[00:00:04]
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M GONNA CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER, UH, FOR THE DESIGN COMMISSION.OCTOBER 23RD, UH, 2023, UM, 6 0 1.
I'M GONNA START WITH, UH, CALLING ROLE, UH, VICE CHAIR MINERS.
COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER WALLACE PRESENT, UH, COMMISSIONER, WHICH STRUCK HERE.
AND WE HAVE A VACANCY AT DISTRICT SIX.
SO OUR NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS THE PUBLIC COMMUNICATIONS.
UH, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
UM, THERE IS NO PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
AND OUR NEXT ITEM IS THE APPROVAL OF
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
MINUTES, AND THIS WAS FROM OUR, OUR DESIGN COMMISSION MEETING ON AUGUST 28TH.DO I HAVE A MOTION? I MOTION TO APPROVE? I HAVE A SECOND.
WE GOT A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER HOWARD AND A FIRST ON MCKINNEY.
IT'S A STAFF BRIEFING, UH, STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE TRANSPORTATION ELECTRI ELECTRIFICATION PLAN.
UM, WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE A VOTE FOR THE MINUTES.
ALRIGHT, DO WE DO ALL APPROVE? MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
IS EVERYBODY VOTED? THERE WE GO.
[2. Staff briefing regarding the Transportation Electrification Plan. Presented by Cameron Freberg, Austin Energy]
BRIEFING.STAFF BRIEFING REGARDING THE TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION PLAN, UH, PRESENTED BY CAMERON FREEBURG OF AUSTIN ENERGY.
THERE WAS ONE BUTTON THAT SAID PUSHED.
UH, MY NAME IS CAMERON FREEBERG.
I AM THE MANAGER OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR AUSTIN ENERGY.
UM, SO TONIGHT WE'LL BE GOING OVER HOW TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION FITS INTO THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN, AS WELL AS SOME UPDATES ON, UH, THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON AS WELL AS SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL.
AND I BELIEVE I HAD 15 MINUTES JUST TO CLARIFY THAT, JUST TO MAKE SURE I DO NOT RAMBLE OVER.
SO, I, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO KIND OF JUST GIVE A LITTLE BACKGROUND, UH, FOR THOSE THAT MIGHT NOT BE COMPLETELY FAMILIAR WITH THE, THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN OR THIS COMPONENT OF IT.
SO A FEW YEARS AGO, THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE LED AN EFFORT, UH, AS THE CLIMATE.
IT WAS THE CLIMATE ACTION PLAN UPDATE, WHICH BECAME THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
THERE WERE SEVERAL KEY AREAS THAT WERE ADDRESSED IN TERMS OF EMISSION REDUCTIONS THROUGHOUT OUR CITY TO INCLUDE HOW WE ADDRESS TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE, HOW WE DO SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS, YOU KNOW, WASTE AND MATERIALS.
AND, UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR TONIGHT, WE WILL BE GOING OVER HOW TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION FITS INTO THAT ROADMAP OF GETTING TO, UH, NET ZERO GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS IN OUR CITY.
SO, UM, I GOTTA BE A PART OF THE WORKING GROUP FOR THIS AREA.
AND THIS WAS A COMMUNITY COLLECTIVE THAT INCLUDED NOT JUST CITY STAFFERS, BUT ALSO COMMUNITY MEMBERS, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UM, ACADEMIA ACROSS THE BOARD REPRESENTATION THROUGHOUT OUR CITY.
AND THERE WERE THREE MAIN AREAS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED AS GOALS THAT WERE SET FORWARD IN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN FOR TRANSPORTATION, ELECTRIFICATION, UH, THE FIRST ONE BEING ON HOW MANY VEHICLES WE GET HERE, AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, UM, HOW MANY VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED ARE DONE ON AN ELECTRIC PLATFORM HERE.
SO YOU'LL SEE AT THE END OF THIS GOAL, UM, WE CALL OUT AROUND 460,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLES IF IT, IF IT, UM, YEAH, IT'S BROKEN OUT THERE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S AROUND HAVING 40% OF OUR VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED IN AUSTIN, BE ON ELECTRIC PLATFORM.
AND THE REASON WE TALK ABOUT IT THAT WAY IS BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA FOCUS JUST ON THE INDIVIDUAL OWNING THE INDIVIDUAL CAR PARKED IN THEIR INDIVIDUAL GARAGE.
WE WANNA LOOK AT EVERYTHING FROM THE BUS DOWN TO THE ELECTRIC BIKE AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, BECAUSE VEHICLE OWNERSHIP'S NOT THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY.
HOME OWNERSHIP AND WHERE YOU LIVE AND HOW YOU COULD CHARGE THESE IS NOT THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY.
SO WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INCLUSIVE ACROSS, UM, ALL TECHNOLOGIES THAT FIT WITHIN ELECTRIFICATION.
THE SECOND GOAL IS REALLY FOCUSED AROUND,
[00:05:01]
AND THIS IS THE PROBABLY MOST RELEVANT TO ME, IS THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THAT KIND OF GROWTH.SO, JUST TO PUT IN CONTEXT, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, AN OVER A MILLION CAR CITY HERE.
AND SO 40% VMT IS VERY SIGNIFICANT, AND THE AMOUNT OF CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDED TO SUPPORT THAT IS ALSO EXTREMELY SIGNIFICANT.
SO, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT AROUND 37,000 CHARGING PORTS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO SUPPORT ALL OF THIS ELECTRIFICATION, UM, FROM MY STANDPOINT AND THE ELECTRIC UTILITY ONE THAT'S AROUND 226 MEGAWATTS OF LOAD.
SO THAT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ELECTRICAL INFRASTRUCTURE THAT'S GONNA NEED TO GO INTO SUPPORTING THIS.
ALSO, IT'S A WAY FOR US TO QUANTIFY, YOU KNOW, SOME CHARGING IS MORE IMPACTFUL THAN OTHERS OF HOW MUCH SUPPORT CAN PROVIDE.
SO YOU'LL SEE WHAT WE CALL LEVEL ONE CHARGING THESE OUTLETS ON THE FLOOR.
THAT'S JUST 110 VOLT OUTLET CAN GET A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORT.
A LOT OF CHARGING, UH, HABITS CAN SUPPORT A LOT OF CHARGING BEHAVIOR, BUT IT'S NOT THE RIGHT SPEED FOR EVERYBODY.
THERE'S ALSO, WHAT'S DC FAST CHARGING IS THE BIGGER, FASTER, STRONGER, YOU KNOW, LARGER, UH, CHARGING STATIONS THROUGHOUT THIS CITY THAT ARE AROUND, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED TO 200 KILOWATTS OF LOADS.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF A POWER GOING THROUGH THESE KIND OF STATIONS.
SO WE WANNA BE ABLE TO MEASURE WHEN FASTER CHARGING GOES IN, HOW THAT CONTRIBUTES TOWARDS THIS GOAL AS WELL.
AND THE THIRD ONE, UH, IS REALLY FOCUSED AROUND US MAINTAINING A LEADERSHIP STATUS, UH, BOTH, YOU KNOW, AS A GOVERNMENT, BUT ALSO WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, UH, IN THE ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION SECTOR.
AND I DO WANNA POINT OUT THERE ARE, UH, STRATEGIES UNDER EACH OF THESE GOALS.
SO WHEN THAT'S MADE AVAILABLE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN SEE THEM THERE.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO LISTED OUT ON THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICES', UH, CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN DASHBOARD, BUT IT WAS JUST VERY GRANULAR TO GO THROUGH ALL THOSE.
BUT I AM GONNA TOUCH ON A FEW OF THOSE TODAY.
SO, UH, THE PRESENTATION NIGHT, IT STEMS FROM A KIND OF A SERIES OF PRESENTATIONS AND, UM, AND IT GOES BACK TO THE, UH, PRESENTATION I GAVE TO THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMITTEE JUST A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AND THEY LEFT, THEY KIND OF WANTED ME TO LEAVE WITH SOME POINTING QUESTIONS.
SO I'VE USED THOSE AGAIN BECAUSE I THINK THEY'RE VERY, VERY RELEVANT TALKING POINTS TO TALK ABOUT SUCCESS WITHIN THIS PLAN.
BARRIERS AND WHERE LOW-HANGING FRUIT IS WITH TRANSPORTATION ELECTRIFICATION.
SO WE WANNA TALK ABOUT EMISSIONS EQUITY, SOME OF THE LOW-HANGING FRUIT, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES.
UM, SO JUST TO SET THE LANDSCAPE HERE.
SO I MENTIONED WE'RE OVER AT A MILLION VEHICLES HERE, UH, IN TERMS OF JUST OVERALL VEHICLES, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE JUST ABOUT 40,000 ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN OUR TERRITORY.
SO IN THE GREATER, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN, TRAVIS COUNTY REGION, WE HAVE 39,415.
THAT'S ROUGHLY 20% OF ALL THE ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE ENTIRE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND WE'RE SEEING FOR EVERY NEW VEHICLE THAT'S REGISTERED HERE, ABOUT 12% OF THEM ARE ELECTRIC.
SO PRETTY SIGNIFICANT NUMBERS.
I I STARTED DOING THIS WORK IN AUSTIN IN 2012, AND I REMEMBER WHEN WE PASSED, I BELIEVE IT WAS OUR 100TH EV.
AND SO I THOUGHT WE'D REALLY MADE IT THEN.
UH, BUT NOW WE'RE, UM, SEEING VERY, VERY SIGNIFICANT GROWTH AND SEEING A LOT OF MAKES AND MODELS COMING ON THE MARKET.
UH, PRETTY MUCH EVERY AUTO MANUFACTURER IS REPRESENTED HERE, BUT IT, I KNOW THE, UH, LETTERS ARE SMALL, BUT TESLA DOES HAVE A VERY SIGNIFICANT, UH, ADOPTION HERE IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN TONS OF THOSE AROUND TOWN.
SO, WHEN I TALK ABOUT HOW WE SUPPORT ELECTRIC TRANSPORTATION, I WANNA APPROACH IT FROM AR LENS, FROM AUSTIN ENERGY A LITTLE BIT JUST ON THE, THE KEY AREAS THAT WE FOCUS ON.
PRETTY MUCH EVERY PROJECT PROGRAM INITIATIVE, EVERYTHING WE DO FITS INTO ONE OF THESE FIVE CATEGORIES THAT WE WORK ON AND HOPEFULLY ALL CONTRIBUTING TOWARDS THOSE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN GOALS.
THE FIRST MANNER WE FOCUS ON CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, THEN WE GO INTO EQUITY, AFFORDABILITY, UH, FLEETS, NEW MOBILITY, OUTREACH AND EDUCATION.
AND THEN FINALLY, SINCE WE ARE THE ELECTRIC UTILITY, FIGURING OUT WHAT GRID INTEGRATION LOOKS LIKE AND HOW THESE VEHICLES INTERACT WITH THE ELECTRIC GRID.
AND I'LL GO INTO EACH ONE OF THESE JUST A LITTLE BIT DEEPER THROUGHOUT THE PRESENTATION.
SO, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO SUPPORT THAT FOR A LITTLE OVER A DECADE, UH, THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 1600 CHARGING PORTS THAT AUSTIN ENERGY HAS EITHER INSTALLED OR WORKED WITH COMMERCIAL PARTNERS THROUGH INCENTIVES AND PROGRAMS TO GET ON A SINGLE NETWORK THAT WE PROVIDE THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, THE GOOD NEWS IS, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE SEEN TONS OF, UH, PRIVATE SECTOR INVESTMENT IN THIS AREA AS WELL.
WE DON'T LOOK AT IT AS JUST WE'RE THE ONLY ONES PROVIDING IT.
WE WANT TO A, PROVIDE THAT SERVICE, BUT ALSO REDUCE ANY KIND OF BARRIERS TO, UM, OTHER COMPANIES OR MANUFACTURERS COMING IN AND PROVIDING THAT SERVICE AS WELL.
I'D SAY FOR THE BETTER PART OF 10 YEARS, IT WAS KIND OF A TOUGH SELL AND THERE WAS NOT A LOT OF THAT INVESTMENT COMING HERE,
[00:10:01]
BUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, WE'RE SEEING MORE AND MORE INVESTMENT IN THAT AREA, MORE AND MORE PROVIDING THAT SUPPORT.AND SO, WHICH IS GREAT TO SEE.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, HAVE EXPANDED A NETWORK OF, I MENTIONED THE DC FAST CHARGING.
UH, WE DID INCLUDE A NETWORK OF D 30 DC FAST CHARGERS THROUGHOUT AUSTIN AS WELL.
SO WHEN I TALK ABOUT DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHARGING, I MENTIONED LEVEL ONE, THAT'S MOSTLY WHAT PEOPLE HAVE AT HOME.
WE HAVE WHAT WE CALL LEVEL TWO CHARGING.
THERE'S A BUNCH IN THIS GARAGE RIGHT HERE.
THEY CAN RECHARGE YOUR VEHICLE A LOT FASTER THAN 110 VOLT OUTLET, BUT STILL IT'S HOURS, NOT MINUTES.
AND THEN FINALLY IS DC FAST CHARGING WHERE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE VERY LARGE, UH, LARGE MACHINES WITH LOTS OF POWER THROUGH 'EM, AND THAT'S WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REFILLING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE IN MINUTES AS OPPOSED TO HOURS.
SO WE'VE BEEN BUILDING OUT THAT FOR, UH, QUITE A WHILE.
AND WE ACTUALLY PUT IN FOR SOME GRANT FUNDING THROUGH THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION TO GREATLY, UH, GREATLY EXPAND THAT IF AWARDED.
UM, SO WE'RE STILL WAITING ON, UH, AWARD FOR THAT ONE, BUT REALLY HOPEFUL THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO PUSH THAT INFRASTRUCTURE BUILD OUT.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY, OUR SECOND PILLAR HERE, THIS IS WHERE I WANT TO GET BEYOND JUST LIKE INDIVIDUAL CAR OWNERSHIP TOO.
UM, AND IT DOESN'T JUST INCLUDE INCENTIVES, BUT ALSO HOW WE ADDRESS CERTAIN AREAS, HOW WE ADDRESS CERTAIN PARTNERS, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE LOOK AT THINGS BEYOND JUST INDIVIDUAL CAR OWNERSHIP AND REALLY PUSHING HOW WE CAN DO A E-BIKE ACCESS THROUGH BOTH PERSONAL OWNERSHIP AS WELL AS THROUGH SHARED MOBILITY OPTIONS.
UM, SO WE'VE HAD A PRETTY ROBUST E-BIKE REBATE FOR, FOR YEARS.
AND, UM, NOW THE MARKET FOR E-BIKES HAS TAKEN OFF A LOT TOO IN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
TECHNOLOGY'S GOTTEN A LOT BETTER.
THERE ARE A LOT MORE IN THE MARKET.
YOU SEE A LOT MORE OF THOSE, UH, THROUGHOUT AUSTIN.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, WE ACTUALLY DOUBLED THAT REBATE AND INCLUDED A, UH, UP TO $1,300 REBATE FOR CAP CUSTOMERS.
NOW CAP IS OUR CUSTOMER ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS. THAT'S WHAT THAT ACRONYM STANDS FOR.
WE USE TONS OF ACRONYMS. UH, SO I HAVE TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT AT TIMES.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE A, A STANDARD REBATE OF $600 FOR, UH, ANY CUSTOMER, AND THEN $1,300 FOR CAP CUSTOMERS.
AND WE'VE ALSO BEEN WORKING VERY CLOSELY WITH CAPITAL METRO ON THEIR METRO BIKE EXPANSIONS.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN NOT JUST IN EXPANDING METRO BIKE THROUGHOUT AUSTIN, BUT EXPANDING METRO BIKE WITH ELECTRIC BIKE OPTIONS AND HAVING CHARGING KIOSKS THROUGHOUT THE CITY FROM THEIR, TO CONNECT ALL THE DIFFERENT, LIKE KINDS OF MOBILITY HUBS HERE.
SO, UH, WE WANNA LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST DIFFERENT OPTIONS OF EVS, BUT ALSO DIFFERENT OPTIONS IN TERMS OF HOW PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO USE THEM THROUGH EITHER A SHARED MODEL OR A PERSONALLY OWNED MODEL.
AND THEN ON THE SECOND ONE ON THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, OR SORRY, THE EQUITY AND AFFORDABILITY PIECE IS, I JUST WANNA GIVE AN EXAMPLE OF SOME OF THE, UM, ONE OF THE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE DONE.
WE'VE WORKED WITH AISD THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS ON A PROGRAM THAT WE ACTUALLY ENDED UP, I THINK IT WAS TAGGED BY THEM, CALLED EVS FOR SCHOOLS, WHERE WE WORKED WITH AISD TO GET CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE INSTALLED AT THEIR SCHOOLS.
NOT JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS OR ANYBODY TO HAVE ACCESS TO CHARGING, BUT TO THAT IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF IT.
BUT ALSO, UH, CREATE A CURRICULUM, UM, THAT WE DEVELOPED WITH A PARTNER ECO RISE, WHERE THIS COULD BE AN EDUCATIONAL LIVING LAB.
SO WE HAVE THIS, THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.
WE HAVE A CURRICULUM DEVELOPED SO IT CAN ACTUALLY BE TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS.
UM, AND WE'VE ACTUALLY EXPANDED THAT WELL BEYOND AUSTIN.
IT'S BECOME A MODEL FOR A LOT OF OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS OR ACTUALLY THROUGHOUT THE UNITED STATES, UH, FROM ECO RISE.
SO, UM, SO WE LOOK AT, WE LOOK AT THESE THINGS NOT JUST FROM A, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS, WE'RE PROVIDING INCENTIVES, BUT ALSO MEANINGFUL OUTREACH AS WELL.
ON THE THIRD PILLAR, I WANT TO, UH, JUST BRIEFLY DISCUSS FLEET'S NEW MOBILITY.
UH, THIS IS WHERE WE WORK QUITE CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND THEY'RE DOING, UH, VERY GOOD WORK IN TERMS OF TRANSITIONING THEIR FLEET TO ELECTRIC.
UM, THEY HAVE OVER 275 ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THEIR PERSONAL FLEET NOW.
AND THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE PROMOTING THIS, IF WE'RE GOING TO BE, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING PROGRAMS ON IT AS A CITY, THEN OUR OPERATIONAL SIDE SHOULD PROBABLY REFLECT THAT AS WELL.
SO, UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN FLEET'S MAKING THIS TRANSITION ALL WITH LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES AT THE MOMENT, AND THEN TRANSITIONING INTO MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTIES AS MORE VEHICLES AS THESE, UH, MODELS BECOME AVAILABLE.
UM, SO YEAH, THE MARKET FOR LIKE LIGHT DUTY, LIKE NISSAN LEAFS, CHEVY BOLTS, VERY ROBUST.
THE, UH, ELECTRIC FIRETRUCK MARKET NOT AS ROBUST.
SO THAT'S PROBABLY WHY THESE ARE COMING FIRST AND WHY MEDIUM AND HEAVY DUTY WILL BE COMING SUBSEQUENTLY.
AND THE PROGRESS TO DATE HAS BEEN, UH, BETTER THAN EXPECTED.
WE PROJECTED, I BELIEVE IT WAS THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN SAVINGS OVER A 10 YEAR PERIOD FOR THIS FIRST PUSH.
AND I THINK WE PROJECTED AROUND 330 EVS SO FAR BETWEEN FUEL AND MAINTENANCE DATA.
THEY'RE ALREADY AROUND 50% ABOVE THOSE SAVINGS.
UM, SO THEY'RE SEEING VERY SIGNIFICANT, UH, SAVINGS ON
[00:15:01]
THE MAINTENANCE SIDE ALONE, UH, AT THEIR SERVICE CENTERS AS WELL AS JUST ON FUEL COSTS FROM MAKING THAT TRANSITION.UH, AND THEN JUST AS A, A LAST KIND OF NOTE THERE FOR THAT IS THROUGH THE PROCESS OF INSTALLING THE EV CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AND CONVERTING THESE VEHICLES, WE'VE ACTUALLY, UH, GOTTEN A NEW QUICK TURNAROUND PERMIT FOR EV CHARGING.
UM, THAT MIGHT NOT SEEM AMAZING FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE, BUT SOMEONE THAT HAS TO DO A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS WITH, UH, PERMITTING, EV CHARGING, THAT IS A HUGELY, UM, BENEFICIAL THING TO HAVE WITHIN THE CITY.
UM, AND THEN SECONDARILY, I, SECONDLY, I WANNA TALK ABOUT THE WORK CAPITALS, METRO'S DOING, AND AUSTIN ENERGY WORKS DIRECTLY WITH THEM ON EVERYTHING FROM LIKE SOME OF THE TRANSPORTATION SIDE PLANNING TO GETTING THE SERVICE INFRASTRUCTURE INSTALLED FOR MAKING THEIR TRANSITION TO ELECTRIC BUSES.
SO THEY ARE, UM, THEY ALREADY, I BELIEVE, HAVE A DOZEN THAT ARE ALREADY IN OPERATIONS AND ANOTHER 200 OR SO MORE ON ORDER THAT THEY'RE TRANSITIONING TO THROUGH NOT JUST THE PASSAGE OF PROJECT CONNECT, BUT ALSO JUST SOME OF THEIR OWN INTERNAL SUSTAINABILITY PLANS THERE.
AND THEY DO HAVE A CHARGING DEPOT UP IN NORTH AUSTIN THAT WE GOTTA WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH THEM WITH ON DEVELOPING, AS THEY DID A REDESIGN OF A PARKING LOT.
WE WANTED TO ENSURE THAT IT DIDN'T JUST STAY A PARKING LOT, THAT IT BECAME A CHARGING LOT.
SO, UH, ON THE THIRD, UH, NEXT PILLAR IS AROUND OUR OUTREACH AND EDUCATION SIDE OF THINGS.
AND THIS IS WHERE I THINK ONE OF THE BEST DOLLARS THAT CAN BE SPENT EDUCATION.
UM, I THINK WE CAN TYPICALLY FALL VICTIM TO, IF WE KNOW SOMETHING, WE ASSUME EVERYBODY ELSE KNOWS IT AS WELL, BUT, UM, WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE COGNIZANT OF THAT.
SO WE HAVE A FEW THINGS OUT THERE.
ONE BEING OUR EV BUYERS GUIDE, WHERE WE WORK WITH LOCAL DEALERSHIPS, UH, TO GET INVENTORY OF ALL THE NEW AND USED ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN THE AUSTIN AREA INTO A SINGLE BUYER'S GUIDE.
UM, SO THAT ALSO GIVES THE DEALERSHIPS AN AVENUE FOR PROMOTING THESE, UH, FROM BOTH THE U NEW AND USED MARKET.
UH, IT GIVES CUSTOMERS LOOKING AT THIS ACCESS TO THINGS LIKE INCENTIVES, CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, A LOT OF FAQS ABOUT HOW ALL THIS WORKS, UM, JUST WHAT THAT TRANSITION LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AND IT IS AVAILABLE IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH.
AND WE'VE HAD THAT LIVE FOR A COUPLE YEARS NOW WITH, UH, PRETTY HEAVY TRAFFIC COMING THROUGH IT, WHICH HAS BEEN NICE TO SEE.
AND THE DEALERSHIP NETWORK CONTINUING TO GROW.
UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT THE ELECTRIFY EXPO NEXT.
JUST ELECTRIFY EXPO NEXT JUST BECAUSE IT IS COMING UP SOON AS WELL.
UH, SO WE'VE HAD THE ELECTRIFY EXPO HERE IN AUSTIN THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, OUT OF THE CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS TRACK.
UM, IT IS COMING UP THIS YEAR AGAIN FROM NOVEMBER 10TH THROUGH THE 12TH.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LAST YEAR THERE WERE 13,000 ATTENDEES.
AND THIS IS NOT LIKE A EVENT THAT JUST HAS LIKE EV STUFF AT IT.
UM, IT IS AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE ONLY EVENT.
AND THAT, THAT ATTENDANCE TO ME IS KIND OF STAGGERING THAT THAT MANY PEOPLE WOULD SHOW UP JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, RIDE AND DRIVES, UH, DEMOS OF ALL THE TECHNOLOGY OUT THERE.
UM, SO THIS YEAR'S GONNA BE EVEN BIGGER THAN THE LAST COUPLE AND EVEN MORE AUTO MANUFACTURERS THERE.
SO I JUST WANNA, UH, AND WE PARTICIPATE EXTREMELY HEAVILY IN THAT.
SO I JUST WANNA KIND OF HIGHLIGHT THAT ONE.
AND THEN FINALLY, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL SKIP THE LAST ONE 'CAUSE I JUST BRIEFLY MENTIONED EVS FOR SCHOOLS EARLIER, BUT, UH, THAT'S ANOTHER AREA WHERE WE CASCADE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION AS WELL.
UH, AND THEN FINALLY JUST AROUND, UH, EV GRID INTEGRATION.
THIS IS JUST, UH, FIGURING OUT HOW ALL OF OUR ELECTRIC VEHICLES TRANSITION INTO OUR ELECTRIC GRID.
UM, SO WE KNOW EVERYTHING FROM HOW DO YOU CONTROL CHARGING THROUGH PRICE SIGNALS? HOW DO WE ACTUALLY DO, UH, WORK WITH CUSTOMERS TO TURN EV CHARGING OFF DURING TIMES OF STRAIN ON THE GRID? AND THEN FINALLY, WHAT WE WILL EVENTUALLY BE GETTING TO IS HOW DO THESE VEHICLES PUSH ENERGY BACK ONTO THE ELECTRIC GRID? UM, EVERYONE LOOKS AT EVS AS A POTENTIAL THREAT, BUT UNLIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN TEXAS THAT'S BASED ON TEMPERATURE AND HOW OUR GRIDS IMPACTED EVS DON'T HAVE THAT SAME CORRELATION.
SO THERE'S JUST AS MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY THERE AS IT COULD BE.
AND SO, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, LIKE, THE FIRST ONE I WANNA TALK ABOUT IS LIKE THE HIGHEST EMISSIONS REDUCTION POTENTIAL, UM, WITHIN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN AREAS THAT WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO ADDRESS.
THE FIRST ONE'S REALLY ABOUT BEING AROUND FLEET ELECTRIFICATION.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN NOT JUST OUR PUBLIC FLEETS THAT I TALKED ABOUT NOW, BUT IN THE PRIVATE WORLD.
UM, EVERYBODY FROM AMAZON TO UPS TO OTHERS ARE ELECTRIFYING FLEETS.
SO CONTINUING TO SUPPORT THAT, PUSH THAT IN OUR AREA, WE WILL MAKE SIGNIFICANT MOVEMENT HERE.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE REDUCING NOT JUST CO TWO, BUT OTHER SORTS OF EMISSIONS THAT COME FROM DIESEL AS WELL.
UH, SO I THINK THAT'S AN AREA AS LONG AS WE CAN BE, UH, SUPPORTIVE OF THAT IN ANY WAY POSSIBLE, THOSE ARE GONNA BE VERY HIGH, UH, EMISSIONS REDUCTION POTENTIAL HERE IN AUSTIN.
UH, AND THEN THE SECOND ONE FOR EMISSIONS REDUCTION POTENTIAL, IT'S REALLY TIED TO THE SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE.
IF THERE IS NOT THE ABILITY TO HAVE THAT CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE OR TO ALLOW OTHERS TO BE ABLE TO BUILD THAT OUT, MAKING THAT TRANSITION FOR THESE AREAS IS VERY, VERY DIFFICULT.
I'VE, I'VE LEARNED THAT HAVING CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE OUT THERE WITHOUT VEHICLES MIGHT BE SLIGHTLY ANNOYING BECAUSE
[00:20:01]
YOU GET TOLD THEY DON'T GET USED.BUT, UM, THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT COIN IS YOU HAVE A LOT OF VEHICLES HERE WITHOUT THE CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND THAT IS FAR MORE PAINFUL, UH, THAN THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
SO IT'S, IT'S VERY HARD TO OVERBUILD, UH, OR VERY HARD TO, YOU KNOW, OUTPACE THE VEHICLES WITH INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO MAINTAINING THAT SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT FOR THE VEHICLES TO COME HERE TO REDUCE THOSE EMISSIONS.
UH, FROM AN EQUITY IMPACT POTENTIAL, UM, THERE'S ONE, THERE'S TWO AREAS THAT, UM, I THINK REALLY, REALLY DRIVE THIS HOME IS, UH, SORRY, AN EV COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT.
IT TOUCHES A LOT OF DIFFERENT AREAS.
YOU'RE GONNA SEE THIS ALSO IN THE EQUITY IMPACT POTENTIAL.
YOU'RE ALSO GONNA SEE IT IN THE BARRIERS ONE, AND I'LL, I'LL JUST TALK ABOUT 'EM BOTH RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE WITH THAT BROAD OF A SCOPE, IT CAN HAVE SUCH HIGH IMPACT, BUT IT HAS TO BE REALLY FOCUSED.
AND WE CANNOT BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PREDEFINING THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY OR, OR OMITTING PORTIONS OF THE COMMUNITY, WHETHER IT BE, UM, GEOGRAPHICALLY, UM, FROM DIVERSITY STANDPOINTS.
WE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE KIND OF CAPTURE THE NEEDS OF ALL THOSE.
SO IT CREATES A LOT OF IMPACT AND A LOT OF POTENTIAL THERE.
BUT, UH, SCOPING THAT TO BE MEANINGFUL IS ALSO ONE OF THE AREAS WE HAVE TO FOCUS ON AS WELL.
UH, ALSO, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, JUST FOCUSING ON THINGS OUTSIDE OF THE INDIVIDUAL VEHICLE, UH, LIKE EXPANDING OUR E-BIKE ACCESS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, IS, IS ONE OF THE MORE MEANINGFUL IMPACTS I THINK WE CAN CREATE ON THE EQUITY SIDE OF THINGS.
ALSO, UM, AS I TALK ABOUT OUTREACH AND EDUCATION, IT'S CONTINUING TO WORK WITH GROUPS LIKE, UH, THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, OR HAKA WORKING WITH LIKE THE MULTI-FAMILY COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT AUSTIN AND REALLY, REALLY PUSHING ON THE OUTREACH AND EDUCATION SIDE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THERE'S INCENTIVES THAT CAN BE TIED TO THOSE TO CREATE THAT AWARENESS IS ONE OF THE AREAS WHERE WE CAN CREATE A LOT OF IMPACT AS WELL.
ON THE BARRIERS AND CHALLENGES SIDE OF THE THINGS WITHIN THE CLIMATE EQUITY PLAN.
I MENTIONED THE NEEDS ASSESSMENT, AND THAT'S REALLY AROUND JUST SCOPING IT AND MAKING SURE THAT IT'S MEANINGFUL.
'CAUSE WE CAN CREATE IT, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE CREATE IT, UH, TO BE A MEANINGFUL ACTUAL END PRODUCT.
UM, SOME OF THE AREAS THAT ARE ALSO CAUGHT ON HERE IS, ONE IS REDUCING TOLLS OR REDUCING THE ENTITY, OR SORRY, REDUCING TOLLS IN THE EASTERN CRESCENT FOR EVS.
UM, THAT'S JUST A BARRIER BECAUSE IT'S OUT OF THIS, THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S PURVIEW, SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO BE INFLUENTIAL THERE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE DIRECT CONTROL OVER THAT.
SO I JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THAT IF YOU SEE LIKE A BIG RED MARK, IT'S LIKE, WIDEN THIS ONE DONE, YET IT'S, IT'S JUST A LOW AREA OF CONTROL FOR US VERSUS ACTUAL, UH, MEANINGFULNESS.
AND THEN, UM, THE THIRD ONE IS ALSO KIND OF A LOW IMPACT AREA, IS HOW WE CAN EXPAND THE EV BUS BUSINESS ECOSYSTEM HERE.
UM, NOT SAYING THERE'S NOT A LOT OF PROGRESS THERE, BUT I THINK, UH, THE CITY HAVING VERY FRIENDLY POLICIES, VERY, UM, YOU KNOW, AGGRESSIVE POLICIES TOWARDS THIS HAS HELPED INFLUENCE THAT.
UM, BUT WHEN ORGANIZATIONS ACTUALLY MOVE HERE, UM, ALSO CAN BE KIND OF A LOW CONTROL AREA AS WELL.
AND THEN, UM, THIS IS MY LAST SLIDE ACTUALLY.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE AREAS TOO IS I, I COVER QUITE A BIT, UM, THERE, BUT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I DON'T GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS ALL OF OUR WORK.
UM, A LOT OF THIS COMES THROUGH THE COLLABORATIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY, COLLABORATION WITH EDUCATIONAL, UH, ENTITIES, AS WELL AS, UM, DIFFERENT LEVELS OF GOVERNMENT.
SO, UM, IT'S NOT JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, LOCAL DEALERSHIPS HERE.
UM, IT'S ALSO WORKING WITH DIFFERENT PARTS OF ACADEMIA, UH, CERTAIN COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS, UM, AND THEN DIFFERENT LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT THROUGH LIKE, FUNDING ALL THESE THINGS COMING TOGETHER AND KIND OF BEING CREATIVE ON HOW YOU FUND THIS, ON HOW YOU LAUNCH PILOT PROJECTS TO SCALE THEM UP TO GROWTH, AND HOW YOU GET LIKE, RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS TO EITHER PROVE SUCCESS OR MOVE ON AND PIVOT TO ANOTHER THING, HAVE BEEN MONUMENTALLY IMPORTANT TO SUPPORTING ALL THIS.
BUT, UM, I ALWAYS LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THIS ONE JUST TO GET THE CAVEAT.
WE'RE NOT DOING ALL THIS, UH, BY OURSELVES.
IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF WORK WITH A BUNCH OF COMMUNITY PARTNERS AS WELL.
I THINK THAT WAS MY LAST SLIDE, AND HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T GO TOO FAR OVER.
UM, I THINK FOR ME, I THINK, UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO KINDA HEAR THE, THE, THE, WHAT Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON AS WE, UH, ARE UPDATING OUR DESIGN GUIDELINES.
UM, AND IT'S GREAT TO SEE, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MOVEMENT FORWARD AND, UH, ELECTRIFICATION THAT IS ALL OFTEN KIND OF A QUESTION MARK.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS WE ALWAYS MOVE FORWARD IN THESE REALMS IS NEVER ENOUGH.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE, I'VE WORKED WHERE WE WERE DESIGNING SCHOOLS AND WE WERE ALSO DESIGNING PORTABLES FOR THOSE SCHOOLS ALREADY.
AND SO IS IN THIS PARTICULAR PLAN AS FAR AS HOW WE'RE GROWING, UM, IS IT SUFFICIENT TO GET US TO A SPOT WHERE WE CAN KIND OF GROW PERIODICALLY WITH IT? OR IS IT GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE WE'RE STILL BEHIND, STILL BEHIND? UH, NO, I, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE, IT IS GONNA BE A CONSTANT RACE WITH IT.
[00:25:01]
YOU SAW WAS YOU SAW A HEAVY INTEREST IN THE VEHICLE ADOPTION SIDE OF THINGS, AND ON THE INFRASTRUCTURE ONE, THE, EITHER THE BUSINESS MODEL WASN'T THERE, SO YOU HAD A LOT OF EITHER GOVERNMENT ENTITIES OR UTILITIES KIND OF, UH, SUPPORTING THAT.NOW I THINK THAT THERE'S THE BUSINESS MODEL SIDE ON A LOT OF THAT AS WELL, SO IT SHOULD KEEP PACE MUCH BETTER, UM, AS EV ADOPTION CONTINUES TO SPIKE.
UM, SO, UH, WHERE I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE A BIG CHANGE IS EV CHARGING IS GONNA START TO HIT A LOT MORE CORE COMPONENTS OF LIKE, CITY DESIGN, LIKE ZONING DESIGNATIONS AND UM, AND, AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE NOT CUSTOMED TO SEEING.
SO, UM, SO, SO I THINK YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE A LOT MORE KIND OF MASS INFLUENCE AS OPPOSED TO JUST, HEY, JUST FIGURE OUT WHERE TO PUT 'EM AND PUT 'EM THERE,
DO ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER WIRA? THANK YOU CHAIR.
UM, ECHOING THAT, I THINK, AS YOU KNOW, FOR THE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM, IT'S ALSO INCUMBENT ON US TO, UH, ADDRESS THE, UM, DEMAND SIDE OF VEHICLE MILES TRAVEL, IN ADDITION TO THE SUPPLY.
REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING, AND THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, SUPER INTO THE, UM, VEHICLE TO GRID CHARGING.
THAT WAS IN THE, I HAD WRITTEN THAT DATA AS A QUESTION AND THEN YOU'VE COVERED IT.
UM, SO CERTAINLY EXCITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT AS IT DEVELOPS.
UM, ONE QUESTION AND, AND NOT TO BE CRITICAL AT ALL, BUT IN THE SPIRIT OF NO GOOD DEEDED GOES UNPUNISHED MM-HMM,
LOOKING AT THE, THE EMISSIONS FROM TIRE EROSION FROM CARS, IS THAT FACTORING INTO ANY, UM, ANY PLANNING OR IS THAT KIND OF, OF ON THE RADAR FOR, FOR Y'ALL IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN YET? FOR, UH, FOR US, I MEAN, FROM THE UTILITY PERSPECTIVE IT'S NOT AS MUCH, BUT, UM, I DO KNOW THAT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN TO LIKE, SPECIFIC ENGINEERING FOR LIKE COMPONENTS EVEN DOWN TO LIKE THE WHEEL LEVEL, I BELIEVE.
UM, BUT YEAH, I THINK THAT ACTUALLY THOSE DISCUSSIONS FOR LIKE, WHAT ARE THE, UH, BYPRODUCTS OF LIKE, OTHER EMISSIONS, SO EVERYTHING FROM THE, LIKE THE MANUFACTURING TO, YOU KNOW, THE WEAR AND TEAR AND HOW IT AFFECTS, IT'S AFFECTED FROM LIKE, HEAVY DUTY VEHICLE OR SORRY, THE WEIGHT OF EVS VERSUS OTHERS.
UM, THOSE WERE ALL DISCUSSED WHEN WE LOOKED AT LIKE HOW WE'RE CALCULATING LIKE EMISSIONS REDUCTIONS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UM, SO YEAH, THERE'S, UM, THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL KIND OF INCREASE IN LIKE THAT OR LIKE PARTICULATE.
UM, BUT WHEN WE WORK WITH THE SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE, I BELIEVE LIKE THE OFFSET OF TAILPIPE AND THINGS LIKE THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, FAR GREATER THAN WHAT YOU'RE INCREASING ON SOME OF THE SUPPLY SITES.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, UH, ONCE I GET COMMISSIONER LUKINS, UH, COMMISSIONER MCKINNEY SOUNDS WAS A GREAT PRESENTATION, VERY EXCITING.
I WAS WONDERING, ARE THERE ANY REGULATORY BARRIERS TO THE SIDING OF THE DC FAST CHARGING STATIONS FROM A REGULATORY STANDPOINT? NOT YET.
'CAUSE OR WE HAVEN'T COME ACROSS 'EM MAINLY BECAUSE WE'VE, OR WE HAVEN'T COME ACROSS 'EM.
WE, WE'VE DONE 'EM IN QUITE A FEW APPLICATIONS TO INCLUDE, UH, WORKING WITH AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ON DOING 'EM IN LIKE RIGHT AWAY AREAS.
AND THEN BOTH PRIVATE AND PUBLIC, UM, UH, KIND OF INSTALLATIONS THE BARRIERS MORE SO COME FROM A COST PROHIBITIVE STANDPOINT OF WHERE POWER IS AVAILABLE.
UM, ALSO THINGS LIKE TRENCHING AND GETTING ADEQUATE SPACE FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
BUT FROM A A REGULATORY SIDE, UM, NOTHING'S COME UP YET.
AND, UM, THERE'S A, WHICH IS GREAT, BUT THERE'S POTENTIAL FOR THAT TO HAPPEN WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S A PRIMARY USE CASE FOR A, YOU KNOW, FOR A PROPERTY VERSUS, LIKE, ALL EV CHARGING'S BEEN INSTALLED, INSTALLED AS LIKE AN AUXILIARY USE.
SO WHEN WE START MAKING THAT SHIFT, UH, WE WANNA BE COGNIZANT, UH, THAT THOSE THINGS DON'T CHANGE OR IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF HOW YOU ACTUALLY INSTALL ON SITE.
SO IT'S BEEN EARLY ENOUGH WHERE WE HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE BARRIERS YET, BUT I WOULDN'T SAY WE'RE COMPLETELY OVER IT.
NOT JUST HERE, BUT NATIONALLY WHEN WE COME TO THE, LIKE LAND USE DESIGNATIONS.
I, UH, WANNA COMMEND YOU GUYS.
THE EASE OF THE REBATE PROGRAM IS FANTASTIC.
I HAVE BENEFITED FROM THE E-BIKE REBATE, UM, AND IT WAS SO EASY TO COMPLETE, SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND IT HAD GREAT SIGNAGE, UM, WHERE I BOUGHT MY BIKE, THERE WAS AN AUSTIN ENERGY LIKE SIGN THERE WITH THE QR CODE.
AND CLEARLY YOU KNOW WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 'CAUSE YOU DIDN'T READ US YOUR SLIDES MM-HMM.
SO YOU'RE VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS AND IT SHIPS.
YEAH, MY EYESIGHT'S NOT GOOD EITHER, SO I CAN'T READ THEM.
UM, I HAVE A COUPLE, ONE QUESTION TO KIND OF CLOSE, UH, COMMISSIONER SR'S THOUGHT ON, IS THERE, HAVE WE STARTED CONVERSATIONS WITH AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY ABOUT WHAT THE RECYCLING OF, 'CAUSE YOU SAID MAINTENANCE COSTS ARE DOWN AND THAT'S GREAT, BUT WE HAVEN'T REALLY GOTTEN TO THE POINT WHERE WE'RE MAINTENANCE IN THE MAJOR PART OF THE CAR YET.
[00:30:01]
OF THESE, WHICH IS THE BATTERY.SO IF THOSE CONVERSATIONS HAPPENED AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE FOR THE PROGRAM IN THE FUTURE? THEY, THEY HAVE, THAT'S, THAT'S VERY HIGH ON THE RADAR.
IT'S, IT'S BOTH AUSTIN ENERGY.
SO WE HAVE AN ENVIRONMENTAL TEAM THAT WE'VE WORKED WITH ON, ON THIS AS WELL AS AUSTIN RESOURCE RECOVERY.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING AT NOT JUST, UM, NOT JUST HOW THEY'RE LIKE RECYCLED, BUT ALSO WHAT REUSE POTENTIAL LOOKS LIKE AS WELL.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE AREAS THAT THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST IN, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES WANTING TO DO THIS AS WELL, IS JUST BECAUSE A BATTERY HITS END OF LIFE AS A VEHICLE BATTERY THAT CAN PROPEL AN LIKE A CAR.
IT HAS SO MUCH LEFT IN A AUXILIARY USE, WHETHER IT BE LIKE STATIONARY STORAGE, WHETHER IT BE UPS BACKUP SYSTEMS FOR BUILDINGS, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF POTENTIAL FOR THAT AS WELL.
SO, YEAH, SO WE'RE NOT, WE ARE TALKING WITH THEM ON WHAT, LIKE BATTERY REUSE LOOKS LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO CAN ACCEPT DIFFERENT KINDS OF LITHIUM ION CHEMISTRIES AND WHERE THEY CAN GO AND TRAVEL AND
UM, SO, UM, BUT THEN ALSO HOW CAN WE POTENTIALLY LOCALLY LOOK AT REUSE PROGRAMS, CONNECT WITH INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO, YOU KNOW, FUNNEL POTENTIAL PRODUCTS FOR REUSE PROGRAMS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO YEAH, THAT, THAT IS VERY HIGH ON THE RADAR FOR US.
ANY OTHER COMMISSIONERS? NOPE.
I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING THIS MOVE FORWARD.
BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD, I JUST WANT TO TAKE A MINUTE TO WELCOME OUR NEW COMMISSIONERS.
UM, WE HAVE, UH, BRITA WALLACE, DID I SAY THAT? BRITA? OKAY.
AND I JUST WANT TO SEE IF, UH, YOU WANT TO JUST TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHO YOU ARE AND TAKE A MINUTE? SURE, SURE.
I'M AN A SMALL SCALE INFILL DEVELOPER, AND I'M ALSO THE PRESIDENT RIGHT NOW OF THE AUSTIN INFILL COALITION.
SO THAT'S, MY BACKGROUND IS MOSTLY IN INFILL, BUT I'M VERY HONORED TO BE ON THE COMMISSION AND EXCITED TO PARTICIPATE.
UM, I'M CURRENTLY PRACTICING WITH LOW DESIGN OFFICE.
I I'M ALSO CURRENTLY SERVING WITH THE A I A AUSTIN CHAPTER AS THE CURRENT SECRETARY AND, UM, INCOMING TREASURER.
AND, UH, I AM HAPPY TO BE HERE TO SERVE ON THE DESIGN COMMISSION AND SHARE MY KNOWLEDGE AND LEARN FROM, FROM YOU ALL AS WELL.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WELCOMING ME, WELCOMING ME IN, AND LOOKING FORWARD TO IT.
[3. Presentation by Peter Mullan, Austin Transit Partnership, regarding an update on the Light Rail program of Project Connect]
OF BUSINESS IS, UM, DISCUSSION ITEMS PRESENTATION BY PETER MULLEN, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PARTNERSHIP REGARDING THE UPDATE ON THE LIGHT RAIL RAIL PROGRAM FOR PROJECT CONNECT.UM, THANKS FOR HAVING US, UH, AND HAVING ME THIS EVENING ON YOUR AGENDA.
UM, PETER MULLEN, EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT FOR ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN AT AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
AND, UH, I JUST WANTED TO TAKE THIS EVENING JUST TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE AND SOME OF THE PROGRESS WE'RE MAKING, UM, ON THE DESIGN FRONT.
UM, NEXT, SO, UH, BACK IN JUNE, UM, SOME OF YOU MAY REMEMBER WE, UH, THE CITY COUNCIL AND THE CITY, UH, THE CAP METRO BOARD AND THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD, UH, UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE PHASE ONE IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL.
UM, OBVIOUSLY LIGHT RAIL IS ONE COMPONENT OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM OF PROJECTS, UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, A BIG ONE.
UH, AND SO THE, THE PHASE ONE ALIGNMENT WILL RUN FROM 38TH STREET IN THE NORTH.
THIS IS SORT OF SHOWN ON THE, ON THE YELLOW, UH, BIG FAT YELLOW LINE, UH, 38TH STREET IN THE NORTH, UH, DOWN TO OLD TORF IN THE SOUTH AND OUT TO YELLOW JACKET ON THE EAST, UM, ALONG EAST RIVERSIDE.
AND, UH, AS PART OF THAT PROCESS, WE ALSO IDENTIFIED WHAT WE CALL PRIORITY EXTENSIONS.
SO, UM, THE AREAS THAT ARE IN THE, YOU KNOW, STRIPED, UM, STRIPED LINES AT THE TOP, AT THE NORTH END AND THE EAST END, UM, THOSE ARE, ARE, WE'RE IDENTIFIED AS PRIORITIES IN THE COMMUNITY SO THAT IF WE CAN FIND ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, UM, WE MAY BE ABLE TO ACCELERATE THOSE, UM, PORTIONS OF THE PROGRAM.
UM, BUT RIGHT NOW THE FIRST PHASE WOULD BE FROM 38TH TO ALT WHARF TO YELLOW JACKET, UH, NEXT.
UM, AND ONE OF THE BIG, UH, CHANGES IN THE PROGRAM THAT CAME OUT OF THAT, UH, THAT SORT OF THAT PUBLIC PROCESS AND THAT, THAT PHASING ANALYSIS,
[00:35:01]
UM, PROCESS WAS THAT, UH, MUCH OF THE, OF THE ALIGNMENT, UH, WILL BE AT GRADE, UM, INCLUDING THE, THE PORTION ALIGNMENT THAT IS, UH, DOWNTOWN, WHICH PREVIOUSLY WAS, WAS CONCEIVED OF AS BEING BELOW GRADE.UM, AND THE ONLY REASON I, I, I SHOW THIS SLIDE IS THAT IT REALLY IS, THE GOAL IS TO, TO GIVE AN IMAGE OF, OF THE INTENT TO HAVE A HIGHLY INTEGRATED, UM, LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THAT REALLY ENLIVENS AND ADDS ACTIVITY TO THE URBAN REALM AND IS HIGHLY INTEGRATED INTO URBAN REALM.
I THINK DURING THE PROCESS OF, OF LOOKING AT DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES, UM, FOR THE LIGHT RAIL, WE REALLY SAW THAT BEING AT GRADE DOWNTOWN AND ELSEWHERE AND EVERYWHERE, UM, IS A REAL ADVANTAGE, UH, BECAUSE IT JUST, IT, IT MAKES THE, THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM MORE ACCESSIBLE, UM, EASIER TO, TO, TO SEE, TO UNDERSTAND, TO USE.
AND THAT'S REALLY OUR GOAL IS HOW DO WE ACTUALLY INTEGRATE THE SYSTEM INTO THE FABRIC OF THE CITY, INTO THE FABRIC OF PEOPLE'S LIVES, UM, BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT'LL HAVE THE MOST IMPACT AND THE GREATEST EFFECT.
UH, NEXT, UH, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF MOVING THE LIGHT RAIL DESIGN FORWARD.
UH, AND THERE ARE MULTIPLE STRANDS OF WORK THAT ARE PROGRESSING.
UM, SO, WHICH YOU SEE HERE THROUGH THESE VARIOUS LINES, UM, YOU KNOW, AT THE TOP WE'VE GOT ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING, AND, AND THOSE ARE BOTH INDEPENDENT BUT ALSO INTERTWINED.
SO LOOKING AT IT FROM THE, THE SYSTEM, FROM THE NEEDS OF THE TRAIN AND ALL THE TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM, AS WELL AS THE ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES THAT COME WITH THAT, AND, AND THEN WEAVING THOSE TOGETHER OVER TIME.
UM, OBVIOUSLY THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS, IS AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR PROCESS AND WILL BE WOVEN INTO THAT AND INFORMING SOME OF THE DECISION MAKING ALONG THE WAY.
UM, BUT WE'RE ALSO ABOUT TO START, UH, OR RESTART, I SHOULD SAY.
YOU KNOW, UM, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS A, IS AN INVESTMENT PARTNER OF OURS, UH, THE FTA, THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
AND, UH, IN THE PROGRAM THAT THE, WE ANTICIPATE THAT ABOUT 50% OF THE CAPITAL COSTS OF THE PROGRAM WILL BE PICKED UP, UH, BY THE, THE FTA.
SO, UM, WE'RE PREPARING TO RE-ENTER THE, THE NEPA ENVIR PROCESS, THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS, UM, AS WELL AS THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROCESS, THE CAG, UM, PROCESS.
SO THOSE THINGS AND THOSE, THOSE HAVE VERY SPECIFIC TIMELINES AND, AND PROCESSES ASSOCIATED WITH THEM THAT, UM, GUIDE OUR WORK.
UM, AND SO WE'LL BE SORT OF, AGAIN, TRACKING THOSE AND, AND, AND INTEGRATING OUR DESIGN PROCESS INTO THOSE.
UM, WE'RE ALSO, UH, IN THE PROCESS OF BUILDING UP ATP AS AN ORGANIZATION TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM.
UM, WE ARE A, IN SOME WAYS WE ARE A, WE'RE A LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NEW LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION FOUNDED IN 2020, WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND CAP METRO.
UH, BUT WE'RE ALSO A LITTLE BIT OF A STARTUP, AND WE'RE BOTH TRYING TO LEVERAGE THAT, UH, THE INNOVATION THAT, THAT COMES WITH BEING A STARTUP, BUT ALSO BUILD OUR CAPACITY TO BE ABLE TO DELIVER THE PROGRAM OVER THE NEXT NUMBER OF YEARS.
NEXT, UH, SO IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, WHAT, WHAT YOU WILL COME TO WE'LL BE SEEING, UM, IS BOTH ADVANCEMENT ON, ON THOSE, THOSE VARIOUS STRANDS.
UM, WE'LL BE DEVELOPING THE BASE DESIGN.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, PUBLISHING THE NOTICE OF INTENT, UH, AS PART OF THE NEPA PROCESS IN EARLY 2024.
UM, AND THEN HAVING A DRAFT EIS PROBABLY THE FALL OF NEXT YEAR.
UH, AND THEN A FINALLY ISA YEAR AFTER THAT.
UH, AND THEN WE'LL ALSO EARLY IN 2024, WE'LL BE ENTERING INTO PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, UM, AND COMPLETING THAT IN, IN TWO YEARS.
SO, UM, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON RIGHT NOW IS, YOU KNOW, DOING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO, TO BASICALLY CHECK ALL THE RIGHT BOXES AND FOLLOW THE FEDERAL PROCESS IN ADVANCE TO THE DESIGN IN THESE NEXT TWO YEARS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE A WANT, IT'S PART OF OUR DESIGN PROCESS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE REALLY IN, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE SPIRIT OF INTEGRATING THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM INTO THE FABRIC OF OUR COMMUNITY, UM, IS REALLY TAKE WHAT WE CALL A HUMAN-CENTERED DESIGN APPROACH.
UM, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT INNOVATIVE FOR TRANSIT PROJECTS, UM, I THINK TO HAVE THIS KIND OF, UH, PEOPLE-CENTERED FOCUS AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS.
UM, BUT IT'S REALLY, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S HARDWIRED INTO OUR DESIGN PROCESS AND REALLY INFORMING EVERYTHING THAT WE DO.
SO HOW DO WE DO THAT, RIGHT? AND WE'RE, UM, WORKING WITH A GREAT CONSULTANT TEAM ON THIS AS WELL.
UM, BUT IT REALLY STARTS WITH RESEARCH, RIGHT? WE NEED TO DO RESEARCH TO BE THE FOUNDATION FOR THE DESIGN AND THAT HUMAN-CENTERED APPROACH.
UM, FROM THAT, WE'LL DEVELOP A SET OF USER NEEDS.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT LATER IN THE PRESENTATION FROM THAT EMERGES DESIGN PRINCIPLES, UM, IS THAT HOW WE ACTUALLY SATISFY THOSE NEEDS? UM, AND THEN FROM THAT, WE DEVELOP THE DESIGN, RIGHT? SO WE'RE NOT JUMPING
[00:40:01]
DIRECTLY INTO THE DESIGN, WE'RE, WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BUILDING ON ALL THE WORK WE'VE DONE TO DATE, BUT WE'RE ALSO IN SOME WAYS TRYING TO, UM, TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF A BROADER VIEW AND, AND TO LOOK AT THIS FROM A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ANGLE AS WE, AS WE ADVANCE THE DESIGN.SO NEXT, SO I WANNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE RESEARCH WE'VE DONE TO DATE AND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S COMING UP IN TERMS OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE IN TERMS OF USER NEEDS AND DESIGN PRINCIPLES.
UM, SO ON THE ONE END, WE DID A LOT, WE'VE DONE A LOT OF LOCAL CONTEXT RESEARCH, UM, LOOKING AT AUSTIN FROM A, A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHAT IS CRITICAL ABOUT AUSTIN THAT WILL INFORM THE DESIGN WE WANT THE, THIS LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM TO BE OF THIS PLACE AND OF, YOU KNOW, LIKE NO OTHER, UM, AND SPECIFIC TO IT.
SO LOOKING AT LOCAL URBAN FORM, UH, WHAT IS THE TYPICAL, UH, LOCAL BUILDING TYPOLOGIES, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IS SYMPATHETIC TO THAT? AND WE'RE WORKING WITH THAT.
UM, LOOKING AT LOCAL CULTURAL, CULTURAL AND HISTORIC TOUCHPOINTS, UM, THAT CAN BE INCORPORATED INTO THE DESIGN.
AND OBVIOUSLY SOME OF THOSE ARE NEIGHBORHOOD SPECIFIC, AND NOT JUST AUSTIN AS A WHOLE SPECIFIC, UM, LOOKING AT LOCAL LANDSCAPE TYPOLOGIES.
YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THIS INCREDIBLY RICH, UH, ECOSYSTEM THAT'S CONVERGENCE OF, OF A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, UH, REGIONAL SYSTEMS. AND SO WANTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SENSITIVE TO THAT, BUT ALSO LEVERAGING, LEVERAGING OUR LANDSCAPE APPROACH AS PART OF THE DESIGN.
AND, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATED IN THAT IS ALSO A VERY INTENTIONAL APPROACH TOWARDS SUSTAINABILITY.
UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE REDUCING OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
AND ALSO ADDRESSING, UH, CLIMATIC ISSUES THAT I THINK WE, THIS SUMMER, IT WAS GREAT IN ONE WAY TO, FOR OUR DESIGN TEAM TO BE WORKING.
'CAUSE THEY GOT TO REALLY EXPERIENCE, UM, HOW THE, SOME OF THE SEVERITY OF OUR CLIMATE CONDITIONS DURING CERTAIN PARTS OF THE TIMES OF THE YEAR.
UH, AND WE KNOW WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON HEAT, SO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE DESIGNING, UM, YOU KNOW, AROUND OUR, OUR CLIMATIC CONDITIONS, WHICH ARE ONLY GONNA GET MORE INTENSE OVER TIME.
UH, LOOKING AT LOCAL MATERIALS, LOCAL TRADITIONS OF, OF CRAFTSMANSHIP AND CONSTRUCTION METHODOLOGIES.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO TAP INTO OUR LOCAL INDUSTRY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, UM, AS WELL AS LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO INNOVATE WITHIN THAT.
AND THEN, UM, LOOKING AT WAY FIGHTING IN A HOLISTIC APPROACH, HOW DO WE ACTUALLY BUILD A, A WAY FIGHTING APPROACH INTO THE DESIGN? SO WE'RE NOT ONLY RELYING ON SIGNAGE ENGINE GRAPHICS, UM, BUT IT'S THE, WE'RE HOPING TO USE THE DESIGN TO MAKE THIS AS INTUITIVE A SYSTEM AS POSSIBLE NEXT.
SO WE COMBINE THAT LOCAL RESEARCH, LOCAL CONTEXT RESEARCH WITH, UM, SOME OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE FOCUSED ON IS, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING HOW PEOPLE ACTUALLY BEHAVE, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT MAKES THIS A PLA UH, DESIGN HUMAN-CENTERED, IT'S REALLY UNDERSTANDING HOW PEOPLE MOVE, WHERE THEY WANT TO GO, AND HOW THEY WILL WANT TO USE THE SYSTEM.
UM, SOMETIMES WE DESIGN THINGS WITH CERTAIN INTENTIONS ABOUT HOW PEOPLE SHOULD BEHAVE, AND IT'S NOT ALWAYS THE SAME AS HOW THEY ACTUALLY DO.
SO WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME OBSERVING AUSTINITES MOVING THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT ARE THE KIND OF TYPICAL MOBILITY PATTERNS THAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND AND DESIGN FOR, UH, NEXT.
AND WE'VE DONE THAT THROUGH A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TOOLS, BOTH, UM, ANALOG BEING OUT IN THE FIELD AND WATCHING PEOPLE, BUT ALSO WE'VE INCORPORATED SOME TECHNOLOGY, AND I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A SECOND.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE THINGS OUR CONSULTANT TEAM DID IS THEY, THEY WENT OUT INTO THE FIELD AND JUST OBSERVED PEOPLE, UM, AROUND, UH, TRANSIT NODES TO UNDERSTAND HOW ARE AUSTINITES, UH, MOVING AROUND THE CITY, GETTING TO AND FROM BUS STOPS AND TRAIN STOPS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE DO THEY TEND TO GO, WHERE THEY TEND TO LINGER, UM, WHEN THEY'RE WAITING FOR A BUS, WHERE DO THEY WAIT? UM, AND SO REALLY STARTING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, SORT OF NATURAL AND, UM, ACTUAL, UH, MOBILITY PATTERNS BY AUSTINITES AS THEY MOVE AROUND THE CITY AND, AND RECORDING THAT, UM, DIGITALLY.
SO THEN WE CAN START TO, UH, IDENTIFY THEMES, UH, THAT EMERGE FROM THAT, FROM, AND THAT ARE CONSISTENT AND REPEATED.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE EMERGED, AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS IS VERY COMMONSENSICAL, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE VALIDATE IN THE FIELD, UM, IS THAT PEOPLE TAKE THE SHORTEST ROUTE, EVEN IF IT'S UNSAFE, RIGHT? SO WE OBSERVE A LOT OF PEOPLE BASICALLY JAYWALKING, UM, AND CROSSING IN SOME CASES, MANY LANES OF TRAFFIC, UM, WHERE THEY SHOULDN'T BECAUSE IT'S THE STRAIGHTEST ROUTE FROM A, WHERE THEY'RE COMING FROM TO A BUS STOP.
UM, SO WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DESIGNING THOSE PATHS OF TRAVEL IN A WAY THAT IS SAFE AND INTUITIVE, UM, SO THAT WE AVOID THOSE UNSAFE CONDITIONS.
[00:45:01]
WE'VE COMBINED THAT WITH ALSO ANALYZING HOW PEOPLE MOVE IN RELATIONSHIP TO DIFFERING, UH, DIFFERENT URBAN DESIGN CONTEXT AND CONDITIONS.UM, LOOKING AT HOW THOSE MOVEMENTS RELATE TO THE BUILDING FABRIC AND THE STREET FABRIC AND THE URBAN DESIGN FABRIC.
UM, AND ALSO WHAT KINDS OF, UH, INFRASTRUCTURAL ELEMENTS TEND TO CREATE BARRIERS FOR PEOPLE.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE NOTICE IS THAT THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE WE HAVE FOR MICRO MOBILITY OFTEN MEANS THAT THOSE MICRO MOBILITY DEVICES ARE DIRECTLY IN THE PATH OF TRAVEL, UM, IN WAYS THAT INHIBIT MOBILITY, PARTICULARLY FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING AROUND IN WHEELCHAIRS.
UM, WE'VE ALSO NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, PLACES THAT HAVE REALLY ACTIVE STREET SCAPES AND ACTIVE GROUND FLOOR, UH, RETAIL STREETS, SCAPES, UH, TEND TO ATTRACT MORE PEDESTRIANS THAN PLACES THAT DON'T, UM, AGAIN, SEEMS KIND OF OBVIOUS, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT, IT WILL BE AN IMPORTANT FACTOR AS WE START TO THINK ABOUT HOW DO WE ENCOURAGE MORE PEDESTRIAN ACTIVITY, BECAUSE THAT WILL BE KEY TO GETTING PEOPLE TO USE THE LIGHT RAIL NEXT.
UM, WE ALSO DID AN EXERCISE WORKING WITH, UH, TECHNOLOGY AND, UM, UH, BASICALLY WE, WE GOT RECRUITED VOLUNTEERS TO TAKE A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TRANSIT JOURNEYS.
UM, AND THOSE VOLUNTEERS REPRESENTED, UH, PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT LEVELS OF FAMILIARITY AND, UM, MOBILITY, UM, FUNCTIONALITY TO THEM SO THAT THEY REPRESENT AS A KIND OF A, A, A CROSS SECTION OF DEMOGRAPHICS OF POTENTIAL TRANSIT USERS.
UM, AND WE EQUIP THEM WITH BIOMETRIC SENSORS, SO WRIST WATCHES THAT MEASURED THEIR TEMPERATURE, UH, THEIR BODY TEMPERATURE AND THEIR, UH, SWEAT LEVELS AND THEIR HEART RATE, AS WELL AS THESE GLASSES THAT BASICALLY TRACK THEIR EYE MOVEMENTS AND WHAT THEY WERE LOOKING AT AS THEY WENT THROUGH THEIR TRANSIT JOURNEY.
SO BY COMBINING THAT DATA OF WHAT PEOPLE WERE LOOKING AT AND ALSO WHERE, UH, THEY HAD INCREASED LEVELS OF STRESS IS MEASURED BY THOSE BIOMETRICS, UM, WE CAN START TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THE POINTS OF FRICTION ARE IN OUR EXISTING SYSTEM, RIGHT? SO THAT WE CAN START TO DESIGN, UH, THE SYSTEM IN A WAY TO MITIGATE THOSE OR TO ELIMINATE THOSE.
SO SOME REALLY INTERESTING LESSONS, UM, PARTICULARLY YOU, ONE OF THE USERS WHO IS, UH, MOVES IN A WHEELCHAIR.
YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS WE, WE SAW AS SHE MOVED AROUND THE CITY IS THAT, UM, ANYTIME THAT SHE APPROACHED AN INTERSECTION WHERE SHE HAD TO, UM, ENGAGE WITH A, A, A CAR OR A, OR A MOTOR VEHICLE, SHE HAD A HEIGHTENED SENSE OF ANXIETY BECAUSE SHE REALLY FELT LIKE SHE COULD NOT BE SEEN BECAUSE SHE'S LOWER THE GROUND.
AND, UM, SO THAT WAS A, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WASN'T NECESSARILY INTUITIVE FOR THOSE OF US THAT DON'T MOVE AROUND IN WHEELCHAIRS.
UM, AND I THINK IT REALLY MADE US REALIZE THAT THAT KIND OF SENSE OF VISIBILITY AND THOSE SIGHT LINES ARE REALLY CRITICAL AS WE DESIGN THESE PATHS TO TRAVEL AROUND THE, THE, THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM NEXT.
AND THEN WE HAD SOME FOCUSED, UM, UH, WORKSHOPS IN THE FIELD, UH, WITH SPECIFIC USERS, UM, PARTICULARLY THOSE WHO, UM, HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SOME MOBILITY CHALLENGES.
SO, UH, FOLKS WITH BLIND FROM THE BLIND AND LOW VISION COMMUNITY, UM, FOLKS FROM THE DEAF AND HEARTED GEARING COMMUNITY, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THE PERSPECTIVE FROM KIDS WHO ARE TRAVELING TO AND FROM SCHOOL TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR SPECIFIC, UM, NEEDS AND CONCERNS WERE SO THAT WE CAN ALSO BUILD THAT INTO THE SYSTEM.
AND THAT WAS ALL PART OF OUR RESEARCH.
SO FROM ALL THAT RESEARCH, RIGHT, SO, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME, SOME TECHNOLOGY BASED, SOME STRAIGHT OBSERVATIONS, SOME CONVERSATIONS, UM, WE HAVE DEVELOPED A, A DRAFT SET OF USER PRIORITY USER NEEDS THAT WILL BE THE BASIS OF OUR DESIGN PROCESS.
UH, AND, UM, THESE ARE ORGANIZED IN A KIND OF PYRAMID OF PRIORITIES.
UM, THE BOTTOM BEING, YOU KNOW, THINGS THAT ARE REALLY FOUNDATIONAL THAT WE KNOW WE HAVE TO SATISFY AROUND SAFETY AND SECURITY, AND THEN GOING UP THE LADDER TO, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOME NEEDS THAT ARE A LITTLE MORE ASPIRATIONAL, BUT NEEDS, NONETHELESS, THAT RELATE TO, UH, HOW WE ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE IN, IN THE, UH, COMMUNITY, IN OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND HOW THE TRANSIT SYSTEM CAN SUPPORT THAT.
UM, SO AT THE, AT THE FOUNDATION WE HAVE THINGS LIKE EASE OF ACCESS AND PREDICTABILITY.
UM, WE ACTUALLY MOVED THERMAL COMFORT DOWN INTO THE BO INTO THAT FOUNDATIONAL LEVEL TO BE REALLY ABOUT THERMAL SAFETY, UM, RECOGNIZING THE, THE THREATS THAT THAT ARE ARE, ARE INCREASED, UM, HEAT, UH, CONDITIONS, YOU KNOW, POSED TO PEOPLE WHO ARE USING TRANSIT, UM, DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS.
UM, THE NEXT LEVEL UP, YOU KNOW, DEALS WITH ISSUES OF COMFORT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, CLEAR NAVIGATION, CONVENIENCE, UM, COMFORT FROM NOISE.
ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND IN OUR RESEARCH IS THAT PEOPLE ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM THE STREET NOISE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WAITING FOR TRANSIT
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IN PLACES THAT HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF DISTANCE FROM THAT, UM, AND PROVIDE THAT BUFFER, UM, BUT ALSO CONNECTION TO NATURE.UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S A CALMING EFFECT ON PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCES OF THE URBAN REALM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND SOME OF THE QUESTION IS HOW DO WE ACTUALLY IN THE DESIGN, YOU KNOW, INTEGRATE THESE MULTIPLE NEEDS INTO SINGLE DESIGN MOVES? AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL EVOLVE OVER TIME.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDING COMFORT FROM NOISE AND CONNECTION TO NATURE, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO TO DO, UM, BY INTEGRATING THE LANDSCAPE APPROACH INTO OUR DESIGN PROCESS.
AND THEN AT THE TOP, THINKING ABOUT, UH, SOCIAL CONNECTION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD A LOT OF INTERESTING, UH, DATA FROM PEOPLE AND THEIR, BOTH THEIR, THEIR BENEFITS OF SOCIALIZING ON THEIR TRANSIT JOURNEY.
WE FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYTIME SOMEBODY INTERACTED WITH A CHILD, UM, THAT THEIR STRESS LEVEL WENT DOWN.
UH, SO THERE'S SOME BENEFIT TO THAT SOCIAL CONNECTION.
BUT ON THE FLIP SIDE, ALSO, PEOPLE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, CONTROL AND CHOICE OVER, OVER THEIR SPACE.
SO MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S, THERE'S AGENCY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT, BUT BUILDING A CONNECTION TO PLACE.
AND I THINK THROUGH THE TWO OF THOSE, BUILDING A SENSE OF BELONGING TO AUSTIN, I THINK ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF, OF THIS ENHANCED TRANSIT SYSTEM THAT THAT PROJECT CONNECT WILL BRING TO AUSTIN IS THIS, UM, CIVIC SENSE OF BELONGING THAT WE GET WHEN WE, WHEN WE DO THINGS TOGETHER, AND PARTICULARLY WITH PEOPLE THAT MAYBE WE DON'T GET TIME, THE CHANCE TO SPEND TIME WITH IN OUR REGULAR DAILY PATTERN.
SO, UM, SO I THINK THERE'S SOME REAL OPPORTUNITY THERE THAT WE WANT TO TAP INTO IF WE CAN.
UH, NEXT, SO WE HAVE THIS DRAFT SET OF, OF USER NEEDS, AND WE'RE, UH, THIS FALL GONNA BE TAKING THOSE OUT INTO THE COMMUNITY, UM, THROUGH SOME ADDITIONAL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
UM, WE ARE HOSTING A, WE'LL BE HOSTING A SERIES OF WORKSHOPS IN NOVEMBER AND EARLY DECEMBER, UM, AS WELL AS DOING SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, EXPERIENCE-BASED ENGAGEMENTS, SO ADDITIONAL WALK SHOPS AND ON-THE-GO ENGAGEMENTS, UM, OUT IN THE COMMUNITY WITH,