[00:00:02]
WAKE EVERYBODY UP OVER, OVER IN OUR IT SECTION.
ALL RIGHT, WE HAVE A QUORUM AND WE HAVE ONE VOTING MEMBER ONLINE.
THAT'S GONNA BECOME IMPORTANT HERE IN A, A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA LOSE THIS FINE COMMISSIONER TO ANOTHER MEETING.
SO I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER.
[CALL TO ORDER]
UH, WELCOME TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION'S OCTOBER 18TH, 2023 MEETING.IT IS WHAT TIME? 5:31 PM AND WE ARE IN ORDER.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS TO CALL THE BOARD, UH, OR WOULD YOU BE KIND ENOUGH TO CALL ROLE FOR ME? AND IF THERE ARE ANY VOTING MEMBERS PRESENT, UH, ON THE JUMBOTRON OR ON THE JUMBOTRON, UH, ELECTRONIC.
IF YOU COULD, IF YOU COULD SHOW YOUR BEAUTIFUL FACE FOR A LITTLE BIT, UM, AS WE VOTE, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME.
THAT'S A HEALTHY REMINDER THOUGH, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE COMMISSIONERS WHO ARE, UH, ATTENDING ONLINE AT ALL TIMES.
YOU MUST KEEP YOUR CAMERAS ON TO BE COUNTED AND PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER? HERE.
THAT WAS, UH, AND ONE VACANCY.
DO WE HAVE ANY EXCUSED ABSENCES TODAY? NONE.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM THE PUBLIC WHO'S REGISTERED TO SPEAK? WE DO NOT.
I'M DELIGHTED TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A VERY BUSY AGENDA TODAY AND, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM AND, UH, WE HAVE OUR PRESENTEES AND ATTENDANCE.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM OF BUSINESS IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission September 20, 2023 meeting]
HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES? ARE THERE ANY CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS? DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE? I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
UM, BEFORE WE GET GOING ON DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, I'D LIKE CHRISTINE TO COME UP AND ADDRESS.
WE'VE HAD CHANGES TO THE FORMATTING OVER THE YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UH, AND THOSE ARE DIRECTIVES COME FROM THE CITY CLERK'S OFFICE.
UH, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION OVER THE CHANGE, UH, TO OUR FORMAT.
AND CHRISTINE, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND JUST GIVING US A COUPLE OF MINUTES, UH, ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
AND IT IS, WE APOLOGIZE FOR THE CONFUSION AND WE DIDN'T JUST, WE AREN'T JUST CONFUSING YOU, WE'RE ALSO CONFUSING THE PUBLIC IN HOW WE'RE POSTING STUFF.
AND I THINK WHAT THE, WHAT THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS TRYING TO DO IN MUCH GREATER STRICT SCRUTINY IS, UH, TEXAS OPEN MEETING ACT COMPLIANCE AND THE OVERALL ARCHING CHANGES THAT UNDERPIN HOW WE ARE TRYING TO POSE DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS, AS WELL AS, UH, BRIEFINGS FROM OTHER COMMISSIONERS, WHICH HAVE BEEN THE, UH, UH, I THINK THE SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES, AT LEAST IN THIS AGENDA.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE WE KEEP LEARNING EVERY SINGLE MONTH.
SO I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE HAVE A A A A FULL UNDERSTANDING, AS IS A WORK IN PROGRESS FOR OUR UNDERSTANDING WITH THE CLERK'S OFFICE, IS THAT WE NEED TO INDICATE WHENEVER WE POST WHAT WITH AS MUCH SPECIFICITY AS POSSIBLE, WHAT ACTION THE COMMISSION MIGHT TAKE AT ANY GIVEN COMMISSION MEETINGS.
[00:05:01]
OF THE MATTER IS HOW WILL YOU KNOW WHAT RECOMMENDATION YOU MIGHT MAKE WITHOUT HAVING A PRESENTATION AND KNOWING THE INFORMATION? AND THAT'S THE CHALLENGE.AND SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE DID, AND, UM, PROBABLY NOT AS SUCCESSFULLY AS STAFF COULD DO IT, IS THAT GIVEN TO GIVE THE COMMISSION LATITUDE TO ACTUALLY, ONCE, UH, A PRESENTATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE HEARING TODAY IS POSTED TO INDICATE TO THE PUBLIC THAT Y'ALL MIGHT BE TAKING ACTION.
AND THERE'S NO RECOMMENDATION THAT'S BEEN AUTHORED AS BACKUP.
'CAUSE YOU'RE JUST HEARING THE INFORMATION.
SO I, I DO WANT TO SAY ON EACH OF THESE, IT SAYS, TAKE ACTION ON A RECOMMENDATION.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A RECOMMENDATION.
AND YOU MIGHT NOT EVEN THINK IT WISE, BUT WE HAD TO SIGNAL, OR WE CHOSE TO SIGNAL WITH THIS LANGUAGE THAT THE COMMISSION MIGHT CHOOSE TO.
AND THAT DOESN'T HAVE, I MEAN, THAT'S STILL NOT GIVING THE ASSURANCE THAT YOU WILL OR YOU WILL NOT.
AND IT, AND IT, IT IS CONFUSING LANGUAGE.
SO I WILL SAY I AP WE APOLOGIZE, BUT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE TOMA REQUIREMENTS WITH THE CLERKS.
ONE OTHER THING JUST TO, AND I SEE, UH, THE HAND OF COMMISSIONER WEAVER, AND I THOUGHT I SAW COMMISSIONER MOOC'S HAND UP, BUT I, BUT I, BUT I DO WANNA SAY FOR THE REPORT OUTS FOR THOSE COMMISSIONERS WHO, UH, SIT ON ANOTHER, UH, COMMISSION AGAIN, AS PART OF THE ISSUE IS WE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO INDICATE TO THE PUBLIC WHAT YOU'RE GONNA REPORT OUT ON.
SO FOR THIS, UH, AGENDA, WE, WE ARE ASSUMING YOU'RE GONNA REPORT OUT ON YOUR LAST, ON WHATEVER HAPPENED AT YOUR LAST COMMISSION.
GOOD, BAD, RIGHT OR WRONG, THAT'S WHAT WE POSTED FOR BACKUP.
BUT JUST GOING FORWARD, IF THAT IS NOT THE PLAN IS, IF THAT IS NOT WHAT YOU WOULD SEEK TO WANT TO REPORT OUT ON AT THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING AND YOU WANNA REPORT OUT ON SOMETHING ELSE, PLEASE, WE, WE NEED TO KNOW, UH, SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT LANGUAGE IN THERE.
OTHER, OR IF YOU DON'T WANNA REPORT OUT ON ANYTHING, LIKE IF YOUR COMMISSION DIDN'T HAPPEN, LIKE IF YOUR COMMISSION MEETING DIDN'T HAPPEN BETWEEN THIS MEETING AND THE NEXT TIME WE MEET, THEN WE WOULD JUST NOT HAVE YOU LISTED, NOT HAVE THAT COMMISSION LISTED OUT.
SO I KNOW THIS IS CONFUSING, WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT.
HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AND, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR GRACE AND I APPRECIATE THE GRACE FROM THE PUBLIC.
DO WE HAVE ANYBODY FROM THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT WHO MIGHT BE HERE THAT MIGHT WANNA ADDRESS TOMA? THERE IS NO ONE.
BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS BACK AND WORK WITH THE CLERK AND THE LAW OFFICE, UH, TO, TO WORK THIS OUT.
AS I SAW PEOPLE FILTERING IN, I THOUGHT THERE MIGHT BE SOMEBODY HERE ON THAT SUBJECT.
SO, UH, AT ANY RATE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH AGAIN TO, UM, TO UNDERSCORE THE COMMISSION MEMBERS, BECAUSE THE LA OF THE POSTING LANGUAGE, WE ARE NOT REQUIRED TO TAKE ANY ACTION.
IT'S JUST THERE AS A PLACEHOLDER.
AND I SUSPECT THAT WE'LL SEE CHANGES IN THE MONTH, MONTHS TO COME.
ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? YES.
UH, THANK YOU CHRISTINE FOR THE UPDATE.
UM, AND THIS IS A NUANCED QUESTION.
I THINK IN THE PAST I'VE SEEN THE LANGUAGE USED DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION, UM, AS OPPOSED TO THE CURRENT LANGUAGE, WHICH IS APPROVE IS ARE WE, ARE WE TRENDING TOWARD APPROVE NOW INSTEAD OF, OF DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION? WE TRIED TO, WE TRIED TO PASS THAT LANGUAGE THROUGH AND IT DID NOT PASS MUSTER.
OKAY, NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN WE JUST CAN'T KEEP RUNNING AT THE SAME WALL.
AND EVENTUALLY THAT WALL'S GONNA GONNA COME DOWN.
SO, OKAY, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT.
THE LANGUAGE THERE IS NOT, UH, OPTIMAL OR IDEA BECAUSE IT SIGNALS THAT THE COMMISSION MIGHT AND YOU JUST MIGHT NOT.
SO, UM, IF THERE, IF THERE IS, UH, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, IF THERE IS AN EARLY INDICATION THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA TAKE RECOMMENDATIONS ON A THING IN THE FUTURE, WE CAN, WE CAN USE THAT AS THE THING.
UH, AGAIN, IT'S NOT IDEAL, BUT, BUT THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA KEEP RUNNING AT THIS.
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA KEEP, KEEP WORKING AT IT.
SO ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS IS IF YOU LEAVE TODAY'S MEETING WITH A RESOLUTION THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA BRING FORWARD, I WOULD CERTAINLY THINK
[00:10:01]
ABOUT THAT AND PUT THAT INTO FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS SO WE CAN HAVE A PLACEHOLDER ON THE NEXT MEETING'S AGENDA.ONE LAST THING I I WILL SAY IS THAT, UM, AARON, WHO'S DOING A FANTASTIC JOB TRYING TO LIAISE ALL THIS, TALKED WITH EACH ONE OF THE STAFF CITY STAFF MEMBERS, AND NO ONE INDICATED THAT THEY NEEDED SOMETHING FROM THE COMMISSION WITH REGARDS TO ACTION IF, IF THAT IS HELPFUL.
THANK YOU CHAIR FOR YOUR TIME.
I KNOW WE'RE ALL EQUAL, EAGER TO STAY IN, UH, THE GOOD GRACES OF THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT.
AREN'T WE NOT NOD COLLECTIVELY.
[2. Approve the Downtown Commission 2023 meeting schedule.]
DISCUSSION IS TO APPROVE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION 20 23 24 MEETING SCHEDULE.I BELIEVE IT'S NOT, IT'S POSTED AS THE 2023 MEETING SCHEDULE, BUT I BELIEVE IT WOULD BE FOR 2024.
UM, SINCE, CAN WE MOVE ON THAT ITEM
UM, IT, IT SHOULD BE THE 2024 MEETING SCHEDULE.
UH, DO YOU HAVE THAT TO PRESENT TO US? I THINK YOU'LL NOTE THAT THE GREEN DATES ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED FOR FUTURE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETINGS.
UM, IN THIS YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, UM, WE ARE NOT HAVING, UM, OUR DECEMBER MEETING BECAUSE IT BUTTS UP TO HOLIDAY WEEK.
AND, AND WE DON'T WANT TO CREATE A BURDEN FOR STAFF OR FOLKS WHO MIGHT COME TO SEE THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE'RE NOT HAVING A DECEMBER MEETING FOR THE 2024 PROPOSED DOWNTOWN COMMISSION DATES.
WE DO HAVE A DECEMBER MEETING, UH, THERE, I DON'T SEE ANY REASON NOT TO, NOT TO APPROVE IT WITH THE DECEMBER MEETING AS A PLACEHOLDER, WHETHER A FUTURE, UH, COMMISSION DECIDES THEY WANT TO HAVE THAT MEETING OR NOT.
I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE 2024 SCHEDULE.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS TO, UH, APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL
[3. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding the Downtown Resiliency Plan. Presentation by of the City of Austin Management Services Office) Laura Patiño]
REGARDING THE DOWNTOWN RESILIENCY PLAN.UH, WE HAVE LAURA PATINO HERE TO PRESENT TODAY, AS FOR THEIR, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME OKAY? GREAT.
IT'S A PLEASURE TO BE HERE TODAY.
MY NAME IS LAURA PATINO, AND I'M THE CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, DOES THIS WORK OKAY, GREAT.
UM, SO TODAY I'LL BE GIVING YOU A PRESENTATION OF, UH, HOW WE LOOK AT RESILIENCE IN AUSTIN, HOW WE'RE DEFINING RESILIENCE IN AUSTIN, UM, AND REALLY THE NEXT STEPS INTO HOW WE'RE, UH, DEVELOPING THE COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCE STRATEGY.
UM, WE'LL ALSO GO THROUGH AN OVERVIEW OF THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS TO DATE, UM, AND I'LL CONCLUDE WITH THE IMMEDIATE NEXT STEPS IN TERMS OF WHAT, UH, WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD IN OUR PLANNING EFFORTS.
UM, SO JUST AS A BRIEF, UH, RECAP, UM, THE POSITION OF CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER WAS INITIATED THROUGH A RESOLUTION, UM, THAT DIRECT THE CITY MANAGER IN MAY OF 2020 TO CREATE A RESILIENCE OFFICE AND BRING ON A CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICER TO REALLY LOOK AT HOW TO ADDRESS DIFFERENT RISKS AND CHALLENGES THAT WE WERE FACING AS A CITY.
UM, ALONG WITH THAT, UH, THE RESOLUTION REQUESTED THAT THE CITY DEVELOP AND IMPLEMENT AN COMPREHENSIVE EQUITABLE RESILIENCE PLAN AND DEVELOP SPECIFIC PILOT PROGRAMS FOR IMMEDIATE IMPLEMENTATION.
ALONG WITH THAT, IT ALSO MENTIONED, UM, THE NECESSITY TO FORMALIZE PARTNERSHIPS BOTH AT A GLOBAL LEVEL AS WELL AS AT A REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVEL WITH AUSTIN'S BUSINESS, PHILANTHROPIC AND, UM, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WHEN WE LOOK ABOUT, UH, LOOK AND TALK ABOUT RESILIENCE, UM, THE FIRST THING THAT WE REALLY, UH, CONSIDER IS HOW WE DEFINE IT IN CITIES AND HOW WE DEFINE IT SPECIFICALLY IN AUSTIN.
AND WE START REALLY BY TALKING ABOUT HOW, UM, TO BUILD RESILIENCE, IT REALLY REQUIRES CITIES, UH, TO ADDRESS BOTH SHOCKS AND STRESSES
[00:15:01]
IN AN INTEGRATED WAY.AND SO SHOCKS ARE REALLY THE MAJOR DISRUPTIONS, THE NATURAL DISASTERS AND MI MANMADE DISASTERS TO REALLY IMPACT, UM, AND CREATE A MAJOR DISRUPTION IN THE CITY IN THE WAY THAT WE WORK AND IN THE WAY THAT WE FUNCTION.
AND STRESSORS ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE REALLY THE CHRONIC, UH, CHALLENGES, THE VULNERABILITIES THAT AFFECT OUR COMMUNITIES ON THE DAY-TO-DAY.
SO, SETTING SOME EXAMPLES OF SHOCKS OF MAJOR SHOCKS ARE HERE ON THE SLIDE.
AND THESE COULD BE FIRE WILDFIRE, A HEAT WAVE INFRASTRUCTURE FAILURE, UM, A POWER OUTAGE, RAINFALL, FLOODING, UM, AND STORM SURGE, FOR EXAMPLE.
SOME STRESSES ARE THE OVER, UH, THE OVERARCHING LIKE IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE, UM, CRIME AND VIOLENCE, LACK OF SOCIAL COHESION, POVERTY AND INEQUALITY.
AS YOU CAN SEE, A LOT OF THESE ARE AS EXAMPLES THAT ARE, UH, GIVEN GLOBALLY, UM, ALSO RELATE TO AUSTIN AND TO OUR CITY.
SO WHAT DOES THAT SPECIFICALLY MEAN FOR AUSTIN? AND WHAT ARE THE SHOCKS AND STRESSORS THAT WE EXPERIENCE? EVERY CITY THAT HAS GONE THROUGH A RESILIENCE PLANNING PROCESS REALLY STARTS BY DEVELOPING A VULNERABILITY ANALYSIS, AND THAT REALLY IS, UH, A WAY TO CATEGORIZE THE DIFFERENT SHOCKS AND DIFFERENT STRESSES THAT WE EXPERIENCE AND TRY TO UNDERSTAND THEM.
AND SO IN THE PROCESS OF DOING THAT, WE LOOKED AT THE HISTORY OF OUR, UH, OF OUR CITY AND THE GROWTH IN POPULATION.
AND ALONG WITH THAT, WE STARTED MAPPING, UH, REALLY THE MAJOR SHOCKS AND THE MAJOR STRESSES THAT, THAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED.
SO I KNOW THAT IT'S HARD TO SEE ON THE SLIDE, BUT ONE OF THE KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS GRAPHIC IS THAT AS WE SEE A GROWTH IN POPULATION IN OUR CITY, WE'RE ALSO SEEING MORE FREQUENT SHOCKS, AND WE'RE ALSO SEEING THE UNDERLYING IMPACTS OF THOSE STRESSORS THAT ARE COMPOUNDING AND EXACERBATING, UH, THE CHALLENGES THAT OUR COMMUNITIES FACE.
SO WITH ALL OF THAT INITIAL ANALYSIS, UH, WE WORK WITH DIFFERENT, UH, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE WORK WITH INTERNAL, UH, CITY DEPARTMENTS AS WELL AS OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO REALLY CREATE THE MISSION OF THIS NEW RESILIENCE OFFICE.
AND THAT MISSION IS TO BUILD THE CAPACITY OF ALL AUSTINITES COMMUNITIES, INSTITUTIONS, BUSINESSES, AND SYSTEMS WITHIN OUR CITY TO PREPARE FOR WITHSTAND, ADAPT AND THRIVE NO MATTER WHAT KINDS OF STRESSES, WHICH ARE THE SLOW MOVING DISASTERS.
AND NO MATTER WHAT KINDS OF SHOCKS, WHICH ARE THE MAJOR DISASTERS, THREATEN OUR WAY OF LIFE AND EXACERBATE THESE INEQUITIES.
UM, SO WE STARTED BY LOOKING AT OVER 12 DIFFERENT PLANS AND REVIEWED AND ANALYZED, UH, THEIR PRIORITIES AND, AND MAPPED OUT HOW THEY MESH MENTIONED SHOCKS AND STRESSES.
AND SOME OF THE EXAMPLES OF THE PLANS THAT ARE ANALYZED WERE IMAGINE AUSTIN, THE AUSTIN CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS DOCUMENT, THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, THE HOUSING BLUEPRINT, UM, AND SO FORTH.
UM, WE ALSO LEVERAGED THE WORK OF ALL OF THESE PLANS THAT HAD ENGAGED OVER 21,000 AUSTINITES.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS IN THE CREATION OF THE OFFICE AND STARTING, UM, THE RESILIENCE OFFICE AND A RESILIENCE PLAN IS THAT WE WEREN'T STARTING FROM SCRATCH AS ALL OF THESE PLANS ALREADY WERE ADDRESSING A SPECIFIC SHOCK, A SPECIFIC CHALLENGE, OR A SPECIFIC STRESSOR THAT WE WERE FACING.
AND SO WITH THAT, WE WANTED TO HONOR THE WORK THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN SET IN PLACE AND LEVERAGE AND UPLIFT THAT.
UM, AND WE DID THAT WITH COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AS WELL.
UM, AND WE ALSO LEVERAGED THE WORK OF 113 CITY DOCUMENTS THAT CATALOG AND CATALOG THEM FOR THEIR INCLUSION AND RELATION TO AUSTIN'S RESILIENCE.
SO HERE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR FINDINGS AND SOME OF THE KEY DATA POINTS, AND I'M NOT GONNA LIST THEM ALL, UM, BUT THEY HELP REALLY PROVIDE A CONTEXT IN TERMS OF HOW WE DESCRIBE RESILIENCE IN AUSTIN.
WE KNOW THAT ABOUT 155 NEW RESIDENTS MOVED TO AUSTIN, UM, COME TO THE AUSTIN METRO AREA PER DAY.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN EAST AUSTIN TEND TO FACE GREATER SOCIAL VULNERABILITIES THAT MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT TO RECOVER FROM SHOCKS AND STRESSES.
UM, BY THE END OF THE CENTURY, AUSTIN IS EXPER IS EXPECTED TO EXPERIENCE OVER 60 DAYS OR MORE OF TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING 100 DEGREES PER YEAR.
UM, AND OVER 49% OF AUSTIN STRUCTURES ARE IN THE WILDLAND
[00:20:01]
URBAN WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE AND FACE A HIGHER WILDFIRE RISK.UM, THERE'S ALSO A GREAT, UH, LIFE EXPECTANCY DISPARITY OF UP TO 20 YEARS BETWEEN WEST AND EAST AUSTIN.
AND, UM, WE ARE LOSING MORE LAND, UM, UH, WHICH IS INCREASING OUR FOOD INSECURITY.
WE'RE LOSING MORE FARMLAND, SO IT IS INCREASING OUR FOOD INSECURITY IN THE REGION.
SOME OTHER, UM, KEY, UH, DATA THAT HELP DEPICT OUR, OUR, OUR STATE IS THE FACT THAT 58 OF AUSTIN'S NEIGHBOR 200 NEIGHBORHOODS ARE VULNERABLE FOR DISPLACEMENT.
UM, IN THE LAST 10 YEARS, AUSTIN HAS HAD FOUR MAJOR FLOODS, AND THIS FREQUENCY IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE DUE TO CLIMATE CHANGE.
UH, WE'VE FACED THE NUMBER OF SHOCKS SINCE 2008 ALONE.
UM, AND THESE SHOCKS HAVE IMPACTED OUR PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE AND PROVISION OF CITY SERVICES RESULTING IN DISRUPTION TO OUR WATER SERVICES AS WELL AS TO POWER.
UM, AND WE ALSO SEE SOME OF THE, UM, UH, DIFFERENCES THAT AUSTINITES EXPERIENCE IN TERMS OF THEIR EDUCATION ATTAINMENT AS WELL AS THEIR ECONOMIC MOBILITY.
SO WHAT DO WE DO WITH ALL OF THAT INFORMATION AND HOW DO WE PIECE IT ALL TOGETHER? WE HAVE MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE WORKING TO ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES AND HAVE ALREADY IDENTIFIED THESE CHALLENGES.
SO THIS ISN'T NEW, UM, OR NECESSARILY NEW INFORMATION.
IT'S MORE ABOUT HOW WE WORK TOGETHER AS A CITY AND HOW WE WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS, UM, AND OTHER LOCAL AGENCIES TO REALLY ADDRESS, UM, AND HAVE A HOLISTIC, UH, UH, PLAN.
SO, LIKE I MENTIONED, UH, WE STARTED WITH THE PLAN ANALYSIS.
WE CONDUCTED NA DATA ANALYSIS AND THEN, UM, CONDUCTED SOME CITY, INTERNAL, CITY AND COMMUNITY ADVISORY CONSULTATIONS.
AND THAT LED TO THE RELEASE OF OUR FIRST ITERATION OF THE ONE AUSTIN BLUEPRINT, WHICH IS A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF AUSTIN'S SHOCKS AND STRESSES AND THE EMERGENT FOCUS AREAS.
THIS DOCUMENT IS AVAILABLE ONLINE, AND IT'S ALSO LINKED IN THIS PRESENTATION, AND I INVITE YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
IN THIS DOCUMENT, WE INTRODUCED THE RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION, UM, WHICH REALLY LIES IN THREE MAJOR CORE PRIORITIES.
THE FIRST IS ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE.
THE SECOND IS IN, UM, ADVANCING RACIAL EQUITY.
AND THE THIRD IS INCREASING AFFORDABILITY.
ALL OF THESE THREE CROSS-CUTTING PRIORITIES ARE STRUCTURED IN A WAY THAT WE CAN LOOK AT HOW WE, UM, WE CAN TAKE ACTION THROUGH OUR ASPIRATIONS AND ACTIONS THROUGH SCALES.
AND SO THROUGH THAT, YOU SEE, UM, THE ACTIONS THAT WE CAN TAKE TO GET TO HEALTHY AND PROSPEROUS AUSTINITES AT THE INDIVIDUAL AND LOCAL SCALE, HOW WE LOOK AT THRIVING NEIGHBORHOODS AND COMMUNITIES, HOW WE LOOK AT, UH, ACTIONS THAT AFFECT OUR GOVERNANCE AND WHAT THE CITY CAN DO THROUGH COLLABORATIVE LEADERSHIP.
AND FINALLY, THE LARGER SCALE AND THE REGIONAL SCALE, WHICH IS REALLY ABOUT OUR ECOLOGY AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT TIES THOSE SCALES TOGETHER.
THAT INITIAL FRAMEWORK IS WHAT'S SETTING US UP FOR THE CONVERSATIONS OF OUR PHASE TWO, UH, CO-CREATION PHASE.
THE PHASE TWO IS ALL ABOUT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND A VERY ROBUST COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
SO WE HAVE CONTINUED TO DO ADDITIONAL DATA AND EXISTING INITIATIVE ANALYSIS TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ACTIONS THE CITY IS ALREADY DOING, UM, THAT CAN BE UPLIFTED THAT ADDRESS THESE CHALLENGES.
BUT ALSO WE'RE LEVERAGING DATA SUCH AS THE AUSTIN SUSTAINABILITY, AUSTIN AREA SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS TO HELP GUIDE US INTO WHAT ARE THE SPECIFIC METRICS AND HOW WE TRACK THIS PROGRESS.
THE SECOND PHASE OF THAT IS REALLY ABOUT THE CO-DESIGNING OF NEW RESILIENCE INITIATIVES.
AND SO WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF INITIATING, UH, PROJECT DESIGN WORKSHOPS THAT WILL HELP US DEFINE THE INITIATIVES THAT FALL UNDER, UH, THE FOUR CATEGORIES AND FOUR SCALES THAT I DESCRIBED THAT WILL HELP US, UM, UH, ADDRESS THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGES AND THE SHOCKS THAT HAVE BEEN PRIORITIZED AND THE STRESSES THAT HAVE BEEN PRIORITIZED FOR AUSTIN.
UH, WE JUST CONCLUDED, UH, A SURVEY IN WHICH WE REACHED OVER 4,650, UH, AUSTINITES, UH, TO UNDERSTAND, UH, CORE PRIORITIES OF RESILIENCE RELATED TO HOUSING, TRANSPORTATION, HEALTHCARE, AND PREPAREDNESS.
AND THAT, UH, INITIAL DATA THAT WAS GATHERED BY, UM, UH, THE FIRST SET OF THE COMMUNITY SURVEY IS GOING TO BE USED AS ADDITIONAL DATA FOR THE PROJECT DESIGN WORKSHOPS.
ALL OF THAT IS GOING TO BE COM, UH, COMBINED INTO THE NEXT, IN THE NEXT MONTH TO ULTIMATELY LEAD US TO
[00:25:01]
THE FINAL STRATEGY RELEASE, WHICH IS IN JUNE OF 2024.SO I DO WANNA BRING UP THAT I'M NOT DOING THIS ALONE.
UM, AND CURRENTLY I HAVE A TEAM OF FIVE.
UM, SO WE ACT AS FOCAL POINTS FOR THE CITY, UM, AND AS THE MAIN CONTACT FOR RESILIENCE INITIATIVES, WE ACT AS STRATEG A STRATEGIST TO LEAD THE DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE RESILIENCE AGENDA.
WE ACT AS CONVENERS AS WE BRING STAKEHOLDERS TOGETHER TO LEARN ABOUT THE CITY'S CHALLENGES AND HELP BUILD SUPPORT FOR INITIATIVES.
AND WE ACT AS INTERNAL CONSULTANTS AND PROGRAM MANAGERS.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT IS A VERY SMALL TEAM WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ADDRESSING A LOT OF THE DIFFERENT CHALLENGES.
AND SO THIS IS ONLY THE COORDINATING TEAM WITHIN THE RESILIENCE OFFICE, BUT WE WORK WITH ALL OF OUR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AS WELL, AND COMMUNITY PARTNERS IN CREATING THAT ALIGNMENT BETWEEN STAKEHOLDERS.
AND SO I WANTED TO, UM, COMPLETE THIS PRESENTATION BY REALLY TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING AND HOW WE'RE MOVING FORWARD IN THE STRUCTURING OF THE RESILIENCE OFFICE.
AND SO I REALLY TALKED AND SPENT A LOT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT OUR COMPREHENSIVE RESILIENCE PLANNING EFFORTS, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT FALLS UNDER THE RE REGIONAL, UM, SCALE OF ACTION.
AND WE HOPE THAT AS A CITY GOES THROUGH THIS PROCESS THAT WE'RE ALSO ENCOURAGING PARTNERS, UM, TO ALSO DO THE SAME.
BUT AGAIN, WE ALSO WORK AT THE NATIONAL INTERNATIONAL LEVEL WITH DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, UM, IN EXCHANGING INFORMATION, IN BUILDING KNOWLEDGE AND, UH, LEVERAGING RESOURCES AND RELATIONSHIPS TO BRING THAT KNOWLEDGE AND ALSO EXPORT THE KNOWLEDGE THAT WE HAVE IN AUSTIN OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING TO OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE WORLD.
WE'RE ALSO FOCUSING ON SPECIFICALLY CITYWIDE RESILIENCE OPERATIONS.
SO THAT MEANS REALLY WHAT'S HAPPENING WITHIN OUR OWN ASSETS, OUR OWN WORKFORCE, AND OUR OWN OPERATIONS IN THE CITY.
AND THAT STARTED THAT WORK, STARTED WITH THE CLIMATE RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN, UH, FOR CITY ASSETS AND OPERATIONS.
AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF EXPANDING AND UPDATING THAT PLAN AND EXPANDING IT TO INCLUDE, UM, MORE TACTICAL, UM, MORE TACTICAL ACTIONS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO GET TO, UH, OUR UTILITIES BEING BETTER PREPARED, OUR WORKFORCE TO BE BETTER PREPARED AS WELL AS OUR, UM, OUR CAPACITY TO RESPOND.
AND FINALLY, ONE OF THE BIG ELEMENTS OF THIS WORK IS THE AUSTIN RESILIENCE HUBS NETWORK, WHICH ARE, UH, A NETWORK OF FACILITIES ACROSS, UH, THE COMMUNITY THAT PROVIDE SERVICES BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A DISASTER FOR PREPAREDNESS, RESPONSE AND RECOVERY.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH THE HOMELAND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE, AS WELL AS OTHER ORGANIZATIONS TO BUILD UP THE RESOURCES THAT ARE PROVIDED AT THOSE FACILITIES, UM, THAT INCLUDE PREPAREDNESS, GUIDES, PREPAREDNESS, TRAININGS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE SUPPORT, AND ALSO LOOKING TO FORTIFY THESE FACILITIES.
SO, UM, HERE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, UH, SINCE 2022.
UM, AND SO WE KICKED OFF THE RESILIENCE HUB NETWORK PILOT PROGRAM.
WE'VE DEVELOPED OUR EQUITY GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDE ALL OF THE WORK.
WE'VE ENGAGED WITH OVER 200 DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS, ESTABLISHED AN INTERDEPARTMENTAL CLIMATE RESILIENCE ACTION PLAN FOR CITY ASSETS AND OPERATIONS, AND HAVE REALLY WORKED TO INTEGRATE RESILIENCE AND THEIR RESILIENCE TEAM INTO EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER ACTIVATIONS.
UM, WHAT I DO WANNA SAY IS ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS IN BRINGING IT BACK TO WHAT WAS CALLED FOR UNDER THE COUNCIL RESOLUTION IS TO DEVELOP THAT RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK AS THE KEY, AS A KEY, UM, TO BEING ABLE TO, UH, AS A KEY FRAMEWORK TO BE ABLE TO HELP DEFINE HOW WE WORK ACROSS OUR CITY, UH, FOR RESILIENCE.
AND SO THE INITIAL LAUNCH OF THE FRAMEWORK, UM, HAS REALLY ALLOWED US TO KICKSTART AND ACCELERATE CONVERSATIONS AND WORK WITH DEPARTMENTS AND WORK WITH, UH, COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL IN TERMS OF WHAT SPECIFIC ACTIONS THEY ARE TAKING ON AND WHAT LEVEL OF IMPACT THEY'RE HAVING.
AND SO FOR THE NEXT STEPS, WE CONTINUE TO HAVE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK.
UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO CONDUCT INTER INTERDEPARTMENTAL AND INTER-AGENCY COORDINATION ON CLIMATE RESILIENCE, AND WE'LL FOCUS ON REALLY, UM, MOVING AND, AND MOVING FORWARD THE RESILIENCE HUBS EFFORT.
UH, SO THIS MEANS REALLY THE LAUNCH OF THE RESILIENCE TOOLKIT, UM, CONTINUING TO MOVE FORWARD THE PREPAREDNESS TRAININGS AT THE COMMUNITY LEVEL.
AND ONE OF THE KEY ELEMENTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IS A PARTNERSHIP
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WITH THE GLOBAL RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK THAT WILL ALLOW US TO, UM, UH, REALLY HAVE ACCESS TO ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE OF CITIES THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THIS PROCESS AS WELL.AND SO WITH THAT, UM, I'LL CONCLUDE THE PRESENTATION AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THAT WAS A BIT OVERWHELMING WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND THE NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH TO MOVE THE BALL FORWARD.
UH, COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS? YEAH, SOME QUESTIONS I HAVE.
UM, CONGRATULATIONS ON PUBLISHING ONE AUSTIN.
A REALLY GREAT WORK FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR.
SORRY, IS MY MIC ON NOW? OH, OKAY.
UM, UH, CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT.
UH, SO ARE YOU, IS THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE, IS THAT AN INDEPENDENT OFFICE? UM, AND THEN HOW DOES IT WORK WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS? WHAT'S THE FUNDING AND WHAT WOULD IDEAL FUNDING BE? SURE.
SO, UH, WE CURRENTLY ARE IN THE CITY MANAGEMENT, UH, STRUCTURE AND CITY MANAGEMENT OFFICE, AND WE WORK, UM, THROUGH THE CITY MANAGER ACROSS A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'RE NOT STRUCTURED AS A DEPARTMENT, RATHER AS AN OFFICE THAT ADVISES CITY MANAGER AND ADVISES DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ON BUILDING RESILIENCE AND ADVANCING RESILIENCE EFFORTS.
UM, OKAY, SO THIS IS A BRAND NEW DEPARTMENT.
IF YOU HAVE FULL SUPPORT FOR THE INITIATIVES THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR DEPARTMENT GROWING IN FIVE YEARS? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, AND THAT IS PART OF THE EVALUATION ANALYSIS THAT WE'RE CONDUCTING RIGHT NOW AS WE DEVELOP THE RESILIENCE FRAMEWORK AND STRUCTURE, REALLY UNDERSTANDING THE VULNERABILITY AND CAPACITY OF EACH DEPARTMENT TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, THROUGH THIS PROCESS WILL ALLOW US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ROLE AND FUNCTION THE RESILIENCE OFFICE HAS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
UM, FROM WHAT WE SEE ACROSS, YOU KNOW, THE GLOBE OF DIFFERENT CHIEF RESILIENCE OFFICERS, IT REALLY HAS TAKEN A DIFFERENT, UM, IT REALLY HAS TAKEN A DIFFERENT MODEL, AND THAT IS BECAUSE EVERY CITY IS DIFFERENT AND HAS DIFFERENT CHALLENGES AND DIFFERENT WAYS OF APPROACHING AND IMPLEMENTING THE SOLUTIONS.
AND SO, UM, WHILE THERE ARE BEST PRACTICES THAT CAN BE BROUGHT FORTH, IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT TO HONOR WHAT IS, UH, HERE IN AUSTIN AND WHAT WORKS FOR AUSTIN SO THAT WE CAN DEVELOP THAT PLAN THAT WILL ENABLE US TO CONTINUE TO SERVE AS THAT COORDINATION ARM.
UM, AND, AND THAT ARM THAT HELPS BREAK SILOS ACROSS DEPARTMENTS TO HELP MOVE, UH, PROJECTS FORWARD.
SO IT'LL BE PUBLISHED IN JUNE, 2024 IN YOUR STRATEGY REPORT? YES,
UH, DO YOU SEE ANY, I THINK THERE WERE SIX RESILIENCE HUBS INITIALLY, AND THEY WERE ON THE PERIPHERY, PERIPHERY OF THE CITY.
DO YOU SEE, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT INCLUDING A RESILIENCE HUB NEAR DOWNTOWN OR DOWNTOWN? ABSOLUTELY.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT WE'VE DONE, IT'S INITIALLY, IT STARTED, THE PROJECT STARTED WITH SIX PILOTS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT, UM, THAT HAS NOW BEEN EXTENDED TO, UH, 10 FACILITIES.
THEY'RE ALL AT RECREATION CENTERS THAT HAVE SERVED AS THIS FUNCTION, WHETHER AS A COOLING OR WARMING CENTER DURING THE WINTER OR, UH, SUMMER MONTHS OR AS COLD WEATHER SHELTERS FOR THE UNHOUSED.
THOSE FACILITIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN PREPPED AND HAVE THE CAPACITY TO SERVE SOME, SOME, SOME LEVEL OF FUNCTION THAT IS REQUIRED FOR A RESILIENCE HUB.
WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT EXPANDING THAT, UM, THOSE FACILITIES WITH ADDITIONAL SIX OTHER FACILITIES, UH, UH, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH, UM, ACROSS THE CITY.
THAT BEING SAID, THAT'S ONLY JUST THE CITY FACILITIES AND CITY OPERATIONS.
UM, THE RESILIENCE HUB TOOLKIT THAT I MENTIONED, UM, IS A TOOLKIT THAT WE CREATED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH AN ORGANIZATION CALLED FUSE FUSE CORPS, UM, THAT WILL ALLOW THAT.
AND IN, IN THE YEAR OF PARTNERSHIP WITH FUSE CORPS, WE CREATED, UH, A GUIDE FOR HOW BUSINESSES, FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS AND PRIVATE FACILITIES CAN SET UP THEIR OWN RESILIENCE HUBS AND CAN BE PART OF THIS RESPONSE MODEL.
SO, UH, ONCE THAT, UM, UM, UH, TOOLKIT IS LAUNCHED AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO FULLY LAUNCH THE PROGRAM FOR THE COMMUNITY OWNED HUBS, UM, THEN THAT WILL ALLOW US TO EXPAND THE PROGRAM AND ALSO ACTIVATE HUBS THAT ARE NOT CITY OWNED OR CITY OPERATED ACROSS THE WHOLE CITY.
[00:35:01]
I APPRECIATED, UM, ONE OF THE STRESSORS LISTED WAS ECONOMIC.UM, I THINK WE'RE SEEING THAT DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW WITH THE OFFICE VACANCIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, GOOGLE, FACEBOOK INDEED JUST ANNOUNCED THEY'RE SUBLETTING A LOT OF THEIR OFFICE SPACE.
UM, AND THE VACANCY SEEMS TO LEAD TO AN INCREASE IN CRIME, UM, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY FROM THE UNHOUSED BECAUSE THERE'S JUST MORE SPACE AND, AND LESS EYES ON THE STREET.
UM, IS THAT, IS THIS, IS THIS TOPIC IN CONSIDERATION FOR THE OFFICE OF RESILIENCE, OR HOW, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT POTENTIALLY BEING APPROACHED? I THINK IDEALLY, YES.
UM, THAT IS ONE OF THE TOPICS THAT IN GENERAL HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP IN TERMS OF THE INTERSECTION OF HOUSING AND ECONOMIC, UH, OPPORTUNITY ECONOMIC MOBILITY AS WELL.
UM, AND SO THROUGH THE WORKING GROUPS AND HOW THEY'RE BEING DEFINED, DEFINED AS, UH, AND THEMES IS WHEN WE HOPE TO REALLY GET TO, UM, THE PROJECT CREATE CO-CREATION, ONE OF THEM SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO HOUSING AND THE OTHER SPECIFICALLY RELATED TO ECONOMIC ECONOMY AND WORKFORCE.
AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE'LL BE DOING THE DEEP DIVE WITH STAKEHOLDERS, SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTS AND KEY COMMUNITY PARTNERS THAT WILL HELP US REALLY IDENTIFY THE, UH, THE, THE, THE OVERARCHING CHALLENGES THAT WE WANT TO TACKLE SPECIFICALLY THROUGH SOLUTIONS, WHETHER THAT IS DOWNTOWN OR CITYWIDE.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING IS REALLY IMPORTANT AND, UM, TYPICALLY WE'RE, WE WE'RE EXCITED TO WRITE RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT I THINK, UH, THIS IS A GENERAL UPDATE.
UM, BUT I HOPE IN THE FUTURE IF THERE ARE ITEMS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR STAKEHOLDER SUPPORT OR IF WE CAN CREATE A WORKING GROUP ON A SUBJECT, I, I HOPE THAT YOU KEEP THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IN MIND.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER KOFI? YEAH, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND YOUR PRESENTATION TO KEEP AUSTINITE SAFE.
SOME ARE VERY MICRO, SOME ARE MACRO.
SO STARTING WITH THE MACRO, UH, I WAS LOOKING OVER THE SHOCKS AND STRESSORS THAT YOU HAD OUTLINED.
SOME OF THEM SEEM REALLY OBVIOUS, LIKE, OH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE FACING THIS THING, BUT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL OPINION, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SHOCKS AND STRESSORS THAT OUR CITY IS MOST AT RISK FOR? AND ARE WE PREPARED EVEN IF THEY'RE, THEY'RE OBVIOUS, MAYBE THEY AREN'T.
UM, THAT IS A GREAT QUESTION, AND I'M GONNA GIVE KIND OF A, PROBABLY NOT ANSWERING YOUR ANSWER SPECIFIC OR NOT ANSWERING YOUR QUESTION SPECIFICALLY.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE, UM, AS WE BUILD OUT THEIR RESILIENCE STRATEGY, DIFFERENT SHOCKS IMPACT DIFFERENT PEOPLE AND DIFFERENT POPULATIONS IN DIFFERENT WAYS.
AND SO WHAT MAY BE IN THIS PROFESSIONAL OPINION, UM, AND AS I STAND HERE AND SAY, IN MY PROFESSIONAL OPINION ON THE BIGGEST SHOCK FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS, YOU KNOW, X, Y, AND Z, THAT WOULD MEAN NOT REALLY GETTING INTO THE WEEDS AND INTO THE DETAIL OF HOW DIFFERENT POPULATIONS ARE IMPACTED BY THESE STRESSORS.
SO, UM, WE INTEND TO OUTLINE THAT SPECIFIC, THE SPECIFIC VULNERABILITIES TO THE SHOCKS AND STRESSORS, UM, AS AS IT COMES OUT IN, IN THE PLAN, UM, IN THE UPCOMING PLAN.
BUT I WILL SAY THAT THE THREE OVERARCHING PRIORITIES THAT WE SEE, SEE, AND HOW WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY CATEGORIZE, UM, ALL OF THE RANGE OF SHOCKS AND ALL OF THESE RANGE OF STRESSORS ARE THROUGH THE CROSS-CUTTING PRIORITIES OF CLIMATE CHANGE, AFFORDABILITY, AND RACIAL EQUITY.
AND SO THOSE ARE BROKEN DOWN, UH, FURTHER BY THE SPECIFIC CHALLENGE THAT COMMUNITIES FACE.
UM, AND THE, ALSO, THE OTHER THING THAT I WILL SAY AND I WANNA ADD IS THAT AS WE LOOK SPECIFICALLY AS HOW, UM, WE SOLVE AND WE PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR EACH OF THOSE CHALLENGES THAT, UM, AS WE, AS WE LOOK AT THE LEVEL OF URGENCY AND THE LEVEL OF IMPACT, WE ALSO NEED TO LOOK AT, UM, THE UNINTENDED, UNINTENDED OR UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES IN LOOKING AT AS A SYSTEM AS WELL.
AND I'M SURE THE INTERSECTIONALITY OF THEM AS WELL.
ONE, THIS IS ALSO THE MACRO QUESTION.
AS YOU NOT ONLY BUILD OUT YOUR STRATEGIC PLAN, BUT ALSO AS YOU FUNCTION IN DAY TO DAY, HOW DO YOU MEASURE SUCCESS FOR YOUR, FOR YOUR OFFICE? ARE YOU TRACKING DATA? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO THAT IS ALSO, UH, KEY METRICS THAT WE'RE DEVELOPING.
AS IT RELATES TO, UM, THE SPECIFIC HAZARDS AND THE SPECIFIC SHOCKS AND STRESSES THAT WE IDENTIFY.
UM, SO ALONG WITH THE CREATION OF THE RESILIENCE STRATEGY, THERE
[00:40:01]
WILL BE AN IMPLEMENTATION MATRIX THAT ALLOWS US TO NOT ONLY TRACK THE STATUS OF THE SPECIFIC ACTIONS, BUT ALSO METRICS THAT WILL ALLOW US TO DETERMINE WHAT IS, UH, WORKING AND WHAT IS TAKING US TO OUR DESIRED, UM, OUTCOME AND, AND WHAT ISN'T.UH, BUT I WILL SAY THAT WE DON'T WANNA RECREATE THE WHEEL IN THIS PROCESS, AND THAT THERE ARE ALREADY METRICS, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND CREATED, UH, THAT WE CAN LEVERAGE AND UPLIFT IN THIS WORK AS WELL.
AND SO THOSE, UH, METRICS INCLUDE DATA, UH, AND BASED ON DATA LIKE THE SOCIAL VULNERABILITY INDEX, AS WELL AS THE AUSTIN AREA, UM, UH, SUSTAINABILITY INDICATORS THAT ARE BEING UPDATED, UM, THAT WE WORK WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS THIS YEAR TO ENSURE THAT THEY'RE ASKING QUESTIONS ABOUT RESILIENCE SO THAT WE CONTINUOUSLY MEASURE THE PROGRESS ON THAT.
AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, IS THIS IS MORE ON THE GROUND LEVEL.
YOU ALL OVERSEE THE HEATING AND COOLING CENTERS? WE DO NOT.
BUT YES, WE DO NOT, WE WORK, UH, CLOSELY WITH THE HOME AND SECURITY AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICE, UM, AS THEY GET ACTIVATED.
UM, THOSE ARE LIBRARIES, THOSE ARE REC CENTERS, AND THOSE ARE CITY FACILITIES THAT OPEN FOR EXCITED HOURS DURING THE SUMMER, UH, MONTHS FOR COOLING DURING WINTER MONTHS FOR WARMING.
UM, AND WE ARE IN COORDINATION WITH HEATH HIM TO UNDERSTAND HOW COOLING CENTERS ALSO MERGE GOT IT.
I HAVE A QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
WITH REGARDS TO THE GLOBAL RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK, WHAT OBLIGATIONS WOULD YOU BE INCURRING BY PARTNERING WITH THEM? OR IS IT MERELY JUST INFORMATION SHARING? YEAH, UM, THAT'S ALSO A GREAT QUESTION.
UM, THE GLOBAL RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK WAS, UM, AS IT STANDS NOW, IS REALLY AN, UH, AN OFFSHOOT OF THE ORIGINAL 100 RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK THAT WAS, UH, FUNDED AND CREATED BY THE ROCKEFELLER FOUNDATION.
UM, THAT PROGRAM, UM, UH, WAS, UH, ROCKEFELLER STOPPED FUNDING THE PROGRAM IN 2018.
AND SO THE GLOBAL RESILIENCE CITIES NETWORK, AS IT STANDS NOW, IS OVER A HUNDRED CITIES, UM, ACROSS THE WORLD THAT ARE PARTNERED, ARE PART OF THAT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THE CITIES THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THAT PARTNERSHIP, UH, WERE CITIES THAT WERE PART OF THE 100 RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK FUNDED BY ROCKEFELLER, WHICH DID RECEIVE $2 MILLION, UM, AT THE, THE START OF THEIR RESILIENCE PLANNING PROCESS THROUGH, THROUGH THAT FUNDING, UM, AND ALLOWED IT TO, ALLOWED THEM TO CONTINUE BEING PART OF THAT.
UM, RIGHT NOW, CITIES LIKE AUSTIN AND MANY OTHER CITIES ACROSS THE, THE UNITED STATES ARE DEVELOPING RESILIENCE PLANS AND ARE USING OTHER TYPES OF FUNDING MODELS FOR, UM, REALLY OPERATIONALIZING AND BUILDING RESILIENCE INTO, INTO OUR CITY OPERATIONS.
AND SO, UM, UNDERSTANDING SPECIFICALLY WHAT IS THE COMMITMENT OF THE CITIES THAT ARE COMING IN THAT DON'T HAVE THAT FUNDING AND THAT BACKUP SUPPORT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING AND PILOTING WITH THE GLOBAL RESILIENT CITIES NETWORK.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE ONE QUESTION.
HAVE YOU PRESENTED TO CAP COG YET? I HAVE NOT.
DO YOU HAVE THAT ON YOUR AGENDA? YES.
EVERY ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU BROUGHT UP AFFECTS US AS A REGION, AND CAP COG IS IN A UNIQUE POSITION TO TAKE THAT MESSAGE TO THE, TO OUR PARTNER COMMUNITIES.
UH, SO THE SOONER WE CAN GET THIS PRESENTATION TO THEM, I THINK THE BETTER.
AGAIN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU BACK AGAIN.
[4. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding the Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) Project Connect. Presentation by Nan Dowling of the City of Austin Project Connect Office and Yannis Banks, Austin Transit Partnership. ]
APPROVE A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REGARDING THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP PROJECT, UH, CONNECT PRESENTATION BY NAN DOWLING.UH, HI EVERYBODY, THIS IS PETER MULLIN FROM AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
I'M GONNA BE GIVING THE PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
SORRY FOR THE MIX UP ON THE AGENDA.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
SORRY, I'M NOT THERE IN PERSON.
UM, YEAH, SO I THINK I HAVE THE ABILITY, DO I HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHARE MY SCREEN? YOU DO NOW.
GET THIS INTO PRESENTATION MODE.
UM, CAN Y'ALL SEE MY SCREEN? YES, WE CAN.
SO, UH, JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT.
WANTED TO GIVE YOU A, JUST A QUICK UPDATE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING ON THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, SPECIFICALLY AS PART OF PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, JUST A REMINDER, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS THE,
[00:45:01]
UH, NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, UM, THAT WAS CREATED TO OVERSEE THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT CONNECT.UM, BUT WE ARE, MUCH OF OUR WORK IS REALLY FOCUSED ON THE LIGHT RAIL PORTION OF, UH, PROGRAM WITHIN PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF OTHERS, INCREDIBLY VALUABLE, IMPORTANT, UM, ASPECTS OF PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, OBVIOUSLY METRO RAPID LOCAL BUS PICKUP, UH, RED LINE IMPROVEMENTS, ET CETERA.
BUT TONIGHT I'LL BE TALKING ABOUT UPDATES TO THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM.
UM, SO IN JUNE, UM, THE THREE, UH, PARTIES IN THE PARTNERSHIP, A T P AS WELL AS THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CAP METRO BOARD, UH, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED AN UPDATED IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM.
UH, THIS WAS DEVELOPED, UH, OVER THE COURSE OF THE PREVIOUS NINE MONTHS IN RESPONSE TO, YOU KNOW, PER RISING COSTS ON THE PROGRAM AND GETTING, MAKING SURE THAT THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM WILL BE ALIGNED WITH OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES.
UM, SO WHAT YOU SEE BEFORE YOU IS ESSENTIALLY THE FIRST PHASE OF THE PROGRAM THAT WE ARE NOW MOVING FORWARD WITH, THAT RUNS FROM 38TH STREET IN THE NORTH, UM, DOWN TO
UM, BASICALLY AT 71, UM, ALONG EAST RIVERSIDE, UH, TO THE EAST.
UM, UH, IN ADDITION, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED AS PART OF THIS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN TWO, UM, SECTIONS, WHICH WE'RE CALLING PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
SO IF WE'RE ABLE TO SECURE ADDITIONAL FUNDING, UH, IN ADDITION TO THE, THE PROP A TAX REVENUE AND OUR CURRENT EXPECTATIONS ABOUT FEDERAL FUNDING, UM, COULD MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UH, EXTEND THE LINE UP TO CRESTVIEW IN THE NORTH.
UM, THAT'S THAT SORT OF TRIPLE STRIPED LINE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO THE SEGMENT THAT LAST BIT TO THE AIRPORT FROM YELLOW JACKET OUT TO THE AIRPORT.
SO THOSE ARE IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
UM, ONE OF THE, UH, THINGS THAT'S SLIGHTLY, UH, NEW-ISH ABOUT THE UPDATED PLAN IS THAT WE ARE, AND IT'S RELEVANT TO YOU ALL, I THINK, IS THAT WE ARE, UM, ON THE STREET, WE'RE AT PARADE RUNNING THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UH, THIS WAS SEEN AS THE, YOU KNOW, AS THE WAY TO ACTUALLY GET US THE ABILITY TO BUILD MORE LIGHT RAIL IN THE FIRST PHASE BECAUSE OF THE REDUCED COST OF ON STREET VERSUS BELOW GRADE.
BUT I THINK DURING THE, THE, THE EVALUATION PROCESS, WE ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE REAL OPPORTUNITIES TO THIS AS WELL.
UM, INTEGRATING THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, UH, WITHIN, UH, THE, THE URBAN FABRIC OF OUR CITY, UM, MAKING IT MORE VISIBLE, MORE ACCESSIBLE, UM, AND, UM, REALLY MAKING IT PART OF OUR URBAN LIFE AND BUILDING A CULTURAL TRANSIT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO.
IT'S INTERESTING, IT'S COMING ON THE HEELS OF THE RESILIENCE PRESENTATION.
CERTAINLY TRANSPORTATION RESILIENCE IS PART OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO, PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE.
AND SO GETTING MORE PEOPLE ONTO TRANSIT, MAKING IT EASY FOR PEOPLE TO GET ONTO TRANSIT, USED TRANSIT BUILD TRANSIT INTO THEIR LIVES, UM, IS GONNA BE PART OF THAT LONG-TERM, UH, TRANSPORTATION RESILIENCE.
SO, UM, SO WE ARE MOVING THAT IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FORWARD.
AND, UM, THIS DIAGRAM BASICALLY IS MEANT TO REPRESENT THAT WE'VE GOT MULTIPLE WORK STREAMS MOVING FORWARD SIMULTANEOUSLY, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING, AND WE'RE DEVELOPING, UH, THE DESIGN OF THOSE SORT OF IN AN INTERTWINED WAY.
AND THEY CONSTANTLY, YOU KNOW, ARE TO REFER TO ONE ANOTHER AND, AND ARE COORDINATED.
UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY IS ALSO INFORMED BY COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ALONG THE WAY.
UM, BUT IT ALSO HAS TO BE CALIBRATED WITH OUR OTHER FEDERAL, UH, PROCESSES THAT WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE ENGAGED IN, UM, THE NEPA PROCESS WHERE WE MEASURE ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF THE PROGRAM, UM, AS WELL AS OUR CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROCESS.
THE C I G PROCESS, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, THE APPLICATION PROCESS WHERE WE GET OUR FEDERAL FUNDING, WE ARE ANTICIPATING THAT, UH, 50% OF THE PROGRAM WOULD BE FUNDED WITH FEDERAL DOLLARS.
UM, THE FT A IS VERY EAGER TO SUPPORT US, BUT THERE'S A WHOLE PROCESS THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT.
THE NEPA PROCESS IS PART OF THAT.
UM, BUT THE C I G PROCESS HAS ITS OWN REQUIREMENTS AND STEPS ALONG THE WAY AS WELL.
WE'RE ALSO WORKING ON ORGANIZATIONAL READINESS, RIGHT? HOW DO WE ACTUALLY MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE READY TO OPERATE AS A COMMUNITY AND IT'S REALLY CAD METRO, UM, WORKING, UH, ARE WE READY TO OPERATE THE SYSTEM ONCE IT'S BUILT? AND, UM, HOW THAT TRANSLATES INTO THE IMMEDIATE, THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS IS THAT, UM, FROM A DESIGN STANDPOINT, WE ARE GONNA, WE'RE ADVANCING THE DESIGN, UM, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL CONTINUE, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY INTO THE MIDDLE OF 2025 IN TERMS OF GETTING THAT SORT OF FINAL BASE DESIGN COMPLETED.
UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY WE WILL BE, UM,
[00:50:01]
REENTERING THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS.UH, WE EXPECT TO, UH, FILE THE NOTICE OF INTENT EARLY IN 2024, UM, AND WORK TOWARDS A DRAFT D I SS IN THE FALL OF 2024.
UH, AND THERE WILL OBVIOUSLY BE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ON THAT PROCESS WITH THE FINAL E I S A YEAR FOLLOWING THAT IN 2025.
UM, AND THEN SIMULTANEOUSLY THE C I G PROCESS ENTERING PROJECT DEVELOPMENT IN EARLY 2024 AS WELL, UM, AND COMPLETING THAT IN EARLY 2026.
SO, UM, THIS IS NOT A, A, I WILL JUST SAY THIS IS NOT A QUICK PROCESS, RIGHT? THERE ARE A LOT OF STEPS ALONG THE WAY.
UH, WE WANNA PURSUE THESE VERY SYSTEMATICALLY AND WITH THE COMMUNITY EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS WELL.
UM, AND, UH, DESIGN IS ONE PART OF THAT, BUT THAT'S ONE PART THAT I, YOU KNOW, WANNA FOCUS ON A LITTLE BIT TONIGHT, JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING TO BASICALLY ADVANCE THAT PROCESS.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE TALK A LOT ABOUT IS, UM, HOW DO WE MAKE A, BUILD A SYSTEM THAT AUSTINITES WANT TO USE AND WILL USE? AND SO REALLY CONCENTRATING ON THE TRANSIT RIDER, THE USER EXPERIENCE OF THE SYSTEM AS A BASIS OF DESIGN, UM, IT SEEMS KIND OF OBVIOUS, BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES THIS GETS LOST IN THE SHUFFLE OF ALL THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS ASSOCIATED WITH THE TRAINS THEMSELVES.
BUT WE'RE ALWAYS TRYING TO GROUND THIS BACK ON THE USER NEEDS OF, UM, OF THE SYSTEM.
AND, UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE HAVE, UM, STARTED BEFORE WE GET INTO ACTUAL DESIGN.
UM, WE HAVE ENGAGED IN A FAIRLY RIGOROUS RESEARCH PROCESS TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THOSE CORE PRIORITY USER NEEDS NEED TO BE THAT WE NEED TO SOLVE FOR.
UH, AND THAT CAN BE THE BASIS OF DESIGN, RIGHT? UM, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF RESEARCH, WHICH I WANNA SHARE A LITTLE BIT WITH YOU TONIGHT.
UM, THOSE USER NEEDS WILL GET TRANSLATED INTO DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND THOSE DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT WILL THEN FORM THE BASIS OF THE, THE DESIGN WORK THAT GETS EXECUTED OVER THE SUBSEQUENT YEARS.
UM, SO THIS IS A PROCESS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE STILL AT THE VERY EARLY, EARLY DAYS OF IT.
UM, SO, UH, AND WE HAVE A GREAT CONSULTANT TEAM THAT WE'RE WORKING WITH TO DO A LOT OF THIS RESEARCH.
UM, AND JUST WANNA SHARE WITH YOU HOW OUR, HOW WE'RE APPROACHING THIS FROM A PROJECT STANDPOINT.
SO, UM, PART OF THAT RESEARCH INVOLVES JUST UNDERSTANDING, UH, LOCAL CONTEXT PARAMETERS AND INPUTS THAT ARE GONNA BE CRITICAL IN THIS PROCESS.
SO WE KNOW WE WANT THIS SYSTEM TO REFLECT AUSTIN, BE OF THIS PLACE, UH, USING, UH, LOCAL, UM, LET'S SAY CONTEXTUAL, UH, INPUTS TO, TO DEFINE IT, UM, BOTH FROM A CONSTRUCTION STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO AS A FORM STANDPOINT, AS WELL AS A USER NEEDS STANDPOINT.
SO WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE URBAN FORM, WHAT ARE THE TYPICAL, UM, URBAN CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE WORKING WITHIN IN AUSTIN, UM, AND HOW ARE THEY EVOLVING, RIGHT? LOOKING AT CULTURAL AND HISTORIC CO TOUCHPOINTS, RIGHT? WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE WANNA REFERENCE THAT WE MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, INCORPORATE INTO OUR DESIGN SO THAT THIS, THIS IS ROOTED IN THIS PLACE.
UM, LOOKING AT LANDSCAPE AND SUSTAINABILITY, OBVIOUSLY OUR NATURAL RESOURCES ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, ONE OF OUR, OUR GREATEST ASSETS IN AUSTIN.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE RESPECTING THEM AND ALSO BUILDING WITH THEM SENSITIVELY AND ALSO BUILDING THE SYSTEM, UM, IN A WAY THAT, UM, IS, UH, I WOULD SAY CLIMATICALLY RESPONSIBLE, BOTH IN TERMS OF THE, OUR IMPACT ON CARBON, BUT ALSO IN TERMS OF THE USER EXPERIENCE.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT MORE IN A SECOND.
UM, LOOKING AT LOCAL MATERIALS AS WELL AS, AND LOCAL TRADES, LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE, THE MATERIALS WHERE, WHERE WE HAVE A HISTORY OF, OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND, AND A STRONG, UM, LOCAL TRADE COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN TAP INTO AS WE, UM, DEVELOP THE DESIGN FOR THE PROGRAM.
UM, AND THEN LOOKING AT WAYFINDING, UM, AND NOT JUST LIKE THINKING ABOUT SIGNAGE, BUT HOW DO WE ACTUALLY BUILD, UH, A SENSE OF WAYFINDING AND NAVIGATION INTO THE DESIGN AS WE, UH, DEVELOP IT SO THAT WE'RE NOT ALWAYS RELYING ON SIGNAGE, UM, AND MAKING SURE THAT THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IS AS EASY AND, AND INTUITIVE TO USE AS POSSIBLE.
SO THESE ARE ALL KIND OF PART OF OUR, OUR LOCAL CONTEXT RESEARCH THAT WE'VE, WE'VE UNDER UNDERGONE.
UM, THE OTHER PART OF THIS IS LOOKING AT, I WOULD SAY USER, UH, BEHAVIORAL RESEARCH, RIGHT? SOME OF WHICH IS, UM, SPECIFIC TO AUSTIN, RIGHT? AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT DEVELOPING A HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN, UM, WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO UNDERSTAND HOW DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY BEHAVE RIGHT IN THIS, THIS IMAGE? THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF HOW SOMETIMES WE DESIGN THINGS WITH A CERTAIN INTENT AND PEOPLE TEND TO, TO NOT USE 'EM THE WAY THAT THEY WERE INTENDED, RIGHT? UM, AND SO WE'RE REALLY, WE'RE TRYING HARD TO REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW DO PEOPLE ACTUALLY USE OUR TRANSIT SYSTEM? UM,
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HOW DO THEY IMAGINE AND CONSTRUCT THEIR TRANSIT JOURNEYS? UM, WHERE ARE THE FRICTION POINTS THAT THEY ENCOUNTER ALONG THE WAY? AND HOW DO WE THEN DESIGN, UM, TO AVOID THOSE AND TO REDUCE THOSE.UM, SO REALLY DOING A LOT OF, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND HOW PEOPLE ARE MOVING AROUND AUSTIN TODAY, BOTH IN TRANSIT AND OTHER WEST, RIGHT? AND WE DO THAT THROUGH A VARIETY.
UH, WE'VE DONE THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOOLS.
UM, YOU KNOW, PART OF THIS IS ABOUT JUST GOING OUT AND OBSERVING PEOPLE, UM, AND LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THEY MOVE? WHERE DO THEY CROSS THE STREET? WHY? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCOVERED IS THAT, YOU KNOW, YEAH, THIS IS NOT GONNA COME AS A SURPRISE TO ANYBODY, BUT PEOPLE TEND TO USE THE SHORTEST DISTANCE POSSIBLE, EVEN IF IT'S UNSAFE.
SO WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PLACES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE CRAFTED DESIRE LINES, UM, ON PATHS THAT CROSS MULTIPLE LANES OF TRAFFIC THAT ARE NOT AT A CROSSWALK.
UM, SO THE LESSON FROM THAT IS, LET'S PUT THE CROSSWALKS AND THE, AND THE PATHS OF TRAVEL WHERE THEY MAKE THE MOST SENSE AND WHERE PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY MOVING, RIGHT? UM, THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF THE KINDS OF BEHAVIORS THAT WE'VE NOTICED IN, IN JUST WATCHING HOW PEOPLE MOVE AROUND THE CITY.
UM, THE SECOND PART OF THIS IS LOOKING AT OUR, OUR PUBLIC REALM INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? AND HOW ARE PEOPLE ENGAGING WITH THAT? UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT BOTH URBAN FORM CHARACTERISTICS AND HOW THAT INFORMS HOW PEOPLE RELATE TO IT.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE NOTICED IS THAT PEOPLE TEND TO WALK ON STREETS.
AND THIS, AGAIN, NOT A SURPRISE FOR THIS COMMISSION THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ACTIVE DOWNTOWN.
PEOPLE WALK ON STREETS THAT ARE ACTIVATED BY ADJACENT RETAIL, RIGHT? IF THEY HAVE LONG STRETCHES OF, OF SIDEWALK THAT HAVE, THAT ARE UNINTERRUPTED OR UNDIFFERENTIATED AND DON'T HAVE THINGS TO ANIMATE YOU AND, AND TO, TO PULL YOU ALONG THAT, THEY TEND TO HAVE LOWER LEVELS OF PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY.
UM, THE OTHER THING WE NOTICE IS THAT THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR MICRO MOBILITY IS, UH, LET'S JUST SAY INCONSISTENT, RIGHT? AND SO YOU END UP WITH CONDITIONS LIKE THIS PICTURE ON THE RIGHT, WHERE, ON THE TOP WHERE, UH, SCOOTERS JUST GET PILED UP IN PLACES WHERE WE DON'T WANT THEM IN THEIR OBSTRUCTIONS IN OUR PUBLIC PATHWAYS, UH, BECAUSE WE AREN'T PROVIDING ENOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR THEM WHERE THEY CAN GO, UM, SAFELY AND COMFORTABLY.
UM, WE'VE ALSO DONE SOME INTERESTING THINGS WITH TECHNOLOGY IN, UM, USING, UH, BASICALLY BIOMETRIC SENSORS AND ALSO, UH, EYEBALL TRACKING, UH, GLASSES.
UH, LEMME SEE IF THIS, THIS WILL, LET'S SEE IF THIS WILL WORK, MAYBE NOT.
UM, THE, THE, THE VIDEO ON THE BOTTOM, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO BE ANIMATED, UM, CAN YOU SEE ABOUT, CAN YOU ALL SEE THAT ANIMATED, THE VIDEO ISN'T RUNNING, IF THAT'S, THE VIDEO IS RUNNING, IS NOT SO, IS NOT, OKAY.
SO, UM, BASICALLY WE, UH, WE GOT VOLUNTEERS, UM, THAT FIT A VARIETY OF PROFILES, RIGHT? SO PEOPLE WHO ARE FAMILIAR WITH TRANSIT, PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH TRANSIT, UH, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO USE A WHEELCHAIR TO MOVE, UM, ABLE-BODIED, UH, UH, PEDESTRIANS.
UM, SO A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PROFILES.
WE GOT THESE VOLUNTEERS TO WEAR, UM, WATCHES THAT MEASURE YOUR SWEAT AND YOUR HEART RATE AND YOUR TEMPERATURE, UM, AS WELL AS THESE GLASSES THAT ACTUALLY TRACK YOUR EYEBALL MOVEMENTS TO SHOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
AND WE SET THEM ON TRANSIT JOURNEYS THROUGH THE, UM, THROUGH THE CITY.
AND FROM THE COMBINATION OF THOSE INPUTS, WE COULD LEARN FROM MA EACH OF THESE DIFFERENT PROFILES WHERE THOSE MOMENTS OF FRICTION ON THEIR JOURNEY WERE RIGHT, SO THAT WE CAN THEN SEEK TO BASICALLY DESIGN OUR WAY, UH, DESIGN AROUND THEM, OR TO ELIMINATE THEM AS WE IMAGINE THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE LEARNED FROM THE WHEELCHAIR USER IS THAT, UM, BECAUSE, UH, THEY ARE LOWER AND CLOSER TO THE GROUND, THIS USER, UM, WHENEVER SHE APPROACHED THE INTERSECTION OR ENGAGED WITH A CAR OR A ROAD THAT WHERE THERE WAS, THERE WAS POSSIBILITY OF ENGAGING A CAR, UM, HER HEART RATE WENT UP, RIGHT? SHE FELT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ANXIETY BECAUSE SHE FELT LIKE SHE COULD NOT BE SEEN RIGHT, BY CARS AND OTHER VEHICLES.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT INDICATED TO US IS WE HAVE TO DESIGN PATHWAYS FOR WHEELCHAIR USERS WHERE WE HAVE CLEAR SIGHT LINES SO THAT THEY FEEL SAFER AND MORE COMFORTABLE AS THEY'RE MOVING THROUGH THE CITY.
SO AGAIN, TRYING TO GET TO AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW PEOPLE FEEL AS THEY MOVE THROUGH THE CITY, UH, AND, AND DESIGN THAT JOURNEY SO THAT IT CAN BE AS COMFORTABLE AND PLEASURABLE AS POSSIBLE.
UM, WE ALSO ENGAGED IN SOME WORKSHOPS AND, UM, ON THE GO WORKSHOPS, UM, SOME SPECIFIC USER GROUPS, UM, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR SPECIFIC NEEDS WOULD BE.
SO, UM, BLIND AND LOW VISION USERS, UM, KIDS, UH, DEFINITE PART OF HEARING USERS,
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UH, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY ALL HAVE DIFFERENT NEEDS, RIGHT? THAT WE HAVE TO ACCOMMODATE.UM, AND SO TRYING TO CATALOG THOSE AND UNDERSTAND THOSE THAT WE CAN BUILD A INTO OUR DESIGN PROCESS.
SO FROM ALL OF THAT RESEARCH, WE HAVE DEVELOPED, UH, A SET OF PRIORITY USER NEEDS THAT WILL BECOME THE BASIS FOR DESIGN.
UM, AND, UH, WE'VE ARRANGED THEM IN THIS PYRAMID OF PRIORITIES.
WE'RE AT THE BOTTOM OF THE, OF THE PYRAMID AT THE FOUNDATION ARE NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH SAFETY AND SECURITY.
SO EASE OF ACCESS, PREDICTABILITY, UM, CHOICE.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT.
WE'VE FOUND THAT PEOPLE REALLY WANT TO BE ABLE TO CARVE OUT THEIR OWN PERSONAL SPACE WITHIN THEIR TRANSIT JOURNEY.
SO WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE, THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO DO, FOR USERS TO DO THAT.
UM, WE ACTUALLY MOVED THE THERMAL ISSUE OUT OF THE COMFORT PART OF THE PYRAMID DOWN INTO THE SAFETY AND SECURITY PART OF THE PYRAMID.
UM, WE HAVE THE BENEFIT OF DOING SOME OF THIS RESEARCH OVER THE COURSE OF THIS PAST SUMMER WHERE WE ACTUALLY HAD OVER 60 DAYS OF OVER A HUNDRED DEGREE HEAT.
SO WE'RE VERY AWARE OF, OF THE IMPACT OF THAT, AND THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOTTA SOLVE FOR THERMAL SAFETY WITHIN OUR PUBLIC REALM AND SPECIFICALLY OUR TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, IN ORDER TO REALLY ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE IT AND ALSO PROTECT PEOPLE THAT NEED TO USE IT.
UM, THE NEXT LEVEL UP ARE OUR NEEDS ASSOCIATED WITH, UH, A SENSE OF COMFORT AROUND THE USE OF TRANSIT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS INCLUDES COMFORT FROM NOISE, UM, WALKABILITY, UM, WE SAY EVERYBODY STARTS THEIR TRANSIT JOURNEY AS A, AS A PEDESTRIAN.
UM, CLEAR NAVIGATION THAT'S RELATED TO THAT, THOSE DESIRE LINES I TALKED ABOUT EARLIER.
UM, BUT ALSO CONNECTION TO NATURE, RIGHT? THIS IS A WAY THAT ACTUALLY WE CAN PROVIDE A SENSE OF CALM AND RELIEF IN WHAT WOULD BE VERY CHAOTIC AND, UH, AGITATING, UH, EXPERIENCE.
SO WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE PUT THAT INTO, UH, OUR, AND THEN AT THE TOP OF THE PYRAMID, WE HAVE, WE HAVE NEEDS THAT ARE, I THINK, A LITTLE BIT MORE ASPIRATIONAL, BUT NEEDS NONETHELESS.
UH, SO SOCIAL CONNECTION, CONNECTION TO PLACE, RIGHT? WANTING TO, TO, TO THIS PLACE, THIS SYSTEM TO BE OF AUSTIN AND OF OUR, OUR LOCAL CULTURE.
UM, BUT MORE, MOST OF ALL SENSE OF BELONGING, RIGHT? HOW DO WE USE THE TRANSIT SYSTEM TO BUILD A SENSE OF COMMUNITY? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TRANSIT DOES IS THAT IT, IT, IT'S LIKE PARKS.
I WILL SAY IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WHERE YOU BUMP INTO PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LIKE YOU, RIGHT? WHO DON'T NECESSARILY, ARE NOT PART OF YOUR IMMEDIATE CIRCLE.
AND THAT COEXISTENCE, RIGHT? AND, AND SHARING OF SPACE IN THE PUBLIC REALM IS SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY BUILDS A SENSE OF, OF, UM, CIVIC CONNECTION AND BELONGING.
AND SO HOW DO WE ACTUALLY CREATE SPACE FOR THAT TO HAPPEN, UH, ALONG WITH ALL THESE OTHER NEEDS.
SO THAT PYRAMID OF NEEDS IS GONNA BE THE BASIS OF, UM, THE DESIGN PRINCIPLES THAT WE ARE ABOUT TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE OUT TO THE PUBLIC WITH A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS, UM, SOME OTHER ADDITIONAL, UM, WORKSHOPS AND EXPERIENCE BASED ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES, AS WELL AS A DIGITAL SURVEY.
AND SO THAT'S GONNA KICK OFF, UM, PROBABLY THE BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER, UM, AND CONTINUE THROUGH THE REST OF THE FALL AND THE BEGINNING OF, OF 2024, UM, SO THAT WE CAN REALLY, YOU KNOW, RUN ALL THESE, THESE, THESE FINDINGS FROM OUR RESEARCH BY THE COMMUNITY, UM, AND GET THEIR FEEDBACK, UM, AND HAVE MORE CONVERSATIONS SO THAT, UM, REALLY FEEL LIKE THE, THESE, UH, PRINCIPLES RESONATE WITH PEOPLE OUT WHERE THEY, THE COMMUNITY.
UM, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO AGAIN, THIS IS ONE STEP FORWARD IN THE, IN THE, IN THE LONGER TERM, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT, THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM, BUT WANTED TO BRING THAT FOR YOU AND WE'LL BE BACK AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE, UM, MORE SPECIFICS ABOUT THE DESIGN AND HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO FIRST I JUST WANT TO COMMEND YOU BECAUSE TWO HOURS AGO YOU WERE GIVING A PRESENTATION TO THE, UH, A T P BOARD.
SO TO ANYONE WHO QUESTIONS THE DEDICATION OF THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TEAM, UH, YOU GUYS ARE BEYOND REPROACH ON TALKING TO ANYONE ANYTIME ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH IS GREAT.
UH, WHAT I'M GONNA TALK TO YOU LATER AT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, LIKE TWO WEEKS.
SO I REALLY JUST WANT TO ASK ONE DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC QUESTION.
UM, THE CITY OF AUSTIN HAS DONE SOME REALLY GREAT ENGAGEMENT ON THE CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UH, AND WHAT IT FOUND IS THAT, NUMBER ONE, PEOPLE WANT MORE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE DOWNTOWN.
NUMBER TWO, PEOPLE WANT MORE BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE DOWNTOWN.
NUMBER FIVE, PEOPLE WANT MORE BUS LANES.
AND THEN WAY DOWN IN NUMBER SIX, PEOPLE WANT, UH, MORE GENERAL TRAVEL LANES.
UM, AND SO I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE WAY THE CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN IS GOING TO INTERACT WITH, UH, WITH PROJECT CONNECT RIGHT NOW.
UH, WHEN THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION, WHEN THE NEW ALIGNMENT WAS ANNOUNCED OF HAVING TO REMOVE THE BIKE LANES AND SOME OF THE MULTIMODAL INFRASTRUCTURE ON THIRD STREET, UH,
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AND KEEP MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC ON THE STREET, UH, WHEN I LOOK AT THE PROP A BALLOT LANGUAGE, IT TALKS ABOUT, UH, BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.IT DOESN'T TALK ABOUT, UH, KEEPING GENERAL TRAVEL LANES AND MOVING SOMETHING TO A DIFFERENT STREET AWAY FROM WHERE IT ALREADY IS.
DOESN'T SOUND LIKE AN IMPROVEMENT TO ME, ME.
SO WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, AS PART OF THIS DI DESIGN CRITERIA, CAN WE GET A COMMITMENT FROM A T P OR PERHAPS SOME SORT OF HIERARCHY IN WHICH A T P CAN KINDA RESPECT THE WILL OF THE VOTERS, AND ALSO WHAT PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN SAYING IN PUBLIC FEEDBACK, UH, THAT THEY WANT TO SEE PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, BIKE INFRASTRUCTURE, AND TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE OVER KEEPING SPACES FOR MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC.
SO WE, UM, WE'RE CERTAINLY COORDINATING CONSTANTLY WITH THE CITY'S TRANSPORTATION, BOTH THE COURT DEPARTMENT AND SPECIFICALLY WITH THE COURT TRANSPORTATION PLAN, UM, DOWNTOWN TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, WHAT THEY'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH AND, YOU KNOW, THE PLANS FOR LIGHT RAIL ARE COORDINATED, BUT ALSO LEVERAGING ONE ANOTHER, RIGHT? LIKE, UM, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS HOLISTICALLY, UM, BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE AN IMPACT ON ONE ANOTHER.
AND SO WE'VE GOTTA TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING THESE SIMULTANEOUSLY.
UM, SO PART OF THAT IS MAKING SURE, AND CERTAINLY THIS IS TRUE THROUGHOUT THE PROGRAM, BUILDING OUR CYCLING AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE IS A PRIORITY FOR US AND FOR AUSTIN, AND IT'S PARTLY BECAUSE IT'S GOOD.
IT'S GONNA ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO USE TRANSIT, RIGHT? THOSE THINGS WORK TOGETHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'RE ALWAYS GONNA BE TRADE-OFFS, RIGHT? AND I WANT TO BE REALLY CLEAR ABOUT THAT, RIGHT.
YOU KNOW, THE ROADWAY IS NOT BIG ENOUGH FOR EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK THE CO THE PORT TRANSPORTATION PLAN ALSO, UM, DISCOVERED THIS IN A LOT OF PLACES.
SO THE, THE REAL QUESTION IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BUILDING ADEQUATE, IT'S NOT ADEQUATE, BUT LIKE, EXCELLENT BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE, EXCELLENT PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE, EXCELLENT TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE, AND ENOUGH INFRASTRUCTURE FOR CARS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE WHERE THEY NEED TO, RIGHT? AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
AND SO IT'S ABOUT FINDING THAT RIGHT BALANCE IN THE RIGHT PLACE, UM, AND, UH, AND MAKING SURE THAT WE CAN SERVE ALL THOSE DIFFERENT MODES.
OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER WEAVER.
THANK YOU MR. MULLEN, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
AND THE LAST PRESENTATION FROM A T P, UM, THERE WERE THREE TYPES OF STATIONS, UH, WITH RENDERINGS, UM, BELOW GROUND, ABOVE GROUND, OR AT GRADE AND ELEVATED.
UM, IN YOUR PRESENTATION, YOU SAID ALL OF DOWNTOWN WOULD BE AT GRADE.
CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT STATEMENT? UM, YEAH, I THINK THAT IS, THAT'S THE CURRENT ALIGNMENT, IS THAT ALL OF THE, THE DOWNTOWN AREA WILL BE, YOU KNOW, ON STREET.
UM, ARE THERE ANY ELEVATED RAILS STILL IN CONVERSATION? UM, I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, RIGHT? AND AGAIN, THERE'S, SOMETIMES THERE ARE, DEPENDING ON WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH TOPOGRAPHY, WE HAVE TO, UM, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE STUDYING RIGHT NOW, IS, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE ANY SITE CONDITIONS THAT REQUIRE US TO, UM, TO, TO BUILD STRUCTURES TO SUPPORT THE GUIDEWAY.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL EXPLORING ALL THOSE AND I THINK WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THAT, UM, EARLY IN THE, IN 2024.
I, MY MAIN CONCERN ON THE ELEVATED RAILS WAS ACTIVATED STREET SCAPES AND THE ADDITIONAL COST.
UM, SO I APPRECIATE THAT UPDATE.
UM, AND MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, ABOUT FINANCING.
UH, ARE THERE ANY, IF YOU DON'T MIND EXPANDING ON, UM, KIND OF THE CONVERSATION, UH, FOR FEDERAL FINANCING.
UM, I HEARD THAT THERE WERE POTENTIAL PROBLEMS IN FUNDING REGARDING THE DWELLING UNITS PER ACRES, UM, AT STOPS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN AND, AND KIND OF REGIONAL DENSITY BEING AN ISSUE.
UM, HOW, IF IS THAT TRUE? AND HOW DOES A T P THINK THAT COULD BE ADDRESSED, UM, IN A, IN A LARGER, UH, FROM A LARGER STANDPOINT? YEAH, SO, UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THE F FDA A HAS CRITERIA THAT THEY USE TO RATE, UH, LIGHT RAIL PROGRAMS. AND ONE OF THOSE CRITERIA IS LAND USE POLICY.
THEY WANNA KNOW THAT THE CITIES HAVE LAND USE POLICIES THAT SUPPORT, UH, THAT ARE TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE, RIGHT? UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS TRANSIT SUPPORTIVE IS DENSITY
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AROUND LIGHT, AROUND TRANSIT CORRIDORS.SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CITY IS LOOKING AT, AND, AND THEY'VE HAD A LONG PLANNING PROCESS, YOU KNOW, WITH AROUND EQUITY, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT ABOUT HOW TO, UM, CREATE ADDITIONAL HOUSING AND BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES AROUND THE CORRIDOR THAT LEVERAGE, UH, THAT, UH, INVESTMENT.
AND ALSO WHERE YOU'RE JUST GETTING PEOPLE WHO CAN BE SERVED BY THAT INVESTMENT.
UM, UH, AND SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE CITY WILL BE PURSUING, YOU KNOW, UH, LAND USE.
AND, AND THIS IS, AND THIS IS NOT NEWS, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE BEEN ASKED, THE, THE COUNCIL ASKED STAFF TO LOOK AT MOVING FORWARD SOME OF THE PLANS FROM THE EAD, UH, POLICY PLAN, UM, THAT WOULD, IF ENACTED, WOULD SUPPORT, UH, OUR APPLICATION WITH THE F T A.
SO EXPANDING ON THAT, I THINK IT'S 20 DWELLING UNITS PER ACRE, PER BUS STOP, AND THEN 35 DING UNITS PER ACRE FOR A TRANSIT STOP.
IS THAT CORRECT? UH, I DO NOT KNOW.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T, I DON'T HAVE THOSE FIG, I DON'T HAVE THE DATA RIGHT ON THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
DO YOU KNOW, JUST, UM, HOW MANY, HOW MUCH OF OUR PROPOSED PATH OF OUR TRANSIT IS AT RISK OF NOT BEING IN COMPLIANCE? SO IT, IT'S NOT SO MUCH A COMPLIANCE ISSUE, RIGHT? AND I DUNNO THE ANSWER.
UM, THEY DON'T, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU, IT'S NOT PASS FAIL, RIGHT? THEY BASICALLY RATE THE F D A RATES, YOUR OVERALL LAND USE, UM, POLICY LANDSCAPE, LET'S JUST SAY.
UM, AND THEY, IT GOES FROM LOW TO HIGH, LOW TO MEDIUM TO HIGH, AND THERE'S MEDIUM HIGH, ET CETERA.
AND YOU NEED TO BE OVER AT LEAST A MEDIUM.
IF YOU'RE BELOW A MEDIUM, I GUESS THAT'S A FAIL.
UM, BUT IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T LOOK, I THINK IT'S, THEY LOOK AT THE, THE ALIGNMENT AS A WHOLE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? PETER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
UH, WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FUTURE UPDATES FROM YOU.
[5. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding the 5th Street Mexican American Cultural Heritage District. Presentation by Matt Schmidt of the City of Austin Economic Development Department. ]
IS A RECOMMENDATION TO APPROVE, A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL REGARDING THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL HERITAGE DISTRICT.AND WE HAVE MATCHED SCHMIDT WITH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HERE.
UH, MATTHEW SCHMIDT WITH THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, PROVIDING AN UPDATE ON THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
UH, TO GIVE Y'ALL SOME HISTOR HISTORY OF THE, UH, FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN, UH, HERITAGE CORRIDOR, UH, BACK IN 2011, CITY COUNCIL HAD OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH MEX CARTE MUSEUM, UH, LET'S SEE, FIESTA DECIA, UH, FOUNDATION IN THE AUSTIN SAT SISTER CITIES ASSOCIATION TO FORMERLY RECOGNIZE THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR, WHICH EXTENDS FROM REPUBLIC, UH, PARK ALL THE WAY TO PLAZA CILLO ALONG FIFTH STREET.
UH, SINCE THAT TIME, UH, THERE HAD NOT BEEN ANY DEDICATED RESOURCES TO THAT SPECIFIC CULTURE OR HERITAGE CORRIDOR UNTIL ABOUT 2019, UH, WHEN CITY MANAGER WAS DIRECTED THROUGH THE PALM DISTRICT MASTER PLAN TO BEGIN EXPLORATION OF A, UH, CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION FOR THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR, AS WELL AS DEDICATING SPECIFIC HOT TAX FUNDS FOR A HERITAGE WAYFINDING SYSTEM IN THAT SPECIFIC CORRIDOR.
UH, AGAIN, NO DEDICATED FUNDING WAS DIRECTED TO THAT EFFORT.
SO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT TOOK THAT EFFORT ON IN TRYING TO, UH, DETERMINE HOW TO SPECIFICALLY FUND THOSE, UH, TOOLS AND RESOURCES, UH, THAT WOULD SUPPORT THAT AREA FOR THEIR CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION, AS WELL AS IMPLEMENT SOME OF THE HERITAGE WAY FINDING SYSTEMS, UH, THAT THEY WERE ASKED TO DO.
SO, UH, IN 2021, THERE WAS AN ADDITIONAL AMENDMENT AS WE STARTED TO EXPLORE THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HERITAGE WAYFINDING MANUAL, UH, THAT, UH, DIRECTED THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT'S HERITAGE TOURISM DIVISION TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT A TEMPORARY WAYFINDING SYSTEM INTO THE, THE, UH, CORRIDOR.
UH, WHICH IF YOU'LL GO THROUGH, ALONG FIFTH STREET FROM REPUBLIC SQUARE TO PLAZA SALTILLO, YOU'LL SEE SOME TEMPORARY SIGNAGE THAT JUST DESIGNATES, UH, THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
UH, WE'RE EXCITED TO SAY THAT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NET PAST TWO YEARS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO FINALLY IDENTIFY THE UNNECESSARY FUNDING TO START PHASE ONE OF THE FIFTH STREET MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
UH, AND WE WILL BE GOING TO COUNCIL ON NOVEMBER 30TH, UH, TO APPROVE CONTRACT SERVICES WITH METE MUSEUM AND THEIR SUBCONTRACTORS, UH, TO BEGIN OUR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING AND OUTREACH, WHICH WILL HOPEFULLY HELP US DETERMINE, UH, THE APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDER GROUP, UH, THAT WOULD DEVELOP AN ORGANIZATION TO LEAD THIS CULTURAL DISTRICT, UH, AS A SUSTAINABLE NONPROFIT INDEPENDENT ORGANIZATION, UH, THAT WOULD LEAD THE PROGRAMMING AND, UH, SUPPORT OF THE, UH, ENTIRE DISTRICT
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AS WELL AS THE WAYFINDING SYSTEM AND MAINTENANCE.UH, THAT PHASE ONE SHOULD, UH, BEGIN HOPEFULLY IN EARLY 2024, UH, BE COMPLETED OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS.
AND THEN PHASE TWO WOULD SUBSEQUENTLY OCCUR IN HOPEFULLY F Y 25, UH, WHICH WOULD THEN BEGIN THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ACTUAL CULTURAL TOURISM PLAN TO SUPPORT THAT CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION ON A STATE LEVEL FOR CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATIONS.
THERE'S A LOT OF REQUIREMENTS AROUND PROGRAMMING AND THE EXISTENCE OF A ORGANIZATION THAT WILL SUSTAIN THIS DISTRICT FOR A LONG-TERM, UH, UH, BASIS.
UH, SO WE ARE ENSURING THAT THE FOUNDATIONS OF THAT ORGANIZATION IS PREPARED SO THAT ONCE THEY'RE APPROPRIATELY READY TO PURSUE THAT CULTURAL DISTRICT DESIGNATION THAT COULD ACHIEVE THAT IN THE FUTURE.
UH, SO THAT'S THE CURRENTLY THE STATUS OF THAT PROJECT AND WHERE WE'RE AT.
AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS.
COMMISSIONER LEVINE, I WAS JUST WONDERING WHEN, UH, ENDEAVOR DID THE SALTILLO PLAZA THING, WAS THERE NO MONEY DEDICATED FROM THEIR WORK OR FOR THE, FOR THIS OR, MM.
OR WAS IT JUST TO PUT THE SIGNS UP? I CAN TELL YOU THAT THE, UH, ENDEAVOR WAS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE HERITAGE WAYFINDING, UH, SIGNS AT ALL EITHER.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY HAD EXPLORED ANY KIND OF PARTNERSHIP WITH THAT, UH, DEVELOPMENT OR I WAS NOT WITH THE CITY AT THE TIME WHEN THE DEVELOPMENT OCCURRED.
UH, SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY PARTNERSHIP THAT HAD OCCURRED TO PURSUE CONTINUED EFFORTS AROUND THE CULTURAL DISTRICT.
I JUST REMEMBER THERE WAS A LOT OF TALK ABOUT DISPLACEMENT AND RECOGNIZING THE FACT THAT WE GENTRIFIED THAT WHOLE AREA AND THEN, AND NOTHING.
SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL WORKING ON IT.
PERHAPS THERE WAS SOME FEE AND LIE SITTING IN SOME ACCOUNTS SOMEWHERE.
THAT'S SOMETHING I'M GOOD AT FINDING OUR MONEY FOR OUR DISTRICTS.
IT'D BE A LOT COOLER IF THERE WAS.
UM, I FORMALLY SERVED ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION, UM, AND WE WOULD REVIEW PROJECT SEEKING BENEFITS FROM THE DENSITY BONUS PROGRAM, ASKING THEM IF THEY WERE PARTICIPATING OR DOING ANYTHING.
WE ENCOURAGED ART TO CELEBRATE THE MEXICAN AMERICAN HERITAGE CORRIDOR.
UM, AND THERE JUST WAS VERY, MOST, MOST APPLICANTS WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT THE PROGRAM OR JUST WOULDN'T, THERE'S JUST ZERO AWARENESS OF, OF WHAT THE PROGRAM EXISTED OR WHAT THEY COULD DO.
UM, SO I GUESS IN KIND OF EXTENDING THE, UH, IMPACT OF, OF THE PROGRAM, OF THE CULTURAL HERITAGE CORRIDOR AND THE CULTURAL DISTRICT, UM, JUST MAKING A SUGGESTION TO REACH OUT TO DEVELOPERS AND PRO THAT ARE THEIR PROJECTS IN PROGRESS.
THEY'VE ALREADY SUBMITTED AN APPLICATION, UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, CREATING LIKE EVEN A P D F, JUST LIKE, HEY, THIS EXISTS AND YOU COULD, UM, CELEBRATE WITH US.
UM, AND JUST BETTER MESSAGING TO FUTURE PROJECTS, UH, ABOUT IT, MAYBE IF THERE'S A POTENTIAL BENEFIT OR INCENTIVE.
UM, UH, AND THEN, UM, I THINK IN THE MESSAGING, JUST EXPLAINING WHAT IT IS, UM, MAKING CONCRETE SUGGESTIONS ABOUT INTEGRATIONS FOR PUBLIC ART OR, UM, BUT ALSO EXPLAINING THE BENEFITS FOR INTEGRATION.
MAYBE THEY COULD BE LISTED AS A, A BUILDING THAT'S, UH, PARTICIPATING.
MAYBE THEY GET TO BE AN ANNUAL PARADE STOP OR SOME SORT OF RECOGNITION, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, REALLY, UM, AMPLIFYING THE INTANGIBLES OF, OF JUST, YOU KNOW, DEDICATING A LITTLE BIT OF SIDEWALK SPACE, UM, TO, TO CELEBRATING SOMETHING THAT IS, IS REALLY SPECIAL, UM, I THINK COULD, COULD AMPLIFY THE PROGRAM.
I THINK THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE SPOT ON, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT THIS PHASE ONE IS INTENDED TO DO, IS TO REALLY IDENTIFY THE FULL STAKEHOLDER GROUP.
THIS IS THE FIRST TIME THAT OUR ECONOMIC, UH, AND CULTURAL DISTRICTS TEAM IS REALLY STEPPING INTO THE CULTURAL DISTRICT DEVELOPMENT STANDPOINT.
UH, AND TYPICALLY WE WORK REALLY WITH OUR BUSINESSES ON THE GROUND IN THOSE DISTRICTS, UH, BUT WITH THIS PROJECT, WE'RE GOING TO BE EXPANDING THAT AMONGST OUR CULTURAL STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY AS WELL.
UH, BUT THOSE DEVELOPERS IN THE DISTRICT ARE GONNA BE KEY PLAYERS BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE, AND ONE OF THE REASONS WHY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TOOK THIS PROCESS AND PROJECT ON, UH, WAS BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THE BUSINESSES AND THE BUILDINGS ON THE SPECIFIC CORRIDOR ARE REALLY KEY TO ENCOURAGING, UH, THE CONTINUED DEVELOPMENT AND CELEBRATION OF THE HISTORY THAT OUR MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY HAD PROVIDED IN OUR DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, SO WE'LL DEFINITELY TAKE THOSE CONSIDERATIONS INTO, UH, RECOMMENDATION.
AND I'M HOPING THAT OVER THE PHASE ONE, THAT'S WHERE WE'LL START DEVELOPING THOSE SPECIFIC STORIES THAT OUR MEXICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY WANTS TO CELEBRATE, UH, AND SHARE WITH THOSE DEVELOPERS.
SO HOPEFULLY THEY'LL FEED INTO THAT AND, UH, TO YOUR POINT, CONTRIBUTE TO THE VIBRANCY OF THAT
[01:20:01]
SPECIFIC CORRIDOR AS THEY CONTINUE TO DEVELOP, UH, AND CHANGE AND GROW, UH, OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.UH, HAVE YOU REACHED OUT TO D A A WE HAVE NOT STARTED THOSE FULL PARTNERSHIPS YET.
THAT IS, I THINK WHAT WE'LL BE DOING WHEN WE START KICKING OFF OUR PLANS WITH MEX CARTE, UH, WITH THIS PHASE ONE IS REALLY MAPPING OUT WHO ALL OF OUR PARTNERS ARE.
D A A WILL DEFINITELY BE A LARGE, A SIGNIFICANT PARTNER, HOPEFULLY IN PROVIDING SUPPORT FOR THESE EFFORTS.
YEAH, I, I JUST, I THINK, UM, LETTING 'EM, LETTING POTENTIALLY LETTING STAKEHOLDERS KNOW THAT IT'S COMING EVEN BEFORE IT'S FULLY FLESHED OUT SO THAT THEY CAN START MESSAGING TO THEIR, IT TAKES SEVEN YEARS TO MAKE A BUILDING, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY
AND SO JUST RECOGNIZING THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT IT THAT'S AN UPCOMING CONVERSATION FOR THEIR STAKEHOLDERS COULD BE HELPFUL.
I'M, I'M EXCITED TO HEAR THIS PROJECT IS MOVING FORWARD.
APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR FUTURE UPDATES.
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS ITEM SIX, TO APPROVE
[6. Approve a recommendation to Council regarding Autonomous (Driverless) Vehicles. Presentation by Jay Brown & Yariel Diaz of Get Cruize]
A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNSEL REGARDING AUTONOMOUS DRIVERLESS VEHICLES, UH, PRESENTATION BY JAY BROWN AND ARIEL DIAZ.AND GOOD JOB FOLKS USUALLY ASK ME HOW TO PRONOUNCE IT SO YOU GOT IT ON THE FIRST TRY.
SO, UM, MY NAME IS ARIEL DIAZ.
I AM THE SENIOR MANAGER FOR GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FOR CREWS FOR THE SOUTHEAST.
MY MARKETS ARE TEXAS, FLORIDA, GEORGIA, AND TENNESSEE.
FOR CONTEXT ON, ON THE CONVERSATION WE'RE GONNA HAVE WITH ME TODAY, WE HAVE, UH, MIKE, MIKE IS OUR GENERAL MANAGER AND I'LL HAVE HIM INTRODUCE HIMSELF AND HIS TEAM.
HI, MY NAME'S MIKE STAPLES, UH, BOARD BURNES TO MEET YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
AND WITH ME TODAY IS MY DEPUTY GENERAL MANAGER, CAPU LEY.
SO HOW I'VE STRUCTURED THE PRESENTATION THAT WE HAVE TODAY IS, UM, BASED ON PREVIOUS PRESENTATIONS THAT I'VE GIVEN, QUESTIONS THAT I'VE RECEIVED AND AS A MEANS TO ANSWER A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WOULD ANTICIPATE THAT YOU FOLKS MIGHT HAVE.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BACKGROUND, WE ALREADY DID INTRODUCTIONS, BUT A LITTLE BACK FURTHER BACKGROUND ON MYSELF.
BEFORE WORKING IN TECH, I WORKED AT THE CITY OF MIAMI BEFORE WORKING AT THE CITY OF MIAMI, I WORKED AT THE STATE OF FLORIDA.
I'VE WORKED BOTH ON THE ELECTED SIDE AND AT THE ADMINISTRATION SIDE.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THE, THE WORK THAT YOU FOLKS ARE DOING, VOLUNTEERING YOUR TIME TO BE HERE AND, AND TO, UM, LEAD THESE MEETINGS.
CRUISE IS BUILDING THE WORLD'S MOST ADVANCED SELF-DRIVING VEHICLES TO SAFELY CONNECT THE WORLD AND PEOPLE TO THE PLACES THINGS AND EXPERIENCES THEY CARE ABOUT.
SAFETY IS OUR TOP AND NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE FOCUS ON WHEREVER WE ARE IN ANYTHING THAT WE DO.
WHAT YOU NOTICED IMMEDIATELY FROM THE FIRST TWO SLIDES ARE TWO DIFFERENT VEHICLES.
THIS ONE, WHICH IS OUR CHEVY BOLT, AND THAT'S WHAT'S ON THE STREETS RIGHT NOW HERE IN AUSTIN.
AND THIS ONE, WHICH IS OUR CRUISE ORIGIN AND THAT WE HOPE TO HAVE ON THE STREETS SOON.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THESE VEHICLES IN THE UPCOMING SLIDES AS WELL AS SAFETY BEING OUR TOP NUMBER ONE PRIORITY, THE FACT THAT WE FOCUS HEAVILY ON ACCESSIBILITY, THE SHARED NATURE OF OUR VEHICLES, AND, UH, THE ZERO EMISSIONS, ZERO TAILPIPE EMISSIONS.
ALL ELECTRIC FLEET ARE OUR GUIDING STARS AS WE EXPAND ACROSS MULTIPLE MARKETS.
EVERY YEAR, OVER 40,000 PEOPLE DIE IN CAR CRASHES.
AND THAT'S A STATISTIC THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE GETTING BETTER IN A YEAR EVERY YEAR.
UM, IT ACTUALLY IS GETTING WORSE EVERY YEAR.
UM, WE THINK ABOUT THAT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE SERVICE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING AND THE FACT THAT OUR VEHICLES ARE DRIVERLESS.
UM, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE ARE TWO, TWO OF THE SIDES OF THE BUSINESS THAT WE HAVE ON THE TOP IS RIDE HAIL, AND ON THE BOTTOM IS DELIVERY.
AND I'LL TALK ABOUT BOTH OF THOSE.
THIS IS A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON OUR JOURNEY.
WE'RE ABOUT 10 YEARS OLD AT THIS POINT.
WE WERE FOUNDED IN 2013, ABOUT THREE YEARS IN GENERAL.
MOTORS TOOK A MAJORITY STOCK AND HAS SINCE DOUBLED DOWN A COUPLE TIMES.
SO WE'RE VERY MUCH A SUBSIDIARY OF GENERAL MOTORS AT THIS POINT.
UM, BUT WE HAVE ALSO RECEIVED INVESTMENTS FROM SEVERAL OTHER COMPANIES LIKE HONDA, MICROSOFT AND WALMART.
WALMART SPECIFICALLY ON THE DELIVERY SIDE.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THESE THINGS COMING UP.
THIS IS WHAT THAT HONDA, UM, PARTNERSHIP LOOKS LIKE.
WE'RE BRINGING, WORKING WITH HONDA, BRING AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES TO JAPAN.
WE'RE ALSO THE AUTONOMOUS RIDE HAIL PARTNER FOR THE DUBAI ROAD AND TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE ORIGIN 'CAUSE THAT'S THE VEHICLE THAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON OVER THERE IN DUBAI.
SAFETY IS OUR TOP AND NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT AND LET'S FOCUS ON THAT FIRST.
AND LET ME TAKE A SWIG OF WATER JUST BEFORE WE CONTINUE THERE.
THIS IS THE VEHICLE THAT YOU FOLKS ARE SEEING ON THE ROAD RIGHT NOW.
UH, NORMALLY THIS SLIDE WOULD BE, UH, AN ANIMATION THAT WOULD SHOW YOU ALL OF THE TECHNOLOGY THAT'S UNDERNEATH THE HOOD, BUT YOU'LL SEE A LITTLE BIT OF THAT ON THE NEXT SLIDE.
BUT JUST IMPORTANT TO SEE THE VEHICLE, UNDERSTAND THE VEHICLE AND SEE AND BE ABLE TO RECOGNIZE IT WHEN YOU SEE IT ON THE STREET.
[01:25:01]
AND THE NAMES AND THE, UM, PERFECT INTEGRATION OF THE, UH, AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGY INTO THE VEHICLE.THE VEHICLE HAS WHAT YOU WOULD NORMALLY ANTICIPATE FROM AUTONOMOUS RIDE HAIL OR FROM AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES GENERALLY, WHICH IS LIDAR, RADAR CAMERAS, ACOUSTIC SENSORS, ALL OF IT, FEEDING THE INFORMATION INTO THE AUTONOMOUS DRIVING SYSTEM'S COMPUTER, UH, WHICH IS MAKING DECISIONS 10 TIMES PER SECOND DOWN TO THE CENTIMETER FULL 360 DEGREE VIEW AROUND US.
IT'S A VEHICLE THAT AS ONE WOULD EXPECT BECAUSE IT'S A COMPUTER, IT DOESN'T GET TIRED, IT DOESN'T GET DISTRACTED, IT DOESN'T DRIVE DRUNK.
WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET FOLKS WHO ARE INEBRIATED OUT OF THEIR CARS AND INTO OURS TO MAKE THE ROADS SAFER THAT WAY.
A QUESTION WE USUALLY GET WHEN, UH, WE MEET WITH GOVERNMENTS, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE MAIN STAKEHOLDERS THAT I HAVE, IS, UM, WHAT DO YOU NEED FOR US? WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO OPERATE? IN 2017, THE STATE OF TEXAS PASSED LEGISLATION THAT ALLOWS US TO CURRENTLY OPERATE ON PUBLIC ROADS.
SO WE DO ALREADY HAVE THE AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION AND ALTHOUGH THAT HAS THE, UH, AUTHORIZING BODY AT THE STATE, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE DON'T HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS.
MY JOB JOB IS LITERALLY TO HAVE THESE CONVERSATIONS HERE WITH YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE INFORMED THAT YOU KNOW WHAT OUR SERVICE IS ABOUT, THAT WE CAN ANSWER QUESTIONS AS BEST AS POSSIBLE, AND THAT WE WORK DIRECTLY WITH CITIES TO, UH, FIGURE OUT WAYS THAT WE CAN COMMUNICATE BOTH THE INFORMATION THAT WE HAVE AND THE INFORMATION THAT CITIES HAVE.
WE ALSO MAKE THREE D MODELS OF THE CITIES THAT WE DRIVE, AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION.
BUILDING A LITTLE FURTHER INTO THE CENTER TECH.
THE CAMERAS HELP TO CLASSIFY THE WORLD AROUND US SO THAT WE HAVE A, A VISUAL DESCRIPTION OF WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND US AT ALL TIMES.
THE LIDAR HELPS TO MEASURE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN OBJECTS DOWN TO THE CENTIMETER.
UM, SO WE HAVE, AGAIN, A FULL REPRESENTATION OF WHAT WE SEE AROUND US, AND THEY'RE STILL, BUT NORMALLY THEY WOULD BE ANIMATED.
UM, AND THE RADAR HELPS TO QUICKLY MEASURE THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE THINGS AROUND US.
ALL IMPORTANT REDUNDANCIES BECAUSE WE'RE NOT THE ONLY ONES ON THE ROAD.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT EVEN IF YOU CHOOSE TO NEVER GET IN OUR VEHICLES, YOU WILL BE DRIVING AROUND IT.
YOU MAY BE CROSSING THE STREET IN FRONT OF IT.
AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE AT ALL TIMES CAPTURING WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US.
WE DO A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF TESTING ON THE FRONT END, 24 7 BEFORE WE'RE EVER LIVE IN A MARKET.
AND THIS IS MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS OF TESTING.
WE PARTNER WITH FIRST RESPONDERS TO DO TRAININGS ON BOTH THE TOP BRASS LEVEL AND ON THE OFFICER CORE LEVEL.
UH, WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF TO DO EXACTLY THAT.
WE HAD, UH, A TRAINING RECENTLY COORDINATED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
RACHEL, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
UM, RACHEL, ACTUALLY, I WANNA TAKE A MOMENT AND PAUSE AND, AND EXPRESS HOW GRATEFUL I AM TO THE CITY FOR THEIR AV TASK FORCE AND THE COORDINATION THAT THEY HAVE PROVIDED TO US.
IT HAS MADE THE DIFFERENCE IN OUR ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE CITY AND GIVE INFORMATION TO THE CITY.
AS TO OUR MAP EXPAN EXTENSIONS, UH, OUR FLEET SIZE INCREASES, INCREASES IN SPEED LIMIT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE COMMUNICATE THIS OUT TO THE AB TASK FORCE AND THEY COMMUNICATE TO US WHENEVER THERE ARE CONCERNS FROM RESIDENTS OR FIRE OR POLICE OR ANYONE ELSE SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND BACK.
UH, WE NOW HAVE CREATED A MONTHLY CADENCE WHERE WE MEET ABOUT ONCE A MONTH TO TALK ABOUT THESE CONCERNS AND REPORT BACK ON OUR FINDINGS FROM MONTH TO MONTH.
SO THANK YOU RACHEL, AND FOR THE WORK THAT YOU'RE DOING.
COMING BACK TO THE PRESENTATION, UM, WE COMPLETED OUR, OUR OUR TRAINING ON SEPTEMBER 20TH.
THAT IS NOT THE LAST TRAINING.
WE HAD DONE ONE EARLIER IN THE MONTH AND WE PLAN TO DO MANY MORE.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS AN ONGOING EFFORT AND THAT'S WHY WE HAVE DEDICATED STAFF FOR THAT.
UM, YOU SEE HERE A COUPLE OF OTHER POINTS THAT I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
MENTIONING LIKE PARTNERING WITH ROAD SAFETY EXPERTS AND DATA REPLAY AND REGRESSION TESTING.
WE ARE ALWAYS IMPROVING OUR SOFTWARE.
THERE ARE SOFTWARE UPDATES IF NOT EVERY TWO WEEKS, THEN ONCE A MONTH TO IMPROVE THE BEHAVIORS.
AND AS AN EXAMPLE, I STARTED WORKING ON CRUISE MARCH OF THIS YEAR AND IMMEDIATELY I CAME TO AUSTIN AND TOOK A RIDE IN THE VEHICLES.
AND THE DIFFERENCE IN DRIVING BEHAVIOR IS, IS EXPONENTIAL FROM MARCH TO NOW.
AND IT WILL BE CONTINUING GOING FORWARD.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT.
IF YOU WANT STATS AS TO WHY WE BELIEVE THAT WE ARE SAFER THAN HUMAN DRIVERS, I WOULD POINT YOU DIRECTLY TO OUR WEBSITE@GETCRUISE.COM SLASH SAFETY.
WE HAVE A CRUISE SAFETY REPORT, A FIRST IN THE INDUSTRY SAFETY REPORT THAT WAS RELEASED NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR.
IT IS A REPORT THAT MEASURES HOW WE DRIVE IN COMPARISON TO OTHER HUMAN DRIVERS GENERALLY.
AND ABOUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, WE RELEASED ANOTHER WHITE PAPER.
AND THIS ONE SPECIFICALLY BENCHMARKS OUR DRIVING BEHAVIORS IN COMPARISON TO OTHER RIDESHARE COMPANIES.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION COMING OUT OF BOTH.
IS THAT 60? UH, WE ARE 64% LESS LIKELY TO BE IN A COLLISION THAN ANOTHER RIDE SHARE COMPANY AND 94% LESS LIKELY TO BE THE PRIMARY CONTRIBUTOR OF THAT COLLISION.
BOTH VERY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT BACKS UP OUR CLAIM OF BEING SAFER THAN A HUMAN DRIVER.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY.
CRUISE IS BASED IN SAN FRANCISCO, AS YOU SAW FROM THE HISTORY, UH, UM, SLIDE.
BUT WE HAVE SINCE EXPANDED BEYOND SAN FRANCISCO.
WE RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR, UH, RIDE HAIL IN SAN FRANCISCO, JUNE OF LAST YEAR FOR NIGHTTIME OPERATIONS AND HAVE SINCE RECEIVED APPROVAL FOR DAYTIME OPERATIONS.
WE ARE NOW OPERATING 24 7 IN SAN FRANCISCO.
UM, AND WE HAVE DRIVEN SINCE WE BEGAN OUR OPERATIONS OVER 5 MILLION
[01:30:01]
DRIVERLESS MILES.THAT'S AN IMPORTANT NUMBER BECAUSE WHEN WE'RE THINKING ABOUT INCIDENTS AND WE THINK ABOUT CONCERNS AND COMPLAINTS THAT WE RECEIVED, IF YOU PUT THAT AGAINST THE 5 MILLION PLUS DRIVERLESS MILES THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE DRIVING, UM, AND HAVE BEEN DRIVING, IT REALLY PUTS THINGS INTO PERSPECTIVE.
THIS IS A MAP OF WHERE WE HAVE PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED, UH, OUR INTENTION FOR EXPANSION BASED ON OUR MANUAL DATA COLLECTION.
SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE THAT WHEN WE DECIDE THAT WE'RE GONNA BE IN A MARKET, WE LOOK AT WHERE WE CAN OPERATE BASED ON WHERE THE DEMAND IS.
WE THEN LOOK AT WHAT ARE SOME OF OUR LIMITATIONS.
SO OUT THERE IT'S BEEN REPORTED THAT WE DO NOT DRIVE IN SNOW, WE DON'T DRIVE IN SLEET, WE DON'T DRIVE IN HEAVY RAIN, WE DON'T DRIVE IN HEAVY FOG.
SO LOOKING AT ALL OF THOSE LIMITATIONS, WE LAYER THAT OVER WHERE WE THINK THAT WE CAN BE BASED ON THE DEMAND.
AND THAT'S HOW WE COME UP WITH THESE CITIES THAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE CHART.
ALL OF THESE CITIES HA SHARE THAT IN COMMON.
UM, WE WILL NOT BE IN ALL OF THESE CITIES BY THE END OF THIS YEAR, BUT WE HOPE TO BE IN ALL OF THESE CITIES SOON.
UM, SO WE BEGAN OUR INITIAL DATA COLLECTION STAGE IN ARIZONA A FEW YEARS BACK.
WE BEGAN A PILOT WITH WALMART TO DO AUTONOMOUS DELIVERIES.
SO THAT IS A GEOFENCED AREA IN WHICH WE OPERATE JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR OTHER MARKETS.
IF YOU LIVE WITHIN THAT GEO-FENCED AREA, YOU WOULD ORDER YOUR ITEMS ON YOUR WALMART APP, IT WOULD GET DELIVERED TO YOU USING ONE OF OUR DRIVERLESS VEHICLES.
YOU WOULD WALK UP TO THE CURB, UNLOCK THE CAR ON THE APP, PICK UP YOUR ITEMS AND CONTINUE.
WE'VE ALREADY COMPLETED OVER 46,000 DELIVERIES THERE.
AND THE REASON I'M TALKING ABOUT ARIZONA HERE IN AUSTIN IS THAT WE HOPE TO BRING THIS TYPE OF SERVICE TO EVERY MARKET THAT WE'RE IN.
RIGHT NOW OUR FOCUS IS THE RIDE HILL, UH, BUSINESS HERE IN AUSTIN.
SO THE CRUISE ORIGIN IS A VEHICLE UNLIKE ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S A VEHICLE THAT IS DESIGNED FOR FULL AUTONOMY.
LOOKING AT THIS IS NORMALLY AN ANIMATION.
UH, I WOULD POINT YOU TO OUR YOUTUBE PAGE WHERE YOU CAN SEE A LOT MORE INFORMATION ON, ON THIS VEHICLE SPECIFICALLY, AS WELL AS A WALKTHROUGH OF THE INSIDE THE OUTSIDE.
IF ANY OF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ONE IN PERSON.
WE ACTUALLY ACTUALLY HAVE THEM HERE IN AUSTIN.
WE'RE DOING SOME TESTING OF THESE VEHICLES HERE IN AUSTIN VERY LATE, ABOUT TWO 30 IN THE MORNING OR SO.
UH, SO IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO TAKE A LOOK, MIKE HERE OR ROO CAN TAKE YOU TO THE SITE AND, AND UH, SHOW YOU WHAT THEY LOOK LIKE.
I THINK, UH, IT'S VERY DIFFERENT WHEN YOU SEE IT IN THE PICTURE TO WHEN YOU'RE SITTING INSIDE OF IT CAN FIT ABOUT SIX PEOPLE VERY COMFORTABLY.
UH, IT WILL CHANGE THE DYNAMIC WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR RIDE HAIL SERVICE, THE DOORS OPEN SUBWAY STYLE.
UM, LOOKING AT YOUR SCREEN, YOU HAVE THE FRONT ON, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE SCREEN, THE FRONT IS ON THE LEFT SIDE.
THE BACK IS ON THE RIGHT SIDE.
IT USES GM'S ALTIUM BATTERY PACK.
UM, AND IT REALLY WILL BE THAT NEXT LEVEL OF AUTONOMOUS RIDE HAIL.
IT DOESN'T HAVE A STEERING WHEEL, IT DOESN'T HAVE SIDE VIEW MIRRORS.
AND SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT YOU NORMALLY WOULD THINK OF WHEN YOU THINK OF A CAR.
THIS VEHICLE RIGHT NOW IS PENDING APPROVALS.
AS YOU SAW ON OUR HISTORY SLIDE FROM NHTSA.
IT'S PENDING FEDERAL APPROVALS BECAUSE IT'S LACKING THOSE THINGS, RIGHT? IT'S A VEHICLE DESIGNED FOR AUTONOMY.
BUT NHTSA CURRENTLY APPROVES THINGS BASED ON VEHICLES DESIGNED FOR HUMAN DRIVERS.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH NETA RIGHT NOW TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO APPROVE THIS VEHICLE.
WE HAVE A NATIONAL ACCESSIBILITY COUNCIL.
SO WE HAVE ALWAYS, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY AND WHAT WE'RE DOING TO THAT END, WE ARE IN CHARGE OF THE APP AND THAT'S HOW YOU ENTER INTO OUR VEHICLES.
THERE'S AN APP CALLED CRUISE THAT YOU WOULD DOWNLOAD AND YOU WOULD GET ON A WAIT LIST, EVENTUALLY GET REMOVED OFF THE WAIT LIST WHEN DEMAND IS THERE, SUPPLY IS THERE.
BUT THINKING ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY HAS ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF OUR KEY FEATURES.
SO WE HAVE A NATIONAL ACCESSIBILITY COUNCIL THAT ADVISES US ON HOW WE CAN BE BETTER.
SO THAT MEANS FOLKS FROM THE DISABILITY COMMUNITY, WHETHER YOU'RE BLIND, VISUALLY IMPAIRED, DEAF, HARD OF HEARING, ET CETERA, A WHEELCHAIR USER TO ADVISE US HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THAT SERVICE OUT OF THAT HAVE COME THESE THINGS THAT YOU SEE HERE ON YOUR SCREEN.
UM, WE DID PRESENT TO THE MAYOR'S COMMITTEE ON FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES.
IT WAS ALMOST A TWO HOUR PRESENTATION 'CAUSE THEY WERE VERY EXCITED ON THESE NEXT TWO SLIDES.
UM, AND WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT.
IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'M PERSONALLY VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT.
I'LL HIGHLIGHT THE USER INITIATED HONK AS SOMETHING THAT IS VERY POPULAR.
AND FOLKS USUALLY LOOK AT THAT AND THEY SAY, WELL, WHY WOULD YOU NEED A USER INITIATED HONK? WELL, IF YOU'RE SOMEONE WHO HAS LOW VISION OR WHO IS BLIND, USUALLY IN A RIDESHARE APP, THE DESCRIPTION IS RED HONDA CIVIC.
WELL, THAT DOESN'T HELP YOU VERY MUCH IF YOU CAN'T SEE WHAT A RED HONDA CIVIC IS.
SO THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET ON THEIR PHONE, CALL THE DRIVER, GET ON THE PHONE WITH THE DRIVER, ASK THE DRIVER TO HERE.
YOU AS A USER CAN HONK THE CAR AND WALK IN THAT DIRECTION TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU'RE GETTING IN THE CAR.
CRUISE ANNOUNCED A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, OUR CRUISE WAVE, WHICH IS A WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE VEHICLE.
IT'S ANOTHER THING I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY THINKING, UH, WHEN OUR ORIGINS ARE IN MARKET, HOW WE CAN BE ACCESSIBLE FOR FOLKS WHO ARE WHEELCHAIR USERS.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS USUALLY AN AFTERTHOUGHT FOR A LOT OF COMPANIES.
SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO BE AT A COMPANY THAT IS THINKING ABOUT THIS ON THE FRONT END.
UM, WE WILL BE IDEALLY HAVING SOME OF THESE ACROSS THE US, UM, STARTING NEXT YEAR, BUT T B D ON WHEN, WHERE, AND HOW.
SO MIKE IS GONNA COME UP AND DO THE NEXT SET OF SLIDES.
THANK YOU YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
UM, UNLIKE YAEL, I DON'T HAVE ANY EXPERIENCE AT THE STATE
[01:35:01]
OR THE CITY LEVEL, BUT I DO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH THE US MILITARY.SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE, DIFFERENT KINDS OF SERVICE, BUT UH, IT'S REALLY BEEN REALLY FUN TO BE IN HERE AND KIND OF HEAR ALL THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
UM, AGAIN, YAEL WENT THROUGH WHAT THE BOLT AV IS AS YOU SEE UP HERE, A PICTURE OF IT.
A COUPLE THINGS YOU'LL NOTICE.
MOST OF, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN US RUNNING AROUND TOWN A LITTLE BIT, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE'RE DOING NIGHTTIME OPERATIONS.
WE HAVE SOME DAYTIME OPERATIONS AS WELL.
YOU SEE THAT THEY'RE WHITE VEHICLES WITH THE CREWS, UH, RED STRIPING ON THE SIDE.
I LIKE TO PERSONIFY THEM A LITTLE BIT.
UH, MY FAVORITE IS PICKLES, ALTHOUGH THERE'S, UH, OTHER GOOD ONES AROUND TOWN LIKE BRISKET, TACO, UH, BLUE BONNET, YOU NAME IT.
THE, UM, LEMME SEE IF THIS CLICKER WORKS.
UM, WE ALSO TALKED ABOUT THE ORIGIN ALREADY.
I THINK IN ADDITION TO SOME OF THE ACCESSIBILITY FEATURES THAT YAEL MENTIONED, I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BOTH FOR THE, THE BOLT AND FOR THE ORIGIN ABOUT OUR LONGER TERM ECONOMIC ACCESSIBILITY OPTIONS, WHICH IS IF WE CAN GET THE PRICE OF OUR BOLTS AND OUR ORIGINS DOWN TO SAY BELOW THE I R S REIMBURSEMENT RATE FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, PER MILEAGE PER VEHICLE, THEN WE MAKE A REALLY COMPELLING, UH, USE CASE FOR FOLKS THAT POTENTIALLY CAN'T AFFORD A CAR OR DON'T WANNA WORRY ABOUT PAYING FOR CAR AND ALL THESE OTHER RESOURCES.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THE FUTURE OF, OF AUTONOM VEHICLES REALLY FROM AN ECO, AN ECONOMIC PERSPEC, UH, PERSPECTIVE.
IN ADDITION TO THE SAFETY THINGS THAT YAEL ALREADY MENTIONED, UM, ONE THING THAT MY TEAM, UH, DOES, AND WE'LL GO INTO THAT, UH, MORE SPECIFICALLY, BUT AS PART OF OUR SAFETY DESIGN, AS OUR VEHICLES ARE ON THE ROAD DRIVING AROUND, EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE THEY'RE GONNA ENCOUNTER A COMPLEX SITUATION.
SO 99% OF THE TIME THOSE VEHICLES ARE OUT, RUNNING AROUND WITHOUT ANY SORT OF HUMAN INTERACTION AT ALL, RIGHT? THEY'RE COMPLETELY AUTONOMOUS.
WHEN A VEHICLE RUNS INTO A SITUATION THAT'S A COMPLEX SITUATION, MAYBE A VERY DENSE URBAN ENVIRONMENT, MAYBE IT'S A LOT OF STUDENTS RUNNING AROUND UT OR SOME CONSTRUCTION THAT CAME UP, THAT VEHICLE IS GONNA REACH OUT AND SAY, HEY, I NEED A LITTLE BIT OF HELP.
SOMETHING HAPPENED, RIGHT? THERE'S SOMETHING AROUND ME THAT IS TOO COMPLEX THAT MAKES ME FEEL UNSAFE, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.
IN THAT INSTANCE, OUR REMOTE ASSISTANCE TEAM IS GOING TO WARP INTO THE VEHICLE, IF YOU WILL.
IT TAKES JUST A SECOND OR TWO AND THEY'RE ABLE TO SEE AND HEAR EVERYTHING THAT'S GOING ON IN THAT VEHICLE.
THEY CAN ALSO REWIND IN TIME AND SEE HOW THE VEHICLE GOT INTO THE SITUATION THAT IT'S IN.
FROM THAT POSITION, THE REMOTE ASSISTANCE ADVISORS ARE ABLE TO HELP, UH, HINT OR PUSH THE VEHICLE TO GO DO CERTAIN THINGS, RIGHT? SO IF THEY SEE THEY'RE IN AN E M V SITUATION, THEY CAN HELP THE VEHICLE NAVIGATE OUT TO A DIFFERENT AREA, RIGHT? IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, THEY'RE GONNA NOTIFY OUR TEAM, THAT'S MY TEAM ON THE GROUND THAT MYSELF AND CABA RUN.
THEY'RE GONNA NOTIFY OUR TEAM TO GO IN PERSON AND PHYSICALLY RELOCATE OR RELAUNCH THE VEHICLE, MOVE IT OUTTA THE WAY.
SO THIS IS KIND OF LIKE, NOT ONLY DO WE DO, UH, OBVIOUSLY ARE WE RUNNING AUTONOMOUSLY, BUT WE HAVE A, A REMOTE 24 7 SERVICE THAT'S STANDING BY READY TO HELP US.
AND IN THE EVENT THAT THEY CANNOT MANEUVER THE, UH, THE, THE VEHICLE, UM, REMOTELY, THEN MY TEAM PHYSICALLY WILL COME OUT AND MOVE THE VEHICLE AROUND.
WE'VE ALREADY TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH FIRST RESPONDERS.
YAEL MENTIONED IT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, BUT WE HAVE AN EXCELLENT SAFETY RECORD AS HE MENTIONED.
WE ALSO HAVE THE REMOTE ON THE GROUND SUPPORT REPRESENTATIVES THAT I ALREADY, UH, TALKED THROUGH AS WELL.
AND THERE'S A CRITICAL RESPONSE LINE THAT ANYONE CAN REACH OUT TO, BOTH CIVILIANS AND OUR, OUR AUTHORITIES, FIRE DEPARTMENT, POLICE, WHOEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.
UH, AND THAT NUMBER'S LOCATED HERE ON THE SCREEN.
ALSO, AS YAEL MENTIONED, WE DO HAVE A REGULAR CADENCE, UH, WITH THE, UH, AV TASK FORCE, WHICH INCLUDES FIRE, POLICE AND NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF BUILDING, UM, BUILDING SOME RELATIONSHIPS IN, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THOSE TEAMS. I'M GONNA GO BACK A LITTLE BIT JUST TO EXPLAIN KIND OF HOW WE LAUNCHED INTO AUSTIN.
SO BEFORE WE, WE LAUNCHED HERE AT THE VERY END OF LAST YEAR.
AND BEFORE WE LAUNCHED, WE SEND MAPPING VEHICLES OUT.
SO ANY ONE OF OUR NEW MARKETS, WE TALKED ABOUT HOUSTON AND DALLAS MAPPING VEHICLES COME OUT FIRST.
THEY'RE GONNA MAP THE ENTIRE AREA, MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE IT IS WE'RE GONNA BE DRIVING.
THEN WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND LAUNCH SOME VEHICLES OUT IN A DRIVERLESS MODE, BUT WITH SUPERVISED DRIVERS IN THE FRONT.
SO THOSE, THERE'S GONNA BE PHYSICAL DRIVERS, LIKE INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THE FRONT, THE VEHICLES DRIVING AND DRIVERLESS, AND THEY'RE GONNA HELP, UH, CORRECT THE VEHICLE FOR THESE CORRECTIONS.
TAKE ANY NOTES, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE.
ONCE WE MAKE SURE THAT WE FEEL WE'VE GOTTEN TO AN, AN APPROPRIATE SAFETY RECORD, THEN WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND TURN THE VE TURN THE, UH, THE SERVICE ON LIVE, WHICH IS WHAT WE DID IN THE MIDDLE OF DECEMBER LAST YEAR.
SINCE DECEMBER, WE'VE SCALED THE, UH, WE'VE SCALED UP OUR SERVICES SUBSTANTIALLY.
SO WE'RE OPERATING OVER A HUNDRED VEHICLES RIGHT NOW AT NIGHT.
UH, AND LET ME GO AHEAD AND ACTUALLY SLIDE THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE SHOW SOME STATS HERE, SHOWS KIND OF OUR, WHAT WE CALL OUR OPERATIONAL DESIGN DOMAIN, OR O D D AS I MENTIONED.
WE'RE OPERATING FROM, IT'S 9:00 PM TO 5:30 AM THAT'S OUR NIGHT OPERATIONS.
AND THEN DAYTIME IS GONNA BE THE INVERSE OF THAT.
SO FIVE 30 TO NINE YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN THAT, UH, HIGHLIGHTED AREA IS THE AREA THAT WE'RE OPERATING RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND THAT AREA BOTH IN TIME AND SPACE.
AND WHEN I SAY TIME, I MEAN EXPANDS NIGHT HOURS AND DAY HOURS.
ALTHOUGH WE HAVE 24 7 COVERAGE ALREADY, OUR PRIMARY LAUNCH FACILITIES ARE GONNA BE DOWNTOWN.
SO SEVENTH AND TRINITY, YOU'LL SEE OUR, OUR AREA OUT THERE.
WE HAVE A BUNCH OF BARRIERS AROUND.
YOU CAN'T MISS THE, UH, THE HUGE LOT OF VEHICLES THAT LOOK LIKE WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.
UM, WE ARE LOOKING TO EXPAND IN MORE LOCATIONS OTHER THAN DOWNTOWN.
[01:40:01]
OUR FLEET INCREASES, WE DO NEED MORE INFRASTRUCTURE TO SUPPORT THE FLEET.THAT INFRASTRUCTURE NOT ONLY INCLUDES LIKE THE PHYSICAL PARKING SPACES, BUT ALL INCLUDE ALSO INCLUDES THINGS LIKE CHARGING INTERNET AND WHATNOT.
AND THEN AS YOU SEE DOWNTOWN, JUST IN CASE FOR ANYONE THAT CAN'T READ THE MAP, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CAESAR CHAVEZ UP TO HYDE PARK.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING FROM WEST OUT TO, UH, FROM MOPAC OUT EAST, JUST PAST 35 INTO EAST AUSTIN A. LITTLE BIT.
SO WHAT I DID WANNA TALK ABOUT SPECIFIC TO THIS SLIDE IS THAT WHERE YOU SEE DAYTIME DATA COLLECTION, THE VEHICLE RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE PUBLIC FACING MAP.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC THAT WANTS TO TAKE A RIDE, THIS IS THE AREA WHERE THAT, UM, WHERE THOSE RIDERS CAN PICK UP AND BE DROPPED OFF WITHIN.
YOU CANNOT, UH, START YOUR RIDE AND END OUTSIDE OF THIS AREA.
ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT YOU MAY SEE OUR VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THIS AREA BECAUSE WE ARE TESTING NORTH AUSTIN, SOUTH OF LADY BIRD LAKE AND A LITTLE FURTHER EAST INTO WHERE IT SAYS ON THAT MAP E CESAR CHAVEZ.
WE ARE TESTING THOSE AREAS FOR FUTURE EXPANSION OF OUR MAP.
SO IF YOU SEE OUR VEHICLES OUTSIDE OF THIS SPECIFIC MAP, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
THEY WILL NOT BE RIDING WITH CUSTOMERS 'CAUSE THAT'S NOT OPEN FOR CUSTOMERS TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A RIDE IN YET.
SO AT THIS POINT, WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS, UH, ON WHATEVER YOU FOLKS MAY HAVE AND HAPPY TO ANSWER ANYTHING AND BE HERE AS LONG AS YOU WANT.
WITH, WITH THE CAMERAS ON EVERY VEHICLE, ARE YOU COLLECTING ALL OF THAT DATA AND HOW WOULD YOU ADDRESS PRIVACY CONCERNS? SO, YES, AND THANK YOU FOR ASKING THAT.
THERE ARE CAMERAS IN ALL OF THOSE VEHICLES, BOTH OUTSIDE AND INSIDE.
UM, ON THE OUTSIDE OF THE VEHICLES, IT DOES SAY THAT YOU'RE BEING RECORDED, VISUAL AND AUDIO.
UM, THE, THE AUDIO AND VISUAL IS STORED AT, ON OUR PRIVATE SERVERS.
THEY'RE CONSIDERED PROPRIETARY INFORMATION.
SO FROM THE PRIVACY SIDE, WE DON'T SHARE OUT THAT INFORMATION UNLESS, UH, WE HAVE TO WITH THROUGH A SUBPOENA OR UNLESS WE FIND THAT IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS NECESSARY TO SHARE OUT.
LET GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT THAT MEANS.
UM, IF WE ARE INVOLVED IN A COLLISION, RIGHT? THAT'S AN INSTANCE IN MOST OF THE TIME WE ARE INVOLVED IN A COLLISION WHERE PEOPLE HIT US, WHETHER THEY RUN A STOP SIGN, THEY RUN A RED LIGHT, OR THEY BREAK OUR SENSORS OR THEY JUMP ON OUR HOOD AND SMASH THE FRONT HOOD.
LIKE THESE ARE ACTUAL EXAMPLES THAT HAVE HAPPENED.
UM, SO IN THOSE INSTANCES WE SHARE THE, THE VIDEO WITH POLICE AND WE OFTEN GET, UM, THAT'S ACTUALLY A QUESTION THAT CAME UP IN SEPTEMBER 20TH WHEN WE HAD OUR TRAINING WITH SOME OF THE DETECTIVES, HOW THEY CAN REACH OUT TO US.
SO WE GAVE THEM A LINE OF CONTACT AT OUR LEGAL DEPARTMENT THAT THEY CAN REACH OUT TO.
THEY DETERMINE WHAT WE CAN SHARE OUT, WHAT WE DON'T, AND THEN WE DO SO, SO WE ARE AT ALL TIMES TRYING TO PARTNER WITH THE LOCAL CITIES AND STATES AND COUNTIES.
UM, SO AS THE URBAN TRIP STATION COMMISSION REP HERE, YOU KNOW, I, I ALWAYS TRY TO MAKE SURE WE'RE NOT PUTTING, UH, TRAFFIC MITIGATION ABOVE SAFETY.
SO I THINK SOME HELPFUL NUMBERS THAT I'VE PULLED FROM VISION ZERO, UH, RIGHT NOW IN DOWNTOWN WE'VE HAD 18 SERIOUS INJURIES OR DEATHS, UH, DUE TO SOME TRAFFIC RELATED INJURY, 89% WERE CAUSED BY COLLISIONS WITH A HUMAN POWERED CAR.
UH, AND ACTUALLY 70.5% HAPPENED ON CITY OF AUSTIN RIGHT AWAY WHEN THE CITYWIDE AVERAGE IS ONLY ABOUT 34% HAPPENING ON CITYWIDE RIGHT AWAY.
SO THERE'S A VERY BIG SAFETY ISSUE IN DOWNTOWN IN TERMS OF THE CARS THAT ARE ALREADY THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THERE ARE DEFINITELY WAYS WE CAN MAKE THIS SITUATION BETTER, BUT LIKE YOU SAID BEFORE, THERE'S A TREMENDOUS SAFETY VALUE TO HAVING YOU GUYS HERE.
UM, I'M REALLY GLAD YOU GUYS ARE HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS 'CAUSE OBVIOUSLY YOU, LIKE YOU SAID, YOU DON'T HAVE TO, THE STATE MAKES ALL THE CALLS ON THIS.
UH, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE SEEN, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THIS IS KINDA REMINDING ME OF, UH, OF SCOOTERS A COUPLE YEARS BACK AND EVEN RIDE SHARES BEFORE THAT, UM, YOU GUYS ARE DISRUPTING CITIES IN A GOOD WAY OR A BAD WAY.
UH, AND A LOT OF THE RELATIONSHIPS WITH THE CITIES, NOT JUST FOR YOU ALL, BUT UH, ALL THE DIFFERENT OPERATORS ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE STARTED DETERIORATE.
SO I WANT TO ASK YOU GUYS SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT ISSUES I'VE SEEN IN OTHER CITIES AND HOW YOU GUYS ARE ADDRESSING THEM HERE.
UM, SO FIRST, UH, YOUR COLLEAGUE CARTER STERN CAME BEFORE THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL MM-HMM
UH, THE BIG TAKEAWAY FROM THAT MEETING IS WE WERE ASKING YOU GUYS TO SHARE MORE DATA WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE DOING THAT WITH THE TASK FORCE.
CAN YOU GO INTO WHAT KINDS OF DATA YOU'RE SHARING? SO WHEN WE MEET WITH RACHEL AND THE TASK FORCE REGULARLY, WE'LL GO OVER INCIDENT REPORTS THAT THEY RECEIVE MM-HMM.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? UM, IF WE RECEIVE AN INCIDENT REPORT AS AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT, UH, WE RECEIVED RECENTLY THAT A VEHICLE WAS UM, MAY HAVE BEEN TOO CLOSE TO A FIRETRUCK.
SO WE LOOKED AT THE INCIDENT, WE LOOKED AT THE VIDEO, WE REPORTED BACK THE DISTANCE, THE PROXIMITY, AND WE ASKED TO FIRE, WELL WHAT
[01:45:01]
DISTANCE WOULD YOU PREFER? RIGHT? WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE? SO THAT WE CAN BETTER INFORM OUR MODELS AND IMPROVE THE SERVICE AND, AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.SO I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO BIKE SAFETY, WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THE FACT THAT OUR VEHICLES SHOULD NOT AND ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE DRIVING IN BIKE LANES.
THAT'S THE CONVERSATION YOU HAD WITH CARTER BACK THEN.
THAT'S A CONVERSATION I HAD WITH SAFE STREETS AUSTIN.
THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE COMMIT TO.
WE WORK WITH A NATIONAL CYCLING ASSOCIATION TO DETERMINE THE SIX PRINCIPLES OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN RELATION TO CYCLISTS.
ONE OF THEM IS TO, UM, CATEGORIZE A CYCLIST SEPARATE AND APART FROM A PEDESTRIAN BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT BEHAVIORS.
SO I THINK WHAT I WANNA SHARE OUT IS THE FACT THAT WHATEVER YOU FOLKS, UH, HAVE AS SUGGESTIONS OF WAYS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE, WE WELCOME IT.
ONE OF OUR BEHAVIORS IS BE HUMBLE.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT PERFECT, NOR DO WE CLAIM TO BE PERFECT.
WE CLAIM TO BE SAFER THAN A HUMAN DRIVER.
BUT AS I MENTIONED, UH, EARLIER WHEN I MET WITH THE E M SS CHIEF, UM, THAT'S A LOW BAR SOMETIMES 'CAUSE HUMAN DRIVERS AREN'T NECESSARILY THE BEST DRIVERS.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BE SUPERHUMAN.
WE'RE TRYING TO BE EVEN SAFER THAN THAN A HUMAN DRIVER THAN WHEN SOMEONE WOULD ANTICIPATE.
SO, AND WHATEVER SUGGESTIONS YOU FOLKS HAVE TO HOW WE CAN IMPROVE, WE'RE OPEN.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS REQUESTING FROM YOU ON, YOU GUYS ARE PROVIDING AS BEST YOU CAN.
IS THERE ANY DATA YOU PROACTIVELY SHARE IF THE CITY OF AUSTIN MAP EXTENSIONS? OKAY, SO WHEN OUR MAP IS GROWING, WHEN OUR FLEET SIZE IS GROWING, WHEN OUR SPEED LIMIT IS, UM, SO WHEN WE STARTED INITIALLY IN THIS MARKET, WE WERE DRIVING INITIALLY ONLY ON STREETS AT A MAXIMUM OF 25 MILES PER HOUR.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU THAT CONTEXT.
SO IF WE GO, IF YOU, UH, REMEMBER THE MAP THAT WAS ON THE SCREEN A MINUTE AGO, THAT MAP REALLY ISN'T VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF EVERY SINGLE STREET WE WERE DRIVING.
'CAUSE IT ALSO INCLUDED THE HIGHWAYS.
OF COURSE WE WEREN'T DRIVING THOSE ROADS, SO IT ACTUALLY WAS A MUCH SMALLER MAP.
AS WE INCREASE THE SPEED AT WHICH WE'RE DRIVING ON THESE ROADS, IT ADDS MORE ROADS, WHICH ALLEVIATES SOME OF THE CONCERNS THAT SOME RESIDENTS HAVE HAD IN THE PAST ABOUT SEEING TOO MANY VEHICLES ON THEIR STREETS.
YOU KNOW, THAT THAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE ONLY ABLE TO DRIVE A 25 MILE PER HOUR ROADS AS WE HAVE SCALED UP TO 30 35, WE'RE ABLE TO DRIVE ON MORE ROADS.
AND SO THE NUMBER OF THE FLEET THAT, UM, MIKE MENTIONED HAS MORE ROADS TO, TO SPREAD OUT ACROSS.
SO WE SHARE ALL OF THAT WITH THE CITY.
YEAH, AND THIS IS THE LAST QUESTION I'LL ASK ABOUT THE DATA, BUT SO I MEAN, WHY NOT SHARE? AND I GET LIKE THERE ARE TECHNICAL ISSUES HERE, RIGHT? YOU'RE NOT COLLECTING DATA IN ALL THE SAME WAYS, BUT I WOULD ASSUME YOU GUYS KNOW EACH TIME THERE'S AN INCIDENT, WHY NOT SHARE THAT WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN? SO THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN START EVALUATING ITS OWN ROAD NETWORKS IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A DIFFICULTY FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, VEHICLES MAKING A CERTAIN TURN, THEY CAN LOOK AT DESIGN WAYS TO HELP AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES IN THE FUTURE.
YEAH, THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT HAS BEEN BROUGHT UP BEFORE AND IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE CAN SHARE DATA AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
IT'S A VERY REAL CONVERSATION IN EVERY MARKET THAT WE'RE IN.
SO WE'RE LISTENING TO HOW WE CAN DO THAT.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT AS IT RELATES TO INFORMATION THAT IS REGULARLY REPORTED OUT, UM, THERE ARE NITSA REQUIREMENTS BASED ON, ON FLEET MANAGEMENT OF REPORTING.
SO TOWS COLLISIONS AND, UM, DAMAGE OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS GETS REPORTED OUT REGULARLY.
SO WHEN THOSE THINGS HAPPEN IN MARKET, I IMMEDIATELY PICK UP THE PHONE, CALL RACHEL, CALL D P S CALL TECH STOP AND LET THEM KNOW THAT THESE THINGS HAVE HAPPENED SO THAT THEY KNOW BEFORE IT HITS THE NITSA WEBSITE.
SO I WANT TO GO TO THE, UM, TOLL FREE NUMBER YOU GUYS HAVE, WHICH, YOU KNOW, IT'S A GREAT IDEA, BUT ALSO LIKE I'M NOT GONNA REMEMBER THE NUMBER.
UM, SO, AND, AND THE OTHER PROBLEM WE HAVE IS THERE ARE MULTIPLE, UH, COMPANIES THAT ARE GONNA BE JOINING YOU GUYS FAIRLY SOON HERE IN AUSTIN, RIGHT? AND WE CAN'T EXPECT CITIZENS TO HAVE JUST SIX DIFFERENT NUMBERS LINED UP ON THEIR PHONES.
SO 3 1 1 REPORTS ARE COMING TO US.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THE INCIDENT REPORT THAT RACHEL SENDS TO US ON A WEEKLY BASIS.
IT'S 3 1 1 REPORTS CON CONCERNS THAT SHE'S RECEIVED FROM FIRE POLICE, ANYONE AT THE CITY GENERALLY.
IS THERE A SEPARATE TAG IN 3 1 1 RIGHT NOW FOR, I GUESS THAT'S PROBABLY NOT A QUESTION FOR YOU ALL.
YEAH, I'M NOT SURE, BUT WE DO RECEIVE 3 1 1 REPORTS.
UM, AND I WOULD SAY TO THAT, THAT THE PHONE NUMBER THAT WE SHARED ON THAT SCREEN IS OUR FIRST RESPONDER LINE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS, ONE OF THE SLIDES THAT YOU SAW SHOWED OUR VEHICLE AND HAD LITTLE CIRCLES AROUND THE VAULT, WHENEVER THE VEHICLE IS STOPPED FOR A FIRST RESPONDER, THAT PHONE NUMBER IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT THEY NEED TO KNOW, IT'S ACTUALLY VISIBLE.
IF YOU'VE SEEN OUR VEHICLE DRIVING AROUND TOWN AND YOU SEE IT PULLED OVER ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THERE ARE TWO SCREENS IN THE BACK.
THAT SCREEN WILL BE DISPLAYING THAT PHONE NUMBER.
ALSO, UM, FIRST RESPONDERS AS PART OF THEIR TRAINING, WE TALK TO THEM ABOUT REMOTE ASSISTANCE AND THE CONVERSATIONS THAT THEY CAN HAVE WITH REMOTE ASSISTANCE.
SO IN ANY INSTANCE IN WHICH A FIRST RESPONDER HAS PULLED OVER OUR VEHICLE OR IS BEHIND OUR VEHICLE, OR IS NEAR OUR VEHICLE AND IS TRYING TO ENGAGE WITH SOMEONE, REMOTE ASSISTANCES WILL LOWER THE WINDOW AND HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH THEM THROUGH THE SPEAKERS OF THE CAR.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DOING.
SO WE DON'T REQUIRE FIRST RESPONDERS TO REMEMBER THAT WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM THROUGH REMOTE ASSISTANCE.
[01:50:01]
ON THE WINDOWS OF THE CAR ON THE EXTERIOR, AND THERE ALSO ARE THE PHONE NUMBERS ON THE SCREENS THEMSELVES.SO, AND THEN I, I'D LOVE TO GO RIGHT INTO LAW ENFORCEMENT.
SO, UM, TEXAS IS MAYBE NOT UNIQUE.
THERE'S A GOOD HANDFUL OF OTHER STATES WHO ARE WITH US, BUT YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO HAVE, UH, SOME SORT OF PROTOCOLS WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT AHEAD OF TIME FOR OPERATING.
UM, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU GUYS ARE ALREADY DOING TRAINING, WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.
DO YOU GUYS HAVE A STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE ALREADY IN PLACE WITH A P D? DOES A P D HAVE ANY CONCERNS IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW? I WOULD SAY THAT THE CONCERNS AND, AND I'LL START THERE 'CAUSE THAT'S USUALLY THE, THE BIGGEST, UH, UH, QUESTION THAT I GET, HAVE MORE TO DO ABOUT TRUST AND UNDERSTANDING MM-HMM.
THEY'RE NOT USED TO SEEING IT ON THE ROAD.
THEY'VE NEVER TAKEN A RIDE INSIDE.
HAVE ANY OF YOU TAKEN A RIDE IN OUR CAR YET? TWO.
I HOPE IT WAS A GOOD EXPERIENCE.
YOU DO HAVE BIGGER, YOUR CARS COMING, DON'T YOU,
ONLY ONE PERSON IN A ROOM OF 50 RAISE THEIR HAND.
RIGHT? AND THAT IN ITSELF IS THE BIGGEST HURDLE THAT WE'RE HAVING TO TACKLE, GETTING PEOPLE COMFORTABLE WITH OUR SERVICE, THAT IT EXISTS, THAT IT'S THERE, THAT IT'S HERE.
I WE ARE GONNA BE IN MIAMI IN THE NEXT FEW MONTHS.
WE'RE ALREADY DOING SUPERVISED DRIVING THERE THAT'S BEEN MADE PUBLIC.
UM, WHEN I MEET WITH FOLKS IN MIAMI, THEY TALK ABOUT THIS AS, AS IF IT'S COMING IN FIVE YEARS.
AND I TELL 'EM, NO, IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN AUSTIN.
IT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW IN SAN FRANCISCO.
BUT IT'S SO, UM, DIFFERENT THAT FOLKS HAVE A HARD TIME LIKE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT'S HERE AND THAT IT'S NOW.
SO THAT'S USUALLY THE BIGGEST CONCERN THAT WE HEAR.
UM, TO ANSWER OUR RELATIONS, WE DO HAVE A LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING PACKET, A HANDBOOK THAT WE GIVE TO, TO AGENCIES WHEN WE MEET.
WE STARTED THOSE OUTREACHES BACK MONTHS BEFORE WE WERE LIVE IN MARKET.
UM, WE, UH, WE MEET WITH THE CHIEFS, THEIR DEPUTY CHIEFS, THEIR UM, TRAINING, UH, CAPTAINS AND OFFICERS.
WE HIRED TWO FOLKS THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY DEDICATED TO DO THESE TRAININGS.
SO LIKE, THESE ARE INVESTMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THIS YEAR SPECIFICALLY AROUND THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED.
SO AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE OPEN TO RECEIVING THAT FEEDBACK AND IMPROVING IN WHATEVER WAY MAKES SENSE.
UM, SO LAST QUESTION I HAVE, UM, I'M SURE YOU SAW THE TWITTER VIDEO AFTER A UT GAME.
THERE WERE JUST DOZENS OF CRUISE CARS IN WEST CAMPUS.
UM, ONE THAT'S PROBABLY THE INCIDENT MOST PEOPLE IN THE CITY KNOW.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED THERE, IF YOU GUYS CHANGED ANYTHING? AND THEN TWO, DO YOU GUYS HAVE A WAY, DID YOU GUYS THROTTLE YOUR OPERATIONS EVER? DO YOU EVER SAY, WE HAVE TOO MANY VEHICLES IN ONE AREA, WE NEED TO STOP THEM? SOUNDS LIKE YOU'VE GOT ANSWER.
SO WE GET INTO YOUR FIRST QUESTION.
THE SITUATION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAS IN WEST CAMPUS.
UM, AND THAT WAS AFTER AN AWESOME FOOTBALL GAME.
UM, AGAIN, I KNOW Y'S FROM FLORIDA.
WHAT'S THAT? A UT FOOTBALL GAME.
DID NOT SAY UT YOU SAID AUSTIN.
STEVEN F. AUSTIN ALSO PLAYED THAT.
BUT NO, WE, WE ARE, WE'RE, UH, MY WHOLE TEAM IS AUSTIN CRUISE, ACTUALLY EMPLOYEES JUST OVER 200 PEOPLE IN AUSTIN.
SO, UH, CRUISE HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, REALLY AWESOME FOR THE CITY SO FAR.
UM, SO AFTER THAT FOOTBALL GAME AGAIN, WHICH WAS A GREAT GAME.
UM, WEST CAMPUS HAS GOT REALLY PACKED FULL OF A TON OF KIDS RIGHT NOW.
AUST, UH, UT IS OUR, PROBABLY OUR BIGGEST CONSUMER OF OUR SERVICE RIGHT NOW.
STUDENTS LOVE USING OUR SERVICE.
SO WEST CAMPUS IS THE MOST POPULAR PICKUP AREA THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE A LOT OF VEHICLES THAT WERE OPERATING THAT EVENING.
AND AS THEY GOT OUT INTO THE AREA, WE HAD A HUGE INFLUX OF STUDENTS THAT WOULD COME OUTTA THE STADIUM.
SO IT'S A PRETTY LATE GAME COMING OUTTA THE STADIUM INTO WEST CAMPUS, WHICH IS WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THEM LIVE.
AND AS YOU MIGHT EXPECT, UH, EVEN FOR A HUMAN DRIVER, OUR VEHICLES WENT INTO A VERY, UH, CONDENSED AREA AND ONE OF 'EM GOT STUCK, MEANING THERE'S A LOT OF STUDENTS AROUND IT.
THE VEHICLE SAYS, HEY, I DON'T FEEL SAFE MOVING FORWARD BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE AROUND ME.
SO IT STOPPED IN SHORT, THAT CAUSED A LITTLE BIT OF A DOMINO EFFECT TO SOME OF THE OTHER VEHICLES THAT WERE THERE BEHIND IT.
'CAUSE AGAIN, WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, VEHICLES RUNNING AROUND IN A VERY SMALL AREA.
WHAT EXACERBATED THE ISSUE IS SOMETHING THAT YAEL TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT EARLIER, WHICH IS WHEN WE START OPERATING, WE START ON SLOWER ROADS AND WE INCREASE.
SO IT, SINCE THIS INCIDENT HAPPENS, WE'VE ACTUALLY INCREASED THE SPEED OF THE ROADS IN WHICH WE OPERATE, WHICH MEANS WE NOW OPERATE ON MORE ROADS.
BUT WHEN THIS INCIDENT OCCURRED, WE WERE ONLY OPERATING ON SMALLER ROADS, MEANS THERE'S FEWER AVENUES FOR US TO ROUTE OUT OF.
UM, SO AGAIN, WHEN THAT FIRST, UH, THAT FIRST VEHICLE STOPPED THAT SAID, HEY, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE MOVING FORWARD.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE AROUND ME THAT RA ADVISOR, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, HOPPED IN HOPPED, HOPPED IN THE VEHICLE VERY QUICKLY, VIRTUALLY, AND SAID, HEY, LET ME HELP YOU NAVIGATE OUTTA THIS.
AND ALL THOSE VEHICLES WERE ACTUALLY MOVED OUT REMOTELY.
NOT A MEMBER OF OUR TEAM GOT OUT THERE AND TOUCHED THE VEHICLE.
THEY'RE MOVED ENTIRELY REMOTELY.
SO I DO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS DID CAUSE, UM, SOME ISSUES, RIGHT? THERE WAS SOME TRAFFIC CAUSED THERE.
I DON'T LIKE TRAFFIC WHEN I'M DRIVING AROUND.
I'M SURE NO ONE ELSE HERE APPRECIATES DRIVING AND TRAFFIC.
SO WE APOLOGIZE CLEARLY FOR ANY, UH, ANY DELAY WE CAUSED IN PEOPLE.
WE ARE, UH, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE MANEUVERING AROUND IF THEY'RE IN THEIR OWN PRIVATE VEHICLE.
[01:55:01]
WAS FRUSTRATING.WE ARE REALLY PROUD OF THE, UH, THE, THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE ACHIEVED OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST NINE, 10 MONTHS BECAUSE, UH, AGAIN, GOING FROM SINGLE DIGIT NUMBERS UP TO OVER A HUNDRED VEHICLES HAS BEEN REALLY, UH, REALLY AWESOME.
AND WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE AWESOME SERVICE TO NOT ONLY, UH, UT STUDENTS, BUT TO, UH, AUSTINITES EVERY DAY.
AND I'D LIKE TO ADD, THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE DID NOT COVER IN OUR PRESENTATION, AND THAT'S AVOIDANCE AREAS.
SO ONE OF THE GREAT, UM, INFORMATION SHARING, UH, EXAMPLES THAT I HAVE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS ON A REGULAR BASIS, THEY WILL SEND THIS INFORMATION ON ROADS THAT WE SHOULD NOT BE ANYWHERE NEAR
UM, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? A C L RECENTLY HAPPENED AND THERE WERE A LOT OF ROAD CLOSURES, LOT OF ROAD CLOSURES IN RELATION TO A C L AND THERE WERE A LOT OF PICKUP AND DROP OFF AREAS.
UM, THE CITY SENT US THAT INFORMATION, MIKE RECEIVED IT, SENT IT OVER TO OUR OPERATIONAL CENTER, AND WE CREATED WHAT WE CALL AVOIDANCE AREAS.
DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT AVOIDANCE AREAS? SURE.
SO AVOIDANCE AREAS ARE A TOOL THAT WE USE THAT EITHER PREVENTS OR PARTIALLY PREVENTS A VEHICLE FROM GOING INTO A CERTAIN AREA.
SO LET'S JUST SAY, UH, WE HAD A GOOD EXAMPLE.
AGAIN, WE WERE WORKING WITH A TASK FORCE JUST LAST WEEK AND UH, THEY WANTED US TO SHOW THEM AN EXAMPLE OF AN AVOIDANCE AREA THAT OCCURRED FOR A FIRE THAT WAS IN THE SOUTH SIDE OF AUSTIN.
WE ACTUALLY, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE AV TASK FORCE, WE GET NOTIFICATIONS LIKE 9 1 1 ALERTS WHEN THEY HAPPEN.
SO WE HAVE A, A GLOBAL, UH, SECURITY OPERATIONS CENTER THAT IS COLLECTING THOSE, THOSE ALERTS IN REAL TIME AND PROCESSING THEM VERY QUICKLY.
SO WE GOT THE ALERT THAT THERE WAS A FIRE, UH, AGAIN, VICINITY SOUTH AUSTIN.
THEY GAVE US A VERY SPECIFIC ADDRESS WHERE THE FIRE WAS HAPPENING.
WE WENT AHEAD AND CREATED WHAT'S CALLED AN AVOIDANCE AREA.
AGAIN, IT'S, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE A, A GEOGRAPHIC SHAPE ON A MAP, BUT THAT GEOGRAPHIC SHAPE IS TELLING OUR WHOLE FLEET DO NOT GO INTO THIS AREA BECAUSE THERE'S A FIRE.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THAT AREA WENT UP THERE.
THAT MEANS NO VEHICLE'S GONNA ROUTE TO THAT AREA.
AND THAT HELPS US TO, UH, AGAIN, KEEP VEHICLES PROACTIVELY, KEEP VEHICLES OUT OF CERTAIN AREAS.
ANOTHER REALLY COOL, UH, BENEFIT THAT AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES HAVE AND THROUGH COMPANIES LIKE OURS, BECAUSE AGAIN, NORMAL DRIVERS WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND OR NOT KNOW, NO ONE'S LISTENING TO POLICE SCANNERS AS WE'RE DRIVING AROUND TOWN.
UM, BUT, UH, THIS IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF HOW OUR, UH, FLEET AND AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES GENERALLY CAN BE MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT HOW WE NAVIGATE THROUGH TRAFFIC.
I DUNNO IF I ANSWERED YOUR SECOND QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU GUYS HAVE POLICIES IN PLACE? I MEAN, YOU HAVE TO, BUT YOU KNOW, POLICIES IN PLACE FOR WHEN YOU HAVE TOO MANY VEHICLES IN ONE AREA.
DO YOU THROTTLE OPERATIONS THERE? YES.
WE DO THROTTLE BACK THE FLEET, UH, DURING DIFFERENT EVENTS DEPENDING ON WHAT'S GOING ON.
SO A GOOD EXAMPLE JUST THE OTHER DAY.
WE'RE BASED OFF OF SEVENTH AND TRINITY ISH.
UM, THERE WAS A PALESTINIAN PROTEST OFF OF CONGRESS.
IT WENT FROM CONGRESS AND THEY STARTED MARCHING SOUTH, UH, DOWN TOWARDS, UH, I THINK THEY PROBABLY ENDED AROUND SEVENTH STREET OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT WE WENT AHEAD AND RECALLED PART OF THE FLEET FOR THAT, RIGHT? WE WANTED TO STEER CLEAR OF THE AREA.
WE DIDN'T WANT TO GET, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CONGESTED WITH THAT.
SO WE WENT AHEAD AND PULLED SOME FLEET BACK FOR THAT.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF WHEN WE WOULD DO THAT.
IF WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES, WHETHER IT'S UH, WEATHER OR AN EVENT, WHATEVER THE CASE MIGHT BE, WE WILL FROM TIME TO TIME, THROTTLE THE FLEET BACK.
UH, THANK YOU CHAIR HARRIS FOR INDULGING ME.
AND, UH, ALSO THANK YOU TO ALL THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSIONERS 'CAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA REQUIRE A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS, A LOT OF EDUCATION.
SO I'M GLAD YOU, YOU GUYS ARE LEADING ON IT.
UM, I'VE GOT, UH, TWO QUICK QUESTIONS.
ONE WAS, IS MORE OF A TECHNICAL QUESTION FOLLOWING UP ON, ON HIS FIRST QUESTION.
UM, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOUR CARS ARE RECOGNIZING BICYCLE LANES, IS IT BECAUSE OF CITY MAPPING OF THOSE LANES? OR IS IT BECAUSE OF THE ROAD MARKINGS? BECAUSE MANY OF OUR BICYCLE LANES THAT ARE NOT REGULARLY REMARKED, FADE OR DISAPPEAR ENTIRELY.
SO IT WOULD BE HARD FOR A VEHICLE TO ACTUALLY TRACK ALIGNMENT.
SO THAT'S A REALLY GOOD POINT AND THANK YOU FOR POINTING THAT OUT.
I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, AS PART OF OUR MAPPING STAGE, BEFORE WE'RE EVER LIVE IN A MARKET, WE ARE REGULARLY CREATING THAT THREE D MAP OF WHAT THE PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE LOOKS LIKE, SO THAT OUR VEHICLE THEN WILL KNOW EXACTLY WHERE EVERY BIKE LANE IS.
EVERY STOP SIGN IS ALL OF THAT.
HOWEVER, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT JUST AT THAT POINT.
EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE GOES OUT, IT'S UPDATING THAT MAP.
SO AS THE VEHICLE GOES OUT, I GOT A QUESTION EARLIER TODAY, UM, FROM ONE OF THE, UH, FROM THE E M S CHIEF ABOUT A STOP SIGN.
IF A STOP SIGN IS AT A SPECIFIC LOCATION AND IT IS NO LONGER AT THAT LOCATION, WILL THE VEHICLE IDENTIFY IT? THE VEHICLE WILL STILL STOP, BUT IT WILL CALL REMOTE ASSISTANCE AND LET THEM KNOW THAT SOMETHING IS WRONG.
HERE IT IS A LOCATION THAT NORMALLY HAD A STOP AND IT NO LONGER HAS THAT STOP.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT DOES RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE CHANGES TO THE MAP.
UH, ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS, UM, A VEHICLE MAKING A TURN ONTO A ROAD THAT IT WOULD OTHERWISE BE ABLE TO TURN TRANSIT.
BUT NOW THERE ARE BARRICADES BLOCKING THAT, THAT, UH, TRANSIT.
UH, THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER THERE WITH THAT BARRICADE.
THE OFFICER WALKED UP TO THE VEHICLE AND, UM, HAD A CONVER CONVERSATION WITH REMOTE ASSISTANCE, REMOTE ASSISTANCE ROUTED THE VEHICLE AWAY.
RIGHT? SO THE VEHICLE IS AT ALL TIMES COMMUNICATING WITH US AND WITH, IN, IN THAT SENSE WITH THE OTHER VEHICLES.
UH, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION IS MORE, I'M IN ONE OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT'S BEEN, UM,
[02:00:02]
VERY VOCAL, HAS EXPERIENCED THE SWARMS. YEAH.UH, SOMETIMES WE LAUGH ABOUT IT BECAUSE THEY'VE ALL COME OUT OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD AT ONCE.
AND, UH, YOU'VE DONE YOUR MAPPING, YOU'VE DONE YOUR PRELIMINARY TESTING.
ARE THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE WITHIN THIS INITIAL AREA LARGELY NOW FREE OF THE SWARMING? I WOULD SAY YES.
AND THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT MIKE SAID, WHEN WE ARE INITIALLY LIMITED TO 25 MILES PER HOUR, AND YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT ROADS ARE ACTUALLY 25 MILES PER HOUR, THAT IS MOSTLY RESIDENTIAL ROADS.
AS WE SCALE OUR SPEED UP TO 30 AND 35 MILES PER HOUR, EVENTUALLY 40, 45, 55, THERE ARE LESS, IT'S LESS LIKELY THAT THESE VEHICLES WILL BE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
NOW THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU WON'T SEE ANY, YOU'LL SEE VEHICLES COMING TO AS PEOPLE ORDER PICK THEM UP, OR AS PEOPLE GET DROPPED OFF.
OR AS A ROUTE THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO GET TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING.
YOU SHOULD NOT SEE AN A BUNCHING OF AUTONOMOUS VEHICLES.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALWAYS SAY IS IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE THINGS THAT HAPPEN, PLEASE MAKE SURE TO NOTE THE NAME, THE TIME, THE DATE, AND THE LOCATION.
WE CAN GIVE YOU AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN SHARE AS TO WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT INSTANCE.
UM, THANK YOU GUYS FOR YOUR PRESENTATION TODAY.
MY BACKGROUND IS IN AI, SO IT'S GREAT SEEING THE PROGRESS YOUR COMPANY IS MAKING AND ESPECIALLY HOW YOU'RE CENTERING ACCESSIBILITY.
I, I WANTED TO KIND OF MAKE A COMMENT AROUND, UM, YOUR, YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY.
AND SOMETHING THAT WE'VE SEEN OTHER COMPANIES DO IS AS THEY BUILD THEIR BRANDS AND THEIR FOOTPRINTS IN AUSTIN, IS TO THINK ABOUT OTHER CREATIVE WAYS THAT YOU COULD BE USING YOUR VEHICLES TO SERVE THE COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A MEALS ON WHEELS PARTNERSHIP, POTENTIALLY THERE'S, UM, ELDERLY PEOPLE WHO NEED TO BE TAKEN INTO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE WHO DON'T HAVE RIDES OR PEOPLE WITHOUT CARS THAT DON'T HAVE RIDES TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITHIN YOUR DESIGNATED LOCATIONS.
AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF ORGANIZATIONS THAT COULD HELP ORCHESTRATE THAT.
SO I WANTED TO OFFER THAT TO YOU, YOU KNOW, AS A COMPANY THAT'S WANTING TO GROW THEIR FOOTPRINT IN A WAY TO, TO PARTNER WITH THE CITY.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT YOU SEE ME SMILING AND NODDING.
'CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT, AS WELL AS ACCESSIBILITY.
WE HAVE A CRUISE FOR GOOD SIDE OF OUR BUSINESS AND THE CRUISE HAS MADE THE 1% PLEDGE, WHICH MEANS 1% OF OUR FLEET WOULD BE USED TO DO GOOD.
HOW THAT HAS MATERIALIZED IN SAN FRANCISCO SPECIFICALLY, WHICH IS OUR HOME BASE, IS A PARTNERSHIP WITH A FOOD BANK WHERE OUR VEHICLES DO THE DRIVERLESS DELIVERIES AND, WHICH WAS VERY CRUCIAL DURING C O V MM-HMM.
UM, WE DO FREE RIDES FOR HOSPITALITY WORKERS IN SAN FRANCISCO.
WE ARE THINKING OF HOW WE REPLICATE THIS AT SCALE ACROSS ALL OF OUR MARKETS.
WE ARE ALREADY HAVING CONVERSATIONS LOCALLY ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW WE CAN DO THAT LOCALLY.
AND THEN ON THE SENIOR END, YES, OUR C E O IS VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT AND HOW WE CAN FOCUS ON IT.
UM, AND WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO INCLUDE OUR AGING COMMUNITY INTO THE SERVICE.
IT'S AN APP ON YOUR SMARTPHONE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO, TO MAKE THAT WORK.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT COMMENT AND WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL THE THINGS WE'RE ALREADY DOING THERE AND ARE WELCOME.
WANNA JUMP ON THAT? WE DO WORK WITH A REPL RIGHT NOW MM-HMM.
AND SO WE'VE GOT A LOCAL CONTACT HERE THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY JUST RECENTLY STARTED A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH SOME LOCAL FOUNDATIONS THAT DO, LIKE SOUTHERN SMOKE IS ONE, THERE'S A COUPLE OTHERS.
SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BEING ABLE TO WORK WITH A COUPLE OF THESE OTHER NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR US, WE WOULD LOVE TO TAKE THOSE IN.
REPL IS AROUND THE FOOD WASTE SPACE, SO THEY DO.
I'M HAPPY TO CHAT WITH YOU AFTER, BUT THAT'S REALLY COOL THAT Y'ALL ARE PRIORITIZING THAT.
UM, I LIVE AND WORK DOWNTOWN, UM, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER WHERE YOU GUYS WERE TESTING HEAVILY.
UM, AND I GUESS WHAT I WOULD REALLY REQUEST IS AN ABILITY TO REPORT UNSAFE INTERACTIONS MORE READILY BY THE PUBLIC.
UM, I WALK MY DOG, I WALK A LOT, I WALK MY DOG A LOT, AND I'VE BEEN HIT BY A CRUISE A NUMBER OF TIMES WHEN WE'RE CROSSING THE STREET.
IF I SEE A CRUISE COMING AND IT'S MY TURN TO CROSS, I WON'T BECAUSE IT, I FEEL LIKE THERE'S NOT ENOUGH CLEARANCE GIVEN TO ME AS A PEDESTRIAN BETWEEN, UM, WHEN I'M, BEFORE THE CRUISE WILL START MOVING.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S HAPPENED TO ME SO MANY TIMES.
UM, BUT I ALSO, UM, JUST A, ANOTHER UNSAFE CONDITION I OBSERVED WAS ON WEST AVENUE AND EAST SIXTH ON A FRIDAY NIGHT, THERE WAS A CROWD OF PEOPLE WALKING ACROSS THE CROSSWALK AND A CRUISE CAME TO A SCREECHING HALT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE WERE TRYING TO REPORT IT, BUT WE COULDN'T SEE WHERE, UM, LIKE IF THAT WERE A TRUCK, IT WOULD SAY REPORT UNSAFE DRIVER, AND IT WOULD BE CLEAR.
AND IT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO LIKE IT,
[02:05:01]
IT WOULD JUST BE EASIER.UM, SO I WOULD JUST REALLY REQUEST THAT THE UNSAFE CONDITIONS BE EASIER TO REPORT WITH BIGGER SIGNAGE THAT SOMEONE COULD SEE MORE EASILY FROM A DISTANCE.
IF YOU'RE REALLY CARING ABOUT TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION, IT SHOULDN'T BE THAT YOU HAVE TO GO UP AND EXAMINE A STOPPED CAR TO FIND THE NAME TAG.
UM, I AM HAPPY TO HEAR THAT YOU GUYS ARE INTERESTED IN TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION.
I THINK STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT WITH THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT YOU'RE TESTING IN, UM, LIKE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, OONA AND DANA, REALLY GETTING THE REPORTS FROM OTHER RESIDENTS LIKE ME, UM, IS IMPORTANT.
UM, SO THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE REALLY ABLE TO BETTER YOUR PROCESS.
UH, SO I JUST, I'M, I'M HOPEFUL THAT THOSE CHANGES CAN BE INTEGRATED, UH, FOR A BETTER PRODUCT.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THESE THINGS UP.
I KNOW THAT, UM, I WOULD BE VERY UPSET IF I'M WALKING MY DOG 'CAUSE I HAVE A DOG.
I HAVE AN AUSTRALIAN SHEPHERD THAT I'M VERY HAPPY WITH AND, AND I MISS HER EVERY TIME I TRAVEL.
UH, AND I WOULD FEEL UNSAFE IF THOSE THINGS HAD HAPPENED TO ME.
AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT AS PART OF OUR LATEST SOFTWARE UPDATE THAT WAS RELEASED LAST MONTH, UM, WE NOW GIVE, ARE SUPPOSED TO BE.
SO IF YOU'RE NOT SEEING THAT, PLEASE DO LET ME KNOW.
SO IF THE, IF THIS HAPPENED LAST MONTH, THAT'S A CONCERN.
IF IT HAPPENED BEFORE THAT WE'VE, WE'VE ADDRESSED IT, UM, GIVES MORE SPACE OF PEDESTRIANS IN THE CROSSWALK.
SO WE HEARD THE FEEDBACK FROM FOLKS THAT THEY FELT UNSAFE IN APPROACHING THE VE IN THE VEHICLE APPROACHING AS THEY WERE CROSSING, UH, WITH A HUMAN DRIVER.
AS, AS YOU'RE CROSSING, YOU CAN LOOK THEM IN THE EYE AND SORT OF MAKE SURE THAT THEY KNOW.
MAKE THAT EYE CONTACT AND WAVE.
AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT WITH AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE.
SO AS PART OF OUR LAST UPDATE, WE INCLUDED TO GIVE A LITTLE MORE SPACE AT THE CROSSWALK WHERE POSSIBLE.
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IF THE VEHICLE IS WAITING, UH, AND IT'S ABOUT TO CROSS AND IT, IT'S TRYING NOT TO BLOCK THE BOX, BUT IT HAPPENS TO BE ON TOP OF THE CROSSWALK.
THERE'S NOT MUCH YOU CAN DO AT THAT POINT.
'CAUSE THERE'S A VEHICLE RIGHT BEHIND IT.
BUT IF IT IS COMING UP TO A RED LIGHT AND THERE'S A CROSSWALK, IT'S SUPPOSED TO STOP A LITTLE FURTHER BACK THAN A HUMAN IS.
SO THAT'S ON THAT END, UH, ON THE COMPLAINTS.
THAT'S ACTUALLY A CONVERSATION WE WERE HAVING ON FRIDAY ABOUT HOW WE CAN REPORT THIS OUT IN A WAY THAT MAKES MORE SENSE.
A SUGGESTION THAT I'VE GOTTEN FROM, UH, A STATE SENATOR'S OFFICE IS A, A HOW'S MY DRIVING PHONE NUMBER ON THE CARS? RIGHT.
SO I'M RELAYING THIS FEEDBACK.
MIKE IS RELAYING THIS FEEDBACK UP OUR CHAINS TO SEE HOW WE CAN IMPROVE THAT FOR THE TIME BEING.
SO LITERALLY IT IS COMPLAINTS@GETCREW.COM.
SO WE TRY TO GET THAT OUT THERE AS MUCH AS WE CAN BECAUSE OTHER THAN THAT PHONE NUMBER, WHICH IS REALLY MEANT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, ANYONE CAN CALL.
BUT IT'S REALLY MEANT FOR FIRST RESPONDERS COMPLAINTS@GETCRUISE.COM IS THE WAY TO GET ANY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR, UH, COMPLAINTS OR CONCERNS OUT THERE.
WHETHER IT'S, UM, PEDESTRIANS OR CAR OR UNSAFE DRIVING BEHAVIORS.
WE RECOMMEND WE ASK THAT YOU PLEASE INCLUDE THE NAME, THE TIME, THE DATE, AND THE LOCATION IF YOU CAN'T SEE THE NAME.
'CAUSE IT'S TOO FAR THE, THE TIME, THE DATE, AND THE LOCATION.
AND WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO FIGURE OUT MORE OR LESS WHICH VEHICLE IT WAS.
AND THEN MY LAST COMPLAINT, UM, IS I WALK MY DOG OFTEN TO THE CLARKSVILLE DOG PARK, UM, WHICH IS ANOTHER NEIGHBORHOOD THAT YOU GUYS ARE TESTING IN.
UM, AND THE STREETS ARE SMALL.
UM, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE TIGHT, YOU KNOW, SO I, IF I'M DRIVING DOWN THE STREET THERE, I WOULD DRIVE SLOWER BECAUSE IF, IF THERE'S A POP OUT OR SOMETHING, THERE'S JUST NO TIME TO REACT.
UM, AND I, I JUST FELT LIKE THE FULL 25 OR 30 MILES AN HOUR THAT CRUZ WAS DRIVING THERE JUST DIDN'T FEEL APPROPRIATE TO ME.
AND I, I DIDN'T LIKE IT AS A PEDESTRIAN WALKING NEXT TO IT ON THE SIDEWALK.
UM, SO I JUST WOULD APPRECIATE JUST A LITTLE MORE CONSIDERATION GIVEN TO PEDESTRIANS AND, AND MORE TWO-WAY COMMUNICATION TO FIND OUT HOW OTHER PEDESTRIANS FEEL.
BECAUSE I'M, I'M SURE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE WHO HAS COMMENTS FOR YOU, BUT THANK YOU.
YOU'RE NOT, AND WE APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS AND WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT SPECIFIC INSTANCE THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD QUESTION ON, ON STREETS THAT HAVE A POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 25 MILES AN HOUR.
BUT, AND THE CITY IS MOVING TO, UM, NOT REQUIRE ONSITE PARKING FOR A LOT OF PLACES.
SO ALL THE, THE PARKING IS GONNA BE DUMPED OUT ON THE STREETS.
UM, IT MAY BE POSTED AT 25 MILES AN HOUR, BUT AS, UH, THE COMMISSIONER WEAVER'S SAID IT'S NOT SAFE TO DRIVE 25 MILES AN HOUR DOWN THE STREET.
DO YOU HAVE A WAY TO, IS THERE A WAY TO INCORPORATE THAT ASPECT INTO HOW FAST THE CAR GOES DOWN ANY PARTICULAR STREET? SO I WILL TELL YOU, DO YOU HAVE AN ANSWER THERE? NO, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT SURE.
AND I DON'T WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING THAT'S NOT ACCURATE.
I WOULD RATHER FIND OUT AND REPORT BACK TO YOU OKAY.
AND GIVE YOU THAT INFORMATION THAT MIGHT AVOID SOME OF THE THE NEIGHBOR CONCERNS YEAH.
CAN I FOLLOW UP ON SOMETHING COMMISSIONER WEAVER SAID? SURE.
SO ON THE PEDESTRIAN UPDATE, UM, ONE THING, MY, MY FIANCE WORKS AT UT
[02:10:01]
AND ONE THING SHE'S UH, TOLD ME MULTIPLE TIMES IS THE INTERSECTION AT 24TH AND GU WHEN IT'S LIKE PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST HIGHEST TRAFFIC PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS IN THE CITY.UM, AND SOME OF THE TURNS THEY'RE MAKING, THEY JUST ARE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET THROUGH THAT PEDESTRIAN CROSSING IN THE ALLOTTED TIME, UH, BECAUSE OF HOW DENSELY POPULATED IT IS AND HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE CROSSING.
UM, AND I THINK IT MIGHT BE WORTHWHILE TO LOOK INTO SOME INTERSECTIONS LIKE THAT, WHERE THE CREWS JUST AVOID TURNING IN THAT INTERSECTION ALTOGETHER.
I DON'T KNOW ANYONE BRAVE ENOUGH TO TRY TO TURN ON 24TH AND GUAD
SO IT MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE IF THEY MAKE THE TURN ON AN EARLIER STREET, LIKE 22ND OR MAYBE UP ON 29TH AND JUST AVOID THOSE HIGH PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY CENTERS ALTOGETHER.
IF, IF YOU'RE TAKING A RIDE IN OUR CARS AND YOU TWO HAVE, AND, AND WHEN YOU FOLKS DO, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE ROUTES AT THEMSELVES ARE WONKY.
AND THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE STREETS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DRIVE.
UM, THERE ARE CERTAIN STREETS THAT WERE NOT BASED ON THESE AVOIDANCE AREAS THAT WE'LL PUT.
AND THAT MIGHT BE AN EXAMPLE OF ONE THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO LOOK INTO.
UM, BUT THE ROUTING ITSELF, IT WILL TAKE YOU LONGER THAN IT WOULD OTHERWISE BECAUSE IT'S GOING AT SPEED LIMIT OR BELOW DEPENDING.
I'VE BEEN IN A CAR HERE IN AUSTIN, UH, AND THERE WAS A BIKE RIDING IN FRONT OF ME AND THE CAR WAS BEHIND IT AT 10 MILES PER HOUR UNTIL THAT BIKE TURNED AND THEN IT CONTINUED ON ITS ROUTE.
I'VE BEEN IN ANOTHER INSTANCE BEHIND A SCOOTER THAT WAS RIDING RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND THE CAR WAS 10 MILES PER HOUR UNTIL THE SCOOTER GOT OUTTA THE WAY AND THEN CONTINUE ON ITS ROUTE.
SO IT DOES SLOW DOWN EVEN IF THERE'S A POSTED SPEED LIMIT HIGHER BECAUSE IT WILL REACT TO WHATEVER THE ENVIRONMENT IS.
BUT TO YOUR POINT, WHEN THERE IS NO OBSTRUCTION OR ANYTHING IN FRONT OF IT, IT WILL TRAVEL AT THE SPEED LIMIT.
SO I CAN LOOK INTO, UH, WHAT WE CAN DO THERE.
COMMISSIONER LEVINE, I HAVE WRITTEN IN ONE.
I HAVE RIDDEN IN ONE AND IT WAS AN INTERESTING EXPERIENCE.
SO I APPRECIATE Y'ALL SHARING THE INFORMATION THAT THINGS HAVE IMPROVED SINCE THEN.
IT WAS EARLY SUMMER, SO I IMAGINE IT'S PROBABLY A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE NOW.
UM, ONE THING I DID NOTICE IS THAT IF YOU POP YOUR SEATBELT, WE TESTED IT AND WE WERE PLAYING WITH IT A BIT.
UM, IF YOU POP YOUR SEATBELT OFF THE CAR JUST STOPPED.
DOES IT STILL DO THAT? DOES IT STILL DO THAT? I'M NOT SURE.
'CAUSE I ALWAYS HAVE MY SEATBELT ON.
I'LL TEST IT TONIGHT AND I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
I MEAN IT DID AND THAT CAUSED CONCERN TO ME.
'CAUSE I MEAN THAT'S AN EASY WAY TO START A PILE, A TRAFFIC JAM OR I MEAN, IT STOPPED IT.
THE CAR AT ALL TIMES, BECAUSE SAFETY IS OUR TOP AND NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WOULD AIR ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
AND IT WILL AIR ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY.
IT WANTS TO MAKE SURE BEFORE YOU CAN START YOUR RIDE ON THE APP AND ON THE SCREENS IT'LL SAY, PLEASE BUCKLE UP YOUR SEATBELT.
AND IF YOU ON THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THE BOLT HAS THEIR SEATBELT ON, BUT ON THE LEFT DOESN'T CAR WILL REMIND YOU AGAIN, PLEASE BUCKLE UP YOUR SEATBELT.
AND SO EVERYONE IN THAT BACKSEAT HAS BUCKLED UP THEIR SEATBELT.
AN IMPORTANT THING THAT I DIDN'T MENTION, NO ONE CAN RIDE IN THE FRONT.
WE DO NOT ALLOW ANYONE TO RIDE IN THE FRONT.
YOU CAN ONLY RIDE IN THE BACK.
THERE IS A DIVIDER BETWEEN THE FRONT AND THE BACK.
I MEAN, I APPRECIATE THE SAFETY FEATURES AND ALL THAT.
I'M JUST, IT SEEMS LIKE A PRETTY EASY WAY TO MESS WITH TRAFFIC OR IF SOMEBODY WANTED TO.
WELL, YOU KNOW, TO THE POINT OF PEOPLE INTERACTING WITH OUR VEHICLES, THAT'S ACTUALLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE FACE IN ANY MARKET THAT WE'RE IN, UH, FOLKS INTERACTING WITH OUR VEHICLES IN A WAY THAT YOU WOULD NOT OTHERWISE INTERACT WITH A CAR.
AS AN EXAMPLE, I WAS HERE IN AUSTIN A COUPLE MONTHS AGO.
I WAS FACETIMING FROM THE BACKSEAT WITH ONE OF MY FRIENDS IN MIAMI 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THIS YET.
AND SOMEONE JUMPS OUT IN FRONT OF THE CAR, LITERALLY THERE WERE THREE PEOPLE STANDING AT A CORNER.
THE CAR WAS MAKING A RIGHT HAND TURN AND THE GUY JUST JUMPS IN FRONT OF THE CAR AND THEN JUMPS BACK OUT.
AND HE'S LAUGHING WITH HIS BUDDIES AND I'M LOOKING AT HIM LIKE, ARE YOU CRAZY? I WOULD NEVER JUMP IN FRONT OF A MOVING CAR WILLINGLY.
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT WITH AN AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE? WHAT HAPPENED? SO LET'S GO THROUGH THAT.
I'M RIDING IN THE BACK, THE VEHICLE'S ABOUT TO MAKE A RIGHT HAND TURN.
THE GUY JUMPS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET, THE CAR, HARD BRAKES LEAVING WAY MORE THAN ENOUGH SPACE FOR THAT, THAT PERSON TO RIDE.
THANKFULLY THERE WAS NO ONE IMMEDIATELY BEHIND US.
SO THERE WAS NOT THAT COLLISION.
CUSTOMER SERVICE CAME ON AND SAID, HI, THIS IS SO-AND-SO FROM CRUISE CUSTOMER SERVICE, WE'VE NOTICED THAT THERE'S BEEN AN INCIDENT.
ARE YOU OKAY? I SAID, YES, THIS IS YAEL.
AND THEY SAID, ARE YOU SAFE? YES, GREAT.
WE'RE PUTTING THE CAR BACK INTO SERVICE.
MADE ITS RIGHT TURN AND CONTINUED ON ITS ROUTE.
TOOK FROM START TO FINISH ABOUT 30 SECONDS TO A MINUTE.
UH, WE REGULARLY SEE PEOPLE, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, JUMP ON THE HOOD, DESTROY OUR SENSORS.
UM, THE UNHOUSED COMMUNITY IN DOWNTOWN WHERE OUR SITES ARE LOCATED SOMETIMES ARE, UM, FIGHTING WITH OUR CARS.
YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT, THAT ARE EXPECTED WHEN YOU'RE MANAGING A FLEET.
BUT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT OUR BIGGEST CONCERNS ARE, WHAT FOLKS DO AROUND OUR VEHICLES, MORE THAN WHAT OUR VEHICLE WILL DO IN RESPONSE, 'CAUSE OUR VEHICLE WILL STOP.
IT ALWAYS AIRS ON THE SIDE OF CAUTION.
I APPRECIATE THAT BEING ONE OF THE MORE DIFFICULT THINGS YOU PROBABLY FACE ON A DAY-TO-DAY BASIS.
I MEAN, THE STREETS ARE STATIC, THE PEOPLE ARE NOT, AND YOU CAN'T PREDICT THEIR BEHAVIOR.
AND I IMAGINE NO MATTER HOW MUCH AI OR WHATEVER Y'ALL ARE PUTTING IN THAT CAR, THAT'S
[02:15:01]
ALWAYS GONNA BE A VARIABLE AND SOMETHING YOU CAN DEAL WITH AND THE SAFETY ISSUE.AND I, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE THE DIFFICULTY OF THAT.
IT'S ALSO KIND OF FRUSTRATING.
I WILL SAY THAT AS A CITY RESIDENT AND I ALSO WORK IN STATE GOVERNMENT, THAT THE CITY HAS VERY LITTLE CONTROL OVER OUR OWN STREETS IN THIS REGARD.
AND I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, AND I'M NOT, I MEAN WELL, IT IS YOUR FAULT A LITTLE BIT.
I MEAN, I GUESS Y'ALL LOBBIED FOR THE LAWS.
BUT, UH, I'M WONDERING IF Y'ALL BE OPEN TO MORE GOVERNANCE FROM CITIES.
IF THE, WE WENT TO THE LEGISLATURE NEXT SESSION AND ASKED FOR THAT.
IS THAT SOMETHING Y'ALL BE OPEN TO? SO I THINK IT, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M GONNA SAY, RIGHT.
WHICH IS, IT IS EASIEST TO SCALE ACROSS AN ENTIRE STATE WHEN THERE'S ONE REGULATORY STRUCTURE THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DO SO.
THE REASON THAT WE'RE ABLE TO SCALE IN TEXAS AS QUICKLY AND AS FAST AS, UM, AND AS SPREAD OUT TO THE DIFFERENT CITIES AS WE ARE, IS THAT THERE IS A CENTRAL REGULATORY STRUCTURE.
SO THAT'S WHAT I WOULD RESPOND TO THAT IT, IT, IT REALLY HAS, IT'S WHAT'S LED TO THE 200 JOBS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED HERE IN AUSTIN.
IT'S WHAT'S LED TO THE CLOSE TO 70 JOBS IN DALLAS AND THE OVER 80 JOBS IN HOUSTON AND WILL LEAD TO EVEN MORE JOBS AS WE EXPAND INTO OTHER MARKETS.
HOW MANY UBER JOBS WILL WE LOST? HOW MANY RIDES? HOPEFULLY NONE.
'CAUSE I TAKE UBERS EVERY TIME I COME TO TOWN.
UH, WE DON'T DRIVE TO THE AIRPORT YET.
HOW LONG UNTIL Y'ALL ARE IN, UH, AIR, UH, ON HIGHWAYS? WE'RE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO GET ON HIGHWAYS SOME POINT SOON.
WE DON'T HAVE A DATE BY WHEN WE'LL BE THERE.
WE DON'T WANNA ANNOUNCE A DATE AND NOT MEET IT.
I PREFER TO STAY OFF HIGHWAYS REGARDLESS.
UM, AND I GUESS THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAVE IS THAT I, I HAVE A BUSINESS ON EAST 12TH AND I DO SEE THE CARS PILED UP THERE.
SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO ADD THAT TO ONE OF YOUR AREAS TO LOOK AT WHAT CROSS STREETS? 12TH AND CHACON.
ESPECIALLY ON FRIDAY, SATURDAY NIGHTS LATE NIGHT.
QUESTIONS ON MY SIDE IF I MAY? YES, COMMISSIONER, PLEASE.
TWO QUESTIONS ON MY SIDE, UM, IN REGARDS TO THE SERVICE AREA EXPANSION.
NOW, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED YOU WERE HESITANT TO PUT A SPECIFIC TIMEFRAME OUT THERE.
UM, BUT IN TERMS OF INCREASING THE SERVICE AREA BY SPEED LIMIT, IS THERE A SPECIFIC CRITERIA, I GUESS, THAT YOU HAVE, UM, INTERNALLY THAT YOU'RE MONITORING FOR THAT? OR IS IT SET MORE BY, UM, REPORTING TO SOME KIND OF AGENCY? OR COULD YOU SPEAK AS TO HOW THAT WORKS? NO, IT IS ENTIRELY INTERNAL.
IT IS AN INTERNAL PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOW WITH SAFETY AS OUR TOP AND NUMBER ONE PRIORITY AND THE METRICS OF, OF, UH, INITIAL TESTING IN THOSE ROADS AT HIGHER SPEEDS AND WHAT THAT HAS LOOKED LIKE.
DO YOU WANNA SHARE ANYTHING BEYOND THAT? NO, NO, NO.
IT'S ALL INTERNAL AND I THINK THAT IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT.
WE TALKED ABOUT SAFETY MULTIPLE TIMES.
TALKED ABOUT THE SAFETY REPORT THE CREWS HAD.
UM, SAFETY IS THE CORNERSTONE OF IF WE DON'T HAVE A SAFETY BASE, THERE'S NO WAY WE'D BE ACCEPTED BY ALL THE CITIES THAT WE HAVE SO FAR.
SO WE HAVE A, A VERY TIGHT SAFETY CASE AND A WHOLE SAFETY, UH, SYSTEM THAT WE USE INTERNALLY THAT WE GO, GOES THROUGH A NUMBER OF APPROVALS, A NUMBER OF TESTING, NUMBER OF MILEAGE BEFORE WE EVER ABLE TO INCREASE THE FLEETS.
I SUPPOSE IN SIZE IT, SPEED AND GEOGRAPHY AS WELL.
IF THERE'S, UM, I GUESS A, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S MUCH SAFER TO RIDE, YOU KNOW, WITH THE CRUISE VEHICLE.
SO THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A MINIMAL NUMBER OF INCIDENTS.
WHAT KIND OF CRITERIA ARE REVIEWED TO INCREASE THE SPEED LIMIT AND ROADS THAT ARE ABLE TO BE SERVED ON? SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT AS IT RELATES TO THE, UH, TO WHAT, HOW WE SCALE? SURE.
UM, DO YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT? IT'S A, IT'S A LOT.
IT'S, THERE ARE A WHOLE LOT OF FACTORS.
I I DON'T THINK I COULD LIST, UH, THE ENTIRE THING OF THE ENTIRE, YOU KNOW, SLEW OF FACTORS THAT GO INTO THIS, BUT IT'S, UM, HOW IS THE VEHICLE REACTING? UH, HOW ARE WE ABLE TO PROCEED? WE DO A TON OF SIMULATION TESTING AS WELL.
SO THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR TESTING IS ACTUALLY DONE VIA SIMULATION.
UM, SO WE'RE ABLE TO, BECAUSE WE'VE DONE ALL THIS, THIS AMAZING MAPPING, WE'RE ABLE TO PUT THE VEHICLE THROUGH SIMULATION TESTING AND UNDERSTAND BASED ON THE CODE THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE AND THE, AND THE MOST RECENT RELEASES, HOW IS THE VEHICLE INTERACTING IN THOSE SITUATIONS? SO WITH DIFFERENT SPEEDS, DIFFERENT AREAS, WE WILL CONTINUE TO TEST WHAT UNDER THOSE NEW VARIABLES AND THROUGH OUR OWN SET OF CRITERIA.
AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S A VERY LONG LIST OF CRITERIA THOUGH.
WE GO THROUGH IDENTIFY, ARE WE HITTING ALL THE CRITERIA WE NEED, WE NEED TO HIT IN ORDER TO EXPAND.
UM, ONE OTHER QUESTION I GUESS IN TERMS OF, UM, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S A SURGE OF VEHICLES IN AN AREA, I GUESS WITH THAT REMOTE ASSISTANCE, UH, DO STAFF KIND OF REVIEW, HEY, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF CALLS SUDDENLY TO A SPECIFIC AREA.
LIKE IF THERE'S NOT, UM, AN EVENT REPORTED BY THE MUNICIPALITY, YOU KNOW, SO YOU HAVE KIND OF THE NO-GO ZONE, BUT JUST USERS ARE SUDDENLY REQUESTING A LOT OF VEHICLES TO A SPECIFIC AREA.
DOES THAT TRIGGER SOME SORT OF REVIEW INTERNALLY? LIKE, HEY, LET'S LOG ON, SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING? WHY IS IT SUDDENLY ALL COMING TO THIS AREA? SURE.
I THINK, UH, SO WE DO HAVE 24 7 COVERAGE.
SO NOT ONLY THAT REMOTE TEAM AND THEN MY TEAM ON THE GROUND AS WELL ARE 24 7.
[02:20:01]
WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT, UH, EYES ON WHAT'S GOING ON THROUGHOUT THE EVENING.UM, MANY TIMES, WE'LL, THERE'LL BE PRE-SCHEDULED EVENTS.
SO WE KNEW WHEN A C L WAS GOING ON, THERE WAS A, I THINK IT WAS ACACIA CONCERT ON MONDAY NIGHT, UH, DOWNTOWN THAT ALSO, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT A LOT OF DEMAND.
SO LITTLE THINGS LIKE THIS WE'RE ABLE TO PROACTIVELY AND IN REAL TIME AND REACTIVELY IDENTIFY WHAT'S GOING ON AND WE CAN MAKE, UH, TWEAKS VERY QUICKLY TO OUR FLEET, TO LOCATIONS, TO ADDING AAS.
AND IN, IN MANY CASES, YAEL MENTIONED, SOMETIMES IT DOESN'T REQUIRE A HUMAN RIGHT.
SO AS A VEHICLE IS DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD, IT SENSES ALL OF A SUDDEN, OH HEY, THERE'S TRAFFIC, THERE IS, UH, ROAD CONSTRUCTION HERE.
WASN'T THERE FIVE MINUTES AGO, BUT THIS NEXT VEHICLE SENSES IT, THAT VEHICLE CAN NOW REPORT THAT UP VERY QUICKLY AND WE CAN GET AN AA PUT OVER AN AREA TO PREVENT US FROM GOING INTO THAT AREA.
SO THE NEXT VEHICLE BEHIND IT MAKES A DIFFERENT DECISION.
AN EXAMPLE OF THAT IS A SINKHOLE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
THERE WAS A SINKHOLE THAT ONE OF OUR VEHICLES APPROACHED AND I IMMEDIATELY COMMUNICATED THAT BACK TO REMOTE ASSISTANCE, REMOTE ASSISTANCE CREATED AN AVOIDANCE AREA SPECIFICALLY AROUND WHERE THAT SINKHOLE WAS.
SO NONE OF OUR OTHER VEHICLES WOULD APPROACH IT AND FALL IN
SO THE VEHICLES ARE IN REAL TIME COMMUNICATING BACK INFORMATION.
AND I THINK YOUR QUESTION WAS SPECIFIC TO AN INSTANCE IN WHICH WE HAVE NOT CREATED AN AVOIDANCE AREA AND THE VEHICLE APPROACHES ONE, UM, THE VEHICLE WILL COMMUNICATE TO REMOTE ASSISTANCE, WE'LL RECEIVE INSTRUCTION ON WHAT TO DO NEXT, AND REMOTE ASSISTANCE WILL CREATE AN AVOIDANCE AREA OVER THAT PART.
AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, I THINK, UH, THE QUESTION WAS MORE FOCUSED ON, YOU KNOW, IF THE VEHICLE IS NOT REPORTING AN INCIDENT OR IF AN INCIDENT HAS NOT BEEN PRE-PROGRAMMED, BUT SAY USERS WERE TO CALL 30 VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, TO THE SAME AREA, UM, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, THERE'S NO INCIDENTS REPORTED, BUT WOULD YOU KNOW THAT REPORT SOMETHING BACK TO CRUZ? LIKE, HEY, SUDDENLY 30 VEHICLES WERE CALLED TO THE SAME AREA.
YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE REVIEW, IS THERE ANYTHING, ANY OTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE? RIGHT? LIKE THAT SURGE IN, IN DEMAND, UH, ULTIMATELY WE'D LIKE TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THOSE SITUATIONS JUST LIKE UBER WOOD OR LYFT WOOD, RIGHT? THERE'S GONNA BE CASES WHERE CONCERT GETS OUT AND ALL OF A SUDDEN, YOU KNOW, A MILLION USERS GO AHEAD AND REQUEST A RIDE.
ULTIMATELY, WE WANNA BE ABLE TO HANDLE ALL THAT DEMAND AS WELL.
SO AS THE VEHICLES, UH, LIKE CURRENTLY THEY CAN, IF THERE WAS A WHOLE BUNCH OF PEOPLE THAT WENT AND REQUESTED OUT OF WEST CAMPUS OR YOU NAME THE EVENT RIGHT NOW, THOSE VEHICLES SHOULD ALL BE ABLE TO GO OVER THERE AND NAVIGATE THE SITUATION, NAVIGATE THE CROWD, NAVIGATE THE FACT THAT THERE'S A LOT OF TRAFFIC AROUND THERE, PICK UP THEIR INTENDED CUSTOMER AND MOVE ON.
SO, UM, BUT AGAIN, WE DO HAVE THE WHOLE TEAM THAT'S MONITORING IN THE EVENT THAT, THAT, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE CONJUNCTION OF ALL THAT, OF ALL THOSE VEHICLES AND ALL THAT DEMAND COMES TOGETHER IF THERE'S AN ISSUE THAT COMES UP, OUR TEAM STANDING BY READY TO ADDRESS IT.
WELL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH GENTLEMEN.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION TONIGHT.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
THANK YOU FOR THE INVITATION TO PRESENT.
ALRIGHT, THANKS EVERYBODY FOR A VERY ACTIVE DISCUSSION THIS EVENING.
UH, NEXT ITEM IS TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR VARIOUS DISCUSSION ITEMS
[7. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the last Arts Commission meeting]
AND REPORTS FROM OUR LIAISONS.ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT I NEED TO MENTION IN TERMS OF REPORTS FROM LIAISONS IS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE RELATIVE OR RELEVANT TO THE WORK OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
UH, AND SO WITH THAT IN MIND, COMMISSIONER MOCK THE FLOOR IS YOURS VERY BRIEF.
UH, THE FIRST THING, FIRST, YOU KNOW, I W WHEN YOU WERE, UH, TRYING TO GO FOR THE MINUTE, I WAS TRYING TO MAKE A CORRECTION, BUT I COULDN'T UNMUTE MYSELF.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THE MINUTE, UH, TO MENTION ABOUT THE PROGRAM THAT MENTIONED IS ELEVATE INSTEAD OF ANIMAL.
SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANIMAL PROGRAM YEAH.
SO, UH, WITH THAT I'M GOING TO REPORT, UM, AT THAT LAST MEETING, UM, WE, I JUST WANT TO REPORT BACK TO YOU THAT WE HAVE FINISHED TWO OF OUR GRANTS.
ONE IS THRIVE, T H R I V E, AND THE OTHER ONE IS, UH, OUR CULTURAL EDUCATION GRANT.
UH, ALL THE APPLICATION ARE IN AND IT'S AWARDED AND THAT IT'S DONE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE DISCUSSED EXTENSIVELY IN OUR LAST MEETING WAS ABOUT THE EXPANSION OF DOWNTOWN DISTRICT, YOU KNOW, DOWNTOWN AND PLAN.
UM, THE COMMISSIONERS ASKED ASK COMMISSIONERS AS THE BACKUP INFORMATION, IS IT ON YOUR WEBSITE? BECAUSE THEY WANTED TO SEE HOW THE PLAN OF THE EXPANSION OF DOWNTOWN, UM, IS LOCATED SO THAT THEY CAN GO AND TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
SO WE ALSO HAVE AN EXTENSIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT, UH, HOW THE DLO WAS DISMISSED, UM, AND THEN HOW SOME OF OUR COMMISSIONERS
[02:25:01]
ACTUALLY HAVE USED IT FREQUENTLY AS A TEACHER TO STUDENTS AROUND TONGUE AREA AND AS A STUDENT GROWING UP AND USING DILLOW TO GO PLACES IN DOWNTOWN AND WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, MANY YEARS AGO.SO I JUST WANTED TO IMPRESS UPON YOU THAT THAT WAS A VERY DIFFERENT DOWNTOWN THAN THE ANG NOW.
SO, UH, I HOPE THAT MAYBE AT SOME POINT YOU WILL HAVE THIS AGENDA ITEM TO REALLY SPECIFICALLY TALK ABOUT THE DEAL.
AND COMMISSIONER MARK, I HAVE LET COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER KNOW WITH NO UNCERTAIN IN NO UNCERTAIN TERMS THAT THE RETURN OF THE DILLO IS A HIGH PRIORITY.
AND HE HAS ASSURED ME THAT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION WILL LOOK CLOSELY AT IT.
WE HAVE NO, NO GREATER PRIORITY.
CAN WE GET A DRIVERLESS DILLO? MAYBE? UH, WE ASK THEM CAN THANK YOU.
CAN WE DO A DRIVER GUILLO? OKAY.
OUR, OUR UH, UH, PRESENTERS FROM CREWS OR ARE DISCUSSING THE, UH, WHAT THE DILLO WAS AND, AND HOW TO BRING IT BACK RIGHT NOW.
AND IT IS TRULY A GREAT IDEA AND THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD SUPPORT YOUR HARD WORK IN THIS REGARD.
UH, PERHAPS I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER MOCK DID SUGGEST NAMING EACH DILLO AND SO I THINK, UH, CRUZ HAS BEEN DOING THAT WITH THEIR CARS.
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON WE CAN'T DO IT WITH A D DILLA.
UH, WITH THAT, WITH THAT SAID, UM, COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN, ANYTHING
[8. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the last Historic Landmark Commission meeting]
PERTAINING TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION BOARD? AND BY THE WAY, WELCOME.IT'S BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE WE'VE HAD SOMEBODY IN YOUR SEAT AT THE COMMISSION.
UM, DURING SEPTEMBER'S BOARD MEETING, UM, STAFF DID A PRESENTATION ON, UM, HOUSE BILL 1526, WHICH CHANGES THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PARKLAND DEDICATION.
UM, SO JUST TO COVER THAT BRIEFLY, UH, GEOGRAPHIC AREAS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PARKLAND REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF LAND DEDICATION AND THE FEES REQUIRED.
UM, THAT WILL GO TO CITY COUNCIL TOMORROW, I BELIEVE.
AND THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT IS BASICALLY WHAT COVERS THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN.
UM, SIR, THERE WILL BE CHANGES TO PARKLAND REQUIREMENTS WITHIN THAT AREA.
UM, GEOGRAPHIC AREAS GO TO COUNCIL TOMORROW.
UM, AND THEN THE PARKS AND REC BOARD MEETING NEXT WEDNESDAY WE WILL BE REVIEWING THE NEW ORDINANCE RECOMMENDATIONS.
UM, COMMISSIONER HOLMES? IS COMMISSIONER HOLMES STILL ON? I GUESS HE MUST HAVE DROPPED OFF.
AND LAST BUT NOT LEAST, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER
[12. Update and discussion regarding action related to the Downtown Commission taken at the last Urban Transportation Commission meeting]
URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER BOARD.HELLO? UH, DILO STILL ON THE AGENDA.
UM, SO, UH, ONLY ACTION ITEM WAS, UH, THE, UH, APPROVING OR RECOMMENDING THE APPROVAL OF THE ORDINANCE, UH, TO REMOVE, UH, PARKING MINIMUMS FROM MOTOR VEHICLES.
OBVIOUSLY THAT'S RELEVANT TO EVERYONE EXCEPT, UH, THE FOLKS IN DOWNTOWN AS DOWNTOWN'S BEEN WITH WITHOUT 'EM FOR ABOUT A DECADE NOW.
UH, THERE IS ONE PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION THOUGH THAT'S VERY RELEVANT TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
UM, AS PART OF IT, WE RECOMMENDED THAT THE CITY COUNCIL, UH, GO IN AND UPDATE THE BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS SINCE THOSE AREN'T REALLY GONNA MAKE SENSE, UH, WHEN THEY'RE DETACHED FROM MINIMUM PARKING THAT DOESN'T EXIST.
UH, SO WHAT WE REQUESTED IS THAT WE TIE IT TO A RATIO OF THE EXISTING OR PLANNED MOTOR VEHICLE PARKING, AND THEN THAT RATIO BE BASED OFF OF THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN, UH, MOTOR OR RIDERSHIP GOALS.
UH, WHICH IS THAT IN 2039, AMONG OTHER THINGS, WE WANT 50% OF PEOPLE COMMUTING VIA DRIVING ALONE AND 5% OF PEOPLE, UH, COMMUTING VIA BICYCLE.
SO WE FIGURED WE'RE SAYING 50% OF PEOPLE ARE GONNA NEED A PLACE TO PARK 'CAUSE THEY'RE DRIVING ALONE AND 5% NEED A PLACE TO PARK THEIR BIKE BECAUSE THEY'RE BIKING.
UH, THEN THE RATIO SHOULD BE 50 TO FIVE OR 10 TO ONE.
SO IT SUGGESTS 10% OF WHATEVER EXISTING OR PLANNED MOTOR VEHICLE PARKING, UH, IS, UH, IN A PLAN.
10% OF THAT IS WHAT SHOULD BE THE MINIMUM BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENT.
SO WOULD THIS INCLUDE IN BUILDINGS OR ON STREET? UM, SO THE WAY IT CURRENTLY WORKS, THIS, THIS WOULD BE OFF STREET REQUIREMENTS.
UH, BUT THERE ARE WAYS IN THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUAL.
SO IF IT'S IN THE BUILDING, THAT COUNTS AS OFF STREET RIGHT.
BUT, UH, THE WAY THE TRANSPORTATION CRITERIA MANUALS WRITTEN, UH, THERE ARE CERTAIN WAYS THAT YOU CAN GET ON STREET BIKE LANES TO COUNT TOWARDS YOUR MINIMUM BICYCLE REQUIREMENTS.
[02:30:01]
OR WHAT'S MORE RELEVANT IN DOWNTOWN IS IF THERE'S A CORRAL OR A GROUP OF, UH, OF BIKE PARKING THAT SERVES MULTIPLE BUILDINGS THAT CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED TOWARDS THE MINIMUM BIKE PARKING REQUIREMENTS.UM, DON'T ASK ME HOW IT OVERLAYS WITH C B D 'CAUSE I DON'T KNOW
IF A, IF A BUILDING HAS 300 PARKING SPACES IN IT OR 250 PARKING SPACES MM-HMM.
WHICH SOUNDS LIKE A LOT IN YOUR HEAD.
BUT REMEMBER, EACH STALL IS A MINIMUM OF TWO SPACES.
UH, AND IN FACT, THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO GET A STALL THAT'S THREE OR FOUR SPACES.
SO IN TERMS OF THE SPATIAL REQUIREMENTS, NOT REALLY THAT FAR FROM WHAT MOST PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY BUILDING.
UM, REALLY ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN, BECAUSE THERE ARE SO MANY GROUP BIKE PARKING SPACES.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW EVEN HOW RELEVANT IT WOULD BE TO DOWNTOWN BECAUSE I THINK MOST PEOPLE QUALIFY THROUGH THAT ALREADY.
SOME PEOPLE DO BIKE LOCKERS OR BIKE ROOMS. YEAH.
AND THOSE DON'T TAKE UP A LOT OF SPACE INSIDE THE BUILDING.
AND ALSO THERE'S THAT 10% REQUIREMENT, I BELIEVE IS ALREADY EXISTING FOR PARKING GARAGES.
SO IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, ACTUALLY NOW I THINK ABOUT IT, PROBABLY MOST EVERYTHING WOULD FALL UNDER THE PARKING GARAGE REQUIREMENT.
SO IT'S ACTUALLY JUST BRINGING EVERYTHING UP TO THAT STANDARD.
I WONDER IF IT WOULD BE OF VALUE TO EITHER MAP OR PROVIDE WAYFINDING TO BICYCLE PARKING.
UH, DO YOU MIND SENDING A COPY OF THAT RECOMMENDATION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WELL THE NEXT ITEM IS FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DOES
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
ANYBODY HAVE A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM? I SEE, I SEE, UH, CHRISTINE APPROACHING THE DAIS.WE DO HAVE, UH, PRESIDENT OF STAFF WITH THE TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, UM, WHO LEAD THE AUTONOMOUS VEHICLE SAFETY WORKING GROUP.
UM, THEY'RE PRESENTING TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE ON OCTOBER 27TH AND THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ON NOVEMBER.
UM, AND SO IT, IT WOULD BE PROBABLY HELPFUL NOW THAT WE'VE GOTTEN A, A PERIMETER ON CREW TO, UM, MAYBE HEAR FROM STAFF.
SO I JUST SUGGEST THAT FOR THE, FOR THE CONSIDERATION OF THE COMMISSION TO, UH, HAVE THAT WORKING GROUP PRESENT.
I HAVE A COUPLE AGENDA ITEMS, PLEASE.
UM, I WOULD, I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST TIME, I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR AN UPDATE ON THE HOBBY BUILDING RECONSTRUCTION AND WHERE THAT IS IN THE PROCESS.
WE'VE ACTUALLY, YEAH, WE BROUGHT UP THE HOBBY BUILDING HOUSE SOUTH.
SINCE THEY'RE BOTH, UH, DIRECTED OR WILL SUPPOSEDLY HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AFFORDABLE HOUSING COMPONENT.
SO IS THERE ANY WAY, AND I KNOW THAT IT INVOLVES LAND USE AND SECRET CONVERSATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T GET THAT, UH, COMPLETELY DISCLOSED.
BUT, UM, CAN WE GET A BRIEFING, BRIEFING ON PROGRESS ON HEALTH, THE HEALTH SOUTH SITE AND CAN WE ALSO GET, BECAUSE THEY'RE RELATED AND, AND AS FAR AS AFFORDABILITY IS CONCERNED, CAN WE GET A BRIEFING ON REPUBLIC PLAZA? TWO SEPARATE THINGS.
UH, WE DID TALK WITH EXECUTIVE LEADERSHIP ABOUT A BRIEFING PRIOR TO GOING TO, UM, JANUARY'S BRIEFING ON CITY COUNCIL.
THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION OR A BRIEFING FOR THE COMMISSION, BUT WE'LL PROVIDE THE COMMISSION SOME INFORMATION ON HEALTH SOUTH.
WITH REGARDS TO THE REPUBLIC SQUARE, WE WILL CERTAINLY FIND, OKAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE SECRET CONVERSATIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY.
YEAH, NO, IT'S THE ISSUE OF, UH, DISCUSSIONS ABOUT LAND BEING SUBJECT, NOT SUBJECT TO OPEN MEETINGS.
UM, FOR THE REPUBLIC SQUARE, I'M SORRY.
FOR THE REPUBLIC SQUARE, WHAT, UH, ASPECT OF REPUBLIC SQUARE? WELL, THE MAYOR AND, UH, I THINK FOLKS FROM THE FACILITIES COMMISSION, UH, AND THE STATE CAME OUT AND SAID THAT IN THE REDEVELOPMENT OF REPUBLIC PLAZA, UM, THE HOBBY BUILDING FOR THOSE OF US THAT PREDATED THE STATE'S ACQUISITION OF THAT BUILDING, IT USED TO BE CALLED REPUBLIC SQUARE.
THERE ARE A FEW PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT ARE NODDING THEIR HEADS AND, UM, UH, THEY CAME OUT AND MADE A JOINT
[02:35:01]
PRONOUNCEMENT.AND ONE OF THEIR PRIORITIES WAS THAT, UH, IN THE REDEVELOPMENT THEY WANTED TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT COMPONENT DEDICATED TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
UH, AND SO WE WOULD LIKE TO GET SOME SORT OF PRESENTATION ON THAT PROJECT.
I REALIZE THAT, UH, OR AT LEAST I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN A MASTER DEVELOPER SELECTED.
UM, THEY PROBABLY HAVEN'T SCOPED EVERYTHING OUT.
THAT MAY HAVE BEEN MORE FOR THE OPPORTUNITY THEN WHAT WE MIGHT SEE.
BUT, UM, IF WE CAN GET SOME SORT OF REPORT ON, UH, THE DIRECTION THAT THAT IS TAKING.
'CAUSE I THINK EVERYBODY HERE IS YEAH.
INTEND ON SEEING MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING DOWNTOWN.
AND THOSE ARE THE TWO PROJECTS WHERE WE WILL SEE THE MOST IMPACT.
UM, AND I HAVE A FINAL AGENDA ITEM I WOULD LIKE TO ADD.
AND I THINK I'VE, I'VE EMAILED THIS ONE BEFORE.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S POSSIBLE.
I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A RETRO ON THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE HEATING AND COOLING CENTERS.
I KNOW WE'RE, WE'RE MOVING OUT OF A VERY, VERY HOT SUMMER MOVING INTO WHAT WILL LIKELY BE ANOTHER EXTREME COLD WINTER AT SOME POINT.
SO I'D LIKE TO KNOW FROM THE OPERATORS OF THOSE CENTERS, I KNOW MANY OF THEM ARE LIBRARIES, HOW HAS IT GONE? WHAT DO THEY NEED TO BE EFFECTIVE? WHAT OTHER RESOURCES DO THEY NEED? UM, HOW CAN WE AS THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION HELP MAKE THOSE HEATING AND COOLING CENTERS SAFE AND EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE, UM, USABLE AND A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE FOR EVERYBODY.
WE, WE HAVE THAT AS A FUTURE AGENDA.
ANY ASPECT OR ANY LENS YOU WANNA PUT TO THAT? YOU MENTIONED LIBRARIES OR YEAH, JUST HOLISTIC LENS.
AND, UM, ALWAYS INTERESTED IN THEIR, IN THEIR METRICS AND HOW THEY'RE COLLECTING THE DATA ON BEING SUCCESSFUL, BUT YEAH.
SO I HAVE ONE, UH, THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE, UM, HEARD A PRESENTATION ABOUT THE C HOME TAX.
LET'S SEE IF I CAN REMEMBER WHAT TRIS ACRONYM IS.
SO, SO THAT'S CLOSE, VERY CLOSE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WOULD BE OF INTEREST TO THE COMMISSION, BUT, UM, I'M JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE.
WE'VE, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF THE TSS PIS, ET CETERA, COME BEFORE THIS COMMISSION OVER THE YEARS, SO I WOULD CERTAINLY SUGGEST, AND THAT'S RIGHT IN YOUR WHEELHOUSE, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
IT IS UNDER THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT.
UM, ALONG THOSE LINES, UH, PERHAPS WE COULD GET AN UPDATE ON THE SECOND STREET TOURS.
HAP HAPPY TO DO THAT, BUT THERE WON'T BE A WHOLE LOT TO SAY, BUT HAPPY TO, TO DO A DOWNTOWN TOURS
UH, MAYBE, MAYBE IF IT'S POSSIBLE TO DO LIKE MAYBE A COLLECTIVE TURS, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA SUGGEST.
IF WE COULD DO A, COLLECT A COLLECTIVE TS REVIEW.
PED REVIEW, TS REVIEW, AND JUST HAVE THEM LISTED.
AND IT ON SOME OF 'EM, AS YOU SAID, THERE MAY BE NO MATERIAL UPDATE, BUT AT LEAST WE CAN COVER 'EM ALL.
WELL, I GUESS FROM THE SECOND STREET TOURS, IT'S OUR MOST EFFECTIVE ACTIVATED URBAN SPACE AS FAR AS, UM, KIND OF PLACES PEOPLE WANT TO BE.
BUT FROM A FINANCIAL STANDPOINT, I GUESS I'D BE INTERESTED IN HOW THE TAX AND FINANCE PERSPECTIVE ARE WORKING AND, UM, JUST IF THERE'S ANY COMMENTARY ON HOW WE MIGHT STRUCTURE BETTER SIMILAR PROGRAMS IN THE FUTURE WITHOUT, WITHOUT PUTTING ANYONE ON THE SPOT.
UM, NO, NO SPOT THAT, THAT IS A VERY ODD, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A TRUE TERMS. OKAY.
IT'S ACTUALLY JUST AN ANNUAL SET ASIDE THROUGH A, UH, A KIND OF TURS MECHANISM, BUT IT'S REALLY NOT A VALUE CAPTURE MECHANISM THAT, THAT ANNUALLY ONLY PROVIDES A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR.
AND THAT'S FROM A SILICON LAB C S C AGREEMENT THAT IS THE 1999 AGREEMENT.
AND STAFF WOULD NEVER RECOMMEND DOING SUCH A THING AGAIN.
SO, I MEAN, I, I, WE'LL HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THAT, BUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, WE COULD GIVE YOU SOME LESSONS LEARNED,
[02:40:01]
WHICH MIGHT BE FUN.UM, IF, IF EVERYONE ELSE IS INTERESTED.
THANK Y'ALL FOR A GREAT MEETING TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S TIME.
IT IS 8:11 PM AND I CALL THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING FOR OCTOBER 18TH ADJOURNED.