May 21, 2025 Austin Transit Partnership Board Meeting

JUMP STRAIGHT TO MR. CANALI TO GIVE US OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

AND WE'RE THINKING OF YOU, DIA.

I HOPE YOU TUNE IN, BUT YOU'RE NOT TUNING IN IN WASHINGTON DC WE KNOW THAT AND WE'RE ALSO VERY GRATEFUL FOR WHAT YOU'RE DOING TO HELP US WITH ALL OF YOUR EFFORTS WITH CAP METRO.

SO WHEREVER YOU ARE DOTIE RIGHT NOW, CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO.

SO, UM, TODAY WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT, SO I'M GONNA

[2. Executive Director Report]

UM, GOOD AFTERNOON.

THANK YOU, BOARD CHAIR.

I APPRECIATE IT.

WELCOME EVERYONE, TO OUR, UH, MAY A TP BOARD MEETING.

UH, FIRST I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE AND WELCOME LEE CRAWFORD, OUR ACTING GENERAL COUNSEL.

LEE, THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AND HELPING SHEPHERD US THROUGH OUR, YOUR FIRST MEETING HERE.

MY PLEASURE.

VERY GOOD FOR, TO JOIN US.

UM, JUST A COUPLE THINGS TO UPDATE, UM, THE BOARD AND THE COMMUNITY ON BEFORE WE GET TO OUR AGENDA.

UH, WE HAVE REALLY GREAT AGENDA.

I'M EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT SOME THINGS WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON TO SHOW YOU SOME OF ALL HOMEWORK THAT WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH, NOT ONLY IN THE PROCUREMENT, BUT ON OUR DESIGN SIDE.

SO IT'S GONNA BE REALLY A FUN WAY TO END, UH, THE BOARD MEETING.

UH, WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A LOOK AHEAD WHAT'S COMING UP.

WE ARE, UH, ALREADY IN OUR BUDGET PROCESS.

UH, BRIAN RIVERA AND HIS TEAM ARE WORKING THROUGH OUR INTERNAL BUDGET, UH, AND WE WILL BE COMING BACK IN JULY WITH OUR PROPOSED BUDGET OVERVIEW AND ALSO A, BASICALLY A MINI WORK SESSION ON THE BUDGET AS WELL TO KIND OF ROLL UP THE SLEEVES A LITTLE BIT AND SHOW YOU HOW, UH, OUR BUDGET IS CONNECTING WITH OUR OVERALL DELIVERY STRATEGY.

THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE TO BE VERY MUCH SYNCED UP.

UH, AND AUGUST WE'LL SPEND TIME WORKING WITH THE, UH, COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE AS WELL AS, UH, HOPEFULLY THE NEW AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL ADVISORY GROUP, WHICH IS AN AGENDA ITEM TODAY FOR YOU.

AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK IN SEPTEMBER WITH, UH, THE BUDGET ADOPTION, UH, AS WELL AS A DIFF AN ADDITIONAL WORK SESSION, UH, ALONG ALONG OUR DELIVERY TOPICS AS WELL.

IN AUGUST, WE'RE GONNA BE AVAILABLE FOR YOU AS WELL WITH QUESTIONS, UH, AND ANSWER PROCESS AS WELL AS MEETINGS, AND BE OPEN IN AUGUST FOR ADDITIONAL MEETINGS AS NEEDED.

UM, SO WE'RE EXCITED.

WE'RE ALL, EVERYTHING'S IN PRO.

WE DON'T SEE ANY DRASTIC CHANGES FROM OUR BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR, BUT, UH, DEFINITELY WANT TO HAVE A VERY ACTIVE, UH, PROCESS THIS YEAR.

MOVING ON.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WE ARE ALWAYS DOING, UM, OUT THERE AND ABOUT TELLING, UH, THE GREAT STORY OF A TP AND THE GREAT STORY OF LIGHT RAIL THAT WE CONTINUE TO ADVANCE.

UM, I WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A CHAMBER INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMIT.

THEY, THEY PUT US IN THE BIG ROOM, AND I THINK WE, WE KIND OF SOLD IT OUT.

UH, IT WAS PRETTY, IT WAS A PRETTY, PRETTY WELL ATTENDED EVENT, REALLY TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND, AND THIS AND THE PEER, I, THE, THE INSIGHTS FROM AROUND, UM, THE COUNTRY TALKED TO, UH, CLARK BRUEL WITH, WITH WHAT WAS HAPPENING OUT IN VALLEY METRO IN PHOENIX, AND THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT AHEAD OF US AND SOME OF THE EXPERIENCE THEY HAD OUT THERE FROM A DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, UH, AND LAND USE PERSPECTIVE AT ECONOMIC, UH, UPLIFT PERSPECTIVE.

SO IT WAS A GREAT CONVERSATION.

AND THEN REFLECTING THAT BACK HERE IN AUSTIN.

AND THEN, UH, I WAS SUPER EXCITED TO BE, UM, UH, PART OF OUR WONDERFUL GROUP WHO ACCEPTED THE WTS TEXAS CHAPTER EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2024.

UM, IT WAS REALLY A GREAT EVENT, AND OUR BOARD

[00:05:01]

CHAIR DID A FANTASTIC JOB OF, UH, RECOGNIZING AND ACCEPTING THAT, UM, THAT HONOR.

SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT IN, FOR BOARD MEMBER HORN TO BE THERE AS WELL.

IT WAS A GREAT MEETING FOR OUR TEAM.

UM, WE HAD A LOT OF FUN AND, UH, WE ALL DRESSED UP AND LUCKILY IT WAS AN EARLY NIGHT AND WE ALL GOT TO NOT STAY OUT TOO LATE.

UM, IT WAS A LOT OF FUN.

THEY'VE BEEN INCREDIBLY SUCCESSFUL.

THE OTHER THING WE'VE BEEN DOING, AND I THINK, UH, BRAD WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN VERY FOCUSED ON IS AS WE ARE EMBARKING ON AN, UH, ON OUR, ON OUR DELIVERY OF, UH, AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL, WHICH IS COMING UP ON US VERY QUICKLY, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE DOING THE RIGHT DISCOVERY ABOUT, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING AROUND THE COUNTRY, LEARNING FROM OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, WHAT'S WORKED, WHAT HASN'T WORKED, AND BRINGING THAT INTO OUR MODEL AND BRINGING THAT INTO OUR PLAN FOR, WE HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH FOLKS IN SALT LAKE CITY, UM, IN PHOENIX AND SACRAMENTO AND MARYLAND.

AND THEY'RE JUST SUCH GREAT TRIPS.

THEY'RE SO WELCOMING TALKING TO THESE OTHER AGENCIES THAT ARE DOING THIS WORK.

WE'RE LEARNING A LOT ABOUT EITHER ACTIVE PROJECTS OR PROJECTS THAT HAVE JUST FINISHED AND TAKING ALL OF THOSE LITTLE POINTS AND BREAKING THEM INTO OUR DAILY WORK.

UM, AND IT'S ALSO FUN TO GO OUT AND TELL OUR A TP STORY.

THERE'S A LOT OF NATIONAL INTEREST IN WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IN AUSTIN AS WELL.

UM, IT'S BEEN REALLY WONDERFUL AND WE'RE CONTINUING TO DO, HOPEFULLY ONE OR TWO MORE HERE BEFORE WE, UH, GO LIVE ON OUR PDB PROCUREMENT HERE IN IT.

JUST A FEW SHORT WEEKS.

UH, AND THEN I THINK THAT MIGHT GET ME TO MY LAST ONE.

YES, THAT WRAPS ME UP FOR ME.

AND I'M GONNA TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU BOARD CHAIR, UM, FOR THE REST OF THE AGENDA.

UM, THANK YOU FOR INCLUDING US ON THE BOARD TO RECEIVE THE AWARD FROM WOMEN TRANSPORTATION SEMINARS, WTS.

AND, UH, IT WAS REALLY REMARKABLE TO SEE THAT WE'RE BEING RECOGNIZED FOR ELEVATING WOMEN TO DELIVER THIS PROGRAM.

SO, LINDSAY, TO ALL THE WOMEN BEHIND THE SCENES THAT ARE REALLY ADVANCING THIS, YOU DESERVE OUR RESPECT CREDIT.

I'M GLAD THE, OUR INDUSTRY RECOGNIZES IT.

SO THANK YOU.

THAT WAS GREAT.

IT WAS A FUN NIGHT, .

SO, MOVING ON TO OUR ACTION ITEMS. DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MOVE TO ACTION ITEMS FOR THE UPDATE FOR ANI? NO, NO.

IS THE APPOINTMENT OF BOARD SECRETARY.

I'D LIKE TO TAKE UP ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE, WHICH

[3.1 Approval of a resolution to appoint a Board Secretary.]

MR. LEE CRAWFORD IS GOING TO FILL IN OUR CURRENT BOARD SECRETARY VACANCY.

BRANDON CARR, MOVED TO DALLAS, SO I ALSO WANNA THANK HIM FOR LAUNCHING A TP WITH US.

UH, SO I KNOW HE HAS A GREAT APPOINTMENT IN DALLAS, AND I HOPE HE IS TUNING IN TO SEE US DELIVER THIS PROGRAM.

SO, MR. CRAWFORD, WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US, AND, UM, WE'RE DELIGHTED TO HAVE YOU HERE.

I KNOW THIS IS NOT REHEARSED, AND I DIDN'T DISCUSS THIS WITH YOU BEFORE, BUT WOULD YOU LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO OUR AUDIENCE AND TO, WELL, WHAT YOUR ROLES HAS BEEN IN AUSTIN? YES.

WITH, YES, WITH YOUR INDULGENCE.

THEN, UH, CHAIR, WE OH, OH, WELL, LEMME TURN THIS ON SO WE CAN ALL HEAR MM-HMM .

UM, I'VE BEEN IN AUSTIN NOW FOR ABOUT, UH, ALMOST 40 YEARS AND HAVE, UH, HAVE LOVED THE COMMUNITY DURING MY ENTIRE TIME HERE.

OF COURSE, WE'VE GROWN AND CHANGED IN A LOT OF WAYS, BUT FUNDAMENTALLY, THE CHARACTER OF AUSTIN HAS ALWAYS STAYED THE SAME.

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN, I I DESCRIBED AS A, A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUST HAPPY TO BE HERE.

AND THAT TO ME HAS ALWAYS BEEN KIND OF A FOUNDATIONAL PART OF THE, THE CULTURE OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.

UM, I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS, FRANKLY, AND THERE ARE VERY FEW TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE WE LIVE.

AND WHEN I CAME INTO THIS ORGANIZATION, I SAW A GROUP OF MEN AND WOMEN WHO ARE ENGAGED AND ENERGIZED AROUND A PROJECT THAT HAS SUCH A POSITIVE AND TRANSFORMATIONAL EFFECT ON OUR COMMUNITY.

IT WAS REALLY, REALLY COMPELLING TO ME, AND I'M, UH, JUST HONORED AND PLEASED TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE PART OF THIS TEAM.

SO, I'LL THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SAY SOMETHING TO THE AUDIENCE THIS AFTERNOON AND, UH, AND VERY, VERY HAPPY TO BE HERE AND LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH ALL OF THE BOARD MEMBERS.

QUESTIONS? SO, I WOULD LIKE TO CALL FOR A VOTE FOR CRAWFORD.

SO, IN LINE WITH OUR PRIOR PRACTICE, THE POSITION OF GENERAL COUNSEL IS RECOMMENDED TO SERVE AS THE A TP BOARD SECRETARY.

SO WITH THIS, I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.

SO MOVED, MOVED BY MEMBER HORN.

SECOND.

SECOND BY MEMBER GARZA.

ANY DISCUSSION

[00:10:03]

MICROPHONE.

OH, .

SHOULD WE REPEAT ALL THAT? I WOULD LOVE THAT.

YOU WOULD LOVE THAT.

SO, UM, I'M GLAD YOU HAD YOUR MIC ON WHEN YOU GAVE THAT WONDERFUL INTRODUCTION.

SO WE'RE GONNA DO THIS AGAIN.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ACTION ITEM NUMBER ONE.

SO MOVED.

MOVED BY MEMBER HORN, SECOND BY MEMBER GARZA.

AND IF THERE'S NO DISCUSSION, I WOULD LIKE TO VOTE, UM, FOR THE APPOINTMENT OF MR. CRAWFORD.

EVERYONE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE.

LIKE TO TAKE UP ACTION ITEM NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE APPROVAL OF THE MEETING MINUTES OF THE MARCH 12TH BOARD MEETING.

THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH, UH, MAYOR WATSON AND MEMBER BILION ABSENT.

[3.2 Approval of minutes from the March 12, 2025 ATP Board Meeting.]

I'D LIKE TO REQUEST A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.

MOVE BY MEMBER GARZA SECOND.

SECOND BY MEMBER HORN.

ANY DISCUSSION QUESTIONS? WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A VOTE TO APPROVE THE MEETING MINUTES, PLEASE.

EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

IT PASSES UNANIMOUSLY WITH MAYOR AND BOARD MEMBER PAVILION.

ABSENT.

ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE IS

[3.3 Approval of a resolution authorizing the Executive Director, or designee, to exercise up to four, one-year renewal options to the existing agreement with Ernst & Young Infrastructure Advisors, LLC for commercial, risk, and project delivery advisory services, increasing the approved funding by an amount not to exceed $19,500,000.00, and for a term ending no later than December 31, 2029.]

MR. BRAD CUMMINGS, OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT, WILL GIVE US AN OVERVIEW OF THIS ITEM.

WELCOME.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

UM, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE BEFORE THE BOARD AGAIN.

TODAY WE HAVE TWO CONTRACTUAL ITEMS THAT WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO REVIEW AND APPROVE.

THE FIRST ONE IS TO, UH, AUTHORIZE THE CEO TO EXERCISE FOUR OPTION YEARS THAT ARE AVAILABLE UNDER THE S AND YOUNG CONTRACT.

UH, THIS CONTRACT WAS ORIGINALLY PROCURED BACK IN 2022 AND AWARDED BY THE BOARD IN JANUARY WITH A FOUR YEAR INITIAL BASE TERM WITH FOUR ONE YEAR OPTIONS FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $17 MILLION.

WE'RE HERE TODAY TO ASK THE BOARD TO EX ALLOW US TO EXERCISE THOSE FOUR ADDITIONAL OPTIONS AND ADD ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO THE CONTRACT FOR THAT REMAINING PERIOD IN THE AMOUNT OF $19.5 MILLION.

UM, EY HAS BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN HELPING US GET TO THIS POINT IN TIME, AND WE NEED THEM TO CONTINUE THE PROJECT FORWARD, ESPECIALLY IN FOUR KEY AREAS, INCLUDING PROJECT DELIVERY SUPPORT, UH, PROCUREMENT SUPPORT, FINANCIAL ADVISORY SERVICES, AND FTA SUPPORT.

UM, AS WE, UM, MOVE FORWARD IN, IN THE SIG PROGRAM AND ADVANCE OUR SOLICITATIONS AND, UH, THE, THE PROJECT DELIVERY, THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN, IN HELPING US DO THAT, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT IF THE BOARD APPROVES THIS RESOLUTION.

AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE.

UM, THANK YOU.

UM, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. CUMMINGS? NO, THIS IS AN INTERESTING CONTRACT.

IT BASICALLY STAFF AUGMENTATION, ISN'T IT? AND SO, UH, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE EXTENDING FOR FOUR YEARS, THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THERE COULD BE EVEN MORE YEARS THAN THAT.

IS THAT CORRECT? SO, THE, THE PROCUREMENT WAS ONLY FOR A FOUR YEAR BASED TERM WITH FOUR ONE YEAR OPTIONS.

SO WE'RE KIND OF LIMITED TO THAT TIMEFRAME.

UM, BUT YOU ARE CORRECT, THEY, THEY'VE HELPED SERVE IN SOME STAFF AUGMENTATION SERVICES AND, UH, LAST MINUTE JUMP IN TO DO A BUNCH OF STUDIES FOR US, AS WE HAVE, HAVE PROGRESSED A LOT OF THINGS.

AND I PERSONALLY UTILIZE, UH, TWO PEOPLE FROM, UM, ERNST AND YOUNG AS PROJECT MANAGERS TO HELP MANAGE ALL OF THE ACTIVITIES WE'RE DOING WITH THESE THREE MAJOR PROCUREMENTS AND FACILITATING MEETINGS AND ENSURING THAT EVERYONE'S COMPLETING EVERYTHING ON TIME.

THEY'VE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING SURE THAT WHEN WE SAY WE'RE STICKING TO, WHEN WE PUT OUT A DATE THAT WE ACTUALLY HIT THAT DATE, UM, AND I, I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT WITHOUT THE, THE HELP OF, OF THOSE TWO PEOPLE FROM EY AND WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR SERVICES.

THEIR DBE REQUIREMENT IS 12%.

THIRD MEETING THAT? YES, SIR.

SO THEY HAVE A 12% GOAL THAT WAS ESTABLISHED ON THAT, AND THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, THEY WERE ABOVE 14%, UM, OF WHERE WE'RE AT.

TO ACTION ITEM NUMBER FOURS RELATED TO THE NEGOTIATION AND EXECUTION OF A CONTRACT FOR AUDITING SERVICES.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO.

SO I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU FOR THE BRIEFING THAT WE HAD.

AND, AND I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK, UM, THE TEAM OF JIANG TO BRING US SO FAR INTO THIS INTEGRATION OF THE, OF THE PROGRAM.

UM, SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I'D LIKE TO CALL FOR A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE THIS ITEM.

[00:15:01]

SO MOVED.

MOVED BY MEMBER HORN, SECOND BY MEMBER GARZA.

ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? I'D LIKE TO CALL EVERYONE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE.

AYE.

SO THE ACTION ITEM NUMBER THREE HAS BEEN APPROVED UNANIMOUSLY WITH BOARD MEMBER WATSON AND PAVILION ABSENT END.

MOVING ON

[3.4 Approval of a resolution authorizing the Executive Director, or designee, to negotiate and execute a contract with Crowe, LLP for Auditing Services in an amount not to exceed $1,097,000.00 for a three-year base term and two one-year optional terms.]

AGAIN, BRETT CUMMINGS, OUR SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT OF PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT MANAGEMENT.

WE'LL EXPLAIN THIS ITEM.

PERFECT.

THANK YOU AGAIN SO MUCH.

UM, SO TOWARDS THE END OF LAST YEAR, WE ISSUED AN RFQ FOR, UM, FINANCIAL AUDITING AND ADVISORY SERVICES.

UM, WE HAD SIX RESPONSES COME IN AS A RESULT OF THAT RFQ.

WE EVALUATED THOSE RESPONSES BASED ON, UM, THE QUALIFICATIONS OF THE FIRM AND THE TEAM THAT THEY WERE PROPOSING TO WORK ON THIS PROJECT.

UM, THEIR APPROACH TO CONDUCTING YEARLY FINANCIAL AUDITS, AS WELL AS AD HOC AND, UM, SPECIAL YEARLY AUDITS THAT THE FDA REQUIRES, UM, AND COST WERE THE THREE EVALUATION FACTORS, AND THEY WERE EVALUATED BY A TEAM OF TECHNICAL EXPERTS WITHIN A TP.

UM, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT EVALUATION PROCESS, CROW, UM, LLP RECEIVED THE HIGHEST TOTAL SCORE, UM, IN ALL THREE OF THOSE AREAS THAT THEY WERE EVALUATED UNDER.

UM, AND WERE HIGHLIGHTED, ESPECIALLY BASED ON THEIR INVOLVEMENT WITH A LOT OF OTHER TRANSIT AGENCIES THAT ARE IN THE SAME STAGE OF THE SIG PROCESS AS WE ARE.

UM, AND THE, THE HELP THAT THEY WERE ABLE TO PROVIDE THOSE ADDIT, THOSE AGENCIES.

UM, THIS IS THE AUDIT SERVICES.

IF YOU REMEMBER LAST BOARD MEETING, UM, THAT WE HAD, BRIAN PRESENTED A FINANCIAL AUDIT.

UM, THEY WILL BE DOING THAT, UM, FOR US IN THE FUTURE.

UM, THOSE YEARLY AUDITS AS WELL AS ADDITIONAL, UM, AUDIT SERVICES THAT ARE REQUIRED.

UM, WE'RE ASKING THE BOARD TO APPROVE A A THREE YEAR BASE YEAR CONTRACT WITH TWO ONE YEAR OPTIONS FOR A TOTAL NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $1,097,000, UM, FOR THAT FIVE YEAR PERIOD.

AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THE BOARD MAY HAVE.

ANY QUESTIONS FROM MY FELLOW MEMBERS? I, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.

I HAVE A COMMENT IF I CAN JUST, I JUST WANT TO, UM, THANK YOU FOR THE INFORMATION AND I JUST CONTINUE TO BE IMPRESSED WITH THE THOROUGH AND THOUGHTFUL PROCUREMENT, UM, PROCESS THAT, THAT, THAT I'M SEEING AT A TP.

UM, IT'S, IT, I'M JUST VERY IMPRESSED.

DIRECTOR HORN WITH THEIR, WITH OUR PREVIOUS AUDIT SERVICES CONTRACT.

DID WE HAVE THE OPTION AT THAT TIME FOR EXTENSIONS? WE DIDN'T.

WE HAD USED ALL THE, THE FULL YEARS OF THAT CONTRACT USED THAT.

SO WE NEEDED TO RECURE.

GOT IT.

UH, INVITE OUR FIRST SET OF SPEAKERS TO JOIN US AS WE HEAR AN UPDATE FOR AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL.

AND, UM, SO YOU JUST MENTIONED THIS'S A THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH TWO YEAR, ONE YEAR EXTENSIONS FOR A TOTAL OF FIVE.

YES.

UNDERSTOOD.

UM, I DON'T HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.

NO.

SO I LIKE TO CALL FOR A MOTION IN A SECOND TO MOVE BY BOARD MEMBER GARZA, SECOND BY SECOND .

WE JUST HAVE TO ROTATE BETWEEN THIS MEETING BACK AND FORTH RETURN.

THIS IS A PING PONG.

UM, EVERYONE IN FAVOR PLEASE SAY AYE.

A AYE.

I ALSO VOTE AYE WITH MAYOR WATSON AND BOARD MEMBER PAVILION ABSENT.

UM, NOW MOVING ON TO THAT COMPLETES ALL OF OUR ACTION ITEMS FOR TODAY, AND WE'RE MOVING ON TO,

[4.1 Update on Austin Light Rail Implementation.]

AND I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE MR. CANAL TO INTRODUCE THEM.

BOARD CHAIR.

UH, BRAD AND LINDSAY AND MATT ARE WITH US TO TALK ABOUT BIG PICTURE AGAIN ON OUR OVERALL PROCUREMENT.

UM, AS BRAD SAID EARLIER, WE HAVE HIT ALL OF OUR MARKS IN SAYING WHEN WE'RE GONNA COME BACK OUT WITH THE SOLICITATIONS, OUR REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK PROCESS.

AND WE'RE APPROACHING A PRETTY BIG MILESTONE HERE.

AND WE WANTED TO JUST KIND OF REMIND US WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROCESS AND ALSO DO A LITTLE DEEP DIVE ON ONE OF THE, ONE OF OUR MAJOR, UH, PROCUREMENTS AROUND VEHICLES.

AND SO LINDSAY AND MATT WILL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT.

BACK IN 2022, UM, BY HOSTING A, A LARGE INDUSTRY EVENT TO SOLICIT INFORMATION AND, UM, ON PROJECT DELIVERY AND, UM, ALL THINGS DELIVERY PARTNER REALLY EARLY ON.

PERFECT.

UM, SO AGAIN, UM, WE LIKE TO BE CONSISTENT WHEN WE PRESENT THIS SLIDE, ALTHOUGH IT'S EVER CHANGING AS WE CONTINUE TO ADVANCE AND, UM, HONE IN OUR KIND OF TRIANGULATED APPROACH TO, UM, GETTING THIS PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.

AS, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, WE HAVE AN APPROACH OF TALKING TO THE BOARD, TALKING TO OUR SISTER AGENCIES, TALKING TO THE INDUSTRY, AND COMING BACK TO OUR BOARD TO DOWNLOAD THE INFORMATION THAT WE'VE RECEIVED.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING AGAIN HERE TODAY.

THIS IS A PROCESS THAT STARTED

[00:20:01]

AND WE'VE, UM, CONTINUED THIS PROCESS, UM, UP UNTIL TODAY WHEN WE'RE THIS CLOSE TO ISSUING OUR, OUR UPCOMING SOLICITATIONS, WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IT.

IT'S BEEN A REALLY GREAT PROCESS OF, UM, LEARNING, UM, AND INNOVATING AND, AND FINDING WAYS TO DO THINGS NEW AND UNIQUE AND BETTER WHILE STILL KEEPING BEST PRACTICES THAT HAVE BEEN HARD LEARNED BY THE INDUSTRY AND, UM, OUR SISTER AGENCIES TO, UM, HONE IN OUR APPROACH TO, TO THIS PROJECT.

IT'S BEEN A REALLY VALUABLE PROCESS THAT STARTED IN 2022 AND IS IS MOVING FORWARD.

UH, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, THIS SLIDE HIGHLIGHTS THE THREE MAJOR PROCUREMENTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE CONDUCTING THIS YEAR.

UM, THE FIRST ONE IS THE, UM, CIVIL RAIL STATIONS AND SYSTEMS PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD SOLICITATION THAT WE'RE DOING.

UM, AS YOU RECALL, WE ISSUED AN RFI BACK IN FEBRUARY OF 2025.

AND THIS IS A PART OF OUR OVERALL, UM, PROCUREMENT STRATEGY OF GIVING THE INDUSTRY AN OPPORTUNITY TO REVIEW, UM, DRAFT VERSIONS OF OUR SOLICITATION DOCUMENTS MONTHS BEFORE WE ACTUALLY ISSUING IT AND PROVIDING COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK, UM, AS A RESULT OF THAT PROCESS.

AND WE DO THIS FOR MULTIPLE REASONS.

ONE IS FOR US, UM, WE WANT TO LEARN FROM THE INDUSTRY, AND THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AND TO FIND ANY OF THOSE PAIN POINTS THAT THE INDUSTRY MAY HAVE WITH OUR DOCUMENTS SO THAT WAY WE CAN COURSE CORRECT AND, AND, AND MAKE OUR SOLICITATIONS BETTER, UM, AND MORE COMPETITIVE AS WE ACTUALLY ISSUE THEM.

AND TWO IS FOR THE INDUSTRY.

UM, I THINK PROCUREMENT, UM, HAS BEEN CHALLENGING IN A LOT OF WAYS.

IT'S HARD TO PROCURE THESE BIG THINGS.

AND WHAT A LOT OF AGENCIES DO IS THEY KIND OF PUT TOGETHER A SOLICITATION DOCUMENT IN A VACUUM AND THEN ISSUE IT WITH NO ADVANCE NOTICE OR WARNING AND EXPECT THE INDUSTRY IN 30 OR 60 DAYS TO PUT TOGETHER THEIR BEST TEAMS AND THEIR BEST PROPOSALS WITH THEIR BEST PRICING.

UM, AND WHEN THEY STRUGGLE TO DO THAT, AGENCIES SCORE THEM POORLY FOR IT.

UM, AND THEN THEY GET TO A POINT WHERE THEY GET READY TO AWARD A CONTRACT AND EVERYONE'S A LITTLE NERVOUS ABOUT IT.

AND WE WANT TO TRY TO PREVENT THAT FROM HAPPENING.

AND WE WANT TO DEVELOP A PARTNERSHIP WITH, UM, THE INDUSTRY AS WE'VE, WE'VE DEMONSTRATED WITH OUR INVOLVEMENT, BUT ESPECIALLY WITH THE, THE FIRM THAT WE SELECT.

UM, AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE, WE ARE GIVING THEM TIME TO PUT TOGETHER THEIR BEST TEAMS TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE TIME TO PARTNER WITH LOCAL, SMALL AND DIVERSE BUSINESSES, UM, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN OVERNIGHT EITHER.

UM, AND WE WANTED TO GIVE THE TIME AVAILABLE TO DO THAT.

AND WE'VE ALSO HOSTED CONNECT AND BUILD EVENTS WITH THAT RFI, UM, TO PROVIDE AN OPEN SPACE HERE IN OUR BUILDING TO CONNECT PRIME CONTRACTORS WITH SUBCONTRACTORS.

AND I'LL KIND OF DIVE INTO THE SUCCESS OF THAT ON ANOTHER SLIDE COMING UP.

AND WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO SAY THAT, UM, IN EARLY JUNE.

UM, SO HERE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE'RE GOING TO BE ISSUING THE RFQ, UH, IF WE DIVE BACK, THERE WE GO.

UM, FOR THIS MAJOR SOLICITATION, UM, IT'S TAKEN A LOT OF WORK TO GET US TO THIS POINT.

THERE'S STILL A LOT OF WORK TO DO IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS, BUT, UM, WE ARE COMMITTED TO DOING IT AND WE'LL GET THAT OUT SHORTLY.

AND, UH, WE ARE EXCITED TO LET THE INDUSTRY KNOW THAT THIS IS HAPPENING AND TO BE EXPECTING IT HERE, HERE VERY, VERY SOON.

UM, UH, THE RFQ IS JUST THE FIRST STAGE OF, OF A PROCESS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO PROCURE THIS.

THE NEXT STEP IS AN RFP, WHICH WILL BE ISSUED IN AUGUST LATER THIS YEAR AFTER WE'VE EVALUATED THE STATEMENTS OF QUALIFICATIONS THAT COME IN, UM, AND POTENTIALLY SHORTLIST FIRMS TO MOVE ON TO THAT RFP PHASE.

UM, WE ISSUED THE RFI FOR THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY, PDD SOLICITATION, UH, BACK IN APRIL.

UM, RESPONSES ARE DUE ON THE 28TH OF THIS MONTH.

SO WE'RE EXCITED TO START DIVING INTO THE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED FROM THOSE.

WE ARE ALSO GOING TO BE HOSTING A CONNECT AND BUILD EVENT FOR THAT, WHICH, UM, I'LL TALK ABOUT IN THE NEXT SLIDE.

AND WE ANTICIPATE ISSUING THE RFQ FOR THAT IN AUGUST, FOLLOWED BY THE RFP IN OCTOBER.

WE'VE DONE A, A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF FIGURING OUT HOW TO STAGGER THESE.

SO ONE, WE CAN HANDLE THE SOLICITATIONS OURSELVES IN THE VALUATION PROCESS, BUT TWO, THE INDUSTRY HAS AN OPPORTUNITY IF THEY WANT TO COMPETE ON ONE OR MORE OF THESE, THAT THEY HAVE THE AVAILABILITY TO DO SO AT THE SAME TIME.

UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED OUR BEST TO STAGGER THOSE.

AND THEN WE WILL GET INTO THE LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES IN A LOT MORE DETAIL, UM, SHORTLY, BUT WE ANTICIPATE ISSUING THE RFI BY THE END OF THIS MONTH AS WELL.

UM, SO THAT WAY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS CAN START REVIEWING OUR TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS IN THE CONTRACT, UM, AND, AND PROVIDING FEEDBACK FOR US ON THAT.

UM, AND WE'RE EXCITED.

AND FOR THOSE, UM, WHO ARE WATCHING, UM, HERE OR LIVE, YOU CAN SCAN THAT QR CODE.

IT TAKES YOU TO OUR NEW CONNECT AND BUILD PAGE, WHICH PROVIDES ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON HOW TO REGISTER AS A VENDOR IN OUR SYSTEM, HOW TO REGISTER FOR OUR CONNECT AND BUILD EVENT.

UM, AS WELL AS AN UPDATE ON ALL THINGS, UH, PROCUREMENT.

'CAUSE WE WANT TO HELP YOU, WE WANT YOU TO HELP BUILD WITH US.

UM, SO PLEASE SCAN THAT IF, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH IT.

AND NOW WE CAN GO ONTO THE NEXT SLIDE.

, UM, THE CONNECT

[00:25:01]

AND BUILD EVENT, LIKE I JUST MENTIONED, WE WILL BE HOSTING IT AGAIN IN OUR BUILDING.

UM, IT'S REALLY FUN TO INVITE PEOPLE INTO OUR SPACE.

UM, AND IT'S WORKED FOR US A LOT.

UH, WITH THAT EVENT WILL BE TAKING PLACE ON MAY 29TH, THE DOORS WILL OPEN AT 9:00 AM WE'LL DO A QUICK PRESENTATION ON THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY ITSELF AND KIND OF THE SCOPE OF WORK INVOLVED WITH THAT, AS WELL AS THE PROCUREMENT SCHEDULE.

IT'LL BE SHORT, SUCCINCT AND QUICK BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET PEOPLE TO THE OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WITH THE PRIME CONTRACTORS WHO HAVE IDENTIFIED THEMSELVES AS, AS GOING TO BE PRIMING ON IT.

UM, IT'S SIMILAR TO OUR LAST EVENT.

WE'VE DIVIDED UP OUR BUILDING INTO DIFFERENT SPACES SO PEOPLE CAN GO AND INTRODUCE THEMSELVES AND HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEANINGFULLY CONNECT WITH, WITH THESE PRIME CONTRACTORS.

WE ALREADY HAVE OVER 120 FIRMS THAT HAVE RESPONDED TO ATTEND THIS EVENT, WHICH WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT.

UM, AND HOPEFULLY WE CONTINUE TO ADD TO THAT NUMBER.

UM, BUT IT WILL LAST FROM, UM, NINE 30 TO 1:00 PM UM, HERE IN THIS BUILDING.

AND WE INVITE ANYONE WHO ISN'T REGISTERED TO JUMP ON THAT CONNECT AND BUILD WITH SITE WITH US THAT I JUST TALKED ABOUT AND GET REGISTERED, UM, SOON, SO THAT WAY WE CAN RESERVE YOUR SPACE.

UM, JUST TO TALK ABOUT THE SUCCESS OF THIS, WE DID A SURVEY AFTER THE LAST ONE, AND I WANNA SHARE SOME OF THE RESULTS THAT, THAT WE HAD FROM THE LAST CONNECT AND BUILD.

UM, SO WITH THAT, WE HAD 189 PEOPLE ATTEND THAT EVENT REPRESENTING 115 FIRMS, 49 OF WHICH WERE REGISTERED CERTIFIED DBE FIRMS, WHICH WAS REALLY EXCITING.

UM, THEY WERE A BREAKDOWN INTO THE KIND OF THE DISCIPLINES THAT THEY INVOLVED.

75 OF THEM WERE CIVIL STRUCTURE OR RAIL SYSTEMS, CONSTRUCTION GROUPS.

35 REPRESENTED, UH, FIRMS THAT COULD DO UTILITY WORK.

27 REPRESENTED VERTICAL FACILITIES.

16 WERE FROM COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FIRMS, UM, AND 32 FROM A WIDE VARIETY OF OTHER SOURCES.

UM, WHICH WAS REALLY EXCITING TO KINDA SEE THE, THE BREADTH OF ATTENDEES THAT WE HAD AT THAT EVENT.

UM, FROM THE SURVEY, WE HAD A GOOD REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE OF, OF THOSE THAT RESPONDED.

UM, WE ASKED THEM TO IDENTIFY WHETHER THEY ATTENDED BOTH SESSIONS THE MORNING AND THE AFTERNOON, UM, AND HOW THEY FELT THE OVERALL EVENT WENT.

AND WE KINDA GAVE THEM FOUR OPTIONS TO CHOOSE FROM, UH, EXCELLENT TO GOOD, TO NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, TO LIKE REALLY NEEDS IMPROVEMENT.

AND I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SAY THAT NO ONE GAVE US A NEGATIVE SCORE THAT RESPONDED.

EVERYTHING FELL INTO THE EXCELLENT OR GOOD RANGE, UM, AS FAR AS THE OVERALL SESSION WENT.

AND THEN WE ASKED THEM HOW THEY FELT ABOUT THE NETWORKING EVENT ITSELF.

AND AGAIN, OVERWHELMINGLY VERY HELPFUL.

UM, INFORMATION RECEIVED, IT WAS EXCELLENT AND GOOD WITH THE MAJORITY BEING EXCELLENT.

WE ASKED THEM SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ON WHAT THEY LIKED MOST ABOUT THE EVENT.

UM, AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS WE RECEIVED WERE EXPOSURE TO A TP ITSELF AND OUR STAFF AND OUR BUILDING.

UM, THE MULTIPLE ROOMS AND THE LAYOUT OF HOW WE KIND OF BROKE ALL THE DIFFERENT PRIME CONTRACTORS WHO ATTENDED OUT.

THEY REALLY FELT LIKE THEY HAD A MEANINGFUL OPPORTUNITY TO, TO PITCH THEMSELVES FROM THAT.

UM, THEY LIKED THE LOCATION AND THE OPENNESS OF THE EVENT, UM, INTERACTION WITH OTHER PARTICIPANTS THERE THAT THEY, THEY HAD WHILE THEY WERE THERE, WHICH WAS GREAT TO HEAR.

UM, AND THE, UM, THE ABILITY TO CONNECT WITH, AGAIN, BOTH WITH A TP AND WITH PRIME CONTRACTORS.

THERE WERE SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT, WHICH WE ARE HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT AS WELL.

UM, NOTHING MAJOR BUT JUST ADVANCED NOTICE.

UM, MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO BE ABLE TO SEE WHEN AND WHERE IT'S HAPPENING.

SO I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT WE'VE BLASTED THIS ON LINKEDIN AND SOCIAL MEDIA AS WE'VE WORKED WITH THE DIFFERENT MINORITY CHAMBERS, UM, A GC TO SPREAD THIS OUT AS FAR AS POSSIBLE.

SO WE ARE, WE'RE HOPING WE, WE, WE DID BETTER THAN WE DID LAST TIME ON, ON REACHING PEOPLE TO ATTEND THE EVENT.

UM, AND THEN PARKING, THEY WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE THEY COULD PARK.

UM, WAS KIND OF A, A COMMON ONE, SO THEY DON'T TAKE THE BUS BUS .

WE CAN GIVE THEM THE ROUTES TO THE BUSES.

RIGHT.

GET THEM HERE, .

EXACTLY.

UM, SO AGAIN, THE, THE COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK WERE OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE AND WE, WE WILL DO ANOTHER SURVEY AFTER THIS EVENT TO, TO CONTINUE FIGURING OUT WE CAN IMPROVE OUR, OUR PROCESSES AND, AND MOVE FORWARD.

UM, NEXT SLIDE.

UM, AGAIN, JUST TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT GREG WAS TALKING ABOUT EARLIER, WE'VE REALLY TAKEN OPPORTUNITIES TO MEET, UM, THE INDUSTRY WHERE THEY ARE IN OUR PEER AGENCIES TO LEARN AND HONE IN OUR PROCESS.

UM, SO WE'VE GONE TO SALT LAKE CITY, UM, MARYLAND, SACRAMENTO AND PHOENIX ALL WITHIN THE LAST FOUR MONTHS TO LEARN FROM THESE AGENCIES THAT HAVE ADVANCED THEIR WORK A LITTLE FURTHER AHEAD OF WHERE WE ARE.

VALLEY METRO FOR INSTANCE, HAD RECENTLY OPENED A LIGHT RAIL EXTENSION.

THEY PLAN ON OPENING ONE HERE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.

SO IT WAS REALLY GREAT TO BE ABLE TO RIDE A BRAND NEW SYSTEM WITH BRAND NEW VEHICLES AND BE ABLE TO SEE A SYSTEM THAT IS LIKE THIS CLOSE TO OPENING AND ALL THE LAST MINUTE THINGS THEY HAVE TO DO.

AND GETTING ALL THE PUBLIC ART READY WAS REALLY BENEFICIAL TO SEE.

AND ALSO THE TOD THAT'S

[00:30:01]

ALREADY STARTING TO DEVELOP AROUND A SYSTEM THAT HASN'T OPENED YET, UM, WAS, WAS REALLY KIND OF FUN TO SEE.

UM, SALT LAKE CITY IS MY HOMETOWN, SO I GOT TO TAKE EVERYONE ON A, A BIG TOUR OF, UM, PROBABLY TOO MUCH OF A TOUR OF THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM THERE.

UM, BUT IT WAS REALLY FUN TO TALK TO UTA AND UDOT.

UM, THEY ARE PROGRESSING A-A-P-D-D PROJECT THERE.

UM, THEY'RE ABOUT SIX, EIGHT MONTHS AHEAD OF WHERE WE ARE IN TIME, SO IT WAS GREAT TO LEARN FROM THEM AND, AND THEIR EXAMPLE AS WELL AS MTA AND, AND, AND IN SACRAMENTO.

IT WAS A REALLY BENEFICIAL AND WORTHWHILE TRIP TO LEARN FROM OUR, OUR SISTER AGENCIES.

UM, AND, UH, A GOOD PROCESS THERE.

NEXT SLIDE.

AND NOW I'M GONNA LET OTHER PEOPLE TALK, UM, , UH, BECAUSE I, I I TEND TO TALK TOO MUCH, BUT I'M HERE TO, TO HELP AND ASSIST AS WELL.

ALL RIGHT, THANKS BRAD.

AND LINDSEY WOOD, A TP DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION, AND I ALSO WANT TO INTRODUCE MATT BERTRAND, WHO IS OUR LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES MANAGER.

AND HE'S GOING TO BE HELPING US NOT ONLY THROUGH THIS PROCUREMENT PROCESS THAT WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE, BUT ALSO THE, THE PROCESS OF DESIGN AND, UH, MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLY AND PRODUCTION AND ACCEPTANCE AND TESTING OF THE VEHICLES.

UH, SO HE'LL BE WITH US FOR THE LONG HAUL HERE.

SO TO DIVE IN, UM, WE WANT TO HIGHLIGHT THE LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES.

WE'VE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD CONTRACTS, AND WITH THE RFI, WHICH IS THE REQUEST FOR INDUSTRY FEEDBACK ON THE DRAFT THAT WE'RE PUBLISHING RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER FOR THE LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES.

WE WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, UH, THAN THE OTHER CONTRACTS WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING TO DATE.

THIS WILL BE A SINGLE STEP RFP PROCESS AND THAT'S REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS FOR A FIXED PRICE CONTRACT FOR UP TO 30 LIGHT RAIL VEHICLES.

AND THOSE VEHICLES ARE, PART OF THIS PROCESS IS US PUBLISHING AND COMMUNICATING CLEARLY TO INDUSTRY WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE FOR THOSE VEHICLES.

AND, AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE OBVIOUS BASICS OF SAFE AND HIGH QUALITY AND ON SCHEDULE AND ON BUDGET.

UH, BUT IT'S ALSO THINKING ABOUT THE ENTIRE LIFE OF THOSE VEHICLES AND HAVING MAINTAINABILITY AND RELIABILITY.

AND OF COURSE, IT'S, UH, PLANNING AND DESIGNING FOR AN EXCELLENT CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE AND CREATING THAT FIRST IMPRESSION OF LIGHT RAIL IN AUSTIN WITH VEHICLES THAT ARE ACCESSIBLE AND INTUITIVE AND COMFORTABLE AND EASY TO USE AND HAVE A, YOU KNOW, MODERN OPEN AESTHETIC.

AND SO WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS ELEMENT OF THE PROGRAM BECAUSE IT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR RIDERS WILL MOST TOUCH AND FEEL IN THEIR EXPERIENCE OF, OF OUR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.

SO MATT'S GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS KIND OF CONTRACT.

SO YEAH, AS LINDSAY SAID, IT'S IT'S FIXED PRICE.

UH, IT'S NOT ONLY DOES IT INCLUDE THE VEHICLES, BUT IT INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, THE NECESSARY EQUIPMENT THAT YOU'LL NEED IN ORDER TO KIND OF MAINTAIN THE FLEET, UH, NOT ONLY, UH, FOR THE SHORT TERM, BUT THE LONG TERM.

UH, AND, UH, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT THAT THE VEHICLE CONTRACTOR BE KIND OF IN LOCKSTEP WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE, UH, ALIGNMENT AND THE MAINTENANCE FACILITY AS A WHOLE.

AND SO THE SCHEDULES FOR THE VEHICLE DELIVERY ARE SUCH THAT, YOU KNOW, AS THE SYSTEM'S BEING READY TO BE TESTED, THERE'S GONNA BE A VEHICLE AVAILABLE IN ORDER TO KIND OF COMMISSION AND TEST THE SYS, UM, YOU KNOW, COMMISSION AND TEST THE SYSTEM.

UM, ANOTHER ASPECT OF THIS RFI IS THAT WE'RE INTERESTED TO LEARN FROM THE INDUSTRY AND, AND PARTNER WITH A VEHICLE MANUFACTURER THAT'S GONNA BE ABLE TO PROVIDE THE LONG TERM SUPPORT THAT'S REALLY NEEDED, UH, FOR A VEHICLE FLEET LIKE, UH, MOBILE IN USE IN, IN AUSTIN.

UH, AND SO THAT NOT ONLY INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, BUT LONG-TERM ACCESS TO PARTS.

UH, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, VEHICLES ARE, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES CONSIDERED MOVING DATA CENTERS.

THERE'S A LOT OF COMPUTERS ON BOARD AND, AND ACCESS TO THE PARTS, YOU KNOW, FOR A VEHICLE THAT YOU KNOW IS GONNA LAST 30 YEARS OR MORE, UH, IS, IS IS REALLY CRUCIAL.

AND, AND SO WHAT WE'RE GOING OUT WITH IS, UH, TECHNICAL SUPPORT AND SPARE PARTS, UH, SUPPLY PORTION OF THE CONTRACT, UH, THAT ALLOWS ACCESS TO THOSE SPARE PARTS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR, FOR THE LONG TERM.

AND, AND THAT INCLUDES A, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTH BASE WITH, UH, TWO ADDITIONAL FIVE YEAR OPTIONS.

AND MAYBE WORTH MENTIONING TOO, THAT REALLY HELPS US WITH OR PROTECT AGAINST OBSOLESCENCE.

YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING ALL THE TIME.

UM, PARTS SUPPLIERS ARE CHANGING ALL THE TIME AND WE WILL HAVE THESE VEHICLES FOR A LONG TIME.

SO WE WANT TO HAVE THAT SENSE OF STABILITY AND RELIABILITY BY HAVING ACCESS TO, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S REPLACEMENT PARTS OR, UM, OR SOME ENTITY WENT OUT OF BUSINESS.

THIS ALLOWS US TO HAVE CONTINUITY IN ALL OF THE PARTS AND PIECES AND, AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT WE NEED.

AND, AND BY COMBINING THEM EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS, IT ALLOWS US TO KIND OF ALIGN, YOU KNOW, WHAT ATP'S NEEDS ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LONG-TERM AVAILABILITY OF THE VEHICLES WITH THE MANUFACTURER'S RESPONSIBILITIES.

SO THEY'RE KIND OF ON THE HOOK AND, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY CAN BE A PARTNER IN MAKING SURE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, UH, ACHIEVE WHAT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO

[00:35:01]

ACHIEVE.

SO A LITTLE DEEPER DIVE INTO THE TIMELINE FOR THE UPCOMING PROCUREMENT.

NEXT STEPS, BRAD MENTIONED WE ARE PUBLISHING THE RFI, UH, WHICH IS THE, THE REQUEST FOR INDUSTRY FEEDBACK THAT WILL HAVE THE DRAFT CONTRACT RFP AND OUR REQUIREMENTS SPECIFIED FOR THE VEHICLE, UH, PUBLISHING THAT BY THE END OF NEXT WEEK, ACTUALLY.

SO RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER.

AND THEN WE'RE FOLLOWING A VERY SIMILAR PROCESS AS WE HAVE FOR EACH OF THE OTHER CONTRACTS WITH THE PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILDS TO, UM, PUT THIS OUT TO INDUSTRY, SEEK FEEDBACK AND RESPONSES, MEET WITH THEM ONE-ON-ONE, DISCUSS THEIR QUESTIONS, AND CONSIDER THE FEEDBACK WE HAVE RECEIVED, UH, PRIOR TO UPDATING AND PUBLISHING THE RFP, WHICH IS EXPECTED THIS FALL.

UH, THEN WE WOULD BE AWARDING THIS CONTRACT IN 2026.

AND NEXT SLIDE.

OH, IF I COULD JUST ADD ONE QUICK THING, YOU MAY NOT, YOU MAY NOTICE THAT THERE'S NOT A CONNECT AND BUILD EVENT ASSOCIATED WITH THIS, AND IT'S ON PURPOSE.

UM, VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS ALREADY DO THEIR SUBCONTRACTING AND APPROVAL PROCESS WITH THE FTA THEMSELVES.

UM, SO THEY'RE IS NOT A DBE GOAL THAT WE SET ON THE PROJECT.

THE WAY THAT THIS WORKS IS THE MANUFACTURERS SUBMIT THEIR DBE GOAL TO THE FDA WHO REVIEWS AND APPROVES IT THEMSELVES AND PUTS OUT A MASTER LIST CALLED THE TRANSIT VEHICLE MANUFACTURER OR DBE LIST THAT WE JUST GO AND VERIFY THAT THE FDA IS ACTUALLY APPROVED THEIR DBE GOAL.

SO THERE'S NOT A SUBCONTRACTING OPPORTUNITY FOR THE VAN VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS THEMSELVES, OR ELSE WE WOULD THROW ANOTHER ONE IN.

'CAUSE I LOVE A GOOD EVENT.

UM, BUT IT JUST, UM, IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT PROCESS.

THE FDA CONTROLS FOR SUBCONTRACTING.

SO THE, THE LONGER TERM PROCESS, UM, YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT WE CAN'T GO OUT AND BUY A VEHICLE AND, AND GET IT TOMORROW, UM, WE'VE BROKE IT INTO THREE KEY PHASES HERE.

THE, THE PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACT.

YOU ASK IF WE COULD DO THAT ? YEAH, I, I DO BELIEVE THERE WAS A REQUEST AT SOME POINT OF CAN WE GET ONE IN THE PARKING LOT NEXT MONTH? .

UH, SO THE FIRST PHASE BEING PROCUREMENT AND CONTRACTING THAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, THE SECOND PHASE BEING THE VEHICLE DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE AND ASSEMBLY, BASICALLY THE PRODUCTION PROCESS.

UH, AND THEN WE GET THAT FIRST VEHICLE AND WE, WE GET THEM DELIVERED AT A CERTAIN RATE PER MONTH AND START THE TESTING PROCESS.

AND ONCE WE HAVE THEM ALL, WE DO THAT FULL SYSTEM TESTING THAT IS REQUIRED BEFORE WE CAN BEGIN SERVICE OPERATIONS.

UM, A FEW KEY THINGS TO HIGHLIGHT IN THIS OVERALL PROCESS, OR A COUPLE.

ONE IS THAT THIS ALLOWS, ALTHOUGH IT'S NOT THE SAME AS PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD, IT DOES ALLOW FOR INTEGRATION AND COLLABORATION WITH OUR PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILDS.

MATT HIGHLIGHTED A A COUPLE OF AREAS EARLIER.

YOU KNOW, WE WANT OUR CAR BUILDER TO PROVIDE INPUT INTO THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE FACILITY DESIGN.

WE, WE WANT OUR PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILDER TO UNDER FOR THE, THE LIGHT RAIL CIVIL AND SYSTEMS AND STATIONS TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE VEHICLE.

EVERYTHING FROM THE, UM, DYNAMIC ENVELOPE AND THE SPACE THAT IT REQUIRES TO MANY OF ITS OTHER FEATURES, UH, THAT DEFINE OUR DESIGN FOR OTHER ELEMENTS IN THE PROJECT.

AND VICE VERSA, WE WANT THOSE ENTITIES TO BE ABLE TO COORDINATE WITH OUR CAR BUILDERS.

SO A KEY COMPONENT OF THIS TIMELINE IS DOVETAILING TOGETHER, UH, THE DESIGN PHASES OF WORK BETWEEN ALL THREE CONTRACTS.

ANOTHER KEY COMPONENT IS HAVING INPUT INTO THE DESIGN OF THE VEHICLES, BOTH, UH, YOU KNOW, HERE WITH OUR, OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND OUR COMMUNITY.

AND, AND MATT CAN TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW, UM, THAT'S DONE IN YEP.

OTHER PLACES.

OUR BIKE OR DO WE NEED A SPOT FOR OUR SCOOTER? UM, AND, AND SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS REALLY ALL LEADING UP TO LIKE THAT VERY MAGICAL MOMENT, THAT FIRST DAY WHEN THE FIRST VEHICLE ARRIVES.

SO WE WE'RE, WE'RE CERTAINLY LOOKING FOR A VEHICLE THAT'S BUILT ON AN EXISTING PLATFORM, BUT WE WANT THE DESIGN, YOU KNOW, CERTAIN SPECIFICS TO BE INFORMED BY AUSTIN AND, AND TO BE IN INFORMED BY, YOU KNOW, THE COMMUNITY.

UH, AND SO THERE'S, UM, AS, AS WE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THE, YOU KNOW, THE ROAD AHEAD FOR HOW WE, YOU KNOW, GET A VEHICLE DELIVERED, THERE'S A A CERTAIN KEY AREAS WHERE WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY IN, IN DESIGN DECISIONS.

AND SO THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, EARLY ON, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE'RE FIRST, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER AS TO WHAT IT'S GONNA REALLY LOOK AND FEEL LIKE, WHAT'S THE, UM, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE, UM, DESIGN GONNA BE, WE CAN KIND OF LOOK TO, YOU KNOW, IN, IN OTHER PROJECTS THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, PERFORMED SURVEYS WHERE THEY LOOK TO SAY, OH, HERE'S SOME OPTIONS AND, AND WHAT DOES THE COMMUNITY WANT? UH, IN CALGARY, THEY CHOSE A TRAIN THAT LOOKS LIKE A HOCKEY HELMET.

I DON'T, I DUNNO IF THAT'S RIGHT FOR AUSTIN, BUT, UM, LIKE WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE A HOCKEY HELMET.

SO , UH, SO THERE'S, UH, THERE'S, UH, YEAH, SO THERE'S, THERE'S CERTAINLY A, A VARIETY OF, OF, OF, IN THINGS LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, O OTHER AREAS.

THERE'LL BE, YOU KNOW, POPUPS WHERE YOU CAN KIND OF GET INPUT ON THE SEATING DESIGN OR THE LAYOUTS OF THE, OF THE TRAINS.

YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TO THE COMMUNITY.

DO WE NEED A SPOT FOR

[00:40:01]

AND YOU CAN WELCOME THE COMMUNITY ON TO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE, THE FIRST VEHICLE AS IT'S DELIVERED, UH, YOU KNOW, TO THE ALIGNMENT, YOU KNOW, AHEAD OF, YOU KNOW, REVENUE SERVICE.

UH, SO WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FORWARD TO, YOU KNOW, PARTNERING WITH THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER THAT'S WILLING TO, UH, YOU KNOW, SEE WHAT OUR VISION IS FOR COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT.

AND, UH, YOU KNOW, REALLY YOU'LL LEARN, LEARN FROM WHAT THEY HAVE TO BRING TO IT.

AND, AND, AND AS WE, YOU KNOW, UH, PARTNER WITH THE COMMUNITY TO DELIVER A LIGHT RAIL VEHICLE THAT'S RIGHT FOR AUSTIN.

AND, AND THIS CONCLUDES THIS PORTION.

HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.

THERE'LL CERTAINLY BE, UM, MANY OPPORTUNITIES AS WE CONTINUE ON THIS PROCESS TO COME BACK ON, ON A NUMBER OF TOPICS.

UM, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE YOUR QUESTIONS NOW.

THANK YOU FOR OUR VERY PRESENTATION.

I KNOW BOARD MEMBER HORN, YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS? I DO.

THANK YOU MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE EXCELLENT PRESENTATION.

WELCOME, MATT.

UM, SO I, I HAVE A FEW QUESTIONS, UM, BECAUSE FRANKLY, I, I MEAN, I WOULD THINK ABOUT, I KNOW A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THIS ON THE BUS SIDE, SO YOU KNOW, YOU CAN JUST SAY, NOT AN ISSUE IF IT'S NOT, BUT YOU MENTIONED, UM, THE, THE, UM, THE TECHNOLOGY AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M THINKING ON THE BUS SIDE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU, THERE'S EVER CHANGING, UM, TECHNOLOGY, RIGHT, THAT YOU'RE, THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, UM, AHEAD OF ANY, UM, PROCUREMENT OF VEHICLES.

UM, AND JUST WONDERING WHAT THOSE ARE ON THE LIGHT RAIL, LIKE WHAT, WHAT ARE THE UP AND COMING TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE AHEAD OF THE GAME? THAT'S, I CAN JUST ASK 'EM ALL.

AND THEN, SO THAT'S ONE QUESTION THAT I HAVE.

AND THEN THE SECOND, UM, IS IN TERMS OF THE SPECIFICATIONS, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE, THE SPECIFICATIONS, UM, THE CAR BUILDERS FOR THE, BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SEPARATELY LOOKING AT THE O AND M FACILITY AND, UM, YOU KNOW, DO YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY LESSONS LEARNED THAT YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT THAT? AND WHAT, WHAT ARE THOSE AS WELL? AND THEN THE FINAL QUESTION I HAVE, UM, JUST KIND OF GOES BACK INTO THE DESIGN AND, UM, THE DESIGN OF THE PLATFORMS AND HOW YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT WITH THE, THE VEHICLE.

SO IT, YOU KNOW, SURE.

HOPEFULLY THOSE AREN'T TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS, BUT I'M, I'M INTERESTED.

AND, AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING AT, AT THE DIFFERENT TIMELINES, YOU KNOW, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, REALLY CONSIDERS WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN AND WHEN, UM, SO THAT THERE'S OPPORTUNITY FOR, YOU KNOW, THE LRT CONTRACTOR AND THE OMF CONTRACTOR TO, TO BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S DESIGNED CURRENTLY.

SO GREAT.

I I'M GONNA GO BACKWARDS, .

SO STARTING FROM THE LAST QUESTION, UM, IN TERMS OF THE PLATFORM DESIGN FOR PRELIMINARY DESIGN, WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE CREATED A SET OF SORT OF GENERIC VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE FULL RANGE OF MARKET CAPABILITIES.

SO WE'RE AT THIS STAGE IN DESIGN, ESSENTIALLY DESIGNING FOR WHAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, FIVE, SIX DIFFERENT MANUFACTURERS, AND THAT ANY ONE OF THOSE WOULD WORK WITH OUR CURRENT DESIGN AS DESIGN ADVANCES.

WE'LL START TO NARROW THAT DOWN.

YOU KNOW, YOU CAN DO THINGS LIKE, UM, CHANGE YOUR MAXIMUM GRADE AND THE SLOPE AT WHICH YOU, UM, CAN, CAN INCREASE AND DECREASE ALONG THE ALIGNMENT.

YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR WIDTH OF GUIDEWAY BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, ONE VEHICLE MAY BE A LITTLE BIT MORE NARROW THAN ANOTHER, BUT AT THIS STAGE, WE'VE SORT OF REVIEWED, UM, THE MARKET AND WE CREATED AN ENVELOPE THAT IS A BIT, UM, CONSERVATIVE IS MAYBE A STRONG WORD, BUT FLEXIBLE TO ALLOW FOR OPEN COMPETITION FOR ANY OF THE CAR BUILDERS TO PROPOSE, UM, GOING BACKWARD FROM THAT, BECAUSE IT'S VERY CLOSELY RELATED.

THE, THE QUESTION ON SORT OF THE SPECIFICATIONS AND TYING TOGETHER THE SPECIFICATIONS WITH, UM, INTEGRATION OF, OF DESIGN AND WHAT WE CAN TAG TEAM HERE, UH, THIS IS A THING WE'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT IN THE RFIS FROM, UH, THE PROGRESSIVE, THE LIGHT RAIL PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD CONTRACT THAT WE ALREADY PUBLISHED AND RECEIVED FEEDBACK ON, AND THESE DISCOVERY AND LEARNING TRIPS.

WE'VE HEARD IT FROM ALMOST EVERY RESPONDER IN ALMOST EVERY CITY.

THAT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN YOUR VEHICLE AND YOUR SYSTEM AND YOUR MAINTENANCE FACILITY IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL TO GET ALL OF THOSE PARTIES AT THE TABLE AT THE SAME TIME, FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF DESIGN, EVERYTHING FROM PLANNING THE EQUIPMENT IN THE OMF, THAT CAN BE VERY UNIQUE TO THE ACTUAL VEHICLE SELECTED.

AND, AND MAYBE THAT'S WHERE IF YOU WANNA JUMP IN.

YEAH, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, ONE TOOL THAT WE'RE USING IS, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, DEFINING, UH, THE, THE KIND OF INTERFACES EARLY ON, YOU KNOW, AS IT RELATES TO THIS FIXED PRICE CONTRACT AND MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, ALTHOUGH IT, IT'S CERTAINLY A, UH, YOU KNOW, A PLAN THAT MIGHT CHANGE, THAT THERE'S A CERTAIN SET OF GROUND RULES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, VEHICLE MANUFACTURER KNOWS THAT THEY NEED TO FOLLOW AS IT RELATES TO THE, YOU KNOW, O AND M CONTRACTOR.

AND AS IT RELATES TO THE LRT CONTRACTOR.

UH, IN ADDITION, I WOULD SAY THAT THE, THE PHASING AND, YOU KNOW, HOW THE CONTRACTS ARE, ARE COMING ON

[00:45:01]

UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE'RE KIND OF BRINGING THE, THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER ON BOARD AND, AND WE'RE LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE CAN ADVANCE, YOU KNOW, THE, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THE INFORMATION ABOUT THE VEHICLE, UM, SO THAT IT'S AVAILABLE AT THE RIGHT TIME AS THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THE CONTRACTORS ARE, ARE ADVANCING THOSE DESIGNS.

UH, AND THEN YOUR, MY LAST, YOUR FIRST QUESTION, UM, BACK TO TECHNOLOGY.

UH, SO IN THE SPECIFICATIONS FOR THE VEHICLE, WHICH REALLY ARE US DEFINING WHAT OUR REQUIREMENTS FOR THE VEHICLE, UH, VEHICLES WILL BE, WE HAVE A MIX OF KIND OF PERFORMANCE BASED AND MORE PRESCRIPTIVE ELEMENTS, WHICH WOULD BE GREAT, MATT, IF YOU CAN TALK ABOUT HERE IN, IN A MOMENT.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO TECHNOLOGY, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU'LL, YOU'LL GET ONES IN BOTH CATEGORIES BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE CERTAIN TECHNOLOGIES THAT YOU NEED TO INTEGRATE HERE WITH LOCALLY, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO INTEGRATE WITH OUR TRAFFIC SIGNAL SYSTEM, UH, BUT THEN YOU HAVE SOME THAT ARE PERFORMANCE BASED AND IN OUR SPECIFICATION SO TO SPEAK, IS MORE SPECIFYING AN OUTCOME AND THEN ALLOWING INDUSTRY TO DO WHAT IT DOES BEST AND INNOVATE AND PROPOSE WHAT TECHNOLOGY, UM, BEST FITS.

AND IF YOU WANNA ADD TO THAT.

YEAH, I, I'D SAY IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGIES, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT REALLY, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO BE PRESCRIPTIVE TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY NEED A NEED TO USE A PARTICULAR TYPE OF SYSTEM, BUT REALLY WE'RE LOOKING TO DEFINE THE FUNCTIONALITY THAT'S IMPORTANT TO AUSTIN.

AND SO THAT MIGHT BE, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE REQUIREMENT FOR, YOU KNOW, AN AUTOMATIC, UH, DRIVER, YOU KNOW, ASSISTANT SYSTEM THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL SUPPORT, UM, YOU KNOW, THE OPERATORS IN, IN MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, OPERATING THE, THE VEHICLE, YOU KNOW, SAFELY, UH, OR, OR SOMETHING LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, ASSISTIVE HEARING LOOP SYSTEMS SO THAT, YOU KNOW, PASSENGERS WHO YOU KNOW ARE, ARE, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, HEARING, YOU KNOW, UM, HARD OF HEARING CAN, UM, YOU KNOW, HEAR, HEAR THE ANNOUNCEMENTS THAT ARE ON THE TRAIN.

I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A VARIETY, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE'S SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, TECHNOLOGIES THAT ARE INVOLVED, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING MAINTAINERS OR, YOU KNOW, SUPPORTING, YOU KNOW, GETTING PASSENGERS INFORMATION ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE TRAIN THAT THEY'RE ON AND WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY ARE, ARE, ARE LOOKING TO MAKE SURE IT'S, IT'S KIND OF FUNCTIONALITY BASED, UM, VERSUS SAYING, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU NEED TO USE, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, A PARTICULAR TYPE OF SYSTEM.

THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT ANSWERS AND THE GREAT QUESTIONS.

UM, A LOT OF THE QUESTIONS, MY CURIOSITY IS SINCE WE WRITE THESE SPECIFICATIONS, WHAT ARE, HAS ANYTHING CHANGED WITH BIO AMERICA IN THE TERMS AND PARTS AND PIECES THAT HAVE TO BE THE COMPONENTS? SO IT'S, UM, I WOULD SAY THAT, UM, UH, IN, IN, IN THE LAST, UH, FEW YEARS, UH, THERE HAS BEEN A STEP UP IN THE REQUIREMENTS, YOU KNOW, WHERE IT'S GONE FROM 60% TO 70%.

AND, AND SO AS A RESULT, YOU KNOW, 70% OF THE COMPONENTS THAT MAKE UP THIS VEHICLE THAT AUSTIN WILL BE GETTING, YOU KNOW, WILL BE, UH, DOMESTIC CONTENT.

AND THEN THE FINAL ASSEMBLY DOES, YOU KNOW, IT WILL BE DOMESTICALLY ASSEMBLED.

AND, AND SO THESE, YOU KNOW, VEHICLES WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, MADE IN AMERICA, UH, THE, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW, YOU KNOW, THE MANUFACTURER GETS TO THAT 70%, IT'S, IT'S REALLY UP TO THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR CALCULUS.

UM, SO THEY DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT SYSTEMS ARE RIGHT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE, YOU KNOW, THOSE FDA REQUIREMENTS.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, PRIOR TO, UM, BEING ABLE TO AWARD THE CONTRACT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WILL, WE'LL GO THROUGH A PRE-AWARD AUDIT TO MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, THEIR MATH CHECKS OUT.

UM, AND, AND SO THERE'S A, YOU KNOW, A PROCESS THAT WE NEED TO FOLLOW IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE WE'RE STAYING WITHIN THE BOUNDS OF, YOU KNOW, ANY, YOU KNOW, ANY GRANT.

CAN KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GO OUT AND, AND HAVE IT, YOU KNOW, MANUFACTURED SOMEWHERE ELSE.

UM, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? I HAVE A STUPID QUESTION.

, GO AHEAD.

THERE'S NO STUPID QUESTIONS.

, THESE FIRMS THAT WE'LL GONNA DEAL WITH, THEY'RE ALL GONNA BE LONGSTANDING LIKE DECADES OR MAYBE EVEN CENTURIES.

UH, NO POSSIBILITY THAT THEY WOULD GO OUT OF BUSINESS AFTER WE BUY THE CARD FROM 'EM OR WHATEVER.

WHAT GREAT QUESTION, , I, I, I, UM, YOU KNOW, HIS, UH, WHAT WHAT'S MORE LIKELY IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE HAS BEEN A, A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF INDUSTRY CONSOLIDATION, YOU KNOW, WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE THERE MIGHT HAVE BEEN 5, 6, 7 CAR BUILDERS IN THE PAST.

NOW THERE'S, YOU KNOW, FOUR OR FIVE OR YOU KNOW, SIX, UM, UH, IN, IN TERMS OF SAY PROTECTING, YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, A, YOU KNOW, A TP IN, IN, IN, IN A POTENTIAL I WOULD, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, BANKRUPTCY OR, OR SOMEBODY GOING OUTTA BUSINESS IS, UH, SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF THE COMPONENTS ARE, UH, SOURCED FROM SUBCONTRACTORS.

AND, AND SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY IN, IN OUR CONTRACTS IN ORDER TO KIND OF BUY THE PARTS DIRECTLY FROM THEM.

THERE'S ALSO A VARIETY OF PROTECTIONS.

ONE IS CERTAINLY THE, THE SERVICES AGREEMENT THAT WE'LL HAVE WITH A CAR BUILDER TO KIND OF MAINTAIN SUPPLY.

UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S KIND OF PROTECTIONS LATER ON TOP OF THAT WHERE, UM, YOU KNOW, DETAILS, REAL, REAL DETAILS ABOUT THE, THE MAKE IT MAKE UP OF THE EQUIPMENT IS ISLI TO AUSTIN, YOU KNOW, SO THAT IN THE EVENT THAT YOU NEED TO REPLACE A PART, YOU

[00:50:01]

AND MAYBE TO GIVE YOU SOME ASSURANCE, THE, THE NATURE OF THE MARKET, OF THE CAR BUILDERS THAT MAKE AND ASSEMBLE THESE VEHICLES HAVE BEEN DOING SO FOR DECADES.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT NEW TO THE MARKET.

THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, BRAND NEW, CUTTING EDGE, HAVEN'T DONE THIS BEFORE, THEY'VE HOPE SO , IT'S BEEN A GOOD, GOOD LONG RUN.

, I THINK THE CHANGE, RIGHT MATT, IS THAT THERE'S JUST BEEN OVER THE LAST, MAYBE YOU CAN FILL IN THE GAP 20, 25 YEARS, JUST A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF ONSHORING, UM, FROM, UH, MANUFACTURING AND BUILDING THAT PROBABLY DIDN'T EXIST 30 YEARS AGO.

YEAH, I'D SAY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF STABILITY IN THE, YOU KNOW, BIOMARKER REGULATIONS.

YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, CAME IN AROUND THE EIGHTIES, UM, WHERE IT WAS, YOU KNOW, REQUIREMENT FOR, UH, YOU KNOW, GRANTEES TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE VEHICLES MANUFACTURED IN THE US AND, YOU KNOW, WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF, UH, DOMESTIC CONTENT.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, WHILE THERE MIGHT BE INTERNATIONAL, UH, VENDORS THAT, YOU KNOW, WILL PARTICIPATE, UH, THEY ALL HAVE, YOU KNOW, FACILITIES IN THE US TO MANUFACTURE THE COMPONENTS, TO MANUFACTURE THE VEHICLES, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, BEEN, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY GOOD FOR KIND OF ENSURING A LONG-TERM SUPPLY OF THE VEHICLES AND THE COMPONENTS.

'CAUSE IT'S REALLY IMPRESSIVE.

YOU ASK .

SO I'M ALSO REALLY IMPRESSED WITH THE, UH, OUTREACH THAT YOU'RE DOING AND ALL OF THE SYSTEMS THAT YOU'RE CHECKING OUT, INCLUDING THE MOST, YOU KNOW, RECENT LESSONS LEARNED SINCE SOUTH CENTRAL AND PHOENIX IS OPENING IN LIKE TWO WEEKS, I THINK.

UM, WHICH YOU HAD ON YOUR SLIDE.

UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE REFERENCED THIS A FEW TIMES.

ARE THERE ANY, LIKE, I KNOW I'M LOOKING AT YOU AS WELL, ANY LIKE TOP TOP THREE LESSONS LEARNED THAT YOU'RE BRINGING BACK OR LIKE SOME, JUST SOME OF JUST THE STANDOUT THINGS THAT YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO IT THAT WAY, WE'RE GONNA DO IT THIS WAY.

JUST DOES ANYTHING LIKE REALLY KIND OF POP UP AS THE, THE TOP, TOP THINGS AND CONGRATS FOR ALL THAT OUTREACH.

I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GET LINDSAY GO FIRST, THEN I CAN.

UM, AND BRAD, BRAD, DO YOU WANNA JOIN IN AS WELL? LOTS OF PEOPLE AROUND HERE.

CASEY HAS SOME, I WOULD SAY ONE COMMON THEME.

I'VE HEARD THROUGH ALL OF THEM.

A LOT OF THEM HAVE REALLY SIMILAR TECHNICAL ISSUES, YOU KNOW, UTILITIES AND THIRD PARTY AGREEMENTS, AND YOU SORT OF SEE THE SAME CHALLENGES IN PROJECTS FROM TIME, UH, OR BIG MEGA PROJECTS REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE.

BUT FOR ME, A A NOTABLE THEME IS ACTUALLY ABOUT THE PEOPLE AND THAT WE'VE HEARD IT REALLY, ESPECIALLY IN A PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD OR A COLLABORATIVE MODEL, THE SUCCESS REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE PEOPLE AND THE ACTUAL INDIVIDUALS AND BEING BOUGHT IN TO A BEST FOR PROJECT ATTITUDE AND NOT, UH, YOU KNOW, STRICTLY REPRESENTING WHETHER YOU'RE THE AGENCY OR THE CONTRACTOR, YOUR INTERESTS, BUT SELECTING THE RIGHT TEAM AND THE RIGHT INDIVIDUALS THAT WILL COLLABORATE AND PARTNER TOGETHER.

AND, UH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE KIND OF HEAR THAT NO MATTER WHERE WE ARE AND THAT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES THAT ARISE COME OUT OF NOT HAVING THE RIGHT PEOPLE.

ECHO THAT ENTIRELY.

AND THEN I THINK SOMETHING MATT SAID IS MAKING SURE THAT WE ARE THINKING ABOUT ALL THE COMPONENTS AND, AND, AND THERE'S A REGIME IN PLACE TO THE INTEGRATION OF THOSE.

AND I THINK YOU SEE THAT REFLECTED IN OUR OVERALL DELIVERY STRATEGY THAT BRAD'S LAID OUT.

LIKE THERE'S A PURPOSE BEHIND IT.

HE HAS TO GIVE US A LITTLE BREATHING ROOM OF LIKE TWO DAYS BETWEEN EACH OF THEM, UM, BUT ALSO SO THAT WE CAN MAKE SURE THEY ALL CAN COME TOGETHER AND WE'RE HAVING A COMMON DIALOGUE.

AND THEN TO ADD, AND THEN FINALLY, I THINK JUST ON, ON LINDSAY'S NOTE IS THEN CREATING THAT KIND OF CULTURE OF TRUST FROM DAY ONE, RIGHT? ACTUALLY PRE-DAY ONE, I THINK THE PROCESS WE'RE GOING THROUGH NOW IS HOPEFULLY DOING THAT AS WELL.

SO WE'RE IN THE ROOM, THERE'S GONNA BE A ZILLION ISSUES TO GRAPPLE WITH, RIGHT? IT'S JUST THE NATURE OF IT.

LARGE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS ARE LARGE AND COMPLEX AND THAT'S OKAY.

AND IF CREATE THAT CULTURE OF TRUST AND AWARENESS AND DIALOGUE ON THE FRONT END WITH THAT TEAM BUILDING, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE HEARD ACROSS THE COUNTRY REALLY AND AND BEYOND.

UH, WE'VE TALKED TO FOLKS REALLY, UM, IN, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD IN A, WE'VE HAD PHONE CALLS WITH PEOPLE IN AUSTRALIA AND MELBOURNE AND SYDNEY AS WELL.

AND UM, THAT IS A COMMON THING.

AND SO HOW DO WE TAKE ALL THOSE NUGGETS AND BUILD IT HERE FOR MAKE IT AUSTIN SPECIFIC? THANK YOU.

EVEN ISSUE SOLICITATION AND, AND GETTING TO KNOW THEM AND GETTING, HAVING THEM GET TO KNOW US SO THAT WAY THEY CAN PROPOSE PEOPLE TO BE ON THEIR PROJECT THAT BEST FIT WHO A TP IS.

I'LL JUST PIGGYBACK.

ONE IS, AGAIN, WITH THE COLLABORATION IS A LOT OF TIMES, UM, IN TALKING TO, UM, AGENCIES AND UH, CONTRACTORS ON PROJECTS THAT HAVE HAD THINGS POP UP THAT HAVE CAUSED ISSUES.

UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE HEARD REPEATEDLY FROM THE INDUSTRY IS LIKE, OH, WE COULD HAVE TOLD THEM THAT , UM, IF WE WOULD'VE BEEN GIVEN THE OPPORTUNITY.

AND WHAT WE'VE DONE IS CREATE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THE INDUSTRY TO HIGHLIGHT ANYTHING THAT THEY COULD FORESEE BEING AN ISSUE IN OUR SOLICITATION AND CONTRACT DOCUMENTS.

UM, AND STARTING THAT COLLABORATION MONTHS BEFORE WE

[00:55:01]

AND THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HERE, UM, HAS BEEN, UH, ONE OF THE BIG LESSONS LEARNED.

WELL, THANK YOU.

AND YOU'VE CERTAINLY BEGUN, YOU KNOW, ESTABLISHING SUCH A GREAT CULTURE, YOU KNOW, TO BUILD OFF OF, SO THAT'S REALLY GREAT.

YEAH, THIS IS FANTASTIC.

I DO, I'M GLAD YOU WERE MENTIONING TO, TO PIGGYBACK ON, ON YOUR QUESTION FOR MEMBER HORN ABOUT TECHNOLOGIES AND SYSTEMS THAT MAY BE OBSOLETE, UM, I KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE, I, I AM OF THAT ERA WHERE WE DID DESIGN THE TICKET VENDING MACHINES FOR OUR COMMUTER RAIL AND THEY QUICKLY WERE OBSOLETE, BUT ALSO WE SAW THE FAST TRANSITION TO OUR MOBILE DEVICES.

AND I WANT TO UNDERSTAND, THE MORE WE HEAR ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND BEING DIGITAL, I THINK THERE IS A DESIRE ALSO FOR MORE ANALOG PIECES THAT ARE TIMELESS, THAT DON'T NEED TO BE SO CUTTING EDGE ALL THE TIME.

ALL THE TIME.

BECAUSE WE CAN NEVER KEEP UP.

SO I WILL BE CURIOUS, AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE AN ANSWER NOW, BUT I WILL BE CURIOUS TO SEE, OF ALL THE SYSTEM PARTS AND PIECES THAT WHERE THE LATEST INNOVATION, EVERYBODY EMBRACED IT, BUT THEN THEY QUICKLY DEGRADED, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO AS A COMMUNITY EMBARK ON ADOPTING, BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH VALUE.

AND ONE THING I DID LEARN IN MELBOURNE IS THAT THEY'VE HAD THEIR LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM FOR OVER A HUNDRED YEARS, AND THEY, YOU STILL SEE IN CIRCULATION VEHICLES THAT ARE 80 YEARS OLD AND 70 YEARS OLD.

AND I WAS LIKE, WITH WOOD SEATS, RIGHT? LIKE THEY'RE OLD AND THEY STILL, AND THEY USE THE SAME ALIGN.

I MEAN THE, THE, THE GUIDEWAY, THE, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE AGED, BUT THEY'RE STANDARDIZED THAT THEY NEVER GOT RID OF IT AND THEY'RE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THEM.

AND THAT BLEW ME AWAY, RIGHT? THAT THEY HAD ONE SPECIFIC CIRCULATOR THAT DOES, THAT WAS THE OLDEST VEHICLE THAT THEY CELEBRATE.

AND IN THAT SAME TRACK, THEY HAD THE LATEST AND GREATEST STATE OF THE ART USING THE SAME PLATFORMS, USING THE SAME VEHICLES.

WHAT DOESN'T MATCH FROM THAT MELBOURNE EXAMPLE THAT I JUST MENTIONED WAS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PLATFORM HI TO THE VEHICLE ENTRY POINTS, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER ACCESSIBLE, BUT THEY'RE STILL IN CIRCULATION, RIGHT? BUT I DO WANT US TO HAVE AN INVENTORY OF THINGS THAT THE EXPERTS WOULD RECOMMEND THIS, THAT, THAT WE WILL HAVE AN APPETITE TO CONTINUE TO UPGRADE AND OR NOT.

SO KEEP THAT IN MIND.

AND THE OTHER THING THAT I DID LOVE LEARNING WHEN WE VISITED THE CONFERENCE IN BERLIN TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT VEHICLES WAS IN THE INTERFACE, BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA BE NAVIGATING OUR CITY STREETS, WAS ONE OF THE EARLY QUESTIONS THAT LINDSEY ASKED ABOUT OUR GUIDEWAY BEING GREEN VERSUS PAVED VERSUS, UH, UM, THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR PROGRESS , BUT IT WAS SOMETHING ABOUT THAT I LOVE THAT YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, LINDSAY, QUICKLY EARLY ON IN THE RESEARCH WAS WHAT'S THE MAINTENANCE LIKE FOR HAVING A GREEN GUIDEWAY? 'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S AFRAID OF SOMETHING THAT SEEMS CUTTING EDGE, BUT IT ACTUALLY IS DONE ALL OVER EUROPE.

AND WHAT I RECALL FROM THE ANSWER WAS THAT IT ACTUALLY, FROM THE PEOPLE THAT MAINTAINED IT, THEY LOVE IT BECAUSE IT WAS QUIET, THE CITY WAS QUIET, IT, IT ABSORBED THE SOUND SO ACOUSTICALLY IT BECAME AN ASSET OF SOMETHING THAT WAS NOT SOMETHING WE, IT WAS IN MY REALM OF EVEN THINKING ABOUT, BUT THEY ADDRESSED IT.

SO IN, IN THINKING OF HOW WE PROPOSE DESIGN GOALS AND DESIGN PARAMETERS FOR THE DESIGN TEAM, I WANT US TO, TO SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OF WHAT'S BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CLIMATE AND OUR LONG TERM MAINTENANCE OF, OF THE SYSTEM.

AND, AND IT'S, YOU KIND OF GAVE US A PERFECT SEGUE INTO THAT NEXT TOPIC.

AND, UM, THANKS.

ONE MORE QUESTION, AND BRAD, OH YES.

ANOTHER QUESTION.

IS THERE ANYTHING SPECIAL ABOUT THE, UH, LIGHT RAIL CAR THAT WOULD GO, THAT WOULD SERVE AS AN AIRPORT? OH YEAH.

I WOULD SAY THAT, UH, AIRPORT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE WHOLE PEOPLE MOVERS.

THEY TEND TO BE RUBBER TIRED.

UM, IF, IF, IF, WAIT, HOLD ON, I THINK MIGHT BE TALKING ABOUT TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.

THERE'S NOTHING DIFFERENT REQUIRED IN ORDER FOR US TO EXTEND THE SYSTEM TO THE AIRPORT.

THERE ARE DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEHICLES THAT YOU SEE SOMETIMES AS, UM, PEOPLE MOVERS THAT ARE INTERNAL TO THE AIRPORT

[01:00:01]

CIRCULATION.

UH, BUT THOSE ARE A VERY DIFFERENT FUNCTION AND DOES NOT AFFECT, UH, WHAT WE WILL BE PROCURING FOR THE LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.

AFTER HEARING THE MAYOR TALK ABOUT THE CAREFUL PLANNING THAT IS GOING INTO THE EXPANSION OF THE AIRPORT, CONNECTING A TP AND ALL THAT, I JUST GOT CURIOUS.

WE ARE PLANNING FOR THAT NOW TO MAKE SURE, AND, AND EVEN DOING SOME EARLY DESIGN STUDIES ON THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING WE DO IS PREPARED TO GO TO THE AIRPORT .

AND, AND AN ELEMENT OF THE CONTRACT IS SOME OPTION VEHICLES, YOU KNOW, AS THE ALIGNMENT GETS LONGER, IF YOU NEED, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL VEHICLES IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THAT SERVICE, THERE'S, THERE'S OPTIONS AND YOU KNOW, THAT THAT COULD BE EXECUTED AT, AT A FUTURE DATE.

UH, ALL RIGHT.

UM, WELL THEN I THINK WE'RE GONNA SWITCH TOPICS A BIT, ALTHOUGH IT'S, UH, VERY CLOSELY CONNECTED TO THE IDEA OF PROVIDING AN EXCELLENT, UM, EXPERIENCE, NOT ONLY FOR OUR RIDERS AND CUSTOMERS, BUT REALLY FOR OUR ENTIRE CITY.

SO WITH THAT, UM, MAYBE LISA AND CHRISTOPHER, DO YOU WANNA INTRODUCE AND I'LL HAND IT OVER TO YOU? SURE.

THE NEXT, UM, FRAMING IDEA IS ABOUT CONNECTING TO THE OUTDOORS.

WE'RE THRILLED TO BE HERE.

I FEEL LIKE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT DESIGN THROUGHOUT THIS WHOLE MEETING, SO IT'S GREAT TO BE HERE.

I'M LISA STOR, VP OF ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN, AND WITH ME IS CHRISTOPHER.

I'M DELIGHTED TO BE HERE.

CHRISTOPHER TKIS.

I'M WITH THE DELIVERY PARTNER TEAM.

UH, I'M ALSO AN ARCHITECT AND, UM, AN URBAN DESIGNER.

UM, LOOKING FORWARD TO COLLABORATING WITH, UH, A TP AS YOU, UH, DELIVER THIS TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECT.

SO NONE OF THIS IS REALLY GONNA BE A HUGE SURPRISE OR BRAND NEW INFORMATION, BUT WE ARE TAKING THIS OPPORTUNITY TO FRAME UP ALL OF THE INTERDISCIPLINARY WORK THAT HAS BEEN, THAT HAS BEEN DONE ON THE DESIGN SIDE FROM A READINESS STANDPOINT IN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS TO REALLY DESCRIBE OUR PEOPLE CENTERED, PERFORMANCE BASED DESIGN GOALS IN A CLEAR, EASY TO UNDERSTAND LANGUAGE, AND EASY, UH, EASY PEASY.

I THINK YOU ALL HAVE THIS BOOK IN YOUR BOARD PACKETS.

SO THAT IS THE DELIVERABLE, UM, IN THIS, IT'S NOT, LIKE I SAID, IT'S INTERDISCIPLINARY.

SO WHILE WE HAVE THE PLEASURE OF PRESENTING THIS TO YOU, THIS ISN'T STRICTLY ARCHITECTURE AND URBAN DESIGN.

THIS IS ALSO INTEGRATED WITH OUR PLANNERS, OUR ENGINEERING SIDE, OUR COMMUNITY, OUR, OUR, OUR COMMUNITY, AND OUR COMMS TEAM.

UH, BOTH.

SO JUST WANTED TO NOTE THAT AS WELL.

NEXT.

YEP.

WHEN WE'RE, UH, THINKING ABOUT HOW DESIGN CAN SHAPE PEOPLE'S EXPERIENCE OF TRANSIT IN AUSTIN, WE THINK ABOUT THE TRANSIT ENVIRONMENT MUCH MORE HOLISTICALLY IN BOTH SPACE AND TIME THAN JUST A PLATFORM OR JUST A STATION, RIGHT? PEOPLE'S USER JOURNEYS START BEFORE THEY EVEN LEAVE THEIR HOUSES.

THEY INTERSECT ALL SORTS OF DIFFERENT ELEMENTS IN THE URBAN REALM.

THEY SUCCESSFULLY TAKE LIGHT RAIL, GET TO WHERE THEY'RE GOING, AND HAVE A VERY SMOOTH TRANSITION OUT OF THAT SYSTEM.

AND SO THINKING ABOUT THAT ENTIRE TRANSIT ENVIRONMENT IS WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TODAY, AND HOW WE'RE FRAMING UP THESE, THESE FIVE BIG IDEAS.

SO RATHER THAN, UM, RATHER THAN PRESCRIBING SOLUTIONS THAT, UH, DICTATE SPECIFIC FORMS OR MATERIALS OR CONSTRUCTION METHODS, WE'VE TAKEN, UH, A MORE INNOVATIVE APPROACH TO THINKING ABOUT DESIGNING THIS LIGHT RAIL SYSTEM.

AND, UH, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE WITH, THERE ARE FIVE BIG IDEAS THAT LISA MENTIONED, UM, ARE REALLY FRAMING IDEAS.

THEY'RE FRAMING GOALS, OKAY? THAT ARE DIRECTLY AND INDIRECTLY GONNA DELIVER THE OUTCOMES ABOUT DESIGNING FOR PEOPLE, UH, TO MOVE TO THRIVE, TO SHAPE THE CITY, UM, TO CONNECT FROM A TO B AND, UH, TO CREATE SOMETHING THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN CAN BE VERY PROUD OF.

FOR MANY GENERATIONS, THESE FIVE BIG IDEAS ARE LISTED, UH, IN ORDER USER EXPERIENCE, THE OUTDOORS CULTURE, PLACE, AND LEGACY.

AND SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT EACH ONE OF THOSE BRIEFLY.

THE FIRST ONE IS ABOUT REALLY PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WAY WE DESIGN, AND, SORRY, PAYING ATTENTION TO THE WAY WE DESIGN FOR PEOPLE TO INTERACT WITH THEIR ENVIRONMENTS.

UM, AND WHAT MAKES SPACES INTUITIVE, ACCESSIBLE, COMFORTABLE, AND EASY TO USE.

YOU HEAR ABOUT USER EXPERIENCE A WHOLE LOT WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DESIGN OF OTHER ELEMENTS, RIGHT? YOUR IPHONE OR YOUR OTHER STUFF.

BUT WE, IT'S RARE TO HEAR ABOUT IT IN TRANSIT AND IN SORT OF THE URBAN REALM.

SO THIS IS A REAL FOCUS ON WHAT MAKES PEOPLE FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THESE ENVIRONMENTS.

NOT ONLY DO WE WANT PEOPLE TO RIDE THE TRAIN, BUT WE ALSO WANT THEM TO LOVE TO RIDE THE TRAIN.

[01:05:01]

AND AS YOU KNOW, NATURE IS, UM, IS CORE TO AUSTIN'S PERSONALITY AND CULTURE.

UM, WE IMAGINE THAT THE LIGHT RAIL IS NOT ONLY GREAT TRAINS OPERATING THROUGH OUR CITY, UH, BUT ALSO A NEW NATURAL CORRIDOR, UM, THAT RUNS THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE HEART OF AUSTIN.

UM, SO THE LIGHT RAIL IS GONNA BE A TOUCHSTONE FOR UNDERSTANDING, FOR NAVIGATING AND FOR CELEBRATING THE CITY.

SO THE OUTDOORS, UM, UH, IS SOMETHING THAT IS GONNA FIND ITS WAY AS A DESIGN VALUE IN THE DECISIONS THAT WE MAKE WITH OUR PROGRESSIVE DESIGN BUILD PARTNERS TO GIVE FORM AND SHAPE, UM, TO THE, THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE LIGHT RAIL AND THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PASSENGERS.

IT NEEDS TO BE FLEXIBLE, IT NEEDS TO BE RESILIENT.

UH, IT NEEDS TO BE AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS ALSO A FUNCTIONAL LANDSCAPE.

AND, UM, IF WE DO THAT CORRECTLY, THEN WE WILL BE ABLE TO CELEBRATE THE OUTDOORS AND CULTURE AS BEING INTERTWINED.

UM, THE LIGHT RAIL WILL EMBRACE THIS CONNECTION.

AND THAT'S A SEGUE TO YOUR NEXT POINT.

, AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL WILL CONNECT TO CULTURE AS WELL.

AS WE'VE HEARD A LOT OF FOLKS SAY AUSTIN IS UNIQUE.

EACH OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS THAT AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL WILL CONNECT, HAVE THEIR OWN IDENTITY, HAVE THEIR OWN CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, UM, AND HAVE THEIR OWN PLACE.

AND SO THE IDEAS FOR AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL TO SEAMLESSLY STITCH INTO, INTEGRATED INTO THOSE SURROUNDING CONTEXTS, UM, AND REALLY PROVIDE THOSE CONNECTIONS BETWEEN THEM.

UM, IN TERMS OF PLACE, THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL WILL ALSO BE A PLATFORM FOR PLACEMAKING, UM, WITH THE STATIONS SERVING, UH, AS NEIGHBORHOOD HUBS.

SO DESIGNING FOR PLACE MEANS TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE BETWEEN SYSTEM-WIDE, UH, TOOLS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO CREATE COHERENCY AND PREDICTABILITY, UH, EFFICIENCY ECONOMY, UM, WITH SITE-SPECIFIC TOOLS, UH, WHICH CAN GIVE US, UH, THE ABILITY TO REALLY CELEBRATE THE UNIQUENESS OF A PARTICULAR STATION OR THE COMMUNITY THAT IT SERVES.

UM, AND SO WE WILL BE LOOKING TO FIND THAT BALANCE, UH, WITH, UH, DESIGN DECISIONS, UM, THAT WE TAKE IN THE NEXT, UH, THE NEXT STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT.

AND I'D LIKE TO JUST SAY THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, IS BRINGING, UH, A PUBLIC ART PROGRAM TO THAT EQUATION.

THE FINAL BIG IDEA IS ONE THAT YOU ALL TALKED ABOUT IN A LOT OF DIFFERENT WORDS, BUT IS THAT AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL WILL CONNECT TO LEGACY.

SO THIS IS A TRANSFORMATIONAL INVESTMENT FOR AUSTIN, AND WE ARE THINKING BIG PICTURE AND LONG TERM.

UM, THE CONSIDERATIONS FROM MATERIALITY TO MAINTAINABILITY ARE SUPER IMPORTANT AND WE NEED TO GET IT RIGHT, BUT NOT JUST GETTING IT RIGHT FOR NOW, BUT GETTING IT RIGHT FOR THE FUTURE AS WELL.

SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO CONTINUING THE DESIGN PROCESS THAT REALLY LEVERAGES PEOPLE CENTERED, TRANSIT FOCUSED CITY BUILDING, UM, RESPONDING TO USERS' NEEDS, UH, AND THEIR DESIRES.

UM, THIS WILL CONTINUE TO BE AT THE FOREFRONT OF OUR DESIGN APPROACH, AND WE WILL DO THAT BY CONTINUING, UH, AS YOU HEARD FROM BRAD EARLIER, IN EFFECTIVELY ENGAGING WITH THE PUBLIC AND, AND OUR DESIGN BUILD CONSTRUCTION PARTNERS AS WE TAKE THIS VISION TO REALITY.

AND WE'RE ALL HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE ANY, BUT WE'RE ALSO VERY EXCITED, TO HAND YOU ALL THESE BOOKS.

I WANNA OPEN IT TO MY COLLEAGUES QUESTIONS.

I WILL READ EVERY SENTENCE OF THIS.

THIS IS GREAT.

OH, I'M SORRY.

I LIKE, I LIKE WHAT YOU'VE DONE.

UM, YOU'VE, UM, THE, THE VALUE TO THE COMMUTER IS THERE, BUT YOU'RE ALSO EXPANDING THE IMPACT FOR, TO THE WHOLE COMMUNITY.

I THINK IT'S REALLY, REALLY VALUABLE IN TERMS OF KEEPING OUR SUPPORT AMONG THE COMMUNITY TO KEEP GOING.

I REALLY LOVE THAT IT'S VERY VISIONARY IN TERMS OF, IT'S NOT PRESCRIPTIVE IN GIVING YOU THE GUIDELINES OF THE RECIPE EXACTLY HOW THE DESIGN SHOULD BE, BUT TO THAT LEGACY ALSO THAT I THINK YOU'RE ALSO TOUCHING ON MULTIMODAL PIECES BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT THE TRAIN, BUT THE PEOPLE WILL RIDE THEIR BIKE AND HOP ON A BUS TO CONNECT TO THE TRAIN, TO CONNECT TO THE SIDEWALK, TO CONNECT TO THE ECOSYSTEM OF MOBILITY.

AND THAT WITH EACH ONE OF THESE FIVE VISIONS THAT YOU TOUCH ON, ALL THOSE

[01:10:01]

MOBILITY ASPECTS.

SO I THINK THINGS THAT ARE REALLY HAVE BEEN SAID SINCE THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT WE JOINED ABOUT TREES AND NATURE, I SEE IT REFLECTED HERE.

AND I'M GRATEFUL THAT YOU GUYS HAVE REALLY LISTENED NOT JUST TO THE LEADERSHIP OF, OF THIS ORGANIZATION, BUT THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.

UM, THERE'S A PHRASE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TREES WILL NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE AND THAT WE WALK AND WE'RE PEDESTRIANS BEFORE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, AS PART OF OUR HUMANITY.

SO NOBODY WILL WALK IN TEXAS WITHOUT THE SHADE.

AND SO THANK YOU FOR REALLY, REALLY BRINGING THIS HOME.

I KNOW IT'S, IT'S SMALL, IT'S VERY DIGESTIBLE, BUT IT'S ALSO, I KNOW YEARS OF LABOR EMBODIED IN HERE.

SO THANK YOU.

THAT'S ALL I HAVE.

UM, OKAY.

JUST A QUICK NOTE BOARD CHAIR, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR NOT USING A PICTURE OF ME DOING THE VR 'CAUSE THAT WOULD'VE BEEN , I'D GET DIZZY JUST SEEING IT ANYWAY, SO THANK YOU.

UM, A COUPLE THINGS.

I THINK AS, AS BOTH LISA AND CHRISTOPHER NOTICED, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A WHAT PERFECT TIMING AS WE'RE ABOUT TO LAUNCH THE PDB BECAUSE IT, AS, AS, AS WAS SAID, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH OUR SELECTED PDB TO FINALIZE AND PUT THIS ALL INTO PRACTICE.

SO GETTING THAT VISION OUT NOW FOR THEM TO SEE AS WELL IS REALLY CRITICAL AT THIS FUNCTION.

WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT, SO IT'S, IT'S WONDERFUL.

UM, I JUST WANNA REALLY COMMEND LISA FOR HELPING DRIVING THIS TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY, CHRISTOPHER, FOR JOINING US IN THIS AS A, AS A NEW JOURNEY.

YOUR, YOUR ADVICE AND, UM, THOUGHTFULNESS AS YOU'VE ENTERED INTO OUR WORLD.

WE REALLY APPRECIATE IT AS WELL.

AND AT THE SAME TIME, I WANNA RECOGNIZE ONE OF OUR, ANOTHER EXPERT THAT WE GET TO BRING INTO THE A TP FAMILY IS GEORGE ADAMS OVER THERE, UM, AS A NEW SVP IN ARCHITECTURE, URBAN DESIGN, GEORGE HAS A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE IN THIS COMMUNITY.

UM, UH, WORKING ON AUSTIN'S FIRST GREAT STREETS PROGRAM, GOING BACK, I WON'T, I WON'T SAY HOW OLD WE ARE, GEORGE, I'LL JUST STOP THERE, .

UM, BUT I STILL WALK AROUND THAT ONE SPOT OVER THERE ON FIFTH AND, AND, AND GUADALUPE AND KNOW WHICH ONE IT WAS.

SO, UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING AND THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES, THERE'S SO MUCH WORK, MORE WORK TO DO HERE, AND WE'RE ACTUALLY REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR ORIGINAL FRAMING OF ALL OF THIS GOING BACK ALMOST THREE YEARS AGO NOW.

UM, THAT HELPS SET US UP WHERE WE ARE.

WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT OUR PATH FORWARD AND MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING REMAINS INTEGRATED, OUR DESIGN EXCELLENCE, AS WELL AS WITH OUR, UM, ENGINEERING WORK AND OUR CONSTRUCTABILITY, ALL OF THAT ALL THE TIME.

SO THANK YOU.

TO ACTION ITEMS THAT WE BROUGHT FROM THE BOARD.

THANK YOU, TEAM.

NOW I'M GONNA MOVE OVER

[5.1 Approval of a resolution appointing members to the Austin Light Rail Advisory Group.]

AND THIS IS A REALLY EXCITING OPPORTUNITY TO THANK MY, UH, COLLEAGUE, BOARD MEMBER GARZA, FOR HELPING ME SHEPHERD THIS EFFORT FORWARD AS WE, UM, WANT TO REESTABLISH THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY TEAMS THAT ARE GOING TO HELP US DELIVER THIS PROGRAM.

WE SOLICITED FOR THE COMMUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, AGAIN, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WE'RE COMBINING INTO ONE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP THAT HAS FINANCE, THAT HAS DESIGN, THAT HAS THE TECHNICAL ASPECTS COMBINED WITH THE ENGINEERING, SO THAT BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND WELL THAT ONE DECISION IMPACTS THE FINANCES AND ONE ENGINEERING PRACTICE AFFECTS THE OPERATIONS LONG TERM.

SO IT DIDN'T MAKE SENSE WHEN WE HAD THE THREE SEPARATE TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUPS.

SO NOW WE'VE COMBINED THEM INTO ONE.

WE RES SOLICITED APPLICATIONS FROM THE COMMUNITY, AND, UH, WE RECEIVE AN INCREDIBLE SLATE OF CANDIDATES TO PARTICIPATE.

AND WE'RE REALLY GRATEFUL THAT THEY WANT TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY IN THIS, IN THIS MANNER.

UM, SO WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO PUT FORTH THE RECOMMENDED APPOINTEES.

UM, I LIKE TO READ THEIR NAMES AND GIVE YOU A LITTLE BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF WHO THEY ARE.

SO, UM, LYNDON HENRY, HE SERVED ON OUR, WITH OUR ORIGINAL TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP, HIS EXPERIENCE AND PRIOR ROLES.

HE'S A TRANSPORTATION PLANNER AND RESEARCHER WITH A STRONG BACKGROUND IN RAIL TRANSIT, INNER CITY RAIL SERVICE, AND INNOVATIVE TRANSIT TECHNOLOGIES.

KEVIN RUTA, HIS EXPERIENCE IS DIVERSE EXPERIENCE WITH BUSINESS STRATEGY AND ORGANIZATION BUILDING.

HE ALSO CAME, I DUNNO IF YOU REMEMBER, HE CAME TO ADDRESS THE BOARD ABOUT A PARKING RIDE NEAR HIS COMMUNITY.

SO THAT'S, HE'S BEEN VERY INVOLVED ALSO IN THIS PROCESS.

DAVE SULLIVAN, HE'S A LONGTIME LEADER IN OUR COMMUNITY WITH COMPREHENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN ENVIRONMENTAL DATA MANAGEMENT, BROUGHT

[01:15:01]

EXPERTISE ON BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AND BOND OVERSIGHT COMMITTEES.

ASHLEY MCCLAIN, SHE'S AN ENGINEER WITH EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL FIELD TO INCLUDE EXPERTISE IN NEPA PROJECT COMPLIANCE.

AND JIM WALKER, WHO HAS EXTENSIVE EXPERIENCE IN COMMUNITY PLANNING, DATA ANALYSIS, SUSTAINABILITY CONSULTING, AND IS ACTUALLY ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES AT UT AS WELL.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO SEE THE SLATE OF CANDIDATES BROUGHT FORTH.

UM, WE HAVE TWO MORE SPOTS FOR FINANCE TO HELP US IN, IN, UM, IN THIS, UH, COMMITTEE.

SO THE APPLICATIONS ARE STILL OPEN.

SO, UH, WITH THAT, UH, I LIKE TO OFFER THE FLOOR TO BOARD MEMBER GARZA, TO WE MOVE THESE, YOU MOVE.

THANK YOU FOR HELPING ME ON THIS LIFT.

SO, UH, DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVE BY BOARD MEMBER GARZA SECOND.

SECOND BY MEMBER KORN, ANY DISCUSSIONS, QUESTIONS I, I JUST CELEBRATE.

AND, UH, WHAT A GREAT, GREAT SLATE AND THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR, BOTH OF YOUR, BOTH OF YOUR EFFORTS.

MADAM CHAIR AND BOARD MEMBER GARON.