[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:04]
IT IS 5:33 PM I'LL CALL THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION TO ORDER, UH, FOR ORDER OF BUSINESSES TO CALL THE ROLL.
UH, WOULD Y'ALL LIKE TO DO THAT FOR US? THANK YOU.
JENNIFER FRANKLIN AND CHARLOTTE PATTERSON.
WE'RE RUNNING A LIGHT CREW TONIGHT.
UM, BUT WE DO HAVE A QUORUM FOR THE MOMENT.
UH, I BELIEVE, UH, VICE CHAIR ISHMAEL IS NOT FEELING WELL.
UH, AND SO, UH, WE MAY NEED TO MOVE THE MEETING RIGHT ALONG, UH, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH EVERYBODY.
OH, I NOTICED THAT WE HAVE LOST OUR HISTORIC LANDMARK COMMISSION REPRESENTATIVE.
ON THE NON-VOTING MEMBERS SIDE.
COMMISSIONER LAROCHE, I DON'T THINK MADE A MEETING.
ARE THEY IN PROCESS OF, UH, DESIGNATING SOMEBODY NEW TO REPLACE HIM? THOSE COMMISSIONS HAVE BEEN NOTIFIED THAT THEY NEED TO FIND REPLACEMENT MEMBERS? YES.
AND DO WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON DISTRICT DATE? I KNOW WE HAVE ONE NEW SEATED COMMISSIONER.
I KNOW THAT, UH, UH, VICE SHERRY ISHMAIL WAS KIND ENOUGH TO REACH OUT TO THE APPOINTING COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, TO SEE WHERE THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS, AND WE DID GET ONE OF TWO, SO THAT'S GOOD.
UM, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO, WE DO NOT.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission April 17, 2024 meeting.]
UH, THE NEXT ITEM IS TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 17TH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION MEETING.I TRUST EVERYBODY HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW THE MINUTES.
ARE THERE ANY CORRECTIONS OR CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE? SEEING NONE.
UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED? SO MOVED.
[2. Conduct officer elections for the Chair and Vice Chair]
ALL RIGHT.NOW WE GET TO OUR DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS. THE FIRST IS, UH, TO CONDUCT THE OFFICER ELECTIONS FOR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR THAT WAS TABLED AT OUR LAST MEETING.
UM, AND SO, UH, I WILL DEFER TO THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION AS TO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO FOR THIS MEETING.
WE NOT, WE BARELY HAVE A MAJORITY.
WE DO NOT HAVE A SUPER MAJORITY, SO I KNOW, I THINK WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TABLE IT AGAIN BECAUSE WE JUST DON'T HAVE A ENOUGH MEMBERS.
[3. Discussion and approval of a Recommendation on dockless micromobility regulations and transportation-related rule making. ]
TO THE NEXT ITEM.DISCUSSION AND APPROVAL OF RECOMMENDATION ON DOCKLESS MICRO MOBILITY REGULATIONS AND TRANSPORTATION RELATED RULE MAKING.
UM, DO WE HAVE STAFF FOR THIS? THIS IS JUST, UH, IN REGARD FOR A RESOLUTION THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT FORWARD.
I'M GONNA ASK, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER TO GO AHEAD AND LAY THINGS OUT SO THAT EVERYBODY GETS A GOOD LOOK AT IT.
AND COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER, PLEASE.
AND, UM, UH, THIS ALSO, YOU SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE PRESENTATION THAT WE GOT AT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WHICH SHOULD EXPLAIN, UH, UH, WHAT THE ACTUAL NEW RULES ARE, UH, IN MORE DETAIL.
UM, ALSO APOLOGIES FOR THE LONG TITLE THERE.
UM, THE, THE RESOLUTION THAT THE, UH, URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION ADOPTED TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE RULEMAKING PROCESS AS WELL.
I FIGURED THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION IS PROBABLY A LITTLE LESS INTERESTED IN THAT.
SO IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT, UH, THAN WHAT WE VOTED ON LAST MONTH.
UM, SO AS EFFECTIVE, UH, APRIL 1ST, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF NEW, UM, UH, RULES THAT WERE PUT IN PLACE BY THE DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS, UH, AS IT RELATES TO DOCKLESS VEHICLES, RIGHT? THAT'S SCOOTERS AND, UH, DOCKLESS, E-BIKES AS WELL.
UM, SO THERE WERE, UH, A COUPLE OF THINGS.
ONE, UM, BACK IN 2023 AT THE VERY, UH, END OF THEIR, UH, LINK SHUT DOWN OPERATIONS ACROSS NORTH AMERICA.
SO THAT TOOK 2000 SCOOTERS OFF OF THE SYSTEM, RIGHT? SO THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE.
[00:05:01]
AND THAT LEFT US WITH TWO VENDORS, BIRD AND LINE.UH, THE FIRST PART OF THE RULES WAS THAT, UH, THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW ANY NEW VENDORS, SO A MORATORIUM ON NEW VENDORS.
UH, THE OTHER RULE WAS THAT THOSE CURRENT VENDORS COULD NOT INCREASE THE NUMBER OF SCOOTERS THEY HAVE.
THEY'RE SET AT WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND THAT'S ALSO WHAT IT TALKS ABOUT AT 6,700 IS WHAT THE TOTAL IS BETWEEN LYMAN BIRD RIGHT NOW.
UH, THE NEXT PART THAT IS OPERATIONAL RIGHT NOW IS TO REDUCE THE NUMBER OF SCOOTERS ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA PROJECT COORDINATION ZONE TO 1,125 PER LICENSE VENDOR.
UM, I'LL GO OVER THIS IN MORE DEPTH DOWN 20 22 50.
UM, I'LL GO OVER THIS MORE IN DEPTH, BUT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PROJECT COORDINATION ZONE STRETCHES, UH, FAR OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN.
SO IT GOES ALL THE WAY TO MOPAC, UH, ON THE WEST.
IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO OLTORF, UH, IN THE SOUTH.
IT GOES JUST A LITTLE BIT PAST I 35 IN THE EAST.
UH, AND IT GOES UP TO MLK ON THE NORTH EDGE.
UH, AND THEN THERE WERE TWO OTHER PARTS OF THAT THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, TEMPORARILY POSTPONED.
UM, THAT'S THE, UH, REDUCING THE MAXIMUM SPEED AND ASSIGNING, UH, RESTRICTED DEVICE, UH, AREAS.
THOSE ARE NOT CURRENTLY IN OPERATION, BUT WILL BE IN OPERATION, UM, SOON AFTER THERE.
UM, I, I THINK THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT WHEN IT COMES TO THIS POLICY.
UM, BUT I THINK TO DO THAT WE KIND OF NEED TO BACK UP.
SO THE MAIN TWO ARGUMENTS THAT, UH, DIRECTOR MENDOZA MADE WERE ABOUT SAFETY, WHICH IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE.
UH, AND GENERAL AESTHETICS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN GET INTO MORE ABOUT WHAT THAT THAT REALLY MEANS.
UH, BUT I ALSO THINK THERE'S BEEN A PERCEPTION THAT MAYBE SCOOTERS AREN'T THAT NECESSARY IN OUR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE AND ESPECIALLY DOWNTOWN.
SO, I, I, I FIRST WANNA START JUST KIND OF TALKING ABOUT RIDERSHIP.
SO IN 2023, WE HAD JUST UNDER 3 MILLION SCOOTER TRIPS IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
UH, FOR CONTEXT, THAT'S ABOUT SIX TIMES HIGHER THAN THE ANNUAL RIDERSHIP ON THE RED LINE.
SO THAT'S AN INSIGNIFICANT AMOUNT, RIGHT? THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE.
70% OF THOSE 3 MILLION TRIPS, SO OVER 2 MILLION ARE INSIDE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PROJECT COORDINATION ZONE.
SO WE'RE NOW RESTRICTING TO AN AREA WHERE ABOUT A THIRD OF ALL OF THE VEHICLES WE HAVE, UH, CAN ONLY BE LOCATED IN OR, OR, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE CAPPING BASICALLY, UH, A THIRD OF OUR FLEET IS ONLY THE AMOUNT THAT CAN BE IN THE AREA WHERE 70% OF OUR RIDERSHIP COMES FROM, RIGHT? SO I THINK WE CAN THINK ABOUT THE NATURAL CONSEQUENCES FROM THERE.
UM, SAFETY IS DEFINITELY AN ISSUE, BUT I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO PUT SCOOTERS KIND OF IN THE CONTEXT OF OTHER MODES.
SO PART OF THE REASON SCOOTERS SEEM LIKE A REALLY BIG ISSUE IS 'CAUSE WE HAVE MUCH BETTER DATA ON SCOOTER INJURIES THAN WE DO ANY OTHER FORM.
UM, ALL SCOOTER COMPANIES ARE REQUIRED TO REPORT ANY COLLISIONS THEY HAVE.
UH, OBVIOUSLY THAT'S NOT TRUE OF CARS, BIKES, WALKING, RIGHT? ANYTHING ELSE.
UH, SO WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE GREAT DATA FOR THOSE MODES.
SO THE VISION ZERO DASHBOARD, RIGHT? MAINLY LOOKS AT, UH, UH, LAW ENFORCEMENT REPORTS OF CRASHES, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE GONNA HAVE VERY SERIOUS INJURIES.
UH, AND WHAT WE SEE WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT IS, UH, INJURIES HAVE GONE DOWN OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, UH, ACROSS AUSTIN AND ACROSS DOWNTOWN.
UH, BACK IN 2022, WE HAD FIVE SERIOUS INJURIES IN DOWNTOWN, UH, FOR SCOOTERS.
AND SO FAR IN 2024, WE HAVE ONE.
ALL OF THOSE INJURIES HAVE BEEN A, AS A RESULT OF A CAR HITTING A, A, A SCOOTER.
UM, AND ALSO IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO DEATHS, UH, IN THE CITY DUE TO, UH, UM, SCOOTER SINCE 2022.
WELL, IN 2022 WAS OUR LAST ONE.
UM, THE DIRECTOR VERY MUCH POINTED TO THE EMS REPORT THAT THIS BODY GOT, I WANNA SAY THAT WAS IN NOVEMBER OF LAST YEAR, WHICH FOUND THERE WERE 115 SCOOTER INJURIES THAT THEY RESPONDED TO OVER ABOUT A 15 MONTH PERIOD.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO PUT THAT IN THE CONTEXT OF RIDERSHIP.
SO DURING THAT TIME, THERE WERE 3.9 MILLION TRIPS.
SO IT'S 115 INJURIES OVER 3.9 MILLION TRIPS.
THAT'S ABOUT ONE INJURY PER 33,530 TRIPS.
UH, AND ALSO PUT THIS IN THE SCOPE OF OTHER, LIKE HOW WE'RE DOING IN DOWNTOWN AND 2023, THERE WERE 19 SERIOUS INJURIES, IF YOU COUNT BOTH SIDES OF I 35.
AND WE HAD SIX TRANSPORTATION RELATED DEATHS, UM, IN DOWNTOWN.
SO WE DO HAVE SIGNIFICANT SAFETY ISSUES.
THERE ARE SAFETY ISSUES WITH SCOOTERS, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CONTEXTUALIZE THAT WE HAD A 500% INCREASE IN BICYCLE DEATHS LAST YEAR.
WE'RE NOT TRYING TO RESTRICT THE AMOUNT OF BICYCLES THAT ARE OPERATING, RIGHT? WE UNDERSTAND THAT WE NEED TO BUILD OUT BETTER INFRASTRUCTURE TO ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
UH, THE OTHER THING TO KEEP IN MIND HERE IS OUR MOBILITY GOALS.
WHEN WE DID THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION SURVEY IN 2023, UH, IT FOUND THAT MORE PEOPLE WANTED TO RIDE SCOOTERS DOWNTOWN.
PEOPLE WANTED MORE SCOOTER INFRASTRUCTURE, AND PEOPLE WANTED MORE ACCESS TO SCOOTERS.
THIS IS THE WAY PEOPLE ARE GETTING DOWNTOWN THAN PEOPLE THE WAY PEOPLE WANT TO GET DOWNTOWN IN THE FUTURE.
OUR AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN IS VERY CLEAR THAT WE NEED TO INCREASE
[00:10:01]
BOTH THE DENSITY OF SHARED MOBILITY SOLUTIONS, RIGHT? AND ALSO HOW MUCH COVERAGE THERE IS OVERALL.AND ONE THING I'VE HEARD TO TALKING TO LYMAN BIRD ABOUT THIS, IS THAT THEY VERY MUCH KIND OF SUBSIDIZE THEIR OPERATIONS BASED OFF OF THE USAGE THEY'RE ABLE TO GET DOWNTOWN.
SO IF WE STRICT THEIR ABILITY TO OPERATE DOWNTOWN, THAT LEAVES THEM LESS PROFIT MARGIN TO ACTUALLY EXPAND INTO OTHER AREAS.
UH, AND THEN I THINK WE ALSO NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE CREATE SCARCITY WHERE THERE'S DEMAND.
WE KNOW THERE'S A HIGH DEMAND IN THE DOWNTOWN OBJECT PROCESSING PROJECT COORDINATION ZONE.
WE NOW HAVE AN ARTIFICIAL CAP ON THAT SUPPLY.
WE HAVE AN ARTIFICIAL CAP ON THE NUMBER OF NEW VENDORS THAT CAN COME IN, UH, THAT IS ONLY NECESSARILY GOING TO LEAD TO COST INCREASES DOWN THE LINE, RIGHT? THAT'S VERY SIMPLE ECONOMICS.
AND I THINK THE LAST THING TO NOTE HERE IS PUBLIC OUTREACH.
UH, THE DIRECTOR MENTIONED THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE HE REACHED OUT TO WERE LYMAN BIRD AND NEITHER LYMAN BIRD WERE IN FAVOR OF THIS.
UH, AND WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REDUCING PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO A TRANSPORTATION CHOICE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS A LOT OF PUBLIC OUTREACH.
I BELIEVE THIS ALSO WASN'T ACTUALLY FORMALLY INCORPORATED INTO RULEMAKING, RIGHT? SO IF YOU WANT TO GO AND FIND THE ACTUAL TEXT OF THESE RULES ANYWHERE ONLINE, YOU CAN'T.
UH, SO REALLY WHAT THIS RESOLUTION IS ASKING FOR, UH, IS ASKING FOR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO KIND OF GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.
LET'S DO A, UH, A BIG PUBLIC OUTREACH SO WE CAN GET PEOPLE'S THOUGHTS ON HOW THEY WANT SCOOTERS TO OPERATE.
BUT LET'S ALSO THINK ABOUT OUR MOBILITY GOALS WHILE WE'RE DOING THIS.
LET'S THINK ABOUT WHETHER WE'RE ADDRESSING SAFETY IN THE BEST WAY AND WHETHER WE'RE CREATING POLICIES THAT HELP MORE PEOPLE, UH, NOT USE A CAR TO GET DOWNTOWN AND TO GET OTHER PLACES.
UM, AND I THINK, UH, COMMISSIONER LEVINSON IS GONNA TALK ABOUT MORE OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN RESIDENT PERSPECTIVE ON THIS.
UM, BUT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION DID COME OUT AGAINST THIS.
THEY SAID THEY WERE NEVER INFORMED OF THESE CHANGES UNTIL THEY WENT TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
UM, AND I THINK, AND THEY SAID THEY ARE OUTRIGHT OPPOSED TO THE FIRST FOUR THINGS THAT WE MENTIONED THAT ARE CURRENTLY ACTIVE.
UM, AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY THAT IS, BECAUSE, UH, SCOOTERS CAN BE A PESKY THING FOR RESIDENTS.
BUT I THINK THAT SHOWS THAT RESIDENTS DOWNTOWN ARE USING SCOOTERS.
UH, BUT TWO, I THINK THEY ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE SCOOTERS, UH, THE ALTERNATIVE IS GONNA BE RIDE SHARING, RIGHT? THE ALTERNATIVE IS GONNA BE MORE PEOPLE DRIVING.
UH, AND THAT'S A BIGGER STRAIN ON DOWNTOWN AND A BIGGER STRAIN FOR OUR RESIDENTS, UH, THAN SOME SCOOTERS ARE.
UM, SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT KIND OF EXPLAINS EVERYTHING.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS, BUT I'D ALSO LIKE TO TURN IT OVER TO COMMISSIONER LEVINSON, WHO, UH, WAS THE ONE WHO ENCOURAGED ME TO BRING THIS.
YOU KNOW, I AM ALSO ON THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION BOARD, AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT I DO NOT RIDE SCOOTERS, AND I FIND THEM IN MANY WAYS TO BE A PAIN IN THE REAR.
BUT I ALSO THINK THAT THEY REALLY ARE USEFUL.
THEY REALLY ARE A GREAT LAST MILE TRANSPORTATION.
AND THEY HAVE REALLY GENUINELY, ESPECIALLY DURING MAJOR EVENTS, HELP TO TAKE CARS OFF THE ROAD.
AND WHEN YOU TAKE CARS OFF THE ROAD DURING MAJOR EVENTS, YOU MAKE THE ROADS A LOT SAFER.
AND AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY FEEDS INTO MY PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL HAT BECAUSE SCOOTERS ARE A LOT LESS LIKELY TO KILL A PEDESTRIAN THAN AUTOMOBILES ARE.
AND SO I REALLY DON'T FEEL LIKE THE CITY DID ANY KIND OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT WITH THIS.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE THAT THEY REACHED OUT, THEY DIDN'T REACH OUT TO US.
I MEAN, I'M, WE'RE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION.
AND I JUST FEEL LIKE, UM, THEY NEED TO GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD AND REENGAGE WITH THE COMMUNITY BEFORE THEY SUDDENLY DECIDE THAT THEY'RE GOING TO LIMIT PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
THE PUBLIC SHOULD GET TO WEIGH IN ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
AND I'LL, I'LL ADD ON THE, THE EVENTS THERE TOO.
DURING SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST THIS YEAR, WE HAD 142,000 TRIPS.
UH, THAT'S ABOUT 16,000 PER DAY.
UH, DURING AUSTIN CITY LIMITS, WE HAD AN AVERAGE OF ABOUT 60,000 TRIPS, OR I GUESS 120,000 TRIPS OVER THE TWO WEEKENDS.
THEY ARE VERY IMPORTANT FOR EVENTS.
UH, COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS? UH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
DID YOU SAY THAT THE RULE WASN'T PUBLISHED ANYWHERE TO WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN'T GO AND READ IT? UH, THAT IS CORRECT.
UM, I THINK WHAT, AND I WANT TO BE CAREFUL 'CAUSE IT, IT IS, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, CAN'T RESPOND HERE.
UM, WHAT THEY SAID THIS IS, IS BASICALLY WHAT THEY REFER TO IT AS IS, UH, ENHANCED REGULATIONS.
UH, AND THEY'RE VIEWING IT AS MORE OF A TRIAL PERIOD.
UM, THAT THEY'RE GONNA LOOK AT THIS, ALL SCOOTER PERMITS ARE DONE OVER SIX MONTHS.
SO THAT MEANS THEY ALREADY HAVE TO REEVALUATE THE RULES EVERY SIX MONTHS.
UM, AND THEY ALSO NOTED THAT THEY'RE, THEY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO PUT THESE INTO RULES AFTER THAT SIX MONTH PERIOD.
UM, I WOULD SAY THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH TEMPORARY RULES.
AND I ALSO AM FIRMLY OF THE BELIEF IF, UH, WE'RE GONNA ASK PEOPLE TO FOLLOW RULES AND LAWS, THEY SHOULD BE WRITTEN DOWN AND PUBLICLY AVAILABLE.
BUT, UH, YES, THAT IS CORRECT.
IT WAS NOT FORMALLY INCORPORATED INTO THE DIRECTOR'S RULES FOR SHARED MOBILITY OPERATIONS.
UH, IT IS JUST REALLY AN EMAIL THAT WAS SENT TO VENDORS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION.
[00:15:01]
WELL, I'VE GOT ONE QUESTION.SO COULD YOU GO BACK TO YOUR NUMBERS ON USAGE FOR SO BY SOUTHWEST AND THE REGULAR NUMBERS? UH, YEAH.
AND THIS IS, UM, IF YOU HAVE THAT PRESENTATION, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE SECOND SLIDE IN THERE.
UM, BUT SO THE OVERALL NUMBER OF TRIPS, UH, IN, WELL, ACTUALLY THIS SLIDE DOESN'T HAVE IT, BUT IT WAS JUST UNDER 3 MILLION.
IT WAS LIKE 2,900,000, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UH, FOR 2023.
UM, AND THEN DURING AUSTIN CITY LIMITS FESTIVAL DURING WEEKEND ONE, SO THAT'S OVER THE THREE DAYS, THERE WERE 59,175 TRIPS.
WEEKEND TWO, THERE WERE 62,881 TRIPS.
AND THEN OVER THE TOTALITY OF SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, UH, THERE WERE 142,540 TRIPS.
UH, AND THAT'S A MEDIAN OF ABOUT, UH, 16,556 PER DAY.
THE TYPICAL AVERAGE IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SEVEN AND 8,000.
UM, SCOOTERS ARE VERY CYCLICAL.
SO YOU'LL SEE IT, YOU KNOW, KIND OF GO UP AND DOWN AS THE WEATHER IMPROVES.
AS THERE ARE MORE EVENTS DOWNTOWN AND THAT SPECIAL EVENTS GO.
WELL, THAT LEADS ME TO THE NEXT QUESTION.
IF, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE NEED TO INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNITS THAT THERE IS A PERCEPTION OF SCARCITY DURING PEAKS, AND WE'LL CALL ACL PEAKS.
WE GOT 59,060 2000 RIDES IN TWO SEPARATE WEEKENDS, AND THE AVERAGE USAGE IS SEVEN TO 8,000 A DAY.
THAT WOULD SUGGEST TO ME THAT WE'RE SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THE UNITS ON THE STREET WE'RE ON, ON A DAILY BASIS, WE'RE ONLY USING ONE TO EIGHTH OF THE CAPACITY.
MOST OF THE TIME THEY'RE JUST SITTING THERE AND THEY'RE NOT ACTIVELY BEING USED.
SO TO SAY THAT WE NEED MORE UNITS, MORE SCOOTERS ON THE STREET IS ANTITHETICAL TO WHAT THIS SAYS.
THAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD AS WE'RE, WE'RE AT FULL CAPACITY DURING ACL ABSOLUTELY BEING USED ALL THE TIME, BUT IT JUST SHOWS YOU THE DIFFERENCE IN USAGE DURING A NORMAL DAY.
SO THAT WOULD SUGGEST TO ME THAT THERE ISN'T A NEED FOR ADDITIONAL CAPACITY.
NOW, WHETHER THERE ARE OTHER VENDORS TO BRING IN MORE COMPETITION VERSUS LIME AND BIRD, I MEAN, THAT'S FINE.
THAT CAN HELP DRIVE DOWN THE PRICE FOR THE CONSUMER, BUT IT, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD GIVE UP THEIR MARKET SHARE IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF UNITS THAT, THAT THEY CURRENTLY HAVE FOR A THIRD VENDOR TO COME IN.
BUT IT, IT WOULD APPEAR TO ME JUST LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS THAT SCOOTERS ON A DAILY BASIS ARE USED FAR LESS THAN THE CAPACITY OF THEIR EXISTENCE ON THE STREETS.
SO I I WOULD SAY A COUPLE THINGS THERE.
FIRST, THAT 6,700 IS THE NUMBER OF TOTAL PERMITTED SCOOTERS.
UM, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT HOW MANY ARE LIKE OFF.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT SOME THAT THEIR BATTERY DIES, SOMEONE'S GOTTA COME PICK IT UP, THEN YOU GOTTA GO CHARGE IT RIGHT THERE OUT FOR LIKE 12 HOURS.
SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE NECESSARILY, BUT IT'S STILL THE CAPACITY, EVEN IF THEY'RE UNITS THAT ARE PULLED OFF.
UM, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, UM, THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF, UH, CITY TRANSPORTATION OFFICIALS, UH, HAS DONE RESEARCH ON THIS.
AND WHAT THEY SUGGEST IS THE BEST WAY TO MEASURE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS ACTUALLY IN OUR RULES, UH, IS TO GO OFF OF, UH, RIDES PER VEHICLES PER DAY.
UH, AND WHAT THEY SAY IS AT THE POINT WHERE YOU ARE ABOVE TWO, UH, RIDES PER VEHICLES PER DAY, AND AS YOU START TO INCH UP TOWARDS 2.5, UH, THAT'S WHEN THERE'S A CLEAR INDICATION THAT THE NUMBER OF SCOOTERS IS DRAGGING DOWN DEMAND.
'CAUSE YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, RIGHT, IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT HOW MANY SCOOTERS THERE ARE.
IT'S ABOUT WHETHER THERE'S A SCOOTER NEARBY.
YOU KNOW, FOR ME, I LIVE IN MUELLER AND THERE'S ALMOST ALWAYS A SCOOTER AND MUELLER, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S A 20 MINUTE WALK, RIGHT? SO IT'S LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WELL I'M NOT GONNA TAKE A SCOOTER THEN.
RIGHT? SO, UH, WHAT WE HAVE, AND THAT IS ALSO THE MECHANISM BY WHICH INCREASES AND DECREASES ARE SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN UNDER THE DIRECTOR'S RULES, RIGHT? AS YOU GO INCREASINGLY ABOVE TWO AN INCH INTO 2.5, THAT'S WHEN YOU'RE ALLOWED ADDITIONAL VEHICLES TO BE DEPLOYED EITHER IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA OR IF THE OVERALL SYSTEM'S INCREASING, DEPLOYING THEM OUTSIDE.
UH, AND WHEN YOU GET BELOW, THAT'S WHEN THE CITY CAN START SAYING, OKAY, YOU HAVE TOO MANY, UH, WE CAN PULL THEM OUT.
UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY, I DON'T THINK THIS RECOMMENDATION, UH, AND EVEN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION IS SAYING WE NEED AN INCREASE.
UM, I THINK THE BIGGEST CONCERN IS OVER THE MASSIVE DECREASE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA PROJECT COORDINATION ZONE.
IT IS NOT THAT WITH WE THINK WE NEED MORE SCOOTERS, IT'S THAT WE DON'T THINK THAT WE NEED THE CITY SAYING YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE SCOOTERS IN THIS AREA WHEN THEY MAY BE NEEDED IN THIS AREA.
THAT'S MY BIG ARGUMENT WITH THIS RECOMMENDATION.
THEY'RE ACTUALLY FORCING TWO THIRDS OF THE SCOOTERS TO BE DEPLOYED OUTSIDE THE AREA WHERE 70% OF THE TRIPS TAKE PLACE.
[00:20:01]
THAT'S THE ISSUE I HAVE.BUT I GO BACK TO THE, THE USAGE AND CAPACITY THING.
WELL, YOU HAVE A LOT, YOU HAVE SOME THAT END UP OUTSIDE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA AREN'T GETTING USED, BUT VERY FEW.
I MEAN, YOU GO UP AND DOWN CONGRESS AVENUE OR ANY OF THE SIDE STREETS AND THEY'RE STACKED UP AND THEY'RE NOT BEING USED.
NOW THERE ARE PLENTY THAT ARE, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ARGUING.
THERE ARE OBVIOUSLY SEVEN TO 8,000 TRIPS A DAY.
WELL, BUT THERE IS LATENT CAPACITY SITTING ON THE CORNER OF SIXTH AND CONGRESS NOT BEING USED.
WHAT, WHAT I WOULD POINT YOU TO IS THE, THE SECOND WHERE AS CLAUSE WOULD TAKE YOU TO THAT, UM, 2022 REPORT FROM NATO.
AND WHAT THEY ACTUALLY HIGHLIGHT THERE IS IN 2022, AND THIS WAS BACK WHEN WE HAD LINKED, SO THIS IS WHEN WE HAD A HIGHER NUMBER OF VEHICLES, UH, IS THAT WE ACTUALLY HAD A RIDE PER VEHICLE PER DAY AVERAGE OF 2.7, WHICH WAS THE SECOND BEST IN THE COUNTRY.
UH, THE ONLY ONE HIGHER WAS DENVER WHO HAD 7.1.
AND THAT WAS VERY CLEARLY A STATISTICAL ANOMALY.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE A LIMITED AMOUNT AND A LIMITED AREA, AND THEY'VE COMPLETELY UNDID THAT SYSTEM.
UH, AND NOW THEY HAVE A DIFFERENT NUMBER.
UM, SO I THINK BEFORE OUR SYSTEM WAS WORKING, RIGHT, WE HAD VERY CLEAR PROOF THAT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES WE HAD WAS APPROPRIATE FOR OUR DEMAND.
WE HAD RULES THAT DETERMINED THAT.
AND THE OTHER THING I'LL NOTE IS NOT ONLY ARE WE DECREASING AGAIN OFF OF DOWNTOWN, BUT WE'VE ALREADY HAD A DECREASE BECAUSE LINK LEFT.
RIGHT? THAT WAS, THAT'S RIGHT.
20% OF THE SYSTEM ABOUT RIGHT.
I THINK 22% OF THE SYSTEM, 29, RIGHT.
29% OF THE SYSTEM LEFT, UH, AS WE WENT INTO AT THE END OF 2023, STARTING IN 2024.
SO WE ALREADY HAD A 29% DECREASE IN OUR SYSTEM.
THE NUMBER OF, UH, SCOOTERS WE HAVE, AND NOW WE'RE EVEN MORE DECREASING HOW MANY WE HAVE IN OUR AREA WHERE THE CORE OF OUR DEMAND IS.
YOU, YOU HAD MENTIONED, YOU'VE MENTIONED THE NATIONAL STANDARDS SEVERAL TIMES, BUT DENVER WAS AN ANOMALY THAT EXCEEDED, FOR WHATEVER REASON, THEY EXCEEDED THE NATIONAL STANDARDS AND WE'RE APPLYING NATIONAL STANDARDS, AND WE SEE LOCAL USAGE PATTERNS, WHICH ARE DIFFERENT.
SO IS IT NECESSARILY ACCURATE TO REFLECT NATIONAL STANDARDS ON AUSTIN'S USAGE PATTERNS? I I THINK OUR, OUR, I THINK WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE HAVE SEEN IS AS AND, AND IN FACT IF YOU GO INTO THE, UM, SCOOTER DATA, YOU CAN DRAW A VERY CLEAR LINE OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, CORRELATION.
THERE'S A VERY CLEAR CORRELATION BETWEEN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES WE HAVE IN THE RIDERSHIP.
RIGHT? WE FINALLY GOT BACK TO PEAK, UH, OR PRE PANDEMIC DEMAND, AND I BELIEVE IT WAS OCTOBER, 2022.
UM, AND THAT WAS FOUR MONTHS AFTER WE HAD ACHIEVED, UH, PANDEMIC LEVEL SCOOTERS.
WE HAD FINALLY GOTTEN BACK TO THE NUMBER.
AND AGAIN, LIKE, LET ME PULL THIS UP REAL QUICK BECAUSE RIGHT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN WE HAD WELL OVER 10,000 SCOOTERS.
I I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS CONTESTING THAT.
AND THEN FURTHERMORE THAT 6,722 ONLY 2250, WHAT'S NUMBER 50 22 50, SORRY, MATH HARD 2250 CAN BE IN THE AREA WHERE 70% OF THE DEMAND IS.
BUT ARE PEOPLE STANDING IN LINE WAITING FOR SCOOTERS? WHAT, WHAT I CAN SAY, AND NOW WE DON'T HAVE GREAT DATA ON THIS 'CAUSE IT IS RIGHT AFTER SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST, BUT I ASKED LYMAN BIRD AS SOON AS THEY STARTED, UM, ACTUALLY I ONLY ASKED THIS QUESTION IN THE LINE.
I ASKED LINE AS SOON AS THIS WENT INTO EFFECT, DID YOUR NUMBER OF, DID YOUR DOWNTOWN RIDERSHIP GO DOWN AND DID YOUR RIDES PER VEHICLE PER DAY GO DOWN? AND THE ANSWER WAS YES TO BOTH OF OF THEM, WHICH I THINK INDICATES THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT SEEING SCOOTERS AND THEY'RE NOT TAKING THEM.
IF YOU DON'T SEE ONE, YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA TAKE ONE.
THAT'S THE ISSUE IS THAT THEY HAVE TO BE READILY ACCESSIBLE.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, I DON'T RIDE THEM AND SOMETIMES I THINK THEY'RE MAJOR PAIN IN THE REAR, AND I'D LIKE TO SEE MORE RULES ABOUT WHERE THEY CAN BE PARKED AND STUFF, AND THAT THAT IS PART OF THIS.
AND THAT WILL, I THINK IN OCTOBER, THOSE TAKE EFFECT.
THEY DON'T TAKE EFFECT RIGHT AWAY, BUT THEY'RE IN THERE.
I I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT BURDEN LINE NO SURPRISE TO ANYBODY HAVE A, A FINANCIAL INTEREST IN EXPANDING THE NUMBER OF UNITS IN, IN ANY GIVEN AREA THAT'S PROFITABLE.
BUT THIS WILL NOT ALLOW THEM TO DO SO.
THEY'RE ALREADY NOT ALLOWED TO DO SO.
WELL, NO, BUT I, THERE COMMENT TO COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
UM, WELL, I JUST, I DON'T SEE THAT THERE IS PLACEMENT MAY BE ONE THING, MAYBE THEY'RE NOT APPROPRIATELY DISTRIBUTED WHERE THEY NEED TO BE.
COULD BE, YOU KNOW, WE SEE THE RANDOM SCOOTERS STUCK ON LAMAR SOMEWHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, ALONG PEACE PARK OR, YOU KNOW, PICK YOUR LO FAVORITE LOCATION.
THERE'S ONE OR TWO THAT ARE STALLED SOMEWHERE OUT THERE THAT ARE SERVING NOBODY.
UM, OR SOMEBODY WROTE 'EM OUT THERE, SOMEBODY WROTE 'EM OUT THERE.
AND THEY NEED TO BE REDEPLOYED.
[00:25:01]
THAT'S, THAT'S AN EFFICIENCY THAT SHOULD BE, UM, LIME AND BIRD'S RESPONSIBILITY THAT THEY NEED TO GET THOSE BACK TO WHERE THEY WERE SO THEY CAN BE USED EFFICIENTLY RATHER THAN SITTING IN A PARK OR SITTING, YOU KNOW, TWO MILES AWAY FROM THE YOU, THE, THE ZONE.AND THAT'S ALSO IN THEIR BEST FINANCIAL INTEREST.
AND I THINK IT'S ALSO, WELL, THAT REQUIRES STAFF TO GO OUT AND PICK 'EM UP AND REDISTRIBUTE 'EM TO WELL, LYMAN BIRD STAFF.
UM, I, I WOULD ALSO POINT OUT THAT, RIGHT, I THINK WE'RE THINKING 2,250 SCOOTERS IN THE DOWNTOWN BORDERS.
AND THAT IS A LOT, BUT IT'S NOT THE DOWNTOWN BORDERS.
THESE BORDERS GO ALL THE WAY OUT TO MOPAC, THESE BORDERS GO ALL THE WAY DOWN TO ULT WHARF, RIGHT? LIKE THIS INCLUDES ALL OF ZILKER, INCLUDES ALL OF BASICALLY WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, SOUTH CONGRESS AS A DISTRICT, RIGHT.
UH, IT INCLUDES ALL OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT AREA AND IT GOES PAST 9 35 TOO.
SO, SO WHAT WAS THE RATIONALE FOR THE DISTRICT, THE FORMATION OF THE DISTRICT OR THE ZONE? THE DS EI THINK THE DAPS E IS JUST, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION ACTUALLY.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HERE WOULD KNOW THAT THE DAPS EI BELIEVE IS SOMETHING THAT EXISTS OUTSIDE OF JUST SCOOTERS, RIGHT? YEAH.
IT'S BEEN AROUND FOR A LONG TIME.
IT, IT'S, IT KIND, IT'S KIND OF LIKE THEIR, HOW THEY MEASURE THEIR ECONOMIC AND TRANSPORTATION LIKE EFFICIENCY ZONE.
IT'S, UH, THE, GOD, I JUST HAD A WHOLE, I WISH I COULD REMEMBER HOW TO PHRASE THIS, BUT YEAH, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT COMMISSIONER HARRIS.
UM, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF, AT LEAST ONE COMMISSIONER ONLINE THAT HAD A QUESTION.
WE'VE BEEN ENGAGED IN CONVERSATION HERE.
AND, UH, WHO HAS A QUESTION ONLINE? COMMISSIONER LEVINE, UH, I ENJOYED THE CONVERSATION.
I DIDN'T NEED TO INTERRUPT, UM,
I, I, I APPRECIATE THE WORK AND TIME Y'ALL PUT INTO IT, ESPECIALLY THE DATA BEHIND IT.
UM, I GUESS MY THOUGHT IS, AND I'LL SAY THIS OUT LOUD, IS THAT I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT THE CITY IS RAINING AT A VENDOR AND TAKING ACTION TO DO SO.
I DON'T THINK THAT EVERY TIME YOU MESS WITH A VENDOR'S CONTRACT, YOU HAVE TO DO A PUBLIC INPUT SESSION.
I KNOW THAT THEY DO PRETTY MINIMAL PUBLIC INPUT THINGS FOR MUCH BIGGER THINGS IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
SO THAT PART DOESN'T BOTHER ME SO MUCH.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU THAT I, I ALSO KNOW THAT IT'S STILL A PROBLEM.
MY FRIENDS, I HAVE A COUPLE OF CLOSE FRIENDS THAT ARE, UH, WE USE MOBILITY IMPAIRED.
THEY'RE IN WHEELCHAIRS, AND SO IT'S STILL AN ISSUE FOR THEM DOWNTOWN, THESE THINGS TURNED ABOUT.
AND SO UNTIL WE DO SOMETHING TO, TO FIX THAT, I REALLY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH REIGNING THEM IN AND WITH, YOU KNOW, PUTTING CONTROLS ON HOW MANY THEY CAN HAVE THERE UNTIL THEY FIGURE OUT A BETTER SOLUTION FOR THESE THINGS TO WORK.
I USE SCOOTERS, NOT OFTEN, BUT I DO USE THEM.
AND I OFTEN KNOW THAT I DON'T USE THEM BECAUSE I SEE THEM.
I USE THEM BECAUSE I OPEN THE APP AND I FIND OUT WHERE ONE IS, IF IT'S ON MY WAY, UH, BETWEEN THE TWO COMPANIES THAT YOU KNOW, HERE IN TOWN.
SO I'M, I'M REALLY NOT THAT CONCERNED WITH SCARCITY BEING AN ISSUE BECAUSE YOU CAN USUALLY FIND ONE ON THE APP, AND IF YOU CAN'T, THEN WE CAN REVISIT THIS.
THE CITY CAN REVISIT THIS AND INCREASE THE NUMBER OF UNITS.
SO AT THIS POINT, I'M, I'M KIND OF GOOD WITH THE CITY TAKING ACTION ON THIS AND, AND DOING IT, UM, IN, IN SUCH STRONG TERMS. AND I'D REALLY LIKE TO BRING THEM TO THE TABLE TO FORCE THEM TO GET SOME SOLUTIONS FOR SOME OF THESE BIGGER PROBLEMS WE HAVE.
I APPRECIATE THAT THE SAFETY THINGS AREN'T BIG AN ISSUE ANYMORE.
THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME CONVENIENCE ISSUES AND, UH, AND IT IS STILL SCARY TO DRIVE AROUND SOME OF THESE FOLKS ON SCOOTERS AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY DURING SOUTH BY WHEN IT'S A BUNCH OF TOURISTS.
SO IF I CAN SAY TWO THINGS ON THAT, WELL, REAL QUICKLY, LET ME SEE IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS A COMMENT ONLINE.
UH, IS THERE ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADD ANYTHING? NO.
YEAH, I, I WOULD JUST SAY TWO THINGS.
ONE, I I, I WOULDN'T SAY THIS IS NECESSARILY JUST A, UH, RULE THAT AFFECTS VENDORS, RIGHT? LIKE IT AFFECTS A TRANSPORTATION USE THAT PEOPLE RELY ON.
I PROBABLY TAKE A SCOOTER TWO, THREE TIMES A WEEK, RIGHT? SO, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE INPUT ON MY ABILITY TO ACCESS THOSE SCOOTERS, RIGHT? AND I THINK WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE'S ACCESS TO TRANSPORTATION, THAT IS ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WHERE WE SHOULD ALWAYS BE REACHING OUT TO THE PUBLIC, NOT JUST THE VENDORS.
UM, AND THE SAME THING I'LL SAY IS YOUR POINT IS WELL TAKEN ABOUT, UH, UH, THE RIGHT OF WAY ISSUES.
UM, AND THE SIXTH PART OF THAT, WHICH IS, UM, COMING FAIRLY SOON, IS THEY WILL BE RESTRICTING PARKING TO, UH, STREET CORRALS, BASICALLY, RIGHT? SO, UH, THAT'S ON STREET PARKING, RIGHT? TO, UH, ENSURE THAT PEOPLE ARE NOT PARKING THEM IN A MANNER THAT BLOCKS THE SIDEWALK, UM, FOR SPECIFICALLY THOSE WITH A, EXCUSE ME, A DA ACCESS.
UM, AND IN FACT, THAT'S SOMETHING WE ALREADY HAVE, UM, A, A, A GOOD BIT OF BUILT OUT IN, UH, AUSTIN, RIGHT? THERE'S SOME BY WATERLOO PARK, THERE'S SOME KIND OF BY I 35.
UM, SO I WOULD IMAGINE DOWNTOWN WILL BE ONE OF THE FIRST PLACES WHERE THAT GOES INTO EFFECT.
UM, AND THEN I'LL ALSO NOTE THE OTHER PART OF THAT IS THEY,
[00:30:01]
THEY ARE ADDRESSING, UH, RIGHT.AND I THINK THOSE CHANGES ARE GOOD.
UH, NIGHTTIME DRIVING OR NIGHTTIME SCOOTERING IN MAINE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS BY, UH, UM, REDUCING THE SPEED THERE.
THEY'RE GONNA RESTRICT THE SPEED FROM, UH, 15 MILES AN HOUR DOWN TO 10, UM, UH, LIKE FRIDAY, SATURDAY NIGHTS IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND THEY'RE GOING TO REQUIRE SCOOTERS TO STAY OUT OF THE, UH, HANDICAPPED, UH, CURB CUTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT AND BE PARKED IN CORRALS THAT ARE AWAY FROM THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL SET THEM UP EVERY BLOCK OR SO THIS, THE COMPANIES WILL HAVE TO PAY TO SET THEM UP AND EVERYTHING, BUT THE CITY WILL PROVIDE THEM WITH THE PARKING, THE PARALLEL PARKING SPOTS TO DO IT.
AND I THINK THAT WILL BE A HUGE HELP.
I MEAN, I KNOW I WILL BE THRILLED NOT TO BE TRIPPING OVER THEM
SO, SO I REALLY LIKE THE FACT THAT THAT'S GOING INTO EFFECT.
I FORGET EXACTLY WHEN, BUT THAT'S ALSO IN THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER, WHY WAS THE SPEED LIMIT ITEM DELAYED ON ITS IMPLEMENTATION? THE OTHER FOUR THINGS ARE OPERATIONAL, REALLY, RIGHT? SO THEY CAN VERY QUICKLY SAY, SOME OF 'EM REQUIRE NO ACTION, RIGHT? LIKE, RESTRICTING THE NUMBER OF NEW VENDORS.
THERE'S NO NEW VENDORS, THERE'S NO NEW APPLICATIONS.
EASY, RIGHT? EASY PEASY, UH, KEEPING THE CAP AT THE CURRENT NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE ANY ACTION, RIGHT? AND THEN WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, THE REDUCTION IN THE DAP E, UH, ALL GOOD
I FORGET WHAT IT IS ABOUT HOW MANY YOU CAN HAVE IN THE DPS E.
UM, BUT UM, SO THEY, THEY'RE ALREADY COMMUNICATING ABOUT YOU HAVE TOO MANY IN THE DAPS C YOU NEED TO RELOCATE, YOU KNOW, HERE ARE THE AREAS WE'D LIKE YOU TO RELOCATE.
SO IT'S VERY EASY FOR THEM TO SAY, UM, UH, THIS IS HOW MANY WE WANT IN THAT AREA.
AND I BELIEVE THAT THEY, THEY FORMALLY NOTIFIED LYMAN BIRD OF THOSE CHANGES ON APRIL 11TH, AND THEY WERE COMPLIANT ON APRIL 12TH.
SO THOSE ARE VERY QUICKLY, QUICK TO DO, UM, ON THE MAIN ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICTS.
ONE, THEY WANT TO GET BETTER DATA ABOUT WHERE SPECIFICALLY THEY WANT TO, UH, SLOW DOWN THE SPEED.
SO THAT'S WHY THEY'RE WAITING ON THAT ONE.
UM, AND THEN THEY'RE WAITING ON THE, UH, DEVICE STAGING AREAS FOR TWO REASONS.
UM, ONE, THEY ARE GONNA DO SOME PUBLIC OUTREACH ON THAT ONE TO REACH OUT TO NEIGHBORHOODS TO SEE HOW MUCH THEY WANT THOSE.
UH, AND THEN TWO, THAT, THAT REQUIRES SUB CONSTRUCTION, RIGHT? IT'S NOT TOO DIFFICULT TO BUILD THESE THINGS OUT, RIGHT? ALL YOU REALLY NEED IS SOME PAINT, A COUPLE, UH, PARKING DELINEATORS, AND A COUPLE OF U RACKS.
UM, BUT THAT DOES TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
SO THEY NEED TO BUILD OUT THAT INFRASTRUCTURE A LITTLE MORE, BUT PARTICULARLY ON THE SPEED, CAN THEY JUST TELL LYMAN BIRD TO ADJUST THEIR SYSTEMS TO REGULATE THE SPEED TO 10 MILES AN HOUR? THEY COULD.
THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT CORRIDORS THEY WANT TO DO IT ON YET.
THAT'S WHY THEY HAVEN'T DONE THAT ONE.
THEY DON'T WANT TO DO IT ON ALL OF THEM.
THEY'RE TRYING TO STRICTLY DO IT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING FROM WHAT I KNOW OF LIKE THE MUSIC, UH, UH, DEPARTMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT, IS THAT THEY'RE GATHERING SOME MORE DATA ON THAT AND THEN THEY'LL GEOFENCE, THEY'LL HAVE THE COMPANY'S GEOFENCE IN THAT DISTRICT THAT THEY DECIDE TO USE AND TO DROP THE SPEED DOWN TO 10, JUST LIKE THEY ALREADY HAVE SOME GEOFENCING IN SOME OTHER AREAS.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT, RIGHT, WE, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A ROAD WITH, YOU KNOW, NO BIKE LANES AND 25 MILE PER HOUR TRAFFIC, WE WANT SCOOTERS TO BE ON THE STREET AND ON THE SIDEWALK.
RIGHT? THEY'RE FAR MORE DANGEROUS IF THEY'RE ON THE SIDEWALK.
SO IF WE ARE ASKING THEM TO GO 10 MILES PER HOUR WHEN TRAFFIC IS GOING 25, RIGHT? THAT'S SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO CONSIDER IN TERMS OF WHETHER THAT'S A BEN BENEFICIAL SAFETY IMPACT OR NOT.
UM, ANY OTHER, UH, COMMENTS FROM COMMISSIONERS ONLINE? ALRIGHT, WELL WE HAVE A RESOLUTION BEFORE US, UM, AND, UM, IT TAKES TWO VOTING MEMBERS, UH, UH, MOTION AND A SECOND.
SO, UM, SO I MOVE THAT WE SUPPORT THE RESOLUTION.
DO I HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND.
ALRIGHT, I'VE GOT A MOTION AND A SECOND.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.
OPPOSED? COMMISSIONER LEVINE? DID, DID YOU VOTE? EITHER WAY? YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ON MUTE.
UM, CAN I GO P AND V? PNPP AND D? I'M NOT VOTING ON THIS.
YOU HAVE FOR OH FOUR, WE CHAIR HARRIS, YOU VOTED NO, CORRECT? I VOTED NO.
AND LEVINE CAN EITHER ABSTAIN, VOTE NO OR RECUSE.
AND THEN THE OTHER FOUR OF US VOTED YES.
[00:35:03]
OKAY.[4. Presentation on Street Impact Fees in the downtown Austin area by Nathan Aubert, Supervising Engineer, Austin Transportation Department. ]
UM, WE HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING ON THE PRESENTATION OR PRESENTATION ON THE STREET IMPACT FEES IN THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AREA BY NATHAN BERT, I HOPE I PRONOUNCED THAT CORRECTLY.SUPERVISING ENGINEER, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT.
I'M IN NATHAN, THE FLOOR IS YOURS.
CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME ALL RIGHT? YEAH, JUST FINE.
UH, I'M A SUPERVISING ENGINEER AT, UM, IN THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, I OVERSEE A TEAM OF ENGINEERS THAT, UM, CONDUCTS IMPACT ANALYSES, TIAS, IF YOU'VE, IF YOU'VE HEARD THE TERM, UH, FOR ALL MEDIUM TO LARGE SIZED DEVELOPMENTS ACROSS THE CITY.
SO, UH, I DO THAT SORT OF AS ONE HAT.
AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS, UM, I OVERSEE THE, UH, IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STREET IMPACT FEE, UH, WHICH WENT INTO EFFECT, GOODNESS ABOUT, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO NOW.
SO WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GETTING PRETTY WELL INTO IT, BUT, UH, YEAH, I WAS REQUESTED TO COME AND, AND DO A PRESENTATION TO Y'ALL TO SORT OF GIVE YOU AN UPDATE AND A, UH, A PRIMER ON SORT OF THE BACKGROUND OF STREET IMPACT FEES.
AND, AND AGAIN, UH, I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS AS THEY COME UP OR, OR AT THE END HERE.
YEAH, SO, UH, I FIND IT'S A LITTLE BIT HELPFUL TO GO THROUGH AND TALK ABOUT, UM, SORT OF THE TIMELINE, HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW.
UM, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF CHECKPOINTS AND, UM, BENCHMARKS THAT WERE, WERE BAKED INTO THE STREET IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE.
UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO KIND OF GO OVER THAT AND, AND HELP CLARIFY A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY WE DID CERTAIN THINGS AND WHEN WE DID THEM, UM, WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, STREET IMPACT FEE APPLICABILITY.
UM, STREET IMPACT FEE TENDS TO BE A MOUTHFUL, SO IF YOU HEAR US, YOU HEAR ME SAY SIF, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, WE'LL WELO OVER SOME OF THE CALCULATIONS AND SOME OF THE FINER POINTS.
UM, BUT THEN WE ALSO HAVE, UM, A GUIDELINE THAT I'LL, I'LL SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS ON.
AND THEN, UM, UH, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER ITEMS THAT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE, HAVE HAD COME UP AND QUESTIONS, THINGS THAT MAYBE WERE A LITTLE BIT UNCLEAR, UH, IN THE PAST.
SO, UH, I'LL TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THOSE AS WELL, AND WE'LL HAVE TIME FOR SOME QUESTIONS IF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED.
SO, UM, THE IMPLEMENTATION, AS I SAID IN THE, IN THE ORDINANCE THAT, UH, WAS PASSED BY COUNSEL, UH, THAT WAS ADOPTED BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2020.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, ABOUT THREE AND A HALF-ISH, UH, YEARS NOW.
UM, SO WHEN THAT WAS ADOPTED, THAT WENT, UM, THAT WENT LIVE, UH, WE HAD A COUPLE OF GRACE PERIODS IS WHAT WE CALLED THEM, WHERE WE WEREN'T ACTUALLY COLLECTING IMPACT FEES, UH, RIGHT AWAY.
UM, OUR FIRST ACTUAL COLLECTION OF AN IMPACT FEE WAS THAT THIRD BOX.
UH, RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE WAS WHERE, UM, RIGHT AROUND THE TIME WHEN OUR NEW T NEW TCM WENT EFFECTIVE.
UH, IT WAS BASICALLY 18 MONTHS AFTER THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE IN DECEMBER OF 2020 TOOK US TO JUNE, 2022.
SO WE HAD SOME REPORTS TO COUNCIL THAT WE DID SOME UPDATES ON HOW THE PROGRAM WAS KIND OF PROGRESSING.
UM, BUT WE BEGAN ACTUALLY COLLECTING, UH, IN JUNE OF 22.
SO, LITTLE CAVEAT TO THAT, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT ARE EXPLAINED A LITTLE, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION ARE, UM, WE ONLY COLLECTED IMPACT FEES FOR PROJECTS THAT HADN'T HAD A, UH, A-T-I-A-A TRANSPORTATION IMPACT ANALYSIS, HAD NOT HAD ONE, UM, SIGNED OFF BY ME OR SOMEBODY IN MY STAFF, UM, PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE.
SO THERE WAS, AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THERE WERE A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT WERE SORT OF IN THE PROCESS, UM, AND THEN PULLED, UH, BUILDING PERMITS ON OR, OR BEFORE JUNE, 2022.
UM, AND SO BASICALLY ANYBODY WHO WAS PULLING BUILDING PERMITS BEFORE JUNE OF 2022 DID NOT HAVE A, AN IMPACT FEE ASSESSED OR COLLECTED FROM THEM.
UM, AND THEN EVERYBODY DID AFTER THIS JUNE, 2022 DATE, UH, EXCEPT FOR THOSE FOLKS THAT WERE, UM, LET'S SAY LARGER SCALE DEVELOPMENTS WHO HAD THESE TIAS THAT HAD BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR.
UM, SO ALONG WITH THAT, WE ALWAYS LIKE HIGHLIGHTING, UH, WE CREATED A PUBLIC FACING DASHBOARD, UM, AS WELL THAT WENT LIVE IN DECEMBER OF 2022.
SO THAT, UH, THAT'S, UM, LIVE, THAT'S, THAT'S ON OUR WEBSITE TODAY.
UM, ON OUR STREET IMPACT FEE WEBSITE, YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH HAS BEEN COLLECTED IN EACH OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, SERVICE AREAS
[00:40:01]
IS WHAT WE CALL THEM.SO GEOGRAPHIC AREAS AROUND TOWN.
UM, YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH HAS BEEN COLLECTED, HOW MUCH HAS BEEN SPENT, UM, HOW MUCH IS OUTSTANDING, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S, IT'S, WE THINK IT'S A HELPFUL TOOL TO BE ABLE TO SORT OF VISUALIZE SOME OF THESE THINGS.
UM, AND THEN OUR BIGGEST, UH, SORT OF MILESTONE THAT WE HIT, EXCUSE ME, WAS THEN THIS LAST DECEMBER, DECEMBER, 2023.
UM, THE GRACE PERIOD WENT, UH, WENT UP.
IT ENDED FOR ALL DEVELOPMENTS REGARDLESS OF, OF WHETHER THEY HAD HAD THIS, UM, TIA CONDUCTED, UH, FOR THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
SO, UH, WE'RE NOW OBVIOUSLY BEYOND THIS, SO WE'RE, WE'RE TO THE RIGHT OF THIS, THESE TIMELINES AND THIS GRAPH.
SO, UM, ALL GRACE PERIODS THAT WERE BUILT INTO THE ORDINANCE HAVE BEEN, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVE BEEN EXHAUSTED.
SO, UM, WITH A COUPLE OF EXCEPTIONS, UM, BASICALLY EVERYBODY NOW IS, IS ASSESSED AND COLLECTED, UH, OF A STREET IMPACT FEE.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S AT THE TIME OF BUILDING PERMIT.
SO, UM, THAT, THAT'S HAPPENING CURRENTLY TODAY.
SO JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT OF A HEADS UP, UM, UH, I'LL TRY TO TRY TO MAKE THIS SORT OF AS ABSORBABLE AS POSSIBLE.
THERE'S, THERE'S SOME THINGS BUILT INTO THE ORDINANCE THAT, UH, MAKE IT LESS EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
BUT, UM, BASICALLY CIF APPLIES TO ANY PROJECTS THAT, UM, GENERATE OVER 10:00 PM PEAK HOUR TRIPS.
SO BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS, UM, YOU HAVE TO BE A CERTAIN SIZE PROJECT.
IT'S NOT, NOT SINGLE FAMILY HOUSES.
SO IF YOU, IF YOU GO IN AND YOU BUILD ONE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSE ON ONE LOT, UH, YOU WILL NOT TRIGGER THIS 10:00 PM PEAK HOUR TRIPS.
SO IT'S EFFECTIVELY, UM, DEVELOPMENTS OF, OF, YOU KNOW, SMALL TO MEDIUM TO TO MODERATE TO LARGE.
OBVIOUSLY WE'LL BE IN THERE, BUT, BUT, UM, WE, THE GOAL WAS TO STEER CLEAR OF SINGLE FAMILY PROJECTS UNLESS THEY WERE, UH, LARGER SUBDIVISIONS, UM, GOING IN ALTOGETHER.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE ONE CAVEAT TO THAT.
SO THERE IS SOME DEPENDENCE ON, ON WHAT WAS ON THE SITE BEFORE.
WE DO SORT OF A, A, A NET CALCULATION THERE.
THERE'S, THERE'S QUITE A BIT THAT GOES INTO THAT.
IT'S, IT'S, UH, FAIRLY INVOLVED, BUT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT 10:00 PM PEAK HOUR TRIP THRESHOLD IS, UM, HAS TO BE SORT OF NEW TRIPS THAT ARE ADDED.
SO IF YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE, UH, BUILDING OUT A LOT THAT HAD A RESTAURANT AND YOU'RE JUST REPLACING THE RESTAURANT WITH A, AN EQUIVALENTLY SIZED RESTAURANT, YOU ACTUALLY WON'T GENERATE ANY NEW TRIPS.
SO YOU, YOU WOULD NOT, UM, GENERATE A STREET IMPACT FEE AND THAT, UM, INSTANCE.
SO JUST SOME SORT OF HELPFUL NUMBERS TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS DO ACTUALLY TRIGGER.
UM, SO IT'D BE ANYTHING ABOVE THESE NUMBERS HERE THAT I GO OVER.
AND AGAIN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, UM, GOOD SORT OF, UH, UH, GENERAL SORT OF NUMBERS HERE.
SO DON'T, DON'T TAKE THESE NECESSARILY AS GOSPEL, BUT, UM, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MID-RISE DEVELOPMENT, SO THAT'S, ANYTHING THAT'S A MULTIFAMILY, THAT'S BETWEEN FOUR, UM, AND 10 FLOORS, UM, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE SOME OF THOSE, MANY OF THOSE DOWNTOWN, UM, YOU WOULD NEED TO BASICALLY ADD, UH, 23 MORE UNITS TO, TO TRIGGER ANY SORT OF STREET IMPACT FEE.
UM, SO AGAIN, EVEN IN THAT INSTANCE, IT'S NOT ONE OR TWO OR FIVE OR, OR EVEN 10 UNITS, IT'S, IT, YOU, YOU DO HAVE TO DO A, A SUBSTANTIAL REDEVELOPMENT.
UM, HIGH-RISE, WHICH WE, WE CONSIDER TO BE ANYTHING ABOVE 11 FLOORS.
UM, MULTI-FAMILY DEVELOPMENTS THAT ARE, ARE IN THAT CATEGORY THERE, YOU CAN SEE HERE AT ABOUT 28 UNITS.
AGAIN, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE NET UNITS.
SO, UH, NET NEW, UM, UNITS ON THAT, ON THAT SITE WOULD, THAT WOULD TRIGGER, UH, A STREET IMPACT FEE FOR THAT ONE, RIGHT? AND THEN FOR AN OFFICE DEVELOPMENT, SOMETHING THAT'S, THAT'S APPROXIMATELY 9,000 SQUARE FEET, UM, AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 9,000 SQUARE FEET OR MORE, UH, THAT'S WHAT WOULD TRIGGER A STREET IMPACT FEE, UM, FOR THOSE TYPES OF DEVELOPMENTS.
UM, AS I, I BELIEVE I SAID IT EARLIER, BUT PROJECTS THAT, UM, STARTED THE, THE BUILDING PERMIT, THE PLAN REVIEW PROCESS, UM, IN JUNE OF 2022 OR LATER, AGAIN, WITHOUT THE PREVIOUS TIA, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE, UM, HAVE BEEN COLLECTING THE IMPACT FEES FOR.
AND AGAIN, NOW, UH, EVEN ONES WITH TIAS, THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE COLLECTING FOR.
UM, SO WE HAD TO, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL WAS REALLY NOT TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE THAT WERE ALREADY, ALREADY IN THE PROCESS.
UM, IF YOU HAD MADE A GOOD FAITH EFFORT TO CONTINUE WITH YOUR DEVELOPMENT, THE GOAL WAS NOT TO, UH, HOLD YOU UP AND WAS TO, OUR GOAL AT AT TPW AND A TD AT THE TIME WAS TO, UM, TRY TO MAKE THIS AS PAINLESS AS POSSIBLE.
[00:45:01]
UM, PROJECT, FOR A PLAN REVIEW WAS APPLIED, UH, WAS APPLIED FOR BEFORE JUNE OF 2022.UM, AND THEN AGAIN, THE TIA MEMO IN ORDER TO GET THAT EXTENDED GRACE PERIOD THAT WE'RE NOW OUT OF NEEDED TO BE, UH, DATED BEFORE THE PASSAGE OF THE ORDINANCE BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2028.
SO HERE ON THE LEFT, I KNOW THAT'S A, A, A LITTLE BIT OF A SMALL MAP.
AGAIN, THAT'S, UH, YOU CAN FIND A LARGER VERSION OF THAT ON OUR STREET IMPACT FEE WEBSITE, BUT THIS IS HOW THE CITY IS BROKEN UP INTO, UH, SERVICE AREAS.
THERE ARE, UM, A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT AREAS, AND THEY'RE ALL, YOU CAN SEE, THEY'RE ALL, UM, THE GOAL IS TO DIFFERENTIATE THEM BY EITHER, UH, YOU KNOW, LARGE ROADWAYS OR LARGE GEOGRAPHIC FEATURES LIKE TOWN LAKE, UM, THAT, THAT DELINEATES A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT ONES.
UH, THERE IS A DOWNTOWN SPECIFIC, UM, SERVICE AREA.
YOU CAN SEE THAT RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE IT SAYS DT.
UH, IT IS RELATIVELY SMALL, I BELIEVE THAT.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT, UM, I BELIEVE THAT ALIGNS FAIRLY WELL WITH MOST, UM, DEFINITIONS OF WHAT DOWNTOWN AREA WOULD BE.
UM, SO, UH, WE, PRIOR TO THE PASSAGE OF THE STREET IMPACT FEE ORDINANCE, UM, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, AT THE TIME, WE COLLECTED FEES IN LIEU.
UH, SO ANY LARGE DEVELOPMENT CAME IN AND DID A, A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS.
UM, WE WOULD THEN ASSESS WHAT THEIR IMPACT WAS IN THE NETWORK.
UH, IF THEY NEEDED TO, UH, CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS MITIGATIONS, WE WOULD, UM, REQUIRE THAT THEY DO THAT.
UM, AND SIF BASICALLY HAS REPLACED THAT PROCESS.
SO IF YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT, UH, WE NO LONGER REQUIRE FEE IN LIEU.
UM, WE, WE'VE MOVED COMPLETELY TO STREET IMPACT FEES AT THIS POINT.
UM, YOUR, THE OTHER SORT OF GOOD POINT TO MENTION IS THAT CIF CAN ACTUALLY BE REDUCED UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, BASED ON WHETHER YOU, UH, DEVELOPERS IS BUILDING CONSTRUCTION IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, WE HAVE A, UH, UH, A PLAN, A ROADWAY CAPACITY PLAN AT THE VERY BOTTOM THERE.
IT PRETTY WELL ALIGNS WITH THE A SMP.
UM, THE GOAL WAS TO MAKE THAT VERY SIMILAR.
UM, BUT BASICALLY IF YOU'RE WILLING TO CONSTRUCT PART OR, OR WHOLE, UH, YOU KNOW, WHOLE PART OF THE PROJECT, UH, WITHIN THE A SMP, UH, WE WILL GIVE, UH, A DEVELOPER A REDUCTION UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR COSTS, UH, FROM STREET IMPACT FEES.
UM, AGAIN, THAT, THAT ALSO PLAYS IN WITH, YOU KNOW, UM, DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE PREVIOUSLY PAID FEE IN LIEU OR, OR OTHER TYPES OF PAYMENTS.
WE, WE DON'T WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, SORT OF DOUBLE CHARGE SOMEBODY.
UH, SO WE'LL GIVE THEM, UM, REDUCTIONS AND, AND OFFSETS IS WHAT WE CALL THEM.
THERE IS ALSO, UM, A REDUCTION THAT YOU CAN GET FOR AFFORDABILITY.
SO THE, THE REQUIREMENTS, UH, CAN GET INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT, UM, FOR AFFORDABLE UNITS, UH, WE WILL GIVE YOU BASICALLY A REDUCTION, AGAIN, UP TO A HUNDRED PERCENT, UM, IF YOU MEET THE AFFORDABILITY, UH, REQUIREMENTS THERE.
UM, SO CIF REDUCTIONS, ESPECIALLY BUILT IMPROVEMENTS, THEY'RE CAPTURED VIA OFFSET AGREEMENT.
SO AN OFFSET AGREEMENT IS JUST A, AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE CITY AND, UM, A DEVELOPER SAYING, HEY, WE AGREE WITH HOW MUCH YOU ARE SPENDING ON YOUR PROJECTS.
UM, AND WE AGREE TO REDUCE, YOU KNOW, YOUR IMPACT FEE BY, BY AN EQUIVALENT AMOUNT.
SO IF YOU'RE WILLING TO BUILD SOMETHING, WE'RE, WE'RE WILLING TO REDUCE THE FEE THAT YOU PAY US.
UM, AN IMPORTANT PART ABOUT THE SERVICE AREAS IS THAT MONEY CANNOT TRANSFER OR CANNOT GO ACROSS SERVICE AREA BOUNDARIES.
SO IF YOU COLLECT, IF WE COLLECT A STREET IMPACT FEE FOR THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UM, FOR, YOU KNOW, SERVICE AREA E ANYTHING LIKE THAT, YOU, YOU CAN'T CHANGE MONEY IN BETWEEN.
SO IF, UM, THE DOWNTOWN AREA ENDS UP, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE END UP BEING A LOT OF PROJECTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA THAT PAY FAIRLY LARGE FEES, UH, THOSE MONIES CAN'T BE TRANSFERRED TO I OR, OR O OR ANY OF THESE OTHER SERVICE AREAS.
THEY NEED TO STAY DOWNTOWN AND, AND FOR SPECIFIC PROJECTS DOWNTOWN.
UM, SO YEAH, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT WE COULD SAY ABOUT THAT, BUT THE GOAL IS TO KEEP THEM, UM, GEOGRAPHICALLY CLOSE TO WHERE THEY WERE COLLECTED, UH, AND FOR THOSE DEVELOPMENTS OR FOR THE, FOR THE NETWORK AROUND THEM.
UM, AND SO AGAIN, UH, SIF PAYMENTS ARE NOT EARMARKED.
UM, SO HISTORICALLY YOU MIGHT HAVE HEARD THAT IF WE COLLECTED MONEY FOR SPECIFIC MITIGATIONS, THOSE, UM, THOSE MONIES WERE, WERE HAD TO STAY AND BE BUILT AND BE SPENT, UH, FOR THOSE IMPROVEMENTS SPECIFICALLY.
[00:50:01]
UH, STREET IMPACT FEES, REALLY THE, THE MAIN REQUIREMENT IS THAT THEY HAVE TO STAY IN THE SERVICE AREA THEY WERE COLLECTED IN, AND THEN THEY HAVE TO BE USED FOR, UH, WHAT'S CALLED, YOU KNOW, A ROADWAY CAPACITY PLAN.THEY HAVE TO BE USED FOR A PROJECT ON THERE.
UM, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER STIPULATIONS MOSTLY BY THE STATE, UM, AND HOW WE USE THOSE FEES AND HOW WE EXPEND THOSE FEES.
BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO GET INTO THAT IF, IF ANY OF Y'ALL ARE INTERESTED.
SO WE HAVE PRODUCED, UM, A CIF GUIDELINES.
IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY MEANT TO BE A HELP FOR DEVELOPERS, HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND, UM, HOW MUCH THEY, THEY COULD EXPECT TO, TO PAY, OBVIOUSLY WHEN THEY'RE WORKING ON FINANCING AND FUNDING FOR A PROJECT.
UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT REMOVED FROM WHEN YOU ACTUALLY, UH, GET AN INVOICE FOR A STREET IMPACT FEE.
UM, SO OUR GOAL IS TO HELP THEM BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE NUMBER THAT THEY WOULD LIKELY NEED TO PAY, UM, AS, AS EARLY IN THE PROCESS AS POSSIBLE SO THAT THERE ARE, THERE ARE NOT SURPRISES, UM, AND, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT CAUGHT OFF GUARD.
UM, SO WE'VE ALSO PROVIDED ORDINANCE INFORMATION THAT, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCE IS A, IS A, A CODE, UH, DOCUMENT.
AND, AND SO WE'VE TRIED TO MAKE THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE ABSORBABLE, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR PEOPLE THAT WE WORK WITH IN THE PUBLIC AT LARGE.
UM, WE ALSO GO INTO OFFSETS, WHAT, WHAT SORT OF CONSTRUCTION ITEMS CAN BE COUNTED TO REDUCE A CIF AND WHAT CAN'T.
THERE ARE ACTUALLY SPECIFIC, UM, RULES BOTH SET IN THE ORDINANCE AND ALSO SET IN STATE LAW.
UM, SO WE TRY TO CLARIFY THAT AS WELL WITH FOLKS, UH, BEFORE THEY GET TOO FAR DOWN THAT PATH.
AND WE ALSO DO, UM, SPEAK TO DIFFERENT REDUCTIONS THAT, THAT ARE BUILT INTO THE, THE SCF ORDINANCE AS WELL.
SO WE DO HAVE REDUCTIONS ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING.
I, I SPOKE TO THAT A LITTLE BIT.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE INTERNAL TRIP CAPTURE, WHICH IS BASICALLY A, A, YOU KNOW, A WAY TO INCENTIVIZE MIXED USE.
UH, YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE, UH, MUELLER, UM, SOMEBODY'S GONNA GO EAT AND THEN POTENTIALLY GO TO A PARK OR, AND, OR A MOVIE OR, OR LIVE THERE.
THOSE ARE ALL PEOPLE THAT HAVEN'T HAD TO LEAVE THE, THE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO THE GOAL IS TO INCENTIVIZE MIXED USE DEVELOPMENT AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, WE ALSO GIVE REDUCTIONS FOR PROXIMITY TO HIGH CAPACITY TRANSIT, UM, SO, YOU KNOW, BUS LINES THAT HAVE, UM, LOW HEADWAYS AND HAVE, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE, UH, EXTENSIVE SERVICE.
WE WANT TO GIVE, UM, REDUCTIONS FOR THAT AS WELL SO THAT, UM, WE CAN INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO BUILD IN THOSE AREAS AND, AND HELP WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN PARKING REDUCTIONS IS ANOTHER ONE.
SO AGAIN, IN, IN AN EFFORT TO INCENTIVIZE REDUCING THE AVAILABLE PARKING THAT A DEVELOPER PROVIDES, UH, WE, WE GIVE A, A REDUCTION FOR THAT AS WELL.
UM, SO, AND THEN THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS DASHBOARD, I SPEAK TO THAT HERE AS WELL.
UH, LIKE I SAID, IT'S ON OUR WEBSITE AND, AND GETS UPDATED ABOUT ONCE A MONTH.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S RELATIVELY REAL TIME WITH COLLECTIONS WE'VE ACTUALLY BROUGHT IN AND, AND, UH, INVOICES THAT ARE STILL OUTSTANDING.
AND SO HERE, THESE WERE A COUPLE OF THE, THE LINKS THAT I TALKED ABOUT ON THE TOP THERE IS OUR, OUR STREET IMPACT FEE WEBSITE.
UM, YOU CAN REACH OUT TO US, ANYBODY, UM, ME AND MY TEAM, UM, MONITOR THIS STREET IMPACT FEE@AUSTINTEXAS.GOV, UM, EMAIL ACCOUNT.
UM, SO IF THERE'S SPECIFIC QUESTIONS WE CAN, UM, WE CAN DISCUSS THOSE IF THOSE COME UP.
UM, AND THEN THE VERY BOTTOM THERE IS OUR, IS THE DASHBOARD THAT I WAS SPEAKING TO A COUPLE TIMES, UM, THAT SHOWS, YOU KNOW, MONEY THAT'S COME IN AND MONEY THAT'S GONE OUT.
I THINK IT'S, YEAH, THAT WAS IT.
I, I KNOW COMMISSIONER LEVINSON HAS A QUESTION FOR YOU.
I WAS WONDERING WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU ALLOWED TO SPEND THE STREET IMPACT FEES ARE IN A GIVEN AREA? WHAT OTHER THAN SAY BUILDING AFFORDABLE HOUSING OR WHATEVER, WHAT ARE YOU ALLOWED TO DO WITHOUT MONEY? SORRY, YOU MEAN THE COLLECTED MONEY, THE COLLECT, THE COLLECT THE COLLECTED MONEY.
WHEN THE CITY COLLECTS MONEY AND LET'S CALL IT THE DOWNTOWN AREA AND THE MONEY HAS TO BE SPENT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, WHAT ARE THE RULES ABOUT WHAT IT GETS SPENT ON? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
SO, UM, THE ROADWAY CAPACITY PLAN IS EFFECTIVELY, UM, THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION.
ANY PROJECT WITHIN THE ROADWAY CAPACITY PLAN, UH, CAN BE BUILT.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, BUT IT, IT NEEDS TO BE STATE LAW DICTATES THAT THAT MONEY IS SPENT ON CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, I'M NOT A LAWYER AND SO I DON'T TRY TO INTERPRET WHAT EXACTLY CAPACITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE, BUT,
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UM, THE IDEA IS THAT THE AEROBIC CAPACITY PLAN ALIGNS WITH, UM, AREAS OF NEED THAT THAT WE AT TPW KNOW, UM, NEW, BIGGER PROJECTS ARE NEEDED TO, TO JUST ADDRESS CAPACITY ISSUES THAT EXIST.SO, UM, THE IDEA IS THAT A DEVELOPER IS PAYING FOR THE, THE INCREASED INTENSITY IN AN AREA BY PAYING TOWARDS THOSE IMPROVEMENTS IN THE ROADWAY CAPACITY PLAN.
SO THINGS LIKE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AND LPIS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, YOU KNOW, UM, THERE'S DIFFERENT CORRIDORS THAT ARE IN THERE.
SOME OF THEM ALIGNED WITH BOND CORRIDOR PROJECTS.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY INTERSECTIONS, SIGNALIZATION, UM, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
OTHER COMMISSIONERS, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
UM, SO I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE TRANSIT, UM, DEDUCTION, OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT? MAKES SENSE TO HAVE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT WAS IN THE ORIGINAL, UM, STREET IMPACT FEE, UH, ORDINANCE.
UM, BUT I REMEMBER WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH AT THE TIME THINKING, WELL, THERE ARE A LOT OF AREAS THAT HAVE A LOT OF TRANSIT DOWNTOWN BEING ONE OF THEM, WHERE A LOT SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE PROPERTIES THAT, UH, WOULD FALL WITHIN, YOU KNOW, THE CATCHMENT OF A A QUARTER MILE OF A HIGH FREQUENCY TRANSIT ROUTE.
UM, HAVE YOU NOTICED THAT IMPACTING ANY PARTICULAR AREAS DOWNTOWN OR OTHERWISE HAVING LESS FUNDS OVERALL THAN ANY OTHER PART? UH, INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, UM, NOT IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS ONE OF OUR, ONE OF THE AREAS WE'VE COLLECTED THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF FEES IN.
THAT'S REAL MONEY THAT'S ACTUALLY COME IN.
UM, I SUSPECT THAT THAT IS DUE TO, UH, THE FACT THAT BIGGER PROJECTS END UP BEING BUILT DOWNTOWN.
AS, AS A PROJECT INCREASES IN SIZE AND INTENSITY, UM, SO TO ITS IMPACT FEE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I'VE GOT TWO.
UM, WHEN ARE THE FEES INVOICED AND WHEN ARE THEY COLLECTED? THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
SO IN AN EFFORT TO HELP, UM, DEVELOPERS, LIKE I SAID, NOT, NOT SORT OF BE TAKEN UNAWARE OR, OR, UH, NOT SORT OF SEE THEM COMING, OUR PRACTICE IS THAT WE, UM, ISSUE WHAT WE CALL A FORMAL SIF CALCULATIONS.
SO, UM, IT'S MEANT TO BE A VERY GOOD ESTIMATE.
UH, AND WE DO THAT AT THE TIME OF SITE PLAN OR SUBDIVISION.
SO WE, WE GIVE, UH, A DEVELOPER THE SAME CALCULATED WORKSHEET THAT WE USE TO ACTUALLY DETERMINE THEIR FEE.
UM, WE DO THAT AS EARLY IN THE PROCESS AS WE CAN.
SO THAT IS, WE GIVE THEM SORT OF A HEADS UP.
THAT'S NOT WHAT'S INVOICED FROM, BUT THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS IF, IF NOTHING CHANGES WITH YOUR PROPOSAL, THIS IS WHAT YOUR IMPACT FEE WOULD BE AND THIS IS WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT.
SO WE DO THAT AT THE TIME OF SITE PLAN AND OR SUBDIVISION, DEPENDING ON THE TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT THEN STATE LAW DICTATES THAT WE INVOICE AND THEN ACTUALLY COLLECT FEES AT THE TIME OF BUILDING PERMIT.
SO FUNCTIONALLY WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT FOLKS WILL APPLY FOR THEIR PLAN REVIEW, THEIR BUILDING PERMIT.
UM, WE WILL, ONE OF THE ENGINEERS ON OUR TEAM WILL RUN A, A CALCULATION BASED ON WHAT THEY'RE PROPOSING AND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET A BUILDING PERMIT FOR.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL ISSUE A FEE BASED ON THAT.
UH, IN THIS, PERHAPS, ALTHOUGH PROJECTS CHANGE PARTICULARLY LARGE PROJECTS CAN CHANGE WITH SOME FREQUENCY, BUT OBVIOUSLY WITH THE CHANGE IN ECONOMY, UH, THE CHANGE IN USE OF PROPERTIES, ET CETERA, WE'RE SEEING DEALS FALL APART AND IT COULD BE AFTER THE PERMIT PHASE AND AFTER THE FUNDS ARE COLLECTED.
IF A PROJECT CHANGES IN SCOPE THAT WOULD CHANGE THE, THE SIP CALCULATION, OR IF THE PROJECT GOES DEFUNCT AND STOPS COMPLETELY, WHAT HAPPENS TO THOSE FUNDS? YEAH, THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION.
THE IDEA IS THAT, UH, WHAT WE WILL REQUIRE IS THAT THE BUILDING PERMIT NEEDS TO EITHER BE WITHDRAWN, UH, IT'S A FORMAL, YOU KNOW, WITHDRAWAL PROCESS OR NEEDS TO HAVE EXPIRED.
UM, EFFECTIVELY MAKING IT SO THAT SOMEBODY CANNOT BUILD ON THAT BUILDING PERMIT.
UM, AND ONCE THAT HAPPENS, UH, WE WOULD, WE'RE HAPPY TO, TO RECALCULATE IF SOMETHING CHANGES.
UM, AND IF NECESSARY, WE'LL WE'LL ABSOLUTELY GIVE A REFUND OR OF ALL, OR PART OF THE MONEY, UM, BASED ON NEW DESIGNS AND NEW PLANS.
HAVE, AGAIN, THIS IS PROJECTING SOME
[01:00:01]
OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR COMMERCIAL MARKET, BUT HAVE WE EVER HAD FUNDS TIED UP IN BANKRUPTCY COURT? UH, NO.SO WE HAVE HAD A FEW FOLKS COME AND, UM, DISPUTE FUNDS, BUT NONE IN BANKRUPTCY THAT I'M AWARE OF.
WELL, WE MAY SEE MORE BANKRUPTCIES, BANKRUPTCIES AND FORECLOSURE.
SO I JUST, I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THAT FROM A PERS FROM ONE PERSPECTIVE, BECAUSE IT'S FUNDS, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO RETURN TO A TRUSTEE OR TO THE APPLICANT AT SOME POINT, SO.
UH, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NATHAN, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UH, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT I THINK THE COMMISSION WANTED TO HEAR FOR SOME TIME NOW, AND SO WE DO APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT TO US.
THAT CONCLUDES OUR ITEMS TODAY.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
MOVE TO ADJOURNMENT, WE'VE GOT FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THEY WANT TO BRING TO ATTENTION? I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE DOWNTOWN PLAN.I REALLY WISH SOMEBODY WOULD COME AND PRESENT ON WHAT EXACTLY IT ENTAILS AND WHETHER IT'S COMPLETELY EXPIRED NOW OR NOT, NOT WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING ON THAT.
THAT'S MY MAIN THING, IS THAT I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN.
YEAH, THAT'S, YOU NEED TO HANG ON A NEW ONE TONIGHT.
LIKE RIGHT NOW, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT, THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY SCHEDULED TO COME ON IN JUNE.
IN JUNE FOR A JUNE 26TH MEETING.
AND THAT, THAT'S A NICE REMINDER THAT OUR MEETING IN JUNE WILL NOT BE, UH, WHEN IT NORMALLY IS SCHEDULED, IT WILL BE THE FOLLOWING WEEK AND YOU'LL GET A REMINDER FROM STAFF.
UH, I BELIEVE THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS WILL BE GOING THROUGH, OR CITY HALL SOMETHING WILL BE GOING THROUGH A REMODEL.
AND SO WE ARE DOING OUR MEETING, WE ARE HAVING OUR MEETING THE FOLLOWING WEEK, SO, UH, ADJUST YOUR CALENDARS ACCORDINGLY, BUT I DIDN'T WANT TO, I DID WANT, BUT IT WILL BE HERE, IT WON'T BE LIKE UP AT THE, UH, THAT'S, WE, IT'LL BE ON JUNE 26TH.
SO THE WEDNESDAY JUST A WEEK LATER.
BUT NOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LOCATION, LOCATION.
WILL IT STILL BE THE PLANNING, THE PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER, SO IT WILL NOT BE IN DOWNTOWN? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT.
IT'S GONNA BE LIKE UP OF THE WILHELM DELCO.
AND THE REASON FOR IS THAT THIS COMMISSION IS, UH, ONE OF THOSE RARE COMMISSIONS THAT ACTUALLY DOES, UH, HAVE BOTH COULD HAVE AUDIO AND, UH, AS WELL AS VIDEO AND VERY FEW PLACES IN THE CITY ARE CAPABLE OF, OF THOSE REQUIREMENTS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD IT ON MY CALENDAR THAT THAT'S WHERE IT WAS AND WHEN IT WAS, BUT I WANTED TO BE SURE NOTHING HAD CHANGED.
AND ONE THING I JUST, I WANT TO SAY, UH, AND THIS HAS TO DO WITH OUR LIAISONS.
UH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER IS INCREDIBLY KNOWLEDGEABLE AND, UH, ON TRANSPORTATION ISSUES, AND HE'S ALWAYS APPRECIATED AND ALWAYS BRINGS, UH, HIS FULL GAME TO THE COMMISSION MEETINGS, WHICH IS VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
IT IS WHY HAVING OUR LIAISONS TO THE DIFFERENT COMMISSIONS IS SO IMPORTANT.
AND I'M SORRY, OUR, SOME OF OUR OTHER LIAISONS COULDN'T MAKE IT TONIGHT, BUT EACH OF THEM BRINGS VALUABLE INSIGHT TO THIS COMMISSION.
IT IS ALWAYS HELPFUL IN THE THINGS THAT WE DO.
UH, SO COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.
WITH THAT EXCUSE, IF THERE'S NO MORE EXCUSE ME.
CHAIR, IF I CAN LIKE, HAVE A COUPLE QUICK LITTLE YES MA'AM.
UM, JUST, UH, FOR, FOR JUNE, AND THIS IS KIND OF A, A ENCOURAGEMENT JUST KIND OF PULLING, UH, YOU KNOW, DRAWING UPON WHAT YOU ARE SAYING AND TO THE COMMISSIONERS WHO WE REALLY VALUE HERE THAT THE OFFICER ELECTIONS, UM, WOULD NEED TO BE HELD IN JUNE AND ACTUALLY HAVE ACTION TAKEN, UM, PER THE, PER THE CLERK'S OFFICE.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE DELAYED ACTION.
SO WE'VE JUST ENCOURAGED THAT TO OCCUR IN JUNE.
AND THE LAST THING IS THAT, UM, THERE MAY BE A DESIRE, I JUST SUGGEST THAT IT COULD BE GOOD FOR THE JUNE AS TO HAVE A, A CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE THE ANNUAL INTERNAL REPORTS ARE DUE AT THE END OF JUNE.
THIS IS AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT BEGINS JULY OF COMMISSION ACTIVITY THAT BEGINS FROM JULY 1ST THROUGH JUNE 30TH OF EACH YEAR.
UM, AND SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IS ON, UH, LISTING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES FOR THE NEW YEAR.
SO, UM, I THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING GOOD TO THINK ABOUT FOR THE JUNE AGENDA.
I, I DO THINK THAT, UH, BASED ON INPUT FROM COMMISSIONERS OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, UH, THAT THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN
[01:05:01]
AND, UH, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S ON TRACK AND THAT WE HAVE THOROUGHLY DISCUSSED, IT IS GOING TO BE ONE OF THE PRIMARY ACTION ITEMS FOR THE COMING YEAR.THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS.
IT IS NOW 6:38 PM ON MAY 15TH AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION STANDS IN ADJOURNMENT.