[00:00:03]
[CALL TO ORDER]
AND WELCOME TO THE MAY 14TH, 2025 MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.UH, MY NAME IS DANIEL RONAN AND I'M THE CHAIR.
UM, AND I'M HAPPY TO BE HERE TODAY BECAUSE WE ARE CELEBRATING NATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK, UH, AND WE HAVE THESE LOVELY FLOWERS IN FRONT OF US.
THEY'RE NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO ACTUALLY GET ABOVE THE TAAS.
UH, SO JUST WANTED TO CALL ATTENTION TO THAT AS WELL AS, UH, THIS CRANE RIGHT HERE REPRESENTING, UH, PEACE AND UNDERSTANDING THROUGH TRAVEL.
AND WITH THAT, I BRING THIS MEETING TO ORDER.
DO WE HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMUNICATION THIS AFTERNOON? NO.
[APPROVAL OF MINUTES]
TO AGENDA TOPIC NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE TOURS OF COMMISSION BOARD, REGULAR MEETING ON APRIL 9TH, 2025.DO I HAVE A MOTION? A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER PENOC.
IS THERE A SECOND? SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER SHAPEY DISCUSSION, HEARING NONE.
ALL THIS IN FAVOR OF PASSING THE MINUTES FROM THE APRIL 9TH, 2025 MEETING.
[2. Staff briefing from Staff Liaison, Felicia Burleson, regarding commission board resources and updates for commission board]
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER TWO, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A STAFF BRIEFING FROM OUR ESTEEMED STAFF LIAISON, UH, FELICIA BURLESON REGARDING COMMISSION AND BOARD RESOURCES AND ANY UPDATES FOR THE COMMISSION.UM, FIRST WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, BOARD VACANCIES.
WE DO HAVE, UM, STILL DISTRICT FOUR HAPPENING, BUT WE DO HAVE A RECENT ONE AND DANIEL'S GONNA GO INTO THAT MORE.
UM, ALL OF OUR COMMISSIONERS ARE UP TO DATE FOR THEIR NEW ASSIGNMENTS IF THEY NEEDED TO.
UM, I DO WANNA MAKE SURE TO REMIND YOU THAT, UM, FOR OUR JUNE AND JULY MEETINGS, WE NEED TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA TO HAVE THE INTERNAL REVIEW REPORT, UM, START TO PREPARE IT BECAUSE IT IS DUE JULY 31ST.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THE REMINDER ABOUT THE INTERNAL REPORT.
UM, WE WILL, UH, RELEASE RATHER SEND, UM, A DRAFT FOR, UH, RECOMMEND AND PROPOSED EDITS, UH, TO FINALIZE, UH, A FINAL INTERNAL REPORT BY NEXT MEETING IN JUNE, UH, WHICH WILL TAKE PLACE ON JUNE 11TH.
MOVING ON TO OUR FIRST SUBSTANTIVE AGENDA TOPIC TODAY.
[3. Presentation by Deron Lozano, Senior Vice President for Environment & Project Development, and Sean Barry, Vice President of Design & Construction with the Austin Transit Partnership, regarding the Austin Light Rail project.]
WE HAVE A PRESENTATION BY MR. DURAN LASANO, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT FOR ENVIRONMENT AND PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, AND SEAN BERRY, UH, VICE PRESIDENT OF DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP REGARDING THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL PROJECT AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR AUSTIN TOURISM.AND IS IT DERON OR DEONE? DARREN.
UH, WE APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE TODAY AND, UM, I GUESS WE CAN'T REALLY MOVE THE DAIS, BUT, UH, YOU'RE WELCOME TO SIT UP OR SIT DOWN, HOWEVER YOU, OH, DO YOU WANNA STAND? IF THAT'S COMFORTABLE.
CAN WE STAND UP? YEAH, THAT'S GREAT.
I, I THINK YOU'RE MORE APPROACHABLE FOR QUESTIONS.
UH, ISSAN, CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, GREAT.
COMMISSION CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO PRESENT OUR UPDATE ON THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE COMING TO YOU AT A TIME WHERE WE'RE ACTUALLY, UM, PROUD TO HAVE PUT FORTH OUR KIND OF PUBLIC OUTREACH EFFORT, AND WE'RE GONNA START THE PRESENTATION HERE WITH THE VIDEO THAT KIND OF GOES OVER THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
WHAT'S LIGHT RAIL? AND HOPEFULLY YOU FIND IT PRETTY INFORMATIVE.
LIGHT RAIL IS COMING TO AUSTIN.
SO WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT SUCH A BIG DEAL FOR OUR CITY? AUSTIN ALREADY HAS A COMMUTER RAIL, AND WE'VE EVEN HAD A RAIL ON CONGRESS AVENUE, BUT LET'S JUST SAY IT'S BEEN A WHILE.
LIGHT RAIL WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM ANYTHING AUSTIN'S EVER HAD.
UNLIKE COMMUTER RAIL, LIGHT RAIL IS DESIGNED TO OPERATE ON CITY STREETS.
YOU CAN FIND THESE ELECTRIC POWERED STREET LEVEL TRAIN SYSTEMS AND MAJOR METRO AREAS ALL ACROSS THE WORLD.
IT RUNS ON CITY STREETS, BUT IT HAS ITS OWN DEDICATED RAILWAY.
WHY DOES THAT MATTER? BECAUSE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO SIT IN TRAFFIC LIKE A BUS OR CAR, AND SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCES TRAVEL TIMES.
AND BECAUSE TRAINS RUN INFREQUENTLY ABOUT EVERY FIVE TO 10 MINUTES OR SO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO PLAN YOUR SCHEDULE AROUND IT, MAKING IT A REALLY CONVENIENT AND RELIABLE WAY TO GET AROUND.
[00:05:01]
LIGHT RAIL WILL HAVE 15 STOPS IN TOTAL AND CONNECT TO SOME OF THE CITY'S MOST VISITED DESTINATIONS, INCLUDING UT DOWNTOWN, THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL, SOUTH CONGRESS, EAST RIVERSIDE, AND EVENTUALLY THE AIRPORT AS PART OF PLANNED FUTURE EXTENSIONS.AND IT WILL HELP KEEP AUSTIN ACCESSIBLE FOR WORKING PEOPLE BY REDUCING COMMUTING COSTS, CONNECTING TO MORE HOUSING, AND PROVIDING ACCESS TO MORE THAN 200,000 JOBS ALONG THE LINE.
LIGHT RAIL IS SO MUCH MORE THAN A TRAIN.
IT WILL CREATE WHOLE NEW WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO MOVE AROUND THE CITY WITH FEATURES LIKE A NEW BRIDGE ACROSS LADY BIRD LAKE, A NATURE FORWARD DESIGN THAT INCLUDES MILES OF NEW TREE LINED WALK AND BIKE PATHS, AND A NEW PEDESTRIAN CENTRIC DRAG.
AND IF YOU CAN GO TO A GAME WITHOUT HAVING TO PARK THERE, THAT'S A WIN.
SO WHAT IS LIGHT RAIL? IT'S A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT WAY TO GO.
AN AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS PROUD TO BRING IT TO OUR CITY.
FOLLOW THE PROGRESS@YALABOARD.ORG.
HOPEFULLY IT GIVES YOU A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT LIGHT RAIL IS AND WHAT OUR TEAM IS PLANNING ALONG WITH OUR PARTNERS AT THE CITY AND WITH CAP METRO.
SO TO START OUT WITH, UM, AUSTIN, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP, WE'RE RELATIVELY NEW WHEN IT COMES TO THE TRANSIT, UH, WORLD.
WE'RE JUST ABOUT, UH, FIVE YEARS GOING ON.
IF GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, UNLESS, OH, I HAVE THE CLICKER.
UH, SO AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNER ACTUALLY IS ITS OWN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, UH, CORPORATION THAT WAS ESTABLISHED AFTER THE SUCCESSFUL VOTE IN NOVEMBER OF 2020 TO ADVANCE WHAT WAS KNOWN AS PROJECT CONNECT.
BASICALLY, UH, A A A VERY HIGH LEVEL INVESTMENT INTO TRANSIT IN THE AUSTIN REGION.
UM, AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PLANNING, DESIGN, FINANCING, AND CONSTRUCTION OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT ITSELF.
AND ALTHOUGH WE ARE AN INDEPENDENT LOCAL GOVERNMENT CORPORATION, WE ARE AGAIN, WORKING IN CLOSE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND WITH CAP METRO AS WE ADVANCE THE, UH, LIGHT RAIL PROJECT.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, LIGHT RAIL IS JUST ONE COMPONENT OF THE OVERALL PROJECT CONNECT THAT WAS ADOPTED BY, UM, THE CITY VOTERS BACK IN 2020.
THERE ARE MANY BENEFITS TO LIGHT RAIL, SOME OF WHICH YOU PROBABLY SAW IN THE VIDEO THERE.
UM, WE'RE PROVIDING A MODE THAT'S GONNA GOING TO CONNECT SEVERAL KEY DESTINATIONS WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, AS OPPOSED TO WHAT'S ESTABLISHED TODAY IN THE RED LINE.
UH, THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM WILL ACTUALLY OPERATE ON CITY STREETS, UH, BUT IT WILL HAVE ITS OWN GUIDEWAY, SO IT'LL BE A VERY RELIABLE AND A, A TRANSIT SERVICE THAT'LL RUN VERY FREQUENTLY.
SO SOMEONE WOULDN'T NEED TO ACTUALLY HAVE SOME TYPE OF SCHEDULE TO DETERMINE WHEN THEIR NEXT TRIP WOULD BE.
UM, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT A NATURE FORWARD DESIGN, AS YOU SAW FROM A COUPLE OF THOSE, UH, GRAPHICS THERE THAT SEAN WILL TALK ABOUT AS WELL.
AGAIN, VERY IMPORTANT TO THE AUSTIN COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU ALSO SAW THIS IS A VERY BIG, UH, JOB CREATOR.
UM, WE ARE VERY AWARE, WELL AWARE OF THE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS GOING ON WITHIN THIS REGION.
UH, THE AIRPORT I 35, THE LIGHT RAIL, ALL THESE MASSIVE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE CONTRIBUTING TO THE JOBS WITHIN THE REGION, AND IT REALLY KEEPS US IN LIVABLE IN TERMS OF PROVIDING THAT TRANSIT OPTION TO GET AROUND THE CITY.
IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH LIGHT RAIL, AND WE USE THIS BECAUSE WE GET A LOT OF PUBLIC COMMENT THAT DON'T, WE ALREADY HAVE LIGHT RAIL.
THE RED LINE ITSELF IS NOT LIGHT RAIL.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT IN THAT LIGHT RAIL IS REALLY INTENDED TO OPERATE WITHIN THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT THROUGH DOWNTOWNS.
UH, AS EXAMPLES YOU SEE ARE HERE, INCLUDING, UH, SEATTLE, PHOENIX, AND LOS ANGELES, THIS IS THE TYPE OF INVESTMENT THAT WE'RE WORKING TO BRING HERE IN AUSTIN AT A GLANCE.
YOU KNOW, WE, THIS HAS BEEN THE PLANNING STAGES FOR QUITE SOME TIME, AND IT'S NO SECRET THAT AUSTIN IS GROWING.
AND WITH THAT GROWTH, THE COURSE COMES, UH, THE TRAFFIC, UH, TRAFFIC THAT COMES ALONG WITH IT, JOBS, UH, NEW HOUSING, NEW EMPLOYMENT.
AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS REALLY GOING TO CATER AS A TRANSPORTATION OPTION, UH, TO ACCOMMODATE ALL THE GROWTH IN TERMS OF POPULATION, UM, EMPLOYMENT, THE COMMUTE TIME THAT PEOPLE EXPERIENCE TODAY, AND EVEN HOW MUCH PEOPLE ACTUALLY SPEND FOR TRANSIT OUT OF THEIR OWN POCKET.
SO WHAT WE HAVE IS WE HAVE ESTABLISHED KIND OF A PURPOSE AND NEED FOR AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL, AGAIN, TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH, THE CONNECTIVITY TO ALL THESE REGIONAL CENTERS, UM, ALSO TO INCREASE AND MEET THE TRANSPORTATION DEMAND THAT'S GOING FORWARD.
AND AGAIN, JUST TO PROVIDE THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN HOUSING, JOBS AND WHAT'S NOT STATED HERE, BUT ALL THE VISITORS THAT COME AND REALLY, UM, VISIT ALL OF THESE PLACES IN DOWNTOWN.
AND AGAIN, AS YOU HEARD FROM OUR, UH, PRESENTATION, THE AIRPORT, WE SEE AS A VERY, UM, VERY HIGH PRIORITY EXTENSION AS WE GO IN THE FUTURE.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO SEAN TO GO OVER MORE SPECIFIC SPECIFICS OF THE PROJECT.
UM, YEAH, SO, SO THE, THE VIDEO SHOWED THIS ALIGNMENT A LITTLE BIT, BUT REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE A BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'RE BUILDING NOW AND KIND OF WHAT THE OVERALL IMPLEMENTATION PLAN IS.
[00:10:01]
BOARD, CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO BOARD ADOPTED THIS IMPLEMENTATION PLAN FOR THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL.THE IDEA IS THAT WE HAVE THIS PHASE ONE SYSTEM, WHICH IS WHAT YOU SEE IN THE YELLOW LINE ON THIS MAP.
THAT IS WHAT'S GOING THROUGH THAT ENVIRONMENTAL PROCESS RIGHT NOW AND IS MOVING FORWARD TO DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.
WE ARE STILL VERY MUCH BUILDING OUT THE FULL SYSTEM AND WHAT'S SHOWN IN KIND OF THESE BLACK AND YELLOW LINES ON THE MAP ARE THOSE PRIORITY EXTINCTIONS.
UM, THE LINE CAN BE EXTENDED EVEN FARTHER NORTH AND SOUTH THAN WHAT'S SHOWN ON THIS MAP AS WELL.
UM, BUT THE IDEA IS THAT THESE ARE REALLY THE HIGHER PRIORITY, UM, EXTINCTIONS THAT WE ARE TRYING TO ACCELERATE SOONER.
UM, OBVIOUSLY WITH REGARD TO TOURISM, THE AIRPORT IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ONE, AND SO WE ARE DOING WHAT WE CAN TO TRY TO ADVANCE THAT FROM A FUNDING PERSPECTIVE AS WELL AS WE'LL BE TAKING EFFORTS IN CONCEPTUAL DESIGN TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH THE AIRPORT, UM, TO INTEGRATE WITH THEIR OWN EXPANSION AND HOW OUR TRAIN FITS INTO THAT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, UM, WE CONTINUE TO COORDINATE WITH CAP METRO ON THE TRANSIT ACCESS TO DESTINATIONS THAT ARE NOT SERVED BY PHASE ONE LIGHT RAIL, INCLUDING THE AIRPORT, SO THAT THAT CAN BE SEAMLESS FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE LOOKING TO USE THE OVERALL TRANSIT NETWORK IN ADDITION TO JUST THE LIGHT RAIL.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT INITIAL SYSTEM WILL HAVE 15 STATIONS, UH, 9.8 MILES TOTAL OF, OF, OF REVENUE SERVICE.
UM, AND THAT REALLY DOES HIT THE CORE OF THE CITY.
SO IT HITS SOCO, IT HITS DOWNTOWN.
THERE ARE FOUR, FOUR STATIONS THAT ARE PROPOSED WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
ONE IS RIGHT OUTSIDE THE CONVENTION CENTER, ONE IS AT CONGRESS AND, AND REALLY NEAR A LOT OF THE DOWNTOWN HOTELS.
UH, AND THEN YOU HAVE TWO ADDITIONAL STATIONS THAT ARE IN THE PROXIMITY OF THE STATE CAPITOL AS WELL.
SO DEFINITELY A LOT OF THE PLACES THAT PEOPLE GO IN THE CORE.
UM, AND THEN CERTAINLY UT AND U AND, AND AS WAS KIND OF MENTIONED ABOUT THE IDEA IN THAT VIDEO OF GOING TO A UT FOOTBALL GAME OR MANY OF THE OTHER EVENTS THAT HAPPEN AT UT, BEING ABLE TO TAKE A TRAIN FROM WHERE YOU'RE STAYING DOWNTOWN STRAIGHT UP THERE WITHOUT EVER GETTING IN A A CAR OR IN AN UBER IS A MUCH MORE SEAMLESS WAY TO TRAVEL AND IS WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE EXPECT WHEN THEY TRAVEL TO THESE BIG URBAN CITIES.
SO, CASE IN POINT RIGHT THERE, REALLY THIS IDEA OF AS WE DESIGN OUR SYSTEM, THINKING ABOUT THE USER EXPERIENCE AND WHAT THAT MEANS WITHIN THE OVERALL URBAN FABRIC THAT IT FITS WITHIN, UM, IS REALLY AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THESE MUCH MORE PLEASANT SPACES FOR PEOPLE TO BE IN.
UM, BOTH FOR TAKING THE TRAIN, BUT ALSO JUST FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THAT GENERAL ENVIRONMENT.
SO HERE YOU CAN SEE REALLY PEDESTRIANIZE THE DRAG AND MAKING IT BE ABLE TO HANDLE THE CAPACITIES THAT IT NEEDS TO, BUT IN A WAY THAT FEELS MUCH MORE PEOPLE CENTRIC AND, AND PLEASANT TO BE WITHIN.
UM, ONE OF THE BIG, UH, HIGH PROFILE ELEMENTS OF OUR, OUR PHASE ONE PROJECT IS A NEW BRIDGE CROSSING, LADY BIRD LAKE.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE HERE DEFINITELY PRETTY TREMENDOUS VIEW OUT THE
UM, AND IT'S POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AS THAT COMES ALONG AS WELL.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THE TRAIN BEING ON THE BRIDGE, THERE ARE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN ELEMENTS TO THIS BRIDGE AS WELL.
SO THAT SERVES AS AN ADDITIONAL CONNECTOR FOR THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL AND JUST FOR OTHER MODES OF TRAVEL, UM, GOING TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN AND SOUTH AUSTIN.
SO THIS RENDERING SHOWS KIND OF, UH, UH, THE IDEA AT OUR, OUR PHASE ONE END OF LINE ON THE SOUTH, WHICH IS AT UL TORF IN SOUTH CONGRESS.
UH, GENERAL IDEA HERE REALLY THOUGH IS TO SHOW THAT WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING TO MAKE THESE STATIONS VERY PEOPLE-CENTRIC PLACES.
UM, NOT TO WHERE YOU JUST FEEL LIKE YOU'RE NEXT TO A BIG BUSY ROAD, BUT THAT YOU'RE ACTUALLY IN A PLACE THAT IS DESIGNED FOR PEOPLE AND AS COMFORTABLE, UM, AND AND REALLY JUST REFLECTS A, A DIFFERENT VISION OF AUSTIN.
AND MAYBE WHERE THAT'S EXEMPLIFIED THE MOST IS ALONG EAST RIVERSIDE.
THIS PICTURE CERTAINLY LOOKS NOTHING LIKE EAST RIVERSIDE TODAY.
AND THIS IDEA THAT WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO TAKE IT AND MAKE IT REFLECT AUSTIN'S VALUES A LOT MORE IN TERMS OF MULTIMODAL CONNECTIVITY, IN TERMS OF PEOPLE-CENTRIC SPACES, IN TERMS OF GREENERY AND SHADE.
UM, AND SHADE IS A REALLY BIG ELEMENT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL ALONG THE ALIGNMENT.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE THE TRAIN, THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE, UM, THAT IT NEEDS TO BE A PLEASANT SPACE, THAT IT NEEDS TO HAVE SHADE.
A DAY LIKE TODAY DEFINITELY TELLS THAT STORY VERY WELL, RIGHT? IF YOU WALK ALONG SECOND STREET WITH ALL THE SHADE, IT'S VERY PLEASANT.
UM, AND SO WE WE'RE CERTAINLY FACTORING THAT IN AS WE REDESIGN THE STREETS WHERE THE, WHERE THE TRAIN WILL BE GOING ALONG.
AND THIS SLIDE REALLY JUST KIND OF TELLS THAT STORY THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS FROM A BIGGER LENS THAN JUST THE TRAIN, RIGHT? WE ARE IMPLEMENTING LIGHT RAIL, BUT THAT, BUT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE BIGGER ENVIRONMENT BOTH FOR THE STREET THAT IT GOES ALONG, BUT ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE 15 STATIONS, HOW ARE PEOPLE GETTING TO AND FROM THOSE? A LOCAL IS JUST KIND OF GONNA LEARN IT OVER TIME, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE EXPERIENCING IT FOR THE FIRST TIME, SUCH AS A TOURIST, IS WHAT ARE THOSE WAY FINDING CUE CUES THAT YOU NEED? WHAT ARE THOSE MATERIAL PALETTES AND VISUAL SIGHT LINES THAT YOU NEED TO HELP, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU NEED TO GO TO BE ABLE TO GET TO THE TRAIN AND TO NAVIGATE THE URBAN ENVIRONMENT.
AND SO WE'RE CONTINUING TO WORK WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THERE WILL BE LOTS MORE OPPORTUNITY AS WE, AS WE GO THROUGH DESIGN DEVELOPMENT TO ADVANCE THAT FURTHER TURN IT BACK TO YOU.
[00:15:01]
ALRIGHT, THANKS SEAN.UM, AS YOU HEARD FROM US, WE REALLY TALKED ABOUT THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT ITSELF, BUT WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THIS, THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE BUILT UPON THE RIDER THEMSELVES.
SO WE'VE TAKEN SOME REALLY INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO DETERMINING WHAT ARE RIDER GOING TO EXPERIENCE.
AND SO NOT ONLY DO WE DO OBSERVATIONAL RESEARCH, SO SEEING HOW DO RIDER OPERATE AND ACT TODAY WITH THE RED LINE SERVICE AND THE BUSES THEMSELVES, BUT ALSO GOING TO WHERE THE RIDER ARE TO ASK QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT'S IMPORTANT TO THEM AS WE LOOK TO BUILD AND DESIGN THIS SYSTEM.
AND WE'VE HAD JUST MULTIPLE FOCUS GROUPS, WORKSHOPS WHERE WE HAVE PEOPLE AGAIN, GET A SENSE OF KIND OF THE LOOK, THE FEEL.
WE EVEN HAD A VR DEMONSTRATION THAT WE ACCOMP ACCOMPANY MANY OF OUR PUBLIC MEETINGS SO PEOPLE COULD SEE WHAT THIS COULD POTENTIALLY LOOK LIKE AS PART OF OUR ANALYSIS.
AND JUST TO WRAP UP HERE, YOU KNOW, ONE THING WE WE TOUCHED ON WAS OUR LOCAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE CITY, UM, WITH CAP METRO, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A FEDERAL PARTNER AS WELL.
WE'RE WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO SECURE FUNDS UNDER THEIR CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM.
NOW THAT'S A PROGRAM THAT'S BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR DECADES TO ACTUALLY FUND PROGRAMS, TO ADVANCE PROJECTS JUST LIKE THIS THROUGHOUT CITIES, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
AS YOU SAW FROM THAT GRAPHIC EARLIER, UH, 2025 HAS BEEN A VERY BIG YEAR FOR US.
UH, IN JANUARY WE ACTUALLY RELEASED OUR ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT, WHICH YOU MIGHT HAVE SEEN.
UH, WE HAD A COMMENT PERIOD CLOSE IN MARCH FOR THAT.
WE RECEIVED ABOUT 2,500 INDIVIDUAL COMMENTS RELATED TO THE PROJECT ITSELF.
SO WE'RE ANALYZING THOSE, GOING THROUGH THOSE, AND EVENTUALLY THAT'LL WRAP UP OUR FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL DOCUMENT TARGETED FOR THE END OF THIS YEAR.
UM, TO COINCIDE WITH THAT, WE ARE LOOKING TO ACTUALLY, UM, BRING ON OUR FINAL DESIGNER AND CONSTRUCTION FIRM, UM, WORKING TOWARD THAT TOWARD THE END OF THIS YEAR, HOPEFULLY TO HAVE THEM ON BOARD BY EARLY NEXT YEAR.
AND FROM THE, UH, SCHEDULE YOU CAN SEE HERE THROUGHOUT NEXT YEAR, AND THEN GOING INTO 2027, THAT DESIGN AND INITIATING CONSTRUCTION EFFORT WILL REALLY KIND OF GET INTO GEAR.
SO THAT'S KIND OF THE NEXT TWO YEAR LOOK AHEAD AS WE ADVANCE THE PROJECT.
AND ULTIMATELY WE'RE PLANNING FOR A OPENING OF THE SERVICE IN 2033, SO ABOUT A FIVE TO SEVEN YEAR, UH, CONSTRUCTION TIMEFRAME THERE AS WE GO FORWARD.
WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
THANK YOU MR. LASANO AND MR. BARRY, UH, FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
DO WE HAVE ANY IMMEDIATE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR OUR TWO SPEAKERS THIS AFTERNOON? COMMISSIONER CHANIN, I I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
THE, UM, EXTENSION TO THE AIRPORT, UM, PROJECT CONNECT.
WHAT, WHAT'S THE TIMEFRAME FOR THAT? I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT FOR VISITORS TO AUSTIN TO GET THAT COMPLETED AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE WORKING ON PRELIMINARY DESIGN AND PLANNING TO ADVANCE THAT.
WE DON'T HAVE A SET TIMELINE AT THIS POINT, BUT OF COURSE IT RELIES ON US ADVANCING DESIGN, ENVIRONMENTAL WORK, AND SECURING THE FUNDING ITSELF.
UM, REST ASSURED, THE AIRPORT EXTENSION HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS THE RECOMMENDED PRIOR EXTENSION BETWEEN GOING TO AIRPORT OR CRESTVIEW.
AND SO WE'RE ADVANCING THAT AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
UM, BUT AGAIN, IT'S RELYING ON THE FUNDING DESIGN IN OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS.
AND MY SEC, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, ARE YOU ABLE TO GIVE ANY UPDATE ON THE BOND VALIDATION LAWSUIT AND THE LEGISLATION THAT'S PENDING IN BEFORE CURRENT LEGISLATURE RE REGARDING PROJECT CONNECT? JUST A LAWSUIT UPDATE? YEAH, I DON'T KNOW IF EITHER US CAN GIVE THE SPECIFIC DETAILS ON THAT.
I MEAN, AS A TP IS OF COURSE, AWARE OF THE LAWSUIT GOING ON, WE DO HAVE OUR LEGAL COUNSEL THAT'S DEFINITELY ENGAGED IN THAT EFFORT.
UM, BUT WE'RE CONTINUING ON WITH OUR WORK, UM, AGAIN KNOWING THAT THE LAWSUIT IS PENDING.
UM, COMMISSIONER, SORRY, MASTERS.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CRITICISM ABOUT THE UNDER UTILIZATION OF THE CURRENT RAIL LINE AND OUR CURRENT BUS SYSTEM, THE BUS, WHICH DOES THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT.
WHAT KIND OF RESEARCH OR CHANGES HAVE YOU LOOKED INTO IN ORDER TO ENCOURAGE MORE USERS? SURE.
UH, THANK, THANK YOU, UH, COMMISSIONER FOR THE QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING AS A STARTING POINT IS WE LOOKED AT, OF COURSE THIS IS A FUTURE THINKING PROJECT.
AND SO WE LOOK AT THE, WE'RE ASKED TO LOOK AT 20 YEAR PROJECTIONS.
SO AGAIN, AS EVERYTHING'S GROWING, WE ANTICIPATE RIDERSHIP TO GROW AS WELL.
THE LIGHT RAIL CORRIDOR THAT WE'RE ADVANCING ACTUALLY MIMICS THE CURRENT, MORE SUCCESSFUL OF THE CAP METRO BUS ROUTES, BASICALLY THE SPINE OF THE CITY THEMSELVES.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS, AS YOU SAW FROM THE SLIDE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING ABOUT 30,000 AVERAGE RIDERS PER WEEKDAY AS PART OF THIS SYSTEM.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE AL WE TYPICALLY SEE FROM THE MODEL NUMBERS WE HAVE IS THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALWAYS SHORTCOMINGS IN TERMS OF THOSE NUMBERS DON'T REFLECT
[00:20:01]
A 20 YEAR PROJECTION.EVERY LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM IN THE COUNTRY HAS PRETTY MUCH EXCEEDED THOSE WITHIN THE 20 YEARS.
UM, WE'RE LOOKING INTO THAT AS AN EXAMPLE, CERTAINLY.
UM, BUT I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY HELPS AUSTIN, AND WE'RE SEEING THIS IN OUR MODELING AS WELL, ARE ALL, UM, THE SPECIAL EVENTS, THE CONNECTION TO THE AIRPORT THAT REALLY DRIVES THE RIDERS, THE UT FOOTBALL GAMES.
I MEAN, THOSE ARE GONNA BE REALLY HIGH RIDERSHIP DAYS.
AND WE SEE THAT TODAY FROM THE CAP METRO BUS ROUTES.
AND WE'RE WORKING WITH CAP METRO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH CAPACITY FROM THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM TO ACTUALLY HELP, UM, SUPPORT THOSE EVENTS AS THEY GO FORWARD.
UM, HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION.
UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT GIVES THIS MODE AN ADVANTAGE IS THAT DEDICATED GUIDEWAY, WHAT IT WAS KIND OF MENTIONED IN THAT VIDEO, WHAT THAT REALLY MEANS IS IT MEANS A LITTLE BIT FASTER OVER TRAVEL TIME AND A MUCH MORE RELIABLE TRAVEL TIME.
SO IF YOU'RE A BUS RIDER, NOW I RIDE THE BUS, GREAT, I'M ON GUADALUPE AND LEBA IN A DEDICATED BUS LANE.
YOU GET FARTHER NORTH BY UT AND NOW YOU'RE STUCK IN TRAFFIC AND IT'S VERY UNPREDICTABLE, RIGHT? SAME THING TO THE SOUTH.
SAME THING SOME TO SOME DEGREE TO THE EAST ONCE YOU GET OUTSIDE OF THE RIVERSIDE BUS LANE AREA.
UM, SO A BIG PART OF IT IS THROUGH THAT ENGINEERING AND THE WAY THE SYSTEM IS DESIGNED, IT'S A MUCH HIGHER QUALITY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE OF THE TRAVEL TIME, BECAUSE OF THE SMOOTHNESS OF THE TRAIN, THE HIGH VISIBILITY OF THOSE STATIONS.
SO THOSE THINGS NATURALLY JUST ATTRACT MORE RIDERS TO THE SYSTEM.
AND ONE, ONE THING I CAN ADD TO THAT TOO, ONE OF THE POSITIVE ASPECTS FROM TRANSIT FROM THE LOCAL REGION IS OF COURSE ALL TRANSIT AGENCIES NATIONALLY TOOK A HIT WHEN COVID, UH, CAME THROUGH.
BUT NOW WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF RECOVERY AND AUSTIN IS ONE OF THE FASTEST RECOVERING FROM A TRANSIT RIDERSHIP PERSPECTIVE, UH, THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
SO WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF POSITIVE, UM, BENEFITS AS WE GO FORWARD.
UH, VICE CHAIR BAILEY, I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, WHY IT'S MAINLY BEEN DESIGNED AS A NORTH SOUTH ACCESS AND THERE'S NOT LIKE AN EAST WEST.
WHEN I THINK OF LIKE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE ON BARTON SPRINGS AND THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT DO SEVENTH AND SIXTH STREET, I THINK OF THE DENSITY THAT I SEE WHEN I'M DRIVING EAST WEST.
'CAUSE I LIVE EAST AND I WORK DOWNTOWN.
AND I'M JUST WONDERING WHAT THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS OF WHY IT'S MOSTLY NORTH SOUTH AND THERE'S NOT AN ACCESS THAT'S LIKE MARTIN LUTHER KING OR SOMETHING THAT MOVES PEOPLE EAST AND WEST ON THIS.
WHAT'S THE THINKING BEHIND THAT? YEAH, NO, APPRECIATE THE QUESTION.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS KIND OF GOING BACK TO WHEN WE FIRST LOOKED AT WHAT WHAT WOULD BE THE MOST BENEFICIAL LOCATION FOR LIGHT RAIL WAS LOOKING AT THE RIDERSHIP AND UNDERSTANDING THERE'S EXISTING, UH, BUS ROUTES TODAY THAT OPERATE ALONG MLK AND OTHER EAST WEST STREETS.
UM, WHAT WE FOUND IS THOSE DIDN'T HAVE AS HIGH AS RIDERSHIP AS KIND OF THE NORTH SOUTH, WHAT WE'RE CALLING THE SPINE.
UM, REALLY UT DOWNTOWN EAST RIVERSIDE AS PART OF THE PROJECT.
AS YOU COULD SEE, THOSE ARE REALLY THE CRUX OF WHAT WILL MAKE, UH, THE LIGHT RAIL SUCCESSFUL.
NOW THAT BEING SAID, WE DO HAVE, AS PART OF THE PROJECT CONNECT PLAN THAT WAS ADOPTED IN 2020 EXTENSIONS TO GO WAY FURTHER NORTH TO TECH RIDGE SOUTH TO STANE AGAIN, THE AIRPORT KIND OF FOR BEING OUR EASTERN EXTENT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF STARTING OUR COVERAGE FOR LIGHT RAIL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING ON TOO.
AND THOSE ARE INTENDED TO KIND OF BUILD THAT SERVICE AND RIDERSHIP OUTSIDE THAT LIGHT RAIL CORE.
SO WE'RE, AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE HAVE THE, UH, THE PICKUP ZONES THAT ARE KIND OF ADDED.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET, UH, FULL COVERAGE, BUT MAKE SURE THE MODE THAT'S SELECTED MEETS THE ACTUAL, UM, DENSITY RIDERSHIP EMPLOYMENT.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE, SO YOU'RE SAYING PART OF THE MODELING, ANALYZING HOW THE BUS ROUTES ARE CURRENTLY WORKING AND THE DENSITY OF THE TRAVEL ON THAT, BUT I WAS REALLY COMING FROM, I KNOW WHERE THE CARS STACK UP UP, SO, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO THINK HOW DO WE GET MORE CARS OFF THE ROAD BY INTRODUCING LIGHT RAIL AS THE LIKE, LOOK, YOU CAN SHOOT OFF THE ZORA PARK.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO DOWN THERE AND PARK, OR YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE IN THE STACK UP ON EAST SEVENTH STREET AT FIVE O'CLOCK, YOU KNOW THAT.
SO I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET A CLARITY, BUT 'CAUSE THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WE WANT TO GET ON TO GET IN OUT OF CARS INTO OTHER ALTERNATIVE FORMS OF TRANSPORTATION.
I, I GUESS I'M SKEPTICAL THAT WE'RE GONNA GET THOSE PEOPLE TO GET ON BUSES TO DO IT, BUT NONETHELESS, THAT'S NOT A COMPLAINT.
SO I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE, UH, THE AIRPORT.
SO FIRST, UH, I, I THINK THIS WAS ASKED EARLIER, BUT LIKE, ARE THERE ANY DETAILS ON WHEN, UH, AFTER, UH, THE INITIAL PHASE ONE IS BUILT OUT THAT WE CAN EXPECT, UH, MAYBE UH, AN AIRPORT EXTENSION? AND I WAS WONDERING, SO WHEN, WHEN IT IS BUILT OUT, WILL THERE BE, UH, SHUTTLE SERVICE BETWEEN, UH, THE AIRPORT AND THE, UH, PHASE ONE OF THE LIGHT RAIL? SURE.
THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
UM, TO START WITH, YES, WE ARE WORKING WITH CAP METRO UNDERSTANDING WE HAVE TO HAVE A
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SEAMLESS CONNECTION BETWEEN THE LIGHT RAIL, UH, ENDING THAT YELLOW JACKET AS PART OF PHASE ONE AND TO THE AIRPORT.SO WHETHER IT BE SOME TYPE OF SHUTTLE SERVICE, UH, UNDERLINING LOCAL ROUTE THAT MATCHES WITH THE LIGHT RAIL, UM, SCHEDULE, YES, THAT WILL BE PART OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.
AND I'M SORRY, I FORGOT THE FIRST PART OF THE QUESTION.
AND ONE THING I CAN SPEAK TO THE TIMING IS IT WOULD BE IDEAL, AGAIN, IF THE PHASE ONE'S OPEN IN 2033 THAT WE'RE AT LEAST IN CONSTRUCTION OF THE LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION, WE, SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO KEEP MOVING WITH THAT EVEN IF THE LIGHT, UH, AIRPORT DOESN'T BECOME A PART OF PHASE ONE.
BUT WE SEE THE BENEFIT FROM A COST SAVINGS PERSPECTIVE, FROM A RIDERSHIP PERSPECTIVE, UM, JUST TO ADVANCE THE LIGHT RAIL ITSELF.
THAT'S OUR, OUR STRONG DESIRE AT THIS POINT.
COMMISSIONER CHAPO, THANK YOU, UM, SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION YOU HAD MENTIONED, UM, FEDERAL GRANTS.
ARE, IS THIS PHASE ONE IN ANY RISK OF ANY UNFUNDED PORTION OR IS PHASE ONE GOOD TO GO? THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION, COMMISSIONER.
THE ONE THING I CAN SAY IS, I MEAN THERE'S A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY OF COURSE AROUND, UH, KIND OF THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS RIGHT NOW.
AGAIN, LUCKILY FOR US, THE CAPITAL INVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM HAS BEEN AROUND FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
WE'VE BEEN, UH, IN COORDINATION WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION FOR YEARS ON THIS PROJECT.
AND THERE ARE SEVERAL STEPS THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO GET THROUGH TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL WITHIN THE PROGRAM.
UM, I CAN COMFORTABLY SAY RIGHT NOW WE'VE MET ALL THOSE STEPS TO DATE AND THAT INCLUDING GETTING THROUGH OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS, MAKING SURE WE HAVE A COMPETITIVE PROJECT FROM, UH, LOCAL FUNDING.
SO THE PROP, UH, SO THE PROP A FUNDS THAT REALLY HELPS OUR CAUSE.
UM, HAVING COMMUNITY SUPPORT, MAKING SURE WE GO THROUGH THE, THE ENVIRONMENTAL AND WHAT DOCUMENTATION THAT ALL HELPS US.
SO THE BEST I CAN SAY IS US WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION PUTS US IN THE BEST PLACE POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW.
IN TERMS OF THE PROGRAM ITSELF, UM, AGAIN, EVERYBODY'S GUESS IS AS ANYONE'S IN TERMS OF WHAT THIS ADMINISTRATION AND HOW THEY ACT, OPERATE FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE, ANY CONVERSATIONS WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS IN REGARDS TO FUNDING THE PROJECT AS WELL? NOT DIRECTLY BEEN, OR LIKE PARTIALLY FUNDING? YEAH, WE, WE HAVEN'T BEEN DIRECT CON CONTACT WITH THE STATE ITSELF, BUT RATHER THERE ARE FEDERAL PARTNERS AND WITH THE, THE CITY THROUGH, AGAIN, THROUGH THE PROP A FUNDS, NO.
AND, UH, GROWING UP IN SALT LAKE CITY, HAVING THE PRIVILEGE TO ATTEND, RIGHT.
MAJOR SPORTER EVENTS, GET AROUND TOWN, THE OLYMPICS REALLY BOOSTED THE LIGHT RAIL, UM, IN THAT AREA.
AND NOW FAST FORWARD, THEY'RE ABLE TO CONNECT THREE OR FOUR OF THE LARGEST, UH, CITIES, RIGHT, WITH LIGHT RAIL.
SO I WISH WE HAD THIS DONE YESTERDAY.
UM, GOING BACK TO, I SHARE BAILEY'S COMMENT.
UM, I LIVE IN THE WEST SIDE AND TRAVELING WEST TO EAST IS VERY CHALLENGING.
AND SO I COULD IMAGINE THAT ON YOUR RIDERSHIP DATA, IT'S TERRIBLE BECAUSE THE REALITY OF IT IS THOSE ROUTES JUST AREN'T VERY WELL USED IN RELATION TO THE OTHER ONES.
AND SO I'M HAPPY THAT WE'RE GETTING THE LIGHT RAIL.
IT SEEMS VERY MUCH FOCUSED ON GUESTS AND VISITORS AND LESS ABOUT THE CITIZENS OF AUSTIN WHO ARE PAYING FOR THIS SYSTEM.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE, THAT'S KIND OF MY COMMENTS ON THAT.
I'M SO EXCITED FOR IT BECAUSE IT'S A GOOD PLAN AND WE NEED IT.
BUT TO BRANCH CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN THE NEIGHBORHOODS WITHIN, UM, ASIDE FROM JUST THE EAST SIDE, PRIORITIES WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
SO, AND PHASE TWO, I THINK, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF AIRPORT, THOSE WOULD BE AREAS THAT I WOULD LOOK FOR.
THANKS FOR COMING OUT TODAY AND, AND, UM, SHOWING US THIS PRESENTATION.
UM, I THINK I WOULD BE REMISS NOT TO MENTION THAT THERE IS, UH, AN AMUSEMENT PARK PLAN FOR, UH, SOUTHEAST AUSTIN AT CIRCUIT OF THE AMERICAS.
SO ON TOP OF THEM BRINGING IN, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR FOR THE SPORTING EVENTS AND CONCERTS AND VARIOUS FESTIVALS, THEY'RE PLANNING TO HAVE AN AMUSEMENT PARK.
AND I WONDERED, SINCE YOU ARE FORWARD THINKING AND THINKING ABOUT THE FUTURE, AND MAYBE YOU HAVE A PLAN FOR 2033 AND THEN YOU'VE GOT AN EXTENSION FOR 2037 WITH THE AIRPORT, IS, ARE YOU ALL THINKING ABOUT HOW IS AUSTIN GROWING AND WHERE ARE THE AREAS, THE POCKET AREAS WHERE WE'VE GOT THE TOURISM, WE'VE GOT THE PEOPLE IN A MASSIVE WAY THAT WE NEED TO MOVE? I KNOW IT'S BEEN CHALLENGING OUT THERE, UH, INCLUDING HAVING A BUS ROUTE, WHICH SEEMS LIKE A REALLY SIMPLE THING TO ME FROM THE AIRPORT TO THIS AREA, BUT IT HASN'T HAPPENED.
AND I THINK THIS TYPE OF RAIL WOULD BE A PERFECT MATCH BETWEEN THE AIRPORT CIRCUIT IN AMERICAS AIRPORT, AUSTIN HOTELS.
AND IT, I THINK IT WOULD RELIEVE A LOT OF TRAFFIC OUT THERE.
THANK YOU COMMISSIONER FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, I CAN SAY RIGHT NOW, UH, GOING TO CIRCUIT OF AMERICAS ISN'T IN THE CURRENT PLAN ITSELF, BUT THAT BEING
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SAID, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAP METRO IS DEVELOPING IS THEIR 2035 LONG RANGE TRANSIT PLAN.AND OF COURSE THAT'S REALLY LOOKING AT, UM, A BUS PAIR TRANSIT, BUT THEY ALSO LOOK AT, UM, POTENTIAL RAIL EXTENSIONS AS WELL.
UM, BUT THE CURRENT LIGHT RAIL PROGRAM FUNDED BY THE VOTERS DOESN'T GO TO CIRCUIT OF AMERICAS, BUT IT IS SOMETHING WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR, UM, FUTURE POTENTIAL EXTENSIONS.
THIS, THIS FIRST SYSTEM REALLY IS OBVIOUSLY THE MOST CHALLENGING TO GET JUST THE SYSTEM ITSELF ON THE GROUND, BUT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT IT'S GONNA INVOLVE BUILDING ITS OWN OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY.
WE'RE GONNA PURCHASE VEHICLES FOR THIS AS WELL.
SO ONCE WE GET THAT GOING, THEN THE FUTURE EXTENSIONS KIND OF BECOME A LITTLE MORE, UH, I HATE TO USE THE WORD SEAMLESS, BUT THEY COME A LITTLE LE LESS CHALLENGING THAN THE INITIAL, UH, INVESTMENT.
BUT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT, UH, FUTURE EXTENSIONS, ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? I, I HAVE A COUPLE.
UM, THANKS AGAIN FOR COMING AND PRESENTING WHAT CAN BE, UH, UH, AT TIMES CONTROVERSIAL TOPIC, BUT FOR ANY MAJOR CITY AS AN EXPECTATION.
AS YOU SAID EARLIER, MY UNDERGRAD IS ACTUALLY IN TRANSPORTATION AND LAND USE PLANNING, SO I'M VERY EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT THE ADVANCEMENTS OF THE LIGHT RAIL PROJECT AS IT'S CURRENTLY, UM, UH, PLANNED.
AND I HAD A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS WITH REGARD TO ONE, OF COURSE, THE AIRPORT EXTENSION.
I THINK A LOT OF TIMES, PARTICULARLY IN PLACES WHERE THEY HAVE TRANSIT, LIKE CHICAGO, SOME PEOPLE DON'T TAKE IT, BUT THEY WILL TAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT, RIGHT? ESPECIALLY IF THEY LIVE THERE.
UM, AND CONSIDERING THAT WE ARE THE TOURISM COMMISSION, I, I WANTED TO HEAR A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE DECISION NOT TO GO TO THE AIRPORT, BUT TO GO FURTHER NORTH OF UT CAMPUS.
'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN A REALLY GREAT COST CUTTING MOVE TO THEN GO TO THE AIRPORT AND THEN, UH, COINCIDE WITH A LOT OF THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE AIRPORT CURRENTLY.
AND THEN SECONDLY, I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT, UH, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT AROUND STATIONS AND SITES AND ANY MODELS THAT YOU'RE LOOKING ELSEWHERE, PARTICULARLY IN CHICAGO, UH, WITH, UM, UH, ELEVATED CHICAGO, WHICH DOES A LOT OF WORK AROUND INCREASING DENSITY AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING AROUND STATIONS, COMMISSION CHAIR MEMBERS OF THE COMMISSION.
I AM A PLANNER BY TRADE, SO I APPRECIATE THE QUESTION ABOUT THE AIRPORT ITSELF.
ONE OF THE THINGS, AND I THINK YOU MENTIONED IT, IS IF YOU LOOK AT A LOT OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS, THEY DON'T INITIALLY BUILD TO THE AIRPORT.
IT'S ALWAYS KIND OF A SUPPLEMENTAL, BUT THEY ALWAYS GET THERE EVENTUALLY.
I THINK SEATTLE'S A CASE IN POINT PHOENIX AS WELL, DENVER.
AND ONE OF THE CHALLENGES IS IT'S, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF DENSITY AROUND THE AIRPORT ITSELF.
SO NOT A LOT OF EMPLOYMENT, NOT A LOT OF RESIDENCES BECAUSE IT'S A AIRPORT ZONE AND THAT ENTAILS COST AS WELL.
SO YOU'RE BUILDING KIND OF A, A LENGTH OF TRACK, UM, THAT'S MORE EXPENSIVE TO GET TO THE AIRPORT ITSELF.
AND THAT'S UNFORTUNATELY THE CASE THAT WE FIND HERE.
NOW, TWO YEARS AGO, WE PRESENTED TO THE PUBLIC SEVERAL OP FIVE OPTIONS, UH, TO ADVANCE A LIGHT RAIL COMPONENT.
AND WE DID HAVE AN AIRPORT CONNECTION, BUT IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, THE AIRPORT WOULD GET US AS FAR NORTH TO UT, SO IT'D BE A UT TO AIRPORT CONNECTION.
WE COULDN'T, WE COULDN'T GO UP TO, UM, CRESTVIEW, WE COULDN'T GO SOUTH TO OLTORF WITH THE FUNDING AVAILABLE.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE SHORTCOMINGS OF WHY THE AIRPORT ISN'T PART OF THIS INITIAL EXPANSION.
UM, NOW THAT BEING SAID, AGAIN, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION TO LET THEM KNOW BEYOND THE EMPLOYMENT, WHICH IS THERE, WHICH IS WHAT THEY TYPICALLY LOOK AT, WE HAVE PASSENGERS, WE HAVE, WE'RE DOUBLING THE AIRPORT CAPACITY IN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS.
SO WE'RE REALLY WORKING WITH THEM TO JUSTIFY THAT CAUSE TO GET TO THE AIRPORT.
HOPEFULLY THAT ANSWERS THE QUESTION ABOUT OUR AIRPORT DESIRE AND KIND OF LIMITATIONS THERE.
NOW, IN TERMS OF TOD, UM, AUSTIN IS IN A REALLY GOOD SPOT, AGAIN WITH OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS.
UM, YOU MIGHT BE AWARE, WE'VE GOTTEN SEVERAL FEDERAL, UH, ETOD GRANTS THROUGH, UH, THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION.
AND THAT REALLY GAVE, UH, THE REGION AN OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE STATION AREA ALONG THE LIGHT RAIL ITSELF, NOT ONLY THE PHASE ONE, BUT THOSE THAT ARE PLANNED FOR THE FUTURE.
AND SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE WORKING WITH, UH, THE CITY AND WITH, UH, CAP METRO TO LOOK AT INCORPORATING, UH, TOD POLICIES.
SO I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON TOD, BUT I CAN TELL YOU IS I KNOW THAT THERE IS A TOD OVERLAY ZONE THAT THE CITY'S IMPLEMENTED FOR ALL THESE STATIONS, REALLY PRIORITIZING TRANSIT LAND USES AROUND STATIONS.
IT REALLY BENEFITS NOT ONLY THE TRANSIT SYSTEM, BUT ALSO, UH, THE RIDERS THEMSELVES AND THE CITY AS A WHOLE, BRINGING PEOPLE AND RESIDENCES AND, UM, ACCOMMODATING BUSINESSES TO THE TRANSIT STATIONS THEMSELVES.
SO TOD IS DEFINITELY ON THE MIND OF, UM, OF AWESOME TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP AND THE CITY ITSELF, BEING THAT WE'RE IN OUR INFANCY RELATED TO TOD AS YOU MENTIONED, REALLY IT'S LOOKING AT THOSE CASE STUDIES, OTHER CITIES THAT ARE DOING IT APPROPRIATELY.
I GO BACK TO SEATTLE, CHICAGO'S ANOTHER ONE, PHOENIX,
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SEATTLE AND PHOENIX ARE REALLY KIND OF THE NEWER SYSTEMS IN THE LAST, UH, 10 TO 15 YEARS.AND THEY'VE DONE SOME INCREDIBLE THINGS WITH TOD AND THEY STARTED RIGHT WHERE WE'RE AT REALLY DOING TOD PLANNING AT THEIR STATION AREAS AND THEN BUILDING UP ACCORDINGLY.
SO WE HAVE REALLY GOOD EXAMPLES THERE.
UM, AGAIN, CAP METRO AND THE CITY ARE REALLY GOOD PARTNERS IN HELPING ADVANCE THAT CAUSE AND A TP PARTNERS WITH THEM TO SUPPORT THAT EFFORT.
AND AS A FOLLOW UP QUESTION, UH, WHAT IS A TB UM, DOING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAP METRO TO REALLY HELP MOVE AUSTIN'S CULTURE FORWARD TOWARDS A MORE TRANSIT ORIENTED AND TRANSIT FRIENDLY CULTURE? UM, YOU KNOW, OFFERING EDUCATION AS TO HOW TO TAKE THE BUS, UH, YOU KNOW, FIRST MILE LAST MILE EDUCATION.
UM, I, I JUST SAY THIS AS SOMEONE WHO TAKES THE BUS REGULARLY, I DON'T DRIVE.
THE THE 20 BUS THAT GOES ALL THE WAY ACROSS AUSTIN AND IS NEVER ON TIME AND SOMETIMES DOESN'T EVEN SHOW UP AT THE AIRPORT.
I WAIT FOR IT BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN PUBLIC TRANSIT.
AND SO WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW AS WE'RE WAITING EIGHT, POSSIBLY A, A EIGHT YEARS TO A DECADE FOR A TRAIN TO IMPROVE THE VISITOR EXPERIENCE, PARTICULARLY COMING FROM THE AIRPORT, BUT ALL PARTS OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
I UNDERSTAND IT'S NOT YOUR MANDATE 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT CAP METRO.
BUT, UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF EXPECTATIONS BEING PLACED UPON YOU REGARDLESS.
I'LL START FROM THE A TP PERSPECTIVE AND IT, A LOT OF IT COMES DOWN TO EDUCATION.
THE FIRST THING, AGAIN, WHAT WE'RE FINDING IN THE COMMUNITY IS PEOPLE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT LIGHT RAIL IS.
AND SO WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THINGS ON OUR PART.
UM, YES, WE ARE MANDATED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS TO GO TO THE PUBLIC, BUT WE'VE GONE ABOVE AND BEYOND.
YOU'RE TYPICALLY REQUIRED TO DO ONE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND IN JANUARY WE HAD FOUR PUBLIC CARRIERS WHERE WE WENT TO ALL CORNERS OF THE PROJECT ITSELF.
UM, REALLY GETTING PEOPLE TO, TO GET OUT THERE AND UNDERSTAND WHAT LIGHT RAIL'S GOING TO BE ITSELF.
NOW, LIGHT RAIL'S NOT AN OPERATION OF COURSE.
UM, BUT WE TRY TO TELL PEOPLE AS WE'VE DONE TODAY ABOUT THE BENEFITS OF LIGHT RAIL COMING.
IT'S A SAFE, IT'S A RELIABLE, IT'S AN EFFICIENT AND IT'S AFFORDABLE TYPE OF TRANSPORTATION MODE.
AND REALLY WHAT YOU CAN DO IS THE BEST PRACTICE IS JUST KIND OF SEEING IT IN PRACTICE.
AND, AND I SEE IT 'CAUSE I'M A RED LINE USER.
I COULD DRIVE ALL THE WAY DOWNTOWN, BUT I PREFER TO SIT ON THE RED LINE AND NOT BE IN TRAFFIC ALONG THE WAY.
I, BEING IN THE TRANSIT INDUSTRY FOR 20 PLUS YEARS NOW, UH, I SEE THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE, IT'S BASED ON EXPERIENCE, AS YOU MENTIONED YOURSELF, THAT YOU CAN DRIVE A CAR, GREAT, BUT IF YOU CAN JUMP ON TRANSIT AND YOU CAN GET THERE ON TIME AND BE SAFE, THAT'S THE BIGGEST ISSUE.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THAT I THINK TRANSIT FACES TODAY IS A PERCEPTION OF SAFETY.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST LOCAL, BUT IT'S KIND OF NATIONAL, NATIONALLY WIDE.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S CAP METRO'S PURVIEW, BUT I KNOW THEY'RE DOING A LOT OF EDUCATION, A LOT OF, UM, UH, COMPONENTS TO KINDA GET PE HAVE PEOPLE FEEL, UH, SAFE AND ENGAGED AS THEY, AS THEY, UM, RIDE THE SYSTEM ITSELF.
UM, AGAIN, A TP IS JUST A SMALL SUBSET OF, UH, LIGHT RAIL AND EDUCATION IS KIND OF ON OUR FOREFRONT, BUT ALSO TAKING FEEDBACK AS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT, UH, PROCESS.
WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF FEEDBACK OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE RIDDEN LIGHT RAILS ALL THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY AND THEY'RE PROVIDING THINGS THAT THEY WANT TO SEE.
UM, ACCESS TO E-BIKES, ACCESS TO SCOOTERS, UM, RESTROOM, SAFE SAFETY, ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
AND SO THAT'S THE KIND OF STUFF THAT WE'RE HELPING TO IMPLEMENT INTO THE SYSTEM DESIGN ITSELF.
DO YOU WANNA TALK MORE ABOUT DESIGN? YEAH, YEAH.
AND I THINK I'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT A FEW THINGS.
SO ONE THAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT THE AIRPORT, I THINK IT WAS A GREAT EXAMPLE OF OFTEN PEOPLE WON'T TAKE THE TRAIN, BUT THEY'LL TAKE IT TO THE AIRPORT IF THEY'RE A TOURIST IN THE CITY, FOR INSTANCE, RIGHT? SO SAME THING WITH BIG EVENTS, WHETHER IT'S DOWNTOWN LARGE EVENTS OR AUSTIN FC IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE NEVER RIDDEN THE RED LINE EXCEPT TO AN AUSTIN FC GAME, RIGHT? SO KIND OF LEVERAGING THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND TRYING TO ALMOST BE BABY STEPS TO GET PEOPLE TO TRY TRANSIT AND THEN TO TRY MORE TRANSIT OVER TIME.
UM, I THINK SOME OF IT TO, TO WHAT DARREN WAS SAYING IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT YES, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN TO HELP PEOPLE GET USED TO TRANSIT BEFORE WE COME ONLINE, BUT I THINK ALSO WHEN WE COME ONLINE, IT WILL HELP PEOPLE GET USED TO TRANSIT TO USE MORE THAN JUST THE LIGHT RAIL.
AND SO I THINK THERE'S A LOT THAT COMES WITH WHETHER IT'S HOW WE INTEGRATE THE TRAIN WITH THE BUSES AND WE ARE VERY INACTIVE COORDINATION WITH CAT METRO RAIL AND THINKING ABOUT LITERALLY THE BUS TO TRAIN TRANSFERS AND MAKING THOSE AS SEAMLESS AND AS EASY AS POSSIBLE, UM, ABOUT THE SHADE THAT'S INVOLVED WITH THAT.
UM, SO THAT, AGAIN, ONCE PEOPLE GET MAYBE THE TRAIN IS THE REASON WHY THEY TRY TRANSIT, BUT THEN THEY REALIZE, OH, BUT IF I ALSO TRANSFERRED TO THIS OTHER BUS, I COULD GET TO MY DESTINATION VERY EASILY AND NOW IT OPENS THAT UP TO THEM IN A WAY THAT THEY JUST WEREN'T WILLING TO TRY PREVIOUSLY.
UM, KIND OF COMING BACKWARD THOUGH IS TO REMIND THAT WE ARE PART OF THE LARGER PROJECT CONNECT PROGRAM AND SO THERE ARE OTHER PROJECTS THAT CAT METRO IS IMPLEMENTING RIGHT NOW.
SO THE 800 AND THE 8 37 THAT RECENTLY LAUNCHED, UM, AND NEXT YEAR WILL BE HIGHER FREQUENCY, WHICH WILL DEFINITELY MAKE
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IT A MORE PALATABLE SERVICE THAN IT IS TODAY.UM, AS WELL AS SOME OF THE RED LINE INVESTMENTS THAT ARE BEING MADE WITH THE PALA STATION, DOUBLE TRACKING AND THEN THE BROADMOOR STATION THAT'LL BE COMING ONLINE THAT THESE ARE THINGS BABY STEPS IF YOU WILL, BUT BABY STEPS THAT WILL OPEN UP TRANSIT TO MORE PEOPLE TO, HEY, THAT'S A NEW SURFACE, MAYBE I SHOULD TRY IT OUT.
AND SOMETIMES THAT'S THE BEST THING TO KIND OF POKE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THERE'S ALREADY A GREAT BUS LINE RIGHT NEXT TO THEM, BUT HAVING SOMETHING NEW GIVES THEM ALMOST THAT HEADLINE IN THE NEWS TO BE ENCOURAGED TO TRY SOMETHING OUT.
COMMISSIONER CHA, SORRY, I HAD ONE MORE QUESTION.
WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF THOUGHT IS BEING GIVEN TO PARKING AT TRAIN STATIONS ON THE WHITE RAIL ROUTE OBJECT.
UM, OUR SYSTEM DOES HAVE, UH, THREE PARKING RIDES PROPOSED.
THEY'RE AT THE END OF THE LINES AT THE END OF LINE STATIONS.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE PARKING PROPOSED IN THE, THE MORE INTERMEDIATE STATIONS.
UM, THOUGH THEY'RE DEPENDING ON THE STATION, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR DROP OFF ZONES, CERTAINLY FOR BIKE AND BUS TRANSFERS, OBVIOUSLY LOTS OF PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC.
UM, BUT AT THE THREE END OF LINES, WE ARE PROPOSING PARKING RIDES AT THE OLD TORF STATION, 38TH STREET STATION AND YELLOW JACKET STATION, WHICH IS JUST OFF OF US 180 3 AND STATE HIGHWAY 71.
SO SEE THAT AS A REALLY GOOD OPPORTUNITY FOR EAST AND SOUTHEAST TO, TO MAKE THAT TRANSFER AT THAT LOCATION BY, BY PARKING THEIR CAR.
SO IF I, YOU KNOW, JUST MAY MAKE A COMMENT, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER CITIES THAT I VISIT, THEY AT LEAST HAVE SOME LIMITED PARKING IN MOST OF THEIR TRAIN STOPS.
I THINK ONE OF THE, UM, LIMITING FACTORS FOR THE RED LINE IS YOU CAN'T PARK, YOU CAN'T DRIVE YOUR CAR TO THE RED LINE, GET ON, GET ON THE TRAIN AND GO.
AND I THINK WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT, ALTHOUGH YEAH, WE LOVE THAT EVERYBODY RIDE THEIR BIKE, TAKE THE BUS, ALMOST ALL OF US DRIVE CARS AND, UM, IT'D BE A LOT MORE CONVENIENT IF, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WORKING DOWNTOWN, IF I COULD TAKE MY CAR, PARK IT, GET ON THE TRAIN, GO DOWNTOWN, I WOULD DO THAT EVERY DAY.
BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW.
NO AB ABSOLUTELY UNDER UNDERSTOOD.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, DARREN WAS MENTIONING SOME OF THOSE NEWER LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS. IT'S ACTUALLY INTERESTING.
YOU LOOK AT LIGHT RAIL SYSTEMS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, THERE'S ALMOST KIND OF TWO VERSIONS OF THEM.
THERE'S THE VERSION THAT'S A LITTLE MORE ALONG HIGHWAYS AND HAVE PARKING LOTS AT ALMOST EVERY SINGLE STATION.
DART IS A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THAT WITHIN TEXAS, RIGHT? THEN YOU HAVE THE ONES THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE JUST IN THE URBAN CORE, LESS PARKING AROUND THEM OTHER THAN MAYBE AT CORE AT KEY LOCATIONS, ESPECIALLY NEAR HIGHWAYS THAT PEOPLE CAN TRANSFER.
WE ARE DESIGNING OURS TO BE MORE TOWARD THAT END AS YOU, YOU I THINK NOTED, UM, GENERALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS ONCE SOMEONE'S IN THEIR CAR, THEY MIGHT GET OUT OF IT AND GET ON A TRAIN, BUT IF SOMEONE NEVER GETS IN A CAR IN THE FIRST PLACE, THEY'RE MUCH MORE LIKELY TO ACTUALLY GET ON THE TRAIN AND BE A CONSISTENT RIDER.
SO 100% WE AGREE, WE WANT TO ACCOMMODATE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN THEIR CAR AND WANNA PARK AND RIDE THE TRAIN, WHICH IS WHY WE ARE LOOKING AT THOSE END OF LINE LOCATIONS AS WELL AS THE OPPORTUNITY FOR WHETHER IT'S A FAMILY MEMBER OR FRIEND TO DROP THEM OFF AN UBER TO DROP THEM OFF AT SOME OF THOSE STATIONS IN BETWEEN.
UM, CERTAINLY ACKNOWLEDGED ON ON THE CONCERN THERE AND WE'LL BE LOOKING AT THOSE OPPORTUNITIES AS WE GO.
WE ARE IN THE CORE OF THE CITY WHERE REAL ESTATE IS DEFINITELY AT A PREMIUM.
SO BUILDING NEW FACILITIES AROUND MOST OF THESE STATIONS WOULD BE PROHIBITIVELY EXPENSIVE AND NOT GREAT TO THE PEDESTRIAN LAND USE, BUT THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO PARTNER WITH OTHER PARKING THAT'S THERE, OR AT LEAST TO INCENTIVIZE PEOPLE TO FIND WAYS TO GET TO THOSE INTERMEDIATE TRAIN STATIONS WHEN THEY'RE COMING FROM A LITTLE BIT FARTHER AWAY.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I MAY NOTE THAT SOME PARK AND RIDES, PARTICULARLY IN PORTLAND AND SEATTLE ARE OVERBUILT.
SO I THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON.
UM, DID YOU HAVE ANOTHER COMMENT, COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, IF WE COULD JUST GET IT BUILT.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, UM, THAT COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
IS THERE ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADD BEFORE THE CONCLUSION OF YOUR PRESENTATION? UH, WE THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT.
WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU COMING THIS AFTERNOON AND, UM, PLEASE LOOK TO THE TOURISM COMMISSION AS ADVOCATES, UM, FOR THIS PROJECT AND IMPROVING, UH, TOURISM HERE IN AUSTIN AND TOURISM EXPERIENCE AND, UH, EXPERIENCE FOR RESIDENTS AS WELL.
[4. Presentation by Bryce Bencivengo, Community Affairs, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS), regarding the Journey with AUS airport expansion program and its impact on economic growth and tourism.]
AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FOUR, UH, PRESENTATION BY BRYCE.BEN, DID I SAY IT RIGHT? NAILED IT.
UM, COMMUNITY FAIRS, UH, FOR WHO, WHO ACTUALLY THERE IS NO NOUN IN THAT TITLE.
I, I LOOKED IN YOUR SIGNATURE AS WELL.
AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
REGARDING THE JOURNEY, UH, WITH AUSTIN, UM, A US AIRPORT EXPANSION PROGRAM AND ITS IMPACT ON ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TOURISM.
WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR HAVING ME, UH, THIS AFTERNOON.
EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU DURING NATIONAL
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TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK.OBVIOUSLY AUSTIN BERKS FROMM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IS A BIG PART OF OUR TOURISM HERE IN DRIVING THAT.
UM, AGAIN, MY NAME IS BRYCE BENGO.
I'M WITH OUR COMMUNITY AFFAIRS TEAM AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
AND, AND OUR ROLE IS TO SHARE, UM, ALL AROUND THE COMMUNITY WHAT THE UPDATES ARE COMING TO THE AIRPORT.
SOME OF THEM ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY AND WE'RE GONNA TALK A LOT ABOUT THAT TODAY.
UM, SO LET'S DIVE RIGHT IN AND THEN WE'LL DO, UH, QUESTIONS AT THE END.
YOU KNOW, THIS IS AN EXCITING TIME FOR US AND, AND SO I ALWAYS ASK WHEN I DO THESE PRESENTATIONS IN THE PUBLIC, BUT YOU KNOW, A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW THAT.
UH, AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTER INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, PRIOR TO ITS LIFE AS OUR, OUR CURRENT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT WAS, UH, AN AIR BASE, AN ARMY AIR BASE, AND THEN AN AIR FORCE BASE.
UH, THE CITY OF AUSTIN OPENED, UH, AUSTIN STROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ALMOST 26 YEARS AGO.
WE'RE COMING UP ON OUR 26TH ANNIVERSARY HERE AT THE END OF THE MONTH.
UH, AND WE STARTED, UM, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, ABOUT A HALF A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET TO OPEN A, A, A FACILITY THAT'S 25 GATES, AN 11 MILLION ANNUAL PASSENGERS.
UH, THE ONLY REAL, UH, LARGE EXPANSION THAT WE'VE DONE TO THE PASSENGER FACILITY OR TO THE, TO THE CONCOURSE ADDED NINE GATES IN 2019.
AND THAT BROUGHT US UP TO A CAPACITY TO SERVE 15 MILLION ANNUAL PASSENGERS.
AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT IN A MOMENT, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE HAD SOME CHALLENGES DURING COVID-19.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ALL INDUSTRY IMPACTED BY, BY THE PANDEMIC, BUT, BUT NONE MORE SO THAN AVIATION.
WE WENT FROM GOING TO, YOU KNOW, 30,000 PASSENGERS A DAY TO 30,000 PASSENGERS IN A MONTH.
UH, AND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, A SELF-SUSTAINING ENTERPRISE.
WE GENERATE REVENUE OFF OF PASSENGERS TRAVELING.
AND WHEN WE'VE CUT OUR NUMBERS BY 90%, WE'RE CHALLENGED.
AND SO WE HAD TO LOOK TOWARDS HOW WE CAN CONTINUE TO OPERATE OUR AIRPORT AND FUND THE OPERATION.
AND, YOU KNOW, EVEN MORE SURPRISING THAN THE DROP OFF IN AIR SERVICE FOR COVID WAS THE REBOUND, UM, IN AIR SERVICE.
AUSTIN ROARED BACK FOLLOWING COVID-19.
AND WE HAD A SUBSTANTIAL GROWTH IN AIR SERVICE THAT WILL SHOW.
AND SO THIS IS WHAT NECESSITATED JOURNEY WITH A US, OUR AIRPORT EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM JOURNEY WITH A US IS KIND OF OUR BRANDING AROUND IT.
AND, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UH, WHY, UH, WE HAVE THAT NOW.
BUT FIRST, UM, THIS IS UP TO DATE FOR FULL YEAR TO, TO 2024.
UH, YOU KNOW, AS YOU CAN SEE IN 2020 THAT THAT SUBSTANTIAL DROP, THAT'S BECAUSE OF COVID.
UH, AND THEN AS WE CAME BACK, YOU KNOW, TOWARDS THE LATER PART OF 21, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN FULLY IN, IN 2022, WHEN WE DID OUR INITIAL PLANNING FOR EXPANSIONS FOR THE AIRPORT PRIOR TO COVID-19, WE TALKED ABOUT DOING 22 MILLION PASSENGERS MUCH FURTHER OUT INTO THE, INTO THE 2020S THAN WE ARE NOW.
WE'RE ABOUT FOUR YEARS AHEAD OF SCHEDULE FOR, FOR PASSENGERS IN OUR FACILITY.
I MENTIONED THAT IN 2019 OUR FACILITY WAS EXPANDED TO ACCOMMODATE 15 MILLION PASSENGERS.
WE HAVE NOT HAD A SUBSTANTIVE, UH, EXPANSION OF THE FACILITY.
OUR FACILITY IS STILL DESIGNED TO SUSTAIN 15 MILLION ANNUAL PASSENGERS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE DONE, YOU KNOW, 22 MILLION PASSENGERS FOR THE LAST, GIVE OR TAKE, 22 MILLION PASSENGERS FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
THIS IS GONNA BE A LITTLE TOUGH TO READ, UH, ON A SMALL SCREEN, BUT I THINK IT'S, IT'S AN IMPORTANT CONTEXT OF WHERE WE ARE NOW.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE CHANGE IN SEATS AVAILABLE TO BE PURCHASED, UH, OUT OF AUSTIN AND OUT OF ALL LARGE AND MEDIUM AIRPORTS IN THE COUNTRY, ON THE VERY FAR LEFT, YOU'RE SEEING THE FASTEST GROWING.
ON THE FAR RIGHT, YOU'RE SEEING OAKLAND.
THE CODES UNDERNEATH ARE THE THREE LETTER, EXCUSE ME, THREE LETTER IDENTIFIERS FOR ALL OF THE AIRPORTS THAT ARE CONSIDERED MEDIUM AND LARGE IN THE COUNTRY, IN THE MIDDLE THERE, IN THE GRAY BAR, THAT'S THE US AVERAGE.
AND THEN THAT, THAT PINK BAR THAT'S AUSTIN AT 36% GROWTH, UH, FROM Q1 OF 2019 TO Q1 OF 2025.
WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT REMARKABLE GROWTH FOR AN AIRPORT, UH, DURING THIS TIME.
YOU KNOW, I I, I ALWAYS REMIND FOLKS, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE NUMBER OF SEATS BEING SOLD IN AUSTIN AIRCRAFT, YOU KNOW, VARY IN SIZE.
SO WE DON'T LOOK AT SO MUCH AT, AT OPERATIONS.
WE'LL SHOW A NUMBER JUST ABOUT HOW MANY OPERATIONS THERE ARE PER DAY.
'CAUSE YOU CAN DO A LITTLE MATH PROBLEM IN YOUR HEAD WITH HOW MANY GATES WE HAVE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, AS AS AUSTIN HAS GROWN, WE'VE SEEN THE INCREASE IN SIZE OF THE AIRCRAFT.
SO WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT SMALL REGIONAL JETS.
THOSE, YOU KNOW, WE DO STILL HAVE SOME OPERATIONS WITH THAT, BUT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT LARGE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF OUR, UH, OUR OPERATIONS ARE WITH 7, 3, 7, 8 HUNDREDS, UH, AND LARGER AIRCRAFT THAN THE FACILITY WAS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE WHEN WE FIRST OPENED.
I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART OF WHAT I TALK ABOUT EVERY DAY.
AND, AND I THINK WE TALK ABOUT, AND IT'S AN IMPORTANT REMINDER,
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ALTHOUGH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TOURISM ASPECT AND WE'LL MENTION THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE DO NORMALLY, BUT THIS IS, THE AIRPORT IS AN ECONOMIC DRIVER FOR THE WHOLE CITY, NOT JUST TOURISM BUSINESS AS A WHOLE.WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A 2018 STUDY DONE BY TXDOT.
SO, SO SUBSTANTIALLY, UH, DATED AT THIS POINT, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 7.8 BILLION IN ECONOMIC IMPACT AND 74,000 JOBS THAT ARE INDIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE AIRPORT.
WE EXPECT AS WE DO, UH, A NEW ECONOMIC ANALYSIS COMING UP THAT THIS NUMBER IS GONNA GROW SUBSTANTIALLY.
AND SO WE JUST REMIND FOLKS THAT IT'S NOT JUST THE TRAVEL, IT'S NOT JUST THE TOURISM, IT'S ALSO THE, THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPERATING, BOTH PEOPLE IN CARGO THAT GO ON OUR AIRCRAFT EVERY SINGLE DAY.
AND THEN THE, THE LAST PIECE TO NOTE ALSO IS THAT I'M A CITY OF AUSTIN EMPLOYEE.
THE, WE'RE THE DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION.
UM, BUT WE ARE, WE DO NOT HAVE TAXPAYER LOCAL TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
WE'RE A SELF-SUSTAINING ENTERPRISE.
THE MONEY THAT IS GENERATED AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HAS TO BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.
UH, AND, AND THAT'S MANDATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IF WE TAKE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT MONEY, WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT, THAT, UM, THOSE MONIES ON THE AIRPORT.
SO UNLIKE AUSTIN ENERGY WHERE THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY MAY PAY A DIVIDEND OR DO A GENERAL FUND TRANSFER, WE'RE PROHIBITED FROM DOING THAT.
SO WE HAVE TO KEEP OUR FUNDS AT THE AIRPORT, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO GENERATE OUR REVENUE.
WE CAN'T TAKE LOCAL TAXPAYER DOLLARS.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PIECE OF CONTEXT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT JUST THE AIR SYSTEM AND, AND TRAVEL AS A WHOLE.
THIS, THIS COMES FROM A CI AIRPORTS COUNCIL INTERNATIONAL AND TALKING ABOUT HOW MANY JOBS, NOT JUST TOURISM JOBS, BUT ALSO JOBS IN, IN COMMUNITIES THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY AIRPORTS.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MORE THAN 12 MILLION JOBS, EXCUSE ME, 1.8 MILLION, OR EXCUSE ME, 1.8 TRILLION IN ECONOMIC TOTAL IMPACT.
AND YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE LOOK AT IS THE ADDITIONAL IN EMPLOYEMENT.
SO THAT MEANS JUST AN ADDITIONAL THOUSAND PEOPLE BEING ON A PLANE TALKS ABOUT IS AN ADDITIONAL JOB AT THE AIRPORT, AND THEN ANOTHER FOUR AND A HALF SUPPORTING JOBS BEYOND THAT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT ADDING 36% SEATS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF JOBS BOTH AT THE AIRPORT AND IN OUR COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I THINK WILL BE PARTICULARLY INTERESTING TO THIS COMMITTEE, AND I THINK IT'S NO SECRET TO ANYONE WHO TRAVELS IN OUR AIRPORT, WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE AT AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
THE AIRPORT LOOKS LIKE AUSTIN.
IT SMELLS LIKE AUSTIN, IT SMELLS LIKE BARBECUE, IT SOUNDS LIKE AUSTIN, IT HAS LIVE MUSIC.
UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS ARE INTENTIONAL.
WE ARE AUSTIN'S FRONT PORCH AND WE WANT PEOPLE TO ARRIVE AND FEEL LIKE THEY'RE IN AUSTIN FROM IN THE MOMENT THEY WALK OFF THAT PLANE.
AND WE THINK THAT'S A REALLY INNOVATIVE APPROACH THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR YEARS, THAT WE'RE SEEING OTHER COMMUNITIES, OTHER AIRPORTS KIND OF GO THAT WAY.
NOW, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN WHERE YOU'VE FLOWN INTO OTHER AIRPORTS WHERE YOU COULD TAKE THAT AIRPORT AND MOVE IT ANYWHERE, IT WOULD FEEL, IT WOULD MAKE SENSE IN THAT COMMUNITY.
IT'S JUST A BOX WITH THINGS THAT YOU CAN EAT AND BUY AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
TAKING AUSTIN'S AIRPORT AND MOVING IT TO ANOTHER COMMUNITY WOULD NOT MAKE SENSE.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
IT'S A REFLECTION OF CENTRAL TEXAS.
WE TAKE A LOT OF PRIDE IN MAKING SURE THAT IT CONTINUES TO DO THAT WAY, AND IT, IT LOOKED THAT WAY.
AND AS WE TALK ABOUT THE EXPANSION THAT WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE THAT WORK INTO THE FUTURE QUICKLY.
YOU KNOW, ART, MUSIC, UM, ALSO PLAY A BIG PART MORE THAN A THOUSAND PERFORMANCES.
ONE OF THE BUSIEST LIVE MUSIC VENUES IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS THE AIRPORT.
AND SO WE REMIND FOLKS THAT ON ANY GIVEN DAY, YOU CAN SEE SOME REALLY GREAT ARTISTS COME THROUGH THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE PERMANENT ART, AS YOU CAN SEE ALONG THE BOTTOM.
THOSE ARE CAPITAL ART EXPENDITURES.
AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE ROTATING, UH, GALLERIES INSIDE THE AIRPORT AS WELL.
REALLY QUICKLY, WE'LL TALK ABOUT AIR SERVICE.
AGAIN, I MENTIONED WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT SEATS AVAILABLE, BUT JUST AS A, AS A REMINDER, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 250 FLIGHTS A DAY ON AVERAGE WHEN AVERAGED OUT.
OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT EQUAL BY TIME OF DAY OR EVEN FRANKLY, TIME OF YEAR, BUT THESE ARE OUR 19 CARRIERS THAT OPERATE OUTTA THE AIRPORT.
THAT NUMBER EBBS AND FLOWS, UH, BETWEEN 70 AND 90 THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
OBVIOUSLY SUMMER SEASONAL SERVICE, AND THEN ABOUT 37,000 FLIGHTS, OR EXCUSE ME, SEATS PER DAY.
UH, AND THAT'S BASED ON FULL YEAR 2014 OR 2024 DATA.
THESE ARE THE NEW DESTINATIONS ON THE LEFT HERE FOR YOU THAT WE HAVE LAUNCHED IN THE LAST YEAR OR ARE COMING.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT ARE THE INCREASED FREQUENCY AND CAPACITY.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT BOTH OF THESE LISTS.
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY MORE CONNECTIONS ON OUR MAP IS EXCITING, BUT ON THE RIGHT IT, THESE ARE ALSO REALLY EXCITING FOR US BECAUSE THIS MEANS INCREASED COMPETITION ON
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THESE ROUTES AND, AND LOWER FARES ULTIMATELY FOR AUSTINITES BOTH VISITING AND TRAVELING OUT OF.UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE SAN FRANCISCO, WHICH IS ALREADY SERVED BY TWO AIRLINES AND ANOTHER TOUR COMING IN TO THAT ROUTE, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT, THAT AFFORDS US TO HAVE ADDITIONAL CONNECTIVITY TO THAT PLACE AND ADDITIONAL COMPETITION.
ANOTHER ONE, JUST TO POINT OUT LONDON THERE, UM, IF WE, IF YOU'RE NOT AWARE, BRITISH AIRWAYS IS NOW FLYING THAT 13 TIMES A WEEK OUT OF AUSTIN.
UM, SO THAT'S EV TWICE A DAY EXCEPT FOR SUNDAY.
UM, WE ARE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THESE ARE LONG-TERM COMMITMENTS FOR US AND LONG-TERM RELATIONSHIPS.
YOU KNOW, BRITISH AIRWAYS CAME AND PUT THEIR FIRST FLIGHT ON THE GROUND IN 2014.
WE'RE NOW IN YEAR 11 WITH THEM, AND THEY'VE UP GAUGED THEIR SERVICE TO 13 TIMES A WEEK.
THIS IS REALLY A TESTAMENT TO NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THE AIRPORT, BUT THE WHOLE COMMUNITY SUPPORTING THIS AIRLINE, FLYING THESE ROUTES, SPECIFICALLY OUR TOURISM SECTOR, BUT ALSO, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR BUSINESS INTERESTS FLYING THIS ROUTE.
YOU KNOW, I, I WOULD BE, I WOULD BE RETICENT NOT TO MENTION THE LEADERSHIP OF THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OPPORTUNITY, AUSTIN, VISIT AUSTIN, ALL OF THOSE GROUPS WHO WORK TOGETHER WITH US TO MAKE THE BUSINESS CASE FOR THIS ROUTE, THEN WE GET THEM ON THE GROUND.
WE HAVE TO CONTINUE THAT WORK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CONTINUE TO KEEP THOSE ROUTES.
I'LL REALLY BRIEFLY JUST SHOW, THIS IS OUR, IS OUR MAP HERE, BUT I THINK THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT TODAY, AND WE'RE GONNA RUN THROUGH THIS VERY QUICKLY AND THEN I'LL SEE IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS AND, AND ANYTHING THAT I CAN ANSWER IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT THE FUTURE OF AUSTIN.
I THINK IT'S NO SURPRISE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE ALMOST ANYTHING IN AUSTIN, IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE BURSTING AT THE SEAMS. AND I THINK IF YOU ALL HAVE BEEN IN THE AIRPORT LATELY, IT JUST FEELS TIGHTER, RIGHT? IT JUST FEELS A LITTLE BIT MORE CRAMPED THAN IT HAS IN THE PAST.
AND THAT'S, FRANKLY, BACK TO THAT, WE'RE DOING 22 MILLION PASSENGERS OUT OF A FACILITY THAT'S DESIGNED FOR 15.
SO WE HAVE TO LOOK AT BOTH SHORT, MEDIUM, AND LONG TERM WAYS THAT WE CAN INCREASE THE FOOTPRINT OF THE AIRPORT, INCREASE THE CAPACITY OF THE AIRPORT, INCREASE THE SUPPORT SERVICES OF THE AIRPORT.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING NOW IS ALL OF THE PARTS OF OUR AIRPORT EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM, THE COLORS FOR EACH PROJECT THAT ARE HIGHLIGHTED ARE WHERE THEY ARE IN TERMS OF THE PHASING, THE THINGS IN GRAY.
SO THE BARBARA JORDAN TERMINAL, THE RENTAL CAR FACILITY, THE BLUE GARAGE, THOSE ARE THE CURRENT FACILITIES WE HAVE ON THE GROUND.
NOW, ANYTHING THAT'S IN WHITE ON THE MAP IS A NEW AND OR RENOVATED FACILITY.
AND THEN THE LABEL WILL KIND OF TRANSLATE TO WHERE THEY ARE NOW.
SO IT QUICKLY, IN A, IN THIS PROCESS WE DECIDE, HEY, WE NEED THIS FACILITY.
LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE, WHERE WE COULD PUT IT.
AND THEN WE GO WHERE, AGAIN, A CITY OF AUSTIN DEPARTMENT, WE SAY WE NEED SOMEBODY TO DESIGN AND OR BUILD THIS FACILITY.
THAT GOES TO OUR AIRPORT ADVISORY COMMISSION, WHICH IS HAPPENING, HAPPENING SUBSEQUENTLY.
UH, RIGHT NOW, THEY MEET RIGHT ALONGSIDE YOU GUYS.
SO, AGAIN, APOLOGIES THAT, UH, WE DON'T HAVE MORE STAFF HERE TO TALK TO YOU TODAY, BUT THAT'S GOING ON.
UH, SIMULTANEOUSLY, WE GO TO PROCUREMENT, THEN WE GO TO CITY COUNCIL, THEN WE BEGIN THE DESIGN.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY, ONCE THE DESIGN IS FINISHED, WE BUILD AND THEN WE CUT THE RIBBON.
SO ALL OF THESE FACILITIES THAT YOU SEE IN PURPLE, THEY'RE UNDER CONSTRUCTION TODAY.
UH, SOME OF THESE FACILITIES, THE INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL IMPROVEMENTS, THAT PROJECT WILL BE DONE WITHIN THE MONTH.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BRINGING ON SOME REALLY NEAR TERM IMPROVEMENTS WHILE WE STILL WORK ON SOME OF THE MORE LONGER TERM IMPROVEMENTS.
BUT WHAT I, I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO STRESS TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE IS THAT WE CANNOT DO THIS ALL AT ONCE.
THERE HAS TO BE A SEQUENCE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BE REMOVING FACILITIES, ALTERING FACILITIES, AND WE CANNOT DO THAT.
THIS IS VERY MUCH LIKE A GAME OF JENGA.
WE'RE PULLING ONE PIECE OUT TO PUT A BIGGER PIECE, BETTER PIECE ON TOP.
BUT IF YOU PULLED OUT ALL THOSE PIECES AT ONCE, IT WOULD KIND OF COLLAPSE.
SO WE HAVE TO DO THIS IN A SEQUENCE.
OF COURSE, WE WOULD LOVE TO PUT MORE GATES ON THE GROUND RIGHT NOW TODAY.
OUR AIRLINE PARTNERS WOULD ALSO LOVE THAT, OF COURSE.
BUT THAT IS REALLY NOT POSSIBLE.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING THAT GOES ALONG WITH YOUR JOURNEY AS A PASSENGER BE UPGRADED BEFORE WE CAN JUST PUT GATES ON THE GROUND.
AND THE SECOND THING I THINK TO NOTE IS IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THE INDUSTRY, YOU KNOW, OTHER AIRPORTS HAVE OPENED EXPANSIONS OR NEW FACILITIES.
NEW ORLEANS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE.
KANSAS CITY, WHERE ONE DAY YOU WERE IN THE OLD FACILITY AND THEN THEY BUILT THE OTHER ONE ALONGSIDE OF IT, AND THEN THE NEXT DAY YOU WERE IN THE NEW FACILITY.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE.
WE'RE BUILDING ON TOP OF THE CURRENT FACILITY.
THAT'S THE ONLY OPTION WE HAVE.
SO WE ARE GONNA BE DOING CONSTRUCTION WHILE WE'RE OPERATING AT MAX CAPACITY.
SO, REALLY QUICKLY, YOU KNOW, SOME SHORT-TERM PROJECTS THAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT.
THIS ONE, I THINK OUR AIRLINE PARTNERS ARE PROBABLY THE MOST EXCITED ABOUT.
IT'S SOMETHING THE PUBLIC WILL NEVER SEE.
IT'S WHAT TAKES YOUR BAGS FROM WHEN YOU CHECK THEM WITH AN AIRLINE OUT TO THE PLANE.
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TO DO THAT WAS 25 YEARS OLD.YES, THAT PHASE IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE ABILITY, ULTIMATELY WHEN PHASE TWO IS COMPLETED, NEXT YEAR, WE'LL HAVE THE ABILITY TO REALLY SUBSTANTIALLY UPGRADE THE NUMBER OF BAGS THAT WE CAN PROCESS.
RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 1600 BAGS AN HOUR.
SO THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE FOR US.
UM, THE WESTGATE EXPANSION FOR US IS VERY EXCITING.
UM, ON THE END OF THE TERMINAL, YOU CAN PROBABLY SEE IT NOW, IF YOU DRIVE TO THE AIRPORT, THERE IS A, A, A CRANE OVERHEAD.
THEY'RE FINISHING OUT THE BUILDING TO CLOSE IT IN.
NOW, UM, THIS IS A THREE GATE ADDITION.
I'M GONNA REMIND YOU ABOUT THESE THREE GATES WITH ANOTHER PROJECT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT THIS IS ON THE VERY WEST END OF THE TERMINAL.
WE'LL ALSO ADD SOME ADDITIONAL AMENITIES.
WE'VE SEEN A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PASSENGERS CONNECTING OVER AUSTIN.
WE HAVE MULTIPLE AIRLINES CONNECTING PASSENGERS OVER AUSTIN.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN HERE IS SOME FACILITIES THAT ARE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED FOR THOSE CONNECTING PASSENGERS.
QUIET ROOMS, PLAY SCAPES, PET RELIEF, UM, LARGER, YOU KNOW, HOLD ROOMS. THOSE ARE THE PLACES WHERE YOU WAIT FOR A FLIGHT.
AND THEN ADDITIONAL CONCESSIONS, A LOUNGE AND A PUBLIC TERRACE AS WELL.
THIS ON THE BOTTOM LEVEL WILL HAVE THAT EXPANSION TO THE BAGGAGE FACILITY.
THE OUTBOUND BAGGAGE HANDLING SYSTEM, THAT'S WHERE IT'LL BE HOUSED ON THE CONCOURSE LEVEL FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC.
TSA QUEUING AND SCREENING AREA, SIX TO EIGHT NEW LANES.
AND THEN ADDITIONAL TICKET COUNTERS.
AGAIN, AT THE BOTTOM IS KIND OF WHEN WE ANTICIPATE THESE PROJECTS TO BE COMPLETE.
SO JUST NEXT YEAR FOR THIS PROJECT.
THIS ONE IS THE ONE I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY.
WE'RE, WE'RE EXCITED THAT THIS SHOULD BE COMPLETED WITHIN A MONTH.
SO RIGHT NOW, WHEN YOU ARRIVE IN AUSTIN INTERNATIONALLY, YOU ACTUALLY PICK UP YOUR BAGS FIRST AND THEN GO THROUGH CUSTOMS AND BORDER PROTECTION.
THAT'S NOT HOW IT'S DONE IN MOST AIRPORTS.
WE'RE FLIPPING THAT PROCESS NOW, ADDING ADDITIONAL QUEUING SPACE.
WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IS CURRENT STATE WILL PULL THAT BAGGAGE CLAIM OUT, UM, THAT BAGGAGE CAROUSEL OUT, AND THEN YOU'LL HAVE ADDITIONAL QUEUING SPACE, AND THEN A NEW PLACE FOR YOU TO PICK UP INTERNATIONAL BAGS.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS READY FOR SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON.
WE'RE JUST KICKING OFF THIS PROJECT NOW.
THIS IS ONE THAT WE WILL START HERE SHORTLY.
THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FIRST SIGN TO THE PUBLIC THAT THE AIRPORT IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THIS IS GOING TO BE THE FLOORING IN OF THAT OPEN SPACE OVER THE BAGGAGE CLAIM AREA.
YOU CAN SEE IT IN THAT FIRST PHOTO.
THE RENDERINGS ARE THE BOTTOM TWO PHOTOS, BUT THIS IS KIND OF THE FIRST ONE THAT'S GONNA REALLY CREEP INTO THE PASSENGER EXPERIENCE IN A WAY THAT'S GONNA BE VISIBLE.
AND, AND ALSO YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HEAR THE CONSTRUCTION.
LARGELY, WE'LL BE DOING THIS CONSTRUCTION OVERNIGHT.
BUT AGAIN, WE WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THIS IS THE START OF WORK THAT'S GOING TO BE IMPACTFUL ON THEIR EXPERIENCE.
WE, YOU KNOW, WANT THE PUBLIC TO, TO PACK THEIR PATIENTS OR WHATEVER WE CAN SAY ABOUT THIS.
AND ALSO ARRIVE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER BECAUSE THESE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE GONNA IMPACT, YOU KNOW, TRAVEL TIMES, COMMUTE TIMES, THE, THE PROCESS FOR GETTING YOU AROUND THE AIRPORT.
AND AGAIN, THAT PROJECT WILL BE COMPLETED IN 2026.
UM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONALLY, BEYOND JUST THE SHORT TERM IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'RE, WE TALKED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE MAXIMIZING SPACE IN THE CURRENT FOOTPRINT, WE ALSO HAVE TO BUILD SUPPORT SERVICES THAT, YOU KNOW, HELP THE AIRPORT.
SO THE FIRST ONE HERE I'M GONNA TALK ABOUT IS OUR MIDFIELD.
THIS IS A MILE, UH, OF TAXIWAY, TWO OF THEM.
SO TWO MILES ULTIMATELY, UH, OF TAXIWAYS.
THIS IS THE EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY.
SO WHEN THEY NEED TO GET FROM ONE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT TO THE OTHER, THIS IS THAT FACILITY.
I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT THESE ARE NOT, ALTHOUGH WE'RE CALLING THEM A HIGHWAY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE MUCH MORE COMPLEX, UH, AND MUCH MORE EXPENSIVE THAN HIGHWAY MILES.
UM, WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT TWO MILES IN A VERY, UH, UH, EXPENSIVE PROJECT.
'CAUSE THEY HAVE HIGH VOLTAGE LIGHTING THAT, YOU KNOW, ALL, ALL THE THINGS THAT COME ALONG WITH THIS.
BUT THIS IS, UH, A KEY PROJECT FOR US BECAUSE SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA SEE IN A MOMENT, OUR CONCOURSE B THE ADDITION OF THE AIRPORT IS GONNA BE BUILT ON OUR CURRENT MIDFIELD TAXIWAYS.
SO BEFORE WE CAN BEGIN THAT WORK IN EARNEST, WE NEED TO HAVE, WE NEED TO PRESERVE OUR MIDFIELD TAXIWAYS.
WE CAN'T JUST CUT OFF EAST QUEST CONNECTIVITY ON THE AIRPORT.
SO THIS PROJECT ENABLES US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH ANOTHER PROJECT.
THAT JENGA IDEA, AGAIN, YELLOW PARKING GARAGE.
WE BROKE GROUND UP A LITTLE OVER A MONTH AGO ON THIS PROJECT.
THIS IS AN ADDITIONAL 7,000 SPACES IN A, IN A PARKING GARAGE.
BUT WE ARE GONNA LOSE SOME PARKING SPACES.
WE'RE GOING TO REMOVE THE RED GARAGE.
A FUTURE PROJECT ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE HALL WILL BE PLACED AT THE CURRENT RED GARAGE SITE.
SO AGAIN, THIS IDEA THAT WE CAN'T JUST TAKE OFF PARKING SPACES AND NOT REPLACE THEM WITH ANYTHING, THIS IS THAT REPLACEMENT FOR THOSE PARKING SPACES.
WE'RE GONNA DO A REALLY INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO DELIVERING THIS PROJECT.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DELIVER HALF THE PARKING GARAGE AND OPEN IT, AND THEN DELIVER THE OTHER HALF AT A SUBSEQUENT DATE.
SO WE'LL BUILD IT VERTICALLY, HALF OF IT, OPEN IT, BUILD THE OTHER HALF SO THAT WE CAN MORE QUICKLY MOVE ON TO OTHER PROJECTS.
I'M GONNA GLOSS OVER THESE A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE HAVE A CENTRAL UTILITY
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PLANT, BUT WE'RE MORE THAN DOUBLING THE PASSENGER AREA IN, IN THE AIRPORT.ULTIMATELY, WITH THIS BUILD OUT, WE'RE ALSO DOUBLING THE SUPPORT SERVICE AREA IN THE AIRPORT.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A CENTRAL UTILITY PLANT THAT CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT.
OURS THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE DO NOT, CANNOT DO THAT.
AND SO WE HAVE TO IMPROVE THE, THE CENTURY UTILITY PLANT AND ALSO 25 YEARS OF INNOVATION TO BE MORE EFFICIENT.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER PIECE OF THE PROJECT ALONG WITH UPGRADING THE UTILITIES CAMPUS WIDE.
LAST IN THE KIND OF ENABLING WORK IS OUR TEMPORARY HOLD ROOM FACILITY.
THIS IS, UM, A SATELLITE CONCOURSE.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU SEE, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER FA UH, FACILITIES, YOU KNOW, ALSO IN EUROPE, BUSING OPERATIONS.
UM, THIS WILL GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF A RELIEF.
SO SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS, YOU KNOW, PRETTY RELEVANT TO THIS BODY HERE IS THAT UNLIKE OTHER AIRPORTS, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY SEE THE REALLY BIG GROWTH AROUND THE HOLIDAYS, THE SUMMER TIMEFRAME, THAT IS NOT WHAT WE HAVE AT AUSTIN.
REALLY, WE'RE AROUND THE PEAK TOURISM SEASONS FOR AUSTIN THAT OCTOBER AND MARCH, YOU KNOW, TO HIGHLIGHT THAT, UM, SOUTHWEST AIRLINES HAS LOADED THEIR BUSIEST EVER SCHEDULE FOR AUSTIN FOR OCTOBER OF THIS COMING YEAR.
YOU KNOW, SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT AUSTIN AS A MARKET FOR TOURISM, IT REALLY DOES FOLLOW THOSE CYCLES OF THE BIG EVENTS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE AS MUCH ABILITY TO BREATHE AND CONTRACT WITH THOSE CYCLES.
AND SO THIS FACILITY WILL HELP US.
ADDITIONALLY, WE TAKE IN A LOT OF DIVERSIONS IN AUSTIN.
THOSE ARE AIRCRAFT THAT ARE BOUND FOR ANOTHER COMMUNITY, ANOTHER AIRPORT THAT THEN IT LAND HERE.
THAT MAKES SENSE, RIGHT? THE PROXIMITY TO DFW IN HOUSTON, AND THEN THE VOLATILE WEATHER THAT WE EXPERIENCE IN CENTRAL TEXAS.
WE ARE WORKING AT MAX CAPACITY, MAX HEART RATE.
ESSENTIALLY WE'RE, UH, YOU KNOW, A TRIATHLETE GOING FULL.
AND THEN WE ADD AN ADDITIONAL STRESSOR THAT REALLY PUTS A WRENCH IN OUR OPERATIONS.
SO THAT ABILITY TO HAVE THAT RELIEVER, THAT PRESSURE RELIEF VALVE WITH A FACILITY LIKE THIS IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL.
LET'S GET INTO THE BIG TICKET ITEMS. NOW.
OUR LONG-TERM EXPANSION PROJECTS, THESE ARE THE TWO THAT I THINK, YOU KNOW, GARNER THE MOST INTEREST.
UM, THE FIRST IS THE CONCOURSE AND TUNNEL.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A MINIMUM OF 20 GATES IN A MIDFIELD CONCOURSE.
AGAIN, AS YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IT'S OVER OUR MIDFIELD TAXIWAYS THAT WE HAVE TODAY.
THIS WILL BE CONNECTED TO THE CURRENT BARBARA JORDAN TERMINAL THAT WILL BECOME CONCOURSE A, UH, VIA AN UNDERGROUND TUNNEL.
AND AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, WE PUT A PIN IN THAT THREE GATE WEST EXPANSION.
WE HAVE TO BUILD AN INTERFACE.
THAT MEANS BRINGING PEOPLE DOWN TO THE TUNNEL VIA, YOU KNOW, ESCALATORS, ELEVATORS, THERE'LL BE CONCESSIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WILL REQUIRE US TO REMOVE THREE GATES FROM THE CENTER OF THE BARBER JORDAN TERMINAL.
SO THAT WESTGATE EXPANSION REALLY ONLY MAKES US WHOLE.
IT'S NOT A NET GAIN OF THREE, IT'S JUST TO KEEP US WHOLE AS WE BUILD OUT TO THE ULTIMATE FINISHING OF CONCOURSE B.
UM, THIS IS, AS YOU CAN SEE, IT'S KIND OF ONLY THE LEFT ARM ON, ON THE PICTURE BEING BUILT.
WE CAN BUILD A RIGHT ARM, SO UP TO 40 GATES FOR A CONCOURSE B.
UM, WE'VE, WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS RIGHT NOW WITH OUR AIRLINE PARTNERS THAT, YOU KNOW, 20 GATES IS WHERE WE'RE AT NOW, BUT THAT NUMBER CAN GO UP IF THEY TELL US THEY THINK THEY NEED MORE.
AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS WILL LOOK LIKE CENTRAL TEXAS.
THIS WILL CONTINUE THE EMPHASIS ON LOCAL CONCESSIONS, LOCAL FOOD PRODUCTS, PUBLIC ART, MUSIC, ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU'VE COME TO KNOW AND LOVE ABOUT, ABOUT AUSTIN.
LAST IS THE ARRIVAL IN DEPARTURE HALL.
THIS IS A NEW FRONT DOOR TO THE AIRPORT.
AGAIN, THIS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED ON THE CURRENT FOOTPRINT OF THE RED GARAGE.
THIS IS AN UPDATED FACILITY FOR TICKETING.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, OUR FACILITY WAS BUILT IN 1999.
HARD TO IMAGINE KIOSKS BACK THEN IS A WAY FOR YOU TO CHECK IN.
HARD TO IMAGINE YOU'D SKIP A TICKET COUNTER BACK THEN YOU HAD TO GO SEE SOMEONE, YOU KNOW, TO CHECK IN.
YOU COULDN'T PRINT YOUR BOARDING PASS AT HOME.
THIS FACILITY WILL REALLY MODERNIZE HOW, YOU KNOW, WE, YOU AND THE TRAVELER INTERACT WITH, YOU KNOW, WHETHER YOU NEED TO GO TO THE TICKET COUNTER THROUGH A KIOSK OR JUST BYPASS IT ALL TOGETHER, ADDITIONAL, UH, DROP OFF CURBSIDE AS WELL.
YOU SEE THEIR PICTURE THREE DROP OFF AND PICK UP AREAS AS WELL, AS OPPOSED TO, TO WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND, AND AN EXTENSION OF THAT DROP OFF AREA AND PICKUP AREA FOR EACH OF THEM AS WELL.
THERE'LL BE LARGER THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY.
AND THEN DOMESTIC BAGGAGE CLAIM IN THE LOWER, UH, SIDE.
THE ARRIVAL SIDE OF THIS PROJECT, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, FOR US ALL IN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A PROJECT OF APPROXIMATELY $4 BILLION.
WE ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY FULLY THROUGH COUNCIL.
WE HAVE ONE MORE ITEM OUT FOR PROCUREMENT, BUT WE'VE GONE THROUGH COUNCIL FOR ALL OF THESE.
OUR DESIGNERS AND OUR CONSTRUCTION MANAGERS AT RISK ARE ON BOARD.
SO NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF SUPPORTING THEM, GETTING THE WORKFORCE UP AND GOING TO SUPPORT THESE BUILD OUTS AND, AND THEIR PROJECTS.
AND, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD WITH OUR AIRLINES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE A
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CONSENSUS ON HOW MUCH, YOU KNOW, THEIR FUTURE PLANS HAVE WITH AUSTIN.MAKING SURE THAT WE DON'T OVERBUILD AND UNDER BUILD.
WE DON'T WANNA BE BACK HERE AGAIN, RIGHT? WE DON'T WANT TO BE IN THE SITUATION WHERE WE BUILT 20 GATES AND THEY GO, WE SHOULD HAVE DONE, YOU KNOW, THIS NUMBER.
SO WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM NOW TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WORK ON THEIR FUTURE PLANS, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, APPROPRIATELY MEETING THE DEMAND FOR AUSTIN, FOR TRAVEL, BOTH INBOUND AND OUTBOUND.
AND I'LL STOP THERE AND SEE IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS, BUT JUST QUICKLY TO SAY THANK YOU AGAIN FOR HAVING US.
THANK YOU FOR HAVING US AT SUCH AN APPROPRIATE TIME AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION ON THIS.
THANK YOU MR. VINCENT VENGO, WE APPRECIATE YOUR, UM, PRESENTATION THIS AFTERNOON.
COMMISSIONERS, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? COMMISSIONER SHANNON.
UM, AS PART OF THIS WHOLE REDESIGN AND RECONSTRUCTION, IS THERE ANYTHING BEING DONE TO, UH, RECONFIGURE THE UBER, UM, AND LYFT PICK UP? YEAH.
SO I THINK, UM, YEAH, WHAT WE HEAR, UH, SO ONE OF MY ROLES IS TO GO OUT TO THE PUBLIC AND GIVE THIS SOME VERSION OF THIS PRESENTATION EVERY DAY.
I JUST CAME FROM THE HUDDLE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
I THINK WHAT WE HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC, UH, IS THAT THE, UH, TRIP TO OUR RIDE APP PICKUP AREA IS NOT IDEAL.
IT'S THROUGH A PARKING GARAGE.
UM, WHAT I CAN SAY AT THE MOMENT IS WE'RE UNDER DESIGN AND HOW THAT WILL LOOK IN THE FUTURE.
WE'RE NOT READY TO SAY WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE, UH, IN THE FUTURE, BUT WHAT WE CAN SAY IS THAT IF IT REMAINS IN THE SAME PLACE WITH US MOVING THE FRONT DOOR OF THE AIRPORT OUT, IT WILL LARGELY BE A MUCH SHORTER WALK.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TODAY YOU WALK THROUGH THE RED GARAGE, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT BRING UBER AND LYFT AND THE OTHER, YOU KNOW, TAXIS AND RIDESHARES CLOSER TO YOU.
WE'RE GONNA BRING YOU CLOSER TO THEM.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW IN THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR THE ARRIVAL IN DEPARTURE HALL, WHETHER THAT CAN BE CURBSIDE OR NOT, WHETHER IT HAS TO REMAIN IN THE CURRENT FACILITY.
BUT WHAT I'LL SAY IS, ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE HAD TO MOVE IT OFF, YOU KNOW, THE CURBSIDE IS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 30 TO 40% OF THE TRIPS ON THE ARRIVAL LEVEL WERE RIDESHARE PICKUP.
SO OVERNIGHT WHEN WE MOVED THAT WE LESSENED THE TRAFFIC 30 TO 40%, UM, FOR PEOPLE PICKING UP FAMILY AND FRIENDS.
SO THAT'S WHAT NECESSITATED THAT MOVE.
WE THINK IN THE FUTURE, THE, YOU KNOW, WHETHER THE CONNECTION IS IN THE GARAGE OR CURBSIDE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A MUCH BETTER EXPERIENCE ONCE WE'RE COMPLETED WITH, WITH THIS A A DP WITH THE AIRPORT EXPANSION AND DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION IS, UM, HOW ALL THESE PROJECTS THAT YOU JUST WENT OVER, WHAT'S LIKE THE SCHEDULE, THINKING OF WHEN THEY'LL BE COMPLETED? E EVERYTHING? YEAH, SO I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL, IN EVERYTHING THAT I'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY.
WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE EARLY 2030S TO BE COMPLETE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL INTO DE THE DESIGN PHASE NOW, UH, OF SOME OF OUR KEY PROJECTS.
MORE SPECIFICALLY ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE, DEPARTURE AND CONCOURSE B.
UM, SO NOT KNOWING THE SIZE AND SCOPE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT READY TO TIE A FINAL END DATE TO THAT, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EARLY 2030S.
BUT AGAIN, MANY OF THESE PIECES, ALL THE SHORT TERM PIECES THAT I TALKED ABOUT, THOSE FIVE OR SIX PROJECTS THERE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BEING COMPLETED BY THE END OF NEXT YEAR.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE AT LEAST INCREMENTAL PROGRESS ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
AGAIN, THE INTERNATIONAL ARRIVAL PROJECT WILL BE DONE THIS MONTH.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PROJECTS COMING ONLINE VERY SOON, BUT ULTIMATELY, UH, THE FULL BUILD OUT OF THE PROGRAM INTO THE EARLY 2030S.
ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER CHAPO, UH, MR. MINGO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING AND TALKING TO US TODAY.
I APPRECIATE YOUR, YOUR ENERGY AND YOUR INSIGHT, UM, AND PARTICULARLY YOUR LENS AS YOU WENT THROUGH THESE PROJECTS.
I THINK THE AIRPORT HAS DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB OF, JUST FROM A MANAGEMENT PERSPECTIVE OPERATIONALLY AS WELL AS REPRESENTING AUSTIN.
UM, YOU INSTANTLY KNOW, AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT LIKE, I LIKE WHEN I COME HOME, RIGHT? THAT FEELING, GOING BACK TO THE RIDE SHARE WALK, THOUGH, AS MUCH AS I LOVE TO SHOVE MY SUITCASE INTO THAT GOLF CART,
HAVE THERE BEEN CONVERSATIONS ABOUT USING A DIFFERENT VEHICLE TO UTILIZE BAGS AND PEOPLE TO KIND OF MOVE THEM AROUND BEING THE FRONT PORCH PORCH OF AUSTIN? YEAH, I THINK YOUR RIDESHARE EXPERIENCE OR TAXI EXPERIENCE LESSONS YOUR JOY.
I'M NOT AS PRIVY TO THE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THE, UH, INTERIM STATE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, NOW AND, AND 2030.
I'LL HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS WITH THE REMOVAL OF THE RED GARAGE, IT WILL NECESSITATE US RETHINKING THAT CONNECTION BETWEEN THE ARRIVAL LEVEL AND THE WHAT IS ESSENTIALLY THE FIRST FLOOR OF THE CONSOLIDATED RENTAL CAR FACILITY TODAY.
[01:15:01]
SITUATION, THE TRAM GOES THROUGH THE RED GARAGE AT SOME POINT, THAT'S GONNA BE A CONSTRUCTION SITE.SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RETHINK HOW WE DO THAT.
UM, I'M NOT AWARE OF WHAT WE'VE THOUGHT ABOUT OR TALKED ABOUT AT THE MOMENT AS TO WHAT THAT'LL LOOK LIKE IN THE INTERIM STATE.
SO I'M GONNA HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE.
BUT IT, IT WILL HAVE TO BE RETHOUGHT BECAUSE OF THE RED GARAGE GOING AWAY.
AND I THINK MY COMMENT IS MORE ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH WE'RE FACILITATING PEOPLE IN THE GOLF CART WITH THEIR BAGS, AND IT JUST, I DON'T, I'VE USED IT A COUPLE TIMES AND IT'S A TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE BECAUSE YOU JUST DON'T FIT AND YOUR BAGS DON'T FIT.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, UM, THE DELAYS INSIDE THE AIRPORT OR YOU JUST HERE TO TALK STRICTLY AROUND? UM, YEAH, I THINK FACILITIES, YEAH, I MEAN I, 'CAUSE IT'S, IT'S GREAT THAT RIGHT, WE'RE SO BUSY, BUT WE'RE ALSO EXPERIENCING CONSISTENT TWO HOUR PLUS DELAYS ON THE BACKEND FOR PASSENGERS.
AND SO I JUST WONDER IF YOU COULD TALK A MINUTE ABOUT THAT.
UH, ARE WE TALKING FROM THE FLIGHT PERSPECTIVE? YEAH.
SO I THINK THERE'S A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE IMPACTED.
YOU KNOW, NUMBER ONE, AS I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, THE FACILITY IS STRESSED.
UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A FACILITY THAT WAS DESIGNED FOR 15 MILLION PASSENGERS DOING 22 MILLION PASSENGERS.
AND SO WHEN YOU HAVE A DELAY FROM ONE AIRCRAFT, THAT DOES TEND TO DOMINO EFFECT.
AND, AND SO THE BEST THING THAT WE CAN OFFER AND WHAT WE WORK REALLY HARD IS TO DO, UH, YOU KNOW, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY.
BUT ULTIMATELY THE AIRLINES ARE THE ONE WHO SCHEDULE THE FLIGHTS, YOU KNOW, TALK ABOUT UTILIZE GATE UTILIZATION, THAT'S WITH THEM.
BUT WE CAN DO IS PROVIDE A FACILITY THAT MORE ADEQUATELY FILLS THE NEEDS THAT THE AIRLINES HAVE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, UM, AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE MENTIONED THAT TEMPORARY HOLDER ROOM FACILITY, UH, THAT'S A BIG PART OF, YOU KNOW, THAT BREATHING, THAT GIVING US THAT SPACE FOR WHEN WE HAVE A FLIGHT THAT'S ON A GATE THAT'S MULTIPLE HOUR DELAYED, THAT WE WILL HAVE A FACILITY TO BE A RELIEVER.
THAT THEY DON'T SIT OUT, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO WAIT FOR ANOTHER GATE TO BECOME OPEN.
YOU KNOW, WHAT I THINK WE ARE EXCITED ABOUT AND WHAT THIS IS A GOOD SIGNAL IS THAT THEY WANT TO CONTINUE INVESTING AND KEEP MAKING INVESTMENTS IN PUTTING ROUTES INTO AUSTIN.
I THINK THAT'S A GREAT THING FOR US.
WE, YOU KNOW, WE OBVIOUSLY WISH ALL OF THESE PROJECTS COULD BE DONE TOMORROW, AND THAT WOULD MAKE THE SITUATION BOTH FOR TRAVELERS AND FOR THE AIRLINES MUCH EASIER.
BUT FOR US, WHAT WE CAN DO IS DO EVERYTHING WE CAN IN THE INTERIM TO, TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR OPERATIONS ARE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.
I THINK IT, IT'S NO SURPRISE TO ANYONE HERE, THE AIRPORT IS, UH, YOU KNOW, IN CHARGE OF OPERATING THE BUILDING, BUT WE HAVE DOZENS, IF NOT HUNDREDS OF BUSINESS LINES OPERATING IN THE AIRPORT AT ONE GIVEN TIME.
SO MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE THE NEEDS OF ALL OF THOSE IN MIND IS IMPORTANT FOR US AND A BIG PART OF WHAT WE DO DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
I THINK FOR US, THE GOAL IS TO BRING ON THOSE SHORT-TERM PROJECTS THAT WILL GIVE SOME TEMPORARY RELIEF TO WHERE WE CAN THEN GO OUT TO, TO SOME OF THE LONG-TERM PROJECTS.
BUT FOR US, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE, THE DELAYS THAT WE'RE EXPERIENCING ARE, ARE BOTH A, A NEGATIVE, UH, FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF HAVING, UH, AN AN AIRPORT THAT'S POPULAR AND PEOPLE WANT TO COME AND THAT'S A NEG THAT'S A POSITIVE, BUT THE NEGATIVE IS OUR FACILITIES LAG BEHIND WHAT THE AIRLINES WOULD LIKE TO OPERATE OUT OF BOSTON.
NO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE CLARIFICATION AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME TODAY.
GOD CONTINUE THE EXCELLENT WORK.
COMMISSIONER CHAPPEL, NO QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? I HAVE A COUPLE.
UM, WE JUST SAW A PRESENTATION WITH REGARD TO FUTURE LIGHT RAIL HERE IN AUSTIN WITH THE PREFERENCE TO AN INITIAL EXPANSION OF A LIGHT RAIL TO THE AIRPORT.
CAN YOU PROVIDE ANY CONTEXT AS TO WHERE THE EXPANSION WOULD INTERSECT, UH, THE NEW FACILITY AND THE FACILITY ENHANCEMENTS? AND CONSIDERING THAT THIS IS GOING ONLINE, UH, RATHER YOUR IMPROVEMENTS ARE, ARE GONNA BE COMPLETED IN THE EARLY 2030S, YOU SAY THAT'S ALSO THE SAME TIME THAT, UM, THE LIGHT RAIL INTENDS TO OPEN WITH A TP.
SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT, IF ANY CONVERSATIONS HAVE BEEN HAD IN TERMS OF COORDINATING CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION TIMELINES, BUDGETS, PLANNING TO ENSURE THAT TAXPAYERS ARE SAVING AS MUCH MONEY AS POSSIBLE? YEAH, I THINK WE CAN, I'M SORRY TO ASK THIS.
DO YOU MIND BRINGING BACK UP MY PRESENTATION? UM, THERE, I THINK IT'S VISUALLY, UH, I CAN SHOW IT A LITTLE BIT MORE BETTER OR VISUALLY.
BUT LET ME FIRST START WITH THE, THE KEY PART WE'RE, WE'RE ACTIVELY COORDINATING WITH THE FOLKS AT, AT, AT PROJECT CONNECT AND, AND AND AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR, IT'S NOT JUST HERE, IT'S EVERYWHERE.
THIS IS, UH, AN IMPORTANT PART OF TOURISM, BUT IT'S ALSO A WORKFORCE, YOU KNOW, ISSUE.
FOR US, THERE ARE MORE THAN 7,000 PEOPLE WHO WORK AT THE AIRPORT.
SO AS WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AS A TP TALKED ABOUT EARLIER,
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A A A WORKFORCE SITUATION, THIS IS ALSO ONE FOR US AT THE AIRPORT.UM, AND, AND FOR US, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IN OUR COORDINATION WITH, WITH PROJECT TIMELINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT IS HOW DO WE MAKE SURE THAT WE PRESERVE APPROPRIATE RIGHT OF WAY AND ALSO PRESERVE A SPACE THAT'S GONNA LOOK WORK FOR A, A FUTURE EXTENSION ONTO OUR CAMPUS.
IT'S A LITTLE HARD TO SEE 'CAUSE IT'S ACTUALLY ALMOST PERFECT ON MY SCREEN, THE BIG SCREEN HERE LOOKING.
BUT THAT, THAT STRIP OF LAND RUNNING RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE THERE, UM, WHERE IT'S BETWEEN THE YELLOW GARAGE AND THEN THE BLUE GARAGE AND THE RENTAL CAR FACILITY, YOU CAN SEE THERE'S THAT UNDEVELOPED STRIP RIGHT DOWN THE CENTER THERE.
THAT'S THE RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE'VE PRESERVED FOR, FOR PROJECT CONNECT AND THE ULTIMATE CONNECTION ON TO OUR CAMPUS.
UM, ULTIMATELY COMING TO THE FUTURE FRONT DOOR, ALMOST DIRECTLY TO THE FUTURE FRONT DOOR OF THE AIRPORT, WE'VE PRESERVED A ROUTE THAT IS, UH, MAXIMUM EFFICIENCY, THE SHORTEST DISTANCE TO GET FROM, YOU KNOW, ONTO OUR CAMPUS.
TO THAT POINT, A VERY SHORT CONNECTION.
YOU WOULD HAVE A VERY SIMILAR CONNECTION TO SOMEONE WHO WAS DROPPING OFF A RENTAL CAR AND OR PARKING IN THE BLUE GARAGE.
YOUR WALK WOULD BE EXTREMELY SIMILAR TO THOSE PASSENGERS.
SO WE'VE PRESERVED THAT RIGHT OF WAY, UH, FOR THE FUTURE WHEN PROJECT CONNECT IS READY TO BRING THAT PRIORITY EXTENSION ONTO OUR CAMPUS.
AND ANOTHER QUESTION I HAD IS IN REGARDS TO THE SOUTH TERMINAL, WHICH I DON'T BELIEVE YOUR PRESENTATION ADDRESS, I WANTED, IF YOU COULD, FOR THOSE THAT ARE NOT AWARE OF THE SOUTH TERMINAL, GIVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTION AND TALK ABOUT ITS PLANS AND HOW THEY INTERFACE WITH THESE IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, SO THE SOUTH TERMINAL IS CURRENTLY OPERATING WITH TWO LOW COST CARRIERS, ULTRA LOW COST CARRIERS IN THEM.
UH, ULTIMATELY THE FULL BUILD OUT OF THIS PROJECT WILL NECESSITATE US CLOSING THE SOUTH TERMINAL AND BRINGING THOSE ULTRA LOW COST CARRIERS INTO THE CURRENT BARBARA JORDAN TERMINAL WHERE THEY WILL BE FUTURE AT STATE IS STILL BEING DECIDED.
YOU KNOW, WE WILL HAVE AIRLINES MOVE AROUND WHEN WE BUILD OUT THE FULL SCOPE OF THIS PROJECT, BUT ULTIMATELY THE MIDFIELD CROSS TAXIWAYS, AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, THOSE UM, GO OVER THE FOOTPRINT OF THE SOUTH TERMINAL AND IT'LL NECESSITATE THE CLOSURE.
WE HAVE NOT DECIDED ON A CLOSURE DATE YET, BUT WE'LL OBVIOUSLY MAKE THE PUBLIC AWARE WHEN THAT IS IMMINENT.
UM, BUT AT THE MOMENT THAT IS, UH, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S COMING IN THE FUTURE, BUT NO DEFINITIVE DATE ON THAT AT THIS TIME.
DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG THE LEASES ARE FOR FRONTIER AND SPIRIT? UH, I CAN'T, YEAH, I CAN'T SPEAK TO THAT AT THIS TIME.
WE'RE UNDER NEGOTIATION WITH, WITH ALL OF THEM ABOUT A NEW USE AND LEASE AGREEMENT.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT AT THIS TIME WE CAN'T REALLY COMMENT ON.
WE'RE STILL DOING THAT WORK TODAY.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHAT I WANTED TO ASK WAS, UM, UH, I'M ORIGINALLY FROM PORTLAND, WHICH REDID ITS ENTIRE AIRPORT.
IT'S A BEAUTIFUL AND, UM, AIRPORT ONE THING AND TAKING MY MOM BACK 'CAUSE SHE JUST VISITED, UM, UH, TO THE, TO BERGSTROM BASICALLY WAS OUR INABILITY TO HAVE A MEAL OR A CUP OF WINE BEFORE SHE LEFT, RIGHT? SO WE, THERE'S NO SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO ACCOMPANY PEOPLE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR LOVED ONES TO THE AIRPORT OUTSIDE OF SECURITY.
WHICH IS WHAT PORTLAND HAS JUST CREATED.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO ANY POTENTIAL ENHANCEMENTS THAT THE AIRPORT THAT MIGHT ALLEVIATE THIS DESIGN ISSUE? YEAH, I, I THINK YOU'VE HIGHLIGHTED ONE OF THE DEFICIENCIES THAT WE'RE AWARE OF.
CURRENTLY, WE ONLY HAVE ONE CONCESSION ERROR ON THE NON-SECURE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT IN THE FRONT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS JUST BORN OUT OF A FACILITY AGAIN THAT IS DOING THINGS THAT IT WAS NEVER INTENDED A REMINDER, IT OPENED IN 1999.
THERE OBVIOUSLY WAS SECURITY, BUT WE'RE DOING THINGS IN A FACILITY THAT IT WAS NEVER INTENDED TO DO.
WHAT WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT IS THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE HALL, AND THAT PROVIDES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE MORE AMENITIES ON THE NON-SECURE SIDE OF THE AIRPORT.
SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED, COFFEE, A PLACE TO SIT, A, A DINING EXPERIENCE, ANY RE ADDITIONAL RETAIL SITTING, EVEN JUST REGULAR SEATING ON THE NON-SECURE SIDE.
WE DON'T HAVE A TON OF THAT ON EITHER LEVEL AT THE MOMENT.
WE DO BELIEVE WHAT IS SO EXCITING ABOUT THE ARRIVAL IN DEPARTURE HALL IS NOT JUST THE IMPROVED EFFICIENCY, INCREASED SPACE FOR WHAT WE'LL EXPERIENCE FOR OUR, YOU KNOW, CHECK-IN AND, AND BAGGAGE CLAIM, BUT ALSO THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'LL GET ON THE NON-SECURE SIDE WILL BE VASTLY IMPROVED OVER WHAT WE HAVE TODAY BECAUSE WE'LL JUST HAVE MORE SQUARE FOOTAGE TO ACCOMMODATE WHAT MOST PEOPLE EXPECT OUT OF AN AIRPORT ON AN NON, ON A NON-SECURE SIDE, WHEN PEOPLE SHOW UP, WHETHER IT'S A COUPLE HOURS EARLY
[01:25:01]
OR HAVE A LONG SIT, WE WANT TO HAVE FACILITIES THAT ACCOMMODATE THEM.AND AT THE MOMENT WE DON'T, BUT IN THE FUTURE, WE ARE THINKING ABOUT THE DESIGN OF THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE HALL THAT WILL ACCOMMODATE THAT.
SO IT SOUNDS LIKE THE DESIGN IS ACTUALLY QUITE PRELIMINARY AND YOU'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT DESIGN PROGRAM IMMINENTLY,
SO FOR, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS, IS UP ON THE SCREEN.
THE THINGS THAT ARE IN ORANGE, WE'RE IN DIFFERENT PHASES OF DESIGN.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST KICKED OFF DESIGN OF THE ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE HALL WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF MONTHS.
SO WE'RE STILL IN VERY EARLY STATES OF WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE, WHAT IT WILL INCLUDE.
BUT I THINK WHAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE IN SAYING IT'LL INCLUDE IS ADDITIONAL AMENITIES FOR PASSENGERS ON THE NON-SECURE SIDE MORE THAN WE HAVE TODAY.
UM, THAT IS DEFINITELY A PART OF OUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
AND I BELIEVE YOU MENTIONED THAT NOTHING IS BEING DEMOLISHED, UM, OF THE CURRENT FOOTPRINT OF BARBARA JORDAN.
IS THAT CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT.
AND, UM, I MENTIONED THIS BECAUSE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO MAY HAVE REMEMBER OR HAVE SEEN THE ORIGINAL AIRPORT, UM, I AM VERY SADDENED THAT THE ORIGINAL CONCOURSE DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE BECAUSE IT WAS BEAUTIFUL, LIKE MID-CENTURY MODERN.
UH, WE HAVE THE TOWER, BUT, UM, I MENTIONED THIS TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THE AIRPORT EXPANDS AND AS WE BUILD UPON, UH, THIS FACILITY, A LOT OF IT'S GOING TO BECOME HISTORIC.
AND SO I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND AND NOT, YOU KNOW, BUILD FACILITIES FOR 30 YEARS, BUT, YOU KNOW, FOR MUCH LONGER THEY CAN BE UPDATED OF COURSE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IMAGINE, UH, NATIONAL AIRPORT IF IT WASN'T BUILT SO BEAUTIFULLY IN THE THIRTIES, RIGHT? MIGHT'VE BEEN THE TWENTIES.
BUT I MEAN, THAT'S JUST SUCH A STATEMENT ABOUT WASHINGTON DC AND SO IF WE THINK MORE HOLISTICALLY, WHICH, UM, YOU KNOW, HAVEN'T SEEN THE DETAILS YET, BUT, UM, IT, IT SEEMS LIKE YOU ARE THINKING VERY STRATEGICALLY ABOUT THE AIRPORT AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
LIKEWISE, AND UNRELATEDLY SLASH RELATEDLY, WE NEED AMTRAK AND INCREASED TRAIN SERVICE AS WELL, AND A BETTER TRAIN, UH, EXPERIENCE HERE TO AUSTIN FOR OUR TOURISTS.
UM, THAT SAID, I ALSO WANTED TO, UM, BRIEFLY TOUCH UPON, UM, PUBLIC ART.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT'S BEEN IN THE NEWS RECENTLY.
AND, UM, IDEAS FOR ENGAGING BOTH NATIONAL, INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS, UM, AS WELL AS THOSE HERE FROM AUSTIN TO ACCOMPANY A LOT OF THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YEAH, SO, UM, JUST LIKE ANY CITY OF AUSTIN CAPITAL PROJECT, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THESE PIECES ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THAT OBVIOUSLY, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE, AND THE 2% WE ARE DOING THAT, WE'VE DONE AN OPEN CALL.
WE'VE HAD THREE DIFFERENT OPEN CALLS FOR ARTISTS FOR THE EXPANSION PIECES.
WE HAD A NATIONAL CALL, SO ARTISTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, WE DID THAT CALL AND ENCLOSED, THEN WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL ONE FOR STATE OF TEXAS ARTISTS FOR A SPECIFIC NEED AND THEN CLOSED.
AND THEN I BELIEVE WE ALSO JUST RECENTLY CLOSED THE LOCAL ARTIST CALL FOR OUR EXPANSION.
ALL OF THESE PIECES WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO DIFFERENT PARTS.
UM, BUT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR AIRPORT AND ONSITE IS, IS A PERSON, IS A TEAM DEDICATED TO, TO BOTH THE PERMANENT ART AND THE, THE ROTATING COLLECTION.
AND WE'LL WORK ON BRINGING THE SELECTIONS BACK.
THOSE WILL COME, YOU KNOW, IN IN FUTURE STATE AND, AND FUTURE DAYS TO SEE WHAT WE ULTIMATELY SELECT.
BUT WE DID DO, UH, BOTH A NATIONAL, A STATE AND A LOCAL CALL FOR, FOR PUBLIC ART FOR, UH, DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE FACILITY IN THE FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, I THINK ARRIVAL IN DEPARTURE HALL, UH, THE TUNNEL CONCOURSE B ALL HAD DIFFERENT PIECES THAT WENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC FOR, FOR ART.
AND WE'RE REVIEWING A LOT OF THOSE NOW AND WE'LL COME BACK, UH, KIND OF WITH OUR FINAL SELECTIONS IN THE FUTURE.
AND LASTLY, UM, I WANTED JUST TO TALK ABOUT GAY COMPETITION AT, UH, AUSTIN BERGSTROM REPORT.
AND IF YOU COULD GIVE A SENSE OF WHAT THE, UH, COMPETITIVE PROCESS IS FOR DIFFERENT AIRLINES BIDDING FOR DIFFERENT SLOTS AT THIS NEW, UH, AT THESE EXPANDED FACILITIES AND, UM, HOW IT'S, HOW IT'S GONE TO DATE.
UH, I CAN'T GIVE TOO MUCH BECAUSE THIS IS ONGOING NOW AND WE'RE IN NEGOTIATIONS CURRENTLY.
WE HOPE THAT IN THE NEAR FUTURE WE'LL BE ABLE TO SHARE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE FINAL PROCESS AND WHERE WE'VE LANDED.
WHAT I CAN SAY IS THAT TO THIS POINT, THE AIRLINES ARE WORKING WELL WITH US AND WORKING WELL WITH ONE ANOTHER TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THEIR APPROPRIATE FUTURE PLANS HERE IN AUSTIN.
THAT THEY'RE ACCOMMODATING THOSE WITH THEIR GATE SPACE.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY MUCH OF A, A SEESAW ACT FOR US.
WE NEED TO BUILD A FACILITY THAT ACCOMMODATES THEIR PLANS AND WE DON'T WANNA UNDER AND OR OVERBUILD.
UH, AND SO WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IN THE WORK, WE HAVE A, A TEAM AROUND COMMERCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR THE AIRPORT DOING NOW IS
[01:30:01]
MEETING WITH THEM ON A REGULAR BASIS, HEARING ABOUT THEIR PROJECTIONS, HEARING ABOUT THE, THE FUTURE AND WHERE BOTH, HOW MUCH AND WHERE THEY'D LIKE TO BE IN OUR FACILITY.WE HOPE TO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO SHARE WITH YOU BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, BUT AT THIS TIME, THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL ONGOING.
YOU KNOW, NOTHING TO TO REPORT NOW, BUT ULTIMATELY THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROGRESSING AND WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE THINK WE'LL HAVE A NEW USE AND LEASE AGREEMENT.
THAT'S WHAT THIS IS, A NEW USE AND LEASE AGREEMENT HERE, UH, IN, WITHIN, YOU KNOW, A YEAR TO TALK ABOUT.
ANY LAST COMMENTS, QUESTIONS? WELL, THANK YOU SO MUCH, UH, MIN MR. UH, VENGO.
UH, REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD WITH REGARDS TO THE PROJECT OR JUST TO SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME, UH, AND APPRECIATE YOUR TIME BOTH ON THE TOURISM COMMISSION AND, AND LISTENING WITH US HERE TODAY.
AND IF YOU GUYS HAVE FURTHER QUESTIONS OR A NEED FOR A PRESENTATION IN THE FUTURE, WE'D BE HAPPY TO RETURN AND, AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT OUR PROGRESS IN THE FUTURE.
JUST CONSIDER US A RESOURCE MOVING FORWARD.
SO FOR FOLKS THAT ARE IN THE AUDIENCE, THERE ARE CUPCAKES THAT YOU CAN GRAB FOR, UH, NATIONAL, UH, TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK.
SO BE SURE TO GRAB ONE OF THOSE ON YOUR WAY OUT.
UH, I'D LOVE TO SPEAK WITH YOU AFTERWARDS IF YOU STILL HAVE TIME TO REMAIN WITH US.
[5. Discussion and possible action to set road map for 2025 Tourism Commission Meetings.]
MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER FIVE.I I THINK WE'RE ENDING PRETTY QUICKLY HERE.
UH, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION TO SET THE ROADMAP FOR THE 2025, UH, MEETINGS, UH, FOR THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
UM, AS HAS BEEN PROPOSED AND HAS BEEN DISCUSSED AT EACH OF THE MEETINGS, WE HAVE, UM, UPDATED THIS AS THE YEAR HAS PROGRESSED, UH, WITH AGENDA TOPICS THAT THE, UH, TOURISM COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO VISIT, UH, ON A MONTHLY BASIS.
SO PLEASE, UM, THIS IS YOUR MONTHLY OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON, ON DIFFERENT SPEAKERS AS WELL AS SUBJECTS THAT, UH, THIS BODY MAY ADDRESS IN FORTHCOMING MEETINGS.
UH, SO PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, SPEAK NOW OR FOREVER HOLD YOU
UM, I, I'M JUST RECALLING THAT WE HAD SOME SUGGESTIONS LAST MONTH.
HAVE THEY ALREADY BEEN INCORPORATED? THEY HAVE BEEN TO THIS.
AND ACTUALLY, UH, UH, IN RESPONSE TO PAST SUGGESTIONS, IT'S TAKEN A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, JUGGLING IN TERMS OF SCHEDULES TO HAVE OUR, OUR TWO SPEAKERS TODAY.
BUT WE DID INCORPORATE THAT INTO THIS, UM, TRAVEL AND TOURISM WEEK CELEBRATION.
WE HAD A SPEAKER WHO HAD TO LEAVE LAST MONTH BECAUSE YES.
IS THAT SPEAKER GOING TO RETURN? WE INVITED HIM TO THIS MEETING, HOWEVER, HE NEVER RESPONDED TO THE INVITATION.
SO, UM, WE MAY PROBABLY, I, I, YEAH, I CAN'T HELP IT IF PEOPLE CAN'T, IF YOU DON'T RESPOND.
UH, SENATOR SHANNON, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING.
ANY ADDITIONAL THOUGHTS? HEARING NONE,
[6. Discussion and possible action on creating a potential AISD Work Group & Clean Air Work Group.]
I MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SIX.NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON CREATING A POTENTIAL A ISD WORK GROUP AND CLEAN AIR WORK GROUP.
UM, I THINK WE CAN STRIKE THE CLEAN AIR WORK GROUP FOR NOW, JUST CONSIDERING, UM, THE LOWER THAN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE AT THIS MEETING.
ONE THING I DID WANNA BRING UP WAS THE A ISD, UH, CONVERSATION WITH REGARD TO ALCOHOL AT A ISD FACILITIES.
UM, AS MANY OF YOU HEARD, UM, DO NOT PERMIT ALCOHOL ON SCHOOL PROPERTY, WHICH SEVERELY UNDERCUTS THEIR ABILITY TO SPONSOR REVENUE GENERATING EVENTS, UM, AT THEIR FACILITIES ACROSS THE DISTRICT.
AND CONSIDERING THAT A ISD IS IN, UM, DIRE FINANCIAL STRAITS, UH, I THINK WE SHOULD REVISIT THIS AS A POTENTIAL RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, UM, TO OFFER VARIANCES TO, UM, THESE FACILITIES.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO LEAD THAT, UH, WORK GROUP SHOULD PEOPLE WISH TO JOIN ME.
IS THERE ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL WHO WOULD LIKE TO JOIN ME? I WILL JOIN YOU.
ALTHOUGH I FUNDAMENTALLY FEEL THAT PUBLIC SCHOOLS SHOULD BE FULLY FUNDED.
AND THIS IS A NONSENSE EXERCISE, BUT I'LL HELP GENERATE REVENUE AND I SHARE THAT VIEWPOINT HOWEVER WE'RE AT, WHERE WE'RE AT.
YEAH, WONDERFUL QUESTION COMMISSIONER IAN, QUESTION.
UM, HOW MANY, UM, SUBCOMMITTEES ARE YOU ALLOWED
[01:35:01]
TO BE ON? I MEAN, I WASN'T RAISING MY HAND BECAUSE I'M ON THE STR.UH, SO I WAS JUST LOOKING THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT ON ANOTHER COMMITTEE COULD PARTICIPATE IN THIS NEW ONE.
UM, THE, THE ONLY STIPULATION IS THAT IT IS NO MORE THAN A QUORUM, WHICH IS SIX.
UH, SO MAX FIVE PER WORK GROUP COMMISSIONER CHAPEL.
BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE ON IT, BY ALL MEANS WE WE'RE NOT AT THE LIMIT.
MOVING ON TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, THE FINAL AGENDA ITEM.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, AN UPDATE ON THE SHORT TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP, UM, AND ANY NEW REPORTS ON THE SHORT TERM RENTAL, NEW FOCUS AND EFFORTS FOR RECOMMENDATION.
WE HAVE A COMMENT FROM MS. BURLESON, OUR ESTEEMED STAFF LEAD.
DID YOU TRY TO GO AHEAD AND CREATE THAT GROUP? 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE LIKE A MOTION OR VOTING.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO CREATE THE, UH, A ISD WORK GROUP, WHICH I WILL TITLE? UM,
UH, WELL, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE SOMETHING, UM, MORE IMAGINATIVE.
HOW ABOUT, UM, INCREASING TOURISM COLLABORATION AT A ISD SITES? DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER MASTERS.
IS THERE A SECOND? SO IS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER CHAPEL DISCUSSION.
HEARING NONE, WE MOVE TO VOTING.
ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.
[7. Update from the Short-Term Rental Working Group on any new reports regarding the STR’s new focus and efforts for recommendations.]
TO, UH, SHORT-TERM RENTAL WORKING GROUP UPDATES.NOTHING NEW TO REPORT ON SDR WORKSHOP.
I THINK I NEED TO, UM, REACH BACK OUT TO THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE AND KIND OF SEE WHERE THEY'RE AT IN CONJUNCTION WITH CITY COUNCIL, UH, PASSAGE ON STR REFORMS AND KIND OF DO A CHECK-IN WITH THEM THAT WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING TO REPORT NEXT TIME.
UH, WE HAVE A QUESTION FROM COMMISSIONER CHANIN.
THE HOT, THE HOT TAXES HAVE STARTED TO BE COLLECTED ON SDRS THROUGH THE PLATFORMS BEGINNING APRIL 1ST.
THEIR FIRST REPORTS WILL END FOR THEIR FIRST QUARTER AT THE END OF JUNE 30TH.
THEY'LL BE, THEY'RE DUE BY JULY 31ST.
AND WE'LL GET TO SEE HOW MUCH MONEY, AND AT LEAST INITIALLY THEY BE COLLECTING.
UM, COMMISSIONER CHAPEL, I DO THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD TO, UM, CREATE SOME SORT OF TRACKING TOOL OR JUST A TALLY OF DOLLARS RAISED FROM THE ADDITIONAL HOT TAX.
UM, WE'LL CALL THEM SAVINGS, BUT RECOUPING PERHAPS, UM, FROM UNLICENSED ST.
AND THAT WOULD CONVENIENTLY FIT WITHIN A REPORT DUE NEXT MONTH,
BAILEY, ANY LAST COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS BEFORE THE END OF OUR MEETING THIS AFTERNOON? HEARING NONE.
I SO ADJOURN THIS MEETING OF THE AUSTIN TOURISM COMMISSION.
IS THERE A MOTION? SO MOVED BY COMMISSIONER POSI AND SAYS SECONDED BY COMMISSIONER I SECOND.