y'ALL BE COLLABORATING WITH BOTH OF OUR EFFORTS? WELL, IN, IN TERMS OF THE N P O, THE CARBON REDUCTION FUNDING, UH, YOU KNOW, THE N P O DECIDES WHAT PROJECTS TO PUT THAT ON.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL IMPLEMENT WHATEVER IS IS, IS DECIDED ON.
AND, AND YOU ALL HAVE INPUT IN THAT AS WELL.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THAT CATEGORY 10 CARBON REDUCTION FUNDING IS IDENTIFIED BY THE, BY THE LOCALS, I GUESS, MORE SO THE, THE WAY I'M, I AM WANTING TO, TO TALK ABOUT IT IS FROM, IF WE ARE WAITING FOR THAT, THE DATA AND INFORMATION TO COME BACK FROM THE STUDY THAT THE M P O IS FUNDING HERE LOCALLY, WE'LL HAVE OUR PLAN THAT'S UNDERWAY AND WHERE WE'RE GONNA WAIT FOR, FOR THAT INFORMATION TO COME BACK.
YOU KNOW, DOES IT MAKE SENSE FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS EXPANSION PROJECT KNOWING THAT WE DON'T KNOW YET WHAT ALL THE, UM, MITIGATION STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS THAT WE SHOULD BE CONSIDERING THAT WE SHOULD BE INTER INTEGRATING WITH SUCH A PLAN FOR RENOVATION AND, AND EXPANSION.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANY THOUGHTS ON, ON THAT?
[01:25:01]
UM, THE PROJECT, I, I DON'T ANTICIPATE THE PROJECT CHANGING MUCH FROM THE, FROM THE, THE FINDINGS OF THOSE STUDIES.
AND WE CAN IMPLEMENT, WE CAN STILL IMPLEMENT ANYTHING DURING CONSTRUCTION DURING FINAL DESIGN.
AND I, I FEEL LIKE MOVING THE PROJECT FORWARD COULD STILL ALLOW US TO IMPLEMENT THINGS AS IMPLEMENT IDEAS AS THEY COME FORWARD.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE SWITCHING GEARS, UM, THAT WAS ONE POINT OF CONSIDERATION FOR ME.
THE, UM, THE IMPACTS OF THE, OF THE I 35 EXPANSION, UM, WILL BE SIGNIFICANT, PARTICULARLY FOR A CHILDCARE CENTER THAT IS IN THE AREA THAT, UH, WOULD BE, UH, DISPLACED AS A RESULT OF THIS EXPANSION.
UH, AND THE IMPACT WOULD BE 200 FAMILIES THAT ARE CURRENTLY SERVED AT THAT CHILDCARE CENTER.
WE KNOW WE HAVE A CHILDCARE CRISIS IN THIS CITY, AND HOW HARD AND DIFFICULT IT IS TO FIND HIGH QUALITY, RELIABLE CHILDCARE, UM, TO, TO WHAT EXTENT IS, UH, TECH STOCK COORDINATING WITH ENTITIES THAT ARE WITHIN THE AREA THAT WILL HAVE TO BE RELOCATED.
SO WE'VE UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THEM FOR, FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I'VE MET WITH THE DAYCARE, I FEEL LIKE IT WAS A YEAR AND A HALF AGO, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ARE A RENTER AND THE DAY AND UNDERSTANDING AND WHEN MEETING WITH THEM, IT TAKES THEM A LONG TIME TO FIND A DIFFERENT PLACE AND TO, TO RELOCATE.
UH, THE PROPERTY OWNER GETS RELOCATION.
WE DON'T TYPICALLY GIVE RELOCATION ASSISTANCE TO RENTERS, BUT WE HAVE FOR THIS PROJECT.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON RELOCATION ASSISTANCE WITH THEM FOR PROBABLY OVER A YEAR, I WOULD SAY.
AND WE'VE MADE A, WE'VE MADE OFFER TO THE PROPERTY OWNER.
I'M NOT, I, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T CHECK WITH THE TEAM ON WHERE WE ARE WITH THOSE NEGOTIATIONS RIGHT NOW, BUT, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE ARE SPECIAL NEED.
THIS IS WHAT WE DO AT TEXT DOT.
THERE'S, WE HAVE TEAMS THAT DO THIS ON ALL OF OUR PROJECTS.
THERE'S, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN, UH, STANDARDS THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE TAKE.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE DO OFTEN.
IT IS A CHALLENGE FOR THEM TO FIND, TO FIND ANOTHER AREA BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT FINDING AN AREA FOR THEM THAT IS AFFORDABLE, IT'S THAT THEY ARE MEETING A, A NEED FOR THE PARTICULAR AREA THAT THEY'RE IN AND YOU, AND SO THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF FAMILY PLANNING IS HAVING A, A DAYCARE THAT YOU CAN GO TO WITHIN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD OR ON YOUR WAY TO WORK.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST ASK THAT Y'ALL CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AS I KNOW THAT WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER QUESTION I HAVE AROUND CAPS, AND I APPRECIATE THE, UM, THE COMMITMENT ON, ON THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET CAP, UH, YOU KNOW, ASKING THE CITY TO IDENTIFY 730 MILLION BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ASKING US TO IDENTIFY 730 MILLION WITHIN 13 MONTHS, 14 MONTHS, 15 MONTHS.
IT'S, IT IS GONNA BE REALLY CHALLENGING FOR US.
UH, SO ANY ANY COMMENTS YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE ABOUT THAT, THAT DEADLINE, THAT TIMELINE? SO I CAN SHARE, I CAN SHARE WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
SO THOSE PROJECTS, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING THE CONTRACTS FOR THE DESIGN OF THOSE, OF THOSE PROJECTS NOW, UH, SO BY, I SAY NOVEMBER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE CONTRACTS IN PLACE TO START DESIGNING AND WE NEED TO NEED TO KNOW HOW BIG THE COLUMNS ARE.
YOU KNOW, HOW LOW THE ROADWAY GOES IF THERE'S JET FANS.
SO BY NEXT SUMMER, THEY'RE GONNA BE NEARING 30% DESIGN AND THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO KNOW WHAT TO DESIGN.
AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK BACK, THAT NUMBER WAS IDENTIFIED BACK IN AUGUST OF 2021.
UM, AND I BELIEVE U L I KNEW, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THERE WAS CHAMPIONS WERE NEEDED AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE BEEN COMMUNICATING THAT FOR QUITE A LONG TIME.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE, THE STANCE WE HAVE IS, YOU KNOW, OUR PROJECT HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING, LIKE I MENTIONED IN THE HISTORY, DECADES AND DECADES OF, OF, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE IMPLEMENTING WHAT THE STAKEHOLDER WORKING GROUP WANTED US TO DO IN 2014.
AND THAT'S PART OF THE, THE PRO PROJECT IS WE NEED LOCAL ENHAN LOCAL FUNDING FOR ENHANCEMENTS LIKE WE HAVE ALL OVER TEXAS.
WE, WE'VE DONE THE SAME MODEL, UM, IN DALLAS.
I KNOW EL PASO'S LOOKING AT CAPS.
I KNOW DALLAS IS LOOKING AT MORE CAPS AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S, WE CAN LOWER THE HIGHWAY, BUT WE CAN'T PAY FOR THE ADDITIONAL ENHANCEMENTS.
I GUESS WOULD THE AGENCY CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL REGULAT REGULATORY CHANGES TO ALLOW IT SO THAT CITIES HAVE MORE TOOLS AVAILABLE TO BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH THE FUNDING OR SO THAT NPOS HAVE MORE TOOLS
[01:30:01]
AVAILABLE TO FUND SUCH CAP INITIATIVE, ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT EL PASO, DALLAS, AND AUSTIN ARE ALL CONSIDERING IT.SO THE NPOS COULD FUND THE CAPS.
UM, THAT'S BEEN DONE IN, IN, IN DALLAS.
THEY USE THEIR, UH, TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT CREDITS TO USE THEIR CATEGORY OF FUNDING, UM, TO MAKE IT 100% FEDERAL.
'CAUSE WE DON'T PUT STATE MONEY TOWARDS IT.
WE CAN TAKE CONGRESSIONAL GRANTS.
I KNOW THE CLYDE WARREN PARK TOOK SOME RF FUNDING.
WE CAN TAKE CONGRESSIONAL GRANTS, WE CAN TAKE PRIVATE DONATIONS, WE CAN, WE CAN TAKE, YOU KNOW, BOND MONEY.
WE CAN TAKE, WE CAN TAKE A LOT OF MONEY, BUT THAT 4.5 BILLION, THAT IS WHAT WE'VE ALLOCATED TO THE CONSTRUCTION.
AND THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE, OUR ADMINISTRATION HAS BEEN VERY CLEAR, UH, THAT A LOT OF PLACES AROUND TEXAS ARE GONNA BE WANTING THESE LOCAL ENHANCEMENTS, BUT THEY REALLY ARE LOCAL ENHANCEMENTS THAT THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL THAT WE'RE BUILDING $750 MILLION.
THAT IS BECAUSE WE ARE LOWERING THE HIGHWAY.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALREADY PROVIDING A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF OUR CONSTRUCTION FUNDING FOR THIS EIGHT MILES.
IT'S JUST WE'RE NOT ABLE TO SPEND ANOTHER SEVEN TO 30 MILLION OF THE, OF THE MONEY THAT WE USE ON HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION.
I APPRECIATE YOUR FEEDBACK AND I KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT BE CONSIDERED AN ENHANCEMENT, BUT TO ME, THEY SPEAK VOLUMES ABOUT THE PROJECT ITSELF.
YOU KNOW, IT'S ABOUT THE RECONNECTION OF OUR COMMUNITIES AND, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A, A GENERATIONAL PROJECT BEFORE US THAT WE'RE ASKING OUR CITIZENS ARE ASKING OUR RESIDENTS TO, YOU KNOW, TO BEAR WITH YEARS, UH, IF NOT DECADES OF CONSTRUCTION.
IT, YOU KNOW, IT IS INCUMBENT ON US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET IT RIGHT.
AND SO WITH THAT, UM, I YIELD THE FLOOR
I'VE, I'VE ALSO APPROACHED THE QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE GOT GREAT GRANT APPLICATION WRITERS AT THE CITY.
I I WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, OUR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS IS, UM, DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO LEVERAGE OUR LOCAL DOLLARS AS MUCH AS THEY CAN WITH FEDERAL MATCHING DOLLARS.
WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE END UP NOT GETTING THE GRANT FOR THE CESAR CHAVEZ TO FOURTH STREET, UM, APPLICATION? WOULD TXDOT JUST CONTINUE THROUGH WITH THE PROJECT, UM, AND WE COULD NEVER CAP IT AFTER THAT? WHAT WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE IN REAL TIME NOW THAT WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO FINALIZING THOSE PLANS? SO THE GRANT, LIKE I MENTIONED, IS ONE OPTION FOR FUNDING.
THERE'S, THERE'S PRIVATE FUNDING, THERE'S YOU, THERE'S PLENTY OF OPTIONS THAT I BELIEVE THE CITY COULD, COULD LOOK INTO.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF US DELIVERING THE PROJECT, I MEAN, THIS HAS BEEN THE TOP 100 CONGESTED ROADWAY OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS.
IT ALWAYS GETS NUMBER ONE, TWO, OR THREE.
AND THAT FOUR AND A HALF BILLION DOLLARS IS TO ALLEVIATE ONE OF OUR TOP 100 CONGESTED ROADWAYS.
AND I, I DON'T SEE THAT, UH, THAT MOMENTUM CHANGING BECAUSE WE HAVE A, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PROBLEM THAT WE'RE TRYING TO SOLVE IN TERMS OF THE CONGESTION.
AS SOMEONE WHO WAS BORN IN SAN ANTONIO, LIVED IN AUSTIN 15 YEARS AND DID A COUPLE YEARS IN DENTON UP AT U N T, UH, I FEEL LIKE I 35 IS ALWAYS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
THERE'S ALWAYS SOME CONSTRUCTION ZONE SOMEWHERE, UM, ALONG THE WAY TO DO THAT.
I THINK HIGH LEVEL WITH, WITH OUR CITY, UM, I THINK WHAT A LOT OF US ARE STRUGGLING WITH IS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A PLAN FOR RIGHT LIGHT RAIL NOW.
UM, WE'VE GOT MOBILITY BONDS, TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOT GOOD BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO THERE'S NUMBER ONE, THE QUESTION OF CAN BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS BE BUILT AT THE SAME TIME, KNOWING THERE'S ONLY, UM, SO MANY FOLKS IN TOWN THAT ARE EXPERTS AT CONSTRUCTING THESE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS.
UM, AND AT THE SAME TIME, WE'VE GOT ONE PROJECT THAT'S REALLY TRYING TO GET PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR CARS AND TO BE ABLE TO RIDE MORE TRANSIT.
AND ANOTHER ONE THAT PEOPLE HAVE SAID TODAY, THEY'RE FEARING THAT IT'S JUST GONNA CREATE MORE CAR TRAFFIC, INVITE MORE CARS ONTO THE ROADS AND, UM, THE OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL AND AIR QUALITY AND WATER QUALITY ISSUES THAT COME WITH THAT.
UM, I HAVE A QUESTION ON THAT TOPIC, SO I'LL JUST JUMP INTO IT.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE, UM, YOU CALLED THEM LIFE, HEALTH, LIFE FIRE, SAFETY, VENTILATION.
CAN YOU TELL ME HOW EXACTLY THAT VENTILATION WORKS AND WHAT, UM, WHAT DOES IT FILTER OUT? IS IT PARTICULATE MATTER? IS IT CAR EXHAUST? ALL OF THE ABOVE.
YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT EXACTLY DO THOSE SYSTEMS DO? SO THOSE SYSTEMS ARE, IF A FIRE HAPPENS IN THE TUNNEL, THO THOSE ARE FOR, UH, EMERGENCY SITUATIONS.
SO IF THERE WAS A FIRE, SO WE'RE WORKING WITH AUSTIN FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE'RE WORKING WITH OUR DALLAS PARTNERS THAT HAVE BUILT THESE IN THE PAST.
THERE'S BEEN A, THE MOST RECENT THAT I LIKE TO LOOK AT, YOU CAN GOOGLE THE CENTRAL 70 IN DENVER.
THEY JUST RECENTLY BUILT A VERY SIMILAR TYPE SYSTEM.
[01:35:01]
YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE MET WITH THEM.I KNOW JOE'S MET WITH THEM ON, ON THEIR, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY, UH, DESIGNED FOR THEIR DRAINAGE.
BUT THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT'S MOST RECENT.
CLY DOOR AND PARKWAY WAS, WAS BEFORE THE FIRE CODE CHANGED TO WHAT IT IS TODAY.
AND EVEN SOUTHERN GATEWAY DURING THE DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT, IT'S, IT'S EVEN INCREASED SINCE THEN.
THERE ARE TUNNEL SUPPORT BUILDINGS.
THERE ARE, IT'S, THERE'S A, A DELUGE SYSTEM TO WHERE IF THERE'S A FIRE, THE, THERE'S HAZARDS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, UM, IT COMES FROM THE CEILING AND IT, IT SUPPRESSES THE FIRE AND THEN YOU HAVE TO CONTAIN THAT THERE'S REGULAR INSPECTIONS THAT HAPPEN.
BUT ALL OF THAT IS FOR, FOR FIRE AND EGRESS.
AND THERE'S ACTUALLY WHERE WE CAN FIT IT.
MOST OF THE PROJECT, WE'RE HAVING A PRESSURIZED, UH, CHAMBER IN THE MIDDLE TO WHERE THERE'S, UH, TO WHERE YOU COULD EGRESS INTO THAT, THAT SIDEWALK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE, THE MAIN LANES.
AND THAT'S JUST FOR EMERGENCIES.
ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE WHAT ISN'T INCLUDED IN THAT AND, AND THE MONEY THAT WE WOULD NEED BECAUSE WE WOULDN'T BE BUILDING THAT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE CAPS.
SO NONE OF IT'S ABOUT AMBIENT AIR BREATHABILITY? NO, THE CAPS PROBABLY AREN'T BIG ENOUGH TO, UM, HOLD ONTO THE CAR EXHAUST.
SO IF SOMEONE, THEIR CAR BROKE DOWN, THEY HAD TO GET OUT AND WALK A BIT, THERE'S, THE CAPS AREN'T ACTUALLY LONG ENOUGH TO HOLD THE AIR IN.
'CAUSE WE KNOW WE DON'T WANNA BREATHE CAR EXHAUST.
I KNOW YOU HAD SOME LOOKING AT, UH, SLIDE 23, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SHOWING THE, THE $107 MILLION FOR THE AIRPORT BOULEVARD CAB, AND THAT'S FROM AIRPORT TWO.
AGAIN, A LITTLE PAST, UH, I DON'T REMEMBER THE EXACT, UH, ENDING OF IT.
UH, AND OF COURSE THE DOWNTOWN CAP WOULD BE THE CESA CHAVEZ THROUGH FOURTH STREET.
UH, IS, IS WHAT I'M, UH, IMAGINING.
UM, SO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD CAPS, WHICH, WHICH ONES ARE THOSE, WHAT AREAS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ON THOSE? SO THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS CAPS ARE, UH, THE ONES THAT ARE THERE FROM, UH, NORTH AND SOUTH OF M L K.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S A CAP BETWEEN DEAN KEATON AND M L K.
IT'S A REAL SMALL SLIVER RIGHT THERE BY THE, BY THE PRACTICE FIELDS MM-HMM.
AND THEN FROM MAYNARD, UH, I'M SORRY, FROM MAYNARD TO DEAN KEATON.
AND THEN FROM MAYNARD TO M L K, THERE'S ANOTHER CAP, AND THEN THERE'S A CAP FROM M L K TO 15TH.
AND SO THE, THE CAPS FROM, AND I GUESS THE, THE QUESTION IS WHICH PORTION OF THIS, IF ANY, IS THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS PAYING? I BELIEVE THE ONES THAT I PUT IN THE PRESENTATION WERE SPECIFICALLY THE CITY CAPS.
BECAUSE I, I WAS JUST ASKING BECAUSE THE, THE LAND, MY UNDERSTANDING KIND OF, OF THE LAND THERE, YOU KNOW, AROUND, UH, UH, MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
FROM THERE TO 15TH, I THOUGHT THAT WAS PART, AND THEN ALSO FROM MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.
NORTH OVER TO DEAN KEATON, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS THAT THOSE WERE THE, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS THAT WAS, UH, YOU KNOW, ASKING FOR AND PAYING FOR THOSE CAPS.
BUT I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE SHEET, THAT'S WHERE I'M, I'M, I'M KIND OF LIKE, DO WE NEED THOSE $730 MILLION? OR IS THAT INCLUDING OTHER PORTIONS OF CAPS THAT, BECAUSE IF, IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE PAYING FOR ALL THESE, WHICH ONES IS UT PAYING FOR? SO I NEED TO LOOK BACK AT THAT.
I ACTUALLY TOOK THAT, THAT FROM A, A JOINT LETTER WE'RE WORKING ON, UH, WITH THE CITY RIGHT NOW.
UH, I DIDN'T LOOK AT IT TOO CLOSELY, BUT, UM, THE, WE CAN LOOK BACK AT IT.
WE, WE HAVE, IT'S BASED ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE OF THE CAP MM-HMM.
UM, AND IN TERMS OF, AND I KNOW THESE ARE ISSUES THAT ARE GONNA HAVE TO BE, UH, IRONED OUT.
THERE MAY BE OPEN QUESTIONS, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, IN TERMS OF THE CAPACITY OF THE BUILDINGS THAT A CAP COULD, UH, HOLD, UH, DO YOU KNOW WHERE WE ARE ON THAT? AGAIN, I KNOW THE CITY HAS CONSULTANTS THAT ARE LOOKING AT THAT RIGHT NOW, AND WE SHOULD BE GETTING INFORMATION, BUT DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING KIND OF TO ADD OR THAT, ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT? SO THE DESIGNERS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING UNDER CONTRACT RIGHT NOW.
THEY CAN, THEY CAN LOOK AT WHAT, HOW HEAVY OF A LOAD CAN TAKE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DIFFERENT AREAS, LIKE I MENTIONED IN THAT PICTURE, THE FOUNDATIONS WOULD NEED
[01:40:01]
A BIT GET BIGGER.UH, REALLY WE'RE TRYING TO REMOVE THE VISUAL BARRIER.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO, AS MUCH AS WE CAN NOT BUILD UP THAT VISUAL BARRIER THAT I 35 HAS ALWAYS BEEN MM-HMM.
NOW, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT SOUTHERN GATE, I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT CLYDE WARREN PARK, UH, IT'S GOT ONE STORY BUILDINGS, TWO STORY BUILDINGS, AND WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN SAYING THAT WE, WE COULD PROBABLY, UM, ACCEPT THAT THAT LOADING, BUT OUR DESIGNERS ARE GONNA START.
EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING NOW IS PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.
UM, BUT WE'RE GONNA START OUR DETAILED DESIGN FOR CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS.
AND ONCE WE GET TO THE, WE'RE GONNA IN THE SPRING START PRETTY HEAVILY DOING DETAILED DESIGN ON THAT.
AND THAT'S WHEN WE CAN TELL IN THE AREAS WHAT IF WE HAVE MORE HORIZONTAL SPACE WIDTH TO, TO PUT WIDER FOUNDATIONS.
AND AGAIN, UM, THIS IS JUST FROM VARIOUS CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE BEEN HAVING WITH, WITH NUMEROUS FOLKS AROUND THIS.
UH, I AGREE THAT WE DON'T WANT, FOR EXAMPLE, NORTHWEST KIND OF TO RECREATE KIND OF THIS BARRIER BETWEEN, UH, RUNNING NORTHWEST SO THAT THERE'S KIND OF THE, AGAIN, AN EAST WEST, BOTH VISUAL AND MOBILITY BARRIER THAT SAID, FOR EXAMPLE, ALONG LIKE SIXTH STREET OR, UH, YOU KNOW, 11TH AND 12TH STREETS, UH, IS THERE THE OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE A CONTIGUOUS STREET THROUGH THAT WITH BUILDINGS ON THE CAPS SO THAT, FOR EXAMPLE, CROSSING FROM, YOU KNOW, E SIX TO WEST SIX FROM, UH, ACROSS 35, WOULD THERE BE JUST KIND OF A PEDESTRIAN AVENUE THERE WITH BUILDINGS ON EITHER SIDE OF IT? A AGAIN, WE'RE JUST KIND OF GOING THROUGH SOME OF THESE, UH, THOUGHT EXERCISES, ALSO LOOKING AT IT DOWN THE ROAD, POTENTIAL TAX REVENUES, UH, IF THERE WERE IMPROVEMENTS MADE, UH, ONTO THOSE BUILDINGS.
AND THOSE, AGAIN, I KNOW THAT THIS IS BEYOND THE SCOPE OF NECESSARILY WHAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW AND BUILDING IT AND PLANNING FOR IT.
BUT AGAIN, CAN WE GENERATE, UH, LOCAL PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, UH, NOT JUST FOR THE CITY, BUT YOU KNOW, FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, FOR THE STATE, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT? AGAIN, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA DO THIS RIGHT OUT THE GATE, BUT LOOKING FORWARD, UH, I, I THINK THERE ARE A NUMBER OF POSSIBILITIES, UH, ALL KIND OF CONTINGENT ON THE STRENGTH OF THE CAPS IN OUR ABILITY TO, UH, YOU KNOW, TO, TO DO THINGS, UH, ON THEM.
YOU KNOW, OTHER THAN, UH, UH, PARKS, AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S GREAT OPPORTUNITIES, UH, FOR PARKS FOR KIND OF PUBLIC AREAS LIKE THAT.
BUT THERE MAY BE ALSO SELECT OPPORTUNITIES FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, ADDITIONAL, UH, BUILDINGS PROVIDING, AGAIN, A, A A NUMBER OF, UH, UH, OF DIFFERENT, UH, YOU KNOW, SERVICES, HOUSING, YOU KNOW, COMMERCIAL ACTIVITIES, PUBLIC ACTIVITIES, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
NOW I CAN TELL YOU SOUTHERN, UH, SORRY, CLYDE WARREN, I KEEP CONFUSING THEM.
SO CLYDE WARREN RECENTLY, I MEAN, WHEN THEY DESIGNED IT, THEY HAD PLANNED ON A, A WATER FEATURE.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A WATER FOUNTAIN THAT IS LIKE THE BELLAGIO AND IT, AND IT REACTS TO MUSIC AND IT, THEY, THEY ANTICIPATED THAT LOAD WHEN THEY BUILT IT MM-HMM.
DO WE NEED THAT TO KNOW THAT LOADING NEXT SUMMER? YES.
SO WE CAN HELP, OUR DESIGNERS CAN HELP WHAT'S POSSIBLE MM-HMM.
UH, WE'RE GONNA REFINE THE ESTIMATES AS WE GET FURTHER IN A DETAILED DESIGN.
THAT DATE OF DECEMBER OF 24 IS WHEN WE NEED THE FUNDING THE SOURCE IDENTIFIED.
SO BY NEXT YEAR THEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ESSENTIALLY, UM, A PLAN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, MAYBE MORE THAN A PLAN, UH, A PLAN THAT'S ALREADY KIND OF MOVING IN, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FEDERAL GRANT APPLICATION.
PART OF THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT POTENTIALLY A TIFF OR A TERRORIST OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AS PART OF IT.
OBVIOUSLY WE COULD DO, YOU KNOW, A GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS OR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN THE MIX.
UM, BUT AGAIN, JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE THAT $600 MILLION, UH, COME DECEMBER OF 24, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE IT IDENTIFIED.
WE NEED TO HAVE IT IDENTIFIED AND WE WOULD ENTER INTO AN, A FUNDING AGREEMENT LIKE WE HAVE, UM, VERY OFTEN WITH THE CITY IN TERMS OF IDENTIFYING THAT.
'CAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE US THE ASSURANCE TO, TO CONTINUE WITH THE FINAL DESIGNS OF, OF THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY IN OUR CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT.
AND THEN WITH REGARD TO THE, AND I KNOW YOU WERE SAYING THAT YOU'RE GONNA, UH, YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE 11TH AND 12TH STREET, UH, UH, CAP, UH, DESIGNS AND WHAT WE CAN DO IN THERE TO, AGAIN, PUT A MORE KIND OF A SOLID CONTIGUOUS CAP THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVE IN KIND OF RECONNECTING EL 11TH AND 12TH ACROSS, UH, I 35, UH, IN THAT DISCUSSION.
I, I KNOW THAT, THAT THERE'S THE, THE MANAGED LANES ARE GONNA BE COMING UP IN AND AROUND THAT AREA.
ARE THE MANAGED LANES GOING TO BE COMING, UH, UP TO THE SURFACE, UH,
[01:45:01]
AROUND THAT AREA? THAT'S RIGHT.UH, THERE'S A, WE KIND OF CALL IT THE RELIEF VAL VALVE.
UM, FOR ANYONE DOWNTOWN WANTING TO GO NORTHBOUND ON I 35, THERE IS A RAMP THAT COMES OFF, UM, AROUND EIGHTH STREET AND, AND THEN TIES DIRECTLY INTO THE MAIN LANES.
AND WE'RE LOOKING AT RECONFIGURING THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW HOW IT'S REALLY THE, THE VERTICAL CLEARANCE OF GOING 10 FOOT DEEPER FOR THE JET VANS.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT, AT OPTIONS OF MAKING THOSE VERTICAL CLEARANCES WORK.
SO, UM, I'M HOPEFUL WE CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSING IN ON SOME, SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL GET THAT, UM, PRESENTED.
I MEAN, WE COMMITTED TO OUR FUTURE 35, UM, I THINK LAST WEEK TO AT LEAST PROVIDE THOSE BY JANUARY.
BUT I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO BEAT THAT.
AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE, 'CAUSE THE CAPS WERE PROPOSED ALSO THROUGH EIGHTH STREET, RIGHT? IT WAS LIKE FROM ESA CHAVE TO FOURTH, AND THEN THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL CAP FROM MORE OR LESS FIFTH TO EIGHTH, I BELIEVE.
AND DO, DO, DO WE KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, UH, WE WANT TO GET THOSE 11TH TO 12TH STREET CAPS DONE, BUT HOW WILL THAT MOVE AROUND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE OTHER CAPS AND DO WE HAVE ANY SENSE OF THAT? IT, IT JUST ALL DEPENDS.
THE, THE VERTICAL CLEARANCE OF THE ADDITIONAL SEVEN TO 10 FEET THAT WE, THAT WE NEED FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE FANS, YOU KNOW, IS IT THE, IS IT THE, THE RAMP THAT IS THE CONTROLLING VERTICAL? IS IT THE, THE JET FANS UNDER EIGHTH STREET? IS IT THE JET FANS UNDER SEVENTH STREET? SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
IF WE WERE TO ADD JET FANS UNDER 11TH AND 12TH, YOU KNOW, HOW DOES THE VERTICAL PROFILE AND THE, THE VERTICAL, 'CAUSE WE DON'T TYPICALLY GO OVER LIKE A 4% GRADE ON, ON A, ON A, YOU KNOW, MAIN LANES WHERE, WHERE WE HAVE, WHERE WE HAVE THE MAIN LANE TRAFFIC.
UM, AND THEN SWITCHING GEARS, AND I'M SORRY, THIS IS MY LAST QUESTION IN A CHAIR.
UM, THE, UH, THE SITUATION THERE BETWEEN OVERSIGHT, UH, OLD TORF AND RIVERSIDE, WE'VE COMBINED THE TWO STREETS, UH, IS IT WOODLAND RIGHT THERE? UH, I KNOW THAT IS THE FIRST PORTION THAT IS GONNA BE GOING TO, UH, CONSTRUCTION ON THE, ON THE CURRENT, UH, SCHEDULE.
UM, THERE HAS BEEN TALK OF LIKE, YOU KNOW, A STITCH.
I KNOW I'VE SEEN THE, THE, WHAT IS THE STATUS OF, OF, OF THAT STITCH, UH, IN PARTICULAR, OR THE PLAN TO KIND OF MAINTAIN A PEDESTRIAN AND, AND BY CONNECTIVITY AT THE VERY LEAST, UH, ALONG, UH, UH, WOODLAND, THOSE DESIGNS ARE ADVANCING.
AND, AND WE ARE WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH THE DESIGNERS THAT ARE ON YOUR TEAM.
AND AS YOU MENTIONED, THAT'S GOING TO CONSTRUCTION IN APRIL.
AND SO I BELIEVE THAT FUNDING FOR UTILITIES AND FUNDING FOR THE WOODLAND STITCH ARE COMING TO YOU TO COUNCIL IN OCTOBER.
AND IS THE WOODLAND STITCH SOMETHING THAT THE CITY WOULD PAY FOR, OR IS THAT SOMETHING THAT TEXTILE WOULD PAY FOR? SO OUR BASE DESIGN, IF YOU WILL, HAS A 70, ABOUT 70 FOOT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE.
BECAUSE THAT'S ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING ON THE ROADWAYS THAT HAVE, HAVE, HAVE THE CAR TRAFFIC.
AND SO WE, WE JUST KIND OF SAID, OKAY, WE'LL, WE'LL DO A, TYPICALLY WE DO LIKE A 14 FOOT PEDESTRIAN BRIDGE, BUT WE'VE EXTENDED THAT TO ABOUT 70 FEET AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL, AND, AND WE CAN ONLY GO TO 300 FEET ON, UM, ON WOODLAND SIMILAR TO THE, BECAUSE IT WOULD NOT REQUIRE THE JET FANS.
AND SO, UM, IT'S ACTUALLY A PRETTY, IT'S PROGRESSING WELL, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT WHEN THEY COME TO COUNCIL FOR THE MONEY NEXT MONTH, THEY'D BE ABLE TO SHOW YOU SOME OF THE RENDERINGS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT, BUT IT'S THE ADDITIONAL WIDTH THAT WOULD TAKE IT UP TO 300 FEET.
UH, SO THEN AGAIN, JUST TO, TO RESTATE, Y'ALL ARE GONNA PUT IN THAT 70 FOOT WIDE PEDESTRIAN BICYCLE CONNECTION REGARDLESS IF WE WANTED TO DO MORE THERE ALONG WOODLAND, UH, WE COULD, UH, PAY FOR A STITCH THAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE AS, UH, WIDE AS 300 FEET? CORRECT.
AND, AND I MEAN, WE ARE, WE ARE DESIGNING THE 300 FEET, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, WE'RE GONNA CONSTRUCTION IN APRIL, SO UM, BY JANUARY OUR CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS WILL BE COMPLETE AND WE'RE ANTICIPATING THE WOODLAND STITCH.
UM, DO YOU KNOW OF, UH, UH, AND THE CITY STAFF MAY KNOW WHAT IS THE COST OF THE WOODLAND STITCH? SO THE ADDITIONAL WIDTH THAT WOULD BE NEEDED BY THE CITY IS ABOUT 12 TO 14 MILLION.
SO I THINK THERE'S A KIND OF A BUDGET OF ABOUT 15.
AND THAT'S WHAT I SAID THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ESTIMATE UNTIL WE GET THE CONSTRUCTION BIDS AND THEN WE WOULD, WE WOULD REALLY KNOW AT THAT POINT.
BUT THAT'S OUR ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW.
I JUST HAVE A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT CHAIR.
[01:50:01]
UPDATING OUR TIP, OUR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENT PLAN WITH AN AMENDMENT TO COVER THE WOODLAND STITCH AT A $9.5 MILLION FUNDING.UH, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, YOU KNOW, THAT'S AN AREA WHERE, AND THERE WAS A ROAD, THERE'S A PERFECTLY FUNCTIONING, YOU KNOW, ROAD RIGHT THERE AND IT'S GOING AWAY.
AND THAT'S ONE AREA IN PARTICULAR.
AGAIN, TO BE FRANK, I THINK THAT THE STATE SHOULD BE AT THE VERY LEAST, KIND OF PARTNERING THIS WITH ON SOME OF THESE, UH, UH, COSTS FOR THE STITCHES.
I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN THE CAPS, YOU KNOW, I, I WISH WE COULD SHARE MORE, UH, OF THE EXPENSES WITH THE STATE.
BE THAT AS MAN, I KNOW THAT'S ABOVE YOUR PAY GRADE AND, UH, UH, ABOVE MINE AS, UH, AS WELL, UH, ALONG WOODLAND IN PARTICULAR, I DO FEEL THAT THE STATE HAS MORE OF AN OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN THAT EAST-WEST CONNECTIVITY GIVEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A, A, A PATH THERE AND IT'S NOT.
SO, UH, I I, I THINK THAT'S A VERY APPROPRIATE, UH, STEP FOR, UH, FOR, FOR CAMPO.
'CAUSE I WAS GONNA JUMP IN AS WELL AND WANTED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR, OUR PLANS ARE AND WE CAN, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH OUR TEAM INTERNALLY, BUT, UM, WOULD NOT BE SUPPORTIVE OF US HAVING TO REALLOCATE VOTER APPROVED MOBILITY BONDS THAT ARE ALREADY OUT THERE AND ALREADY IN THEIR PLANNING PHASES.
AND SO IF CAMPO, IF WE ON CAMPO CAN, CAN GET IN THERE AND HELP MAKE SURE THAT THE STATE IS ADDRESSING THAT NEED, I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
'CAUSE IT IS A CROSSING RIGHT NOW.
IT NEEDS TO CONTINUE BEING A CROSSING.
BUT, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'VE FOUND THE RIGHT, UH, POT OF MONEY FOR THESE THINGS TO BE COMING OUT OF.
UM, ON THAT NOTE, IF THERE'S NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE RESOLUTION SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES THERE ANY DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF APPROVING THE RESOLUTION, SAY AYE.
THAT'S THE THREE OF US ON THE DAAS COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY HAS HAD TO STEP OFF AND COUNCIL MEMBER VELA IS JOINING US IN A EX OFFICIO CAPACITY TODAY.
UM, AND WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I I THINK THAT DOES OUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND TALKING US THROUGH THIS.
[4. Identify items to discuss at future meetings.]
IDENTIFYING FUTURE ITEMS. RIGHT NOW, OUR DISCUSSION FOR THE OCTOBER MEETING, WHICH I WILL SAY I THINK WE'RE TRYING TO FIND A NEW DATE FOR THAT.SO WE'LL KEEP YOU POSTED AS, AS WE WERE ABLE TO WORK THROUGH SCHEDULING THAT.
UM, WE WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP A CONVERSATION AROUND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
I KNOW THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE POSTED ONLINE ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE AS THE PERSON WHO REPRESENTS THE DOWNTOWN AND UT AREA.
I KNOW YOU'VE HAD, UM, SOME INTERACTIONS WITH YOUR CONSTITUENTS ABOUT THIS CONVERSATION.
SO I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE A REALLY INFORMATIVE AND ROBUST DISCUSSION.
UM, THEN WE'VE GOT AUSTIN ENERGY E-BIKE INCENTIVE PROGRAM UPDATES, SEEING HOW THOSE RIS THOSE INCREASES IN E-BIKE REBATES ARE PERFORMING AND POTENTIALLY MOBILITY BOND UPDATES FOR 2016 AND 2020.
AND THEN IN NOVEMBER, WE'RE LOOKING AT THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE UPDATE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM AND ADOPTING OUR CALENDAR FOR 2024.
YES, IT'S ALREADY THAT TIME OF YEAR.
UM, AND THEN LATER ON DOWN THE ROAD, WE WOULD LIKE TO TAKE UP FLEET ELECTRIFICATION UPDATE AND INCORPORATE NOT JUST OUR CITY FLEET IN THE CONVERSATION, BUT A I S D AND CAT METRO AS OTHER FOLKS THAT HAVE FLEET ELECTRIFICATION PLANS AS WELL.
SO IF THERE'S ANY OTHER IDEAS PEOPLE WANNA SHARE, YOU CAN RAISE THEM NOW.
YOU CAN SEND ME AN EMAIL, UM, LET ME KNOW IN THE HALLWAY WHATEVER YOUR, YOUR PREFERENCE IS.
SORRY, I WAS JUST GONNA MAKE A QUICK COMMENT ABOUT, UH, THE OCTOBER MEETING.
UH, I, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT THE ROBOT CARS, I'LL CALL THEM ROBOT CARS.
THEY'VE BEEN, UH, THEY'VE BEEN A NUISANCE AND, AND IT'S BEEN A MESS, UNFORTUNATELY, IN A LOT OF PARTS OF DOWNTOWN AND WEST CAMPUS.
SO I APPRECIATE OUR CONSTITUENTS FOR REACHING OUT TO US.
I HOPE TO CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO US.
AND I DO APPRECIATE, UH, CREWS FOR HAVING A MEETING WITH ME IN MY OFFICE.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE GETTING WAYMO AND, AND VOLKSWAGEN ARE ALSO GONNA BE PUTTING THEIR MESSES IN OUR CITY SOON.
UM, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE WE CAN'T REGULATE THESE MESSES, BUT I THINK HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, WORKING WITH, UH, THESE COMPANIES AND ALSO, UH, KIND OF, UH, RAISING THE ALARM BELLS WITH OUR STATE ALLEGATIONS REALLY IMPORTANT.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OCTOBER MEETING, UH, AND I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO JUST SAY ONCE AGAIN, UH, A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO COUNCIL MEMBERS FUENTES VELA AND HARPER MADISON.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW THREE, THREE AMAZING PEOPLE WERE ALL BORN ON THE SAME DAY, BUT IT HAPPENED.
THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING, THERE'S SOMETHING GOING ON THAT THEY'RE ALL BORN ON THE SAME DAY.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR CANDOR ON THOSE TOPICS.
UM, I, I AGREE ALSO THAT IF THERE'S ISSUES WHERE, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL IS BEING ASKED TO REGULATE SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T HAVE MUCH POWER TO REGULATE, UM, WE HOPE THAT THE, THE STATE AND OUR STATE OFFICIALS AND STATE TRANSPORTATION PLANNERS AND OTHER REGULATORY AGENCIES CAN WORK WITH US AND UNDERSTAND THAT OUR, OUR TRAFFIC ENGINEERS KNOW,
[01:55:01]
YOU KNOW, EVERY SECTION OF EVERY CURB AND EVERY RAMP AND EVERY STREET IN OUR CITY.AND I HOPE THAT, UM, WE'VE GOT STATE ASSISTANCE IN TRYING TO NAVIGATE THIS CONVERSATION.
I'VE SAID THIS MULTIPLE TIMES IN MY YEARS DOING THIS WORK, BUT IT'S THE BLESSING AND THE CURSE OF BEING A PLACE OF INNOVATION IS THAT SOMETIMES YOU END UP WITH TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE IN THE PUBLIC.
AND, UM, AND THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS AROUND REGULATIONS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND JUST TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE ALL WORKING TOWARD THE SAME GOAL.
SO ON THAT NOTE, IT IS 2:59 PM AND I WILL ADJOURN THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING.