[00:00:01]
[CALL TO ORDER]
I'M SUSAN SUMMERS CHAIR OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.UH, IT'S TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3RD, 2024 AT, UH, 5:05 PM WE'RE HERE IN AUSTIN CITY HALL AT 3 0 1 WEST SECOND STREET.
UM, SO I WILL CALL THIS MEETING OUR REGULARLY SCHEDULED DECEMBER MEETING TO ORDER.
[PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL]
OUR FIRST AGENDA ITEM IS, UH, PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.UH, SO THE FIRST, UH, SPEAKERS SIGNED UP PRIOR TO THE MEETING.
10 SPEAKERS, UH, ARE ALLOWED TO A THREE MINUTE ALLOTMENT TO ADDRESS CONCERNS REGARDING ITEMS NOT POSTED ON THE AGENDA.
AND I DO THINK WE HAVE, UH, ONE SPEAKER HERE, SANTIAGO, WOULD YOU KINDLY JOIN US THERE AT THE MICROPHONES? THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT TODAY.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND YOUR SERVICE.
UM, I, I'VE BEEN REALLY FRUSTRATED LATELY.
I'VE BEEN ATTEMPTING TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF TEETH THIS BODY HAS WITH REGARDS TO, UH, SHAPING POLICY FOR THE CITY.
UH, IN PARTICULAR WHAT, UH, EFFECT IT HAS FOR, I GUESS, LIKE, UM, SUBPOENA, UH, FOR GETTING DEPARTMENT, UH, STAFF OR CITY STAFF TO SHOW UP AND GIVE PRESENTATIONS.
UM, AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A LOT OF RESPONSE OR, OR CLARITY ON THAT.
UM, AND, AND WHAT FOLLOWS UNDER THIS PURVIEW OF THIS, UM, THIS BODY IN PARTICULAR IS THE I 35 EXPANSION.
UM, AND SOMETHING THAT HAS BEEN SORT OF EXHAUSTIVELY EXPLORED THROUGH, UM, UH, STEVE AUSTIN IN TERMS OF RESPONSES.
UM, SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN LIKE REALLY, UH, DISCOURAGING FOR ME IS THE STEPPING BACK OF THE PARKS AND RIGHT DEPARTMENT, UH, DIRECTOR, AS WELL AS THE, UH, WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, UH, DIRECTOR, UM, IN LIEU OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT THAT WAS RELEASED BY T TXDOT AND SPECIFICALLY, UH, DOWNSTREAM EFFECTS OF, UM, URBAN TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
UM, IN PARTICULAR, UH, 25 FOOT DIAMETER, UM, STORM WATER TUNNEL THAT IS GOING INTO THE COLORADO RIVER WITH NO GUARANTEES, UH, NO COLLABORATION WITH, UH, CITY OF AUSTIN OR, UM, TRANSPARENCY, VISIBILITY OF, UH, HOW TO, UH, MITIGATE FIRST FLUSH EFFECTS, WHICH IS POLLUTION THAT IS GETTING WASHED INTO CURRENTLY.
THERE IS NO MITIGATION AND, UH, DISSOLVED OXYGEN, SO THERE'S NO DAY LIGHTING ON THIS WATER THAT IS GONNA JUST BE DUMPED IN THE COLORADO RIVER.
WHAT IMPACT THAT'S GONNA HAVE ON THE ECOLOGY.
UM, I SPOKE WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ENVIRONMENTALISTS FROM TXDOT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND THEY WERE SAYING THAT THE RIVER'S ALREADY, UH, NUKED, UM, SO THAT THEY'RE NOT REALLY TOO CONCERNED.
UM, SO I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND HOW THIS BODY CAN, UM, BRING MORE INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC.
UH, UM, AND I KNOW THAT IT'S A STATE DEPARTMENT.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SORT OF SHOW UP HERE AS ACCOUNTABILITY AND, UM, SURFACE THAT AND, UH, CONTINUE TO, UM, SOLICIT COLLABORATION.
IF THERE'S ANYONE HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ME, I KNOW YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO RESPOND.
UM, I WILL BE SENDING OUT AN EMAIL, UH, WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK.
SO I'D APPRECIATE IF ANYONE THAT IS INTERESTED TO FOLLOW UP WITH ME.
UM, YEAH, AND WE ARE DEFINITELY ALLOWED TO ASK QUESTIONS OF YOU, SO, UH, I WOULD DEFINITELY, UM, UH, AND WE CAN ALSO, WE, WE CAN RESPOND TO SOME OF YOUR QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF CALLING, UH, FOLKS OUT TO THE COMMISSION.
I DON'T KNOW IF SUBPOENA PROBABLY ISN'T THE CORRECT LEGAL TERM.
BUT, UM, WE DEFINITELY CAN REQUEST A PRESENTATION FROM ANYONE.
WE CAN REQUEST IT FROM CAMPO, TEXAS.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE CITY OF AUSTIN CAT.
WE HAVE CAP METRO, UH, PRESENTING TO US TODAY.
SO WE CAN REQUEST PRESENTATIONS FROM ANY, YOU KNOW, AFFILIATED, UM, GOVERNMENT BODY THAT'S WORKING ON TRANSPORTATION IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S APPROPRIATE FOR US TO DO.
THERE WERE A SERIES, UM, IT'S BEEN SOME TIME SINCE THIS BODY PASSED A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT I 35, BUT THERE WERE A SERIES OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WE DID PASS, INCLUDING THE ONE THAT, THE, THE THIRD ONE THAT WE PASSED.
I'LL HAVE TO CHECK THE DATE ON IT.
I THINK IT WAS MAYBE DECEMBER, 2022 WHERE WE SAID, JUST STOP, DON'T STOP THIS PROCESS.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, SO, UM, I AM DEFINITELY OPEN TO, TO CALLING TDOT OUT TO SPEAK TO US AGAIN IN, IN THIS VENUE FOR FOR SURE.
I DUNNO IF ANY OF OUR OTHER COMMISSIONERS, UH, HAVE QUESTIONS FOR OUR SPEAKER, DEFINITELY OPEN TO THAT.
I, I WAS JUST GONNA RESPOND THAT THE LIAISON FOR ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION, UH, TAGGED ME IN AN EMAIL AND SAID THAT TEXDOT DECLINED TO GIVE THEM A PRESENTATION, UM, SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE THEY'D ALREADY GIVEN A PRESENTATION TO MOBILITY COMMISSION.
UM, AND THEY FELT THAT IT WAS REDUNDANT.
UM, SO YEAH, WE DO, SOMETIMES WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO THE WORD SUBPOENA.
WE DON'T HAVE THE POWER TO FORCE ANYONE TO PRESENT TO US.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALSO DISCUSS THINGS WITHOUT THEM BEING PRESENT.
WE, WE CAN DISCUSS I 35 OR PASS A RECOMMENDATION ON I 35, REGARDLESS OF ANY STAFF FROM T DOT ATTEND, WE CAN STILL PASS OUR OWN RECOMMENDATION
[00:05:01]
ON THAT IF WE WANT IT TO.NOW, WHETHER THEY LISTEN TO IT MAY BE ANOTHER MATTER.
UM, COMMISSIONERS, WE, WE TRULY APPRECIATE YOU COMING OUT TODAY.
UM, JIM DALE, DEPUTY DIRECTOR FOR TRANSPORTATION IN PUBLIC WORKS.
HAVE YOU HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH OUR WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT? BECAUSE THERE HAS BEEN COORDINATION, THEY HAVE BEEN COORDINATED WITH TXDOT ON WATER QUALITY FEATURES AS PART OF THAT DRAINAGE TUNNEL AND THE DISCHARGE INTO THE, UM, THE RIVER.
THERE MAY NOT BE AT THE STANDARDS THAT YOU'D LIKE TO SEE, BUT AT LEAST THERE'S SOME FOLKS THERE YOU CAN TALK WITH TO GET SOME ADDITIONAL DETAILS.
UH, YEAH, AND I HAD GOTTEN A RESPONSE FROM THEM THAT THERE WAS NO FUNDING FOR RETENTION OR DETENTION POND.
AND THAT THE, UH, THE FACILITY THAT IS, UH, DEFUNCT, UH, DOWN RIVER, THAT'S JUST NEAR, UM, THE 180 3 CROSSING IS A POTENTIAL, UH, USE, BUT IT'S, UH, YEAH, FUNDING CAN, CAN, UM, CAN I STEP OUTSIDE AND GET YOUR CONTACT INFORMATION AND THEN I CAN PUT YOU IN TOUCH WITH THE RIGHT FOLKS? CERTAINLY.
UM, I ACTUALLY, UH, REALIZED THAT I WAS SO EXCITED HERE FROM YOU THAT I FORGOT TO TAKE ROLE.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS I WANNA REMIND, UM, OUR, UH, ATTENDEES, OUR VIRTUAL ATTENDEES, PLEASE DO, UH, SEND AN EMAIL TO, UM, ANDRE, UM, WHO'S RUNNING OUR MEETING TODAY.
WE NEED YOU TO DO THAT TO REGISTER THAT YOU'RE ATTENDING.
AND WHETHER YOU'RE RECUSING ON ANY ITEMS, IF YOU'RE NOT ATTENDING IN PERSON, IT'S A VITAL IMPORTANCE THAT YOU DO EMAIL AT THE START OF THE MEETING TO A REGISTER THAT YOU'RE HERE AND WHETHER OR NOT YOU'RE RECUSING ON ANY ITEMS. UM, I THINK EVERYBODY'S SIGNING IN.
I, I GUESS I'M JUST GONNA RUN THROUGH THE ATTENDANCE REALLY QUICKLY 'CAUSE I'VE LEARNED THROUGH EXAMPLE THAT THIS CAN BE A GOOD THING TO DO.
UH, COMMISSIONER JACOBSON? HERE.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER? HERE.
UH, SORRY I DID THAT SLIGHTLY OUT OF ORDER.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Urban Transportation Commission REGULAR MEETING on November 12, 2024. ]
UM, ITEM ONE, WHICH IS APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.UM, REGULAR MEETING FROM NOVEMBER 12TH, 2024.
IT'S IN YOUR PACKET IF YOU'RE HERE IN PERSON AS WELL.
UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION? I'LL MOVE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES.
UM, AND THEN I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO AMEND.
UM, I JUST THINK IT, UH, MIGHT BE HELPFUL TO HAVE THE NAMES OF THE PEOPLE IN THE WORKING GROUP, JUST SO SPECIFICALLY FOR ME.
I DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE VIDEO AND REMEMBER WHO IT IS LATER.
SO THE MOTION TO AMEND WILL BE IN BETWEEN WORKING GROUP AND THE PERIOD ON NUMBER FOUR IN THE FIRST SENTENCE, ADDING CONSISTING OF COMMISSIONERS, SCHUMACHER, CAVEMAN ALVAREZ, AND SUMMERS CONSISTING OF COMMISSIONERS, SCHUMACHER, CAVEMAN ALVAREZ, AND SUMMERS.
UH, LET'S TAKE A QUICK VOTE ON THE, AND WELL, IF THERE'S ANY DISCUSSION, BUT TAKE A QUICK VOTE ON AMENDING, UH, THE AMENDMENT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY, AYE, THAT'S UNANIMOUS OF THOSE IN ATTENDANCE.
THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE MINUTES.
ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS OR DISCUSSION? OKAY, GREAT.
ALL IN FAVOR OF PROVING THE NOVEMBER 12TH, 20, 24 MINUTES AS AMENDED.
THAT IS UNANIMOUS OF THOSE PRESENT.
THAT TAKES US INTO OUR, UM, DISCUSSION
[2. Discussion on CapMetro Rapid Line Update ]
ITEMS. UH, UH, FIRST IS ITEM TWO, WHICH IS A DISCUSSION ON THE CAP METRO RAPID LINE UPDATE.AND WE HAVE UPDATED PRESENTER.
OUR PRESENTER WILL BE JORDAN MCGEE.
SO I'LL CALL, UH, MS. MCGEE UP TO SEE US.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME TODAY.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SHARE, UM, SOME UPDATES ON OUR CAP METRO RAPID AND A LOOK AT OUR UPCOMING NEW SERVICES.
I'M A PLANNER WITH CAP METRO, AND WE ALSO HAVE A FEW OTHER CAP METRO STAFF HERE TODAY WHO MAY BE ASSISTING WITH QUESTIONS.
UM, SO GIVING A, A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF OUR UPCOMING NEW SERVICES TO
[00:10:01]
START US OFF, UM, CAT METRO TYPICALLY, UM, MAKES SERVICE CHANGES EVERY SPRING, SUMMER, AND FALL TO REALLY RESPOND TO ANY CHANGES IN THE CITY, UH, AND IMPROVE OUR SERVICES.THE UPCOMING BOARD APPROVED SERVICE CHANGE AND SPRING OF 2025 REPRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT SERVICE CHANGES, UH, CAP METRO HAS PROPOSED IN SEVERAL YEARS, UH, AND WILL CREATE BRAND NEW AND IMPORTANT TRANSIT CONNECTIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THE SERVICE CHANGE FEATURES TWO NEW KE METRO RAPID LINES, AS WELL AS A NEW PICKUP, UH, ZONE IN THE DECKER AND COLONY PARK AREA.
UM, ALL OF WHICH ARE PROJECT CONNECT INVESTMENTS.
UM, SO AS A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THESE SERVICES, UM, AND WE'LL WALK THROUGH, UH, IN MORE DETAILS THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM IS PICKUP DECKER, WHICH WILL START ON MONDAY, JANUARY 13TH.
THIS, UM, WILL BE A BRAND NEW PICKUP ZONE, OUR 12TH ZONE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE REGION, AND SERVE AS A CRITICAL FIRST MILE LAST MILE CONNECTION TO ONE OF OUR UPCOMING NEW RAPID LINES RAPID EIGHT 30, UH, 8 37 EXPO CENTER.
AND THIS IS A SEVEN SQUARE MILE ZONE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN, UM, SHOWN AS A BLUE POLYGON, UM, IN THE, IN THE NORTH, UH, EASTERN AREA ON THE MAP.
AND THIS WILL PROVIDE INCREASED ACCESS TO THE BUS NETWORK AND MANY KEY DESTINATIONS THROUGH THE REGION.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE ALL HANDS ON DECK EFFORT, UM, TO LAUNCH AND INTRODUCE, UM, RAPID 800 PLEASANT VALLEY AND RAPID 8 37 EXPO CENTER.
WE ARE WORKING TO BEGIN SERVICE, UM, ON THESE LINES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
ONCE THE NECESSARY INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICE AND OPERATIONS, UM, TESTING ARE COMPLETE.
WE ANTICIPATE THIS TO BE, UM, IN THE SPRING UNTIL TODAY, WE'LL DISCUSS, UH, IN MORE DETAIL WHAT THIS INITIAL SERVICE WILL LOOK LIKE AND THE SUBSEQUENT FURTHER, UM, ENHANCEMENTS IN 2026.
UM, SO LOOKING AT THE MAP HERE IN MORE DETAIL, UM, REVIEWING WHERE THE ROUTES SPECIFICALLY GO.
UM, RAPID 8 37 EXPO CENTER, UM, SHOWN THERE IN PURPLE IN THE NORTHERN PART.
UH, WE'LL START IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN, NEAR THE EXPO CENTER AREA WHERE WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF CONSTRUCTING A BRAND NEW PARK AND RIDE.
THE LINE WILL TRAVEL ON LOYOLA LANE, UH, REACHING THE LBJ HIGH SCHOOL AREA, SPRINGDALE SHOPPING CENTER, MUELLER AND UT IN DOWNTOWN, WHERE IT'LL UTILIZE, UH, BRAND NEW, UH, TRANSIT PRIORITY LANES WITH SAN JACINTO, UH, AND TRINITY.
AND YOU CAN SEE THOSE TODAY AND SEE THAT THAT BENEFIT, UM, THAT'S REACHING A VARIETY OF LOCAL ROUTES AS WELL.
UH, THE OTHER UPCOMING, UH, RAPID LINE, RAPID 800 PLEASANT VALLEY, UM, SHOWN IN BLUE, TRAVELING SOUTH THERE WILL PROVIDE SERVICE, UM, FROM THE MUELLER COMMUNITY WHERE THE ROUTES WILL ACTUALLY CONNECT AND PROVIDE A REALLY GREAT TRANSFER, UM, OPPORTUNITY.
AND THEN IT'LL TRAVEL DOWN, UH, PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD, UM, TO DOVE SPRINGS AND ULTIMATELY END DOWN SOUTH NEAR SLAUGHTER LANE, UH, WHERE WE ARE ALSO BUILDING A NEW PARK AND RIDE, UH, IN AN AREA CALLED GOODNIGHT RANCH.
UM, AND THESE PARK AND RIDE FACILITIES ARE REALLY CRITICAL TO THE RAPID SERVICE TO SUPPORT OUR ULTIMATE VISION, UM, WHICH WE ANTICIPATE IN 2026, UH, TO OPERATE WITH ZERO MISSION VEHICLES AND BE ABLE TO SUPPORT FURTHER ENHANCEMENTS FOR OPERATIONS IN THE INTRODUCTION OF THESE NEW SERVICES ARE THE RESULT OF A LONG-TERM PLANNING AND ENGAGEMENT PROCESS WITH A PROJECT CONNECT SYSTEM PLAN.
UH, SOME OF YOU MAY HAVE HEARD OF THESE PROPOSED, UH, SERVICES WHEN YOU WERE INVOLVED AS PART OF THE PROJECTS CONNECT EFFORT, UM, IN THE VOTE AND SUBSEQUENT APPROVAL IN 2020.
UH, SINCE THESE DISCUSSIONS LEADING UP TO THE VOTE, UM, WE'VE REFINED THESE IDEAS DOWN TO SPECIFIC LOCATIONS AND OPERATIONAL DETAILS AND WENT THROUGH A SERIES OF STEPS, UH, INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS, UM, WITH A FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND REALLY ROBUST COMMUNITY DISCUSSIONS.
UH, AND IN THE PAST FEW YEARS, WE'VE BEEN DESIGNING AND CONSTRUCTING NEW RAPID STATIONS WITH ALL NEW AMENITIES.
YOU MIGHT HAVE ALREADY STARTED TO SEE SOME OF THESE RAPID STATIONS OUT ON THE STREET AND EVEN, UH, ONGOING CONSTRUCTION AT ONE OF OUR, UH, UPCOMING PARK AND RENTS.
AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH NEIGHBORHOODS, RESIDENTS, UH, AND CUSTOMERS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'VE BEEN, UH, AWARE OF ALL OF THIS WORK, UM, THROUGHOUT ALL STAGES, INCLUDING DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, UM, PLANNING.
AND WE'LL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL ENGAGEMENT PHASE AS WE GET CLOSER TO IMPLEMENTATION.
AND BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION, WE'LL TEST THE SER UH, THE SERVICE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, UM, BEFORE SERVICE IS OPEN TO PASSENGERS TO REALLY MAKE SURE, UM, EVERYTHING IS SAFE AND RELIABLE.
AND THIS IS A REALLY CRITICAL STEP, UM, TOWARDS GUIDING OUR, UH, START OF SERVICE AND OUR SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION DATE.
AND WE'RE REALLY THANKFUL TO HAVE RECEIVED 66 MILLION FROM THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION SMALL STARTS PROGRAM TO START THESE NEW LINES.
THIS GRANT FUNDING HELPS PAY FOR THE STATIONS NEW BUSES AND SUPPORTING INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WAS REALLY AWARDED BASED ON THE VALUE AND IMPORTANCE OF THESE NEW CONNECTIONS, ESPECIALLY, UH, AS THEY INCREASE ACCESS IN
[00:15:01]
EAST AUSTIN, UM, WITH MANY NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN THE AREA AND THE CONNECTION OPPORTUNITIES WITH EXISTING AND PLANNED SERVICES.UM, AND TODAY I'LL WALK THROUGH, UM, WHAT THIS INITIAL PHASE WILL LOOK LIKE FOR THE SPRING 2025 INTRODUCTION, UM, CONTINGENT UPON, UH, AVAILABLE RESOURCES AND, AND TESTING AND THE SUBSEQUENT FULL VISION IN, UH, 2026 WITH ADDITIONAL SERVICE AND FREQUENCIES.
AND TO REACH, UM, THIS FULL VISION FOR THE RAPID LINES, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLES WITH 10 TO 15 MINUTE FREQUENCIES.
UM, CAP METRO IS ACTIVELY BUILDING THE SUPPORTING CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE AT GARAGES, UH, AND PARK AND RISE AND PURCHASING, UH, ADDITIONAL ELECTRIC BUSES AND ALSO HIRING, UH, ADDITIONAL OPERATORS AS WELL.
UH, RECENTLY THERE HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING, UH, DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BUS MANUFACTURING AND ELECTRIC BATTERY, UH, INDUSTRY.
WE'RE CURRENTLY STILL RECEIVING ELECTRIC BUSES AND THEIR RANGE IS QUITE LIMITED, UM, WHICH REQUIRES END OF LINE CHARGING TO BE ABLE TO, UM, OPERATE ON THE STREET, UM, FOR LONGER PERIODS OF TIME AND REALLY PROVIDE, UM, THE QUALITY SERVICE THAT WE NEED.
UM, WITH THIS CHARGING THE BUSES ON THE LINE CAN OPERATE, UM, ALL DAY SERVICE, UM, WITHOUT RETURNING TO THE GARAGE.
AND THESE FACILITIES ARE IN PROGRESS, ALTHOUGH THEY'RE NOT CURRENTLY, UH, IN PLACE RIGHT NOW, BUT WE BELIEVE, UH, THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH EQUIPMENT AND STATIONS, UH, TO BEGIN INITIAL SERVICE LEVELS FOR THESE ROUTES, UM, WITH CLEAN DIESEL BUSES.
UM, IN THE MEANTIME, FOR A SPRING INTRODUCTION, UH, THESE CLEAN DIESEL BUSES PRODUCE FEWER EMISSIONS THAN TRADITIONAL, UM, DIESEL BUSES.
AND THE SERVICE WILL ALSO REDUCE SINGLE OCCUPANCY, UM, VEHICLES OFF THE STREET.
AND LOOKING AHEAD, NEW RAPID LINES WILL FULLY OPERATE, UM, WITH ALL ZERO EMISSION, UM, VEHICLES, UH, ONCE THE ADDITIONAL INFRASTRUCTURE IS IN PLACE ANTICIPATED IN 2026 AND UNTIL THE TRANSITION IS COMPLETE, OUR EXISTING ELECTRIC BUSES, UH, WILL BE USED THROUGHOUT THE SYSTEM ON TRIPS THAT ALIGN, UM, WITH THE BATTERIES RANGE, SO WE CAN TEST THEM OUT.
AND THERE ARE CURRENTLY SOME IN THE SYSTEM TODAY THAT YOU'LL SEE.
AND, UH, THERE WILL BE EVEN MORE WITH THE ELECTRIC BUSES THAT WE'RE RECEIVING IN THE INITIAL SERVICE LEVEL.
UH, CUSTOMERS WILL ALSO USE TEMPORARY ENDPOINT TO, AS A SERVICE FOR RAPID 800 PLEASANT VALLEY.
THERE WILL BE A TEMPORARY LOCATION ESTABLISHED ON SLAUGHTER LANE JUST NEAR THE FUTURE OF GOODNIGHT RANCH, UH, PARK ANDRIDGE, AND ONCE COMPLETE AROUND 2026, UM, THERE WILL BE 65 PARKING SPACES, DEDICATED BATHROOM FACILITIES FOR OPERATORS AND END OF LINE CHARGING TO SUPPORT THE FULL VISION AND FOR RABID 8 37 EXPO CENTER.
THE TEMPORARY END OF LINE WILL BE ON DECKER LANE NEAR LOLA IN AN AREA THAT WE CURRENTLY OPERATE SERVICE.
AND SIMILAR, WE ANTICIPATE THE EXPO, UH, CENTER PARK AND RIDE TO BE OPEN IN 2026 WITH 140, UM, PARKING SPACES, DEDICATED BATHROOM FACILITIES FOR OPERATORS IN END OF LINE CHARGING.
AND ONCE OPEN, UH, THE TEMPORARY STOP WILL TRANSITION TO THE FACILITY, EXTENDING THE ROUTE.
AND, UH, IN THIS AREA, WE'RE ALSO WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN ON A VARIETY OF MULTIMODAL, UH, MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS, UM, AND NEW SIGNALS.
AND OVERALL, UH, THROUGHOUT BOTH RAPID LINES, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING HAND IN HAND WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO INTEGRATE, UH, BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS WHERE FEASIBLE, UH, GIVEN AVAILABILITY WITH BUSES AND ASSOCIATED CHARGING INFRASTRUCTURE.
THE INITIAL SERVICE WILL RUN AT 20 MINUTES, UH, THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND 30 MINUTES THROUGH THE LATE NIGHT.
UH, THE SPAN OF SERVICE WILL ALIGN WITH THE CURRENT 8 0 1 AND 8 0 3 SERVICE, UH, STARTING AT 5:00 AM AND ENDING AT 12:30 AM ON WEEKDAYS.
UH, THIS INITIAL SERVICE REALLY GIVES US A CHANCE TO PROVIDE NEW AND IMPORTANT CONNECTIONS, UM, TO THE COMMUNITY, ENSURE THAT THE FREQUENCY AND SERVICE IS SOMETHING WE CAN REALLY, UH, RELIABLY AND CONSISTENTLY DELIVER FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND THE FULL VISION IS FOR 10 TO 15 MINUTE FREQUENCIES ON WEEKDAYS, AND WE'RE WORKING TO DELIVER THIS VISION, UM, AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND WE ANTICIPATE BEING, UH, AT THAT POINT IN 2026 ONCE THE PARK AND RIDES ARE AVAILABLE.
AND WE HAVE ADDITIONAL STAFF AND RESOURCES.
UM, AND AS A REALLY CRITICAL, UH, FIRST MILE, LAST MILE CIRCULATOR, UM, CONNECTIVITY OPTION FOR RAPID 8 37 EXPO CENTER PICKUP DECKER, UM, WAS PLANNED AND IS PARTIALLY FUNDED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TRAVIS COUNTY THROUGH THEIR TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN.
UH, THE GOAL OF THIS ZONE IS TO REALLY PROVIDE A NEIGHBORHOOD CENTERED, UH, SOLUTION IN A A PART OF AUSTIN THAT HAS BEEN, UH, HISTORICALLY UNDER INVESTED AND WHERE FIXED ROUTE SERVICE IS PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING DUE TO STREET GRID, UH, CONNECTIVITY
[00:20:01]
AND GEO GEOGRAPHY.UH, THIS ZONE WILL PROVIDE A FLEXIBLE SEVEN SQUARE MILE, UM, SERVICE IN NORTHEAST AUSTIN ON, UH, WEEKDAYS FROM 7:00 AM TO 7:00 PM AND 10:00 AM TO 6:00 PM ON SATURDAYS.
UH, KEY DESTINATIONS INCLUDE THE COMMUNITY FIRST VILLAGE, A PUBLIC LIBRARY, UM, NUMEROUS SCHOOLS AND NEIGHBORHOODS, AS WELL AS THE EXPO CENTER, UM, AREA.
AND WE'VE HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY REALLY THE IMPORTANCE OF HAVING, UH, DIRECT ACCESS TO MANY OF THESE KEY DESTINATIONS.
AND ITS, UM, VALUE FOR PROVIDING FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIVITY, PARTICULARLY TO THE UPCOMING RAPID LINES AS WELL AS MANY OTHER LOCAL ROUTES.
UM, AND ONE IMPORTANT THING TO NOTE IS THIS PICKUP ZONE WILL LAY ON TOP OF EXISTING, UM, FIXED ROUTE SERVICES AND OTHER GENERAL SERVICES IN THE AREA.
UM, CURRENTLY THERE ARE NO PLANS, UH, TO MODIFY THE UNDERLYING ROUTES AS WE WILL REALLY REVIEW RIDERSHIP AND CHANGES IN TRAVEL, UM, BEHAVIOR THROUGHOUT THIS AREA.
AND OVERALL, UM, WE ARE REALLY EXCITED, UM, TO OFFER THESE NEW TRANSIT CONNECTIONS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UH, HARD WORK AND DEDICATION TO GET THESE, UM, STARTED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
I KNOW I'M PARTICULARLY EXCITED, UM, TO BE ABLE TO USE THESE, I KNOW MANY MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY ARE AS WELL.
UM, SO AS A BRIEF RECAP, UM, ON MONDAY, JANUARY 13TH, CAP METRO, UM, WILL START SERVICE FOR OUR PICKUP DECKER ZONE, UM, WHICH WILL OPERATE IN THE DECKER AND COLONY PARK AREA.
AND THEN IN THE SPRING, UM, WE'RE ANTICIPATING INTRODUCING RAPID 800 PLEASANT VALLEY AND RAPID 8 37, UH, EXPO CENTER PENDING, UH, TESTING AND STAFFING.
AND, UM, LIKE I MENTIONED, THAT TESTING PHASE, UM, IS REALLY GUIDING OUR SPECIFIC IMPLEMENTATION DATE.
AND SOON WE'LL BEGIN, UM, THE TESTING PERIOD AND HAVE A BETTER EXPECTATION OF THE SPECIFIC DATE.
AND WE WILL, UM, MAKE SURE TO COMMUNICATE, UM, WITH THE COMMUNITY THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE.
AND ALSO DEFINITELY WE'LL SHARE, UM, WITH THIS GROUP AS WELL.
AND LASTLY, I'D BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SHARE, UM, OUR TRANSIT PLAN 2035, WHICH IS, UH, CURRENTLY UNDERWAY LOOKING AT, UH, THE FUTURE OF OUR CURRENT SERVICES IN THE CENTRAL, UH, TEXAS REGION AND OUTLINING, UM, ALL OF OUR SERVICES OVER THE NEXT FIVE TO 10 YEARS.
SO THIS PLAN WILL BUILD OFF THE, UH, CURRENT NEW SERVICES THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT AND EVALUATE MANY OTHER, UM, PLANNED PROJECTS, INCLUDING THE PLANNED RAPID ROUTES, UH, THAT WILL BE EVALUATED WITH THE OVERALL TRANSIT NETWORK TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, UH, THEIR IMPACT AND WHAT PHASE THAT THEY CAN BE IMPLEMENTED.
AND ONCE A TRANSIT PLAN IS COMPLETE, AN UPDATE WILL BE PROVIDED TO REFLECT THE PROJECT STATUS AND PHASE.
UM, AND WE'RE, UH, CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO ALL OF THE, THE SERVICE CHANGES AHEAD IN THESE UPCOMING NEW SERVICES.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY, AND I'D LOVE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I, I HAVE REALLY PRAISED CAP METRO FOR BEING FLEXIBLE AND NIMBLE TO, UM, BEGIN THESE SERVICES WITH SO MUCH OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE IN PLACE IN TERMS OF THE NEW STATIONS AND, UH, TRANSIT PRIORITY LANES AND DIFFERENT TREATMENTS WITHOUT HAVING NECESSARILY THE PARKING RIDES OR CHARGING AND BEING WILLING TO DO THEM WITH DIESEL BUSES.
I REALLY THINK WE JUST HAVE TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE AND NIMBLE.
WE MADE A LOT OF PLANS, UM, IN 2020 IN THE YEARS PRIOR BASED ON, YOU KNOW, SOME BELIEFS ABOUT WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN WITH BATTERY OPERATE AT BUSES THAT MAYBE DIDN'T, DIDN'T, I WAS GONNA SAY, DIDN'T PLAY OUT.
LIKE SOME OF US PREDICT IT, SOME OF US DID PREDICT IT, BUT, UM,
AND SO I THINK THAT REALLY BEING NIMBLE AND ROLLING THESE OUT IS IMPORTANT.
ONE THING THAT I ACTUALLY HAVEN'T I, 'CAUSE I'VE SEEN A VERSION OF THIS PRESENTATION A COUPLE TIMES, ONE THING THAT I REALLY WANTED TO ASK ACTUALLY WITH THIS CHART IS I REALLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT LIKE I'M ABSOLUTELY FOR GETTING THIS SERVICE GOING EVEN WITH NOT OUR IDEAL FREQUENCY, EVEN WITH NOT OUR ENDING STATIONS, EVEN WITH THESE, LIKE ALL OF THOSE THINGS, JUST LET'S DO IT, LET'S DO THE THING.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY THAT THESE INITIAL SERVICE FREQUENCIES ARE NOT THE FINAL SERVICE FREQUENCIES.
MAYBE IT'S JUST PUTTING UP SOME SIGNS OR LIKE LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT LIKE, BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY, WHEN SOMEONE'S ADOPTING A NEW TRANSIT, UM, SERVICE OR MODALITY AND LIKE, THEY HAVE ONE EXPERIENCE WHERE THEY WALK UP AND THE BUS IS HAPPENED TO ME YESTERDAY, THE BUS IS PULLING AWAY AND AH, YOU KNOW, LIKE, AND THEN YOU WAIT 20 MINUTES.
LIKE, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT LIKE, THIS IS A, A SOFT LAUNCH, OR I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE WORD WE'RE DOING IS.
I THINK IT'S JUST IMPORTANT TO HAVE SOME SIGNAGE MAYBE IN MULTIPLE LANGUAGES THERE THAT REALLY HELPS PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT LIKE, THIS SERVICE IS GONNA KEEP IMPROVING.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? LIKE, AND I DON'T KNOW THE BEST WAY TO COMMUNICATE THAT, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICE.
LIKE, NOT HAVE SOMEBODY WHO TRIES IT ONCE, MISSES THEIR BUS AND WAITS 10 MINUTES, BUT THEN
[00:25:01]
MAYBE IN ANOTHER SIX MONTHS WE'LL TRY IT AGAIN, YOU KNOW? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.THAT'S, THAT'S EXCELLENT FEEDBACK.
AND THROUGH THE ENGAGEMENT PHASE THAT WE JUST RECENTLY COMPLETED, UM, WE DID MAKE IT VERY, UH, CLEAR ABOUT THE INTRODUCTORY SERVICE AND THE SUBSEQUENT, UM, FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS.
SO WE REALLY WANT TO, UM, ASSURE THE COMMUNITY THAT WE WILL BE REACHING THE 10 TO 15 MINUTE FREQUENCIES, UM, FOR THE COMMUNITY TO REALLY OFFER A HIGH QUALITY SERVICE THERE.
AND AS WE BEGIN, UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION PHASE, THAT WILL ALSO BE FURTHER COMMUNICATED WITH THE PUBLIC, AND WE'LL HAVE SIGNAGE AT ALL OF THE APPLICABLE, UM, STATIONS REGARDING THE INTRODUCTORY SERVICE AND THEN THE FUTURE VISION.
UM, I'LL TURN TO MY COMMISSIONER'S QUESTIONS.
CAN, UH, EVERYBODY'S HOPPING IN.
I'LL GO WITH COMMISSIONER BROOKS.
SHALL I TURN MY MICROPHONE ON? I'M ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTED WITH THE DECKER PICKUP ZONE.
THIS, WHEN, FIRST, THE FIRST PICKUP ZONES WERE, WERE ANNOUNCED OR PUT INTO SERVICE, I TRIED TO TELL AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE THAT THE BIT DECKER AREA, PARTICULARLY THE AREA IS NOW SERVICED BY THE 2 33 AND 2 37 BUSES WERE EXCELLENT CANDIDATES FOR THE DECKER SERVICE.
UM, THE 2 33 AND TWO THIRTY SEVEN I RECALL ARE, UH, ONE RUN AT A ONE HOUR FREQUENCY.
THIS, THE PICKUP SERVICE WILL RUN IT.
WE WILL TRIES TO PICK PEOPLE UP IN 15 MINUTES, SO IT SPED THINGS UP BY A FACTOR OF FOUR.
COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER? WELL, I THINK I'LL ECHO THAT.
I LIVE RIGHT ON THE EXPO LINE.
I LIVE ON BOTH LINES ACTUALLY, SO I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO CUT DOWN.
TAKING THE BUS FROM TO WORK RIGHT NOW TAKES 40, 45 MINUTES AND IT SHOULD BE 2025.
SO I'M ECSTATIC TO SEE THE SERVICE GET OFF THE GROUND.
UM, I WANT TO DRILL DOWN ON THE PATH TO GETTING 10 TO 15 MINUTE FREQUENCIES YOU TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IS THE, UM, IS THE PROBLEM RIGHT NOW, ARE WE JUST WAITING ON THE ELECTRIC ELEMENTS OR EVEN IF WE WANTED TO JUST USE DIESEL BUSES? MM-HMM.
WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH REGULAR BUSES.
YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
SO, UM, WE'RE STARTING WITH THE 20 TO 30 MINUTE, UM, FREQUENCIES BASED ON THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES, STAFFING AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE.
SO, LIKE I MENTIONED, WE HAVE BEEN ACQUIRING NEW VEHICLES, HIRING QUITE A BIT OF, OF NEW OPERATORS, UM, AND PROGRESSING ON THE PARK AND RIDES.
AND BASED ON THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING FEELING COMFORTABLE THAT WE CAN START IN SPRING 2025 AND CONTINUING TO HIGHER UP, ACQUIRE ADDITIONAL, UM, RESOURCES AND CONTINUE PROGRESS ON OUR PARK AND RIDES.
SO WITH THE PACKAGE OF ALL OF THOSE, UM, ITEMS FALLING TOGETHER, WE'LL BE ABLE TO REACH 10 TO 15 MINUTE FREQUENCIES.
UM, AND WE'RE WORKING VERY COMMITTED AND, AND AS HARD AS POSSIBLE TO GET THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN I, I ALSO WANT TO DRILL DOWN ON, ON 10 TO 15 MINUTES.
SO IS THAT REFERRING TO, IF, IF THE GOAL IS 10 TO 15 MINUTES, IS THAT REFERRING TO 10 MINUTE DAYTIME FREQUENCY, 15 MINUTE LATE NIGHT OR DAYTIME? COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM 10 TO 15.
SO IT'LL BE A 10 MINUTE, UM, FREQUENCIES DURING THE DAYTIME AND 15 MINUTES, UH, DURING THE LATE NIGHT HOURS ON WEEKDAYS.
SEE, I I MEAN, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A SMALL DIFFERENCE, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, 30 BUSES IN EACH DIRECTION YEAH.
SO, UM, AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU SAW, I THINK IT WAS TODAY, UM, TRANSIT FORWARD RELEASED, UH, A REPORT THEY DID ABOUT THE METRO RAPID LINES, I THOUGHT HAD SOME INTERESTING TAKEAWAYS.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THEY NOTED IN THE RESEARCH WAS THAT, UM, WE DON'T HAVE CONNECTIONS TO THE 18 ON MLK TO THE MLK JUNIOR STATION OR TO, UH, THE FIVE, UH, ON 12TH STREET.
AND I'M WONDERING, UM, IF THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO MAYBE GO BACK AND FIX THOSE CONNECTION POINTS ON TRANSIT PLAN 2035, OR IT'S BECAUSE THE, THE METRO RAPID INFRASTRUCTURE IS SO PERMANENT, ARE WE GONNA HAVE DIFFICULTY KIND OF SHIFTING AWAY AND CREATING THOSE CONNECTIONS? UM, WELL, I'LL ADD FOR, FOR RAPID 8 0 1 AND 8 0 3, AND WE'VE HAD THOSE SERVICES FOR, FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW.
AND EVEN SO WE'VE, WE'VE HAD, UM, ADDED STATIONS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.
SO THERE'S ALWAYS OPPORTUNITIES, UM, AS NEW DEVELOPMENTS COME IN, SERVICE CHANGES AND, AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
SO DEFINITELY WE CAN REVIEW OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL, UH, TRANSFERS THROUGHOUT.
YEAH, COMMISSIONER KAMAN, I TOO AM VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE FLEXIBILITY.
I WANNA JUST, YOU KNOW, CONTINUE THE, THE LINE THAT, UH, COMMISSIONER CHAIR SUMMERS STARTED, WHICH WAS, UM, BEING ABLE TO JUST GET SOMETHING ON THE GROUND.
[00:30:01]
AND I THINK THAT, UM, DOTTIE WATKINS HAS BEEN AN INCREDIBLE MESSENGER FOR THAT.UM, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS ON THE BROADER RAPID STRATEGY OF PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH INCLUDES NOT ONLY THE 8 37 AND THE 800, BUT TWO OTHER RAPID LINES.
AND, UM, I'M NOT SURE IF YOU'RE PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT THAT, BUT IF YOU GO TO THE PROJECT CONNECT WEBSITE OR THE CAP METRO WEBSITE AND YOU START CLICKING AROUND IN THE RAPID, ALL YOU LEVEL HERE IS ABOUT THESE TWO LINES, AND YOU CAN'T REALLY CLICK INTO THE TWO OTHER LINES THAT, UM, WE'RE VOTER APPROVED IN 2020.
AND, UM, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, JUST LIKE GIVE SOME HOPE TO CONSTITUENTS.
AND DO WE HAVE ANY SORT OF TIMELINE ON WHEN WE MIGHT EXPECT TO SEE THE GOLD LINE AND THE 8 0 3 EXTENSION SOUTH? YEAH, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
SO THAT'LL BE, UM, OBVIOUSLY REALLY IMPORTANT SERVICES THAT WE'LL BE, UH, EVALUATING VERY CLOSELY AS PART OF THE TRANSIT PLAN 2035, LOOKING AT HOW IT INTEGRATES WITH THE WHOLE SYSTEM, UM, AND LOOKING AT SPECIFIC PHASING, UM, COST OPPORTUNITIES, CONNECTIONS, AND THINGS OF THAT SORT.
SO AS PART OF THAT PROJECT, UM, ONCE THAT IS COMPLETE AND FURTHER PROGRESSING, WE WILL HAVE SPECIFIC DETAILS FOR THE COMMUNITY ON PHASING TIMELINE AND THINGS OF THAT SORT FOR THE RAPID PROJECTS.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANT TO ASK ABOUT IS ABOUT EQUITABLE TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND HOW THAT IS GONNA SORT OF LOOK ON THE RAPID LINES.
AND I WASN'T SURE, I DON'T KNOW, IS IT, ARE RAPIDS INCLUDED IN EAD? YES, YES, SIR.
AND IS IT ALREADY BEING GRAFTED ONTO THOSE PARCELS NOW ALONG WITH THE LIGHT RAIL PARCELS, OR IS THAT BEING PHASED LATER? UM, THAT'S A REALLY GREAT QUESTION.
UM, SO LET ME CONFIRM THAT AND I'LL MAKE SURE TO GET BACK TO YOU.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR PRESENTER? GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
YOU DIDN'T, YOU DIDN'T SEND ANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS TO YOUR BACKUP TEAM
[3. Discussion on Corridor Projects Status Update]
NUMBER THREE ON OUR AGENDA DISCUSSION ON THE CORRIDOR PROJECT STATUS UPDATE, I BELIEVE FROM, UH, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES ON ERIC BAILEY IS HERE TO PRESENT TO US TODAY.UH, ERIC BAILEY, CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, HAPPY TO BE BACK, GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON THE CORRIDOR, UH, CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO START, START OFF WITH A VERY HIGH LEVEL TIMELINE.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE PROJECTS THAT WERE IN THE 2016 MOBILITY BOND HAS BEEN A, A LONG PROCESS.
UH, WHEN THE BOND WAS APPROVED, THE PLANS WERE IN A CONCEPT LEVEL AND NOT FULLY DEVELOPED.
AND FOR SIMILAR CORRIDORS, THERE WERE, YOU KNOW, MAJOR COMPLICATIONS RELATED TO THE LAND DEVELOPMENT, CODE PERMITTING, THINGS LIKE THAT IN TERMS OF THE ADDING IMPERVIOUS COVER AND REQUIRED, UM, STORM DRAIN UPGRADES, WHICH COULD, UH, IN, IN MULTIPLE OCCASIONS LED TO A, YOU KNOW, $5 MILLION TRANSPORTATION PROJECT TURNING INTO A, YOU KNOW, $15 MILLION STORM DRAIN PROJECT WITH SOME TRANSPORTATION ENHANCEMENTS, WHICH IS CLEARLY NOT THE INTENT OF THE, THE MOBILITY BOND WHEN IT WENT TO THE VOTERS.
SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING THROUGH THOSE ISSUES AND NOW WE'RE AT A POINT WHERE THE MAJOR CONSTRUCTION EFFORT REALLY BEGINS.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN A CONSTANT THROUGHOUT REACHING OUT TO AFFECTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS, UH, ALONG THE, THE CORRIDORS COORDINATING PLANS.
OBVIOUSLY THAT TAKES DIFFERENT SHAPES IN THE INITIAL PLANNING AND, AND PROCESSES VERSUS CONSTRUCTION.
SO, UM, SOME UP UPCOMING HIGHLIGHTS WE HAVE, UM, INCLUDING THE COMPLETION OF THE WORK ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD FROM LAMAR TO 55TH.
THAT WORK IS, UH, SUBSTANTIALLY COMPLETE.
WE'RE WORKING ON SOME PUNCHLESS ITEMS THERE, UM, AS WELL AS THE EXTENSION OF THE SHARED USE PATH ON THE WEST SIDE OF AIRPORT, UH, FROM 55TH TO 45TH.
UM, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION ON WILLIAM CANNON DRIVE FROM RUNNING WATER TO MCKINNEY FALLS, WHICH IS A PROJECT THAT'S BEEN, UH, AIDED BY A CAMPO GRANT.
AND THERE ARE ONGOING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS ON ALL OF THE CORRIDORS.
UM, WE, I HAVE A, UH, PROJECT THAT IS, UH, CURRENTLY OUT TO BID ON SLAUGHTER LANE FROM BRODY TO MOPAC, AND A NEW, UM, INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY CONTRACT THAT'S GONNA BE WORKING ON, UH, SHARED USE PATH, SHARED USE PATHS ALONG BURNETT AND AIRPORT.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME UPCOMING, UH, BID PROJECTS ADVERTISED IN THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS, UH, ALONG BURNETT ROAD.
THERE'S TWO PROJECTS, UM, ONE FROM 180 3 TO BRIGHT VERDE AND SECOND FROM BRIGHT VERDE TO MOPAC, AND OF COURSE, THE BIG PROJECT ON SOUTH LAMAR FROM BARTON SPRINGS TO 71.
[00:35:01]
SOME OF THE ADDITIONAL WORK THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING SINCE THE LAST TIME WE WERE HERE WAS CONDENSING THE, UH, CORRIDOR WEBPAGES FROM 27 EXISTING WEBSITES TO NINE ACTIVE SITES THAT INCLUDE, UH, YOU KNOW, PLANS AND, UM, YOU KNOW, FUTURE WORK THAT'S GONNA BE HAPPENING IN EACH OF THE CORRIDORS.SO REALLY, WE'RE FOCUSING ON GETTING THESE PROJECTS TO CONSTRUCTION, GETTING SOME WORK, UH, IN THE ROAD HERE.
SO SOME ADDITIONAL HIGHLIGHTS.
UM, THE PROJECT PROGRAMS COMPLETED $255 MILLION IN SPENDING A DATE WITH APPROXIMATELY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS IN LEVERAGED FUNDS FROM GRANTS DEVELOPERS, UM, AND INTERNAL PARTNERING WITHIN CITY DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE CONCENTRATION OF THE CORRIDOR WORK ON THE CONSTRUCTION AND WARRANTY PHASE.
UM, SPENDING, UH, PARTICULARLY ON CONSTRUCTION IS GONNA RAMP UP IN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, INCLUDING AN ESTIMATED $146 MILLION IN PROJECTS THAT ARE GONNA BE GOING OUT TO BID, UH, AND STARTING CONSTRUCTION IN 2025.
UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THE PROGRAM'S BEEN, UM, ENGAGING THE COMMUNITY THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS FROM 2017 TO THE CURRENT DAY.
WE'RE NOW PIVOTING TO FOCUS ON CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS, PARTICULARLY WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS, TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT CONSTRUCTION IMPACT IS MINIMIZED AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN WHILE WE DELIVER THE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, ON HERE YOU SEE A LIST OF THE DIFFERENT, UH, METHODS THAT WE'VE BEEN USING TO REACH OUT TO FOLKS AND, AND AS I MENTIONED, A LOT OF THE STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING NOW IS GONNA BE LOCAL, MORE LOCALIZED IN TERMS OF NEIGHBORHOODS THAT ARE GONNA BE AFFECTED BY CONSTRUCTION.
UM, WITH THAT, I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH, UM, SOME OF THE CORRIDORS HERE AND GIVE YOU A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE WE'RE AT WITH EACH OF THOSE AND THE PLANS FOR, UH, UPCOMING CONSTRUCTION.
SO, UH, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, AIRPORT BOULEVARD FROM LAMAR TO 55TH IS COMPLETE AND IN THE WARRANTY PHASE, AND WE'VE SHIFTED FOCUS ON THE AIRPORT CORRIDOR FOR THE SECTION FROM 55TH TO 45TH.
UH, AND THAT IS THE SHARED USE PATH ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, ONCE WE HAVE THE NEW IDIQ CONTRACT IN PLACE, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE WITH THE IDIQ, UH, DELIVERY OF PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS FROM, UH, EAST OF 35 ALL THE WAY DOWN TO 180 3.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, ON THE AIRPORT BOULEVARD CORRIDOR, WE PARTNERED WITH TDOT TO REPLACE THE MOHAN TRAIL BRIDGE, WHICH IS A PROJECT THAT THE CITY IS UNDERTAKING THE DESIGN ON, BUT IS GONNA BE, UH, DELIVERED BY TDOT THROUGH THEIR, UH, THEIR CONTRACTING.
THEY WILL MANAGE THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT THERE FOR NORTH MAR, WE'VE INSTALLED MULTIPLE SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS LIKE YOU SEE HERE, WHERE THE SIGNALIZE INTERSECTION, UM, IS INSTALLED WITH CROSSWALKS AND PEDESTRIAN PUSH BUTTONS TO IMPROVE SAFETY.
UH, THESE HAVE GONE IN, UM, AT GRADY, COOPER, FAIRFIELD, AND POWELL.
UH, ADDITIONALLY WE HAVE THE SIDEWALKS PROGRAM.
IT'S GONNA BE FILLING SIDEWALK GAPS ON NORTH LA MAR FROM RUNDBERG TO PARER.
THIS IS A MUCH NEEDED IMPROVEMENT THAT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, THIS IS AN AREA WHERE WE HAVE OPEN DRAINAGE DITCHES, AND ONE OF THE PRIMARY COMPLICATIONS ON DELIVERING ANY IMPROVEMENTS HERE HAS BEEN AROUND HOW YOU, UH, BASICALLY TRANSITION OPEN CHANNEL DRAINAGE INTO CLOSED CONDUIT PIPE.
SO THAT EFFORT, UM, IS GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA NEED TO BE FURTHER COORDINATED WITH MULTIPLE CITY DEPARTMENTS, UM, PARTICULARLY ALONG THAT STRETCH FROM RUNDBERG TO PARMER.
UM, THE LONG TERM IMPROVEMENTS ARE NOT GONNA BE, UM, INSTALLED BY THE SIDEWALKS AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS DIVISION THAT'S GONNA BE REALLY, UH, FILLING THOSE SIDEWALK GAPS.
AND WE'RE WORKING ON THE DESIGN COORDINATION AND PROJECT FUNDING FOR A FUTURE PROJECT IN THAT AREA THAT WILL PROVIDE A FULLY BUILT OUT, UM, UH, SOLUTION FROM, FOR PEDESTRIANS, BICYCLES, UH, INTERSECTIONS, CARS, SAFETY, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
UM, BUT AGAIN, LIKE I SAID, THIS IS ONE OF THE, THE PROJECTS THAT REALLY EXEMPLIFIES SOME OF THE COMPLICATIONS THAT THE PROGRAM FACED.
UM, IN DELIVERING THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, ON BURNETT, WE'VE COMPLETED THE INTERSECTIONS AT KONING AND CANYON AND BREAKER.
UM, THE KRAMER LANE DRAINAGE PROJECT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, NEARING COMPLETION.
SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION FOR THAT IS SCHEDULED, UH, LATER THIS MONTH.
AND THAT DRAINAGE PROJECT ENABLES THE REMAINDER OF WORK ON BURNETT ROAD FROM 180 3 TO MOPAC.
BASICALLY ALL THE DRAINAGE IS GONNA BE RUNNING INTO THIS, UH, POND THAT WE'RE CONSTRUCTING NOW.
SO BASICALLY HANDLING ALL OF THE SITE DRAINAGE THERE.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, THE BURNETT ROAD SECTION FROM WHITEHORSE TRAIL TO 180 3 IS GONNA BE DELIVERED VIA THE IDIQ METHOD, UM, FOR THE, UM, SIDEWALKS AND SHARED USE PATHS TO IMPROVE CIRCULATION THERE.
UM, AND THAT IDIQ CONTRACT IS GONNA BE ADVERTISED HERE IN THE NEXT WEEK OR TWO.
UM, SO WE'LL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE IMPROVEMENTS BASICALLY ON BURNETT ROAD ALL THE WAY FROM 2222 UP TO, UM, MOPAC.
I'M SORRY, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT IS IDIQ? SORRY.
IDIQ IS IN, IT'S A ACRONYM FOR INDEFINITE DELIVERY, INDEFINITE QUANTITY, WHICH BASICALLY MEANS WE PUT A SET OF PLANS OUT TO BID FOR QUANTITIES OF CONSTRUCTION.
SO LIKE A SQUARE FOOT OF SIDEWALK.
OUR CONTRACTORS PROVIDE A BID PRICE FOR THAT, AND THEN WE GIVE THEM AN ASSIGNMENT SAYING, ALL RIGHT, WE WANT A SHARED USE PATH THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, EIGHT
[00:40:01]
FEET WIDE FOR A THOUSAND FEET.AND WE JUST GO, IT'S FIELD ENGINEERED.
AND SO THERE'S NOT A LOT OF, UM, DRAINAGE CALCULATIONS THAT HAPPEN.
WE WORK WITH OUR PERMITTING FOLKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE HAVING A NET, UM, DECREASE IN IMPERVIOUS COVER, AND THEREFORE WE GET AROUND SOME OF THE, UH, PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS THAT WE NEED TO DO THERE.
SO THERE'S NOT A FIRM SET OF PLANS THAT HAPPENS, IT'S A SCHEMATIC SET OF PLANS AND BASICALLY SAYS FROM POINT A TO POINT B, WE'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS, AND WE CALCULATE A PRICE BASED ON A SET PRICE WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'VE DONE ON, UM, NORTH LAMAR WITH THE, UH, SIGNALS AND, AND CROSSWALKS AND THINGS.
UM, WE CURRENTLY HAVE SIGNALS AT FRONTIER VALLEY AND AIRPORT COMMERCE, UH, UNDER CONSTRUCTION NOW, THE BULK OF THE ROADWAY WORK, UM, FOR THE RIVERSIDE CORRIDOR HAS BEEN DEFERRED DUE TO PROJECT CONNECT.
CONNECT'S GONNA BE RUNNING THE TRAIN, UH, DOWN THE CENTER OF, UH, RIVERSIDE BOULEVARD.
SO WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO ABOUT PUTTING IMPROVEMENTS IN THERE THAT WERE THEN GONNA GET RIPPED UP BY PROJECT CONNECT WHEN IT COMES THROUGH.
UM, ADDITIONALLY WITH GUADALUPE, UM, SIMILAR, UH, SITUATION HERE WHERE PROJECT CONNECT'S GONNA HAVE A MAJOR EFFECT ON THIS CORRIDOR.
WE HAVE COMPLETED SOME WORK, UM, ALONG GUADALUPE, UM, AND OASIS, AS WELL AS THE CONTRAFLOW TRANSIT LANE.
AND, UM, AS I MENTIONED THIS, THIS AREA IS GONNA REALLY UNDERGO SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES WHEN PROJECT CONNECT COMES THROUGH FOR THE WILLIAM CANNON DRIVE, UH, CORRIDOR.
UM, YOU KNOW, EXTENSIVE SIGNAL IMPROVEMENT, UH, WORK YOU SEE HERE, I DON'T, I WON'T READ OFF ALL THE INTERSECTIONS.
UM, OUR MAJOR PROJECT WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW IS THE, UH, SECTION FROM RUNNING WATER TO MCKINNEY FALLS.
YOU CAN SEE THE BRIDGE AND THE ASSOCIATED CONNECTIONS HERE.
UM, AND THEN OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ALONG WILLIAM CANNON, UM, ARE PENDING THE EVALUATION OF FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE TO DELIVER WORK VIA THAT IDIQ METHOD.
ONCE WE GET DONE WITH SOME OF OUR MAJOR BID PROJECTS, SEEING WHAT'S LEFT, UM, AT THE END OF THE, THE CORRIDOR, UM, PROGRAM FOR SLAUGHTER LANE, UH, WE PERFORMED BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, AND THERE ARE UPCOMING SIGNAL IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL AS THE BID PROJECT THAT I MENTIONED EARLIER THAT IS CURRENTLY BEING ADVERTISED FOR THE SECTION FROM MOPAC, UH, TO BRODY.
UH, SOUTH LAMAR IS ONE OF THE MAJOR, UM, CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS IN THE PROGRAM FROM BARTON SPRINGS TO TWO 90.
WE'LL BE INSTALLING SIDEWALKS AND SHARED USE PATHS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE ROAD.
UM, AND THAT PROJECT IS SCHEDULED TO GO TO BID IN THE SPRING OF 2025.
IF YOU'VE BEEN UP AND DOWN, UH, SOUTH OF MAR RECENTLY, YOU'VE SEEN A LOT OF WORK GOING ON.
THAT IS AUSTIN ENERGY PERFORMING THEIR RECONDUCTORING WORK, WHICH MEANS BASICALLY THEY'RE RERUNNING THE ELECTRICAL, UM, LINES AND, AND BASICALLY PREPARING FOR US TO COME THROUGH WITH OUR MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, UM, ALONG THAT AREA.
AND THEN FINALLY, UH, EAST MLK, UM, THIS IS FROM 180 3 TO DECKER LANE CURRENTLY THAT IS AT 90%.
DESIGN INCLUDES SIDEWALKS, UH, SHARED USE PATHS AND BIKE LANES FOR THE FULL LENGTH AS WELL AS INTERMEDIATE, UH, MEDIAN DIVIDERS.
UM, THIS IS ANOTHER PROJECT THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH TDOT ON WHERE THE CITY IS PERFORMING THE DESIGN AND TXDOT IS GOING TO, UH, BID THE PROJECT.
THE CITY IS GONNA FUND THAT CONSTRUCTION.
WE'RE LOOKING FOR THAT TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY 2026.
UM, AND AGAIN, ON ALL OF THESE CORRIDORS, THERE ARE, UM, SCHEMATIC PLANS IF, UH, THERE ARE PLAN SHEETS THAT HAVE BEEN UPLOADED TO THE WEBSITES, NOT THE FULL PLAN SET THAT ARE OFTEN IN THE ORDER OF HUNDREDS OF PAGES, BUT THAT WAY FOLKS CAN GET AN IDEA OF WHAT THE, UM, YOU KNOW, LAYOUT IS GONNA LOOK LIKE IN THE END, UH, CONDITION.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I WILL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS.
UM, SO I THINK, WHEN DID WE, WE LAST SAW YOU IN JUNE.
JUNE, IT WAS THIS YEAH, I THINK IT WAS ACTUALLY MAY OF 20 OF THIS YEAR.
AND I THINK, UM, JUST TO, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE DISCUSSED, I THINK A COUPLE TIMES IS THAT WE WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE Y'ALL QUARTERLY, UM, SO, UH, AND GET THESE, THESE UPDATES.
SO, UM, JUST SORT OF INCREASE OUR, OUR CADENCE OF, OF HEARING FROM Y'ALL IS SOMETHING WE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE, UM, TO, TO, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY VERY INVESTED IN, IN MONITORING.
SO, UM, I KNOW OUR STAFF WILL CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO TRY TO SCHEDULE THOSE QUARTERLY MEETINGS AND, UM, WE WOULD BE REALLY APPRECIATIVE TO, TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT SORT OF ON THAT, THAT CADENCE THAT REGULARLY I THINK WOULD, WOULD BE HELPFUL.
'CAUSE THIS IS VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT, OBVIOUSLY.
UM, SO, UM, ONE, UH, ONE QUESTION I HAD.
SO WE WERE SEEING, UM, AND I THINK IT WAS THE DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICE THAT WE SAW EVEN A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THAT.
[00:45:01]
THE, THE PLAN AND THE GOAL.WHEN WOULD YOU SAY, AT THIS POINT, ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO SPEND ALL THE FUNDS FOR THE CORRIDOR, THE 2016 CORRIDOR PROGRAM? YEAH, SO THE GOAL FOR THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM IS TO BE ON THE, ON THE PROJECT WHERE THE CITY HOLDS THE CONTRACT.
SO NOT ON OUR TXDOT, UH, PARTNERSHIPS TO HAVE ALL THOSE FUNDS SPENT BY, YOU KNOW, REALLY THE END OF FISCAL 26 INTO EARLY FISCAL 27.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, SEPTEMBER OF, OF 26 AND INTO 2027.
AND REALLY WHAT THAT'S GONNA DO IS TIE IN REALLY WELL INTO THE NEXT BOND PROGRAM.
ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, PLANNING THE NEXT BOND ISSUANCE IS WE HAVE TO SPEND DOWN A LOT OF THE MONEY THAT WE HAVE.
FORTUNATELY, WE'RE IN A POSITION NOW WITH THE PROJECTS GOING TO CONSTRUCTION, THAT THAT'S WHEN THE SPENDING REALLY RAMPS UP.
AND, AND WE GET A LOT OF THAT OUT THE DOOR.
SO A LOT OF OUR SPENDING IS SCHEDULED TO HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, FROM BASICALLY RIGHT NOW UNTIL THE FALL OF 2026, WHICH WOULD, IT WILL THEN BE LIKELY IN A POSITION WHERE MOST OF THE MONEY WILL BE SPENT.
'CAUSE LIKE I SAID, WE DO HAVE SOME PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS WITH TDOT THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OUT INTO THE FUTURE, BUT WE'LL HAVE A GOOD CHUNK OF THAT SPENT DOWN BY, YOU KNOW, THE END OF 2026.
UM, SO WHEN DO YOU THINK THE TECH DOT PROJECTS COULD BE DONE, POTENTIALLY? WELL, THE, UM, THE MLK PROJECT, LEMME JUST DOUBLE CHECK THE DATES ON THERE.
SO, CONSTRUCTION ON THE MLK PROJECT IS GONNA START IN EARLY OF 2026.
I THINK THE CONSTRUCTION DURATION ON THAT ONE IS ABOUT A YEAR OR 18 MONTHS.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT END OF 2027.
UM, AND THEN THE, UM, BRIDGE, THE MOHAN TRAIL BRIDGE ON AIRPORT.
UM, I'D HAVE TO DOUBLE CHECK TO BE SURE ON THAT ONE, BUT I THINK THAT ONE'S GONNA BE STARTING CONSTRUCTION IN AT THE END OF 2025, EARLY 2026.
THAT ONE WILL ALSO TAKE ABOUT A YEAR.
SO IT'LL BE LIKELY, UM, 2020, EARLY 2027, LATE 2026 WHEN THAT'S GONNA BE COMPLETED.
UM, SO, SO ONE OF THE QUESTIONS, UH, AND I KNOW, UM, THIS COMMISSION'S BEEN THINKING ABOUT IT A LOT BECAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO GIVE SOME, UM, ROBUST INPUT AS WE HEAD INTO POTENTIALLY ANOTHER BOND CYCLE.
MANY OF THEM HAD BEEN COMPLETED PRIOR TO 2016.
SOME OF THEM WERE THEN DONE AFTER 2016 AS PART OF THE, THE, THE PLANS WERE SUPPOSED TO BE FUNDED, RIGHT? AND SO THE IDEA WAS THE CORRIDOR PLANS THAT HAD ALREADY BEEN COMPLETED WOULD BE FUNDED OR AT LEAST SUBSTANTIALLY FUNDED THROUGH THIS, UH, BOND PROGRAM.
AND THEN THAT WE WOULD PLAN SORT OF THE NEXT SET OF CORRIDOR PLANS.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED IS THAT A CORRIDOR PLAN IS EXCEPTIONALLY COMPLEX, RIGHT? AND IT INTERACTS WITH A LOT OF OTHER PERMITTING PROCESSES, WATERSHED, ALL, ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
AND, UM, SO I THINK THAT AS WE THINK ABOUT FUTURE BOND CYCLES, I THINK IT'S, IT'S BECOME, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE LEARNED JUST TO STATE ONE, IS THAT LIKE DEALING WITH WATERSHED ISSUES IS PRETTY, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT.
YOU CAN'T REALLY UNTANGLE THAT FROM COMPREHENSIVE CORRIDOR IMPROVEMENTS, RIGHT? AND THAT ALSO THAT THE CORRIDOR PLANS THAT WERE, THE PLANS THAT WERE ON THE SHELF REALLY WEREN'T PLANS AND THE WAY THE ENGINEERS NEEDED THEM TO BE, RIGHT? SO, UM, I THINK, I MEAN, THIS IS A DIFFICULT QUESTION AND I'M, I'M JUST GONNA CHALLENGE YOU.
LIKE, WHAT DO YOU THINK LIKE FOR, FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE INTERESTED IN THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT BOND CYCLE, WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS? MM-HMM.
LIKE I REALLY DON'T, ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE GOOD.
I THINK THEIR IMPROVEMENT ON WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE, IS IT WHAT WAS TALKED ABOUT IN 2016? I THINK IT'S NOT, AND IN, IN CERTAIN CORRIDORS, UNFORTUNATELY, AS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST TIME, IT'S PROBABLY MORE, LESS SO THAN OTHERS, RIGHT? SO, AND THAT MAY NOT BE FEEL VERY EQUITABLE AT TIMES.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE IS WHAT, WHAT CAN WE LEARN SO THAT WE CAN MAKE A BETTER BOND NEXT TIME? MM-HMM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT CORRIDOR PLANS, WE'LL, WE'LL START THERE, RIGHT? I THINK THERE'S A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SORT OF THE PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND IDENTIFYING NEED AND ACTUAL ENGINEERING PLANS THAT YOU NEED TO DO A PROJECT, RIGHT? AND SO WHEN YOU SAY WE HAD THE, THESE CORRIDOR PLANS FROM BEFORE, IT'S LIKE WE HAD A CORRIDOR PLANNING DOCUMENT THAT IDENTIFIED THE NEED THERE.
AND I THINK LAST TIME I WAS HERE I SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF TAKING THOSE PLANNING DOCUMENTS AND TURNING THEM INTO ACTUAL PLAN SETS, WE CAME TO REALIZE THAT LOOK, THE NEED HERE IS MUCH MORE THAN THE FUNDING THAT'S AVAILABLE, RIGHT? I THINK SOMETHING ON THE ORDER OF THE IDENTIFIED NEED WAS IN THE $900 MILLION RANGE, AND OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT $482 MILLION THAT JUST DOESN'T PENCIL OUT, RIGHT? SO THEN YOU HAVE TO GO BACK AND PRIORITIZE.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE DOING THIS TIME FOR THIS BOND CYCLE IS TAKING THOSE,
[00:50:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, PLANNING DOCUMENTS THAT WE HAVE AND DOING, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF A HIGHER LEVEL ENGINEERING FEASIBILITY STUDY ON THOSE.AND MAKING SURE THAT THE ESTIMATES THAT ARE IN THOSE PLANS ARE ACTUALLY ACCURATE.
THAT IF WE SAY, HEY, THIS IS A $20 MILLION PROJECT.
WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING, WE IDENTIFIED ALL THE ACTUAL COSTS THAT ARE IN THERE, REAL ESTATE ACQUISITION, ENGINEERING, PROJECT MANAGEMENT, UM, INSPECTION, EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO THE PROJECT, AND THAT WE'VE ALSO ESCALATED THAT TO THE YEAR WE THINK CONSTRUCTION IS ACTUALLY GONNA BEGIN.
SO WE DON'T COME BACK HALFWAY THROUGH AND SAY, YEAH, THIS $20 MILLION PROJECT, THAT'S ACTUALLY A $40 MILLION PROJECT.
'CAUSE WE, WE FORGOT TO ESCALATE IT FOR THE SIX YEARS FROM NOW WHEN WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA START CONSTRUCTION.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY DOING THAT AS PART OF THE PREPARATION FOR THE 26 BOND, MAKING SURE THAT ALL THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE ARE, UM, ARE REALISTIC.
AND I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT WE CAN DO AS WE RUN THROUGH THE BOND CYCLES IS IDENTIFYING THE LARGER PROJECTS LIKE THE NORTH LAMAR PROJECT WHERE IT'S LIKE, HEY, LOOK, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GO FROM, YOU KNOW, A PRELIMINARY PLANNING DOCUMENT TO A FULLY BUILT PROJECT IN SIX YEARS.
THAT'S NOT HAPPENING, RIGHT? IT'S JUST THAT SOME PROJECTS ARE JUST SO BIG THAT YOU CAN'T DO IT IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
THERE'S SO MUCH COORDINATION THAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN.
SO AS PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS NOW, WE'RE ALSO GOING THROUGH THAT AND SAYING, ALL RIGHT, THIS IS A REALLY BIG PROJECT AND WE ARE AT SQUARE ONE WITH THE WHOLE THING.
LET'S JUST FUND THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCESS SO THAT WAY WHEN THE NEXT BOND CYCLE COMES UP, WE HAVE A LITERAL SET OF PLANS ON THE SHELF THAT'S READY TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION, AS OPPOSED TO A PRELIMINARY PLANNING DOCUMENT WHERE WE HAVE TO DEVELOP THE PLANS AND RUN ALL THE TRAPS ON THE PERMITTING AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF TWO MAJOR STEPS THAT WE'RE TAKING, UM, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD IN, IN DEVELOPING FUTURE BOND PROGRAMS. YEAH, I DEFINITELY HEAR YOU ON, ON GETTING BETTER PLANS BETTER, GETTING BETTER PLANNING DONE THROUGH THE BOND PROCESS.
BUT I DO THINK THE PIECE THAT I STRUGGLE WITH THAT THERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, AND I TALKED ABOUT NORTH LAMAR IN MAY, YOU KNOW, LIKE JUST LIKE THE INHERENT DANGER UNSAFETY OF THAT AREA AND, UM, AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE LIVING THERE WALKING THERE, YOU KNOW, AND BEING INJURED THERE ALL THE TIME, THAT'S JUST THE ONE THAT'S REALLY ALWAYS, I GUESS JUST ON MY HEART A LOT.
AND TO SAY THAT LIKE, WE NOW, LIKE WE TOLD YOU WE'RE GONNA DO THESE THINGS NOW, NOW WE NEED TO MAKE A BETTER PLAN, WHICH I DEFINITELY ACCEPT WE NEED A BETTER PLAN, BUT LIKE, AND THEN WE'RE GONNA FUND IT, AND THEN THE NEXT CYCLE, IT'S JUST LIKE, I, I, I DON'T KNOW HOW TO, UM, THE, THE NEED OF THE COMMUNITY, I MEAN, YOU QUANTIFIED IT, RIGHT? WAS THE 900 MILLION AND WE HAD 480 MILLION, AND THEN THAT DIDN'T PROBABLY GO AS FAR AS WHAT WE THOUGHT BECAUSE WE TOOK SO LONG, RIGHT? SO LIKE, UM, THE NEED IS LIKE INSURMOUNTABLE, BUT ALSO THE HUMAN NEED IS SO GREAT THAT I FEEL LIKE IT'S, IT'S, UM, INHERENT ON US TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCELERATE THIS BECAUSE WE CAN'T, I JUST DON'T THINK THAT SOME OF THESE STREET SCAPES AND COMMUNITIES ARE THINGS THAT WE SHOULD ASK PEOPLE TO, UH, PUT UP WITH OR, UH, BE INJURED BY OR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
SO THAT'S NOT REALLY A YOU PROBLEM, THAT'S LIKE A COMMUNITY EXISTENTIAL PROBLEM, UM, THAT WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THROUGH.
BUT I THINK WE JUST HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ACCELERATE THAT.
THE OTHER THING, I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
I, I HAVE NOTICED THE WEBSITE SIMPLIFICATION, WHICH I THINK IS GREAT.
I, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU CONDENSED DOWN A LOT OF THE INFO TO SORT OF LIKE HIGH LEVEL, UM, RECAPS OF STUFF AND UM, UPDATED SORT OF THE STATUS.
I WILL SAY WHEN I WENT TO GOOGLE AND PULL IT UP TODAY, I GOOGLED CORDO PROGRAM CONSTRUCTION AND THE FIRST LINK I GOT WAS A DEAD LINK.
SO YOU MIGHT WANNA CHECK YOUR SEO SOMEHOW, BUT, UM, UH, WE'RE FINDING A LOT OF THOSE, SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, BUT I DO THINK THAT THE SIMPLIFICATION IS HELPFUL AND AT LEAST NOW IT REFLECTS, UM, YOU KNOW, CURRENT LIKE FALL 24 INFORMATION.
BUT OBVIOUSLY KEEPING THAT, THAT UP TO DATE IS IMPORTANT.
UM, AND UH, SO THAT PEOPLE CAN FIND, UM, AND I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, ALSO LINKING TO, I HAVEN'T DELVED INTO EVERY CORNER OF THE SITE, BUT ALSO DIGGING INTO IF PRO POSSIBLE IN SOME OF THESE PLACES, MAPS OR RENDERINGS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
TIMELINES, I THINK MM-HMM,
I'M PERSONALLY VERY EXCITED ABOUT THE NORTH BURNETT STUFF.
I'VE ASKED A LOT OF QUESTIONS AND MADE A LOT OF COMMENTS.
I'M GONNA CALL ON SOME OTHER COMMISSIONERS NOW.
TWO THINGS JUST TO FOLLOW UP SURE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM A SAFETY PERSPECTIVE, WE ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE GOING OUT THERE WITH THE SIDEWALKS AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS UNDER THAT IDIQ PROGRAM TO FILL IN THOSE SIDEWALKS GA SIDEWALK GAPS AS BEST THAT WE CAN.
UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, ALSO TALKING ABOUT WE ARE QUEUING UP THAT NORTH LAMAR SECTION FOR THE 2026 BOND AND BEING ABLE TO HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH THAT MOVING FORWARD.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE, WE ALSO OBVIOUSLY SEE THE NEED THERE AND WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S SAFE.
THERE ARE SOME SHORT TERM SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN DO NOW, TODAY THAT WE HAVE THAT ARE UNDERWAY, BUT THEN THERE'S ALSO A, A LONGER TERM SOLUTION THAT WE REALLY NEED TO DO THAT DOES TAKE ADDITIONAL PLANNING AND, AND COORDINATION
[00:55:01]
WITH MULTIPLE GROUPS INTERNAL TO THE CITY AND EXTERNAL AS WELL.AND, AND MAYBE THINKING ABOUT THE WAY WE COMMUNICATE ALL THESE THINGS, I MEAN, SO THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM AND A LOT OF THESE CORRIDORS ENDED UP BEING LARGELY A SIDEWALKS AND SIGNALS SAFETY SIGNALIZATION ADDITIONAL, AND LIKE, THAT'S NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT, RIGHT? LIKE, THAT'S IMPORTANT, BUT LIKE, I THINK WHEN WE THINK ABOUT WHAT WE THOUGHT, WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IN 20, LIKE NAIVELY, SO PERHAPS I, YOU KNOW, IN 2016 IS LIKE, WE'RE GONNA REBUILD ALL THESE STREETS COMPLETELY.
LIKE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I THOUGHT AND LIKE, THAT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING.
SO I THINK THINKING ABOUT THE WAYS WE COMMUNICATE, UM, TO SET PEOPLE'S EXPECTATIONS AND ALSO TO REALLY THINK THROUGH, I WOULD SAY FOR ALL OF US IN THE COMMUNITY, THE, ANY LIKE, UNMET PROMISES, THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT I WOULD SAY NEED TO BE AMONG OTHER THINGS DEFINITELY PRIORITIZED.
UM, I'M GONNA CALL ON COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH WHERE YOU WERE GOING 'CAUSE I, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT GETTING THE FULL BUILD IN SIX YEARS IS A PROBLEM.
BUT I, I ALSO AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER SUMMERS THAT WE CAN'T ASK PEOPLE TO WAIT THAT LONG, ESPECIALLY WHEN I THINK OUR, OUR VISION ZERO GOALS, CALL VISION ZERO GOALS CALL US TO ACTION AS WELL AS OUR, OUR CLIMATE GOALS AND OUR MOAT SPLIT GOALS REQUIRE US TO BE A LITTLE QUICKER THAN THAT.
AND I, I, ONE OF MY BIG TAKEAWAYS FROM THE 2016 BOND IS KIND OF THE SUCCESS OF THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIVISION THAT REALLY PRIORITIZE QUICK BUILD SOLUTIONS.
AND THEN WE'VE LATER GONE BACK AND ADDED IN FULL BUILD SOLUTIONS, UH, WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO GRADUALLY, I'M WONDERING HOW YOU SEE QUICK BUILD SOLUTIONS POSSIBLY FILLING IN, UH, DURING, WHILE YOU'RE CONTINUING A FULL BUILD DESIGN, WHETHER QUICK BUILD SOLUTIONS CAN PLAY A ROLE ON THESE LARGER CORRIDORS, OR DO YOU THINK YOU STILL RUN INTO KIND OF THOSE SAME DRAINAGE ISSUES, ELECTRICAL AND THINGS THAT HAVE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CAUSED YOU TO SLIP ALONG THE WAY? I MEAN, THAT'S ACTUALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, RIGHT? WITH THE IDIQ STUFF IS GOING TO BE SORT OF THAT QUICK BUILD SOLUTION THAT WE CAN DO WHILE WE WORK THROUGH THE LONGER TERM, YOU KNOW, HIGHER, UM, HIGHER CONSTRUCTION IMPACT AND, UM, LONGER PERMITTING TIMEFRAMES TO GET TO THE FULL, UM, YOU KNOW, BUILD OUT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY DOING THAT.
OBVIOUSLY THE SCALE OF THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION SCALE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LONG STRETCHES, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, UM, HOOPS WE'VE HAD TO, TO JUMP THROUGH.
I WILL SAY THAT ONE THING THAT THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM HAS REALLY PUT A SPOTLIGHT ON IS THE PERMITTING PROCESS, PARTICULARLY FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE IN THE RIGHT OF WAY.
UM, OUR RIGHT OF WAY PROJECTS ARE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD AS PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT, WHICH THIS IS JUST MY PERSONAL OPINION, THEY REPRESENT A PUBLIC GOOD, NOT A PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
WE'RE NOT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, ANY KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, HOUSING OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE SHOULDN'T TREAT A PROJECT THAT'S IN THE RIGHT OF WAY THE SAME WAY WE TREAT A 50 STORY HIGH RISE DOWNTOWN.
AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, WE'VE COME TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PERMITTING PROCESSES AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE AND HOW WE CAN, UM, MAKE THE RULES SO THEY MAKE MORE SENSE FOR WORK IN THE RIGHT OF WAY AND MAKE THAT PATH EASIER THAN WHAT WE'VE HAD TO WALK THROUGH ON THE CORRIDOR.
NOW, THOSE RULES HAVE ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
WHAT THE CORRIDOR DID IS IT REALLY CONSOLIDATED ALL THOSE PROJECTS INTO ONE GROUP.
AND SO NOW, INSTEAD OF PEOPLE FACING THOSE PROJECTS ON ONE-OFF PROJECTS HERE AND THERE AND KIND OF FIGHTING THEIR WAY THROUGH IT, WE HAVE A CONCENTRATED GROUP OF 20 TO 30 PROJECTS THAT ARE ALL FACING THE SAME THING.
AND WE CAN SAY, LOOK, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
AND IT REALLY IS SHOWN A SPOTLIGHT ON THAT AND GIVES US A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SAY, HEY, DO OUR PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS REALLY MAKE SENSE FOR WORK THAT'S IN THE RIGHT OF WAY? YOU KNOW, SHOULD THEY BE HELD TO THE SAME STANDARD AND ABIDE BY THE SAME RULES AS SOMEONE WHO'S DOING A, YOU KNOW, A BIG DEVELOPMENT SOMEWHERE.
UM, WE'VE DEFINITELY SEEN FROM THE PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE THAT WE ARE CAPABLE OF WAIVING THOSE WHEN WE WANT TO.
SO I THINK THAT'S A FANTASTIC POINT.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I WANTED TO ASK IS ABOUT QUALITY CONTROL.
WHEN WE HAVE TEXDOT BUILDING OUT, UH, UM, UH, PART OF THESE, THIS ISN'T A SHOT AT AT AT TDOT BY ANY MEANS, ALTHOUGH I, I DO LOVE TO TAKE THEM, BUT, UM, YOU, WHAT I'M THINKING OF IS ON, ON AIRPORT BOULEVARD, RIGHT? ON THE DELIVERY OF THAT, THERE WERE SOME QUALITY CONTROL ELEMENTS WITH THE BIKEWAY, RIGHT? CHICANES THAT DIDN'T REALLY MAKE SENSE.
UH, WE HAD THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIVISION, YOU KNOW, GO BACK AND KIND OF, UM, FIX THOSE IN THE CORRIDORS A LOT BETTER.
NOW I'M WONDERING WHAT OUR ABILITY IS TEXTILES NOT USED TO OUR CRITERIA MANUAL AND WHAT WE EXPECT OUT OF OUR BIKEWAYS AND OUR SIDEWALKS AND OUR CROSSWALKS.
MM-HMM,
WE GET TO, I MEAN, WE DON'T HAVE CARTE BLANCHE.
WE STILL HAVE TO COM, WE STILL HAVE TO COMPLY WITH TECH DOTS REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT GIVES US A LOT MORE LEEWAY TO SAY, HERE'S THE VERY, VERY BASE AND HERE'S WHAT WE WANT TO DO TO ENHANCE THAT.
YOU KNOW, SORT OF STANDARD TECH DOT BASE.
AND SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING IN THERE THAT'S LIKE A WEIRD CURVE OR A, SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T AGREE WITH FROM OUR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DESIGN STANDPOINT, WE'RE COORDINATING THAT WITH TXDOT AND SAYING, HEY, THIS ISN'T GONNA WORK FOR US.
[01:00:01]
NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE SOLUTION IS.AND THAT'S BEFORE IT GOES TO CONSTRUCTION.
WE HAND THEM A COMPLETE APPROVED SET OF PLANS FROM THE CITY THAT'S BEEN REVIEWED BY TRANSPORTATION AND EVERYONE INVOLVED TO SAY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT ON THIS CORRIDOR.
AND TEXDOT HAS ALREADY SAID WE AGREED TO BUILD THIS.
AND THEN THEY'RE JUST MANAGING THE, THE CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTOR, PUTTING IT IN PLACE.
AND, AND IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN THAT CONSTRUCTION PROCESS, DO YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO DO A CHANGE ORDER OR SOMETHING SIMILAR? YES.
UH, COMMISSIONER KAMAN, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
THIS WAS A REALLY, REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION AND SORT OF EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN HOPING TO SORT OF LIKE IN THE FORMAT THAT WE WANT TO SEE AND EXACTLY HOW WE WANTED IT TO BE PRESENTED WITH PROJECT BY PROJECT WHERE EVERYTHING IS.
SO I AM EXTREMELY HAPPY WITH THIS AND I REALLY APPRECIATE IT, AND I WANT TO COMMEND YOU ON, YOU KNOW, UH, LISTENING TO US AND, YOU KNOW,
THE WEBSITE IS ALSO REALLY, REALLY GOOD.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE CONSOLIDATION OF IT, AND NOW YOU CAN, INSTEAD OF HAVING LIKE THE CORRIDOR SPECIFIC WEBSITES, WHICH WERE ALWAYS SORT OF DIFFICULT TO NAVIGATE, UM, NOW IT'S SORT OF ALL UNDER LIKE THE SAME TAB, UM, WHICH I REALLY LIKE.
UM, SO THAT'S MY FIRST COMMENT.
MY SECOND COMMENT, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS GONNA END UP AS A QUESTION OR NOT, BUT, UM, AS WE'RE GOING INTO 2026, I APPRECIATE THAT THE CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES TEAM IS BEING A LOT, UM, MORE REALISTIC ABOUT WHAT IS ACCOMPLISHABLE.
AND I JUST HOPE THAT WE LEARN IN THE PLANNING PROCESS THAT THAT IS THE TIME TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE CONS LIKE CONSERVATIVE AS WE PLAN, AND THEN AS WE MOVE FORWARD INTO IMPLEMENTATION IS WHERE WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE AGGRESSIVE AND, UM, MAYBE DEMANDING, I GUESS, AS CITIZENS BECAUSE OF THE CONSERVATIVE, UM, APPROACH IN PLANNING.
AND SO I, I DO APPRECIATE THE APPROACH THAT CDS IS TAKING AS WE MOVE FORWARD TOWARDS THE 2026 OR NO LATER THAN 2026 BOND PROGRAM
UM, YEAH, JUST A, A QUICK COMMENT ON THAT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN THE PAST WE'VE TAKEN SOME, YOU KNOW, OPTIMISTIC CONCEPTS IN TERMS OF COST AND SCHEDULE AND PUT THOSE FORWARD IN THE BOND WITHOUT HAVING THEM BE REALLY FULLY VETTED.
AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THAT'S THE REAL MAIN CHANGE IS THAT WE'RE TAKING THOSE CONCEPTS AND SAYING, HEY, IS THIS REALISTIC WITH WHAT WE CAN ACTUALLY DO IN THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE CAN DO IT? AND SAYING, HEY, IF WE CAN'T DO IT IN THAT TIMEFRAME, THAT'S FINE.
BUT IT'S LIKE, WELL, LET'S MAYBE PHASE IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY OR FIGURE OUT WHAT WE NEED TO DO TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, OUR GOAL IS TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DELIVER ON WHAT WE'RE TELLING THE PUBLIC WE'RE GONNA DELIVER ON IN THE BOND PROGRAM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SET UP FOR SUCCESS IN THAT, WHERE WE SAY IT'S, HEY, IT'S GONNA BE SIX YEARS AND WE'RE GONNA DO THIS MANY PROJECTS AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT HAPPENS IN THAT TIMEFRAME.
AND THE PROJECTS ARE WHAT WE SAY THEY'RE GONNA BE THROUGH THE PROCESS.
I ACTUALLY, I HAVE ONE MORE THING, WHICH IS A LOT OF THESE PROJECTS INVOLVE A LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY GOING TO NON TRANSPORTATION RELATED PREREQUISITE PROJECTS, INCLUDING DRAINAGE AND UTILITY.
IS THERE ANY WAY THAT I THINK THAT WHEN WE'RE COMMUNICATING WITH THE PUBLIC, SOMETIMES ON THESE LARGE, YOU KNOW, MULTI-STEP, LIKE PRETTY INTENSE PROJECTS, THAT YOU CAN'T JUST BUILD A SIDEWALK AND HOPE FOR THE DRAINAGE THING THAT IS THERE ANY WAY TO SEPARATE THOSE COSTS AND PACKAGE IT.
AND SO THAT IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE VISIBLE, UH, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE PROJECT TO KNOW THAT WELL, UM, INSTEAD OF SAYING, OH, THIS PROJECT'S GONNA BE $50 MILLION, AND YOU'RE LIKE, OH MY GOD, THAT SOUNDS INSANE, BUT LIKE 20 MILLION OF IT IS LIKE RELOCATING UH, ELECTRICAL AND WATER MAINS, WHICH IS PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S MORE EXPENSIVE.
SO HAVE YOU THOUGHT AT ALL ABOUT HOW YOU COMMUNICATE THOSE COSTS? YEAH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S PART OF THAT FULL PROJECT BUILD OUT IS WHEN WE COME AND WE SAY, ALL RIGHT, I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE, YOU KNOW, ON THE BURNETT CORRIDORS, IF WE WERE REDOING THAT TODAY, I THINK PROBABLY THE INITIAL PROJECT COST WAS LIKE, OH, WE'RE DOING SIDEWALKS AND MEDIANS AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND HERE'S ALL THE FLAT WORK COST FOR THAT.
AND IT LEFT OUT A LOT OF THE ENABLING WORK AND THE STUFF THAT WE HAD TO DO PER CODE.
EITHER THAT OR UNDERESTIMATED WHAT WE WOULD HAVE TO DO.
SO THAT'S PART OF THE PROCESS THIS TIME IS SAYING, OKAY, WHAT IS AUSTIN WATER GONNA WANT OUT OF THIS? WHAT IS WATERSHED PROTECTION GONNA WANT? WHAT IS AUSTIN ENERGY GONNA WANT AS WE GO INTO THIS PROJECT AND SAY, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY IT'S A $50 MILLION PROJECT.
IT'S LIKE, OKAY, WELL 10 OF THAT IS AUSTIN WATER 'CAUSE THEY WANT A NEW WATER MAIN AND YOU KNOW, ANOTHER FIVE OF IT IS AUSTIN ENERGY.
'CAUSE THEY WANT US TO UNDERGROUND SOME ELECTRICAL UTILITIES AND ANOTHER, YOU KNOW, 15 IS WATERSHED 'CAUSE WE NEED TO INSTALL A NEW, YOU KNOW, WATERSHED COLLECTION SYSTEM THERE.
AND SO THAT'S PART OF THE PLANNING PROCESS FOR 2026 IS IDENTIFYING WHERE THOSE REQUIREMENTS ARE, UM, THROUGHOUT THE PROJECT AND THEN ASSIGNING THOSE INDIVIDUAL VALUES SO THAT WAY WHEN WE COME FORWARD WE
[01:05:01]
SAY, LOOK, THE TRANSPORTATION, THE MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS ARE 20 MILLION OF THE 50, BUT THE OTHER 30 IS RELATED TO ENABLING WORK THAT WE HAVE TO DO, UM, PER CODE AND CRITERIA FOR WHATEVER REASON.AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE TIMELINES AS WELL? MM-HMM,
JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, UM, SINCE I'M ALREADY SPEAKING, IF THAT'S OKAY.
UM, SO I JUST WANNA ALSO COMMEND JUST THE PRESENTATION AND THE WORK AND RECEIVING THE UPDATES REGULARLY AS WELL.
UM, SPECIFICALLY FOR RIVERSIDE.
UM, KIND OF OFF OF IN REGARDS TO THIS, YOU HAD MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT PROJECT CONNECT IMPACTS.
SO CAN YOU REITERATE THAT? 'CAUSE YOU WENT REALLY FAST AND I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE I I GET IT RIGHT.
YEAH, SO THE ORIGINAL CORRIDOR PROGRAM HAD PROJECTS ON RIVERSIDE, RIGHT? AND A, AFTER THE 2016 BOND THERE WAS, UM, THE BOND ELECTION FOUR PROJECT CONNECT, WHICH IS GOING TO IDENTIFIED A LINE RUNNING DOWN RIVERSIDE.
UM, BASICALLY THE WHOLE WAY FROM 35 TO, I THINK IT WAS TO BEN WHITE OR MAYBE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER.
UM, BUT ANYWAY, WE DIDN'T WANT TO GO INTO RIVERSIDE AND PUT IN A BUNCH OF TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS TO THEN HAVE THOSE BE RIPPED OUT OR CHANGED BY PROJECT CONNECT COMING THROUGH AND INSTALLING THEIR STATIONS AND THE RAIL AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO, UM, WE'VE PROVIDED PROJECT CONNECT WITH SOME OF OUR PRELIMINARY PLANNING STUFF FOR RIVERSIDE IN TERMS OF THE OTHER MOBILITY NEEDS IN THE AREA.
BUT, UM, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, THE BEST USE OF PUBLIC FUNDS WE'RE LIKE, WELL WE'RE JUST GONNA DO THE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS ALONG THIS AREA THAT WE KNOW ARE NEEDED AND WE'LL REMAIN NO MATTER WHAT, RATHER THAN GOING THROUGH AND DOING A LOT OF THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
'CAUSE I HAVE SEEN SOME OF THOSE IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, IN REGARDS TO WHEN THE CONSTRUCTION IS HAPPENING, I HAVE NOTICED THE, UM, SAFETY AND CONES AND SIGNALS ARE PRO ARE NOT, UM, THEY DON'T GIVE MOTORISTS ENOUGH TIME TO REACT.
SO I WOULD JUST KIND OF MAYBE ADVISE OR SEE IF THERE IS SOMEBODY WHO COULD DO KIND OF QUALITY CONTROL WHEN THEY ARE SET UP JUST TO DO KIND OF A RUN THROUGH, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.
UM, 'CAUSE I HAVE NOTICED JUST IN TERMS OF CONES AND THE SIGNALS MM-HMM.
UM, THE PROJECTS WHERE WE WORK IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, WE DO HAVE AN APPROVED TRAFFIC CONTROL PLAN FROM TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, IT COMPLIES WITH THE, UM, UM, TRAFFIC CONTROL MANUAL.
UM, THAT BEING SAID, IT IS NOT NECESSARILY A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT ALL THE TIME.
THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, CHANGES THAT ARE MADE AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE, UM, SIGNED OFF ON AND SOMETIMES THEY'RE NOT.
SO IF YOU COME ACROSS SOMETHING LIKE THAT WHERE YOU HAVE CONCERNS, DEFINITELY CALL 3 1 1, UM, AND SAY, HEY, I'VE GOT SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE TRAFFIC CONTROL SET UP HERE.
I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, LANE DISTANCE IS TOO SHORT AND THAT'LL GET ROUTED TO THE TRAFFIC CONTROL INSPECTOR WHO WILL THEN COME OUT AND HAVE A LOOK AT IT AND MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IT'S ALL SET UP.
CAN I, I'D LIKE TO ASK A QUICK FOLLOW UP QUESTION ABOUT, UM, ACTUALLY BOTH EAST RIVERSIDE AND, AND GUADALUPE MM-HMM.
UM, YOU KNOW, AT ONE POINT WE HAD DISCUSSIONS AROUND, WE KNEW LIKE AFTER 2020 WE KNEW THAT WAS GONNA HAPPEN AND WE'RE LIKE, OH, WE'LL BANK THE MONEY THAT WAS SLATED FOR THOSE.
IS THERE, IS THAT STILL THE CASE OR IS PRETTY MUCH WE'RE JUST GETTING THIS MONEY SPENT AND THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT, WE WE HAVE WHATEVER YOU MENTIONED, THE PLANNING DOCUMENTS, WE'LL SHARE THOSE WITH PROJECT CONNECT.
WE COULD ALIGN IN THE FUTURE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY TO EXPECT ANY FUNDING IS BANKED FOR THAT NECESSARILY.
NO, I DON'T AND I CAN TALK TO THE FUNDING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN I CAN.
HI, ANNA MARTIN, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, TPW.
UM, I WOULDN'T SAY THE THE MONEY IS BANKED PER SE.
IT'S BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO DO IMPROVEMENTS ON OTHER CORRIDORS, BUT TPW ESPECIALLY HAS BEEN IN THE WEEDS WITH A TP ON DESIGN AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, SAFETY WISE AND MOBILITY FOR ALL USERS, UM, THOSE ELEMENTS ARE INCORPORATED INTO ATP'S PLANS.
COMMISSIONER BROOKS, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION EARLIER? YEAH, QUESTION EARLIER, BUT I'LL SUBSTITUTE A BRIEF COMMENT.
UH, SERVICE ON BY ATP IS SUPPOSED TO, OR THE LINE IS SUPPOSED TO BE AVAILABLE FOR SERVICE IN 2033, SO ANY FURTHER CONSTRUCTION WOULD HAVE TO WAIT NINE MORE YEARS AND PROBABLY SPENDING THE MONEY FIRST A BETTER IDEA.
WELL WE DIDN'T IN 20 20, 20 20 OR 2021, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT EITHER, SO YEAH, SURE.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, OTHER COMMISSIONERS, I'M LOOKING ONLINE AS WELL.
I I ALWAYS FEEL LIKE I NEGLECT THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM, YELL AT ME IF I DO THAT.
UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH.
SO, UM, THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING SOME INSIGHT ON, ON HOW MOVING LIKE, TOWARDS ANOTHER, UM, BOND CYCLE THERE, THERE'S SOME THOUGHTFULNESS IN, IN GETTING BETTER PLANS.
IS THERE ANYTHING, YOU KNOW, INTERDEPARTMENTALLY THAT
[01:10:01]
ANY, UH, INSIGHT THAT COULD BE GIVEN TO LIKE SPEED THIS PROCESS UP? SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT SIX YEAR LONG CYCLES.ARE THERE, ARE THERE THINGS THAT WE COULD REALLY ENCOURAGE COUNCIL OR DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS TO IMPLEMENT AS WE MOVE FORWARD? UM, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY IN THE BOND WORLD, A SIX YEAR CYCLE IS PRETTY STANDARD IN TERMS OF GO TAKING A PROJECT THROUGH FROM, YOU KNOW, INITIAL SORT OF PLANNING DEVELOPMENT THROUGH TO CONSTRUCTION.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE TIMEFRAME THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE STUFF, UM, THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO HAVE READY TO GO LIKE OUT TO CONSTRUCTION RIGHT AWAY BASED ON PHASING THINGS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
UM, BUT THE SIX YEAR BOND CYCLE IS KIND OF SOMETHING WE AS AN ORGANIZATION STICK WITH.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WHEN WE DID 16, 18, 20 RIGHT IN A ROW, UM, THAT WAS A PRETTY BIG EXPENSE THAT WENT INTO THOSE BOND PROGRAMS. BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE DIRECTION, UM, THAT WE'VE HAD FROM THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND SOME OF THE OTHER LEADERSHIP IS LIKE, WE WANNA GET BACK ON A MORE KIND OF REGULAR CYCLE IN TERMS OF DOING THESE INSTEAD OF DOING A WHOLE BUNCH AND THEN NOT DOING IT FOR A WHILE AND DOING A WHOLE BUNCH AND NOT DOING IT FOR A WHILE.
WE WANT TO GET ON THAT REGULAR KIND OF SIX YEAR CYCLE SO WE CAN IDENTIFY PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE PROCESS AND WE CAN HAVE EARLY, EARLY OUT CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN PREPARED UNDER A PREVIOUS BOND CYCLE AND THEY CAN START RIGHT AWAY AS WELL AS OTHER PROJECTS THAT WE'RE DELIVERING, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT, UM, AND PROVIDING SOME OF THE, THE PLANNING AND ENGINEERING THAT WE NEED TO DO BEFOREHAND.
COMMISSIONER CO SORRY, UH, ONE MORE QUESTION.
YOU TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, UM, YOU WERE RUNNING INTO PERMITTING PROCESSES THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, AS STRINGENT AS PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, SO WHERE ARE YOU IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CHANGE IN THE RULES FOR THAT? AND HAVE YOU CONSIDERED PARTNERING WITH, UM, AWESOME ENERGY, AWESOME WATER AND TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS GOING THROUGH A LITTLE BIT OF MORE OF A TRUNCATED PERMITTING PROCESS? YEAH, SO ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, RIGHT, IS THAT WE MANAGE PROJECTS FOR ALL OF THE CIP DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE MANAGE AUSTIN WATER PROJECTS, NOT SO MUCH AUSTIN ENERGY, SOME OF THEIR DOWNTOWN CHILL WATER STUFF THAT WE DO.
UM, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, WATERSHED PROTECTION.
SO WE HAVE CONNECTION TO ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS.
SO ANY CHANGES THAT WE MAKE WON'T BE JUST FOR, YOU KNOW, MOBILITY PROJECTS THAT'LL BE FOR THE CITY AS AN ORGANIZATION.
AND THAT'S PART OF, UM, THE, THE UPDATE AND, AND THE RELOOK THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH IS SAYING, ALL RIGHT, DOESN'T MAKE SENSE THAT IF WE'RE REPLACING A WATER LINE THAT YES, IT'S NOT GONNA BE GREAT WHEN CONSTRUCTION'S GOING ON, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY IT'S GONNA BE A STREET AND IT WILL REMAIN A STREET TO HAVE TO COMPLY WITH SOME OF THE REGULATIONS THAT WE HAVE IN TERMS OF, UM, IMPERVIOUS COVER AND SOME, SOME OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN BETTER DELIVER PROJECTS IN THE RIGHT OF WAY, SHORTENING THOSE, UM, REVIEW TIMES AND MAKING THE REGULATIONS MAKE SENSE FOR WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY DOING.
I DID WANNA ASK ONE MORE QUESTION.
UM, SO, AND IT IS ABOUT THE PLANNING, THE IDEA OF FUNDING THROUGH THE BOND PLANNING DIFFERENT CORRIDOR PLANS.
UH, UH, SO I KNOW IN THE 2020 AND I COULDN'T LIST THEM, THERE WERE A SET OF BASICALLY THE ONES YOU PRESENTED ON THAT WERE FUNDED AND THEN THERE WERE LIKE ANOTHER FIVE OR SIX THAT WERE SUPPOSED TO BE PLANNED.
UM, I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW THAT.
I KNOW, UH, I MEAN I DO KNOW THAT A FEW OF THEM HAD SOME, UM, INPUT PROCESSES, BUT LIKE AS FAR AS THE ONES THAT WERE FUNDED FOR PLANNING, WHAT IS, IS THERE A STATUS UPDATE ON THOSE? MAYBE THAT'S A DIFFERENT, A DIFFERENT QUARTERLY UPDATE THAT YOU CAN BRING US.
BUT WE DID NOT FUND ADDITIONAL QUARTER STUDIES IN 2020.
WE DID OH, REALLY? FIVE MORE IN 2016, WHICH WAS MANCH PLEASANT VALLEY THERE, FEW OTHERS.
I THINK I WAS TALKING ABOUT 2016.
YEAH, SO THERE WERE FIVE MORE, UM, IN 2016 AND THOSE PLANNING PROCESSES WERE, UM, WRAPPED UP PROBABLY TWO OR THREE YEARS AFTER THAT STARTED.
SO PROBABLY IN THE 20 18, 20 19, UM, WE LOOKED TO THOSE PLANS WHEN WE'RE DOING, UM, LOCAL MOBILITY PROJECTS JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE, UM, BUILDING OUT WHAT WE CAN AND THEN WE'LL BE, WE'RE DUSTING THOSE OFF, IF YOU WILL, AND LOOKING AT, UH, 2026 IN TERMS OF WHAT'S FUNDABLE AND CONSTRUCTABLE.
WOULD YOU SAY THAT THOSE, THOSE PLANS THAT CAME OUT OF THAT 2016 UH, BOND, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THOSE ARE, UH, PLANS ON THE SHELF PLANNING DOCUMENTS? OR ARE THEY MORE A LITTLE MORE ENGINEERED AND CONSTRUCTION READY? THEY'RE PRETTY AKIN TO WHAT WAS DONE FOR THE CORRIDOR PROGRAM OF PROJECTS.
WHICH IS WHY WE'RE, LOOK, WE ARE LOOKING AT THEM NOW TO GET READY FOR THAT, THAT REVAMP.
WELL, UM, GOSH, I MIGHT LOOK AROUND ONE MORE TIME IF THERE'S ANY, I WROTE DOWN A BUNCH OF THINGS.
I WROTE DOWN PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE FOR CORRIDOR PROJECTS, SO MAYBE THAT'S A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM THAT WE CAN, UH,
BUT, UM, YEAH, I THINK ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
JUST TO ADD ON THE SCHEDULING THING, I'M HAPPY TO COME WHENEVER Y'ALL WANT ME
[01:15:01]
TO JUST REACH OUT AND LET ME KNOW.THE ONLY REASON IT TOOK FROM MAY TO NOW TO COME BACK IS I, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS DIDN'T SCHEDULE ME TO COME BACK, SO I'M HAPPY IF YOU GUYS WANT TO, I THINK WE NEED, I'M HAPPY TO COME BACK ON A QUARTERLY BASIS AND WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT, WORK WITH, YOU KNOW, THE LIAISON WITH, WITH TPW AND JUST LET US KNOW AND WE'RE HAPPY TO COME BACK AND, AND UPDATE THINGS AS WE GO ON A QUARTERLY BASIS.
AND, AND I THINK ONE THING WE MIGHT, LIKE, WE, THIS FORMAT IS GREAT.
I AGREE WITH SEVERAL COMMISSIONERS SAID THAT.
I THINK ONE OF THE THING WE MAY WANNA LEARN A LITTLE BIT MORE TOO IS ABOUT, ABOUT SOME OF THE PLANNING THAT YOU'VE DONE, LIKE, UM, AND HOW, HOW, 'CAUSE WE'RE THINKING A LOT ABOUT THE 20 NO LATER THAN 2026
ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONERS, THAT TAKES US TO THE END OF OUR DISCUSSION ITEMS. WE HAVE, UH, TWO DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS I'LL READ NOW.
[4. Discussion and recommendation on Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization 2020 Regional Transportation Plan ]
ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS THE DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION ON THE CAPITAL AREA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION.AND HERE I'M GONNA CORRECT SOMETHING.
AGAIN, IT SAYS 2020, BUT IT'S THE 2050 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UH, WE DID TALK TO, UM, UH, THE CLERK AND THEY SAID THAT'S FINE TO JUST CORRECT THAT TYPE OF GRAPHICAL ERROR INTO THE RECORD.
UM, WE HAD TO GET THE AGENDA POST IT BEFORE, UH, THE WEEK OF THANKSGIVING BECAUSE OF VARIOUS, UH, VACATIONS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WERE GOING ON.
AND SO I DON'T KNOW THAT WE ACTUALLY, I MEAN, IF SOMEONE WANTS TO PROVIDE A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE FLOOR, WE'LL POST IT FOR IT SO WE CAN, WE CAN GO FOR THAT TODAY.
BUT, UM, WE DON'T, LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY, I DON'T, I'M NOT NECESSARILY ANTICIPATING A RECOMMENDATION 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A PRECIATE ONE.
SO I POSTED IT FOR ACTION 'CAUSE I WASN'T SURE IF SOMEBODY WAS GONNA WANNA PREP ONE.
BUT AT THIS POINT, I'M NOT SURE.
I WOULD BE DELIGHTED WITH THAT.
I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION ON THIS.
UM, BUT WE CAN ALWAYS, IF WE WANT TO AFTER THIS MEETING AND WE DON'T HAVE ONE TODAY, WE CAN BRING IT AS Y'ALL VERY WELL KNOW.
HOPEFULLY WE CAN BRING THAT BACK.
SO I'LL CALL UP OUR PRESENTER, WHICH IS, UH, WHO IS COLE AND, UH, MADAM CHAIR? YES.
SO YOU'RE AWARE WE DO HAVE ONE PUBLIC SPEAKER FOR THIS ITEM? OH, YES.
UH, THIS, I THOUGHT IT WAS ITEM FIVE.
WE HAVE ONE FOR FOUR AND ONE FOR FIVE.
SHOULD WE TAKE THOSE? I'LL TAKE YOUR RECOMMENDATION.
YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THEM NOW OR AFTER WE HEAR FROM THE STAFF PRESENTER? IT'S WHATEVER YOUR CALL USUALLY AFTER THE, I DON'T KNOW, WHAT DO Y DO Y'ALL HAVE A CITY COUNCIL WILL DO IT BEFORE.
I'LL DO WHAT CITY COUNCIL WILL DO.
SO LET'S CALL, CAN YOU HELP ME WITH THE NAME OF THAT PERSON? IT'S, UH, SANTIAGO.
UM, SO I WAS REVIEWING MY EMAILS AND I HAD SPOKEN WITH HEATHER, UH, FROM TXDOT, UM, LAST OCTOBER ABOUT THE CATEGORY FUNDING FOR, UM, IN PARTICULAR, UH, THE BREAKDOWN FOR THE BRIDGE.
IT'S GOING OVER THE COLORADO RIVER AND IS, THIS IS TRANSPORTATION.
UM, UH, JIM, I'M NOT REALLY CLEAR ON HOW, UH, LIKE DEFERRING TO THE, LIKE ADVISORY, LIKE BICYCLE OR PEDESTRIAN IS, UH, SUPPORTIVE WITH REGARDS TO A MULTIMODAL, UH, NARROW CORRIDOR OVER A VERY ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE, UH, AREA OF THE COLORADO RIVER.
UM, SO LIKE, UM, THE WAY THE PROJECT IS PACKAGED IS, UH, FROM BEN WHITE TO HOLLY STREET, UH, IS HAS BEEN SORT OF, UH, AGAIN, INVISIBLE AND NOT LEGIBLE IN TERMS OF THE IMPACTS, UH, TO IN PARTICULAR WATERSHED.
AND THAT WAS ALREADY BEEN BURIED.
UM, SO I'M GONNA BACK UP IN HISTORY.
IN 1950, UH, WHEN THE BRIDGE WAS FIRST CONSTRUCTED, UM, IT DEVASTATED THE EAST AUSTIN NEIGHBORHOODS AND, UH, PRIVATIZED, UM, THE LANDS THAT WERE DISTURBED TO PUT IN A HOTEL AND SEVERAL CONDOS THAT ARE NOW ON THE WEST SIDE.
UM, AND EXCEEDED THE 200 FOOT EASEMENT, UH, THAT CITY COUNCIL HAD GUARANTEED IN 1984 WHEN THE SECOND TWO BRIDGES WERE ADDED.
UH, AGAIN, EXCEEDING THE 200 FOOT, UH, EASEMENT INTO PARKLAND, UM, AND COVERING, AND AGAIN, COVERING UP THE WATERSHED ON THE SOUTH SHORE.
UM, THERE IS JUST NOT A LOT OF RESPECT FOR, UH, AGAIN, MULTIM MODALITIES.
UM, I WALKED ACROSS THE BRIDGE EARLIER TODAY AND IS ABSOLUTELY IN INHUMANE, UM, TO CROSS THAT BRIDGE, UM, WALKING, BIKING, WHATEVER.
I KNOW KIRK WATSON IS NOT A FAN OF GOING UP, UH, HIGHER OR LOWER.
UM, IN TERMS OF COSTS, THERE IS $400 MILLION ALLOCATED FOR THAT SOUTH SECTION.
UM, WITH THE INFLATED, UH, BIDS THAT HAVE BEEN SUBMITTED RECENTLY FROM $750,000 FOR THE CAPS TO $1.5 BILLION.
UM, IT'S NOT TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION.
[01:20:01]
I'M, I'VE BEEN PART OF THE FESTIVAL, BEACH FOOD FOREST AND, UH, WE HAVE QUARTERLY MEETINGS GUARANTEED FROM TXDOT TO HEAR ABOUT UPDATES.IT'D BE GREAT TO HEAR HAVE ANY OF Y'ALL PRESENT FOR THE, THAT SPACE TO, UH, GAIN MORE COMPREHENSION FOR WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, BUT IN IN PARTICULAR, THE WEAPONIZING OF, UH, AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, TO MOVE TRANSMISSION LINES INTO OUR MOST RECENT EXPANSION.
THEY KNEW THEY WERE DOING THIS AND AUSTIN ENERGY DID NOT COMMUNICATE TO, UH, OUR COMMUNITY GARDENS, DID NOT COMMUNICATE TO PARK STAFF, DID NOT COMMUNICATE ALL THESE IMPACTS.
UH, AND IT, IT JUST FEELS LIKE A, UM, GETTING IT SHOVED DOWN OUR THROAT.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY HUMILIATING, UM, THAT AS A CITIZEN, UM, I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO, UH, NAVIGATE THIS.
UH, COMMISSIONERS, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR SPEAKER? THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
UM, UH, WE'LL CALL UP OUR, OUR SPEAKER, UH, COLE KITTEN, UH, FOR THE, AGAIN, ITEM FOUR ON CAPITAL ERA METROPOLITAN PLANNING ORGANIZATION, 2050 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
I WORK UNDERNEATH, UH, COAL KITTEN, SO I'M GONNA BE PRESENTING TODAY IF THAT'S OKAY.
I AM A, UH, SENIOR PLANNER WITH TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, AND UH, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
UM, AND I'LL BE DIS UH, DISCUSSING, UH, WITH Y'ALL THE CAMPOS 2050 REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UM, NEXT PLAN, OR NEXT, NEXT SLIDE, UH, IN WHICH THE RTP IS A COLLECTION OF TRANSPORTATION, UM, PLANS FROM ALL LOCAL JURISDICTIONS WITHIN, UH, SIX COUNTIES.
AND, UM, IT'S COLLECTED EVERY FIVE YEARS AND THERE ARE AMENDMENTS, UM, WITHIN THOSE FIVE YEARS, BUT EVERY FIVE YEARS THEY HAVE A FULL SALE, UH, NEW PLAN.
AND, UH, ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF THE RTP IS TO COORDINATE ALL THE GROWTH WITHIN, UH, WITH TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS WITHIN, UH, THE SIX COUNTIES.
AND, UH, THE, THE CAMPO REGION IS GROWING NOT ONLY IN POPULATION, BUT ALSO IN EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO WHY, UM, THAT'S PART OF THE CAMPO, UM, REASONS WHY THE CAMPO IS, IS THERE, IS JUST KIND OF COORDINATE ALL THESE DIFFERENT TRANSPORTATION PLANS WITHIN, UH, SUCH A LARGE AREA.
UH, NEXT PLAN, UH, NEXT SLIDE.
AND SO CAMPO IS CURRENTLY IN THE, UH, FIRST OF TWO ROUNDS OF PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, PERIODS, UM, FOR THE 2050 PLAN.
UM, THE, UH, FIRST ROUND PUBLIC COMMENT IS DUE DECEMBER 9TH.
SO, UH, FOR EXAMPLE, SANTIAGO WAS MISSING, UH, HIS PUBLIC COMMENT.
AND SO, UM, THOSE PUBLIC COMMENTS ARE DUE BY DECEMBER 9TH, UM, AND THE SECOND ROUND WILL TAKE PLACE, UM, IN THE SPRING AFTER CAMPO HAS, UM, CREATED THE PROJECT LIST.
AND SO, UM, SO THAT WILL BE MADE PUBLIC, UM, I BELIEVE IN JANUARY, MAYBE FEBRUARY.
SO, LIKE I MENTIONED, THE FIRST ROUND OF PUBLIC OUTREACH, UM, IS, UH, DUE NEXT WEEK, DECEMBER 9TH.
AND, UH, IT WILL FOC IT IS BEEN FOCUSING PRIMARILY ON ENGAGING THE PUBLIC AND TRYING TO GET THEM AWARE OF WHAT THE RTP IS, WHAT CAMPO IS, AND, UH, TRYING TO REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE VALUES IS OF THE PUBLIC, UH, AT LARGE.
AND THEN THE SECOND, UH, ROUND OF PUBLIC OUTREACH WILL TAKE PLACE BETWEEN FEBRUARY AND APRIL.
AND THAT WILL DEAL WITH MORE OF THE, THE, UH, PROJECT LISTING AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF IT, UM, AS WELL.
AND SO, SO FAR, UM, WELL THEY'VE HAD SIX, UH, FALL OUTREACH, UM, EVENTS.
ONE IN EACH COUNTY, AT LEAST ONE IN EACH COUNTY, AS WELL AS AN ONLINE, UH, OPEN HOUSE.
AND AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IS IMPERATIVE, UH, THAT IF YOU DO HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS THAT YOU GET THEM IN VIA BY DECEMBER 9TH, UM, WHICH IS NEXT MONDAY.
AND, UH, THESE ARE ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, WAYS YOU COULD GO AHEAD AND SUBMIT THEM, UH, EITHER VIA ONLINE SURVEY, UM, EMAIL, PHONE, OR EVEN EMAIL OR, UM, ACTUALLY MAIL THEM IN.
UM, AND THEY HAVE THE ONLINE OPEN HOUSE ON YOUTUBE AND THEIR LINK IS THERE.
SO, UM, WITH THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
I'LL START OFF BY ASKING SOME QUESTIONS.
IT KIND OF RELATES TO THE SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE POPULATION AND EMPLOYMENT GROWTH, UM, MM-HMM,
SO, UM, SO IS THIS, THIS IS THE DRAFT GROWTH.
SO THERE'S THIS WEIRD THING WITH CAMPO, RIGHT, WHERE THEY PREDICT GROWTH AND THEN THEY PLAN FOR THAT GROWTH.
[01:25:01]
THAT THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE BUILDING INFRASTRUCTURE ROADS, LET'S SAY ROADS A LOT OF TIMES AND THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN OVER THE YEARS IS THAT THEY'VE, NUMBER ONE, THEY'VE CONSISTENTLY OVERESTIMATED THE POPULATION GROWTH OUTSIDE TRAVIS COUNTY AND UNDERESTIMATED THE POPULATION GROWTH WITHIN TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH LEADS TO, I THINK A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, ROAD CONSTRUCTION AND FUNDING IN THE, UM, YOU KNOW, SUBURBAN COUNTIES.
UM, AND ANOTHER AND LESS, LET'S SAY GREEN SORT OF TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE AND, AND THAT TYPE OF THING IN, IN TRAVIS COUNTY POTENTIALLY ARGUABLY.
AND THAT ALSO THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE ALSO NOT, THEY DON'T, IT'S HARD TO UNDERSTAND SOMETIMES HOW THE PREDICTED GROWTH, YOU KNOW, LIKE THEY'RE PREDICTING THIS GROWTH.
LIKE THIS IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING BASED ON WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST ON WHAT A WILLIAMSON COUNTY COMMISSIONER HAS ASKED FOR, UM, ON, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO BUILD, LIKE, LIKE THE, THE METRIC THERE IS IS NOT SEEMED VERY RIGOROUS TO ME.
SO I GUESS WHEN I'M SEEING THESE ARE SORT OF LIKE EYE POPPING NUMBERS IN SOME CASES HERE, UM, WITH THE GROWTH.
UM, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT IF WE WANNA GROW, UH, UH, UH, IN A WAY THAT IS IN LINE WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UH, TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, WHICH IS THAT, YOU KNOW, A QUARTER OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MANY, MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO LIVE NEAR HIGH QUALITY TRANSIT AND TAKE TRANSIT TO WORK AND TO PLAY AND TO HOME AND TO SCHOOL AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO, UM, BY NECESSITY JUST, JUST BY GEOMETRY AND FUNDING, WE NEED TO BE ACCOMMODATING MANY, MANY MORE PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY THAN WE DO, UM, THAN PERHAPS THIS IS CONTEMPLATING.
SO, UM, I, I GUESS, UM, I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU, 'CAUSE I, IS IT CORRECT TO THINK THAT YOU, YOU, YOUR OFFICE, YOU AND COLE, YOU LIAISE WITH THE CAMPO PLANNING STAFF? IS THAT, WOULD THAT'S ACCURATE? YES.
UM, MY BOSS DEANNA, UM, UM, IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH THE CAMPO STAFF.
SO I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT'S YOUR SENSE, CAN YOU COMMENT ON THESE, THESE DRAFT NUMBERS? ARE THESE, UH, BASED ON THE TRENDS OF GROWTH THAT THEY WE'VE SEEN, OR IS THIS SOME SORT OF LIKE, MORE LIKE ASPIRATIONAL BECAUSE WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT, LIKE, THESE NUMBERS ARE LIKE, ARE WRONG EVERY TIME, AND LIKE THEY DIRECT FUNDING AWAY FROM TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH I WOULD ARGUE ULTIMATELY IS A, IS EQUITY ISSUE.
UM, AND IT'S, IT'S, AND IT'S, UH, COUNTER TO ALL OF THE CITY AUSTIN PLANNING AND, UH, WHAT WE KNOW IS BEST FOR CLIMATE CHANGE, FOR HEALTHY LIFESTYLES, AND FOR ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
SO I, I, NO, THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE DONE
I I AM CERTAINLY AWARE OF THAT.
BUT WHAT I'M ASKING HERE IS CAN YOU COMMENT ON, ON WHAT YOUR PERSPECTIVE, IF ANY, IS ON THESE NUMBERS AND HOW THEY WERE DERIVED OR ARRIVED AT? YES, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTIONS.
UM, I WILL HAVE TO DO SOME MORE RESEARCH AND GET BACK TO YOU ON EXACTLY THOSE, THOSE SPECIFICS, UM, ON HOW THEY ARRIVED AT, AT THOSE, UH, DEMOGRAPHICS.
BUT I DO AGREE WITH YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, UM, THOSE NUMBERS WILL INDICATE NOT REALLY A, UH, MULTIMODAL, UH, TRANSPORTATION NETWORK, RIGHT? WHAT IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN'S ROLE? SO WE KNOW, I MEAN, THIS HAPPENED FIVE YEARS AGO.
UH, WILLIAMSON COUNTY ACTUALLY CAME AND SAID, WE WANT YOU TO PUT MORE PEOPLE, UH, GROWTH PLANNED INTO WILLIAMSON COUNTY BECAUSE WHAT, WHAT AND WHY WOULD THEY ASK FOR THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE MORE PEOPLE IS GOING TO LEAD TO MORE FUNDING AND, AND MONEY AND THE PLAN, RIGHT? SO LIKE ADVOCATING TO SAY, WE WANNA SEE MORE GROWTH MEANS THAT YOU GET MORE MONEY, YOU GET MORE THINGS.
SO I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO KNOW AND SEE THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS SAYING, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT? WE'RE DOING ALL THESE COOL THINGS.
WE HAVE A EAD ZONING OVERLAY, WE HAVE A TRANSPORTATION PLAN, WE HAVE DONE ALL THESE THINGS, DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT, UH, ZONING, UH, AND, AND CHANGES THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ALLOW MORE PEOPLE AND WE CAN POINT TO THIS.
HERE'S THE ZONE CAPACITY THAT WE'VE CHANGED THAT WE NEED TO HAVE MORE PEOPLE, UH, PLANNED TO BE IN TRAVIS COUNTY SO THAT WE CAN GET THOSE FUNDING.
BECAUSE UNLESS WE START ADVOCATING FOR THINGS LIKE THAT AND STANDING UP FOR OURSELF A BIT, I THINK THAT WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THE FUNDING THAT WE DESERVE.
AND WE HAVE MOST OF THE PEOPLE, AND IT REALLY, YOU KNOW, I THINK SOMETIMES WE THINK WE HAVE MOST LOW INCOME PEOPLE TOO, AS WELL IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
SO THAT, THAT'S WHY I THINK IT'S AN EQUITY ISSUE, IS I THINK THAT WE WANNA GET THE FUNDING WHERE IT'S NEEDED.
AND WE KNOW THAT MOST PEOPLE WOULD, MANY PEOPLE MAY, NOT ALL PEOPLE, CERTAINLY NOT ALL PEOPLE, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE WOULD PREFER TO LIVE IN TRAVIS COUNTY CLOSER TO THEIR WORK, CLOSER TO, UH, SCHOOLS AND DIFFERENT THINGS THAN THEY WOULD TO MOVE OUT TO THE EDGE OF BURNETT COUNTY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO I'M USING AN EXTREME EXAMPLE, BUT, YOU KNOW, UM, I THINK, UH, I THINK THAT WE,
[01:30:01]
WE HAVE TO AS A CITY, I MEAN, IS YOUR SENSE THAT WE ARE GOING TO CAMPO AND SAYING PLAN FOR MORE PEOPLE IN TRAVIS COUNTY PLAN FOR MORE PEOPLE IN CITY OF AUSTIN, AND WE CAN QUANTIFY THAT WITH SOME OF THE ZONING THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE.IS THAT, IS THAT AN ACTION THAT WE'RE TAKING? I BELIEVE THAT ACTUALLY IS, LEMME GO AHEAD.
YEAH, SORRY JAY, LET ME GO AHEAD AND TRY TO ANSWER THE QUESTION.
MY CAMERA'S NOT WORKING, BUT MY NAME IS, UH, DEANNA VARGAS.
I WORK WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, AND I, I THINK JAY IS CORRECT.
WE WILL GIVE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION OR THE BACKGROUND, BUT JUST SO THAT, UM, WE GIVE A BETTER PERSPECTIVE OF WHERE THE NUMBERS COME FROM.
SO THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROVIDED THE INFORMATION FOR THE 2020 YEAR, THAT'S THE BASE YEAR FOR IT.
AND THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF MODELING THAT GOES IN IT, BUT, UH, LIKE JAY EXPLAINED, THERE'S SIX COUNTIES.
AND SO WHAT THEY DO IS THEY SMOOTH IT OVER AS PART OF THAT MODELING PROCESS THAT THEY DO, AND THEN THEY TAKE THAT INFORMATION THAT'S BASED ON 2020, AND THEY WILL FORECAST IT IN, UH, TO 2020, UH, 2050, AND THEN IT GETS SMOOTHED OUT.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A, UM, IT'S A COLLECTION OF DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION THAT GOES INTO THE MODEL, AND IT'S THE MODEL THAT THEN DISPERSES THE TRA THE, THE, I GUESS THE PATTERNS THAT COME OUT OF IT, THE ORIGINS AND DESTINATIONS.
AND THAT INFORMATION COMES BACK TO THE CITY, IT GOES BACK TO THE DEMOGRAPHER TO VERIFY WHETHER OR NOT AT THE TRAFFIC ANALYSIS ZONE, THE INFORMATION IS REFLECTING WHAT YOU KNOW, THEIR FORECASTS ARE EXPECTING OR WHERE GROWTH WILL OCCUR.
AND WE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CORRECT THAT INFORMATION.
AND SO THAT'S JUST IN A NUTSHELL, BUT WE CAN GIVE YOU A WRITEUP OF EXACTLY WHAT INFORMATION HAS BEEN PROVIDED ON BEHALF OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
BUT TRAVIS COUNTY WOULD BE PROVIDING INFORMATION, WILLIAMSON COUNTY, HAYES, UH, AND ALL OF THOSE, UH, THAT WILL THEN BE COMBINED INTO A MODEL.
UH, AND THEN THEY REPLICATE THE BASE YEAR, WHAT IT WAS, WHAT WAS HAPPENING IN 2020, AND THEN THEY FORECAST THAT AND WE PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
THE CITY OF AUSTIN PROVIDES THAT INFORMATION.
YEAH, I WOULD DEFINITELY APPRECIATE A REPORT ON THAT, UH, TO BE SENT TO THE COMMISSION.
THAT WOULD BE VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
WOULD YOU SAY THAT, SORRY, WOULD, WOULD YOU SAY THAT THE PROCESS THAT TRAVIS COUNTY, OR SORRY, I SHOULD SAY CITY OF AUSTIN, WOULD YOU SAY THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE FOLLOWING IN CITY OF AUSTIN WITH OUR DEMOGRAPHER IS THAT THIS ARE OTHER COUNTIES FOLLOWING THE SAME PROCESS? LIKE THE MODELING? YES, THE SAME MODELING.
SO, SO WE, WE ALSO RELY ON THE, THE STATE DATA CONTROL CENTER WHERE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE THE GROWTH, THE INGRESS EGRESS OF THE GROWTH AT THE COUNTY LEVEL.
AND THAT'S WHAT ALSO, SO THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER INFORMATION IS ALSO WAY, UH, FACTORED INTO THAT.
UH, SO THERE'S LIKE CON WHAT THEY CALL CONTROL GROWTHS, UM, THAT THEY FORECAST AS WELL.
AND THAT, UH, LILA, UH, VALENCIA IS THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER, AND SHE ACTUALLY CAME FROM THE STATE, UH, DEMO DEMOGRAPHIC OFFICE.
UM, AND SO, UM, SHE'S VERY FAMILIAR WITH HOW THEY CALCULATE THAT INFORMATION.
AND UH, I THINK IT'D BE BEST FOR US TO JUST GIVE YOU, UM, IN A NUTSHELL WHAT ACTUALLY WENT INTO THE, THE INFORMATION.
BUT EVERYBODY, EVERY COUNTY FOLLOWS THE SAME PROCESS TO HELP ENSURE THE, YOU KNOW, THE, IT'S THE SMOOTHING OUT OF, OF THAT OVER A SIX COUNTY AREA THAT, THAT SOMETIMES GETS LOST.
I, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS I HAVE FOR NOW.
I SEE A COUPLE HANDS, WELL, COMMISSIONER BROOKS, I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE UP TO DATE ON THIS THAN MOST PEOPLE.
UM, THE METHODOLOGY ACTUALLY CHANGED THIS YEAR.
THOSE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE ON THE SLIDE CAME FROM THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER'S OFFICE.
SO THIS IS WHAT THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER EXPECTS FOR THOSE AREAS.
THEN CAMPO GOES UNDER, DOES A PROCESS THAT I THINK HAS BEEN ACCURATELY, FAIRLY ACCURATELY DESCRIBED TO ALLOCATE THOSE NUMBERS TO TRANSIT ANALYSIS ZONES, TAAS.
SO THEY TAKE THE COUNTY TOTAL FOR TRAVIS COUNTY, AND THEN THEY SPREAD IT OUT INTO THE DIFFERENT TAS WITHIN TRA COUNTY.
EVERYBODY USES THE CAMPO FORECAST, UH, THE TS LEVEL AI, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS USE IT TO FORECAST WHERE THEY SHOULD BUILD MORE SCHOOLS.
OF COURSE, IT'S THE USE TO JUSTIFY BUILDING MORE TRANSIT, BUT THE FA REQUIRES THAT YOU USE IT FOR FORECASTING RIDERSHIP ON LIGHT RAIL BEFORE THEY'LL GIVE YOU ANY MONEY.
SAME CAMPO DATA AT THIS LEVEL, THE ONE TO BLAME IS THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER'S OFFICE.
[01:35:01]
SEE WHAT THE, AND THE PROCESS WITHIN CAMPO FOR THE DISTRIBUTION IS FIRST THEY PRESENT THE RESULTS TO THE TAC, THE, UH, TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE OF WHICH COAL KITTEN IS A MEMBER.UM, AND ONCE THEY HAVE, THEY MAKE A RECOMMENDATION ON IT TO THE TRANSPORTATION BO THE CAMPO TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD, WHICH FINALLY ADOPTS THE FORECAST OFFICIALLY.
BUT AT THIS STAGE, WHAT WE'RE SEEING WORK, WORK HAS BEEN UNDERWAY FOR TWO YEARS ON THE INDIVIDUAL FORECASTS.
AND YES, THEY, THEY'VE BEEN FORCED TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE LIKE THE CITY OF AUSTIN DEMOGRAPHER, WHAT HER FORECASTS ARE.
BUT AT THIS LEVEL, WHICH YOU'RE STILL SEEING IS THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER'S OFFICE.
HAS THERE EVER BEEN, UM, ANY TALK OF SCENARIO PLANNING, UM, IN THIS SORT OF, AS WE GO THROUGH THE 2050 RTP SCENARIO PLANNING FOR SAYING, OKAY, WHAT IF THE POPULATION GROWTH WAS PRIMARILY URBAN INSTEAD OF SUBURBAN, AND THEN ANOTHER, WHAT IF OF IT BEING, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A, MAYBE A MILLION PEOPLE MOVE TO WILLIAMSON COUNTY IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS AND ONLY 700,000 IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
BUT IS THERE ANY, ANYTHING ABOUT SCENARIO PLANNING AS PART OF THIS PROCESS? WE'VE TRIED TO INTRODUCE THEM TO THE IDEA MYSELF AND JAY CROSSLEY, ANY LUCK? NO.
THEY ARE PRESUMING THAT PEOPLE THAT PEOPLE WILL WORKING AT HOME WILL GO BACK TO THE PRE PANDEMIC LEVELS.
ALL OF THE CURRENT MODEL IS BASED ON PEOPLE NOT WORKING AT HOME OR AT LEAST WORKING AT HOME FOR THE, FROM THE 2018 OR 2020 LEVELS.
AND OBVIOUSLY, UH, IT'S GUARANTEED TO BE WRONG.
SO I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE A GOOD REASON TO ADOPT SCENARIO PLANNING.
YOU KNOW, THERE ARE THESE TWO POSSIBILITIES, BUT NO, THEY'VE CHOSEN ONE THAT'S GUARANTEED TO BE WRONG.
YEAH, I'LL, I'LL SAVE THE, THE, THE DIATRIBE FOR ANOTHER VENUE, I THINK.
BUT YEAH, WE NEED TO, WE NEED THIS PROCESS NEEDS TO BE BETTER.
WELL, I MUST SAY THE, THE STATE DEMOGRAPHERS RESULTS ARE IN THEMSELVES.
THEY PREDICT THAT EVERYBODY'S GONNA MOVE TO THE SUBURBS, BUT EVERYBODY'S GONNA WORK IN TRAVIS COUNTY, WHICH MEANS BASICALLY THE DOMAIN AND DOWNTOWN, IT'S THE PERFECT JUSTIFICATION FOR BUILDING A LOT MORE ROADS AND A LOT MORE COMMUTING.
BUT IT DOES SAY THAT NO PEOPLE AREN'T GONNA WORK IN TRAVIS COUNTY.
YEAH, I, I MEAN, I THINK ONE THING TOO THAT STRIKES ME ABOUT THIS PLANNING IS LIKE, I WOULD LOVE TO, LIKE, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN INVOLVED IN THESE PLANNING ISSUES, I'VE NEVER REALLY DELVED INTO THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER OR WORKING WITH THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER.
BUT I THINK WORKING WITH THE CITY DEMOGRAPHER TO LOOK AT LIKE SORT OF ZONE TO CAPACITY AND SOME OF THE LIKE, PROGRESSIVE CHANGES THAT WE'RE MAKING IN TERMS OF HOUSING IN THE CITY MIGHT ALSO BE HELPFUL TO SEE LIKE, ARE WE REALLY SHOWING IN THIS PLANNING? LIKE WE MIGHT BE FOLLOWING A TREND, BUT LIKE WE'VE ACCELERATED CONSTRUCTION OF HOUSING IN CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO LIKE MAYBE THAT'S SOME, MAYBE THAT'S A VENUE FOR DISCUSSION AND, AND SORT OF THEIR METHODOLOGIES AS WELL.
PERHAPS THAT WOULD BE FRUITFUL FOR US.
UM, TO PUT DIPLOMATICALLY, I WOULD SAY IN THE, THE LAST, UH, TIP OUR PRIORITIES BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND CITY DIVERGED A LITTLE BIT, UH, WHICH IS DEFINITELY CONCERNING BECAUSE WE'LL BOTH GET OUTVOTED.
SO I, I WOULD BE CURIOUS TO HEAR, DEFINITELY NOT ASKING YOU TO COMMENT ON THAT, BUT I'D BE CURIOUS TO HEAR HOW YOU GUYS ARE WORKING WITH TRAVIS COUNTY STAFF GOING INTO THE 2050 PLANNING PROCESS AND HOW WE'RE TRYING TO ALIGN OURSELVES, UH, TO MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN THE LITTLE BIT OF VOTING POWER WE DO HAVE.
IS THAT A QUESTION FOR STAFF? YEAH, SORRY, THAT'S A QUESTION FOR STAFF.
I KNOW WE WENT ON A LITTLE BIT OF A DISCUSSION THERE.
I WAS JUST, UH, UM, AND THE ANSWER IS YES, WE DO COORDINATE WITH TRAVIS COUNTY AND WE MAKE SURE THAT WE SHARE THE INFORMATION, UM, UH, AS YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THEY DO GO AND BEFORE THEIR COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UM, AND GET THE INFORMATION APPROVED BEFORE IT'S SUBMITTED TO CAMPO.
UM, AND SO WE WORK VERY CLOSELY WITH
[01:40:01]
THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT IT MAKES SENSE.UM, BUT, UH, AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMISSIONER POINTING OUT THE, YOU KNOW, MY BADLY DESCRIBED DEMOGRAPHIC SCENARIO, WHICH IS WHY WE OWE YOU THE METHODOLOGY.
BUT WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT CAMPO IS TAKING COMMENTS ON AT THIS MOMENT ARE, IS THE PROCESS.
SO I THINK THAT IF, UH, THE COMMISSION WANTS TO SUBMIT THE SCENARIO PLANNING AS SOMETHING FOR THEM TO CONSIDER, UH, AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, I THINK IT'S, IT'S A VALID COMMENT TO MAKE, UM, TO ENCOURAGE, UM, EITHER THAT OR ACTIVITY BASED MODELING OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT MIGHT IMPROVE THE SCENARIOS.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT IT, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE IN A, IN A NON-ATTAINMENT OR, OR WE ARE IN AN ATTAINMENT AREA, UM, WE GET TO UPDATE OUR PLAN EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UM, AND SO THEREFORE, UM, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO KEEP REFINING THIS PROCESS.
UM, SO WE, WE GET TO, WE GET ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY, UH, UM, AND WE'LL START THAT PROCESS 'CAUSE IT TAKES ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS BEFORE THE PLAN IS ADOPTED, UM, TO, UM, GET ALL OF THAT SQUARED AWAY.
AND SO, BUT THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION AS FAR AS YES, WE DO COORDINATE WITH TRAVIS COUNTY TO THE EXTENT POSSIBLE, UM, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR NUMBERS, UM, MAKE SENSE.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMISSIONERS? UM, I JUST WANTED TO SAY, UM, WE ARE POSTED FOR ACTION.
WE DON'T HAVE A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.
UM, SO I KNOW THAT THAT WOULD MAKE IT DIFFICULT, ALTHOUGH NOT IMPOSSIBLE FOR US TO TAKE ACTION.
UM, I DON'T, I'LL JUST LOOK AND SEE IF I HAVE A MOTION OR IF ANYBODY WANTS TO DISCUSS THOUGHTS OF THAT.
I THINK WHEN WE SEE THE DRAFT PLAN WOULD BE, I MEAN, OUR COMPLAINTS ARE ABOUT THE PROCESS NOW, BUT I FEEL LIKE THE DRAFT PLAN IS WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS TO LIKE, HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY.
YEAH, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, SO, SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE JUST NOTING THAT THE, THE FIRST ROUND PUBLIC COMMENT CLOSES ON DECEMBER 9TH.
SO DEFINITELY ENCOURAGING COMMISSIONERS AND REACHING OUT TO YOUR CONSTITUENTS AND COMMUNITY TO TO DO COMMENT I THINK WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
UM, UH, I THINK THAT MAYBE WE WANNA, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS IN FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS, BUT MAYBE WE GET A FUTURE UPDATE AND, AND REALLY TRY TO GET, UH, A UTC RECOMMENDATION OUT ON THIS.
WE DID IT LAST TIME AROUND AND I THINK, UM, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VERY APPROPRIATE FOR US TO DO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, AT, AT, AT THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
SO, UH, WE CAN WORK WITH OUR STAFF ON THAT.
DIDN'T THE ONE LAST TIME ASKED FOR SCENARIO PLANNING? YES.
COULD WE JUST PULL IT UP AND PASS IT AGAIN? LET'S, DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN THAT WAS PASSED? I MEAN, AS WELL? 'CAUSE THEN IT WOULD BE PART OF THE RECORD AND THEY WOULD AT LEAST HAVE TO RESPOND TO IT AND CONSIDER IT.
I DON'T THINK THEY'D HAVE TO RESPOND.
THAT'S ONLY, THAT'S A NE PROCESS.
THEY HAVE TO RESPOND TO EVERYTHING.
I AT LEAST BE PART OF THE RECORD.
DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT WOULD'VE BEEN? DOES SOMEBODY KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD'VE BEEN? 2022 OR 2021, RIGHT.
LET ME QUICKLY, SO THE 2045 RTP WAS PASSED IN 2020.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN IN 2020, YOU SAY? YEAH.
THIS COMMISSION ALSO PASSED A RESOLUTION WITHIN THE PAST TWO YEARS, WAS PASSED MAY 4TH, 2020.
AND THE RECOMMENDATION WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WAS WAS APRIL 5TH, UH, 2022.
SO LET'S, UM, WHY DON'T, WHY DON'T WE JUST TAKE A SECOND AND DO YOU WANNA, IS IT LONG SPENCER? IS IT IT'S DECENTLY LONG.
IT'S, UH, I MEAN, YOU WANT ME TO JUST READ IT RIGHT NOW? YEAH, MAYBE THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED.
AND THIS IS RUBEN'S RECOMMENDATION.
SO JUST THROWING THAT OUT THERE AND SAYING HIS WORDS.
UH, THE UTC REQUEST THAT CITY COUNCIL DIRECT ITS REPRESENTATIVES TO THE CAMPO TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD TO REQUEST THAT CAMPO ADOPT THE FOLLOWING POLICY CHANGES.
ONE, USE EQUITABLE SCENARIO BASED PLANNING APPROACH IN WHICH CAMPO STAFF CO-CREATE WITH DIVERSE PEOPLE ACROSS THE REGION, AT LEAST THREE DIFFERENT FORECASTS, EACH ONE BASED ON A DIFFERENT SCENARIO, POSSIBLE GOVERNMENT POLICY CHANGES AND OTHER MAJOR FACTORS THAT COULD AFFECT DEMOGRAPHIC FORECASTING.
MODELS TWO, PROVIDE EVERY FORECAST DOCUMENT DESCRIBING HOW THE FORECASTS WERE DERIVED AT A LEVEL SUITABLE FOR READING BY TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, SUCH AS THE ONE PROVIDED FOR THE 20 20 45 FORECAST.
THREE REQUIRE THAT THE CAMPO TECHNICAL
[01:45:01]
ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONDUCT AN IN-DEPTH REVIEW OF THE METHODOLOGY USED IN FORECASTS AND PROVIDE A REPORT ON MAJOR FACTORS REFLECTING THE ACCURACY OF FORECASTS WITH THE INTENT TO BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A NEW REGIONAL GROWTH FORECAST AS SOON AS POSSIBLE EVEN BEFORE THE ADOPTION OF THE NEXT REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.FORD DEVELOPED THE 2050 REGIONAL HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN INSTEAD OF TRADITIONAL SILOED RTP THROUGH ROBUST EQUITABLE SCENARIO PLANNING THAT DETERMINES THE POSSIBILITY OF A MAJORITY OF THE REGION'S RESIDENTS BEING ABLE TO FIND AFFORDABLE OPTIONS TO LIVE HEALTHY, WALKABLE NEIGHBORHOODS WITH ACCESS TO FREQUENT TRANSIT, INCORPORATING THE CLIMATE VISION ZERO HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AFFORDABILITY, MULTIMODAL LAND CONVERSION, WATER QUALITY AND FLOODING GOALS OF THE REGION, CITIES AND COUNTIES INTO HOLISTIC REGIONAL HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION PLAN THAT IS RESILIENT IN THE FACE OF AN EVERMORE COMPLEX REGIONAL GROWTH STORY.
WELL, WE FIXED THIS TWO YEARS AGO, DIDN'T WE?
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN'T THINK OF A SINGLE THING.
YEAH, NO, THAT, THAT COVERS IT.
I WONDER IF, I MEAN, MAYBE THIS IS A LITTLE MISAL SOMEWHAT MISALIGNED NOW, BUT I WONDER IF WE COULD JUST, WE HAVE DONE THIS IN THE PAST.
I THINK WE'D WANNA, SINCE THIS WAS TWO YEARS AGO AND IT WAS A DIFFERENT BODY, I THINK WE'D WANNA TAKE A VOTE ON DOING THIS.
BUT POTENTIALLY WE COULD UPLOAD THIS AS A UTC COMMENT INTO THE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE DONE, WE DID THAT WITH 35.
WE WOULD PASS A RECOMMENDATION AND THEN WE WOULD, I WOULD UPLOAD THAT, UM, AS THE OFFICIAL UT RECOMMENDATION INTO THE SYSTEM.
SO IT'S A MATTER OF THE PUBLIC RECORD THAT THIS WAS SUBMITTED, EVEN IF WE'RE A LITTLE, MAYBE WE'RE A LITTLE LATE ON THE UPTAKE OR SOMETHING, BUT I THINK THAT WE COULD JUST SAY, WE PASSED THIS TWO YEARS AGO, UH, AND JUST UPLOAD IT IN THERE BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT, BECAUSE THIS WAS NOT UPLOADED LIKE, INTO ANY SORT OF, UH, FORMAL CAMPO PLAN.
'CAUSE THERE WASN'T ANYTHING GOING ON IN 22, RIGHT? NO, NO.
SO THIS WAS, I THINK AS WE WERE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT IT STARTING TO COME UP, I'LL JUST, I'LL BE OKAY WITH THAT.
WE, UH, UH, AND EVERYONE CAN LOOK AT THIS AGAIN, THAT IF YOU WANNA FIND IT, IT'S FROM THE APRIL 5TH, 2022 REGULAR MEETING OF THE UTC.
IF YOU WANNA PULL IT UP ONLINE TO LOOK AT IT YOURSELF.
AND I'M TOTALLY COOL WITH PEOPLE TAKING A BEAT TO, TO REVIEW THAT, BUT I'LL MOVE THAT WE UPLOAD THIS AS OUR OFFICIAL UTC RECOMMENDATION FOR THE FIRST ROUND PUBLIC COMMENT REVIEW PERIOD ON DECEMBER THAT CLOSES DECEMBER 9TH, 2024.
AND THEN I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION.
I DON'T THINK YOU CAN DISCUSSION RECOMMENDATION 2022.
OR MAYBE ASK RECOMMENDATION 20 22 0 4, 0 5 DASH ZERO TWO E.
I THINK I MAY NEED TO RECUSE MYSELF FROM DISCUSSION AND VOTING GOT IT.
WHERE I WORK AS A VOTING, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
OR I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE AM I, I THINK THAT'S FOR YOUR, YOUR JUDGMENT OF THE BEST ETHICAL DECISION, BUT, BUT YEAH.
I MEAN, IF YOU FEEL THAT WAY, THEN YOU PROBABLY SHOULD IS MY FAIR ENOUGH? GUESS I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND DO I, DO I, CAN I STAY OR FOR DISCUSSION IS USUALLY BEST TO LEAVE BECAUSE THAT AVOIDS ANY, UM, ANY SENSE OF YEAH.
THAT YOU PARTICIPATED OR CAN PUT YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU WERE CONFLICTED.
I WILL SAY THE, WHEREAS HAS A MENTION OF TXDOT, UM, AND JUST IN CASE IT IS RELEVANT TO ANY PERSON, THERE IS NO REFERENCE TO CAP METRO.
I FELT LIKE I COULD SAVE FOR THIS ONE, BUT THANK YOU FOR THAT CLARIFICATION.
SO, UM, COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ IS WORKING ON RECUSING HERSELF.
WE HAVE, UH, A RECOMMENDATION, UH, AGAIN, PEOPLE ARE WELCOME TO PULL THAT UP, TAKE A BEAT TO REVIEW THAT.
BUT WE HAVE A MOTION THAT'S BEEN SECONDED TO FORWARD THIS RECOMMENDATION FROM APRIL 5TH, 2022, UH, AS OUR OFFICIAL UTC PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE FIRST ROUND PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE CAMPO 20 20, 20 50
ANY DISCUSSION OF THAT FOLKS? I'LL CALL FOR A VOTE.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF SUBMITTING THAT? YEAH.
CAN I HAVE, CAN, CAN I HAVE ONE MORE BEAT TO YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
IF ANYONE NEEDS TO READ IT TOO.
I JUST WANNA, I'M GONNA BABBLE A LITTLE BIT RIGHT HERE WHILE EVERYONE'S READING ON THE, THE PROBLEMS
[01:50:01]
AT CAMPO IS THAT WHEN YOU, THE PREDICTIONS THAT YOU'RE MAKING ARE SELF-FULFILLING.AND THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY AND THE ROADS GO, WHERE YOU INDUCE DEMAND FOR, UM, HOUSING AND TRANSPORTATION AND TRAFFIC AND ALL THAT STUFF, AND IT'S, THEY'RE WRONG EVERY TIME.
WELL, WHEN YOU BUILD AN ARTERIAL ROAD THROUGH A EMPTY FIELD, AS WE SEE SOMETIMES BEING DONE WITH THIS TYPE OF FUNDING, THEN PEOPLE BUILD A SUBDIVISION ON IT.
SO, I MEAN, LIKE, BUT IF YOU DIDN'T BUILD AN ARTERIAL ROAD IN AN EMPTY FIELD, YOU MIGHT NOT BUILD A SUBDIVISION THERE, YOU KNOW? MM-HMM.
SO IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A FEEDBACK CYCLE.
CAN I ACTUALLY TAKE THIS MOMENT TO ASK ANOTHER QUESTION OF STAFF? SURE.
UM, SO I, I WOULD JUST BE CURIOUS, I KNOW THE, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S CLOSED YET, BUT I THINK IT'S ABOUT TO CLOSE, ARE ALREADY CLOSED.
THERE WAS A, A REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR THE CARBON REDUCTION PLAN AND TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SET ASIDE FOR CAMPO.
UH, DID THE CITY OF AUSTIN SUBMIT ANYTHING NEW TO THAT? I KNOW WE HAVE LOTS OF DEFERRED PROJECTS, RIGHT? BUT ANYTHING NEW DO WE SUBMIT OR ARE PLANNING TO SUBMIT AS PART OF THAT? I, I CAN RESPOND TO THAT.
UH, UNLESS, DEANNA, DO YOU WANNA TAKE THAT? WELL, ACTUALLY ANDRE, YOU MAY HAVE THE, THE, THE LATEST AND GREATEST, BUT WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO SUBMIT SOME SOMETHING, BUT I THINK YOU, I WAS OUT LAST WEEK, SORRY.
NO, I I THINK YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE LATEST.
WE'RE, WE'RE BRINGING A COUNCIL LITEM ON DECEMBER 12TH TO APPROVE AN APPLICATION FOR THE CAMPO TASA AND, UH, CARBON REDUCTION, UH, PROGRAM GRANT PROGRAM.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA SUBMIT, SAY AGAIN? THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE PROGRAMS? YEAH, THEY'RE TWO SEPARATE PROGRAMS, BUT THEY'RE MERGING THEM FOR THE EFFECT.
UH, THEY'RE GONNA MERGE THOSE TWO FUNDING POTS INTO ONE APPLICATION CYCLE.
AND SO WE'LL, WE'LL BE APPLYING, WE HAVE FOUR, UH, DIFFERENT APPLICATIONS WE'LL BE SUBMITTING, UM, FOR BOTH OF THOSE PROGRAMS. SO THAT KIND OF TO THE COMBINED, UM, FUNDING OPPORTUNITY.
I'M SORRY, I DIDN'T FOLLOW THAT.
THE, THEY'RE COMBINING THE TWO FOR WHAT PURPOSE? YEAH.
AND, UH, UH, DION, IF I GET SOMETHING WRONG, YOU CAN JUMP IN, BUT, SO THEY HAVE TWO FUNDING POTS.
ONE IS FOR THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SET ASIDE, UH, FUNDS.
AND ONE IS FOR THE CARBON REDUCTION, CARBON REDUCTION, UM, PROGRAM FUNDS.
AND SO WHAT, WHAT CAMPOS DOING IS THEY'RE KIND OF MERGING THOSE TWO POTS OF FUNDING MM-HMM.
AND SO YOU APPLY TO THAT ONE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY, AND THEN THEY WILL KIND OF PAIR YOUR APPLICATION UP WITH THE FUNDING, UH, THAT WORKS THE BEST FOR WHAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE, UH, UM, UH, COLE KITTEN'S TEAM HAS WORKED WITH STAFF TO COME UP WITH FOUR, UH, UM, FOUR APPLICATIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO SUBMIT FOR FOUR DIFFERENT PROJECTS FROM THE CITY TO CAMPO.
FOR FOUR CITY OF AUSTIN PROJECTS TO THE, THAT FUNDING OPPORTUNITY THAT CAMPOS, UM, HOLDING.
AND THOSE ARE DUE DECEMBER 20TH, 2024.
THESE ARE ACTUALLY BOTH FEDERAL FUNDS THAT CAMPO MANAGES THE APPLICATION PROCESS IN ITS REGION? THAT'S CORRECT.
THEY'RE FEDERAL PASS THROUGH FUNDS THAT CAMPOS MANAGE AND CAMPOS MANAGING THIS FUNDING OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE FEDERAL FUNDS.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT THEY, THEY'RE NOT COMBINING THE DOLLARS, THEY'RE JUST TREATING ALL THE APPLICATIONS AT THE SAME TIME, AND THEN THEY WILL FIGURE OUT WHICH CATEGORY BEST FITS THE, THE, UH, THE, WHAT'S BEEN SUBMITTED AS AN APPLICATION.
UM, THE TOSSA IS FOR NON-AD CAPACITY PROJECTS.
SO YOU WON'T BE SEEING ANY KIND OF PROJECT THAT ADDS ANY KIND OF CAPACITY LIKE ROADWAYS.
UM, THE CARBON REDUCTION, YOU'LL BE SEEING, YOU KNOW, THERE COULD BE PROGRAMS, UM, THERE COULD BE PHYSICAL PROJECTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED UNDER THAT, UH, CATEGORY.
BUT THERE ARE TWO DIFFERENT, UH, FUNDING, UH, SOURCES.
UM, IT'S THE TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVES PROGRAM, AND THE CARBON REDUCTION IS WHAT IS WHAT WAS DONE UNDER THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL.
HAS EVERYONE HAD A MOMENT TO REVIEW THAT, UH, RECOMMENDATION FROM 2022? YES.
I HAVE TWO, UH, POTENTIAL AMENDMENTS OR COMMENTS? WELL, I DON'T THINK, IS THIS THE,
[01:55:01]
I I THINK YOU LET US KNOW WHAT YOUR COMMENTS ARE.WELL, ONE IS JUST THAT, UM, THERE'S A, WHEREAS THE 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, FIFTH ONE DOWN THAT SAYS, WHEREAS HAVING JUST A SINGLE FORECAST MAKES IT IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVIDE FOR EVENTS WHICH MIGHT OR MIGHT OCCUR.
I THINK THAT MEANT TO SAY, MIGHT OR MIGHT NOT OCCUR, WHICH I THINK MAY BE IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THEN THE PARAGRAPH BELOW THAT, THE FIRST LINK IS BROKEN.
UM, IT LINKS TO SOMETHING AT THE US DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, WHICH I FEEL MAY ALSO BE RELEVANT.
UM, OTHERWISE I OVERALL SUPPORT THE MOTION TO USE THIS DOCUMENT.
SO I THINK SINCE THOSE ARE SORT OF LIKE TYPOGRAPHICAL THINGS YEAH, I THINK WE CAN, I THINK WE CAN FIGURE THAT OUT.
CAN WE LIKE EDIT THOSE AFTERWARDS OR SOMETHING? I, YEAH, LIKE I'M GONNA HAVE TO UPLOAD THIS TO THEIR, THEIR SYSTEM, SO I THINK I CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CORRECT THOSE TYPOGRAPHICALLY.
UM, AND I DON'T NECESSARILY THINK WE NEED TO MAKE, UH, MAKE A AMENDMENT OR ANYTHING ON THOSE.
UM, I'LL CALL FOR THE VOTE ON THAT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF FORWARDING OUR RECOMMENDATION 20 22 0 4, 0 5 DASH 0 0 2 E OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION TO THE, UH, CAMPO FIRST ROUND PUBLIC COMMENT FOR THE 2050 ORIGINAL TR TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
PLEASE, UH, RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY, AYE.
A AND THAT IS UNANIMOUS OF THOSE PRESENT AND VOTING.
UM, YEAH, YOU'RE GONNA GRAB COMMISSIONER ALVAREZ.
UH, AND WE'LL, WE'LL HOPE TO CONNECT WITH Y'ALL AGAIN BEFORE THE PHASE TWO WHEN WE HAVE THE, UH, DRAFT.
[5. Discussion and recommendation on Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative ]
LAST DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEM ITEM FIVE.LIKE, WHO WOULDN'T BE AT THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION? I SAY THIS ALL THE TIME, LIKE, WE'RE HAVING THE MOST FUN HERE ON THIS COMMISSION.
SO, UM, ITEM FIVE, DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATION ON THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE.
WE'RE GONNA HEAR A PRESENTATION FROM LAURA DEERFIELD.
WE DO HAVE A DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.
IS THAT IN THE PACKET? DID THAT GET CIRCULATED? IT GOT CIRCULATED IN YOUR EMAILS, AND IT'S ON THE BACKUP ONLINE, BUT I DON'T THINK WE HAVE PAPER COPY.
YEAH, WE DON'T HAVE A PAPER COPY, BUT WE CAN REVIEW THAT ONLINE.
UH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER WILL FACILITATE THAT WHEN WE GET TO THAT POINT.
CHAIR SUMMERS, UH, IT'S, YEAH, WE ARE IN A VERY EXCITING AND DYNAMIC CITY FOR MOBILITY FOR SURE.
UH, AS TONIGHT'S BEEN EVIDENCE OF, AND WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL TO BE BEFORE YOU TODAY.
UM, I'M LAURA DEERFIELD WITH THE TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND WE ARE THE SPONSORS OF THE CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE AS IT'S EVOLVED FROM, UM, THE VISION PLAN TO A, ONE OF THE FOUR NAMED PROJECTS IN THE 2020 MOBILITY BOND, UM, IN OUR LARGE CAPITAL GROUP.
SO, AS I'M SURE YOU'RE ALL VERY AWARE, WE'VE BEEN, UH, IN THE COMMUNITY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, UM, WITH THIS VERY, VERY BIG IDEA, UM, FOR CONGRESS AVENUE THAT, UM, WAS REALLY STARTED WITH SOME GREAT WORK, UM, BY OUR LEGACY PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND PLANNING GROUPS AND, UM, AND THE COMMUNITY WITH A LOT OF, OF CATALYTIC ENERGY FROM THE, UM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE, WHICH WE'RE VERY GRATEFUL FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP ON.
UM, SO TODAY WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS, IS TAKE YOU THROUGH THAT BIG IDEA AND JUST OPEN UP A, A CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONERS ABOUT, ABOUT IT.
AND, UM, WELCOME, UM, ANY ACTION Y'ALL CHOOSE TO TAKE, UM, AS IT WILL VERY MUCH INFORM THE, UM, NEXT STEPS THAT WE TAKE WITH THE PROCESS.
UH, WITH THAT, WE CAN PROBABLY GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND I MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO THAT MYSELF.
SO, WE'LL, UM, START BRIEFLY WITH A REMINDER ABOUT THE VISION PLANNING PROCESS AND THEN, UM, OUTLINE A FULL BUILD SCENARIO THAT IS, IS NOT FUNDED.
UM, IT'S ABOUT 130 MILLION FOR THE, FOR THE FULL BUILD SCENARIO.
UM, BUT THEN WE'LL TRANSITION TO A PROPOSED FIRST PHASE THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO, YOU KNOW, AS MUCH AS WE COULD WITH THE FUNDING WE HAVE.
AND, AND THERE'S, UH, QUITE A FEW PIECES, UM, SPATIALLY THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE, UM, IN THE
[02:00:01]
PROPOSED FIRST PHASE THAT THE, THAT THE FULL BUILD CALLS FOR SO SPATIALLY, UM, THERE, THERE ARE SOME, UM, SIMILARITIES WITH THE TWO.AND OF COURSE WE'LL GO BLOCK BY BLOCK, UM, AS CONGRESS AVENUE DOES CHANGE BLOCK BY BLOCK.
AND, AND THE BIG IDEA HERE THAT THAT WAS PUT FORWARD TO THE COMMUNITY FOR FEEDBACK, AND WE'VE GOTTEN A HUGE VARIETY OF GREAT FEEDBACK, VERY, YOU KNOW, WONDERFUL ENTHUSIASM TO VERY NUANCED AND THOUGHTFUL, UM, AND, AND ONE IN THE SAME
SO WE'RE AT THE TAIL END OF THAT PROCESS AND, AND AGAIN, LOOKING FORWARD TO WHAT Y'ALL HAVE TO CONTRIBUTE THERE.
UM, BUT NORTH OF SEVENTH, ESSENTIALLY WE'RE LOOKING AT A, AT A PLAZA CONCEPT, AND THEN SOUTH OF SEVENTH THAT, UM, IMPROVEMENTS TO OPEN UP THAT, UM, PEDESTRIAN SPACE, UM, BACK OF CURB AND, AND MAKE THE STREET WORK A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR EVERYBODY.
UM, WITH THAT, WE'LL GO TO THE VISION PLAN.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE CONGRESS AVENUE AS THE MAIN STREET OF TEXAS, YOU KNOW, HAS A REALLY IMPORTANT ROLE, NOT JUST FOR US AS, AS AUSTINITES, BUT FOR THE, FOR THE WHOLE, THE WHOLE STATE.
AND, UH, IN THE VISION PLANNING PROCESS, WE'RE VERY COMMITTED TO A SET OF VISION AND VALUES THAT ARE, YOU CAN SEE THERE ON THE, THE LEFT OF THE SLIDE, UM, TO CREATE A PLACE THAT IS INCLUSIVE, THAT IS EQUITABLE, THAT EXPRESSES OUR CULTURE AND HISTORY THAT CAN, UH, ENLIVEN THE, THE, UM, THE, THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF, OF, OF OUR DOWNTOWN AND SPEAK TO THE UNIQUE ENVIRONMENTAL CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR CITY, ESPECIALLY THE RELATIONSHIP OF CONGRESS AVENUE TO OUR TRAIL SYSTEM.
SO WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THIS SLIDE IS, IS, UH, THAT FULL BUILD SCENARIO UNFUNDED, AS I SAID ABOUT, YOU KNOW, NORTH OF 130 MILLION, UM, TO, TO DO ALL OF THIS.
AND, UM, WHAT IT ESSENTIALLY ENCAPSULATES IF WE KIND OF WORK FROM, UH, THE SOUTH TO THE NORTH FROM RIVERSIDE DRIVE TO 11TH STREET, IS LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, REBALANCING THE SPACE.
SO THAT WAS A KEY THEME OF THE VISION PLAN, IS LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT THE SPACE THAT WE OFFER ON CONGRESS AVENUE, WHICH IS, IS GENEROUS GENERALLY, UH, FOR A DOWNTOWN STREET BALANCE THAT FOR ALL STREET USERS.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FROM RIVERSIDE TO, UM, TO THAT SOUTH ABUTMENT OF THE, OF THE CONGRESS AVENUE BRIDGE, LOOKING TO, UM, CREATE SEPARATED, UM, BICYCLE FACILITIES, HIGH QUALITY PEDESTRIAN, UM, YOU KNOW, SIDEWALK AND AMENITY SPACE, AND DO THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH, UM, THE ANTICIPATED REDEVELOPMENT OF THE SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT.
YOU KNOW, THAT IN A WAY THAT IS VERY COMPATIBLE WITH THAT, WITH THAT VISION, VISION PLAN ITSELF.
MOVING INTO THE, INTO THE SOUTH SIDE AND NORTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE, UH, THOSE ARE CALLED THE GREEN GATEWAYS.
AND THEN, SO THAT WOULD LOOK TO REALLY MAKE SURE THAT OUR TRAIL SYSTEM IS, IS FULLY INTEGRATED, UM, WITH THE AVENUE SUCH THAT YOU CAN GET ON AND OFF OF THE TRAIL SYSTEM, AND YOU CAN APPRECIATE THAT THERE IS A TRAIL SYSTEM AS YOU'RE CROSSING THE BRIDGE.
UM, IMPORTANTLY OVER THE BRIDGE, MAKING THAT A REALLY COMFORTABLE AND HOSPITABLE GATEWAY INTO THE DOWNTOWN.
APPRECIATING AGAIN, THAT SOUTH CENTRAL WATERFRONT WILL GENERATE, YOU KNOW, THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF TRIPS AS IT REDEVELOPS.
AND WE REALLY OUGHT TO BE A CITY WHERE THAT TRIP ISN'T, IS NOT REALLY IN A CAR
WE NEED TO TRY TO MAKE THAT AS COMFORTABLE AS POSSIBLE TO WALK ACROSS THE BRIDGE, TO REALLY TAKE ALL THAT THE DOWNTOWN HAS TO OFFER UNDER, INTO ACCOUNT AND, AND VICE VERSA.
SO THAT, THAT GATEWAY, UM, IS VERY IMPORTANT.
AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BRIDGE ITSELF IN A MOMENT.
UH, AND THEN NORTH OF THERE, UH, BUT FROM CESAR CHAVEZ TO TO SEVENTH STREET, WE'D BE LOOKING AT REALLY OPENING UP THAT PEDESTRIAN AMENITY ZONES, DOUBLING THAT SPACE, UM, BY WAY OF CONVERTING THE ANGLED PARKING BAYS TO, UM, TO SPACE THAT YOU CAN ACTIVATE FOR, FOR ANY NUMBER OF THINGS, RETAIL KIOSKS, UM, RESTAURANT SEATING, UM, GREEN ELEMENTS, UM, THINGS LIKE, UM, UH, RAIN GARDENS AND THE LIKE.
UM, AND, UM, OTHERWISE CREATE JUST A REALLY FANTASTIC, UM, PEDESTRIAN AMENITY ZONE.
AND THEN IN DOING SO, YOU'RE ABLE TO THEN KEEP THE BIKEWAY PROTECTED MORE, MORE CONSISTENTLY.
RIGHT NOW, IT, IT HAS TO BREAK FOR THE ANGLED PARKING SPOTS, AND THAT CAN OFTEN CAUSE CONFLICTS WITH, UM, THE NEED FOR THAT STREET SPACE THAT, THAT OTHER FUNCTIONS OF THE STREET OFFER.
SO WHETHER THAT'S, UH, RIDE HAILING OR, OR DELIVERIES AND THE LIKE.
UH, AND THEN NORTH OF SEVENTH, AS I SAID, THIS PLAZA CONCEPT WOULD LOOK TO, UM, YOU KNOW, OPEN UP THAT STREET TO, TO PEOPLE AND, AND TO, UM, ANY, ANY AND ALL KINDS OF ACTIVITY OTHER THAN DRIVING A PRIVATE AUTOMOBILE.
THERE ARE SOME VERY IMPORTANT, UM, FUNCTIONS OF THOSE NORTHERN BLOCKS, ESPECIALLY THE 700 BLOCK WHERE THE HOME TO THE PARAMOUNT STATE THEATER.
AND THEN, UM, THE 1000 BLOCK HAPPENS TO HAVE AN ALLEY OFF OF THAT,
[02:05:01]
UM, THAT WE, THAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT VERY CLOSELY.UH, AND WE CAN GET INTO THAT IN A MINUTE.
UM, HERE ON THE BRIDGE, I'LL JUST, THIS IS A RENDERING, PHOTO RENDERING OF WHAT IT COULD, COULD LOOK LIKE.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING THERE ARE, UM, OPENING UP THAT SPACE ON THE BRIDGE RIGHT NOW.
UM, THE SIDEWALK WOULD HAVE SOMETHING AROUND NINE FEET OF SPACE, WHICH ON A BAT WATCHING NIGHT IS, IS VERY CROWDED.
SO OPENING UP A LITTLE MORE SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO STAND AND, AND DWELL ON THE BRIDGE, UH, CREATING A MUCH, UH, MORE ROBUST, UM, PROTECTION FOR THE BIKEWAY.
UH, PERHAPS ADDING LIGHTING AND SHADE AND ALL OF THIS, YOU KNOW, ALL IN IS ABOUT 17 MILLION OR SO.
UH, AND WHAT I DIDN'T MENTION BEFORE, BUT I WILL NOW AND RE AND UH, REPEAT THROUGHOUT IS OUR CURRENT BUDGET IS 22 MILLION, SO $130 MILLION FULL BUILD SCENARIO.
WE GOT 22 MILLION TO WORK WITH, AND WE WANNA DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH THAT.
SO IN THE CASE OF THE BRIDGE, UM, WHEREAS WE OFTEN TRY TO DO, UH, AS MUCH AS WE CAN, UM, WITH WHAT WE HAVE IN THE CASE OF THE BRIDGE, UH, WE HAVE TO KEEP THE, UM, LOAD NEUTRAL.
AND SO IT'S HARD TO SORT OF ADD, ADD THINGS TO THE BRIDGE WITHOUT TAKING THINGS AWAY,
SO WE'D HAVE TO TAKE OFF, YOU KNOW, THE CONCRETE SIDEWALKS REPLACE IT WITH A LIGHTER SORT OF DECKING, UM, MAYBE A ROBUST LIKE EPAY TYPE, UH, BRAZILIAN WOOD THAT, THAT, UH, CAN WITHSTAND THE WEAR AND TEAR OF THE, OF THE ENVIRONMENT, BUT BASICALLY TRY TO FIND WAYS WE CAN TAKE LOAD OFF TO PUT THESE PIECES ON.
SO FOR THAT REASON, THE BRIDGE IS SORT OF AN ALL OR NOTHING.
SO IN A SCENARIO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE WITH THE AVAILABLE BUDGET, WE'D BE, YOU KNOW, PERHAPS DOING THE BRIDGE AND THEN MAYBE A BIT MORE ELSEWHERE, BUT, BUT NOT MUCH MORE AND NOTHING ELSE.
OR WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT OTHER PARTS OF THE AVENUE AND TRYING TO DELIVER AS MUCH BENEFIT AS POSSIBLE.
SO THE CALCULUS THAT WE MADE GOING INTO THIS IS, IS TO TRY TO OFFER A CONCEPT THAT WOULD GIVE US THE MOST AMOUNT OF BENEFIT, UH, HERE IS, IS SORT OF A, UM, A RENDERING OF WHAT THE HUNDRED BLOCK WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND, UH, I KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF GREAT FEEDBACK ABOUT THE HUNDRED BLOCK AND HOW IT OPERATES, AND I'D LIKE TO GET INTO A LITTLE BIT OF NUANCE ON THAT AS WE GET INTO THE, UM, PROPOSED FIRST PHASE.
BUT ESSENTIALLY HERE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS, IS WHAT, UM, THAT HUNDRED BLOCK ON THE WEST SIDE MIGHT LOOK LIKE WITH THINGS LIKE RAIN GARDENS AND, AND A FULLY, UM, SEPARATED, UM, BIKEWAY AND, AND, AND PEDESTRIAN, UH, ZONE HERE IS, IS MAYBE MORE OF A TYPICAL BLOCK, UM, LOOKING AT, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE 200 TO 600 BLOCK WHERE YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY TAKING ABOUT 12 AND A HALF FEET OF PEDESTRIAN SPACE AND DOUBLING IT.
UM, AND THEN SO DOING, BEING ABLE TO KEEP THAT BIKEWAY PROTECTED WITH A CONCRETE BARRIER THAT, YOU KNOW, AESTHETICALLY OFFERS SOMETHING, UH, BETTER THAN WHAT'S THERE NOW, AND, AND ALSO OPENS UP THAT SPACE FOR ALL KINDS OF OTHER USES HERE IS AN, UH, A CROSS SECTION OF WHAT THAT FULL BUILD COULD LOOK LIKE.
GETTING, GETTING INTO THE, THE NUANCE OF THE DIMENSIONS, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, WE WOULD MAINTAIN FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC WITH A BIKEWAY UP AND OUT OF THE STREET, AND THEN THE PEDESTRIAN MEN ZONE ABOUT DOUBLING AS WE GET NORTH OF SEVENTH.
THIS IS WHERE, UM, THINGS GET REALLY DIFFERENT IN THE PROPOSAL.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE IS A RENDERING OF THE 700 BLOCK, UH, WHERE, UM, IN, AS THE HOME OF THE PARAMOUNT AND STATE AND, AND THE CONTEMPORARY MUSEUM, WE HAVE A REALLY UNIQUE OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE THOSE ARTS INSTITUTIONS AND CREATE SORT OF A PERFORMANCE OR CREATIVE BLOCK THAT, UM, ALLOWS US TO EXPRESS THE ARTS IN WAYS THAT ARE MUCH MORE ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE TO, TO THE COMMUNITY.
UM, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE, THE ROBUST PROGRAMMING THAT THE PARAMOUNT AND CONTEMPORARY OFFER, PARAMOUNT IN PARTICULAR, UH, BRINGS SOMETHING LIKE 620 PLUS PERFORMANCES A YEAR, 330,000 PEOPLE OR MORE.
UH, IT, IT REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE CATALYST FOR ACTIVITY, ESPECIALLY OUTSIDE THOSE CORE BUSINESS HOURS WHERE A LOT OF THE NINE TO FIVE, UM, ACTIVITIES DIED DOWN.
SO, UM, ONE OF THE COOL THINGS ABOUT THE, THE 700 BLOCK THAT, UM, WE'VE BEEN SHARING WITH THE, WITH OUR, WITH THE COMMUNITY AS WE'VE BEEN SEEKING FEEDBACK IS IF YOU'VE BEEN ON CONGRESS, THE, UM, THE GRADES THERE ARE VERY CHALLENGING AND, AND THE WEST AND EAST SIDES, UM, AREN'T, AREN'T AT THE SAME ELEVATIONS.
AND SO TO GET A, AN A DA, UM, COMPLIANT, UM, FLAT PLAZA ON THE 700 BLOCK WHERE THIS IS THE MOST PRONOUNCED, UM, ISSUE OF ALL THE BLOCKS UP AND DOWN THE AVENUE, WE HAVE PROPOSED, UH, RAISING THE WEST SIDE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF FEET HIGHER THAN THE EAST SIDE.
AND YOU CREATE SORT OF A, A SORT OF A STADIUM SEATING EFFECT WHERE YOU COULD SORT OF HAVE PEOPLE SITTING ON STEPS LOOKING INTO THE STREET, UH, AS THEY ACTUALLY, UM, DID AS WE, WHEN WE FIRST, UM, OPENED UP THAT OUTSIDE LANE ON CONGRESS, I WAS DELIGHTED TO SEE SOME PEOPLE ACTUALLY SITTING ON THE CURB WITH THEIR FEET DANGLING INTO THE GUTTER WATCHING OTHER BAT WATCHERS
SO WHEN YOU PROTECT SPACE, IT REALLY OPENS UP,
[02:10:01]
UM, HUMAN ACTIVITY THAT YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT REALLY DOES ENLIVEN THE SPACE.BUT IN THIS CASE, YOU KNOW, THE IDEA OF A THEATER ON THE THEATER IS KIND OF A, A WHIMSICAL IDEA THAT WOULD BE, UM, A, A WAY TO HANDLE SOME VERY CHALLENGING GRADE ISSUES.
WITH THAT, THOUGH, WE WOULD NEED TO TOTALLY RECONSTRUCT THAT, THAT BLOCK.
AND, AND FOR THAT, WE, WE REALLY ARE NOT FULLY FUNDED.
AND SO IT REMAINS A, A CONCEPT THAT WE WOULD NEED ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO ACHIEVE, BUT NONETHELESS, KIND OF PROVIDES FOR THAT SOLUTION.
UM, HERE'S THE BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF WHAT THAT PLAZA COULD LOOK LIKE.
YOU CAN SORT OF MAKE OUT ON THAT, UM, WEST SIDE OF THE 700 BLOCK, THOSE STEPS THAT I WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT AND, AND SOME OF THE SORT OF RAMPING YOU'D HAVE TO, TO DO TO KEEP ALL OF THAT A DA COMPLIANT, UM, TO GET UP TO THE RETAIL AND RESTAURANT, UM, ENTRANCES.
NOW WE'LL GO AHEAD AND PIVOT TO THE, TO THE PROPOSED FIRST PHASE, AGAIN, THE FUNDING COMING FROM THE 2020 MOBILITY BOND AND, AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD DO OUR VERY BEST TO GET AS MUCH OF THIS AS WE POSSIBLY COULD WITH THE AVAILABLE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE.
UM, KNOWING THAT, YOU KNOW, AS WE, UM, HEARD TONIGHT AND ELSEWHERE THAT, THAT THIS, UM, THIS WORK, IT CAN BE VERY HARD TO PIN DOWN EXACTLY
BUT THIS HAS BEEN VERY RIGOROUSLY, UM, EVALUATED AND IS SOMETHING THAT WE FEEL WE CAN REALLY DELIVER, UM, THE BENEFITS FROM CESAR CHAVE STREET TO 11TH STREET, UM, SPATIALLY, LIKE I SAID, UM, SIMILAR TO WHAT THE FULL BUILD, UM, SCENARIO CALLS FOR, BUT IN A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT WAY.
SO, SO IN THIS CASE, WE'RE REALLY FOCUSED ON CESAR CHAVEZ TO 11TH STREET.
UM, WE WILL, WE'LL GO FROM THE A HUNDRED BLOCK HERE.
SO IN THIS BLOCK, WE, WE WOULD BE BUILDING THE BIKE, THE BIKE LANES UP AND OUT OF THE STREET.
AND WE ARE, WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING HERE IS A RIGHT TURN ONLY LANE WITH, WITH THE LEFT TURN LANES THAT WENT IN IN 2020 AS PART OF THE INTERIM IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE CALLED FOR BY, BY COUNCIL AT THAT TIME IN THE SUMMER OF 2020.
UH, WE HAVE HAD SOME GREAT FEEDBACK ABOUT THAT RIGHT TURN LANE.
I DID WANNA JUST EXPLAIN IT SO THAT AT LEAST Y'ALL KNOW WHY THAT'S THERE.
UM, THE REASON WHY WE WENT WITH THAT IS THAT THERE WITH HOW MUCH NORTH SOUTH TRAFFIC, UH, EXISTS FOR WALKING AND BIKING, UH, THIS IS A VERY, VERY HARDWORKING INTERSECTION.
THERE'S JUST A TON OF THINGS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME.
UM, PEAK OF THE PEAK AND, AND OUTSIDE THE PEAK.
AND WE WANNA KEEP THAT, UH, INTERSECTION WORKING FOR EVERYONE.
AND SO BY PUTTING IN THE RIGHT TURN LANE, YOU CAN, YOU CAN CUE THOSE, UH, VEHICLES TO MAKE THOSE RIGHTS, WHICH ARE HEAVY RIGHTS AT CERTAIN PARTS OF THE DAY, WHILE ALSO GIVING DEDICATED GREEN TIME TO THE NORTH SOUTH MOVEMENT.
SO IN, IN OTHER WORDS, YOU SORT OF ORGANIZE, UH, THE TWO, UM, CONFLICTING MOVEMENTS IN WAYS THAT ARE MORE PREDICTABLE FOR EVERYONE.
UM, A SIMILAR SCENARIO IS AT, UH, OLTORF AND CONGRESS, UM, IN THE NORTHBOUND DIRECTION WHERE WE HAVE LIKE A SPECIAL SIGNAL THAT, UM, INDICATES YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO RIGHT TURN ON THE NORTHBOUND, UM, OR THE, EXCUSE ME, THE SOUTHBOUND.
UM, AND I THINK I MIGHT'VE SAID NORTHBOUND THIS WHOLE TIME WHEN I MEANT SOUTHBOUND
SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE, WE'RE PROPOSING THAT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THAT, THEN YOU WOULD BE CONSTANTLY HAVING TO MANAGE THE THROUGHS AND THE RIGHTS WITH, WITH THE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE TRAFFIC.
AND IT JUST MAKES FOR A LITTLE MORE UNPREDICTABLE, UM, AND MAYBE MORE CONFLICT IN A, IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU JUST KNOW THAT THOSE MOVEMENTS ARE GONNA BE HEAVY FOR EVERYONE INVOLVED.
SORRY, CAN I JUST JUMP IN HERE? A CLARIFYING QUESTION.
SO, SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS, UH, YOU WOULD BE PROPOSING A NODE RIGHT.
TURN ON RED SIGNAL AND THEN TURNING RIGHT, WOULD'VE ITS OWN SIGNAL WHEN PEOPLE AREN'T MAKING NORTH SOUTH.
AND THEN I, I GUESS MY BIGGER CONCERN IS REALLY THE SLIP LANES ON SCISSOR CHAVEZ MM-HMM.
THOSE WOULD STILL REMAIN UNDER THE CURRENT VISION PLAN, RIGHT? CURRENTLY YES, THOSE WOULD REMAIN.
AND BUT HERE YOU, WE HAVE HEARD THAT CONCERN AS WELL.
IS THERE A, A A, ANY PLANS TO, UH, 'CAUSE I MEAN, I, I BIKE THERE ALL THE TIME AND, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF CONFLICT POINTS, YOU KNOW, AS SLIP LANES HAPPEN.
UM, ARE THERE ANY WAYS YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT RESTRICTING MOVEMENT OR KIND OF SEPARATING OUT, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE GOING EAST, WEST, NORTH, SOUTH THERE? SO IN YEAH, WE'RE TALKING MOSTLY ABOUT THAT SOUTH, UH, WEST CORNER, I THINK, RIGHT? YEAH, YEAH.
UM, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING PROPOSED NOW IF, BUT IF, IF, UM, OUR PAST, UH, IS PRECEDENT FOR, FOR HOW WE MIGHT THINK ABOUT THAT GIVEN FEEDBACK, UM, THAT, THAT HAD, THAT EXPRESSES CONCERN WITH THAT, WITH THAT CONFIGURATION, ALTHOUGH IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE WORST OF THE WORST IN TERMS OF SLIP LANES, BUT DESIGNING IT AS A SMART RIGHT, AS A WAY, UH, AS A, UM, YOU KNOW, A RAISED CROSSING THAT REALLY ELEVATES THE, THE PEDESTRIAN MOVEMENTS ACROSS THE SLIP LANE, BUT STILL PROVIDES FOR SOME, UM, SOME WAYS FOR THOSE RIGHTS TO QUEUE AS THE HEAVY EAST WEST TRAFFIC IS AS, UH, MOVING THROUGH THE INTERSECTION
[02:15:01]
MIGHT BE ONE APPROACH THAT WE, WE WOULD TAKE TO.UM, BUT DEPENDING ON THE OPERATIONAL, YOU KNOW, CHARACTERISTICS OF THAT, OF THAT CORNER.
UM, HERE'S THAT 200 TO 600 BLOCKS.
SO IF YOU CAN IMAGINE THE, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, I MIGHT JUST LIKE QUICKLY FLIP BACK TO IT SO YOU CAN KIND OF COMPARE AND CONTRAST.
BUT HERE'S THE FULL BUILD WITH SOME, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL RAIN GARDENS, MAYBE, UM, ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS THAT FILL IN THAT SPACE HERE.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS, AGAIN, ACHIEVING THAT SAME SPATIAL, UM, TRANSFORMATION, OPENING UP THAT SPACE FROM 12 AND A HALF TO 25 TO 30 FEET, DEPENDING ON THE BLOCK.
UM, AND THEN PROTECTING THE BIKEWAY AND, AND ALLOWING FOR, UH, FOR THAT ACTIVITY TO FLOURISH.
UM, WE HAD SOME GREAT FEEDBACK FROM, UM, SAFE STREETS AUSTIN, ABOUT THE IDEA OF DOUBLE LOADING SIDEWALKS WHERE YOU CAN HAVE SORT OF ACTIVITY BOTH AT THE FRONTAGE OF THE, OF THE STORES AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, UM, AT THE, ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE SIDEWALK, IF YOU WILL.
SO YOU JUST HAVE SORT OF, YOU'RE ENVELOPING THE PEDESTRIAN WITH ALL KINDS OF SORT OF HUMAN ACTIVITY
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU CAN ACHIEVE HERE.
BUT THE IDEA WOULD BE TO, TO ESSENTIALLY FILL IN THOSE ANGLED PARKING SPOTS IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT WAYS.
EACH BLOCK CAN, DOES HAVE DIFFERENT CHARACTERISTICS.
THERE ARE SOME, YOU KNOW, GRANITE PAVERS THAT REALLY CHARACTERIZE MUCH OF THE AVENUE, BUT WHEN YOU REALLY START LOOKING AT, EVEN THE 300 BLOCK IS DIFFERENT SLIGHTLY FROM THE 200 BLOCK, FROM THE 400 BLOCK.
SO WE WOULD DO OUR BEST TO, UH, WITH THE RESOURCES WE HAVE TO FILL IN THOSE, UM, SPACES TO, TO OPEN UP, TO OPEN UP THAT SPACE FOR PEOPLE IN WAYS THAT OFFER THE HIGHEST QUALITY POSSIBLE, UM, TO, TO AGAIN, ACHIEVE THAT BETTER PEDESTRIAN AMENITY ZONE.
HOWEVER, I WILL SAY THIS, THIS WOULD STOP SHORT OF FULL RECONSTRUCTION, SO WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO CHANGE SOME OF THE GREAT ISSUES THAT EXIST NOW.
UM, OF COURSE WE WOULD HANDLE THE, THE, UM, CURB RAMPS AT THE CORNERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT FOR A D ACCESSIBILITY, BUT GENERALLY, UH, NOT, NOT BE MAKING A, A LOT OF CHANGES, UM, BACK OF CURB OTHER THAN OPENING UP THAT SPACE.
IF WE, UM, THIS IS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT REBALANCING THE AVENUE, AND, AND I WANNA TOUCH ON MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT THAT WORKS, UH, AS MENTIONED BEFORE, IS TO REPURPOSE THOSE ANGLED PARKING SPOTS.
WE'VE HAD MANY RETAILERS THAT HAVE DONE THAT ON THEIR OWN.
AND, UM, AND WE WANNA MAKE THAT PROCESS, YOU KNOW, EVEN EASIER AND, AND SORT OF BUILT INTO THE STREET, ESSENTIALLY.
WE DO WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT PARKING, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS A, AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN A CITY LIKE OURS.
AND THERE ARE GARAGES AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE AVENUE A WAY FINDING EFFORT THAT HAS STARTED AND, AND NOW WITH APPS AND OTHER TECHNOLOGY CAN REALLY BE ENHANCED TO HELP FIND ALL OF THAT OFF STREET PARKING.
UH, WE'RE ABOUT 94 OR SO SPOTS TOTAL ALONG THE AVENUE THAT WOULD BE REPURPOSED WITH THIS, WITH THIS, UM, CONCEPT, WHICH, WHICH AMOUNTS TO ABOUT 0.27% OF ALL AVAILABLE PUBLIC, PUBLIC ACCESSIBLE PARKING.
WITH THAT SAID, SOMETIMES HAVING PARKING IN CERTAIN PLACES FOR CERTAIN REASONS CAN BEST MANAGE THE STREET TO AVOID THINGS LIKE PARKING AND BIKE LANE OR, OR OTHER, UM, OTHER, OTHER NEEDS THAT SORT OF ARISE WITH THOSE CONFLICTS.
SO WE ARE OPEN TO TAKING KIND OF A CONTEXT SENSITIVE APPROACH BLOCK BY BLOCK AND LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE REALLY USE THAT SPACE TO, TO REALLY BEST MANAGE, UM, THE DEMAND FOR, FOR THAT EACH BLOCK KIND OF ENCAPSULATES, BUT IN GENERAL, THE IDEA WOULD BE TO REPURPOSE THAT SPACE MOVING ON.
'CAUSE I WANNA GET TO YOUR QUESTIONS AND THOUGHTS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
THE 500 BLOCK SIMILAR TO THE A HUNDRED BLOCK, WE'D WANNA LEAVE THOSE LEFT TURN POCKETS AS THEY ARE NOW THAT REALLY HELPS WITH OPERATIONS ON THE STREET.
AND SO TO DO THAT, WE WOULD BE BUILDING THE BIKEWAY UP AND OUT OF THE STREET AND ADDING THAT PROTECTION.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A SIMILAR APPROACH TO THE OTHER BLOCK.
SO YOU'RE JUST LOSING MAYBE ABOUT FIVE FEET OF PEDESTRIAN SPACE TOTAL, BUT, BUT KEEPING THOSE OPERATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS AS THEY ARE NOW, UM, GOING FORWARD AND THEN GETTING TO THE PLAZA CONCEPT.
SO AS YOU SEE HERE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE HAVE TWO, UH, WE HAVE, WE CAN AFFORD ESSENTIALLY TO DO TWO OF THE FOUR BLOCKS.
SO, UM, YOU SEE HERE IS SORT OF THE, THE 700 800 BLOCK ARE, ARE DONE IN A MORE SORT OF TACTICAL AND, UM, A KIND OF A INTERIM TREATMENT, EVEN THOUGH THERE WOULD BE, UH, QUITE A BIT OF, OF, OF, UM, BACK OF CURB, UM, SUPPORT FOR THAT, THAT PEDESTRIAN SPACE, AS WE TALKED ABOUT IN THE BLOCK SOUTH OF SEVENTH.
UM, BUT OTHERWISE MAKE, MAKE THESE TWO BLOCKS FUNCTION, UM, A LITTLE MORE DYNAMICALLY, UM, THAN THE FULL BUILD AT THE 900 AND THOUSAND BLOCKS AS PROPOSED.
UM, HERE YOU CAN KIND OF SEE HOW MOTOR VEHICLE CIRCULATION WOULD CHANGE.
SO AS WE, UM, NOW, UH, ESSENTIALLY PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLES DEAD END AT 11TH, THEY WOULD, THEY WOULD DEAD END AT SEVENTH.
AND WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS THE SORT OF THE, THE SYMMETRY THAT, UH, WE ACHIEVE AROUND THE CAPITAL COMPLEX WITH THE CAPITAL
[02:20:01]
MALL WORK, UM, THAT THE STATE HAS DONE, UH, NORTH OF THERE, UM, SOUTH OF THERE WITH, UH, WE WOULD KEEP THOUGH THE EAST, WEST STREETS OPEN.AND, UH, THIS GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY LOOK AT THOSE EAST WEST STREETS, SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH, 10TH, AND 11TH IN, UH, IN A COMPLIMENTARY AND SYNERGISTIC WAY WITH A CONCEPT LIKE THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, ANTICIPATING THE ACT PLAN AND, AND HOW WE CAN REALLY UNDERSTAND THE FUNCTIONS OF THOSE, OF THOSE CROSS STREETS AND HOW THE SPACE THAT THOSE CROSS STREETS, UM, HOLD CAN BE USED TO COMPLEMENT WHAT CONGRESS AVENUE NEEDS TO FUNCTION AND VICE VERSA.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH A DA PARKING, WE WANNA KEEP ACCESSIBILITY, UM, DOWNTOWN, BUT THERE MIGHT BE A GREAT REASON TO MOVE THAT A DA ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOT AROUND THE CORNER, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MAYBE THE STREET SPACE THAT SEVENTH OR EIGHTH OFFERS, UM, AND OPEN UP, UM, AN EXAMPLE MIGHT BE AT, AT, FOR THE ME CARTE MUSEUM, THEY'RE GOING UNDERGOING A RENOVATION AND IT WOULD BE SURE NICE TO TAKE THE, UM, A DA PARKING SPOT THAT'S RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE, OF THE MUSEUM AND GIVE THEM THAT SPACE TO EXPRESS ALL THAT THE MUSEUM HAS TO OFFER IN THE, IN THE DOORSTEP OF THE, OF THE MUSEUM.
AND THEN MAYBE KEEP THAT A DA ACCESSIBLE PARKING, BUT JUST RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.
SO THOSE TYPES OF SPATIAL TRADE-OFFS CAN, CAN OCCUR WITH, UM, SOME CREATIVE THINKING AROUND HOW THOSE SIDE STREETS FUNCTION AS WELL.
SOME OF THE MICRO MOVEMENTS OF, YOU KNOW, VALET OR, UM, THERE ARE RESIDENTS ALONG CONGRESS THAT ACCESS THEIR HOMES OFF OF ALLEYS, SOMETIMES THOSE ALLEYS GETS BLOCKED.
SO HAVING A, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT OF REDUNDANCY AROUND SOME OF THOSE SMALL MICRO MOVEMENTS IS ALSO SOMETHING WE'VE BEEN HEARING A LOT ABOUT AND WANT TO ADDRESS, UM, WITH, UH, THINKING ABOUT THE SIDE STREETS AND COMPLEMENT TO, TO THE AVENUE.
HERE'S A, AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT SORT OF A 700, 800 BLOCK MIGHT LOOK LIKE IN MORE OF AN INTERIM, UM, TYPE OF, OF CONFIGURATION, REALLY TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE CREATIVITY THAT THAT COULD OFFER IN, IN A PALLET, LIKE A LARGE
UM, SO HAVING A COMPLIMENTARY SERVICES THAT OFFER KIND OF A CARROT FOR THE RESPONSIBILITY.
SO IF YOU HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF PROGRAMMING SOME OF THE BEST REAL ESTATE IN THE CITY WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF ACTIVITIES DURING THE WORK WEEK, WEEKENDS, WEEKNIGHTS IN EXCHANGE FOR THOSE REVENUES, UM, THEN, YOU KNOW, UM, RE REINVESTING INTO THINGS LIKE WASTE MANAGEMENT, PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE, LIKE.
THESE PUBLIC SPACE MANAGEMENT PARTNERS EXIST AROUND THE COUNTRY.
THERE'S SOME GREAT EXAMPLES, UM, YOU KNOW, IN FORT WORTH AND, AND ELSEWHERE IN OUR STATE AS WELL AS AS OUR PEER CITIES AROUND THE COUNTRY AGAIN.
AND, AND SO WE'D BE LOOKING TO BORROW SOME OF THOSE IDEAS.
UM, WE ACTUALLY HAVE, UM, UH, CONSULTANTS THAT DO THAT SPECIFICALLY AND, AND ARE WORKING ON, UM, PROJECTS LIKE, LIKE, UM, R 35 TO BE, TO BEST MANAGE THAT, YOU KNOW, VERY UNIQUE PUBLIC SPACE.
SO TAKING A PAGE OUT OF THAT, UM, IS, IS ONE OF THE KEY PIECES TO MAKING A, A CONCEPT LIKE THIS REALLY WORK.
UM, 24 7, HERE'S A CROSS SECTION OF WHAT THE 700 OR 800 BLOCK WOULD LOOK LIKE, SHORT OF FULL RECONSTRUCTION.
SO YOU CAN SEE THE, UM, THE FILLING IN, IF YOU WILL, OF THOSE PARKING SPOTS WITH, IN THIS CASE, KIND OF A DECKING TYPE APPROACH WITH A STEEL SUBSTRUCTURE THAT THAT COULD, UH, OPEN UP THAT SPACE FOR, FOR, FOR ANY NUMBER OF, OF ACTIVITIES.
AND, UM, AND THEN HERE, UH, LOOKING AT WITHIN THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE, THIS, THIS OFFERS SORT OF A RENDERING, CONCEPTUAL RENDERING OF WHAT MAYBE A FULL BUILD PLAZA BLOCK COULD LOOK LIKE.
UH, THIS IS, HAS TO BE THE THOUSAND BLOCK WITH THE OLD BAKERY, UH, A GREAT LAWN AND A WAY TO REALLY STILL HOLD THINGS LIKE, UM, VARIOUS SPECIAL EVENTS INCLUDING EVEN PARADES AND FOOT RACES, BUT DO SO, UM, BUT BE ABLE TO HAVE A PUBLIC SPACE SORT OF SECOND TO NONE WITH A DOUBLE ROW OF TREES, SOME GOOD SHADE CANOPY, UM, AND A WAY TO REALLY, YOU KNOW, EXIST ON CONGRESS, UM, YEAH, IN WAYS THAT IT'S MAYBE EVEN HARD TO IMAGINE AS A CITY WHAT THAT COULD OFFER IN TERMS OF A, OF A, OF A PARK, UH, ON, ON OUR MAIN STREET OF TEXAS.
SO, UH, THAT'S REALLY THE BIG IDEA.
THIS IS A CROSS SECTION THAT, OF THAT RECONSTRUCTION.
AND, UM, WITH THAT, I'D BE HAPPY TO JUST OPEN IT UP FOR DISCUSSION AND, UM, GET YOUR THOUGHTS.
AND I, I WANTED TO APOLOGIZE BECAUSE WE HAD DECIDED THAT PUBLIC SPEAKERS WERE GONNA GO BEFORE OUR STAFF PRESENTER, AND THEN I TOTALLY BLANKED THAT WE HAD A, A, A COMMUNITY SPEAKER ON THIS ITEM.
SO I THINK WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND, AND CALL, UH, HIM UP TO SPEAK AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL START OUR, UH, OUR COMMISSION DISCUSSION.
I'M SORRY, ADAM, ADAM GREENFIELD, I BELIEVE IS HERE TO SPEAK ON THIS.
WE AGREED THAT YOU WERE GONNA GO FIRST AND THEN I FORGOT.
IT KIND OF MAKES SENSE THIS WAY.
[02:25:01]
UH, ADAM GREENFIELD WAS SAFE STREETS AUSTIN, JUST TO GIVE SOME OF OUR FEEDBACK ON, ON THIS PROJECT, AND WE'RE, WE'RE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
UM, AND, AND REALLY, YOU KNOW, THE CITY HAS PUT OUT A BIG, BOLD VISION THAT HAS INSPIRED A LOT OF DISCUSSION, A LOT OF ENTHUSIASM, A LOT OF DEBATE, AND THAT, IN OUR OPINION WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UH, SO JUST TO GIVE FEEDBACK ON THE TWO SECTIONS, UH, BEGINNING WITH THE SEVENTH TO 11TH PEDESTRIAN PLAZA, UM, IN 2017, WE CONSULTED WITH 10 OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL PEDESTRIAN MALLS IN THE COUNTRY ABOUT WHAT MAKES THESE KIND OF SPACES, UH, WORK.
AND ONE OF THE BIG TAKEAWAYS WE HAD FROM THAT WAS THE CONCEPT OF A PHASED APPROACH TO PEDESTRIANIZATION.
AND PEDESTRIANIZATION IS THE, UM, END RESULT OF, UH, OF A SERIES OF FACTORS THAT REALLY NEED TO LEAD UP TO THAT.
UH, THE HISTORY OF THIS COUNTRY WITH SUDDEN IMPLEMENTATION OF PEDESTRIAN MOLES IS, IS, IS VERY POOR.
UM, BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN, THE LESSONS FROM THAT EXPERIENCE IS THAT IF WE, UM, IMPROVE THE BUSINESS MIX, IF WE HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, IF WE HAVE A GOOD PROGRAMMING SCHEDULE AND WE KIND OF LEAD WITH SOME OF THOSE TACTICAL URBANIST ELEMENTS, THEN WE CAN BUILD UP TOWARDS WHAT IS THE, WHAT IS THE NORTH STAR VISION HERE, WHICH IS FULL PEDESTRIANIZATION.
BUT IF WE MOVE TOO QUICKLY, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT MIGHT NOT OCCUR.
SO IT'S REALLY LIKE HOW WE GET THERE, THAT'S IMPORTANT.
UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A WONDERFUL NORTH STAR TO HEAD TOWARDS.
AND, AND WE, WE JUST HOPE THE PROCESS IS, IS REALLY WELL THOUGHT THROUGH, UH, BETWEEN CAESAR CHAVEZ AND SEVENTH, UH, WE, WE WOULD LIKE TO PUSH FOR THERE TO BE MORE SPACE FOR PEOPLE.
WE WANNA SEE NICE WIDE 10 FOOT BIKE LANES, WIDER SIDEWALKS.
THERE'S REALLY NO REASON IN OUR MIND TO HAVE A FOUR LANE ROADWAY.
THREE LANES HAS THE SAME VEHICLE MOVING CAPACITY, UH, FOUR LANES IS A STRODE ENVIRONMENT.
WE THINK THAT THE CONGRESS AVENUE REALLY SHOULD BE A PEOPLE FIRST ENVIRONMENT.
SO THREE LANES, UH, SHOULD BE FINE.
UM, AND, AND THEN REALLY, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA PUSH ALSO FOR MORE SPACE AT THAT CAESAR CHAVEZ INTERSECTION THERE.
RIGHT NOW THE PROPOSAL IS SIX LANES, AND YOU THINK ABOUT SORT OF HOW YOU ARE APPROACHING THAT AS A PEDESTRIAN AND WHAT YOU WANT A GATEWAY TO LOOK LIKE.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY WANT TO KIND OF MINIMIZE THE CAR-CENTRIC ASPECTS AND MAXIMIZE THE PEOPLE-CENTRIC ASPECTS THERE AS WELL.
UM, THE, UH, THE, THE, THE, UH, SHORT NEAR TERM DECKING OF THE PARKING SPACES IS EXCELLENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, STARTING TO BRING IN THOSE DOUBLE LOADED SIDEWALK CONCEPTS AS WELL IS, IS REALLY GREAT.
AND THEN BUILDING UP TO MORE SORT OF HEAVY DUTY, LONG TERM IMPLEMENTATION OF KIOSKS AS KIND OF PERMANENT STRUCTURES THERE, UM, IS BEST PRACTICES THAT WE SEE IN GREAT PEDESTRIAN CITIES LIKE MEXICO CITY.
SO, UM, YEAH, THIS IS A GREAT PLAN.
WE JUST WANT TO KEEP PUSHING FOR SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE AMBITIOUS AND EVEN MORE EXCELLENT.
UH, YEAH, SO, UH, DID YOU HAVE A QUESTION FOR OUR SPEAKER? I DID.
DO A QUICK, YEAH, SO QUICK QUESTION.
I KNOW SAFE STREETS AUSTIN HAS BEEN BEEN A, A BIG PROPONENT OF THE DOUBLE LOADED SIDEWALK.
SO I'D LIKE TO GET YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED ON THE SCISSORS CHAVEZ, THE SEVENTH STREET.
UH, WHETHER YOU THINK THAT'S A SUFFICIENT, YOU KNOW, THAT AMENITY SPACE IS SUFFICIENT FOR THAT DOUBLE LOADED FEEL AND, AND WHETHER YOU THINK WE'RE IN A PLACE TO GET THOSE, THOSE PERMANENT KIOSK THAT YOU TALK ABOUT, WHETHER WE'RE THE PLAN CONTEMPLATES THAT ENOUGH TO GET TO, YOU KNOW, THE VISION OF YOUR ORGANIZATION.
YEAH, I MEAN, WE REALLY WANNA SEE THAT STUDIED WITH THE, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO IMPLEMENT KIOSKS, UM, AT THIS STAGE IN TERMS OF THE SORT OF HEAVIER DUTY STUFF.
OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, FOOD TRUCKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT ARE, ARE OUT THERE.
WE HAVE, THERE'S A GREAT LITTLE KIOSK AT PEACE PARK.
I DUNNO IF ANYONE HAS SEEN THAT, THAT IS THE KIND OF MODEL THAT WE COULD EMPLOY HERE.
BUT REALLY THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT COULD BE AN ORGANIC PROCESS.
YOU KNOW, WE COULD SEE KIOSKS AT DIFFERENT SORT OF STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT THERE, AND AS SOME BUSINESSES WORK AND SOME DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE CAN HAVE THE TENANTS OF THOSE KIND OF TRANSITION IN AND TRANSITION OUT.
SO THIS WHOLE, THE DOUBLE LOADED SIDEWALK PART IS, IT'S, IT'S A WHOLE CONVERSATION IN AND OF ITSELF.
UM, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE JUST NEED TO HAVE IT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR OUR SPEAKER? AWESOME.
THANK YOU FOR, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT.
UM, I GUESS I'LL, UM, UH, WELL, WE CAN JUST MOVE INTO A PHASE IF WE HAVE QUESTIONS FOR OUR STAFF PRESENTER.
THERE IS A, AS WE SAID, A CIRCULATED RECOMMEND, UH, DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.
SO AT ANY POINT WE CAN USUALLY, I THINK WHAT WE'VE DONE THE LAST FEW TIMES IS WE'VE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF
[02:30:01]
QUESTIONS FOR THE STAFF AND THEN WE'VE QUEUED UP THE RECOMMENDATION, UH, COMMUNICATE ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT AND, AND TOOK, TAKEN THAT VOTE.AND THERE MAY BE SOME TIMES WHERE WHEN WE ARE TAKING UP THE RECOMMENDATION, WE WANT SOME FEEDBACK FROM YOU AS WELL.
SO, UM, I THINK FIRST MAYBE, UH, ANY QUESTIONS FOR OUR STAFF PRESENTER THAT ANYONE MAY HAVE? YEAH, COMMISSIONER BUFFET.
I'M SO THRILLED THAT YOU'RE HERE AND THAT YOU TOLD US ABOUT THIS.
ONE IS, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, THERE ARE A BUNCH OF SLIDES, UM, AND YOU MENTIONED THE FULL BUILD SCENARIOS, UNFUNDED.
WHAT IS THE PATH TO FUNDING? YEAH, GREAT QUESTION.
SO, YOU KNOW, YEAH, OUR CITY HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, JUST SO BLESSED WITH, UM, THE OPPORTUNITY TO INVEST IN OUR MOBILITY AND SAFETY AND PLACEMAKING.
AND SO ONE POSSIBLE PATH WOULD BE A FUTURE CAPITAL CALL, UH, WHERE THIS WOULD BE ONE OF THOSE NAMED PROJECTS.
UH, ANOTHER POSSIBLE OPPORTUNITY IS THROUGH, YOU KNOW, INCREMENTAL REDEVELOPMENT AS I MENTIONED, UM, YOU KNOW, MEXICO T MUSEUMS BEING REDEVELOPED.
THERE'S OTHER, OTHER, UM, POTENTIAL FOR THAT, SOME MORE SO THAN OTHERS.
SO THAT'S NOT REALLY A FULL PATH, UM, TO, TO, UM, SUCCESS, BUT CAN LOOK AT CERTAIN, UM, CERTAIN BLOCK FACES.
ANOTHER WOULD BE GRANT FUNDING.
UM, KNOWING THAT THIS IS SUCH A UNIQUE PART OF OUR CITY, THERE'S REALLY SOME STORYTELLING THERE, ESPECIALLY THE BRIDGE, I THINK.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER KIND OF INTERESTING PATH THAT I THINK IS NOT SO MUCH A, A FULL PATH TO, TO BRIDGING THE GAP, BUT I THINK OFFERS AN INTERESTING LOOK IS, IS PHILANTHROPY.
UM, AND, AND SORT OF HOW CAN WE REALLY UNDERSTAND THIS REALLY UNIQUE PART OF OUR CITY AND, AND, AND HOW IT CAN BE TRULY, UM, TRULY REACH ITS FULL POTENTIAL.
SO THOSE ARE A COUPLE PATHS THAT WE'VE LOOKED AT.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S PROBABLY COUNTLESS OTHERS, UH, IN TERMS OF LIKE, UM, FINANCING MECHANISMS AS WELL.
BUT I WANNA RECOGNIZE THAT THERE ARE SOME ALREADY TO SUPPORT SOME OF THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DOWNTOWN.
SO WE, WE WOULD NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, JUDICIOUS ABOUT THAT.
AND THEN MY NEXT QUESTION WAS, UM, I KNOW THAT THIS WAS, THAT YOU JUST FINISHED AROUND OF PUBLIC COMMENT, AND THIS IS STILL WORK IN PROGRESS FOR THE SEVENTH TO 11TH STREET, UH, PORTION THAT PROPOSED DESIGN.
HAS THAT DESIGN BEEN OPTIMIZED FOR HEAT MITIGATION WITH THE TREE LAYOUT AND POTENTIAL GREAT LAWN? YEAH, WELL, I THINK, YEAH, SO, YOU KNOW, I, THERE ARE, THERE ARE CERTAINLY, I THINK SOME FOLKS WOULD LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING THAT WAS FULLY, FULLY LIKE FULL NA NATURAL ELEMENTS THAT THAT EXPRESSED LIKE A PLAZA WITH, WITH GRASS AND, AND, UM, BUT THAT PRESENTS SOME CHALLENGES WITH MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS AS WELL AS JUST FUNCTION.
SO WHEREAS WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT A PAVED SURFACE, I THINK OTHER, SOMETHING OTHER THAN ASPHALT WILL CERTAINLY HELP WITH SOME OF THAT HEAT SINK.
BUT, UM, THE OTHER IDEA IS THE DOUBLE ROW OF TREES.
AND THEN, UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY SOME, UM, TREATMENTS OF ASPHALT CREATIVELY COULD DO SOME INTERESTING MAYBE EXPERIMENTS ON
AND THEN JUST OTHER, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO ENJOY JUST RECENTLY THE BOOK FESTIVAL AND, AND OTHER PLACES WHERE WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TENTS AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE THERE TO HELP JUST MAKE IT A HOSPITABLE ENVIRONMENT.
SO OPENING UP THAT SPACE FOR THOSE TYPES OF THINGS WOULD CERTAINLY DO GO A LONG WAY.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE HEARD A, A LOT OF INTEREST IN GREENING THE STREET, YOU KNOW, BRINGING PARK-LIKE ELEMENTS INTO THE STREET.
SO IN ADDITION TO DOUBLE ROAD TREES, MAYBE, WHERE ELSE CAN WE ADD OTHER NATURAL ELEMENTS THAT, THAT JUST BRING MORE GREENERY AND, AND JUST, UH, A COOLING EFFECT IN OF ITSELF.
SO YEAH, THOSE ARE ALL SORT OF A FULL BUILD SCENARIO, UM, ELEMENTS WITH MAYBE WITH THE EXCEPTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER WE COULD GET THAT DOUBLE ROW OF TREES IN SAY A IN, UM, IN FULLY RECONSTRUCTED BLOCKS IF WE, IF WE WENT FORWARD THAT WAY.
AND THEN MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, IN, TO REINFORCE ADAM'S POINT ABOUT A PHASED APPROACH, WHAT HAS BEEN THE, UM, ENGAGEMENT FROM THE EXISTING BUSINESSES ON THESE STRETCHES? AND, UM, HA HAS THERE BEEN THOUGHT AS A PART, PART OF THIS PLAN AS OF YET AS TO WHAT THAT PHASED APPROACH WOULD BE OR COULD BE FOR NEW BUSINESSES TO ENGAGE IN THIS SPACE OR OTHERWISE COMPLIMENT THE WHAT'S ALREADY THERE? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I, I REALLY CAN'T EXPRESS MORE GRATITUDE FOR THE, JUST THE INCREDIBLE, UM, THOUGHTFULNESS THAT, THAT SO MANY PEOPLE, BUSINESS OWNERS, RESIDENTS, UM, COMMUNITY GROUPS LIKE SAFE STREETS, AUSTIN, C-N-U-C-T-X, AND OTHERS HAVE BROUGHT TO THE TABLE IN TERMS OF, UH, WHAT, UM, ESPECIALLY WITH RESPECT TO THE PLAZA CONCEPT AND, AND WHETHER THAT IS HOW TO, HOW TO MAYBE GO ABOUT MM-HMM.
[02:35:01]
WAS I THINK WHAT ARE THE BUSINESS OWNERS? WHAT ARE THEY THINKING? AND THEN HOW ARE THEY BEING ENGAGED? SO I, YEAH, I THINK WE'VE HAD, UM, SOME FOCUS GROUP SESSIONS AND I WOULD, I WOULD OFFER THAT I THINK A BIG, BIG IDEA LIKE THIS DOES BRING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO THE TABLE,UM, I THINK TO MAYBE SOME OF WHAT ADAM SHARED, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SOME SKEPTICISM AROUND HOW A PLAZA COULD BE, YOU KNOW, SUCCESSFUL RIGHT OUT THE GATE.
AND THAT IS CERTAINLY APPRECIATED A LOT BY US IN TERMS OF, UM, WHAT THAT WOULD TAKE.
SO, YOU KNOW, HAVING THE ROBUSTNESS OF A MANAGING PARTNER AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO PROGRAM THAT THING ALL THE TIME, UM, IS, IS A BIG BAR TO REACH.
UM, NOT ONE THAT, YOU KNOW, HASN'T EVER BEEN DONE BEFORE.
SO WE HAVE PRESIDENT FOR IT, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT CONCERN IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING WE HEARD.
UM, I THINK THERE'S A, AN OUTCRY THOUGH, YOU, YOU KNOW, ACROSS THE BOARD FOR A NEED TO REALLY ENLIVEN THOSE NORTHERN BLOCKS THAT THEY REALLY HAVE SUFFERED ECONOMICALLY.
AND, AND, YOU KNOW, UH, RENT, RENT IS VERY, VERY DISPARATE FROM ONE PART OF CONGRESS TO THE OTHER.
IF YOU LOOK AT, UM, SOME OF THE ECONOMIC ANALYSIS THAT THE DAA HAS HAS BROUGHT TO BEAR, BUT LIKEWISE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE THAT REQUIRES A BIG, UM, A BIG BOOSTER SHOT.
SO WHAT, WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE IS KIND OF, I THINK WHERE WE'RE AT AS A CITY IS LIKE, HOW DO WE MAYBE LOOK AT, LOOK AT THAT, UM, NEED TO ENLIVEN THAT PART OF CONGRESS.
UM, SO THAT REALLY HAS, YOU KNOW, AS WE WRAP UP THIS PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE UTC CONTRIBUTING, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE ONE OF THE RESONANT PIECES IS HOW THOUGHTFUL PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ABOUT HOW YOU DO THIS WELL.
AND, AND WE WANNA REFLECT THAT FULLY IN, IN THE REPORT BACK SO THAT EVERYONE CAN SEE EACH OTHER'S GREAT IDEAS.
I MEAN, WE'RE JUST A CITY FULL OF PEOPLE WITH GREAT IDEAS,
AND THIS, THIS PROCESS HAS REALLY BROUGHT THAT OUT, I THINK BY, YOU KNOW, BRINGING A BIG IDEA TO THE TABLE.
SO PROBABLY LONG-WINDED ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, BUT, UM, WE'VE DEFINITELY HEARD EVERYTHING FROM LIKE REAL CONCERN TO ENTHUSIASM AND KIND OF REALLY IN THE, IN-BETWEEN HAS BEEN A THOUGHTFULNESS AROUND APPROACHING IT.
I'M EXCITED TO HEAR WHAT THE IDEAS ARE.
'CAUSE I, THIS MAKES ME THINK OF LIKE THE PEARL STREET MALL IN BOULDER.
THANKS FOR BRINGING THIS, UH, PRESENTATION TO US.
SO FOR CLARIFICATION ON MY END, IT'S THE, THE SEVENTH THROUGH 11TH, THE PLAZA CONCEPT THAT IS FULLY FUNDED.
THANKS FOR THE CLAR OPPORTUNITY TO CLARIFY.
SO THE, THE FULL BUDGET IS ABOUT 22 MILLION.
AND OF THAT, THE CONCEPT FROM SEVENTH TO 11TH, WE COULD ESSENTIALLY AFFORD TWO OUT OF THE FOUR BLOCKS.
UM, SO TWO IN TERMS OF FULL RECONSTRUCTION, SO IT'D BE THE 900 AND A THOUSAND BLOCK WOULD GET THE FULL RECONSTRUCTION, AND THEN THE 700, 800 BLOCKS WOULD GET, UM, SOME BETTERMENTS, UH, SORT OF BACK OF CURB, IF YOU WILL.
SO SORT OF OPENING UP THAT SPACE, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT WITH THE BLOCK SOUTH OF SEVENTH IN A SIMILAR FASHION, BUT, BUT ALSO CLOSING THOSE TO TRAFFIC TO PRIVATE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC WITH, UM, IMPORTANT PROVISIONS FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF LOADING FOOD AND BEVERAGE AND TALENT, FOR EXAMPLE, FOR THE PARAMOUNT OR, OR DELIVERIES AND THE LIKE FOR THE A THOUSAND BLOCKS.
SO YEAH, IT WOULD BE SORT OF A TWO OUT OF THE FOUR CONCEPT NORTH OF SEVENTH IN THE BUDGET, AND THEN TAKING THE REST OF THE BUDGET AND KIND OF APPLYING IT TO AS MANY BLOCKS AS POSSIBLE SOUTH OF SEVENTH TO CESAR CHAVEZ TO KIND OF GET THAT PEDESTRIAN SPACE OPENED UP FOR THE, UM, JUST TO ENLIVEN THE, THE, THE STREET LIFE THAT, THAT, THAT PART, UM, HAS TO OFFER THE HEART OF AUSTIN.
AND I GUESS I HAVE A SECOND QUESTION.
SO IF WE ARE, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO CHOOSE TO MOVE FORWARD RIGHT, WITH THIS PROJECT AND IT'S THE MOBILITY BOND FROM LIKE FUNDS, FROM THE MOBILITY BOND PROGRAM, WHAT ARE THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT THEN WOULD NOT LIKE, WE'RE CHOOSING THIS ONE OVER OTHER PROJECTS AND HAVE THOSE BEEN CONSIDERED? YEAH.
WELL, UM, THIS IS REALLY TESTAMENT TO THE DEPARTMENT'S AMAZING WORK AT GRANTS.
UM, I'M GONNA GIVE ANDRE A LOT OF CREDIT FOR THAT.
UM, BUT LUCKILY ALL FOUR NAMED PROJECTS DO HAVE, HAVE A PATH, UH, AT, OF, AT SOME LEVEL.
SO ONE OF THEM IS THE, THE, SO-CALLED WISHBONE BRIDGE, WHICH IS CURRENTLY IN CONSTRUCTION, UM, UH, NEAR PLEASANT VALLEY, UH, ROAD.
AND, UH, ALSO THE, UH, EXTENSION OF, OF PLEASANT VALLEY, UM, TO, TO BURLESON AND, UM, THE, UM, BARTON, UH, CREEK BRIDGE AND THEN THIS ONE.
SO EACH OF THOSE ARE MOVING FORWARD AS, AND WITH THE HELP OF, UM, SOME GRANT FUNDING THAT WE RECENTLY GOT FOR THE, FOR THE BARTON CREEK BRIDGE.
UH, WE'LL, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO SOMETHING FOR, FOR ALL, ALL FOUR PROJECTS.
YEAH, COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
WELL, I'LL START BY JUST THANKING YOU FOR BEING HERE AND, UH, BEING LATE AND ALSO ACCEPTING OUR COMMENTS, UH, PAST THE DEADLINE.
UH, I'VE SAID BEFORE, BUT I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A HARDER WORKING TEAM THAN, UH, YOU AND THE REST OF THE ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION DIVISION.
UM, I WANNA, I HAVE A COUPLE QUESTIONS HERE, BUT FIRST I WANNA JUST CLARIFY, I, BECAUSE I GOT CONFUSED ABOUT THIS WHEN
[02:40:01]
I WAS WRITING THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT I THINK I UNDERSTAND IT NOW.SO AS IT COMES FOR DOUBLE LOADED SIDEWALKS, HAVING THE AMENITY ZONE, RIGHT, UH, IN BETWEEN A SIDEWALK AND THE, THE, UH, FACADES IF YOU WILL MM-HMM,
RIGHT? ACTUALLY, SO THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE BLOCKS IS FIVE FEET.
SO ESSENTIALLY IT WOULD EXIST, UM, OR THE OPPORTUNITY TO USE THAT SPACE IN A MORE, UM, SORT OF A DOUBLE LOADED WAY.
UHHUH
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THAT FIVE FEET COMES FROM.
SO INSTEAD OF 30 FEET IS ABOUT 25, BUT IT IS 12 AND A HALF NOW, SO YOU'RE MORE THAN DOUBLING IT.
UM, AND, AND THEN SOME FOR THE 200, 300, 400 AND 600 BLOCKS.
AND THEN IN THE 500 AND 100 BLOCK, YOU'RE, YOU'RE DOUBLING IT.
UM, AND JUST ABOVE THAT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE.
SO ON THOSE BLOCKS, YOU WOULD THEORETICALLY HAVE THE SPACE FOR AN AMENITY ZONE, BUT IT'S NOT DESIGNATED IN THE PLAN RIGHT NOW? IS THAT WHAT I'M UNDERSTANDING? THERE WOULD BE, YEAH.
THERE'D BE SPACE FOR AMENITY ZONE.
MAYBE THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE A DA PATH OF TRAVEL WOULD REMAIN, UM, PROBABLY, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT IS NOW, UM, FROM THE CORNERS CAN BE IMPROVED AND THEN, UH, TO THE BUILDING FACES, BUT THEN, UM, FULLY REALIZING KIND OF THAT THAT ENTIRE AMENITY ZONE WOULD, WOULD NEED TO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, IN A FULL BUILT SCENARIO WE'D BE REGRADING ALL OF THAT.
WHEREAS HERE WE'RE JUST KIND OF OPENING UP THE SPACE ENOUGH TO, TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES FOR, FOR THAT ACTIVATION IN WHATEVER WAY THAT, THAT, THAT, UH, INVOLVES.
SO IT COULD BE A, UH, LIKE WE'VE SEEN ALREADY, UM, SORT OF ORGANICALLY AND BY THE SHEER WILL OF THE, OF THE RETAILER BUSINESS OWNER, THE, UM, THE STREET PATIOS FOR EXAMPLE.
SO THAT, THAT KIND OF THING, UM, COULD BE JUST LIKE LIBERALIZED A LITTLE BIT MORE TO DO THAT.
YEAH, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT.
AND THEN, UM, GOING UP TO THE PLAZA SECTION, RIGHT? SO THE KIND OF DIVIDED INTO THREE SECTIONS, YOU HAVE THE PEDESTRIAN ZONE, AMENITY ZONE, AND THEN THAT CENTRAL PROMENADE, UM, AT LEAST THE, THE RENDERING SEEMED TO SUGGEST THAT BIKES WOULD USE THE CENTRAL PROMENADE, WHICH MAKES SENSE.
UM, BUT THEN WHAT WOULD CROSSING LOOK LIKE, BECAUSE I DON'T SEE IN THE RENDERINGS ANY, YOU KNOW, LIGHTS TO FOR SIGNALIZE CROSSING THERE.
HAVE YOU CONTEMPLATED THAT? YEAH, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SIGNALIZE NOW, THOSE CROSS STREETS, RIGHT? SO THAT, THAT WOULD, WE WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONALIZE THAT WITH A, WITH A PLAZA CONCEPT IN A WAY THAT, UH, PROVIDES THE, THE PREDICTABILITY AND CROSSING.
THERE'D BE, UM, YOU KNOW, BALLARDS OF A KIND TO, TO KEEP THE, THE PRIVATE MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC OUT.
BUT, BUT THOSE WOULD NEED TO BE VERY RESPONSIVE ON DEMAND ACCESS FOR CERTAIN TYPES OF LOADING AND DELIVERY AND SO ON.
UM, AND THEN THE, UM, THE CONCEPT WOULD BE TO LIKE BULB OUT, SO LIKE IN THE CASE OF MAYBE RELOCATING AN A DA PARKING SPOT OR EVEN CREATING A MORE, UM, A DA ACCESSIBLE CORNER, WE OFTEN WILL, WILL BULB OUT THAT CORNER TO, TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SOME, SOME SPACE TO KIND OF ACHIEVE THE, UM, UM, THE ROOM NEEDED TO GET, YOU KNOW, GET TO AN, UH, AN A DA, UM, COMPLIANCE SLOPE.
SO GENERALLY SPEAKING, YOU, YOU'D BE, UM, SEEING SHORTER DISTANCES AT THE, AT THE CORNERS, LIKE GATE SORT OF GATEWAY TREATMENTS, IF YOU WILL.
AND THEN IN, AND SO DOING, YOU SORT OF OPEN UP SPACE BEYOND THE CORNER AT THE CORNER FOR SHORTER CROSSINGS, MAYBE, UH, UH, CERTAIN TYPES OF MAYBE EVEN, UM, COMMERCIAL LOADING OR A DA ACCESSIBLE PARKING SPOTS ON THE SIDE STREET.
SO IF, IF, IF THAT ALL MAKES SENSE, ESSENTIALLY YOU'D HAVE SORT OF TWO GATEWAYS, SHORTER CROSSINGS, AND THEN, UM, YEAH, LIKE A, A FLAT, UM, ESSENTIALLY A FLAT CROSSING.
I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME TALK ABOUT TRYING TO RAISE THAT CROSSING.
AND IN THE RECONSTRUCTED AREAS YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET, UM, TO, TO ACHIEVE THAT.
BUT WE'D HAVE TO LOOK A LITTLE MORE CLOSELY AT THE DRAINAGE PATTERNS FOR THOSE CROSS STREETS, RIGHT.
BUT I, I GUESS I'M ASKING, RIGHT, SO I'M, I'M TRAVELING ON A BICYCLE IN THE CENTRAL PROMENADE.
FROM 10TH TO NINTH STREET, I NEED TO CROSS NINTH STREET, RIGHT? AM I GOING TO HAVE TO GO OVER TO THE PEDESTRIAN ZONE OR WILL I BE ABLE TO CROSS ON THE CENTRAL PROMENADE? YOU WOULD CROSS ON THE CENTRAL.
UM, AND THEN I, MY LAST QUESTION IS, UM, TIMELINE, RIGHT? LIKE WE HAVE THE MONEY FOR THE, THE FIRST PHASE BUILD OUT.
HOW QUICKLY COULD WE ACCOMPLISH THAT? YEAH, THANK YOU FOR THAT QUESTION.
SO AS WHAT WE'VE BEEN PROPOSING IS, IS ESSENTIALLY A TWO PHASE PROCESS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF CAPACITY FOR, UM, NIMBLE AND, AND FLEXIBLE CONTRACTING THAT ARE, UH, DELIVERY METHODS THAT, THAT ARE SORT OF IN AND OUT.
[02:45:01]
IMPORTANT FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA RECOGNIZE THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER REDEVELOPING.WE'VE GOT THE WIDENING OF I 35.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THE DOWNTOWN.
AND I THINK BUSINESSES, BUSINESSES ARE RIGHTFULLY WONDERING KIND OF HOW IS THIS GONNA WORK? UM, AND SO IF WE CAN SORT OF TAKE THIS SORT OF SURGICAL APPROACH TO EACH BLOCK, GET IN, GET OUT AND MOVE ON, THAT IS HOW PHASE ONE WOULD GO.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, AS WE COLLECT ALL THIS FEEDBACK AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT SHOULD LOOK LIKE, UH, THERE'S, THERE'S CONTRACTING METHODS THAT WE CAN THEN TURN ON TOWARDS THE END OF, SAY, NEXT YEAR AND GET THAT FIRST PHASE STARTED, UM, IN MIDDLE TO END OF NEXT YEAR WOULD BE OUR GOAL.
SO THAT WE CAN REALLY START TO BRING THAT BENEFIT TO THE AVENUE, INTO THE COMMUNITY AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
HOWEVER, UM, OR AS IN ADDITION TO THAT WOULD BE A SECOND PHASE THAT WOULD REQUIRE A LOT MORE, UM, DETAILED DESIGN IF WE WERE TO MOVE INTO SOME, SOME FORM OF RECONSTRUCTION.
AND SO THAT, THAT WOULD TAKE MORE, MORE DESIGN AND, AND MORE CONTRACTING EFFORTS THAT WOULD PUT US MORE INTO LIKE A 2026 TYPE OF TIMEFRAME.
AND WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT RECONSTRUCTION, UM, WOULD THAT INCLUDE WHAT IS CURRENTLY PROPOSED FOR THE NINTH AND 10TH STREET? YES.
SO THAT WOULD TAKE A LITTLE LONGER 'CAUSE YOU NEED TO DO MORE FULL ENGINEERING.
AND THERE MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT, THIS IS NOT NECESSARILY A DONE DEAL BY ANY STRETCH, BUT THERE COULD BE ELEMENTS THAT DO, UH, COME, COME OUT OF A, OF A, OF A PREFERRED, YOU KNOW, SCENARIO WITHIN THE BUDGET THAT, THAT DO HAVE RECONSTRUCTION ELEMENTS THAT SHORT OF MAYBE LIKE A FULL, A FULL RECONSTRUCTION OF A BLOCK WOULD BE RECONSTRUCTION OF PORTIONS OF THE AVENUE AND RECOGNITION OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE GRADING ISSUES THAT I SPOKE TO ON THE 700 BLOCK, 800 BLOCK.
IT GETS BETTER AND BETTER AS YOU GO NORTH, BUT, OR EVEN MAYBE OTHER, UM, PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, A DA OR, OR OTHER ISSUES THAT, THAT WE, UM, THAT WE NEED TO HANDLE DIFFERENTLY OUT OUTSIDE OF THE IDIQ TYPE OF APPROACH.
I JUST HAVE A, I THINK, ALMOST SILLY REMARK, BUT I'M JUST GONNA SAY IT.
'CAUSE YOU MENTIONED THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES AND I RECENTLY HAD SOME EXPERIENCES.
I WENT TO PITTSBURGH FOR A CONFERENCE.
I WAS JUST NOTICING THE WEALTH OF SORT OF ARTS FACILITIES AND INSTITUTIONS AND, AND THEN I, I HAD TWO SEPARATE CONVERSATIONS.
ONE AT HOME WITH MY HUSBAND AND ONE WITH THE FRIEND.
AND WE, ONE THE THING, BASICALLY THE POINT OF BOTH CONVERSATIONS WAS, WHAT'S WRONG WITH AUSTIN'S RICH PEOPLE NOW? I MEAN, I I I, I KNOW THAT WE'RE, UH, LIKE A NEWER, YOUNGER CITY.
MAYBE WE HAVE YOUNGER, NEWER, RICH PEOPLE THAT ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A RICH PERSON.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW, BUT LIKE, IT DOES STRIKE ME THAT, LIKE I, AND I'M NOT NORMALLY LIKE THIS BIG PHILANTHROPY, LIKE PUBLIC-PRIVATE ADVOCATE FOR SOLUTIONS, BUT LIKE, I THINK THAT, LIKE THIS TYPE OF THING IS THE TYPE OF THING THAT PHILANTHROPISTS OFTEN GET EXCITED ABOUT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, LIKE MAYBE WE NEED TO, LIKE, MAYBE CITY STAFF NEEDS TO GO POKE OUR RICH PEOPLE AND, OR I DON'T KNOW, SOMEBODY NEEDS TO LIKE, 'CAUSE THIS IS THE KIND OF THING THAT I THINK THAT A LOT OF PLACES DO FIND, AND WE'RE SEEING MORE OF THAT, LIKE, THERE'S LIKE THE MOODY AMPHITHEATER AND, AND SOME PROJECTS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE GOING FORWARD.
BUT I FEEL LIKE OUR ENVIRONMENT IS, SEEMS TO BE LESSER THAN SOME PEER CITIES.
AND I THINK THAT THAT'S AN AREA THAT COULD BE FRUITFUL FOR CERTAIN KINDS OF URBAN DESIGN PROJECTS.
IT MAY NOT BE THE PERFECT SOLUTION FOR EVERY SITUATION, BUT, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S A BUNCH, THERE'S A BUNCH OF NAMING OPPORTUNITIES HERE, LIKE THE ROY BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA NAME THAT PLAZA? I DON'T NAME IT MOODY.
PEOPLE KEEP GETTING LOST AND THEY COME TO VISIT, CAN'T NAME IT MOODY.
THERE'S TOO MANY THINGS NAMED MOODY.
ANYWAY, SO, UM, YES, I, I, IT'S SILLY COMMENT, BUT I DO THINK THAT LIKE, THOSE ARE OPPORTUNITIES THAT WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT MORE THAN WE HAVE.
I THINK WE OFTEN WANNA DO THINGS, YOU KNOW, WITHIN THE CITY WITH OUR PUBLIC FUNDS THE WAY WE WANT TO DO THEM.
AND THAT'S IN LARGE PART, I'M BIASED TOWARDS THAT MYSELF, BUT, UM, IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE SHOULD BE THINKING ABOUT MORE, I THINK.
WELL, I LOVE YOUR IDEA ABOUT HOW DO WE GET THE PEOPLE WITH WEALTH EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
AND I GUESS ONE OF MY QUESTIONS IS HAVE, HAVE, FOR EXAMPLE, HAVE CITY COUNCIL AND KIRK WATSON SEEN THIS? ARE THEY EXCITED ABOUT IT? UM, I'M TRYING TO THINK LIKE THE DOWN, I MEAN, YOU, YOU SAID THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION OBVIOUSLY, AND, UM, SAFE STREETS AUSTIN KNOW ABOUT THIS, BUT HOW IS, IS IT PROP, IS THIS THE PROPER TIME TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE EXCITED ABOUT THIS? OR DOES IT STILL NEED TO GO THROUGH SOME VETTING? WE'VE HAD SOME, SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH BOTH, UH, COUNCILMAN CADRY AS WELL AS MAYOR WATSON.
UM, THERE IS A LOT OF EXCITEMENT.
THERE IS A LOT OF, UM, ENTHUSIASM AROUND HEARING WHAT THE PUBLIC HAS TO SAY AND KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THAT, DIGESTING THAT, AND THEN COMING, COMING BACK TO THEM WITH, UM, MAYBE A PREFERRED OPTION OR, OR, UM, TAKING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM BODIES LIKE THIS AND, AND, UM, UNDERSTANDING THAT AND, UM, PUTTING SOME BOUNDARIES ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
SO THAT'S SORT OF THE NEXT PHASE.
[02:50:01]
ALSO HAVING SOME GREAT CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE AND THE STATE PRESERVATION BOARD, UM, AS BIG STAKEHOLDERS HERE AS WELL.UM, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR STAFF? I MEAN, WE, NOT, NOT PRECLUDING THAT SOME COULDN'T COME UP LATER, BUT, UM, I'M TRYING TO TEE UP OUR RECOMMENDATION HERE, I THINK.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE DRAFT RECOMMENDATION.
UM, YEAH, SO, UM, IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN CIRCULATED.
UM, SO I'LL GO OVER KIND OF QUICK AND ALSO AN OPEN INVITATION TO ANY STAFF TO JUMP IN IF YOU GUYS HAVE THOUGHTS ON, ON WHAT WE HAVE HERE.
UM, SO KIND OF THE WHERE AS IS JUST KIND OF LAY OUT HOW THIS IS JUST A REALLY NATURAL PROGRESSION FOR THE STREET.
UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A STREET THAT'S SEEN A DECREASE IN, UH, AVERAGE ANNUAL DAILY MOTOR VEHICLE TRAFFIC, ABOUT 57% FROM 2015 TO 2023.
UM, THIS IS A STREET WHERE WE SEE 12,000 PEDESTRIAN TRIPS PER DAY.
VERY HIGH LEVELS OF SCOOTER AND BICYCLE TRAFFIC AS WELL.
AND THIS IS A VERY SMALL REDUCTION ON OVERALL PARKING.
AND ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT OUR DOWNTOWN STREET NETWORK REPRESENTS AN OUTSIZED PORTION, UH, OF OUR TRAFFIC INCIDENTS AND, UH, PEDESTRIAN DEATHS.
UM, SO ALL OF THIS IS HELPFUL.
UH, AND THEN I ALSO MENTIONED THERE, AND, AND I REALLY INFORMED, UH, USED ALL THREE OF THESE TO INFORM THIS RECOMMENDATION.
UH, THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCILS DID A JOINT RECOMMENDATION THAT WAS VERY THOROUGH AND, UH, UH, PROBABLY TOOK TWO HOURS OF DISCUSSION.
SO I, I INCORPORATED SOME CONCEPTS FROM THAT SAFE STREETS TO AUSTIN.
SENT US A LETTER THAT WAS IN ALL OF OUR EMAILS AS WELL, DID THE CONGRESS FOR NEW URBANISM, CENTRAL TEXAS CHAPTER.
ALL THREE OF THOSE EXPRESSED THEIR SUPPORT, BUT ALSO GAVE SOME REALLY GOOD IDEAS THAT I INCORPORATED INTO THE RESULTS CLAUSES.
THE FIRST ONE JUST EXPRESSES OUR, UH, GENERAL SUPPORT, UM, FOR THIS PROJECT.
UM, I DON'T GENERALLY THINK THE UTC SHOULD BE, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING EACH INDIVIDUAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECT AS IT COMES UP, BUT I DO THINK THIS IS AT UNIQUE ENOUGH OF A, A PROJECT THAT WE SHOULD BE PUTTING OUR INPUT IN THERE.
UM, SO ALL IT DOES IS URGE THAT WE, UH, GET THIS DONE AND URGES THE CITY MANAGER TO TAKE ALL NECESSARY ACTION TO ENSURE THE FULL ADOPTION OF THE PLAN.
UH, THE NEXT BE FURTHER RESOLVE, UH, URGES THE CITY MANAGER TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FULLY IMPLEMENT CITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS.
I'M NOT GONNA SAY THE WHOLE ONCE, UH, BUT ONE IN 2017 AND ONE IN 2009 TO IMPLEMENT A SICK VIEW ON CONGRESS AVENUE AS A PILOT FOR THE PLAZA CONFIGURATION OF CONGRESS AVENUE.
AS SUGGESTED IN THE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT CITY COUNCIL HAS TRIED TO GET GOING IN 2009 AND 2017.
ALSO, COUNCIL MEMBERS, CADRE AND COUNCIL MEMBERS VELA HAVE BEEN VERY VOCAL ABOUT THIS AT MOBILITY COMMITTEE TRYING TO GET A CYCLOVIA GOING ACROSS ALL OF CONGRESS AVENUE.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN A LOT OF REASONS WHY THAT THAT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO GET DONE OVER THE LAST TWO DECADES.
UM, BUT I THINK NOW THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT CONSIDERING THIS AS A CAR FREE SPACE, THAT'S THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO PILOT.
HOW DO WE PROGRAM IT? HOW DO WE DEAL WITH PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE MOVEMENTS HAPPENING IN THE SAME AREA? UM, SO JUST URGES US TO, TO GET THAT ALL MOVING.
UH, THE NEXT ONE, SAFE STREETS.
AUSTIN, IN, IN THEIR LETTER, DID A GREAT JOB TALKING ABOUT HOW WE NEED, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND, AND VISITORS AND TRAFFIC LIKE FOOT TRAFFIC TO GO ALONG, UH, WITH THE PEDESTRIANIZED PLAZA.
UM, I DIDN'T INCORPORATE A LOT OF IT JUST BECAUSE I WANTED THIS TO STATE TRANSPORTATION FOCUSED.
UH, BUT I THINK ONE THING WE SHOULD CALL ATTENTION TO IS, UH, WE HAVE HAD A MORATORIUM ON NEW EVENTS ON OUR DOWNTOWN STREETS SINCE 2014.
AND IT IS, WAS MADE INDEFINITE IN 2023.
UM, WE NEED PEOPLE TO START PROGRAMMING EVENTS ON CONGRESS AVENUE FOR THIS TO BE SUCCESSFUL.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN TELLING, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR COMMUNITY AND PEOPLE HOSTING EVENTS THAT OUR DOWNTOWN STREETS ARE CLOSED FOR, UH, A DECADE NOW, RIGHT? SO IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NEEDING PROGRAMMING IN 2026, UH, NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO, UH, GET RID OF THAT, UH, MORATORIUM AND START CONSIDERING HOW WE CAN HAVE PEOPLE SCHEDULING A REGULAR PROGRAM OF EVENTS.
UM, AGAIN, I KNOW IT CAN BE WAIVED BY THE DIRECTOR, BUT AGAIN, I THINK IT'S ABOUT THE SIGNAL WE'RE SAYING, RIGHT? WE WANT TO INVITE PEOPLE BACK TO HOSTING THEIR EVENTS DOWNTOWN.
'CAUSE WE'RE CREATING THE SPACE.
UH, THE NEXT ARE KIND OF BROADER RECOMMENDATIONS.
SO, UM, JUST TO EXPLAIN, UM, THE ONES I HAVE WERE ALL TAKEN FROM EITHER, UH, THE BACKPACK, SAFE STREETS, AUSTIN, OR CONGRESS OF NEW URBANISM.
UH, BUT I MEANT THESE ONE TO BE, UH, VERY OPEN-ENDED, RIGHT? I SAID, UH, CONSIDER INCLUDING THESE IN FUTURE DIVINE PHASES AND DESIGN ITERATIONS.
UH, MAINLY THAT'S 'CAUSE I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GREAT PRODUCT, UH, IN OUR, WHAT WE CAN FUND RIGHT NOW.
AND I WANNA SEE IT GET OFF THE GROUND.
SO I DON'T WANT US TO LET GOOD BE THE ENEMY OF PERFECT.
I WANNA SEE SOMETHING GET BUILT, UH, WHILE WE STILL CONTINUE THINKING ABOUT WHAT FULL BUILD LOOKS LIKE.
SO THE FIRST ONE LOOKS FOR, UH, OPPORTUNITIES TO IMPROVE THE SEVENTH TO 11TH STREET DESIGN.
UH, FIRST SAFE STREETS AUSTIN SUGGESTED THE INSTALLATION OF RETRACTABLE
[02:55:01]
BOLLARDS WERE LIMITED AC AUTO ACCESS IS REQUIRED.UH, THE BACKPACK TALKED VERY EXTENSIVELY ABOUT HOW BICYCLES SHOULD MOVE THROUGH THE PLAZA, WHETHER WE NEED BIKE LANES, WHETHER WE NEED MARKINGS, WHETHER WE NEED, UH, UM, SEPARATE ROUTES AROUND THE PLAZA.
UM, AND I DON'T THINK WE CAME TO A FULL CONSENSUS OTHER THAN A CONSENSUS THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT I PUT HERE, UH, THAT WE NEED EITHER DESIGNATED LANES MARKINGS OR PREFERRED MOVEMENTS FOR BICYCLISTS WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH THE PUBLIC PLAZA.
UM, SO THAT EVEN IF IT'S A SHARED SPACE, WE MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S SAFE, UH, THROUGH THOSE PATTERNS.
UH, AND THEN, UH, THE CONGRESS OF NEW URBANISM SUGGESTED PREPARING FOR THE EVENTUAL TWO-WAY CONVERSION OF SEVENTH, EIGHTH, NINTH, AND 10TH STREETS INTO THAT PUBLIC PLAZA CON CONSIDERATION, WHICH I THINK MAKES A LOT OF SENSE.
I PUT THE TAGS WITH WHO THEY'RE FROM, JUST FOR US FOR DISCUSSION PURPOSES.
WE CAN REMOVE THOSE IF NECESSARY, UM, AS WELL.
UH, GOING ON TO THE LAST ONE, THIS TALKS ABOUT SCISSOR CHAVE THROUGH SEVENTH STREET.
UH, THE CONGRESS OF NEW URBANISM SUGGESTED DESIGNATING THE OUTER LANES FROM SECOND TO SIXTH STREET AS CURBSIDE DROP OFF LANES.
UH, I BELIEVE THAT WAS ALSO DISCUSSED, UH, AT MOBILITY COMMITTEE AS WELL.
UM, I WOULD SAY IF YOU'VE RIDDEN ON THE CONGRESS AVENUE BIKE LANE ANYTIME SOON, YOU KNOW, THEY BASICALLY ARE JUST CURBSIDE DROP OFF AND PICK UP LANES.
UH, THERE'S CLEARLY A HIGH DEMAND FOR PEOPLE TO NEED ACCESS TO THAT CURVE.
SO I THINK IT MAKES SENSE TO HAVE IT.
THAT ALSO PROVIDES THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO BULB BOUTS AT THAT SECOND AND SIXTH, UH, INTERSECTION SO THAT WE HAVE A SHORTER CROSSING DISTANCE.
UM, AND IT'S ALSO TRUE THAT LOADING ZONES GENERALLY DON'T NEED THAT FULL 11 FEET.
THEY COULD BE SEVEN, THEY COULD BE EIGHT FEET, UH, WHICH MEANS WE'RE ADDING EIGHT 10 FEET THAT WE CAN, UH, GIVE BACK TO THE PEDESTRIAN REALM, UH, WHICH I THINK IS IMPORTANT.
UH, SAFE STREETS AUSTIN TALKED ABOUT DOUBLE LOADED SIDEWALKS.
UH, THEY'RE PRESENT IN THE VISION PLAN AND, AND IN MOST CASES, UM, BUT I THINK, UH, CONTINUING TO GO TOWARDS THAT VISION, UH, THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT WHERE WE HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, MORE PERMANENT, UH, PROGRAMMING, THINGS LIKE KIOSK, WHERE SMALL BUSINESSES CAN REALLY OPERATE ON THE STREET, AND WE HAVE, UH, LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO THRIVE, I THINK IS SOMETHING TO KEEP FORWARD ON.
UH, AND THEN THE BACKPACK TALKED ABOUT, UH, A NEED FOR RACE CROSSWALKS FOR BOTH THE SIDEWALK AND THE BIKEWAY, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ON THOSE EAST WEST STREETS KNOW THAT THEY'RE ENTERING A, A PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE REALM.
UH, AND THEN THE FINAL ONE WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT A LITTLE BIT IS ENHANCING THE PEDESTRIAN GATEWAY AT SCISSOR CHAVEZ.
RIGHT? IT IS A VERY LONG DISTANCE FOR CROSSING, UH, AND THE ELIMINATION OF SLIP LANES.
AND ALL THREE OF THE GROUPS THAT I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, UH, MENTIONED SOMETHING AROUND THAT.
UM, THOSE LAST TWO, UH, BE IT RESOLVES, I MEANT AS JUST THE STARTING PLACE.
SO IF OTHER PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTIONS, MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE AMENDMENTS TO ADD MORE STUFF THERE.
I HAVE AN AMENDMENT ALREADY, UM, AND IT WOULD BE AFTER THE LAST BE IT FOR THE RESOLVED.
UM, I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLES, AND I THINK THAT THERE, AND IF YOU, FOR EVERYBODY, UM, I'M, I ASSUME EVERYBODY KNOWS, BUT, UH, WHERE THERE IS ALL THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC STOPS AT ONCE, AND THEN YOU CAN CROSS IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
AND, UM, I THINK THAT CESAR CHAVEZ IN CONGRESS, AND I THINK REALLY SIX IN CONGRESS PRESENT REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLES.
SO MY AMENDMENT IS TO ADD A SE ANOTHER BULLET POINT IN THE LAST BE FURTHER RESOLVED IS INSTALLING PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLES AT THE CESAR CHAVEZ AND SIX THREE INTERSECTIONS WITH CONGRESS.
CAN YOU SAY IT ONE MORE TIME JUST SO I CAN TYPE IT? UM, INSTALLING PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLES AT THE CONGRESS AND CESAR CHAVEZ AND THE CONGRESS AND SIXTH STREET INTERSECTIONS.
ONE OF THE LETTERS WE GOT, I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS SAFE STREETS OR C-N-U-C-T-X, BUT THEY ALSO MENTIONED A PE A PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLES, SPECIFICALLY AT CESAR CHAVEZ.
UM, SO MAYBE JUST IF YOU WANNA CITE THAT AS WELL.
SHOULD WE DISCUSS THAT AMENDMENT? ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLE? OKAY, LET'S TAKE A QUICK VOTE ON THAT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF ADDING THAT AMENDMENT ABOUT THE PEDESTRIAN SCRAMBLE AS A FINAL BULLET POINT.
I HAVE A, UH, NOT AN AMENDMENT, BUT I GUESS A COMMENT OR DISCUSSION THOUGHT.
SO, UM, IT'S A, IT'S, MAYBE WE WANNA, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE WE CHANGE THE WORDING.
BUT THIS IS THE, WHERE IT SAYS THE, IT'S IN THE NEXT TO LAST, BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED THE BULLET POINT THAT SAYS DESIGNATED LANES MARKINGS OR PREFERRED MOVEMENTS FOR BICYCLISTS WHILE TRAVELING THROUGH THE PUBLIC PLAZA.
SO, UM, UT HAS HAD AN EXPERIENCE WITH SPEEDWAY FOR YEARS WHERE THIS HAS BEEN A CONCERN.
SO FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS, THAT WAS BASICALLY LIKE A DECOMMISSIONED STREET, RIGHT? AND SO THERE WAS BASICALLY A STREET AND YOU WOULD HAVE FACILITIES, PEOPLE DRIVING THEIR TRUCKS UP AND DOWN IT, AND YOU'D HAVE LIKE, UM, VEH VEHICULAR TYPE CYCLISTS SPEEDING DOWN
[03:00:01]
IT TO GET TO CLASS.AND THEN THE REST OF US WOULD BE FROGGER AROUND AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY KEPT, WOULD PUT UP SIGNS AND SAY, THIS IS A, A, YOU KNOW, WALK YOUR BIKE ZONE AND YOU CAN'T BE ON YOUR BIKE.
AND THEY WOULD HOLLER ABOUT IT AND NOBODY WOULD COMPLY AND, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD STILL BE FROGGER.
AND THEN THEY PUT IN THE, THE YELLOW BRICK ROAD AS WE CALL IT, THE, THE SPEEDWAY, A PEDESTRIAN PLAZA.
AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, OH, IT'S GONNA MAKE IT EVEN WORSE.
THEY'RE GONNA SPEED UP AND GO FASTER.
BUT WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED IS THERE'S SUCH PEDESTRIAN DENSITY THERE, NOBODY CAN DRIVE THEIR BIKE FAST, RIGHT? LIKE, THEY HAVE TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE THERE'S TOO MANY PEOPLE WALKING UP AND DOWN IT.
SO I THINK THAT THAT WAS A LIKE, AND I WAS LIKE UPSET ABOUT IT.
I WAS LIKE, YOU NEED TO GIVE THE, LIKE, 'CAUSE I WAS SICK OF FRAUDING, LIKE FOR YEARS AND YEARS CROSSING THERE, AND I THOUGHT, WELL, WE REALLY NEED TO BE TO GIVING CYCLISTS GUIDANCE ON WHAT TO DO AND WHAT ACTUALLY ENDED UP HAPPENING IN THE LIVED EXPERIENCE.
THERE WAS SUCH WALKING DENSITY THAT THEY HAVE TO SLOW DOWN.
NOW IF I'M ON CAMPUS TILL SEVEN, YEAH, THERE'S GONNA BE SOME LIKE ENGINEERING STUDENT THAT'S LIKE SPEEDING DOWN SPEEDWAY.
LIKE, IT, IT STILL HAPPENS LIKE AT TIMES WHERE THE, THE TRAFFIC IS LIGHTER, LIKE THE PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
BUT THAT'S ONE THING THAT I REALLY LIKE WAS REALLY EYEOPENING FOR ME, IS LIKE THE PEDESTRIANS WERE THE BLOCKADES TO THE BICYCLISTS TO SLOW THEM DOWN.
NOW, MAYBE THAT'S NOT GREAT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO
BUT, UM, I, I THOUGHT THAT WAS INTERESTING.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A LESSON THAT WE CAN TAKE FROM THAT.
AND I THINK IT DOES SPEAK TO SOME OF THE CONCERNS, LIKE WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE UPTAKE? ESPECIALLY KNOWING THAT WE, I STRUGGLE A LITTLE, NOT REALLY A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE MAYBE POURING THE LOVE AND THE MONEY INTO THE SECTION THAT'S HURTING THE MOST UP NORTH IS THE PROBLEM.
BUT LIKE, THAT'S WHERE FEWER PEOPLE ARE RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S WHERE THE RETAIL IS STRUGGLING.
THAT'S WHERE THERE'S JUST BEEN LESS ENERGY.
SO LIKE BEING VERY INTENTIONAL ABOUT POURING IT INTO THAT.
BUT LIKE, YOU HAVE TO LIKE, IS THIS A WILL? IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME SITUATION.
YOU KNOW? SO LIKE, I THINK THAT, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT YOU WANNA DRAW OUT OF THAT FOR THE RECOMMENDATION, BUT THAT WAS JUST SOMETHING THAT'S REALLY STRUCK ME LIVING THROUGH THAT CHANGE ON SPEEDWAY AT UT IN TERMS OF LIKE, I DON'T THINK, LIKE, I THINK IT'S NOW PRETTY CLEAR HOW YOU NAVIGATE THROUGH IT.
YOU'RE JUST LIKE, KIND OF GO SLOW AND NAVIGATE AROUND THE PEDESTRIANS.
AT LEAST IF IT'S NOT LIKE, IF IT'S DURING THIS, THE SCHOOL DAY, BASICALLY.
I WONDER IF, UH, UM, ADDING TO THAT BULLET DESIGNATED LIENS, MARKINGS OR PREFERRED MOVEMENTS WOULD BE LIKE CONSIDERED BICYCLE LIGHT TIMING.
'CAUSE I EVEN JUST NOW AS CONGRESS EXISTS, THE LIGHTS ARE TIMED IN SUCH A WAY WHERE LIKE YOU EITHER HAVE TO RIDE AT A NORMAL PACE AND STOP AT EVERY SINGLE LIGHT OR LIKE RIP IT AND BE KIND OF DANGEROUS WHERE THERE'S LIKE ALWAYS PEOPLE PARKING IN THE BIKE LANE AND PEDESTRIANS AND WHATEVER.
UM, SO I HEAR YOU AND I, THAT IS MY SUGGESTION, I GUESS, UH, PREFERRED MOVEMENTS INCLUDING POTENTIAL LIGHT TIMING TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, SAFE BICYCLE SCHOOL TRAVEL.
AND MAYBE THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A, I MEAN, PART OF THE ISSUE HERE IS TOO, IS SOMETIMES MAKING THINGS A PLACE WHERE MORE, LIKE RIGHT NOW AS, AS NOTED IN THE LIKE, WHEREAS IS THIS IS A VERY HEAVY CYCLING AREA, BUT SOMETIMES BY MAKING SOMETHING LIKE A REALLY GREAT PEDESTRIAN PLACE, WE MAKE IT A LITTLE WORSE FOR BIKES OR AT LEAST LIKE COMMUTING BIKE SITUATIONS.
SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THE BIKE COMMUNITY AND THE, LIKE, WE'LL ALL HAVE TO SORT OF GRAPPLE THROUGH WHAT THE LIVED EXPERIENCE LOOKS LIKE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T LIKE TO SET PEDESTRIANS AND BIKES UP IN CONFLICT.
BUT IN SOME OF OUR MOST DEMAND AND MOST PRECIOUS SPACES, SOMETIMES THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WELL, WELL, I WOULD ADD TO THAT MY, UH, AN AMENDMENT THAT I WANTED TO SUGGEST WAS, UM, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS WAS ALREADY COVERED IN ANY OF THE MANY GROUPS WHO HAVE CHIMED IN ON THIS, BUT I DIDN'T SEE, UM, MUCH DISCUSSION OF BICYCLE SCHOOL PARKING.
UM, AND SO FOR LIKE THE, WHAT DID YOU CALL THE AREAS THAT, LIKE THE FILLED IN PARKING SPACES? MM-HMM.
UM, THE MULTIMODAL AMENITY ZONE.
UM, PRIORITIZING AMPLE BICYCLE PARKING.
LIKE IF YOU WANT PEOPLE TO BIKE THERE, MAKE SURE THEY, LIKE, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA PARK YOUR CAR, PARK YOUR BIKE.
AND I THINK IF THERE'S ENOUGH BICYCLE PARKING THAT MIGHT INCENTIVIZE BIKES TO PARK SOONER RATHER THAN TRY TO GET ALL THE WAY TO LIKE THE DOORSTEP OF THE PLACE THEY'RE GOING.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW, UH, DO I NEED TO MOVE TO MAKE THAT AMENDMENT? OR WAS THAT COVERED SOMEWHERE THAT I MISSED? YEAH, I WOULD SAY, I THINK WE'RE, I THINK THAT'S MAYBE A SEPARATE AMENDMENT FROM I THINK WHAT, WELL, I MEAN WE CAN TAKE THAT FIRST, I GUESS.
SO WHAT THE AMENDMENT WOULD JUST BE TO PRIORITIZE BIKE PARKING AND AMENITIES ZONES FOR THE SEVENTH TO 11TH.
INSTEAD OF, OR CONSIDER STUDYING WHAT THAT COULD LOOK LIKE TO EFFECTIVELY MITIGATE BICYCLE TRAFFIC.
WELL, I GUESS, AND, AND I GUESS THIS IS TYING INTO THE BROADER THING.
I, I THINK TO WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE, THE, THE REASON WHY I AM CONCERNED IS PRECISELY WHAT YOU SAID OF, UH, YEAH.
[03:05:01]
OF BIKES AVOID SPEEDWAY.I KNOW NOT TO TAKE SPEEDWAY RIGHT.
UH, IN THE MORNINGS, UH, ON THE 15 RIGHT.
BECAUSE I'M NOT GONNA GET THROUGH.
UM, BUT THE PROBLEM IS WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF GREAT ALTERNATIVES FOR CYCLISTS DOWNTOWN.
UH, AND CONGRESS AVENUE SOUTH OF SEVENTH STREET IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE A VERY IMPORTANT CORRIDOR.
UM, AND ESPECIALLY GOING ACROSS THE CONGRESS BRIDGE AND THEN GOING FORWARD FROM THERE, UM, AND ESPECIALLY TO, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE ENVISION FUTURE ALL AGES AND ABILITIES LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, QUAD AND, AND THAT CORRIDOR IS GOING TO BE KIND OF SHUT DOWN FOR PROJECT CONNECT FOR A LITTLE WHILE.
WE DID JUST GET THE TRINITY ONE, RIGHT.
BUT WE NEED MORE THAN ONE NORTH, SOUTH ROUTE, UH, DOWNTOWN.
SO I DO THINK WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS STILL A COMFORTABLE FACILITY, NOT FOR, YOU KNOW, ME TO RIP IT 25 MILES PER HOUR ON MY E-BIKE.
BUT FOR, YOU KNOW, A A NICE COMFORTABLE SEVEN EIGHT MILE PER HOUR STROLL.
UM, AND AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, JUST FOR PEDESTRIANS TO BE AWARE THAT THERE WILL BE BICYCLES IN CERTAIN AREAS.
YEAH, I THINK, I MEAN, SORRY, GO AHEAD.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS, CONGRESS IS FUNCTIONALLY GOING TO BECOME MORE OF A PLACE FOR STATIONARY ACTIVITY AND ALL THAT STUFF, AND RATHER THAN A MAJOR THOROUGHFARE FOR ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, AND WE'RE GONNA FIND OUT ABOUT THIS IN JANUARY, BUT ON THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN, THERE IS A LOT OF THOUGHT GIVEN TO HOW ALL THE STREETS ARE GOING TO BE BEHAVING.
AND SO WITH THAT PLANT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CONGRESS AVENUE, UM, WE'RE GONNA SEE CERTAIN OTHER CORRIDORS NORTH SOUTH THROUGH DOWNTOWN GET DESIGNATED AS THE BIKE PRIORITY CORRIDORS.
INCLUDING TRINITY AND OASIS ON THE WEST AND THE EAST SIDE.
AND SO I THINK THAT CONGRESS AVENUE DOESN'T NECESSARILY NEED TO BE PRIMARILY A BIKE, UH, TRANSPORTATION FACILITY, BUT RATHER SOMETHING FOR LIKE A MORE OF A GATHERING PLACE THAN, THAN LIKE BIKE THROUGHPUT IS NOT NECESSARILY A, A PRIORITY FOR ME HERE.
I THINK WHAT AGREE WITH WE'RE MISSING THOUGH IS THAT SOUTH CONGRESS BRIDGE OR CONGRESS BRIDGE IN SOUTH CONGRESS IS GOING TO REMAIN A VERY IMPORTANT ALL AGES AND ABILITIES CORRIDOR.
SO I, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ONE OF MY FRUSTRATIONS IS THAT WE OFTEN ASK CYCLISTS TO TAKE CIRCUITOUS ROUTES THAT WE WOULD NEVER ASK ANY OTHER MODE TO TAKE.
SO WHAT WE'RE ASKING IS TO FIGURE OUT SOME WAY FOR YOU TO GO ON TRINITY AND THEN TURN ON A CERTAIN STREET AND THEN TURN AGAIN ON CONGRESS VERSUS IT WOULD BE VERY EASY FOR MANY PEOPLE TO JUST TAKE CONGRESS THE WHOLE WAY.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, I, I REMEMBER TOM WALD SAID THIS WHEN, UM, UH, A TP WAS COMING OUT WITH, UM, SOME DESIGNS OF, OF STATIONS AND STREETS THAT DID NOT HAVE, UH, BICYCLE LANES.
AND HE SAID, BICYCLES WILL USE THESE FACILITIES.
IT'S A QUESTION OF HOW WE WANT THEM TO OPERATE.
AND AND I WILL SAY TOO, ESPECIALLY ONCE THE CAPITOL MALL IS DONE, THAT'S GOING TO BE A VERY NICE CORRIDOR FROM MLK ALL THE WAY DOWN THROUGH THE CAPITOL THAT WILL BE ACCESSIBLE.
MOST OF THE DAY PEOPLE WILL BE USING THIS FACILITY TO BIKE.
THE QUESTION IS, HOW DO WE WANT THEM TO USE THE FACILITY? SO THAT'S WHY I THINK IT IS IMPORTANT TO CREATE SOME SORT OF, AGAIN, I'M NOT ASKING FOR A FULL LANE, YOU KNOW, I, I JUST THINK THERE NEEDS TO BE SOME EXPECTATION FOR HOW WE WANT CYCLISTS TO MOVE THROUGH THE FACILITY.
IF, IF, UH, COMMISSIONER BUFFO WANTS TO PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT, I'M, I'M NOT GONNA VOTE AGAINST IT THOUGH.
SO CAN I ASK ADAM A QUESTION RELATED TO THIS, IF I MAY? UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT Y'ALL DID A STUDY IN 2017 OF A BUNCH OF, UM, PEDESTRIANIZED MALLS IN THE UNITED STATES.
DID ANY OF THEM ADDRESS THIS QUESTION OF APPROPRIATE WAYS TO SAFELY INTEGRATE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE PARTICIPATION IN THOSE TYPES OF MALLS? THE, THE, THE ONES WE LOOKED AT THE MICROPHONE.
THEY'RE REALLY PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES ONLY.
UM, AND, AND YOU KNOW, AS AN ENTHUSIAST OF THIS SUBJECT FOR MANY YEARS, I VISITED QUITE A FEW OF THEM.
AND YOU DO SEE THE OCCASIONAL CYCLIST AND I THINK TO THE KIND OF SPEEDWAY EXAMPLE, THAT'S HOW IT GOES.
THE CYCLISTS JUST SLOW DOWN AND THEY THEY'RE CAREFUL AND THEY GET THROUGH.
I THINK AS, AS STAFF, WE, WE UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF THE DISCUSSION.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, ROLL OUT PLANS AND DESIGN IT HERE TODAY.
BUT WE UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE GOING AND THERE'S A LOT OF SPACE HERE THAT WE CAN RECAPTURE AND, AND I'M CERTAIN OUR DESIGNERS CAN FIND A WAY TO, UM, MAKE IT SAFE FOR EVERYONE.
I'LL JUST SAY SINCE, SINCE I'M THE ONE WHO RAISED A MORE IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION OF THAT PARTICULAR ELEMENT, I, I'M COMFORTABLE AFTER THE DISCUSSION WITH STAFF HERE, LIKE, LEAVING IT AS IS.
I JUST THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO BALANCE CAREFULLY.
AND I THINK SOMETIMES TOO, IT'S LIKE, WELL, IT MAY BE LIKE I, I DON'T KNOW.
I DON'T WANNA, I REALLY DON'T WANNA BELABOR IT ANYMORE 'CAUSE IT'S GETTING LATE.
BUT, UM, I, I'M COMFORTABLE WITHOUT AN AMENDMENT.
I JUST THOUGHT, I THINK THE DISCUSSION HAS BEEN WHAT WE, WHAT I NEEDED ANYWAY.
I CAN OFFER SOMETHING QUICK TO DANIEL.
ONE THING THAT WAS IN THE BACKPACK
[03:10:01]
RECOMMENDATION, WHICH I JUST DIDN'T INCLUDE HERE, AND I'M NOT SURE WHY I DIDN'T, IS WE DID, ONE OF THE RESOLVE DOES ALSO TALK ABOUT IF WE DON'T HAVE THOSE THINGS, THERE SHOULD BE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.SO I, WOULD IT BE BETTER FOR YOU IF I SAID, DOES IF WE SAID DESIGNATE LANE'S, MARKINGS, ALTERNATIVE ROUTES, OR PREFERRED MOVEMENTS? UM, I THINK THIS IS A CONVERSATION FOR JANUARY 7TH WHEN WE SEE THE ACT.
CAN I PROPOSE AN AMENDMENT THEN? UH, WHICH WOULD SAY, UM, I, I GUESS LEAVE THAT DESIGNATED LANES BULLET AS IS AND THEN JUST ADD A BULLET, UM, TO CONSIDER PRIORITIZATION OF BICYCLE PARKING, UM, IN THE, WHAT ARE THEY CALLED? AMENITY ZONES IN THE PROPOSED AMENITY ZONES.
AND IF YOU, IF WE WANT TO FURTHER EDIT THAT BULLET, IT COULD JUST SAY, PREFERRED MOVEMENTS FOR SAFE BICYCLE TRAVEL WITH PEDESTRIANS.
WAS THAT CLEAR? IS THAT NOT CLEAR? WELL, YOU GOTTA MAKE A MOTION FOR ONE.
SO WHAT I HAVE WRITTEN DOWN IS A NEW BULLET THAT SAYS CONSIDER PRIORITIZATION OF BICYCLE PARKING IN THE PROPOSED AMENITY ZONES.
I MOTION TO MAKE THAT AMENDMENT.
ANY DISCUSSION OF THIS PROPOSED ADDITIONAL BULLET POINT? AND IS THIS, THIS IS GOING LIKE SEVEN TO 11TH STREET LEFT BULLET? YEAH.
IN THAT SECTION, LIKE RIGHT, RIGHT AROUND THE YES, THE SECTION ABOUT MARKINGS.
UM, ANY DISCUSSION OF THAT? I'M GONNA MOVE QUICKLY UNLESS YOU YELL AT ME.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S JUST FOR BIKE PARKING, BUT THAT'S JUST LOOKING, THAT'S DOING A STUDY TO SEE THE POTENTIAL OF THE BIKE PARKING OR IS THAT TO TAKE AWAY FROM OTHER NO, NOT TO TAKE AWAY FROM IT.
CONSIDER JUST INCORPORATING IT INC.
I DON'T THINK IT'S CLEAR YET FROM THE DESIGN WHAT THOSE AMENITIES WOULD INCLUDE.
JUST EMPHASIZING THAT THAT WOULD BE AN IMPORTANT INCLUSION SO THAT THAT AMENDMENT IS ON THE TABLE.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? COULD, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU, WOULD YOU MIND JUST RESTATING THE WHOLE MOTION? YES.
I, UH, HAVE DECIDED TO ABSTAIN FROM A COMMENT ON THE BICYCLE TRAVEL AND I HAVE DECIDED TO PROPOSE TO AMEND, TO ADD A BULLET TO THE BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED SECTION.
I'M IMPROVING 11 TO SEVENTH TO 11TH STREET.
UM, CONSIDER PRIORITIZING BICYCLE PARKING AS A PART OF THE PROPOSED AMENITY ZONE UPDATES IN THAT SECTION.
I, I HAVE CONSIDER PRIORITIZATION OF BICYCLE PARKING IN THE PROPOSED AMEN ZONE IS, THAT'S RIGHT? YES.
UM, AND THAT WAS, UH, MOTIONED BY COMMISSIONER BUFFET, SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER.
UM, ANY DIS FURTHER DISCUSSION? HAVE WE, I THINK WE'VE CLARIFIED THAT.
LET'S TAKE A VOTE ON THAT AMENDMENT.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, JUST RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY A, LOOKS LIKE THAT IS 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
WHY CAN'T I COUNT
AND, UH, TWO, WELL, I GUESS I'LL ASK FOR THOSE OPPOSED, TWO OPPOSED.
THAT IS SEVEN TO TWO, SO THAT DOES PASS.
UM, ALL RIGHT, SO THAT IS AMENDED.
SO WE'RE, THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE BASE OR ANY FURTHER AMENDMENTS.
SO IS THERE ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION OF THE PROPOSED RECOMMENDATION OR FURTHER AMENDMENTS? GUYS, I KNOW IT'S LATE.
WE'RE GONNA TAKE A VOTE ON THAT.
SO ALL THOSE IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE RECOMMENDATION ON THE CO CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE, PLEASE RAISE YOUR HAND OR SAY, AYE, THAT IS UNANIMOUS OF THOSE PRESENT.
ALL RIGHT GUYS, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEED THROUGH
[6. Update from Commissioner Schumacher from the Downtown Commission regarding actions taken at the November 20, 2024 meeting ]
OUR COMMITTEE UPDATES.I DO NEED TO READ EACH ONE INTO THE, UH, THING.
I'VE NOT ALWAYS BEEN GOOD ABOUT THAT, BUT I'M TRYING TO HELP OUR, UH, OUR STAFF HERE.
SO THE FIRST ONE IS, UM, UPDATE FROM COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024 MEETING.
UM, THERE WAS THE QB YEAH, CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN, UM, UH, PRESENTATION AND THEN, UH, GREAT STREETS PLAN UPDATE.
[7. Update from Commissioner Wheeler from the Joint Sustainability Commission regarding actions taken at the November 20, 2024 meeting ]
SEVEN IS UPDATE FROM COMMISSIONER WHEELER FROM THE JOINT SUSTAINABILITY COMMISSION REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024 MEETING.SO LISA MARTIN, THE COO FOR AUSTIN ENERGY, UM, PRESENTED ON THE AE RESOURCE GENERATION PLAN, WHICH AT THAT TIME ON NOVEMBER 20TH WAS NOT ACTUALLY COMPLETED.
AND THE JSC PASSED A RESOLUTION ESSENTIALLY
[03:15:01]
SAYING THAT THE PLAN NEEDED TO BE MORE ROBUST, UM, TO, TO GET US CARBON FREE BY 2035 AND NOT USE PEAKER PLANTS.SO EVEN THOUGH THE PLAN WASN'T COMPLETED, THE JSC UH, VOTED BASICALLY TO ASK COUNSEL TO PUSH AE TO MAKE IT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO HAVE THEM, UM, DO MORE.
I ABSTAINED BECAUSE I WORK FOR AUSTIN ENERGY AND, UM, I, I LIKE AND I TRUST THE PEOPLE AT AUSTIN ENERGY.
BUT ANYWAY, LONG STORY SHORT, THAT'S WHAT JSC VOTED ON.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAD JUST A PRESENTATION ON HEAT PUMPS, WHICH WAS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE 70% OF RESIDENTIAL HOMES IN AUSTIN USE NATURAL GAS.
UM, BUT HEAT PUMPS ARE ACTUALLY MORE EFFICIENT AND SO THERE'S A PUSH TO GET, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE WHO GIVE HATING COOLING TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO HOMEOWNERS ABOUT IT.
[8. Update from Commissioner Schumacher from the Bicycle Advisory Council regarding actions taken at the November 19, 2024 meeting ]
US TO ITEM EIGHT UPDATE FROM COMMISSIONER SCHUMACHER FROM THE BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024 MEETING.UM, WE, OH, UH, THERE WAS A, UH, UM, RECOMMENDATION ABOUT CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE, UH, THAT I THINK SHOULD BE UPLOADED.
UM, AND THEN WE ALSO GOT AN UPDATE ABOUT VISION ZERO AND THE BIKE LANE ENFORCEMENT UPDATE WE GOT LAST MONTH.
UH, NUMBER ITEM NUMBER NINE, UPDATE FROM COMMISSIONER
[9. Update from Commissioner Kavelman from the Pedestrian Advisory Council regarding actions taken at the November 19, 2024 meeting]
KAMAN FROM THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NOVEMBER 19TH, 2024 MEETING.UH, IT WAS A, IT WAS A JOINT BACKPACK, SO, UH, THE EXACT SAME THING THAT HE SAID.
[10. Update from Chair Somers from the City Council Mobility Committee regarding actions taken at the November 14, 2024 meeting]
IS UPDATE FROM CHAIR SUMMERS FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NOVEMBER 20TH, 2024 MEETING.SO I DID, UM, ATTEND THAT AND I GAVE AN UPDATE ON OUR, UM, ACTIONS FROM, UH, THE PRIOR FROM NOVEMBER.
SO I WAS ABLE TO SHARE THAT WITH THEM.
I WAS VERY BUSY AT WORK, BUT I'LL READ YOU THEIR AGENDA.
SO THEY, THEY HEARD, UH, CAP AND STITCH UPDATE.
I THINK THAT'S BEEN VERY MUCH IN THE NEWS.
THE MOPAC SOUTH PROJECT UPDATE FROM C-T-M-R-M-A, THE LIVING STREETS PROGRAM.
AND THEN, UM, REPORT BY AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT RELATING TO ONGOING MOBILITY PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS IN THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGION, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION AND SERVICE UPDATES.
UM, AND THEN, UH, AGAIN, NUM ITEM NUMBER 11, UPDATE
[11. Update from Chair Somers from the Community Advisory Committee for Austin Transit Partnership Board regarding actions taken at the November 14, 2024 meeting]
FROM ME CHAIR SUMMERS ON THE COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP BOARD REGARDING ACTIONS TAKEN AT THE NOVEMBER 14TH, 2024 MEETING.UH, SO WE, UH, CONTINUED, WE WERE, WE ADOPTED, UH, OUR MEETING CALENDAR FOR 2025.
WE WORKED IN OUR WORKING GROUPS AND WE HEARD AN UPDATE FROM CAP METRO ON THE RED AND GREEN LINES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS]
LAST ITEM, WHICH IS THE FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS. I WROTE DOWN ONE THING ON HERE, UM, BECAUSE IT CAME UP IN ONE OF OUR PRESENTATIONS, WHICH WAS ETOD.I THINK WE WERE, WE WERE KIND OF TALKING ABOUT THAT, UM, A LITTLE BIT, UH, UNDER THE CAP METRO RAPID LINE.
UM, I BELIEVE IS WHEN IT CAME UP.
WE WERE TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UH, ETOD AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO I PUT THAT ON HERE AS A POSSIBLE, UM, UPDATE THAT WE COULD GET SOMETIME IN THE SPRING.
I'M NOT SURE IF THAT'S ELSEWHERE ON THE LIST.
I THINK RIGHT NOW IN JANUARY WE HAVE, UH, AS COMMISSIONER KAMAN REFERENCED A COUPLE TIMES, AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION BRIEFING PROJECT CONNECT LIGHT RAIL.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME THINGS FARTHER OUT.
WE'VE REALLY WORKED THROUGH A LOT OF OUR, UM, UH, LONG-TERM THINGS.
SO I JUST ADDED ETOD AS, UH, ANOTHER ITEM HERE.
I THINK THERE'LL PROBABLY BE A, A TIME IN SPRING WHERE THAT'S REALLY GOOD TO COME TO THIS BODY.
UM, IS THERE, UH, ANYONE, ANY OTHER AGENDA ITEMS THAT SOME PEOPLE WANNA GET ON OUR RADAR, PARTICULARLY FOR LIKE FEBRUARY OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT? CAN WE, WOULD IT BE APPROPRIATE FOR THIS BODY TO TALK TO THE DEMOGRAPHER OR THE, I MEAN
WOULD IT BE, DO YOU THINK? I'M NOT SURE WHERE, YES, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL, BUT I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT WAS, YES, IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA.
BUT I'M NOT SURE EXACTLY WHAT TOPIC WE ASK HER TO SPEAK ON.
UM, AS IT RELATES TO TRANSPORTATION PLANNING, PREDICTING POPULATION GROWTH AS IT RELATES TO TRANSPORTATION PLANNING.
I DUNNO, SHE MAY HAVE AN ENEMY IN THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER'S OFFICE 'CAUSE SHE DOES HER OWN FORECAST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN THAT ARE DIFFERENT FROM, AND SEPARATE FROM THE STATE DEMOGRAPHER'S PROJECTIONS.
BUT MAYBE, WE'LL SEE, I DUNNO, IT'S A, IT'S AN INTERESTING IDEA.
UM, I ALSO THINK WE WANNA, UM, YOU KNOW, AS IT CAME
[03:20:01]
UP TODAY, THE CAMPO PHASE TWO INPUT WHEN THERE'S A DRAFT.UM, AND I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO SEE, UM, AND CAMPO STAFF HAS COME AND TALKED TO US BEFORE ABOUT THAT.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE MAYBE EVEN A JOINTLY IT WOULD BE GREAT IF CITY STAFF AND CAMPO STAFF WOULD BOTH COME.
I THINK THAT COULD BE A GREAT, UM, GREAT, GREAT TO HEAR FROM THEM BOTH.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHEN IS APPROPRIATE FOR THAT.
PROBABLY SOMETIME IN THE SPRING.
I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK AT THEIR TIMELINE, BUT THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER ONE THAT'S GOOD TO QUEUE UP.
UM, ANY OTHERS? ALL RIGHT GUYS, THIS WAS A MASSIVE DECEMBER MEETING.
UH, USUALLY DECEMBER MEETINGS ARE REALLY SLOW, SO, UH, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT IT WOULD GO THIS LONG, SO I'M VERY APPRECIATIVE OF YOU ALL BEING THERE AND WITH, UH, IF THERE'S NO OBJECTION, I WILL ADJOURN THIS MEETING AT 8:25 PM