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[CALL TO ORDER]
IT'S WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 18TH, 2026.AND THE TIME IS, WHO HAS THE TIME? FIVE 30.
UH, THE FIRST ITEM ON THE AGENDA IS TO CALL ROLL.
SO, CHRISTIE, WOULD YOU MIND DOING THAT? NOT AT ALL.
REBECCA BERNHARDT WILL BE JOINING SHORTLY.
DAVID CARROLL WILL NOT BE HERE.
NATHAN MCDANIEL MAY NOT BE JOINING TONIGHT.
SO, NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE HERE FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? NO.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission Regular Called meeting on January 21, 2026.]
UM, I HOPE EVERYBODY HAS HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING.AND IF SO, DO I HAVE A MOTION TO ACCEPT? I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ACCEPT.
COMMISSIONER BTA MAKES THE MOTION.
SECOND COMMISSIONER PDO SECONDS.
[2. Presentation regarding the 6th Street Engineering Report by Anna Martin, Capital Improvement Program Manager, Austin Transportation and Public Works.]
ON TO THE MEAT OF THE AGENDA.FIRST UP, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION REGARDING THE SIXTH STREET ENGINEERING REPORT BY ANNA MARTIN, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROGRAM MANAGER AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
UH, ANNA MARTIN, I'M ASSISTANT DIRECTOR WITH THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
UH, HAPPY TO BE HERE TO GIVE A RECAP OF WHERE WE ARE ON THE SIXTH STREET PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT.
SO QUICKLY, UM, A BRIEF AGENDA, UM, FOR TONIGHT I'M GONNA BE COVERING THE, THE SAFETY PILOT OVERVIEW, WHAT'S BEEN GOING ON CURRENTLY ON SIXTH STREET.
TALK ABOUT OUR PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT PROCESS, REVIEW THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WE CONSIDERED, UH, GO OVER PUBLIC FEEDBACK, UH, PROVIDE YOU WITH OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
AND FINALLY, COVER NEXT STEPS.
SO THE, THE BEGINNING OF THE SIXTH STREET PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING STUDY REALLY GOES BACK TO THE SIXTH STREET PILOT PROJECT SAFETY PILOT PROJECT.
THIS WAS A MULTI-DEPARTMENTAL INITIATIVE TO REDUCE CRIME AND IMPROVE SAFETY IN THE SIXTH STREET DISTRICT.
UH, WE BEGAN THIS BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2024.
UM, A PD REOPENED SIXTH STREET TO VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ON WEEKEND NIGHTS.
SO THAT'S THURSDAY, FRIDAY, AND SATURDAY NIGHT.
UM, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS SUPPORTED THE SAFETY PILOT BY DEVELOPING AND IMPLEMENTING A TEMPORARY STREET REDESIGN THAT WIDENED THE PEDESTRIAN AREAS BY REPURPOSING, UH, BOTH A TRAFFIC LANE AND A PARKING LANE, UH, TO INCREASE PEDESTRIAN SPACE.
WE HAVE ITERATED ON THE MATERIALS TO ACCOMPLISH THIS.
WE FIRST STARTED WITH SOME PEDESTRIAN FENCING THAT QUICKLY DETERIORATED, THEN WE REPLACED THOSE WITH WATER BARRICADES.
UH, THOSE WERE EFFECTIVE, BUT SMELLY
UM, AND FINALLY, UH, OVER THE SUMMER, UM, IMPLEMENTED THESE CONCRETE BARRICADES, AND THESE ARE INTENDED TO STAY IN PLACE FOR A MIDTERM PERIOD OF TIME UNTIL WE GET TO A FINAL, UH, DESIGN PROJECT.
WE ARE FORTUNATE TO HAVE THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCES PARTNER WITH US.
UH, THEY COMMISSIONED A LOCAL ARTIST TO PAINT THE BARRICADES, UM, WHICH IS MUCH MORE REFLECTIVE OF KIND OF THE VIBE OF SIXTH STREET.
UM, THEY'RE ALSO HELPING US MAINTAIN THOSE OVER THE NEXT, UH, TWO OR THREE YEARS WHILE THEY'RE IN PLACE.
UH, SO OUTCOMES, UH, A PD HAS BEEN ABLE TO ROUTINELY KEEP TRAFFIC FLOWING ON SIXTH STREET, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LATE SATURDAY NIGHTS, UH, WHEN THE PEDESTRIAN LOADS EXCEED THE SIDEWALK SPACE BEHIND THE BARRICADES.
UM, THAT ALSO FREQUENTLY HAPPENS ON SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE NEW YEAR'S EVE HALLOWEEN, UM, GAME DAY WEEKENDS AS WELL.
WE'VE BEEN CLOSELY MONITORING TRAFFIC OPERATIONS AND CRASH DATA.
UH, WE'VE SEEN ABOUT A 32ND INCREASE IN TRE TIME ON SIXTH STREET BETWEEN RED RIVER AND
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CONGRESS.THAT'S NOT ALARMING AND TOTALLY, UM, IN LINE WITH WHAT WE WOULD EXPECT IN ANY DOWNTOWN CORRIDOR.
UH, WE'VE HAD NO REPORTED BIKE OR PEDESTRIAN CRASHES OR ANY INJURY CRASHES, UH, DURING ENTERTAINMENT HOURS WHEN THE STREET IS NOW OPEN COMPARED TO WHEN IT WAS CLOSED BEFORE.
UM, ALONG WITH THE SI SIXTH STREET SAFETY PILOT, WE, UM, CHANGED THE SINGLE TIMING, UH, REALLY WITH THE, THE DENSE, UM, THE DENT SIGNAL GRID.
WE'RE ABLE TO PROMOTE SLOW SPEEDS, ESPECIALLY DURING THOSE ENTERTAINMENT HOURS AND GIVE MORE TIME FOR PEOPLE CROSSING THE STREET, ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT.
AND AGAIN, TOO, TOO SOON TO DRAW, YOU KNOW, FINAL CONCLUSIONS ABOUT, UM, SAFETY OUTCOMES.
BUT IT'S BEEN A YEAR WE SEE, UM, THE DATA, YOU KNOW, POINTED US IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.
AND SO THE SIXTH STREET, UM, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, UM, THE OVERALL SCOPE IS WE LOOKED AT, UM, SIXTH STREET FROM I 35 TO CONGRESS AVENUE, UH, ABOUT NINE BLOCKS.
UM, AND THE PURPOSE WAS TO IDENTIFY, UH, LONG-TERM TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS, UM, TO INFORM THE LONG-TERM VISION FOR THE STREET.
WE PLAN TO RECOMMEND, UM, ONE CROSS SECTION, UM, DEVELOP THAT TO AT A 30% ISH LEVEL SO THAT WE CAN GET AN ADEQUATE COST ESTIMATE AND THEREFORE SEEK, UM, FUNDS FOR FINAL DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION IN THE FUTURE.
WE WANTED TO LEARN, UM, BUILD ON LESSONS LEARNED DURING THE PILOT PHASE.
UM, AND FINALLY, OUR ORIGINAL SCHEDULE HAD US CONCLUDING THE PER, BUT THE END OF 2025.
UM, WE INTENDED TO BREAK IN DESIGN IN EARLY 2026.
I ALSO WANNA GIVE, UM, A SHOUT OUT TO THE, UM, SHOUT OUT.
UH, WE BUILDING ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS, UH, ALL OF US BUILT ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENTED IN THE AUSTIN COURT TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
YOU'RE GONNA BE HEARING A PRESENTATION LATER THIS EVENING BY COLE KITTEN AND MICHELLE MARKS, MM-HMM
UM, SO EACH OF THE THREE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT I'M GONNA WALK THROUGH FOR, UM, SIXTH STREET, UM, WERE SHOWN IN THE DRAFT, UM, AUSTIN COURT TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
AND REALLY THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT WAS TO NARROW DOWN THE ALTERNATIVES TO HAVE ONE FINAL RECOMMENDATION, WHICH WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE FINAL ACT PLAN.
SO GOING INTO THE ALTERNATIVES, UM, THERE ARE COMMONALITIES AMONGST ALL OF THEM.
UM, EACH ALTERNATIVE TREATS, UM, BIKE SCOOTER LANES A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENTLY.
AND THE PEDESTRIAN AND CURB SPACE, UM, VARY A BIT BY, UM, ALTERNATIVE.
BUT ALL OF THE ALTERNATIVES KEEP SIXTH STREET ONE WAY WESTBOUND FOR VEHICLES.
AND EACH ALTERNATIVE SHARES THE GOAL OF EXPANDING PEDESTRIAN SPACE, PROVIDING CURB ACCESS AND ACCOMMODATING VICULAR TRAFFIC.
SO, LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE ONE, UM, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH SOME QUICK DETAILS.
AGAIN, THIS ALTERNATIVE HAS TWO WESTBOUND VEHICLE LANES.
WE SHOW BIKE AND SCOOTER LANES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
WE HAVE CURB INSETS ON THE NORTH SIDE FOR VALET DROP OFF PICKUP OR DELIVERY ZONES, AND THAT COULD VARY BLOCK BY BLOCK.
UM, IN TERMS OF BEHIND THE CURB SPACE, UH, WE HAVE 14 FEET ALONG THE CURB INSET ON THE NORTH SIDE, UM, 22 FEET ON THE CURB INSET, UM, EITHER SIDE OF THE CURB INSET ON THE SOUTH SIDE, AND THAT COULD BE USED FOR SIDEWALK AND FURNISHING ZONES.
WE ARE SHOWING BOLLARDS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREETS IN BETWEEN THE TREES.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S TO PROTECT, UM, PEDESTRIANS THE DENSITY OF PEDESTRIANS ON THE SIDEWALK FROM ANY ERRANT VEHICLES.
UM, GENERALLY WE'RE SHOWING STREET TREES ALONG BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
TREES WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE WHERE THE CURB INSETS ARE PRESENT.
THERE JUST WOULD NOT BE SPACE.
BUT EVERYWHERE ELSE WE WOULD BE SHOWING, UM, TREE SPACING AS PER THE GREAT STREET STANDARD ALTERNATIVE TWO, UM, HAS TWO WESTBOUND VEHICULAR LANES.
WE HAVE A WESTBOUND SCOOTER AND BIKE LANE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE STREET.
UM, A CURB ACCESS LANE ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE STREET, AGAIN FOR VALET DROP OFF PICKUP OR DELIVERY ZONES.
UM, WE HAVE ADDITIONAL, UM, BEHIND THE CURB SPACE FOR SIDEWALK AND FURNISHING ZONES.
UH, 20 AND A HALF FEET ON THE NORTH SIDE, AND 22 AND A HALF FEET ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
UM, AGAIN, BOLLARDS WOULD BE PROVIDED ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET AND NEW STREET TREES ON BOTH SIDES.
AND FINALLY, ALTERNATIVE THREE, AGAIN, TWO WESTBOUND VEHICULAR LANES.
UM, CURB ACCESS ON THE NORTH SIDE.
UM, THIS ALTERNATIVE PROVIDES THE MOST, UM, PEDESTRIAN SPACE BEHIND THE CURB.
THERE WOULD BE 22, I'M SORRY, 25 FEET AVAILABLE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET FOR A SIDEWALK AND FURNISHING ZONE.
AND THE FURNISHING ZONE CAN BE USED FOR BENCHES, UM,
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CAFES, QUEUING ZONES, OR JUST ADDITIONAL SIDEWALK SPACE.UM, BOLLARDS ARE, UM, ABLE TO BE PLACED ON BOTH SIDES AS WELL AS NEW STREET TREES.
SO ALTERNATIVE THREE IS PROVIDING THE WIDEST PEDESTRIAN REALM OF THE THREE OPTIONS.
THIS IS ALSO THE CLOSEST ALTERNATIVE TO THE PILOT CONFIGURATION THAT'S CURRENTLY IN PLACE USING THE TEMPORARY BARRICADES.
UM, AND JUST FOR A POINT OF REFERENCE, I TALKED A LOT ABOUT BACK OF CURB SPACE AND THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THE THREE ALTERNATIVES.
UH, JUST FOR RECORDS, OUR GREAT STREET STANDARD REQUIRES A MINIMUM OF 18 FEET BEHIND THE CURB.
UM, WE OFTEN LOOK AT SECOND STREET AS A VERY SUCCESSFUL RETAIL DISTRICT ON SECOND STREET.
WE HAVE 32 FEET ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE STREET, AND 19 FEET AVAILABLE ON THE SOUTH SIDE.
AND IF YOU LIKE, YOU KNOW, CRUISE UP OR DOWN SECOND STREET, YOU CAN REALLY SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN, UM, ACTIVATION ON THE STREET BETWEEN THE NORTH SIDE AND THE SOUTH SIDE, GIVEN THAT AVAILABLE SPACE.
AND ONE OTHER POINT, I REFERENCE OUR CONGRESS AVENUE URBAN DESIGN INITIATIVE THAT WE'RE JUST STARTING CONSTRUCTION ON.
UM, THERE WILL BE 30 FEET OF, OF SPACE, UM, FROM THE CURB TO THE BUILDING FACE.
SO AGAIN, UM, JUST KIND OF GREATLY EXCEEDING, UM, AND, AND PROVIDING THAT SPACE TO ALLOW THE BUSINESSES TO ACTIVATE THE STOREFRONT.
SO, PUBLIC FEEDBACK, WE SOUGHT PUBLIC FEEDBACK IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT WAYS.
WE HAD TWO WORK SESSIONS WITH PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESS OWNERS, UM, AS WELL AS THE EAST SIXTH STREET PID AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
WE ALSO HAD A PUBLIC SURVEY, UM, SEEKING FEEDBACK ON FOLKS THOUGHT AND FEELINGS ON THE THREE ALTERNATIVES.
THERE WERE SOME KEY THEMES THAT AROSE.
UM, THE SURVEY REALLY REVEALED A STRONG DESIRE FOR A SAFER, MORE PEDESTRIAN FOCUSED SIXTH STREET WITH EXPANDED SIDEWALKS, GREENERY, AND ROBUST SUPPORT FOR LOCAL BUSINESSES AND EVENTS.
THERE WAS A TENSION BETWEEN REDUCING CAR ACCESS AND CAR LANES, UM, OF WHETHER OR NOT THERE SHOULD BE BICYCLE LANES, UM, AND MAINTAINING JUST PRACTICAL DELIVERY AND PARKING LOADING NEEDS.
UM, PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE WE HEARD FROM, UH, REALLY DESIRES A PEDESTRIAN ORIENTED DISTRICT AND REALLY FLEXIBLE SIDEWALK SPACE SAFETY VIBRANCY, AND PRESERVING AUSTIN'S UNIQUE CULTURE.
WERE JUST KIND OF RECURRING THEMES WE HEARD.
SO, COMING TO THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION, THERE WERE A VARIETY OF INPUTS WE CONSIDERED, UM, WHEN COMING TO THE STAFF, RECOMMENDATION A FEW OF THOSE DATA POINTS, UM, THAT I THINK ARE PARTICULARLY IMPORTANT.
UH, THIS ZONE,
IT ALSO HAS THE HIGHEST DENSITY OF, UM, STOREFRONTS AND BUSINESSES THAT UTILIZE THE SIDEWALK SPACE FOR QUEUING.
UM, FOR EXAMPLE, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY 80 STOREFRONTS, UM, IN THE ZONE, WHICH IS, WHICH IS ALMOST TWICE AS HIGH AS WHAT IS PRESENTLY, UM, ACTIVE ON SECOND STREET.
UH, WE HAVE HISTORIC BUILDINGS THAT ARE IN THE PROCESS OF BEING RESTORED RATHER THAN BEING REDEVELOPED.
UM, WE HAD A PILOT PROJECT THAT BROUGHT TOGETHER A DIVERSE SET OF STAKEHOLDERS FROM THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT TO A-P-D-E-M-S, UM, THE ARTS CULTURE, MUSIC AND ENTERTAINMENT DEPARTMENT, A RR AMONG OTHERS.
AND REALLY, IT ALSO BROUGHT TOGETHER BUSINESS OWNERS AND PROPERTY OWNERS, UH, WHO DON'T ALWAYS AGREE ON MUCH, UM, REALLY TO TEST, UM, WHAT WORKS FOR EVERYBODY ON THE STREET.
AND REALLY, WE, WE HAVE A RECOGNITION THAT WE HAVE A DENSE URBAN GRID WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE DIFFERENT MODAL FOCUSES FOR DIFFERENT STREETS.
UH, SO THAT BRINGS ME TO OUR STAFF RECOMMENDATION.
AFTER A CAREFUL REVIEW AND CONSIDERATION OF ALL FACTORS, STAFF RECOMMEND ALTERNATIVE THREE TO MOVE FORWARD TO DESIGN.
SO THIS ALTERNATIVE PROVIDES THE WIDEST PEDESTRIAN ZONES TO WESTBOUND VEHICLE LANES, AND A FLEXIBLE CURB ACCESS LANE ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND THAT COULD VARY BLOCK BY BLOCK, DEPENDING ON THE NEEDS, BUT COULD BE USED FOR PARKING, PASSENGER LOADING DELIVERIES, OR EVEN VALET WIDE.
AND UNOBSTRUCTED SIDEWALKS ARE ESSENTIAL TO THIS HIGH DENSITY AREA FOR PEDESTRIANS AS WELL AS THE STOREFRONTS.
AND THESE GENEROUS PEDESTRIAN ZONES SUPPORT A VISION FOR A PET FOCUSED DISTRICT THAT SERVES AS A DESTINATION FOR DOWNTOWN AUSTIN DAY AND NIGHT, AND ARE REALLY NECESSARY TO SUPPORT HEAVY FOOT TRAFFIC, ESPECIALLY DURING THOSE PEAK NIGHTTIME HOURS.
SO FINALLY, LET ME WRAP UP WITH NEXT STEPS.
UM, WE JUST LAST WEEK PUBLISHED OUR FINAL, UM, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT THAT'S AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE.
UH, WE ARE INITIATING THE DESIGN PROCESS FOR SIXTH STREET.
REALLY, WE WANTED TO GET TO AS FAR IN DESIGN AS WE CAN SO THAT WE CAN BE READY FOR ANY AND ALL FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES IN THE FUTURE.
UH, WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR FROM STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH THIS PUBLIC PROCESS, AS WELL AS THROUGH THE ACT PLAN PROCESS THAT, UH,
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BIKE LANES, UM, FOR SCOOTERS AND, AND BICYCLISTS ARE REALLY IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE.AND SO WE'RE ACTIVELY EXPLORING OPPORTUNITIES TO ADD OR IMPROVE EAST WEST BIKE LANES IN DOWNTOWN.
AND COLE AND MICHELLE ARE GONNA COVER THAT A LITTLE BIT IN THE NEXT, UM, PRESENTATION ON THE ACT PLAN UPDATE.
SO THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
I'VE BEEN CURIOUS ABOUT IT FOR A LONG TIME.
UM, SO I HAD ALSO UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS PR WOULD BE THE BASIS FOR ANY POTENTIAL FUNDING STREAMS THAT MIGHT COME ALONG.
AND I'M WONDERING, I'VE UN SURE THE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE STREET IS FAILING, AND IF YOUR PR HAS TAKEN THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
YEAH, THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING LOOKED AT STOREFRONT TO STOREFRONT, INCLUDING THE DRAINAGE, ALL THE UTILITY THAT ARE UNDER THE STREET, AS WELL AS THE LIGHTING.
AND SO THE COST ESTIMATE THAT WE'VE GENERATED FOR, UM, THIS PROJECT INCLUDES ALL UPGRADES NEEDED FOR THE UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE AS WELL.
AND THEN ONE MORE QUESTION, SINCE THIS IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT STREET FROM A PLACEMAKING PERSPECTIVE, IF YOU HAVE BROUGHT A LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT ONTO YOUR DESIGN TEAM TO ASSIST WITH THOSE KINDS OF THOUGHTS, THAT'S A GREAT SUGGESTION.
I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THAT FAR YET, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S CERTAINLY A GREAT SUGGESTION.
FIRST THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
UM, I'VE LIVED DOWNTOWN 45 YEARS.
UM, I CAN'T BE QUOTED ON THAT, BUT ANYWAY,
BUT, YOU KNOW, BUT YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN MANY CHANGES ON SIXTH STREET, AND WHEN I MOVED HERE, IT WAS STILL A MIXED USE.
THERE WAS A, A LOT OF DAYTIME ACTIVITY ON THAT STREET, AND IT'S EVOLVED INTO SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
AND, AND I THINK STREAM REALTY TA REALLY, IN MY OPINION, TAKING THE RIGHT PATH OF RESTORING NEW BUILDINGS, NOT RESTORING THEM, IS A, IS A GREAT MOVE.
BUT THERE ARE LAYERS OF IMPORTANT DIVERSE HISTORY ON SIXTH STREET, UM, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT FOR MANY YEARS, UH, A SECTION OF SIXTH STREET WAS DEVOTED TO AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESSES.
AND I, I THINK INCORPORATING, UM, AN INTERPRETIVE STRATEGY WOULD BE, UM, UH, CRUCIAL FOR THIS REDEVELOPMENT.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT TIES DIRECTLY TO TOURISM AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, HAVING A, AN INTERPRETIVE STRATEGY.
UM, IT TIES DIRECTLY INTO, UM, THE CITY PULLING OFF THE SHELF THEIR WAY, FINDING, UM, PLANNING, UH, PROCESS THAT, UH, I PARTICIPATED IN FOR OVER TWO YEARS.
AND SO, UH, I THINK, UH, AGAIN, THAT IT TIES INTERPRETIVE HISTORY TIES DIRECTLY INTO THAT.
SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TO REALLY HONOR THE LAYERS OF HISTORY AS THIS IS, UM, THIS PLANNING PROCEEDS TO BE IMPLEMENTED.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? YES.
UM, UH, ALL OF YOUR ALTERNATIVES LIST AS SIXTH STREET REMAINING A ONE WAY STREET, ARE YOU AWARE THAT THIS COMMISSION JUST SENT A RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL THAT ALL STREETS, INCLUDING SIXTH STREET, BE MADE TWO WAY? YES, I AM AWARE OF THAT.
AND IT'S SUB A CONDITION THAT WE EVALUATED DURING OUR, UH, PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT.
UM, MY COLLEAGUES WILL BE SPEAKING NEXT ABOUT THE ACT PLAN AND THE STREETS THAT WE DO RECOMMEND TO GO TO TWO A AND SORT OF OUR THOUGHT PROCESS BEHIND THE SELECTION OF STREETS.
AT THIS TIME, OUR RECOMMENDATION STANDS THAT, UH, WE, WE THINK SIX STREET SHOULD REMAIN WESTBOUND, UM, BUT OPEN TO FEEDBACK FROM, UM, COMMUNITY GROUPS AS WELL AS COUNCIL AS WE'RE BRINGING THE ACT PLAN FORWARD FOR ADOPTION.
UM, MS. MARTIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, PER THE STAFF RECOMMENDATION ON SCENARIO THREE, I SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE DESIGNATED THIS EXTRA LANE FOR PARKING, LOADING AND UNLOADING.
UM, WHEN WE TALK TO OUR MUSIC COMMUNITY, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, LOADING AND UNLOAD SPECIFIC LOADING AND UNLOADING ZONES ARE, UH, AN ONGOING ISSUE.
UM, AND WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, VERY SPECIFIC GUIDELINES AND SPACES AROUND THOSE, UH, IT'S KIND OF THE WILD WEST DOWN THERE.
YOU KNOW, OFTEN THEY'RE TOLD TO GO BACK AND UNLOAD IN THE BACK ALLEYS OR MAYBE ON THE STREET THERE.
SOMETIMES WE SEE SHOWDOWNS BETWEEN THE MUSICIANS AND THE VALETS.
IT'S LIKE SHOWDOWN AT THE OKAY.
CORRAL, RIGHT? SO WE, UH, I, I WOULD CERTAINLY RECOMMEND IF THERE'S A WAY TO IMPLEMENT SOME SORT OF GUIDELINES AND SPECIFIC SPACES AROUND WHAT'S ALLOWABLE ALONG THAT STRIP OF, UH, PARKING AND LOADING AND UNLOADING ZONES.
I THINK THAT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL.
THAT'S ABSOLUTELY SOMETHING WE CAN LOOK AT DURING THE DESIGN PHASE.
AND THEN BLOCK BY BLOCK, IT CAN VARY BASED ON WHAT OUR USES ARE, AND THEN TIME
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OF DAY IT COULD VARY AS WELL AS YEAR OVER YEAR.SO YEAH, THAT'S WHY WE LIKE, UM, DESIGNATED AS FLEXIBLE CURB SPACE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, I, I JUST HAVE, UH, ONE MORE COMMENT.
UH, I FAILED TO, TO MENTION, UM, WHEN I FIRST SPOKE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE FACT THAT SIXTH STREET IS, IS A NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT AND REALLY HONORING THAT, UH, IN THE WAY FINDING AND THE, UM, THE INTERPRETIVE STRATEGY AS THE PLANNING MOVES FORWARD.
AND IT, IT INTERSECTS CONGRESS AVENUE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT.
SO REALLY CONNECTING THOSE DOTS, UM, THROUGH INTERPRETATION, I THINK WOULD BE CRUCIAL.
AND I CAN'T, IS IT COMMISSIONER GILLES? YES.
UH, I, I WANTED TO FOLLOW UP, UH, WITH A QUESTION REGARDING THE, UH, TWO-WAY VERSUS ONE-WAY DECISION.
I'M CURIOUS WHETHER THERE WILL BE AN OPPORTUNITY OR HAS THERE BEEN A STUDY INTO THE TRAFFIC SPEED FOR THIS OPTION THREE.
UH, AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DESIGN COMMISSION WHERE PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE URBAN REALM IS OUR PURVIEW, THERE'S SOME CONCERN, UH, WITH THE SPEED OF TRAFFIC GOING WESTBOUND, UH, ALONG SIXTH STREET AS IT APPEALS OFF THAT, UH, I 35 FEEDER MIXING WITH THE SCALE OF THE PEDESTRIAN SIDEWALK THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED.
AND I'M CURIOUS IF, UH, THERE'S BEEN ANY, UM, DISCUSSION OF HOW TRAFFIC WILL BE SLOWED IF IT ISN'T GOING TO TWO-WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT SAFETY AS OF PRIME CAN PRIME CONSIDERATION.
AND, UH, APPRECIATE ALL THE COMMENTS FROM THE PRESENTATION.
UM, COMMENTS REGARDING, UH, ACTIVATING STREET FRONTAGE, PROVIDING MORE SPACE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND REALLY THE PEDESTRIAN FOCUSED APPROACH TO THIS.
AND, AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE MY, MY QUESTION COMES FROM REGARDING TRAFFIC SPEED.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
AND, AND SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT CONSIDERATION, RIGHT? AS WE REDESIGN OUR DOWNTOWN STREETS.
UM, MICHELLE IS GONNA SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS AND, AND THE NEXT PRESENTATION, BUT THE, THIS WILL BE A VERY DIFFERENT ONE-WAY STREET THAN EXISTS TODAY.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE, I BELIEVE, FOUR LANES THAT COME OFF OF THE FRONTAGE ROAD, UM, THAT, THAT TAPER DOWN INTO TWO OR THREE AS YOU GO WEST.
UM, WE'LL BE GOING DOWN TO TWO WESTBOUND LANES.
THAT'S, IT'S NOT GONNA FEEL VERY DIFFERENT.
UM, WE ALSO IN DOWNTOWN HAVE, UM, A VERY DENSE, UM, SIGNALIZE GRID AND THAT ALLOWS US TO TIME SIGNALS TO PROGRESS AT THE SPEED THAT WE WANT THEM TO PROGRESS AT.
SO IN DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW, DURING THE DAY, UM, SIGNAL PROGRESSION IS SET TO 25 MILES PER HOUR, WHICH IS THE SPEED LIMIT IN THE ENTERTAINMENT HOURS.
WHEN WE HAVE MORE PEDESTRIANS ON SIXTH STREET, THAT PROGRESSION IS SLOWED EVEN MORE.
AND SO THAT THE AVAILABILITY OF A DENSE SIGNAL ON A STREET SYSTEM REALLY ALLOWS YOU TO CONTROL HOW CARS AND DRIVE WHAT DRIVERS OF CARS ARE MOVING THROUGH THE SYSTEM.
I WAS JUST WONDERING IF IN THE LANDSCAPING, UH, UH, THOUGHT PROCESS, IF WE COULD FAVOR PECAN TREES IF ALL POSSIBLE.
AS PECAN AG NATIVE PECAN STREET, YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD, IT WOULD BE COOL.
I'LL PASS THAT ALONG TO THE, TO THE DESIGN TEAM.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, WE DO HAVE A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS TODAY, SO, UM, WE MAY WANT TO BE AWARE OF TIME AS WE'RE GOING THROUGH THIS.
[3. Update on the Austin Core Transportation (ACT) Plan. Presentation by Cole Kitten, Division Manager, Austin Transportation and Public Works, and Michelle Marx, Transportation Officer, Planning and Strategic Projects, Austin Transportation and Public Works.]
ON THE AUSTIN COURT TRANSPORTATION PLAN PRESENTATION BY COLE KITTEN, DIVISION MANAGER, AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, AND MICHELLE MARKS TRANSPORTATION OFFICER PLANNING AND STRATEGIC PROJECTS.AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS.
COLE KITTEN, UH, DIVISION MANAGER IN AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, UH, OVERSEEING THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UM, IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE IN, SINCE I'VE BEEN TO DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
I THINK THE LAST TIME WAS OCTOBER, 2024.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN, UH, WE'VE BEEN BUSY SINCE THEN.
AND SO WE'LL BE PROVIDING AN UPDATE, BUT I'LL LET, AND, UM, I'LL JUST BRIEFLY INTRODUCE MYSELF AS WELL, MICHELLE MARKS.
I OVERSEE OUR, UM, TRANSPORTATION PLANNING GROUPS IN TRANSPORTATION, PUBLIC WORKS, AND, UM, I COME TO THE CITY WITH, UM, A BACKGROUND AND EXPERTISE IN URBAN DESIGN AND PEDESTRIAN PLANNING AND DESIGN SPECIFICALLY.
UM, SO I'M REALLY EXCITED TO TALK ABOUT
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YOU, UH, TALK WITH YOU ALL ABOUT THIS, UH, ACT PLAN TODAY.SO WE HAVE A FEW UPCOMING DATES, UM, LISTED HERE.
BUT AS I WAS MENTIONING LAST TIME WE WERE HERE WAS OCTOBER, 2024 AND EARLY 2025.
UH, WE WENT THROUGH, UH, A ROUND OF BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS PRESENTATIONS, UM, ONCE THE FINAL DRAFT HAD BEEN PUBLISHED.
AND THAT WAS OUR FINAL ROUND OF PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT BEFORE WE, WE WENT TO CITY COUNCIL.
AND SO WE WERE OPPOSED TO PRESENT THE FINAL DRAFT TO CITY COUNCIL FOR, UM, FOR ACTION IN JUNE OF 2025.
AND WE DECIDED TO POSTPONE, UM, UH, LARGELY BECAUSE WHAT WE'D PRESENTED AT THE TIME HAD SOME REMAINING RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SIXTH STREET.
AND SO, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT PAUSE ALLOWED US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH OUR, OUR SIXTH STREET SPECIFIC PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING EFFORT.
AND SO NOW WE'RE, UH, NOW THAT THE SIXTH STREET EFFORT'S DONE CONCLUDING, WE'RE LOOKING AT RESTARTING THE COUNCIL ADOPTION PROCESS, STARTING HERE WITH THIS BRIEFING.
WE'LL ALSO GO TO THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, MARCH 3RD, COUNCIL MOBILITY COMMITTEE ON THE FIFTH, AND THEN CITY COUNCIL, UH, PUBLIC HEARING AND CONSIDERATION ON MARCH 26TH.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING TO PUBLISH THE UPDATED FINAL DRAFT IN EARLY MARCH.
AND SO SINCE THAT TIME, UM, PRIMARILY, UH, WHAT WE'RE HEARING WAS FEEDBACK ABOUT SIXTH STREET.
AND SO THE ACT PLAN, THE FINAL DRAFT, UH, IS BEING REVISED TO REFLECT THE PREFERRED CROSS SECTION.
AND SO, UM, IN ADDITION TO SIXTH STREET, THERE WAS ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION ABOUT, UM, UH, THE FINAL DRAFT AS PRESENTED AT THE TIME, UH, AND, AND BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT WE DO WELL, WHAT WE GET WRONG, WHAT WAS MISSING.
AND WE, WE HAD A LOT OF FEEDBACK ABOUT HIGH QUALITY CROSSTOWN BICYCLE CONNECTIONS.
AND SO THE PLAN DID A GOOD JOB OF ADVANCING WHAT DOESN'T EXIST TODAY, BUT IN SOME DEGREE STOPPED SHORT.
AND ONE OF THOSE AREAS WAS LOOKING AT FIFTH, FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET TOWARDS THE WEST AT LAMAR.
AND SO INITIALLY WE HAD STOPPED OUR RECOMMENDATION SHORT AT LAMAR AND KIND OF PUNTED AND SAID, WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO SOLVE THAT PROBLEM IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND SO WITH, WITH A FEW OF THE CHANGES RELATED TO SIXTH STREET, WE, WE REALLY WANTED TO PRESENT A COMPLETE PLAN FOR THE BICYCLE NETWORK DOWNTOWN, WHICH INCLUDES GETTING THOSE QUALITY BICYCLE FACILITIES THROUGH THE LAMAR INTERSECTION AND BEYOND, UM, ALL THE WAY TO MOPAC.
AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S REFLECTED IN THE FINAL DRAFT.
UM, BUT ALSO HIGHLIGHTING THAT WHAT, WHAT THOSE CONNECTIONS DO IS CONNECT TO CONGRESS AND THEN OUR FUTURE FOURTH STREET, UM, BIKEWAY IMPROVEMENT, UH, AS PART OF THE AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL PROJECT.
AND THEN LAST IS, HAS BEEN THIS, THIS ONGOING CONVERSATION ABOUT ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATION FOR, FOR TWO-WAY CONVERSIONS, WHICH IS A LOT OF WHAT WE'LL, WE'LL TALK ABOUT, UM, IN THIS PRESENTATION.
AND SO, UM, THE ACT PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS INCLUDE, UH, CONVERSIONS, UH, TWO-WAY CONVERSIONS.
UH, THE STREETS THAT WE DO RECOMMEND FOR A TWO-WAY CONVERSION HAVEN'T CHANGED.
THERE'S SEVENTH STREET, NINTH, 10TH AND BRAUS HIGHLIGHTED IN THE MAP.
UM, THOSE ARE THE, THE ROADWAYS THAT WE'VE, ADDITIONAL ROADWAYS THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED, UH, TO CONVERT TO TWO WAY THAT ARE CURRENTLY ONE WAY.
UM, WE ARE ALSO RECOMMENDING DIRECTIONAL CHANGES, UM, ON EIGHTH AND THE REMAINDER OF SEVENTH STREET.
AND THIS IS TO ACCOMMODATE, UH, CHANGES TO I 35, RIGHT? UM, BUT WE'VE, WE'VE RECOMMENDED TO PRESERVE FIFTH AND SIXTH STREET AS ONE WAY TO PRIORITIZE TRANSIT, UM, BICYCLES AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE.
AND SO THESE ONE-WAY STREET, UM, DESIGN RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, ARE DOING A LOT MORE THAN THEY DO TODAY WITH THE SPACE THAT'S PRIORITIZING, UM, VEHICLE THROUGHPUT, BUT, UH, REALLOCATING IT TO OTHER MODES.
AND SO I'LL SHOW HERE IN THE NEXT SLIDE.
UM, BUT BESIDES THE TWO WAY CONVERSIONS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING THE MOST OF DOWNTOWN IS LARGELY TWO WAY.
AND SO THERE ARE ONLY A FEW REMAINING STREETS THAT ARE ONE WAY AND ARE BEING RECOMMENDED TO STAY ONE WAY.
AND THESE, THESE ONE WAY STREETS
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ARE DOING THE MOST WORK.AND SO THERE'S, UH, FROM A SYSTEMS AND NETWORK PERSPECTIVE, WE DO HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT DOWNTOWN MEANS, UM, FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE, HOW PEOPLE GET TO THEIR JOBS DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THESE ONE-WAY STREETS HAVE BEEN CREATED TO, TO SERVE THAT, THAT NEED.
UM, AND THAT'S COMING FROM MOPAC OR COMING FROM I 35, UM, IS TO GET PEOPLE INTO DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THERE THAT IS, UH, UH, A LOT OF THE REASON WHY WE, WE STAND ON THAT RECOMMENDATION TO KEEP THEM ONE WAY.
UM, BUT AS I ALLUDED TO, WE'RE, WE'RE SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERING WHAT THEY ARE TODAY.
AND SO, UH, A FOUR LANE, ONE WAY STREET WITH ON STREET PARKING ON BOTH SIDES IS WHAT WE GET TODAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE EXPERIENCE, AND WE, WE ALL FEAR AND WE OBSERVE THE SPEED AND, AND TRAFFIC, UM, UH, CRASHES.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS PRIORITIZING THE OTHER, UM, MODES WITH THAT SPACE.
AND SO, UM, PRESERVING THE ONE WAY SPACE, BUT REPLACING THE FOUR LANES WITH TWO GENERAL PURPOSE LANES AND A TRANSIT ONLY LANE.
SO IT WOULD BE GOING FROM FOUR LANES TO THREE, UM, AND WITH THE ADDITION OF, UH, A RAISED PROTECTED BIKE LANE, UH, AND THEN PRESERVING ON STREET PARKING ON, ON ONE SIDE OF THE STREET.
AND SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN THAT VEHICLE SPACE.
UM, BUT, UH, AND, AND MICHELLE WILL GET INTO THIS AS WELL, BUT, UM, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN OUR, IN OUR SPEED STUDIES IS THAT VEHICLE SPEED IS REALLY, UH, DEPENDENT UPON THE SPACE BETWEEN THE CURBS.
AND SO WE'RE GOING FROM SOMETHING LIKE 60 FEET OF SPACE AND DOWN TO, UH, 30 FEET.
AND SO THERE'S GONNA BE SIGNIFICANT, UM, IMPACTS TO VEHICLE SPEEDS ALONE JUST BY THAT, THAT ALLOCATION OF SPACE.
UM, BUT AS YOU SEE IN THE, THIS MAP ABOUT TRANSIT STREETS, UM, THOSE ONE WAY STREETS ARE CARRYING, UH, IMPORTANT TRANSIT SERVICE TODAY, UH, WHETHER IT'S COMING FROM MOPAC, UM, OR, UH, TO AND FROM THE UNIVERSITY.
AND WE'RE DEDICATING THOSE THAT, THAT ADDITIONAL TRAVEL LANE TO TRANSIT ONLY LANES.
AND SO IT CREATES A FULL TRANSIT PRIORITY NETWORK DOWNTOWN, SERVING DOWNTOWN AND TO AND FROM AND THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UM, THE NEXT COUPLE MAPS ARE ABOUT OUR, OUR PRIORITY BICYCLE CONNECTIONS.
AND SO THE STREETS HIGHLIGHT IN, IN, IN GREEN INCLUDE THOSE ONE-WAY STREETS ON FIFTH AND SIXTH, CONNECTING TO THE CONGRESS, UH, BICYCLE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT ALSO CONNECTING DOWN TO THE FUTURE FOURTH STREET, UM, BIKEWAY.
AND SO, UH, WHAT WE'RE SHOWING HERE IS THAT BY PRESERVING THAT SPACE AND PROVIDING IT TO, UH, BICYCLE FACILITIES, WE'RE ABLE TO CREATE A, A REAL QUALITY CROSSTOWN CONNECTION.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THESE, THESE STREETS, WE HAVE THE SUPPORTING BICYCLE NETWORK, UM, COMING OFF CONNECTING TO, UM, AND BEYOND, UM, WHICH INCLUDES OUR SAN JACINTO AND TRINITY COUPLET, UH, TRANSIT PRIORITY COUPLET, RIGHT? UM, SHOAL CREEK, AND THEN A FUTURE TWO-WAY BIKEWAY ON, ON, UH, NEW AIS.
UM, AND SO, YEAH, I'M GONNA PASS IT OVER TO MICHELLE.
UM, I'M GONNA TALK JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE IN A LITTLE BIT MORE TECHNICAL DETAIL ABOUT THE, UM, DIFFERENT CONSIDERATIONS BETWEEN ONE WAY AND TWO WAY STREETS.
I, I KNOW THAT'S BEEN A, A BIG TOPIC OF CONVERSATION LATELY, AND SO I WANNA PROVIDE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CONTEXT.
UM, AS COLE MENTIONED, UH, WITH, UH, THE REALLOCATION WE ARE PROPOSING, UM, IN OUR ONE WAY NETWORK, UM, WE'RE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE NEW, BASICALLY REALLOCATE SPACE FROM VEHICLE TRAFFIC AND, AND CARS TO ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT SPEED AND RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
AND IT'S, IT'S REALLY REALLOCATING THAT VEHICLE SPACE, UM, THAT'S GIVING US, YOU KNOW, THE, THIS ROBUST SET OF MULTIMODAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT THE ACT PLAN IS PROPOSING.
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UM, ONE THING TO KEEP IN MIND IS WITH TWO-WAY STREETS, UM, THOSE ARE GOING TO REQUIRE LEFT TURN POCKETS.AND, AND THAT'S BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE PROVIDING LEFT TURN ARROWS WITH PROTECTED LEFTS.
UM, WE KNOW FROM, UM, JUST A, A PREPONDERANCE OF DATA THAT PERMISSIVE LEFT TURNS ARE VERY HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH, UH, PEDESTRIAN CRASHES.
AND SO WE REALLY WANNA MOVE AWAY FROM THAT.
UH, MEANING WE HAVE TO, UH, FOLD LEFT, TURN POCKETS INTO OUR CROSS SECTION.
UM, WHAT THAT MEANS, AND YOU CAN KINDA SEE THIS PLAYED OUT IN THE DIAGRAMS AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN, UM, THE WITHIN IN A TWO-WAY STREET, NOW YOU'RE DEALING WITH TRADE-OFFS.
UM, SO TAKING THE SPACE TO ALLOW FOR THAT LEFT TURN POCKET MEANS, OKAY, DO WE NEED TO DROP THE BUS LANE AND MERGE WITH CARS OR DROP THE BIKE LANE AND MERGE WITH THE BUS LANE? BASICALLY, YOU'RE UNABLE AT THAT POINT TO TAKE THAT, THAT BIKE AND BUS IMPROVEMENT THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, WHICH IS, UM, SOMEWHAT PROBLEMATIC BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT IT'S AT THE INTERSECTION WHERE THESE IMPROVEMENTS ARE NEEDED MOST, RIGHT? IT'S, IT'S AT THE INTERSECTION AT THE SIGNAL WHERE TRANSIT DELAYS HAPPEN, WHERE YOU NEED THOSE QUEUE JUMPS FOR THE BUSES.
UM, AND IT'S AT THE INTERSECTION WHERE WE SEE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CRASHES.
THE INTERSECTION IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PLACE FOR THESE TYPES OF IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THESE ARE IMPORTANT TRADE-OFFS, UM, TO KEEP IN MIND, UM, I HAVE A COUPLE OF PHOTOS THROUGHOUT THIS PRESENTATION OF, UM, SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES THAT I'M, UM, VERY FAMILIAR WITH, UM, ONLY BECAUSE I'VE WORKED THERE A LONG TIME.
UM, THIS IS LOOKING AT THE PIKE PINE CORRIDOR.
AND, UM, THEY RECENTLY, UH, PROVIDED IMPROVEMENTS ON PIPELINE, VERY SIMILAR, UM, TO WHAT THE ACT PLAN IS PROPOSING ON THE RIGHT.
WHAT YOU'RE, WHAT YOU CAN SEE HERE IS, UM, SEATTLE'S DOWNTOWN GRID, WHICH IS A ONE-WAY NETWORK, UM, VERY CLOSE TO THE BLOCK SPACING AND SIGNAL SPACING WE HAVE HERE IN AUSTIN AT ABOUT 350 FEET BETWEEN SIGNALS.
UM, WHAT THAT DOES IS, IS WHAT, UM, ANNA ALLUDED TO IN THE LAST PRESENTATION.
IT METERS TRAFFIC AT THE VEHICLE SPEEDS THAT YOU WANT TO PROGRESS THROUGH YOUR DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND WHAT THEY'VE DONE IN SEATTLE IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING WITH THE ACT PLAN IS REALLOCATING EXTRA SPACE ON THAT ONE-WAY GRID TO BICYCLE AND TRANSIT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING IN THE PHOTO HERE IS, UM, AN ILLUSTRATION OF HOW THAT INFRASTRUCTURE PROGRESSES THROUGH THE INTERSECTION, UM, ON THAT ONE WAY GRID, IF YOU CAN SEE KIND OF ON THE FAR SIDE OF THAT SIGNAL, UM, THE CONTINUOUS, UH, BIKE LANE AND BUS LANE HERE.
AND THEN JUST A COUPLE OF MORE, UM, PICTURES OF EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN SEATTLE.
IF YOU'RE FAMILIAR, IT'S THE PIKE PINE CORRIDOR, UM, SECOND AVENUE AS WELL.
UM, EXACTLY KIND OF WHAT THE, THE, THE, THE PLAN IS PROPOSING HERE.
THESE ARE ALL ONE WAY STREETS IN SEATTLE.
UM, I ALSO WANNA JUST SPEND A COUPLE OF MINUTES TALKING ABOUT THE QUESTION OF, OF IS ONE TYPE OF STREET QUOTE UNQUOTE, SAFER THAN ANOTHER, ONE WAY VERSUS TWO WAY? UM, YOU KNOW, ABOUT IN THE EARLY AUGHTS, I WANNA SAY, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ABSOLUTELY CONVENTIONAL WISDOM IN THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING PROFESSION, UM, THAT ONE WAY STREETS AREN'T AS SAFE AS TWO WAY STREETS.
AND, AND THAT WAS COMING FROM A LOT OF KIND OF OBSERVATIONAL AND ANECDOTAL, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE AND AFTER STUDIES, LOOKING SPECIFICALLY AT, YOU KNOW, HIGH SPEED ONE WAY STREETS OFTEN, YOU KNOW, ORPHAN STATE HIGHWAYS OR STATE HIGHWAYS THAT RUN THROUGH SMALL DOWNTOWNS OR SUBURBAN AREAS.
UM, AND THOSE ARE OFTEN, AS WE KNOW, VERY WIDE, HIGH SPEED, WIDE VEHICLE LANES, MANY VEHICLE LANES, NO STOPLIGHTS.
UM, AND I THINK WALKING ON THOSE TYPES OF STREETS IS IN FACT A VERY UNPLEASANT EXPERIENCE FOR MOST OF US.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN THE ENSUING YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF RESEARCH CONDUCTED, UM, ESPECIALLY AS VISION ZERO HAS TAKEN OFF IN THE STATES, UM, TRYING TO PINPOINT EXACTLY WHAT CHARACTERISTICS, UM, ARE CAUSAL, UM, WITH CRASHES.
AND WHAT YOU'RE SEEING HERE IS JUST A SNAPSHOT FROM AN ONLINE DATABASE THAT, UH, PRACTITIONERS ARE USING THESE DAYS CALLED, UM, THE CRASH MODIFICATION FACTOR CLEARING HOUSE.
UM, THIS IS KIND OF AN, AN AGGREGATED PLACE WHERE ALL THE BEST STUDIES LIVE.
UM, IT'S MANAGED BY THE NORTH CAROLINA HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH CENTER FUNDED BY THE FEDERAL HIGHWAY, UM, UH, ADMINISTRATION.
AND THESE FOLKS GATHER ALL OF THE BEST STUDIES GRADE.
THE ACADEMIC STUDIES ARE THESE FOUR STAR, FIVE STAR STUDIES, HAVE THE, I THE
[00:40:01]
VARIABLES BEEN ADEQUATELY ISOLATED, AND IT IDENTIFIES THOSE, UH, FACTORS THAT ARE INDEED ACADEMICALLY SHOWN TO BE CORRELATED WITH CRASHES, AND IT QUANTIFIES THE IMPACT IN IMPROVING CRASH OUTCOMES THAT APPLYING SOME OF THESE FACTORS ON YOUR OWN STREET GRID CAN HAVE.UM, SO WHAT, WHAT PRACTITIONERS HAVE, UH, GLEANED FROM ALL OF THIS WORK OVER THE PAST 20 YEARS, UM, IS REALLY HONING IN ON THE FACTORS THAT HAVE, ARE CALLED OUT ON THE LEFT.
THESE ARE REALLY WHAT'S MOST HIGHLY CORRELATED, UM, WITH, WITH, UH, THE VISION ZERO OUTCOMES, AND THAT'S SPEED MANAGEMENT, THAT'S MAKING SURE THAT YOU'RE PROVIDING KIND OF FREQUENT, SAFE PROTECTED PEDESTRIAN CROSSINGS.
UM, I DO WANNA POINT OUT THAT, UM, IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN, LIKE IN DOWNTOWN SEATTLE, UM, OUR BLOCK LENGTH AND SIGNAL SPACING IS ABOUT 350 FEET, UM, WHICH IS VERY GOOD IN ALMOST ALL INSTANCES, ESPECIALLY IN THE CORE DOWNTOWN.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A SAFE PROTECTED, UH, PLACED ACROSS AT A RED LIGHT EVERY 350 FEET.
AND AGAIN, AS ANNA ALLUDED TO, HAVING THAT CLOSED SIGNALS CROSSING, UM, SIGNAL SPACING ALLOWS YOU TO INTENTIONALLY METER TRAFFIC SPEEDS.
SO, UM, WHAT, WHAT PRACTITIONERS ARE FINDING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE STORY, UM, THAT WAS TOLD ABOUT ONE WAY STREETS, YOU KNOW, 20 YEARS AGO ISN'T EXACTLY WHAT OUR DOWNTOWN CONTEXTS, UM, ARE SHOWING.
UM, THE, YOU KNOW, THE OTHER FACTORS PERTAINING TO, YOU KNOW, SPEED AND OR SAFETY OUTCOMES IN DOWNTOWN ARE MAKING SURE YOU'RE MANAGING THOSE LEFT TURN MOVEMENTS.
AGAIN, HIGHLY CORRELATED WITH PEDESTRIAN CRASHES.
WE HAVE TO PROTECT THOSE LEFT TURNS, UH, V THAT THROUGH KIND OF GREEN ARROWS INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE SOLID GREEN BALL, UM, OR PROVIDING KIND OF ACCESS MANAGEMENT SO THAT VEHICLES CAN'T JUST TURN LEFT WILLY-NILLY ANYWHERE.
UM, THERE, ALL OF THESE HAVE QUANTIFIED CRASH MODIFICATION FACTORS THAT HAVE BEEN GLEANED THROUGH THE ACADEMIC RESEARCH.
THERE IS NO ACADEMIC STUDY IN THE CRASH MODIFICATION DATABASE, UM, IDENTIFYING A CRASH MODIFICATION FACTOR FOR CONVERTING A ONE WAY STREET TO A TWO WAY.
UM, AND IN LARGE PART THAT'S BECAUSE THESE FACTORS, UH, MANAGING SPEED, PROVIDING PEDESTRIAN CROSSING, MANAGING TURNS, THESE CAN INDEPENDENT, THESE CAN EXIST INDEPENDENTLY ON A TWO-WAY STREET, A ONE-WAY STREET.
IT KIND OF DOESN'T MATTER IF VEHICLES ARE TRAVELING EAST OR WEST, TO BE HONEST.
UM, AND I THINK OUR DOWNTOWN CORE IS, UM, IS PROOF POSITIVE OF THAT.
UM, WE ALSO KIND OF IN THE PRACTITIONER WORLD FOLLOW VERY CLOSELY THE URBAN STREET DESIGN GUIDE PUT OUT BY NATO.
UM, AND, AND IN LOOKING AT SOME OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SIGNALIZATION PRACTICES IN NATO, WHAT WE SEE, UM, AND IN FACT WITH THE LIVED EXPERIENCES IN SOME OF THE, YOU KNOW, CITIES ACROSS THE COUNTRY THAT HAVE ONE-WAY STREET GRIDS, UM, IS THAT THERE IN FACT MIGHT, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT BE APPARENT ON FIRST GLANCE, BUT THERE ARE ACTUALLY SOME WALKABILITY BENEFITS TO ONE-WAY STREET GRIDS.
UM, YOU HAVE FEWER CROSSING CONFLICTS AS A PEDESTRIAN.
UM, THINK ABOUT BEING AT A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION WHERE SOME CARS ARE TURNING LEFT AT THE SAME TIME THAT SOME CARS ARE TURNING RIGHT WHILE YOU HAVE THE WALK SIGNAL.
YOU LOOK ONE WAY, UM, FOR CARS.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, BECAUSE YOU DON'T NEED AS MUCH CAPACITY, YOU DON'T HAVE AS MANY TURN POCKETS, THERE ARE FEWER VEHICLE LANES TO CROSS, AND SO THAT MEANS LESS TIME THAT YOU AS A PEDESTRIAN ARE EXPOSED IN THE ROADWAY WHILE YOU'RE CROSSING.
UM, THE OTHER THING TO POINT OUT, AND I DON'T THINK THAT THIS IS, UM, UNDERSCORED ENOUGH IN OUR PROFESSION, UM, IS THAT, UM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT AS LONG AT AN INTERSECTION TO CROSS, WHICH MEANS YOU HAVE LESS PEDESTRIAN DELAY, YOU HAVE FEWER SIGNAL PHASES AT THE INTERSECTION, FEWER KIND OF, UH, MOVING PARTS AND, AND MOVEMENTS, UM, TO ORCHESTRATE WITH VEHICLES.
UM, AND SO YOU'RE REALLY WAITING HALF THE TIME TO CROSS THE STREET THAN YOU WOULD AT A FOUR, YOU KNOW, A FOUR-WAY INTERSECTION WITH TWO-WAY STREETS.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SEE ON A PLAN SET, UM, BUT IT'S IN THE LIVED EXPERIENCE OF EVERY PERSON WALKING DOWN, YOU KNOW, A CITY BLOCK EVERY DAY, UM, REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, WITH ONE WAY STREET GRIDS IN PARTICULAR, UM, METERING THOSE VEHICLE SPEEDS, UM, IS MUCH, UH, SIMPLER AND MUCH EASIER TO DO AND HAS MORE RELIABLE OUTCOMES THAN WITH A TWO WAY GRID.
AND THAT'S CALLED ONE WAY SIGNAL PROGRESSION.
ANNA TALKED ABOUT THAT A MINUTE AGO.
UM, MUCH EASIER TO DO, UM, JUST BECAUSE OF THE SIMPLICITY OF THE ONE-WAY STREET GRID.
AND I'LL USE, UM, DOWNTOWN PORTLAND AND OREGON AS AN
[00:45:01]
EXAMPLE OF THAT.UM, AGAIN, UM, HERE'S A SNAPSHOT OF THEIR ONE-WAY STREET GRID.
YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO SEE THOSE TINY LITTLE ARROWS.
THOSE ARE ALL DIRECTIONAL ONE WAY ARROWS.
UM, AND THE TRAFFIC SIGNALS IN PORTLAND ARE INTENTIONALLY TIMED TO PROGRESS TRAFFIC AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.
UM, THAT CREATES AN INCREDIBLY PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY, INCREDIBLY WALKABLE, UM, ENVIRONMENT IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND.
AND AGAIN, WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE TO WAIT MORE THAN A SECOND OR TWO AT EVERY CORNER TO CROSS THE STREET, UM, THE, THE WALKABILITY INDEX IS JUST OFF THE CHARTS.
UM, THOSE SHORT SIGNAL TIMES REALLY DO HELP, UM, AGAIN, SOME JUST KIND OF, UM, EVOCATIVE PHOTOS OF, OF WHAT THEY'VE DONE WITH THEIR ONE WAY STREET GRID IN PORTLAND IN TERMS OF ALLOCATING THAT SPACE, UM, FROM VEHICLES TO TRANSIT, BIKE AND PED.
AGAIN, THIS IS VERY MUCH IN THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THE ACT PLAN IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, YOU KNOW, NOT TO BELABOR THE POINT, BUT WITHOUT THOSE TURN POCKETS, YOU CAN TAKE THAT BIKE BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE INFRASTRUCTURE, UH, ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE INTERSECTION.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, I WANNA POINT OUT THAT, YOU KNOW, IN PORTLAND, THE TRAFFIC ENGINEERS THERE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, ALMOST COVERTLY TIMED THEIR TRAFFIC SIGNALS TO ALLOW FOR WHAT'S CALLED A GREEN WAVE, IF YOU MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH THAT TERM.
BUT AT 50 MILES AN HOUR, THAT'S ABOUT THE SPEED THAT AN AVERAGE CYCLIST TRAVELS.
SO AT EVERY INTERSECTION, EVERY CAR HAS TO STOP, UM, AND SLOW VEHICLE TRAFFIC, BUT THE BIKES GET THE GREEN AND THE BIKES GET THE GREEN, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO STOP.
NOT TO MENTION, UH, PEDESTRIANS TRAVELING, YOU KNOW, AT THE TYPICAL SPEED OF 3.5, UM, FEET PER SECOND ARE ALSO HITTING THAT PEDESTRIAN GRIEVE WAVE AS WELL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL WRAP THIS UP AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT FOLKS UNDERSTAND THAT THERE REALLY IS NO ONE SIZE FITS ALL APPROACH.
UM, THE, THAT REALLY CONTEXT AND ENGINEERING JUDGMENT IS, IS REALLY CRITICAL.
AS COLE POINTED OUT, THE REMAINING ONE WAY STREETS, UM, THAT THE ACT PLAN ARE PROPOSING REALLY ARE THE HEAVY LIFTERS.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CROSSTOWN CONNECTIONS IN AUSTIN WHERE YOU CAN GET FROM I 35 TO MOPAC.
UM, YOU COULD PROBABLY LIST THEM ON ONE HAND.
UM, AND WE'VE GOT SEVERAL OF THEM HERE IN DOWNTOWN FIFTH, SIXTH, 15TH.
THEY CONNECT DIRECTLY TO ON-RAMPS ON I 35.
UM, AND NOT TO MENTION, AS COLE POINTED OUT, THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THEY PLAY, UM, IN MAKING SURE OUR TRANSIT IN, OUT AND THROUGH DOWNTOWN IS, UM, ON TIME SPEEDY AND RELIABLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, SECOND STREET IS A WONDERFUL STREET, WONDERFUL.
UM, IT DEAD ENDS AT SEA, HOME DEAD ENDS AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, AND IT DOESN'T CARRY TRAFFIC.
IT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF STREET.
UM, NOT ALL STREETS ARE CANDIDATES FOR TWO-WAY OPERATIONS, TWO-WAY STREETS ARE NOT NECESSARILY SAFER.
UM, IT'S HOW THEY'RE DESIGNED.
AGAIN, SOME OF THE MOST WALKABLE CITIES IN THE COUNTRY HAVE ONE WAY STREET GRIDS IN THEIR DOWNTOWNS.
UM, AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING TO DO IS INCREASE THE ATTRACTIVENESS, THE WALKABILITY, THE COMFORT AND THE FACILITIES IN OUR GRID BY REALLOCATING THAT EXTRA CAR SPACE TO ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION AND TRANSIT FACILITIES, UM, TO MAKE THEM BETTER STREETS FOR EVERYBODY, NOT JUST VEHICLE OPERATIONS.
AND TRYING TO DO THAT IN A WAY THAT BALANCES ALL THE FACTORS THAT ARE IMPORTANT.
UM, AND I WANNA LEAVE YOU, UM, WITH SOME ADDITIONAL MEASURES THAT WE ARE INCORPORATING INTO THE ACT PLAN, UM, TO, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE SOME ADDITIONAL LEVEL OF COMFORT THAT WE, YOU KNOW, TAKE THESE CONCERNS ABOUT SPEED MANAGEMENT VERY SERIOUSLY.
UM, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, MANAGING VEHICLE SPEEDS WITH THAT TIGHT 350 FOOT SPACE GRID IS GONNA BE IMPORTANT.
SO WE WENT TO TAKE A LOOK TO SEE DO WE HAVE ANY GAPS IN THAT GRID.
UM, AND THERE IS ONE AT, UH, BOTH FIFTH AND SIXTH AND SAN ANTONIO.
SO WE WILL NOW BE VERY EXPLICITLY CALLING OUT IN THE ACT PLAN THAT WE NEED NEW SIGNALS, UM, AT THOSE INTERSECTIONS TO CLOSE THAT GAP.
UM, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE AS THE SIXTH STREET PLAN PROGRESSES, AS ANNA MENTIONED, UM, LOOKING AT EXPLORING RAISED INTERSECTIONS KIND OF IN THE HEART OF THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT, UM, TO CREATE EVEN MORE PEDESTRIAN AMENITY AND TRAFFIC CALMING THERE.
UM, AND THEN AGAIN, UM, YOU KNOW, ANNA TOLD US CURRENTLY OUR SIGNALS ARE TIMED, UH, TO METER TRAFFIC SPEEDS AT 25 MILES IN AN HOUR IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO KIND OF DO SOME IN-DEPTH ANALYSIS, AND THIS WILL BE IN THE ACT PLAN, UM, TO LOOK AT ACTUAL SPEEDS, MAKE SURE WE'RE, UM, ATTAINING THOSE SPEEDS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND DOING ANY MODELING, UH, WE NEED TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO MAYBE ADJUST OUR SIGNAL PROGRESSION
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SPEEDS.UM, AND THE AREAS, UM, OF PARTICULAR INTEREST ARE GONNA BE KIND OF FIFTH AND SIXTH AS YOU APPROACH LAMAR.
UM, THOSE ARE AREAS WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING, UM, AS CLOSE TO THAT 25 MILE AN HOUR, UM, PROGRESSION SPEED AS POSSIBLE.
UM, AND AGAIN, UM, LOOKING AT, UM, CHANGING THAT PROGRESSION AND MAYBE EVEN NOT PROGRESSING, UM, AUTOMOBILES AT ALL DURING, UM, PEAK PEDESTRIAN AND ENTERTAINMENT TIMES AS ANNA MENTIONED AS WELL.
UM, SO WITH THAT, THAT'S EVERYTHING WE HAVE FOR YOU TODAY.
AND, UM, COLE AND I ARE BOTH HAPPY TO ANSWER QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, THAT PRESENTATION.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE VERY THOUGHTFUL APPROACH TO THE ACT PLAN.
ALSO, THE ROBUST DATA THAT YOU BROUGHT ABOUT THE ONE TO TWO WAY, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE FACTS AND SOLID ENGINEERING DESIGN.
I HAVE ONE SEMI MINOR QUESTION, BUT AS SOMEONE WHO'S BEEN WORKING DOWNTOWN FOR A LONG TIME, WHENEVER YOU'RE DRIVING AROUND DOWNTOWN, YOU FIND A BEER TRUCK, BEER TRUCK PARKED IN A LANE ON SIXTH STREET, RIGHT WHEN YOU'RE LIKE, RIGHT AT A PEAK HOUR.
SO IS THERE ANY THOUGHT OF HOW TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM OF LOADING AND UNLOADING FOR BUSINESSES IN THE DOWNTOWN GRID,
AND ON OUR MULTI-LANE STREETS, WE ALLOW COMMERCIAL VEHICLE LOADING IN A TRAVEL LANE IF IT'S A MULTI-LANE STREET DURING CERTAIN HOURS.
AND SO IF YOU SEE THOSE BEER TRUCKS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY, THAT IS OKAY, AND THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO BE THERE.
UM, WE ARE DOING A CURB MANAGEMENT STUDY CITYWIDE.
UM, I KNOW THAT THEY WERE AT PRESENTED AT MOBILITY COMMITTEE A FEW WEEKS AGO.
I CAN CHECK AND SEE IF THEY'LL BE COMING TO DOWNTOWN COMMISSION, BUT REALLY THAT CURB SPACE IS SO VALUABLE FOR A VARIETY OF USES AND WE WANT TO, UM, REGULATED IT IT ACCORDINGLY AND REALLY GET THE HIGHEST AND BEST USE BASED OFF THE TIME OF DAY.
SO THAT'S AN IMPORTANT THING WE'RE LOOKING AT, ESPECIALLY AS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES KIND OF KEEP
UM, IN MY OTHER, I HAVE ANOTHER HAT THAT I WEAR AS CHAIR OF THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL.
SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY IMPORTANT TO ME.
UM, AND I WILL SAY THAT MOST OF THE TIME PEOPLE FEEL THAT YOU'RE CORRECT TO SAY THAT PEOPLE FEEL THAT AS A GENERAL RULE, THAT ONE WAY STREETS ARE LESS SAFE, BUT THAT'S 'CAUSE SO MANY OF THEM HAVE BEEN MADE LIKE SIXTH STREET HAS BEEN RACEWAYS.
UM, SIGNAL MANAGEMENT I THINK IS GONNA BE REALLY KEY FOR YOU GUYS TO SLOW IT DOWN.
UM, AND I REALLY WANT YOU GUYS TO FOCUS HARD ON NOT ONLY GETTING A 25, BUT EVEN MAYBE TWEAKING IT DOWN JUST A TAD FROM THERE.
BECAUSE THE, FOR SOMEBODY WHO GETS HIT, UM, SURVIVAL RATES, IF THEY'RE HIT AT LIKE 20 MILES AN HOUR IS LIKE 90%.
IF THEY'RE HIT AT 40, IT'S ABOUT 10.
SO IT'S A TREMENDOUS DIFFERENCE.
AND SO I WOULD JUST ASK YOU TO LOOK REALLY HARD AT TRAFFIC CALMING MEASURES.
OTHER QUESTIONS? MR. WILEY, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR PRESENTATIONS.
I, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS AND WITH SOME COMMENTS ROLLED INTO IT.
UM, THE FIRST WAS RELATED TO, TO THE CHART THAT SHOWED WHERE YOU WERE FOCUSED FOR, FOR BIKE LANES.
UM, UNDERSTANDABLY THERE, THERE IS A LOT OF FOCUS ON THE STREETS THAT HAVE LOW NUMBERS THAT ARE CLOSER TO THE WATER.
AND WE'RE GOING FIFTH, SIXTH, SEVENTH, AND EIGHTH.
UM, AND I'M WONDERING WHAT, IF ANYTHING IS PLANNED FOR MLK.
MLK IS, UM, THE ROAD THAT DIVIDES OUR TWO MAJOR JOBS CENTERS, UH, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AND THE CAPITAL COMPLEX.
AND, UH, I, I THINK A LITTLE BIT MORE TLC WOULD BE HELPFUL IN THAT AREA OF TOWN.
SO MY FIRST QUESTION IS RELATED TO, TO THAT, UH, I'LL TAKE THAT.
UM, SO MLK ACTUALLY RECEIVED A, UH, CORRIDOR MOBILITY REPORT SIMILAR TO THE SIXTH STREET PER, UM, WITH THE 2016 MOBILITY BOND FUND.
AND SO IT HAD A SPECIFIC, UM, CORRIDOR LEVEL STUDY THAT RECOMMENDED, UH, THOSE FUTURE CHANGES.
SO, UM, THE ACT PLAN REFERENCES WHAT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE, BUT LARGELY IT IS, UH, A RECOMMENDATION TO PROTECT THE BICYCLE FACILITIES THAT ARE THERE, UM, OR ADD PROTECTION OR, OR MOVE THEM BEHIND THE CURB.
UM, AND SO, SO YEAH, THE, THE STUDY'S ALREADY BEEN DONE AND
[00:55:01]
IT'S REFLECTED IN THE ACT PLAN, AND SO IT'S KIND OF ON THAT LIST OF, UH, PROJECTS IN THE PIPELINE THAT NEED FUNDING TO ADVANCE TO THE NEXT PHASE OF PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, UH, DUE FURTHER ENGINEERING AND DESIGN, AND THEN QUEUE IT UP FOR CONSTRUCTION.AND, AND MY SECOND QUESTION IS RELATED TO A VISIT WE HAD FROM, UH, JEFF SPECK THIS LAST WEEK, AND HOPEFULLY MANY OF YOU WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THERE.
UH, HE, UH, HE TALKED ABOUT PUTTING HOODS OVER TRAFFIC LIGHTS AND UH, AND I HAD THIS EPIPHANY THAT THE PERFECT PLACE TO DO THAT IN AUSTIN WOULD BE ON WEST 12TH STREET.
THE, UH, THE TRAFFIC FLOW THERE IS CLOSE TO NON-EXISTENCE AND, AND MOST OF THE TRAFFIC ACTUALLY IS GOING NORTH SOUTH.
AND YOU GET UP TO A LIGHT AND YOU WAIT AND YOU'RE NOT SURE WHAT YOU'RE WAITING FOR.
IT FEELS LIKE YOU'RE IN WEST TEXAS COMING UP TO AN INTERSECTION WHERE YOU CAN SEE FOR MILES AND THERE'S NOBODY ELSE COMING TO THE INTERSECTION, BUT YOU STILL HAVE TO STOP AT THE STOP SIGN.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE BECAUSE I AM MOSTLY A PEDESTRIAN AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE POINTS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BROUGHT UP, BUT I, I THINK THAT THERE'S SOME OTHER AREAS OF DOWNTOWN THAT COULD USE A LITTLE BIT MORE FOCUS TOO, AND I'M NOT SURE HOW WE KIND PROCEED WITH THAT DISCUSSION.
I WILL ADD, UH, 12TH STREET IS ON THE LIST.
IT'S DEFINED AS A SUPPORTING PROJECT WITHIN THE ACT PLAN.
AND SO, UM, WHILE IT'S DOESN'T GET AS MUCH ATTENTION AS SIXTH STREET, UM, IT IS STILL RECOGNIZED AS, AS PART OF, UH, THE OVERALL COMPLETE NETWORK.
AND SO FROM A, FROM A BIKEWAY PERSPECTIVE, I KNOW THAT THERE'S INTEREST IN REALLOCATING SPACE ALONG 12.
AND SO IT MAY BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT WHILE THEY LOOK AT IT, THEY CAN DO IT MORE COMPREHENSIVELY AND LOOK AT THE SIGNALS AT THE SAME TIME.
SO I, I'M SORRY, JUST, JUST TO BE CLEAR, FOR THE PEOPLE THAT WEREN'T THERE, THAT THE HOOD OVER THE TRAFFIC LIGHT MEANS BASICALLY YOU WOULD TURN THE THREE INTERSECTIONS THAT HAVE TRAFFIC LIGHTS INTO STOP SIGNS, AND THEN PEOPLE WOULDN'T BE WA WAITING, AND THEY FOUND THAT THAT'S ACTUALLY MUCH SAFER FOR PEDESTRIANS.
BUT BECAUSE A LOT OF TIMES PEOPLE DON'T HAVE THE PATIENCE AND IT, IT, IT'S RISKY TO, TO CROSS AGAINST THE LIGHT.
AND AS, UH, THE PROJECTS IN THE ACT PLAN MOVE FORWARD, THEY WILL UNDERGO, UH, MORE DETAILED AND ENGINEERING ANALYSIS KIND OF ON A ONE BY ONE BASIS.
AS YOU KNOW, SIXTH STREET HAS DONE
I WILL SAY, UM, IT CAN FEEL FRUSTRATING AS A DRIVER TO SIT AT A RED LIGHT WHEN YOU DON'T SEE ANY, UH, VEHICLES COMING YOUR WAY, BUT THAT'S WHAT'S METERING YOUR TRAFFIC SPEED DOWNTOWN
SO, UM, THE REASON MAY NOT ALWAYS BE APPARENT, UM, BUT IT IS FOR A REASON
OTHER QUESTION? YES, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON.
UM, MY, MY QUESTION IS, IS KIND OF MORE FOR THE COMMISSION.
UM, WHAT ARE, HOW, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS FORWARD SINCE A RECOMMENDATION WAS JUST SENT TO, TO CHANGE EVERYTHING, INCLUDING STREET SIXTH STREET SPECIFICALLY, AND WE'VE JUST HEARD A PRESENTATION THAT SAYS THAT'S NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF PEDESTRIANS OR COMMUTERS IN, IN GENERAL FOR THE, FOR THAT STREET.
UM, WELL, WE CAN DISCUSS WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS CAN BE IN A FUTURE, IN FUTURE BUSINESS IF WE WANNA BRING THAT UP.
UM, I THINK, AND I UNDERSTAND FROM MANY PEOPLE THAT THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE MADE SET A LOT OF, UH, DISCUSSION IN MOTION.
UM, PROBABLY TO SOME DEGREE LED TO THE EMPHASIS THAT WAS PLACED TONIGHT ON TWO-WAY STREETS, WHICH WAS VERY HELPFUL AND, AND ACTUALLY, UM, EDUCATED ME, INFORMED ME.
UM, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT AGAIN IF WE NEED TO.
UM, WE CAN BRING IT UP FOR FUTURE BUSINESS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER WILEY
I, I JUST HAD ONE FINAL COMMENT THAT, UH, MY FAVORITE STREET IN, IN AUSTIN IN THE CITY CENTER IS, UH, RIO GRANDE, WHICH IS ONE WAY, BUT IT'S ONLY, IT ONLY HAS ONE LANE.
SO IF, IF YOU COULD DO THAT, I THINK IT WOULD
[01:00:01]
OVERCOME A LOT OF THE RESISTANCE.AND IT ALSO HAS A HARDENED SEPARATION BETWEEN THAT ONE LANE AND THE TWO BIKE LANES.
ALRIGHT, WELL THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION.
[4. Presentation from the Downtown Austin Alliance on goals, trends, and challenges. Presentation by Davon Barbour, President & CEO, Downtown Austin Alliance. ]
PRESENTATION FROM THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE ON GOALS, TRENDS AND CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY DEVON BARBER, BARB BAR, SORRY ABOUT THAT.CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW? NOW WE CAN HEAR.
ALRIGHT, WELL, GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY, DAVE ON BARBOUR, PRESIDENT AND CEO OF THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
UM, I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING IN THIS LEADERSHIP ROLE.
UH, THIS WEEK ACTUALLY MAKES ONE YEAR.
AND SO I KNOW THIS IS MY FIRST TIME BEFORE YOU TODAY.
UH, I JUST WANNA SAY IT'S BEEN AN INCREDIBLE RIDE.
UH, THE PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, COMMUNITY PARTNERS, ORGANIZATIONS ALL THROUGHOUT THE CITY, WORKING TOWARDS MAKING THIS AN EVEN BETTER COMMUNITY.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.
UM, AND SO I REALLY WANT TO FOCUS ON, OF COURSE, WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN, UH, TODAY.
SO I KNOW THAT YOU ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE.
I NEVER LIKE TO ASSUME THAT EVERYONE WHO'S WATCHING KNOWS THAT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE FACT THAT AUSTIN IS SUCH AN ATTRACTIVE COMMUNITY AND WE HAVE PEOPLE MOVING IN EVERY SINGLE DAY, JUST WANTED TO JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND REMIND THE PUBLIC AS TO WHO WE ARE.
WE ARE ONE OF 2,600 PLACE MANAGEMENT ORGANIZATIONS AROUND THE COUNTRY WHO ARE REALLY DEDICATED TO CREATING A VIBRANT URBAN DESTINATION.
WE WANT DOWNTOWN TO BE A PLACE WHERE EVERYONE LIVES, WHERE THEY THRIVE, WHERE THEY MEET THEIR LIFE PARTNER, WHERE THEY HAVE FUN.
THAT'S WHAT DOWNTOWNS ARE ALL ABOUT.
UM, I HAD THE PRIVILEGE OF GROWING UP IN MY OWN HOMETOWN IN BALTIMORE.
MY HIGH SCHOOL WAS LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN.
I TOOK PUBLIC TRANSIT INTO DOWNTOWN EVERY SINGLE DAY.
I WAS SURROUNDED BY WORKERS PASSING MUSEUMS, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF ALL THE AMENITIES IN DOWNTOWN.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY THE VISION THAT WE HAVE FOR OUR DOWNTOWN AS WELL.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT IN DOWNTOWN, WE WANTED TO BE AN INCLUSIVE ENVIRONMENT, A SPACE WHERE EVERYONE CAN CREATE WEALTH.
AGAIN, TAKE PART IN ALL THE AMENITIES AND ATTRACTIONS THAT ARE, THAT ARE IN THE COMMUNITY.
SO I KNOW THAT YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS MAP.
AND FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WATCHING, THIS IS ESSENTIALLY THE PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT MAP.
UM, THE BOUNDARY, THE, THE BOUNDARY THAT'S IN RED IS OUR PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
AND SO WITHIN THIS DISTRICT, PROPERTY OWNERS PAY A PRO ASSESS, SELF-ASSESSED, UH, EXCUSE ME, SELF-IMPOSED PROPERTY TAX TO FUND OUR OPERATIONS.
UH, AGAIN, THIS HELPS US, UH, CARRY OUT OUR WORK.
UH, INCREASINGLY, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONS LIKE DOWNTOWN, UH, AUSTIN ALLIANCE, OUR WORK CONTINUES TO GROW.
THIS IS A CONVERSATION THAT WE HAVE WITH OUR COLLEAGUES ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE DIVERSIFY OUR REVENUE BEYOND ASSESSMENT DOLLARS? AND SO I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, OF THAT IN THE, IN THE PRESENTATION.
BUT IN TERMS OF, UH, THE PIT ITSELF, WE'RE ABOUT 600 ACRES.
UH, THE BOUNDARIES, AGAIN FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC.
WATCHING 15TH STREET TO THE NORTH I 35 TO THE EAST, UH, SAN ANTONIO, ROUGHLY TO THE EAST AND A LITTLE JUST SOUTH OF THE LAKE ALONG CONGRESS AVENUE.
NOW, OUR WORK, AGAIN, WE WORK TIRELESSLY EVERY SINGLE DAY TO ENSURE THAT DOWNTOWN IS THRIVING AND HEALTHY.
WE DON'T DO THIS WORK IN A VACUUM.
UM, IN FACT, OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS ADOPTED A STRATEGIC PLAN THAT'S OUR 2023 TO 2028 STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND THERE REALLY ARE, UH, SIX, FIVE PILLARS AND THERE'S BEEN A SIX PILLAR THAT'S BEEN ADDED, AND I'LL JUST GO INTO THAT.
SO THE PUBLIC SPACE EXPERIENCE REALLY SPEAKS TO, YOU KNOW, FIRST IMPRESSIONS IN DOWNTOWN.
THAT'S WHERE WE'RE REALLY FOCUS OUR WORK AROUND CLEANING, SAFETY, HOSPITALITY.
YOU PROBABLY SEE THE HARDWORKING MEN AND WOMEN EVERY SINGLE DAY REMOVING LITTER, PRESSURE, WASHING, GREETING, VISITORS, HELPING RESIDENTS WITHIN OUR DOWNTOWN.
I MUST SAY THAT THEY ARE THE BEST, UH, MARKETING FOR OUR ORGANIZATION.
THE, THE COMMENTS THAT WE RECEIVE FROM THE PUBLIC, THEY SEE IT ALL.
THEY JUST DELIVER WITH A SMILE.
AND SO, UH, WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THAT, THAT EXPERIENCE.
ACTIVE URBAN, UH, EXCUSE ME, ACTIVE URBANISM REALLY SPEAKS TO PLACEMAKING.
IT'S REALLY THE ARTS, THE CULTURE, THE ENTERTAINMENT.
HOW ARE WE CREATING THESE INSTAGRAMMABLE MOMENTS IN DOWNTOWN WHERE PEOPLE ARE EXCITED TO BE HERE TO WALK.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME DEPLOYING MURALS WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
I LOVE SEEING PEOPLE STOPPING IN FRONT OF BUILDINGS, TAKING THOSE MEAL, UH, TAKING PHOTOGRAPHS.
WE HAVE A NUMBER OF PRIVATE BUSINESSES WHO HAVE BEEN FANTASTIC CONTRIBUTORS TO EXPANDING THE MURAL, UM, LANDSCAPE WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
AND SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO SO.
THE BUILT ENVIRONMENT REALLY FOCUSES ON THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT, URBAN DESIGN PLANNING INITIATIVES, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT, THE CHARACTER.
HOW ARE WE DELIVERING A SPACE WHERE WE HAVE DIVERSE, AFFORDABLE, UH, DIVERSE, UH, HOUSING STOCK WITHIN OUR DOWNTOWN? HOW DO WE HAVE GREAT RETAIL WITH ADDITIONAL ATTRACTIONS AND AMENITIES? THAT'S WHAT REALLY BUILT ENVIRONMENTS SPEAKS TO MOBILITY.
I KNOW OUR LAST PRESENTERS, UH, WE'RE DISCUSSING MOBILITY IN DOWNTOWN.
HOW DOES, HOW DOES ONE ACCESS DOWNTOWN, HOW DOES ONE NAVIGATE DOWNTOWN GET IN AND OUT? AND SO WE WILL GET LATER IN THE PRESENTATION, I'LL REALLY DRILL IN IN TERMS OF SOME OF OUR MOBILITY, UM, ENHANCEMENTS THERE.
[01:05:01]
DO WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO TPW.THEY'VE BEEN INCREDIBLE PARTNERS ALONG THE WAY.
AS WE, UH, NAVIGATE, YOU KNOW, MANY OF THE MOBILITY CHALLENGES WITHIN DOWNTOWN DOWNTOWN'S GROW.
DOWNTOWN'S CONTINUALLY EVOLVE, AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT THAT AND THINK ABOUT GROWTH.
YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, WITH ADDITIONAL RESIDENTIAL GROWTH IN DOWNTOWN NEW BUSINESS ACTIVITY WITH THE NEW CONVENTION CENTER, PEOPLE GETTING INTO DOWNTOWN, UH, AND NAVIGATING IS VERY IMPORTANT.
LEADERSHIP AND INFLUENCE REALLY SPEAKS TO POLICIES, PROGRAMS, AND INITIATIVES.
WE WORK VERY CLOSELY AS AN ORGANIZATION WITH ORGANIZATIONS ALL ACROSS THE COMMUNITY TO ADVANCE COMMON POLICY AGENDAS THAT REALLY CREATE A VIBRANT AND THRIVING QUALITY OF LIFE FOR ALL AUSTINITES.
NOW, THIS LATEST, UH, PILLAR OF OUR ECONOMIC, OF OUR, UH, STRATEGIC PLAN IS OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S NEAR AND DEAR TO ME.
AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPER, AS A COMMUNITY, AUSTIN HAS ENJOYED INCREDIBLE SUCCESS.
THERE'S BEEN NO, THERE'S NO DENYING THAT IN TERMS OF HOW THE SKYLINE IS SHAPED.
BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT THERE IS STIFF COMPETITION IN THE SUBURBS THAT IS PLAYING OUT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH, UH, WITH SHIFTS IN, IN THE WAY THAT WE, UH, THAT WE, WHERE WE COMMUTE.
YOU'RE SEEING URBAN RE UH, EXCUSE ME, RETAILER SHIFT TO SUBURBAN MARKETS WHERE THERE'S POPULATION GROWTH.
PICK UP THE NEWSPAPER AND LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT THAT'S OCCURRING IN GEORGETOWN OR CEDAR PARK, OR SAN MARCOS.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS COMPETITIVE.
WE CANNOT REST ON OUR LAURELS.
WE MUST CONSTANTLY SAY THAT AUSTIN IS A GREAT PLACE TO OPEN A BUSINESS.
WE THINK ABOUT HOW CAN WE CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE, WHERE AUSTINITE CAN OPEN A BUSINESS, WHERE A STUDENT FROM UT, FROM HT, THEY STAY IN AUSTIN AND GROW THEIR BUSINESS.
CERTAINLY WE KNOW SOME OF THE FISCAL CHALLENGES THAT LIE AHEAD FOR THE CITY WITH DECLINING PROPERTY VALUES.
DAA, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET IS, UM, PRIMARILY FUNDED FROM PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS AS WELL.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO THINK ABOUT HOW ARE WE ACTIVATING STOREFRONTS? HOW ARE WE BRINGING IN THE NEXT MAJOR OFFICE TENANT? HOW ARE WE NURTURING CREATIVES AND ENTREPRENEURS IN OUR COMMUNITY? SO, WITH THAT, I WANNA JUST, UH, STEP BACK AND, UH, PROVIDE A LITTLE SNAPSHOT OF THE MARKET.
UM, WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME COLLECTING DATA WHERE DATA WANTS.
UM, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR US TO UNDERSTAND FROM AN ANALYTICS STANDPOINT WHAT'S ACTUALLY OCCURRING, USING DATA TO REALLY DRIVE OUR MARKETING INITIATIVES, OUR POLICY, AS WELL AS OUR PROGRAMS. SO, WE'LL FIRST START, UM, LOOKING AT THE DEVELOPMENT PIPELINE.
YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, IT'S UNDENIABLE.
THE GROWTH THAT'S OCCURRED IN DOWNTOWN.
WE'VE HAD ENJOYED TREMENDOUS SUCCESS, BUT WITH REAL ESTATE AS EVERYTHING, IT'S CYCLICAL.
AND SO WE ARE GOING THROUGH A COOLING PERIOD RIGHT NOW.
AM I TERRIFIED ABOUT THAT? ABSOLUTELY NOT.
THIS GIVES US A TIME TO ABSORB PRODUCT, UM, THAT'S ON THE MARKET.
AND ALSO, WE KNOW THAT THERE'S APPROXIMATELY 9 MILLION SQUARE FEET OF SPACE THAT HAS YET TO REACH THE MARKET.
THIS IS OUR TIME REALLY TO LOOK AT ALL SYSTEMS TO ENSURE THAT THOSE DEVELOPMENTS COME TO LIFE.
HOW ARE WE ADDRESSING OUR PERMITTING PROCESS? HOW ARE WE TACKLING THE REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT? UM, AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT THE CENTRAL CITY PLAN UPDATE.
WE THINK THAT IS A CRITICAL ROADMAP, AGAIN, TO UNLEASHING POWER THE FULL POTENTIAL OF DOWNTOWN.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE INNOVATION DISTRICT, CREATING THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE, UM, WHERE, UH, PRIVATE SECTOR CAN HAVE COFFEE, MEET WITH A RESEARCHER AT UT, THEY'RE CREATING THE NEXT THERAPEUTIC, THE NEXT TECHNOLOGY COMMERCIALIZING THAT, THAT'S THE TYPE OF ENVIRONMENT THAT SHOULD BE UNLEASHED THROUGH THE CENTRAL CITY PLAN UPDATE WITH AUSTIN LIGHT RAIL COMING TO OUR COMMUNITY.
HOW DO WE IGNITE NEW AFFORDABLE HOUSING, MIXED USE HOUSING, UM, OPTIONS WITHIN DOWNTOWN ALONG THE ROUTE? AND SO THIS SYNERGY IS REALLY IMPORTANT DURING THIS TIME.
UH, DURING THIS TIME, AGAIN, AS WE SET THE STAGE FOR DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE OFF IN THE FUTURE IN TERMS OF THE HOTEL MARKET, UH, WE SPENT A LOT OF TIME WORKING, MEETING WITH OUR HOTEL PARTNERS.
WE ALL KNOW THE IMPORTANCE OF THE, THE CONVENTION CENTER.
WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
THE CONVENTION CENTER IS CERTAINLY PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN THE ECONOMIC VITALITY OF DOWNTOWN AND DRIVING THE HEALTH OF OUR, UH, HOSPITALITY MARKET.
I THINK THE MORAL OF THE STORY FROM THIS SLIDE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SAW IN THE FINAL MONTHS OF THE YEAR, ACL, UH, AND F1 REALLY DROVE VISITATION WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
THERE'S NO DENYING OUR, OUR HOTELS.
UM, THEY ARE OUR FOOD AND BEVERAGE ESTABLISHMENTS.
THEY REALLY RELY ON A LOT ON STRONG TOURISM.
I'VE SPENT TIME, UM, WITH THE, UH, AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER, EXCUSE ME, WITH AUSTIN CONVENTION CENTER.
UH, OUR PARTNERS AT, UH, VISIT AUSTIN AS WELL, MEETING WITH, UH, CONVENTION PLANNERS ASSOCIATIONS, REASSURING THEM THAT AUSTIN IS READY FOR BUSINESS.
DOWNTOWN AUSTIN REMAINS A SOLID PLACE TO BRING YOUR BUSINESS.
AND SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
WE'VE BEEN LAUNCHING SOME INITIATIVES AS WELL, AGAIN, TO SUPPORT OUR HOSPITALITY COMMUNITY, AND I'LL GET INTO THAT LATER.
UM, ON THE OFFICE MARKET SIDE, WE ALL KNOW THAT DOWNTOWN CERTAINLY, UM, HAVE BEEN HURT WITH THE SHIFT.
SO IN TERMS OF WORKING FROM HOME IN THE WAY THAT WE ALL DO BUSINESS, NO SURPRISE HERE.
AUSTIN, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VACANCY RATE IS A LITTLE ABOVE 22%.
WE'RE FARING WELL, UH, I WOULD SAY FAIRLY, UH, BETTER THAN SOME OTHER MARKETS.
BUT AGAIN, WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE STILL PAIN POINTS OUT THERE.
[01:10:01]
TO BUILDING OWNERS.WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH OPPORTUNITY AUSTIN, WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, ALL OF OUR CHAMBERS, AGAIN, NURTURING AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE'RE CONSTANTLY SAYING THAT AUSTIN IS OPEN FOR BUSINESS, UM, AND, AND THAT WE'RE NURTURING THOSE BUSINESSES TO OCCUPY SPACE WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
UM, IN TERMS OF FOOT TRAFFIC, AGAIN, WE BENCHMARK OURSELVES AGAINST OTHER COMMUNITIES.
WE DID FIND IN OUR LATEST RESEARCH THAT WE HAD IN TERMS OF FOOT TRAFFIC WITHIN DOWNTOWN, AS IT RELATES TO WORKERS, WE HAVE RETURNED 86% OF WHERE WE WERE PRE PANDEMIC LEVEL LEVELS IN 20, IN 2019.
SO, AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE DOING MORE.
WE'RE FOCUSED ON KEY INITIATIVES, AGAIN, IN TERMS OF CREATING THIS SENSE OF FEAR, OF MISSING OUT.
WE WANT WORKERS TO FEEL EMOTIONALLY CONNECTED TO DOWNTOWN.
IN FACT, UH, TOMORROW WE'RE PARTNERING WITH ANTON'S, AND WE'RE LAUNCHING A NEW DAYTIME CONCERT SERIES.
AGAIN, THE THINGS LIKE THIS ARE VERY TACTICAL.
IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US AS AN ORGANIZATION TO BE NIMBLE, TO RESPOND TO MARKET CONDITIONS, AND REALLY PROVIDE VALUE TO THE COMMUNITY MULTIFAMILY, UH, MARKET.
UH, AGAIN, RESIDENTS CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO DOWNTOWNS.
DOWNTOWNS ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE REALLY EXPERIENCED, AGAIN, STRONG RESIDENTIAL GROWTH.
WE ARE SEEING A SLOW DOWN THERE, UH, SLOW DOWN HERE IN THE MARKET.
UH, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT A NUMBER OF THE, UH, IN TERMS FROM A LEASING STANDPOINT, A NUMBER OF BUSINESS, UH, PROPERTIES ARE STARTING TO OFFER CONCESSIONS.
SO BUILDINGS ARE GETTING MUCH MORE COMPETITIVE.
I, AND I THINK WHEN WE LOOK AT THE LANDSCAPE, WE WANT TO SEE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S A DIVERSE HOUSING STOCK WITHIN DOWNTOWN VISITOR FOOT TRAFFIC.
THIS IS SOMETHING I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IN TERMS OF VISITATION LEVELS.
WE'VE RECOVERED 94% OF WHERE WE WERE IN 2019, UM, IN TERMS OF VISITATION.
WE SEE THE ENGAGEMENTS THAT OUR SAFETY AMBASSADORS, OUR CLEAN CREW HAVE WITH, UM, INDIVIDUALS VISITING DOWNTOWN.
THEY MAY BE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO GRAB COFFEE, UH, UH, WANTING TO KNOW WHERE THE LATEST MURAL IS.
UM, AND SO THIS IS REALLY STRONG.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO NURTURE THIS.
AND AGAIN, I THINK YOU'LL BE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IN COLLABORATION WITH MANY PARTNERS.
UM, THIS IS SOMETHING, AGAIN, NOT SURPRISING.
WE KNOW THAT ALL ACROSS THE COUNTRY, CONSUMERS ARE REALLY TIGHTENING THEIR BELTS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT FOOD AND BEVERAGE CONTINUES TO BE THE DOMINANT DRIVER OF SPENDING WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
AND SO, AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE'VE BEEN SPENDING A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT HOW DO WE REMOVE THE BARRIERS FOR CUSTOMERS TO GET INTO DOWNTOWN, TO, YOU KNOW, HAVE A STAYCATION AT A HOTEL TO SUPPORT ONE OF OUR LOCAL SHOPS.
AND SO, AGAIN, WE'LL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE LATER IN THE PRESENTATION.
ALL OF THESE INITIATIVES ARE DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHERS.
I WANT TO REALLY EMPHASIZE THAT OUR WORK IS NOT DONE IN SILO, BUT IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS, WITH THE CHAMBERS AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS.
SO WHY DOES DOWNTOWN MATTER? UH, DOWNTOWN DRIVES THE, UH, TAX SPACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
IT'S THE CULTURAL CENTER WHERE ALL THE AMENITIES ARE LOCATED.
IT'S THE HUB OF MOBILITY, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE MANY TRANSIT MODES, UH, INTERSECT, AND ALSO THE TALENT CLUSTER THAT THE WORKERS THAT ARE IN WITHIN DOWNTOWN 130,000 EMPLOYEES IN DOWNTOWN.
I THINK THOSE ARE REALLY POWERFUL FIGURES, AND WE CANNOT REST ON OUR LAURELS.
UM, WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY NURTURE, ENSURE THAT DOWNTOWN IS HEALTHY, HEALTHY, AND PROVIDE SUPPORT, UM, SO THAT IT SUSTAINS IT, IT'S, UH, ITS CASE.
THIS IS FROM A STUDY THAT WE DID IN 2019, REALLY LOOKING AT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT OF DOWNTOWN.
AND SO, SOME OF THE FIGURES THAT I REALLY WANNA STRESS IS, AT THAT TIME IN 2019, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN REPRESENTS 0.5% OF THE CITY'S LANDMASS, BUT YET WE GENERATE 10% OF THE ASSESSMENT, UH, UH, INCOME FOR THE CITY.
THINK ABOUT WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS TODAY.
AND WE'RE GONNA BE REFRESHING THESE NUMBERS.
SINCE THAT TIME, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF NEW BUILDINGS, UM, HIT THE TAX ROLL, THE REPUBLIC NEW OFFICE TOWER, A TX TOWER, I COULD GO ON AND ON.
THE WATERLINE WILL, WILL SOON OFFICIALLY OPEN.
SO THESE ARE IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTORS TO HELP DRIVE, YOU KNOW, THE DELIVERY OF CITY SERVICES ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO, WITH THAT, IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE, I I DESCRIBED, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE CURRENT MARKET CONDITIONS.
SO I WANNA HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE INITIATIVES THAT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT, UH, AS AN ORGANIZATION.
UH, I WON'T GO INTO DETAIL ON THIS.
YOU HEARD FROM OUR COLLEAGUES, UH, FROM TPW, BUT I THINK THE MORAL OF THE STORY IS, YOU KNOW, WE ARE FOCUSED ON REALLY CELEBRATING MA, YOU KNOW, CELEBRATING CONGRESS AVENUE, CREATING THE MAIN STREET, THIS VIBRANT, SPECTACULAR, UH, DESTINATION.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FROM A TENANCY STANDPOINT.
MANY OF OUR MAJOR OFFICE BUILDINGS ARE LOCATED ALONG CONGRESS AVENUE.
WE WANT TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE MORE RETAIL CAN THRIVE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, AS OUR COLLEAGUES DESCRIBED, EXPANDED SIDEWALKS, NEW LANDSCAPING, PROTECTIVE CURB LANES.
UM, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS.
AND WHAT'S IMPORTANT ABOUT THIS IS WE'VE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH THE BUSINESSES, ALSO TRYING TO MINIMIZE SOME OF THE IMPACTS.
AND WE'LL GO THROUGH THAT A LITTLE MORE IN THE PRESENTATION AND EVOLVING.
SIXTH STREET, YOU HEARD FROM OUR COLLEAGUES IN TPW, WHAT I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, AS AN ORGANIZATION, WE ARE SO EXCITED AND
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PASSIONATE ABOUT THE EVOLUTION OF EAST SIXTH STREET.YOU KNOW, WHAT BEGAN REALLY AS A PUBLIC SAFETY INITIATIVE HAS EVOLVED INTO A FULL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY.
HOW DO WE CREATE A VIBRANT 18 HOUR DISTRICT? WE HAVE DEPLOYED ARTISTS TO, TO, YOU KNOW, TO PAINT THE TOWN WHERE WE'VE GONE OUT, CONDUCTED AN ASSESSMENT, LOOKING AT EVERY DETAIL OF SIXTH STREET, ANALYZING EVERY HISTORIC BUILDING, LOOKING AT EVERY AWNING, LOOKING AT EVERY LIGHT POST, EXAMINING EVERY MISSING BRICK.
AND WHEN RETAILERS, RESTAURANTS ARE CHOOSING DESTINATIONS, THEY'RE LOOKING FOR A QUALITY ENVIRONMENT.
WE WANT SIXTH STREET TO BE THAT LOCATION.
UH, REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE AS WELL THE PARTNERSHIP WITH EAST SIXTH STREET, UH, PUBLIC IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AS WELL.
SO, STAY TUNED FOR MORE EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS.
AGAIN, THIS IS A VERY DETAILED STRATEGY WITH NEW TENANTS, AGAIN, VIBRANCY.
UM, I LOVED, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, ONE OF THE COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER VETO TALKED ABOUT SLIGHTLY THE FACT THAT WE HAD A CLUSTER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN BUSINESSES HERE.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN THINKING ABOUT FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, HOW DO WE CELEBRATE THAT? HOW DO WE INCORPORATE MANY OF THE BUSINESSES? AGAIN, ACKNOWLEDGING THE HISTORIC LEGACY OF EAST SIXTH STREET, CELEBRATING THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE OF THE BUILDINGS.
ONE OF THE PROGRAMS THAT WE RECENTLY LAUNCHED IS A, A PILOT, A FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING MATCHING FUNDS TO PROPERTY OWNERS AND BUSINESSES TO MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THESE MODEST MODIFICATIONS HELP REALLY STEP UP THE CURB APPEAL.
WE WANT DOWNTOWN TO BE VERY ATTRACTIVE FROM A MARKETING STANDPOINT.
AGAIN, WE HAVE TO TELL THE STORY.
WE HAVE BEEN PRO PROMOTING DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AND THE CITY NATIONALLY.
UH, WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN HERE ARE JUST SOME SCREENSHOTS OF SOME ADS THAT WE'VE PLACED IN SHOPPING CENTER BUSINESS, UH, TEXAS REAL ESTATE BUSINESS.
AGAIN, ON AN EFFORT TO BRING BUSINESS INTO DOWNTOWN, WE MUST FOCUS ON INCREASING OCCUPANCY WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
WE CANNOT REST ON OUR LAURELS.
OTHER COMMUNITIES DO THIS AS WELL.
AGAIN, EMPHASIZING THE UNIQUE ATTRIBUTES OF OUR COMMUNITY.
I, I'M PROUD THAT WE'RE PARTNERING WITH THE CITY, WITH RICOH, WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, AND OTHERS WILL ACTUALLY BE EXHIBITING AT A MAJOR, UM, RETAIL, UH, REAL ESTATE TRADE SHOW THIS SPRING.
AGAIN, SAYING, BRING YOUR BUSINESS TO AUSTIN.
UM, THIS IS IMPORTANT NOT ONLY FOR VISITORS, BUT ALSO FOR OUR RESIDENTS.
YOU KNOW, WE WANT RESIDENTS TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, WALK OUTSIDE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, SUPPORT, UH, SHOPS, ALL OF THE AMENITIES THAT THEY NEED SHOULD BE LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN.
WE'VE ALSO, AGAIN, BEEN CELEBRATING THE BUSINESSES WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
UH, WE, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT BUSINESSES, CONSUMERS HAVE CHOICES.
WE THANK THEM FOR CHOOSING DOWNTOWN.
THEY COULD BE ANYWHERE, BUT THEY'VE CHOSEN TO INVEST IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
AND SO WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.
WE'VE BEEN DOING RIBBON CUTTINGS.
UH, THE MOST RECENT RIBBON CUTTING WAS FOR SWEDISH HILL, UH, BAKERY, RIGHT AT FOUR 15, COLORADO, COLORADO.
THAT'S THE, THE BOTTOM PICTURE THERE.
UH, IT'S, I WALK BY EVERY SINGLE DAY AND I SEE THE LINES, AND I SEE, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WORKING ON THEIR LAPTOPS OR CONDUCTING, YOU KNOW, MEETINGS.
THAT'S EXACTLY THE VIBRANCY THAT WE WANT TO SEE IN OUR DOWNTOWN.
NOW, FROM A CONSTRUCTION UPDATE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE PREPARING FOR OPEN HEART SURGERY IN DOWNTOWN.
I, THAT'S A SORT OF ANALOGY I LIKE TO USE.
AND THIS IS A MAP FOR, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT THE CATALYTIC PROJECTS THAT ARE PENDING OR UNDERWAY WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
AGAIN, WE'RE MO, WE'VE MOVED FROM THIS PERIOD OF PRIVATE INVESTMENT, MAJOR REAL ESTATE CONSTRUCTION, AND NOW IT'S HEAVY PUBLIC INVESTMENT.
OUR CONVENTION CENTER IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
SOON WE'LL HAVE LIGHT RAIL, UH, TRANSFORMING DOWNTOWN TRAVERSING THROUGH OUR DOWNTOWN.
AND SO WE HAVE BEEN RELENTLESS AND HEAVILY FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT DOWNTOWN REMAINS OPEN FOR BUSINESS AND ACCESSIBLE.
AND AGAIN, THIS, UM, OUR WORK IS DONE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER, WITH TPW, WITH TXDOT.
THIS IS REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT WORK.
WE MUST DENY EVERY VISITOR OR OUTSIDE OF THE OPPORTUNITY, OR EVEN WORKER TO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T FEEL LIKE GOING INTO DOWNTOWN TODAY.
I DON'T WANT TO GET STUCK IN TRAFFIC.
I DON'T FEEL LIKE DEALING WITH, WITH DETOURS.
WE'VE GOTTA MAKE IT AS EASY AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO, UM, LAST, LAST SUMMER, WE, UH, COMMISSIONED A STUDY, ENGAGED A CONSULTANT TO HELP US LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES TO DEVELOP A ROBUST CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION STRATEGY.
UM, WE CONDUCTED, UM, THERE WERE OVER 70 STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED IN THE PROCESS.
MAYOR WATSON, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRY, DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES REP, UH, DOWNTOWN, UH, BUSINESSES, RESIDENTS, ALL GIVING FEEDBACK ON CONCERNS OR IDEAS AS IT RELATES TO CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION.
AND SO THIS EFFORT REALLY IS MORE THAN JUST SIMPLY COMMUNICATING, UM, FROM A, FROM A MARKETING STANDPOINT, IT'S ALSO HOW DO WE STRENGTHEN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? HOW DO WE INCORPORATE ARTWORK WITHIN DOWNTOWN? AGAIN, HOW DO WE CONTINUE TO MAKE THIS A THRIVING EXPERIENCE WITHIN DOWNTOWN?
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I DO WANT TO FOCUS ON, UH, SEVERAL INITIATIVES OF NOTE AS IT RELATES TO THE CONSTRUCTION MITIGATION PROGRAM.WE HAVE RECENTLY LAUNCHED A PILOT CONSTRUCTION RELIEF GRANT PROGRAM, WHERE WE'RE PROVIDING UP TO $10,000 TO IMPACT THE BUSINESSES, UM, IN PROXIMITY TO CERTAIN CONSTRUCTION SITES.
THERE MAY BE A SIDEWALK THAT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
A BUSINESS MAY SIMPLY NEED TO POST A BANNER ON THEIR, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR WINDOW, STILL OPEN FOR BUSINESS, COME SUPPORT US.
UH, IN SOME CASES, A BUSINESS MAY NEED TO PURCHASE NEW EQUIPMENT TO PIVOT THEIR BUSINESS MODEL, TO CONTINUE TO HAVE CUSTOMERS THROUGH THEIR DOOR.
THIS FLEXIBILITY IS IMPORTANT.
WE'VE SEEN IT WORK IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
I THINK A, A GREAT EXAMPLE WOULD BE, UH, 16TH STREET MALL AND DENVER, WHERE THE CITY, THE COUNTY CAME TOGETHER TO ENSURE THAT NO BUSINESS WENT UNDER THROUGH WHAT WAS A MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
WE'RE ADOPTING THAT SAME PHILOSOPHY WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE'RE ALSO PARTNERING WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER ON A DISCOUNT, UH, PARKING PROGRAM, UH, AT THE, AT, AT THE CONVENTION CENTER, PARKING GARAGES.
WE'VE HAD 35 BUSINESSES SIGN UP FOR A PROGRAM WHERE WE'VE BUDGETED FUNDING FOR 40 BUSINESSES.
THIS WILL ESSENTIALLY PROVIDE, UH, FREE PARKING UP TO TWO HOURS TO PATRONS OF THOSE BUSINESSES.
AGAIN, MAKING IT EASIER FOR THOSE BUSINESSES, CLEARING THOSE ROADBLOCKS.
I ALSO WANT TO, UH, JUST MENTION, WE'VE ALSO LAUNCHED A PILOT, UH, PROGRAM WITH UBER BACK IN DECEMBER.
THIS WAS A PHENOMENAL PROGRAM.
ESSENTIALLY, WE PROVIDED VOUCHERS TO OVER 50, EXCUSE ME, 5,000.
IT OFFERED 50% DISCOUNT ON RIDES TO AND FROM DOWNTOWN UP TO SIX TRIPS.
THE VOUCHERS WERE SCOOPED UP WITHIN, UH, WITHIN TWO WEEKS, WE HOPE TO REPLICATE REP, REP REP, EXCUSE ME, REPLICATE THAT PROGRAM AND BRING IT BACK.
UM, AND SO I HOPE YOU HEAR THE EXCITEMENT, THE PASSION, UM, YOU KNOW, IN MY VOICE IN TERMS OF WHAT, WHAT'S TO COME IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO STAY UP TO SPEED IN TERMS OF ALL OF OUR INITIATIVES.
THIS IS A GREAT WAY TO STAY IN THE KNOW AS IT RELATES TO CONSTRUCTION UPDATES.
IN FACT, WE DID A CONSTRUCTION ALERT, UH, THIS PAST FRIDAY, GIVING CONSUMERS AND RESIDENTS A HEADS UP, UM, ADVISING 'EM ON ALTERNATIVE ROUTES BECAUSE OF CONS CONSTRUCTION ON, UM, CONGRESS AVENUE, STAMP TO SPEED IN TERMS OF EVENTS THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN DOWNTOWN OR EVEN GETTING INVOLVED.
AND THEN WE'RE ALSO, AGAIN, IN TERMS OF ENGAGEMENT, I THINK WE DO A GREAT JOB AT CONVENING THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE STEPPED UP OUR ENGAGEMENT LAUNCHING, UM, NEW AFFINITY GROUPS.
SO WE MEET REGULARLY WITH HOTEL GMS, OFFICE BUILDING MANAGERS, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY MANAGERS.
NEXT WEEK WE'RE MEETING WITH, UH, GROUND FLOOR BUSINESSES.
AGAIN, GETTING FEEDBACK SO THAT WE UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE CHALLENGES DEPLOYING OUR PROGRAMS AND CALIBRATING ACCORDINGLY.
UM, I ENCOURAGE ANY MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC VIEWING TO REALLY TAKE A, YOU KNOW, TAKE YOUR PHONE, SCREENSHOT THE QR CODE.
WE DO HAVE AN ACTIVE COMMUNITY SURVEY UNDERWAY.
AGAIN, WE WANT FEEDBACK ON WHAT'S WORKING IN DOWNTOWN AND WHAT IMPROVEMENTS CAN BE MADE.
AND SO WITH THAT, THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS COMMISSIONERS MAY HAVE.
I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
UM, I THINK THE DAA IS AN INCREDIBLE GEM FOR OUR TOWN.
AND, UH, PERSONALLY, I'M IMPRESSED WITH THE WORK THAT YOU ALL DO AND THE QUALITY OF WORK THAT YOU DO.
EVERYTHING THAT I'VE SEEN FROM DAA HAS BEEN, UM, WELL THOUGHT OUT, UM, WELL RESEARCHED, UH, BASED ON DATA.
AND THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE WORKING THERE ARE TOPNOTCH.
SO I APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE.
QUESTIONS, NOT SO MUCH A QUESTION.
I JUST WANT TO DEFINITELY ECHO WHAT MY COLLEAGUE HERE JUST SAID, AND ALSO TO SAY THAT I WILL SEE YOU AT THAT ANTONE'S EVENT AT, UH, FAIRGROUND.
COMMISSIONER, HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, IT, IT'S BEEN ASKED BEFORE, ARE THERE PLANS TO EXPAND THE, THE BOUNDARY, THE WESTERN BOUNDARY, UM, OF, OF DAA? NO, IT IS A GREAT QUESTION.
OFTEN WE, YOU KNOW, RECEIVE THAT QUESTION, AND I ALWAYS SAY, AGAIN, THIS IS A VOLUNTARY ASSESSMENT.
SO PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE TO AGREE TO THIS.
UM, IN FACT, WE'RE ACTUALLY WORKING WITH 360 CONDOMINIUMS. UM, THE OWNERSHIP THERE IS INTERESTED IN JOINING THE PIT.
SO WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THE PRO CERTIFICATION PROCESS RIGHT NOW WITH THE CITY.
UM, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THE, PROBABLY IN, IN THE FUTURE, THERE MAY BE OPPORTUNITIES TO INCLUDE RAINY STREET, GIVEN THE DEVELOPMENT.
UM, BUT CERTAINLY THAT'S ONE EXAMPLE OF A RECENT OF, OF A PENDING EXPANSION.
I JUST WANTED TO SAY, I, I CONSIDER US AND, UH, ALL OF AUSTIN, REALLY FORTUNATE THAT YOU CHOSE US A YEAR AGO.
SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
AND ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELP, UH, MORE RESIDENTIAL CONSTRUCTION GO UP WOULD BE APPRECIATED.
UH, I'LL JUST ECHO MY COLLEAGUES AND, AND, UM, JUST RELAYING THAT WE WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO WORK WITH YOU GUYS.
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DO GREAT WORK.UH, I WILL ADD, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S NO SECRET TO ANYONE THAT ONE OF THE BIG, YOU KNOW, WE KEEP SEEING WITH ALL THESE, UH, PRESENTATIONS BEFORE THE COMMITTEE OR THE COMMISSION THESE PAST FEW MONTHS, THAT SAFETY, YOU KNOW, IS A BIG, IS A BIG ISSUE.
UH, IN MY OTHER LIFE, I RUN AN ORGANIZATION CALLED AUSTIN, TEXAS MUSICIANS, AND WE REPRESENT, UH, CENTRAL TEXAS MUSICIANS ON POLICY ISSUES.
UH, A FEW YEARS BACK, WE PILOTED A PROGRAM CALLED GIG BUDDY WITH YOU GUYS, WHERE WE, UH, WOULD EMPLOY THE DOWNTOWN AMBASSADORS, THE BLOCK BY BLOCK GUYS TO PROVIDE SAFE ESCORT TO AND FROM VEHICLES, UM, FOR OUR MUSICIANS.
AND I UNDERSTAND THOSE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE.
UH, THE, THE, UH, I THINK THE BARRIER WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING IS THAT, UH, THAT PROGRAM, AS I UNDERSTAND, RUNS FROM 6:00 PM TO 10:00 PM UH, WHEN, OH, PLEASE, IF YOU WERE GONNA, OH, 6:00 AM TO 10:00 PM OH, 6:00 AM I'M SORRY, 6:00 AM TO 10:00 PM MM-HMM
UH, WHEN WE FIND THAT, SO, UH, MUCH OF THE NEED FOR AROUND SAFETY, UH, HAPPENS AFTER 10:00 PM.
UH, SO I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN TALKING TO YOUR STAFF, BRANDON FAHE AND STUFF LIKE THAT, UM, TO DETERMINE, YOU KNOW, I GUESS OBVIOUSLY THERE'S, UM, YOU GUYS HAVE SOME FUNDING NEEDS AROUND, UH, EXPANDING THE BLOCK BY BLOCK STAFF AROUND, UH, INSURANCE AND LIABILITY FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO DO THOSE, UH, TYPES OF WORK.
UH, MY QUESTION, UH, WOULD BE, HOW CAN WE HELP YOU? WHAT ARE SOME OF THE RESOURCES THAT YOU GUYS NEED TO EXPAND THESE SAFETY PROGRAMS FOR OUR COMMUNITY? NO, THANK YOU.
WE DO, AS I, AS, AS YOU NOTED, WE DO PROVIDE OUR AMBASSADOR SERVICES, AGAIN, A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT, A VISITOR.
IF THEY'RE WORKING LATE, GIVE US A CALL.
WE'LL ESCORT YOU TO YOUR LOCATION.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, PROVIDE, UM, PARTNER WITH A PD AS WELL MM-HMM.
AND, AND PAY FOR OVERTIME, UM, UH, PRESENCE AS WELL WITHIN DOWNTOWN.
UM, EARLIER IN THE PRESENTATION, I ALLUDED TO SOME OF THE, THE FUNDING CHALLENGES.
DOWNTOWN ORGANIZATIONS LIKE DA, A, YOU KNOW, WE DO MORE, WE'RE CONSTANTLY TASKED DOING MORE WITH LESS MM-HMM
AND IN THIS ENVIRONMENT WHERE THERE'S THE ABSENCE OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AND SOME OF THE TRADITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN OUT, THAT OUT THERE, THE CHALLENGES THAT THE CITY FACES AS WELL.
I DO THINK IT'S TIME FOR SOME NEW BOLD AND IMAGINATIVE THINKING IN TERMS OF NEW DEDICATED FUNDING STREAMS WITHIN DOWNTOWN, UM, UTILIZING VARIOUS, UM, UH, TOOLS THAT ARE MADE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE STATE, UM, THAT YOU SEE IN OTHER COMMUNITIES.
COMMISSIONER LEVINSON, OH, SORRY.
WERE YOU, OH, WELL, ONE MORE QUICK NOTE.
UH, TWO, WHEN WE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT, UH, CULTURE IN DOWNTOWN BUSINESSES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UM, ONE OF THE GREAT EXAMPLES SITTING RIGHT BEHIND YOU IS THE HIDEOUT THEATER.
UH, BEEN DOWN THERE FOR, WHAT, 26 YEARS I THINK NOW.
AND, AND, UM, I KNOW THEY'RE IN THE PROCESS OF LOOKING FOR A NEW SPACE, LOSING THEIR SPACE.
ARE THERE ANY, UH, SORT OF, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, PRACTICES IN PLACE TO KIND OF TALK TO THESE BUSINESSES THAT HAVE BEEN LANDMARK, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN AND TRY TO PROVIDE THEM PATHWAYS TO STAY DOWNTOWN? YES, ABSOLUTELY.
AS A PART OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY, AGAIN, THIS WAS A NEW PILLAR IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN.
AND SO WE'RE ACTUALLY FOCUSING ON RETENTION OF BUSINESSES DOWNTOWN.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT, I'VE SEEN THIS IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, WHEN THE COMMUNITY QUICKLY EVOLVES.
UM, THERE'S OFTEN, THERE'S SPHERES OF GENTRIFICATION AND DISPLACEMENT, AND OFTEN THAT CAN BE REAL.
AND IF WE'RE NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, I WOULD SAY, UM, METHODICAL AND ACTUALLY, AND, AND, AND FOCUS ON LOOKING AT THE SYSTEMS TO KEEP THOSE BUSINESSES IN PLACE, THAT'S WHERE THERE'S THE IMPACT.
AND SO WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, UM, A GREAT EXAMPLE OF OUR WORK TO REALLY ADDRESS THAT WOULD BE, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR DASA PROGRAM, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SPACE ACTIVATION PROGRAM.
THAT'S WHERE WE PARTNER WITH A BUILDING OWNER.
WE'VE ESSENTIALLY BEEN PROVIDING FREE SPACE TO ARTISTS, MUSICIANS.
WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF ACTIVATIONS.
UM, WE'VE SAVED THOSE ARTISTS, THOSE CREATIVES, THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN FEES, EXPOSING THEM TO CUSTOMERS WITHIN DOWNTOWN NEW MARKET.
AND SO WE RECENTLY EXPANDED THE PROGRAM LAST FRIDAY.
WE'RE GONNA LOOK TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT ON, ON OTHER FRONTS.
UM, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE FOUNDATION, UM, IS A, A PART OF OUR ORGANIZATION AS WELL.
WE'VE GOT NEW BOARD MEMBERS COMING ON BOARD.
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING TO TAP INTO THE COMMUNITY SO THAT WE CAN FUNDRAISE TO REALLY ENHANCE THOSE PROJECTS AND SUPPORT OUR CREATIVE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO WORK WORKING WITH YOU, COMMISSIONER LEVINSON.
AS SPEAKING ABOUT, UH, BUDGETS, SINCE OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE IS GOING TO BE MEETING SOON, DO, DO YOU HAVE ANY FIGURES ON WHAT IT WOULD COST YOU TO EXPAND THAT PROGRAM FOR, UH, BECAUSE FOR THE, UH, BECAUSE THAT WAY WE COULD POTENTIALLY PUT IT IN A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL, UM, IT, WE, IT WOULD BE ON OUR SCHEDULE NEXT MONTH TO ADOPT ANYTHING.
CHRISTIE, COULD YOU PUT A PLACEMENT, YOU KNOW, ON THAT? ABSOLUTELY.
SO IF YOU COULD GET ME SOME FIGURES WITHIN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT OPPORTUNITY.
JUST A QUICK ASIDE ON THE, UM, LEGACY BUSINESSES, WE SAT IN A MEETING OF THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN TEAM, AND THEY
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HAVE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED LEGACY BUSINESSES AS A PRIORITY IN THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN VISION.IF, IF I COULD JUST TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY, OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD OFF OF, UH, COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER'S REMARKS.
WHEN WE THINK ABOUT THE RETAIL MIX IN DOWNTOWN, THE VISION THAT WE HAVE, IT'S NOT JUST NATIONALS, IT'S NATIONALS, IT IS REGIONALS AND IT'S LOCALS.
AND I THINK WE ALSO HAVE TO THINK ENSURING THAT WE ARE PROVIDING A FRAMEWORK FOR LOCALS TO ALSO TAKE OFF FOR EXISTING BUSINESSES TO BE A PART OF THAT.
AND SO, AGAIN, LOOKING AT NEW INCENTIVES LIKE OUR, AGAIN, OUR, OUR RECENT, UH, FACADE IMPROVEMENT GRANT PROGRAM, WE MAY NEED TO CREATE A TENANT BUILD OUT PROGRAM.
AGAIN, VERY OFTEN, YOU KNOW, BIGGER COMPANIES HAVE THE BUDGETS THEY CAN AFFORD FANCY BUILD OUT, AND THEY CAN WITHSTAND PERMITTING DELAYS.
OUR MOM AND POPS AREN'T NECESSARILY UNEQUIPPED TO DO THAT.
AND SO HOW DO WE PROVIDE RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN THRIVE, ARRIVE.
COMMISSIONER PEDO, UH, UH, JUST A A LAST THANK YOU, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR YOUR AMBASSADOR PROGRAM, LIVING DOWNTOWN.
YOU KNOW, UM, IT, IT'S A GREAT PRESENCE.
UH, IT ABSOLUTELY DETERS, UM, CERTAIN, UM, ACTIVITY DOWNTOWN.
IT BRINGS A LEVEL OF SECURITY AND SAFETY, UM, FOR ME AS A DOWNTOWN RESIDENT.
AND ESPECIALLY THE EXPANSION OF IT AND THE DISCUSSION TONIGHT OF EVEN EXPANDING IT FURTHER, I THINK WOULD BE VERY IMPORTANT TO CONSIDER.
I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION, AND AGAIN, WHAT DAA DOES FOR AUSTIN.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING YOU SOON.
[5. Update on the status of the Hideout Theater. Presentation by Jessica Arjet, Owner/Youth Programs Director, Hideout Theater.]
UPDATE ON STATUS OF THE HIDEOUT THEATER PRESENTED BY JESSICA ARGE, OWNER, YOUTH PROGRAMS DIRECTOR, HIDEOUT THEATER.UM, UH, I ALSO WANNA THANK THE DOWNTOWN, UH, ALLIANCE BECAUSE OH MY GOSH, THEY ARE.
IF IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS DOWNTOWN, YOU CANNOT GET ALONG WITHOUT THEM.
SO, UH, I'M WITH THE HIDEOUT, ONE OF THE OWNERS OF THE HIDEOUT COFFEE, SH COFFEE HOUSE AND THEATER DOWNTOWN.
UM, AND WE'RE COMING BACK TO TALK TO Y'ALL, UH, UH, REALLY JUST TO TELL YOU WHAT IS GOING ON.
UM, AND THEN IF THERE'S A WAY TO HAVE RESOURCES, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, BUT WE'RE JUST TRYING TO TELL YOU WHO WE ARE AND WHAT'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
UM, OUR WHOLE THING IS COFFEE, COMEDY AND COMMUNITY.
WE'RE A COFFEE HOUSE AND AN IMPROV THEATER.
WE HAVE LESS THAN 5,000 SQUARE FEET, AND YET HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE HAVE CALLED US THEIR HOME.
UM, WE KIND OF PUNCH ABOVE OUR WEIGHT IN CREATING COMMUNITY IN AUSTIN.
AND I WANNA TAKE A SECOND, UM, TO, TO MAKE A, TO TELL YOU THE DIFFERENCE.
UM, THERE'S THE MOODY THEATER, THERE'S THE PARAMOUNT.
THEY BRING PEOPLE FROM OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN TO GIVE US ENTERTAINMENT.
WE PROVIDE A PLACE FOR AUSTINITES TO, TO PERFORM FOR OTHER AUSTINITES OR FOR TOURISTS.
WE ARE DEVELOPING OUR LOCAL TALENT, UM, TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
AND I THINK THAT'S, I MEAN, MAYBE THIS IS OVERSTATING IT, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IN A DEMOCRACY FOR PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO EACH OTHER.
AND THIS FORM OF PERFORMANCE IS ONE OF THE FEW WAYS IN AUSTIN THAT WE CAN SAY THINGS THAT WE CAN BRING UP, THINGS WE CAN TALK TO EACH OTHER.
AND COMEDY IS ONE OF THE WAYS THAT PEOPLE TALK ABOUT HARD THINGS.
UM, SO WE, A LOT OF OUR SHOWS ARE AUSTIN PEOPLE, PEOPLE WHO ARE RESIDENTS HERE PERFORMING FOR OTHER AUSTINITES.
AND THAT'S A DIFFERENCE THAN SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT YOU HAVE DOWNTOWN.
AND IT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY OUR COMMUNITY IS SO STRONG AND PEOPLE LOVE US SO MUCH.
I'M IN A LOT OF THESE PICTURES BECAUSE I DID THE SLIDES KIND OF QUICKLY, AND THEY WERE JUST, WHAT WAS IN MY CANVAS? SO SORRY ABOUT THAT.
UM, WE'RE A SMALL SPOT, BUT WE'VE BEEN A GATHERING SPOT FOR LIKE, ARTISTIC INSPIRATION.
PEOPLE COME THERE TO, TO WRITE BOOKS, THEY COME THERE TO DO ARTISTIC PROJECTS.
UM, THEY, THEIR POLITICAL MEETINGS, OF COURSE, BECAUSE PEOPLE COME RIGHT DOWNTOWN, UM, FROM THE, UH, CAPITOL AND OFFICE WORKERS TAKING A BREAK.
AND LIKE A MILLION FIRST STATES HAVE HAPPENED THERE.
AND I KNOW THERE ARE A BUNCH OF OTHER COFFEE HOUSES IN AUSTIN, AND I LOVE THEM TOO.
UM, OUR PLACE HAS BEEN THERE FOR A LONG TIME, AND WE'VE REALLY DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS.
OUR COFFEE MANAGER HAS BEEN THERE LONGER THAN I'VE BEEN AN OWNER.
I I BECAME AN OWNER IN 2009, AND SHE'S BEEN THERE FOR LONGER THAN THAT.
AND SO SHE KNOWS THE PEOPLE ALL UP AND DOWN THE STREET.
SHE'S GOT GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH EVERYBODY, AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S, UM, SOMETHING THAT'S HARD TO REPLACE.
UM, OUR SHOWS, WE HAVE BETWEEN EIGHT TO 12 SHOWS A WEEKEND.
UM, THESE ARE, UH, RECOGNIZED IN IMPROV CIRCLES.
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WE ARE WELL KNOWN.I KNOW THAT'S KIND OF LIKE SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE THE, THE LARGEST, UM, MOUSE, BUT STILL
UM, WE'RE WELL KNOWN FOR, WE'VE DEVELOPED A NARRATIVE STYLE OF IMPROV, WHICH IS LIKE IMPROVISED PLAYS, WHICH IS SOMEWHAT UNIQUE.
AND OTHER PEOPLE HAVE, UM, UH, TAKEN THAT AS INSPIRATION AROUND THE WORLD, WHICH WE'RE VERY PROUD OF.
UM, OUR, IT'S LOCALLY RECOGNIZED, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED.
WE HAVE REALLY FUN IMPROV SHOWS FOR BOTH CHILDREN AND ADULTS.
UM, WE HAVE FAM, YOU KNOW, MORE PG 13 ONES.
WE HAVE LATE NIGHT ONES FOR PEOPLE WHO LIKE THINGS SPICY.
WE HAVE EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN.
AND, UM, LIKE I SAID, WE REALLY ENJOY CREATING THESE IMPROVISED PLAYS WHERE WE DEVELOP AN ENTIRE LONG, UH, NARRATIVE AND STORY.
WE ALSO HAVE CLASSES, AND THE CLASSES I THINK ARE, ARE THE PART OF THIS THAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO YOU ALL AND TO THE DOWNTOWN BECAUSE THE CLASSES CREATE COMMUNITY IN THE WAY THAT NOTHING ELSE DOES.
IMPROV IS AN ART WHERE YOU JUMP UP ON STAGE WITH OTHER PEOPLE AND YOU COLLABORATIVELY CREATE A STORY FROM NOTHING IN FRONT OF AN AUDIENCE.
THE SKILLS THAT ARE NECESSARY TO DO THAT, THAT WE TEACH IN THESE CLASSES DEVELOP, UM, FRIENDSHIP.
THEY DEVELOP COOPERATION, THEY DEVELOP PEOPLE.
UM, THERE ARE SO MANY HUMAN BEINGS WHO EXIST BECAUSE THEIR PARENTS MET AT OUR CLASSES.
YOU KNOW,
MAYBE, UM, UH, SPORTS LEAGUES, YOU KNOW, HAPPENS IN SPORTS LEAGUES, BUT THERE'S NOT A LOT OF OTHER ARTISTIC PLACES WHERE THIS TYPE OF THING HAPPENS.
AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT FOR DOWNTOWN AND AUSTIN IN GENERAL.
UM, WE HAVE KIDS CLASSES AND CAMPS.
UM, WE SERVE KIDS WITH AUTISM AS WELL AS TYPICAL KIDS.
UH, WE HAVE, UH, CAMPS DOWNTOWN.
SO KIDS, UM, IT'S A REALLY GOOD BENEFIT FOR OFFICE WORKERS DOWNTOWN, UM, THAT THEY CAN BRING THEIR KIDS AND HAVE A PLACE FOR THEM TO STAY DURING THE SUMMER WHILE THEY'RE OUT OF SCHOOL.
UM, SO FOR THE PAST 26 YEARS, OUR FOCUS HAS BEEN ON THE ARTISTRY, THE FUN, AND THE COMMUNITY.
AND WE HAVE NOT PUT A LOT OF FOCUS ON PROFITS.
UM, JUST, JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, I MAKE LESS THAN AN AVERAGE SCHOOL TEACHER DOES, YOU KNOW, AND I'M AN, I'M ONE OF THE OWNERS.
UH, SO IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US, THIS COMMUNITY, AND THIS FUN AND THIS JOY.
THE PLAY ADULTS NEED TO PLAY, AND THIS IS A PLACE WHERE THEY CAN PLAY, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, WE OF THAT FOCUS, WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME DEEP POCKETS.
IT'S, IT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE PREVIOUS GENTLEMAN WAS TALKING ABOUT.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME DEEP POCKETS AS SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WHO COME IN.
WHEN WE STARTED LOOKING FOR PLACES DOWNTOWN, THE RENTS WERE ABOUT $60 A SQUARE FOOT, WHICH IS WHAT HE MENTIONED.
I WAS LIKE, OH, YEAH, I'M RIGHT.
AND WE NEED RENTS AROUND 35 TO $40 A SQUARE FOOT, WHICH IS A REALLY BIG DIFFERENCE.
AND WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND THAT.
UM, I, I DON'T THINK I SAID, UH, UH, OUR LANDLORD SOLD OUR BUILDING.
WE ASKED IF WE COULD HAVE A CHANCE TO BUY IT.
UM, AND HE SOLD IT TO A REAL ESTATE LAWYER WHO WOULD LIKE TO BUILD A SPEAKEASY.
UM, SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE INSTEAD OF WHAT WE'RE BUILDING, OF WHAT WE HAVE.
UM, SO WHAT DO WE NEED? WHAT DO WE NEED RIGHT NOW? UM, WE ARE, UH, CURRENTLY GONNA BE OUT OF OUR SPACE MARCH 31ST.
AND WE'RE GONNA CONTRACT TO A TINY LITTLE OFFICE BUILDING, UM, TWO, TWO CLASSROOMS UP ON, UH, NORTH LAMAR.
WHAT WE WOULD LOVE, IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT Y'ALL CAN HELP US OUT, UH, FOR NOW, YOU KNOW, FOR THE MOMENT IS A SPACE TO PUT UP SHOWS THAT'S NOT TOO EXPENSIVE.
IF WE COULD FIND ANOTHER COFFEE SHOP, ORIGINALLY WE WANTED EVERYTHING IN THE SAME SPACE, AND WE WOULD LOVE THAT IF IT COULD STILL HAPPEN.
BUT IF THERE'S A COFFEE SHOP THAT MIGHT BE GOING OUT OF BUSINESS HERE THAT WE COULD TAKE OVER, MAN, WE WOULD LOVE THAT.
BUILDING OUT A COFFEE SHOP, I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL HAVE DONE THE PERMITS LATELY.
THAT WHOLE, THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO BUILD OUT A COFFEE SHOP IS INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE.
AGAIN, HARDER FOR MOM AND POPS TO DO.
UM, SO, UH, SO WE COULD TAKE OVER ONE THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, CLASS SPACES THAT ARE AFFORDABLE.
UH, THE, WE HAVE A, UM, AUSTIN CREATIVE ALLIANCE HAS THIS BEAUTIFUL SPACE THAT HAS REHEARSAL SPACE IN IT, AND IT FILLED UP ALMOST IMMEDIATELY.
SO WE'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF SPACE THERE, BUT WE'D LOVE WARM LONG TERM.
WHAT WE WOULD REALLY, REALLY LOVE IS THAT, UH, WE COULD BUY SOMETHING AND BUILD IT OUT AND STAY IN AUSTIN.
UM, IN ORDER TO DO THAT, WE WOULD NEED SUPPORT FROM THE CITY, FROM, WE ALREADY HAVE A FUNDRAISER.
UM, BUT WE WOULD NEED SUPPORT.
AND THAT ISN'T JUST MONEY SUPPORT, BUT ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WEATHERED
[01:40:01]
A LOT OF STORMS WHERE WE ARE.AND SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT POLITICAL IN THAT IF YOU'RE A SMALL MOM, MOM AND POP, IT FEELS LIKE THE COUNCIL DOESN'T NECESSARILY CARE THAT YOU'RE THERE.
OR LET'S SAY THEY CARE THAT YOU'RE THERE AND THEY WANT YOU TO BE THERE, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS THE PEOPLE WHO ARE, HAVE THE DEEP POCKETS AND MAKE THE GIGANTIC BUILDINGS.
IF YOU HAVE A GIGANTIC BUILDING, AND THEN WE ARE RIGHT NEXT TO IT, WE ARE UNIMPORTANT IN THAT SCENARIO.
AND SO IF WE, IF WE WERE ABLE TO STAY DOWNTOWN, IT WOULD BE GREAT IF WE COULD HAVE PHYSICAL, POLITICAL, AND MAYBE EVEN FISCAL HELP.
I JUST WANTED TO THINK THAT WE, OH, AND I, WE WANNA SAY LIKE, WE'RE NOT, THIS IS A HERMIT CRAB AND A LIGHT BULB.
GUYS, I THOUGHT THAT WAS REALLY FUN.
UM, WE ARE KIND OF OPEN, WE'RE IMPROVISERS, SO WE'RE VERY FLEXIBLE.
WE'RE OPEN TO LIKE MAYBE AN UNOCCUPIED BUILDING THAT, YOU KNOW, IS GONNA BE UNOCCUPIED FOR A WHILE AND WE CAN TAKE IT OVER.
WE WOULDN'T BUILD IT OUT BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE EXPENSIVE, BUT MAYBE WE COULD FIND A WAY TO WORK WITH, UM, UH, PERMITTING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULD BE OKAY TO JUST HAVE OUR SHOWS THERE.
UM, PARTNERING WITH OTHER SPACES AND ANY WEIRD IDEAS THAT Y'ALL COULD COME UP WITH.
UM, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TRIED IS WE HAVE LOOKED AT A BUNCH OF RENTAL PROPERTIES IN DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
THEY'RE LOVELY, AND THEY'RE ABOUT 20 TO $25 A SQUARE FOOT TO EXPENSIVE FOR US.
UM, WE'VE ASKED THE CITY FOR FUNDING, AND WE GOT THE LAND-BASED, WHAT IS THE NAME OF IT? THE PLACE-BASED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, PLACE-BASED ENHANCEMENT PROGRAM, WHICH IS VERY KIND.
AND WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT, WHICH WOULD BE COMING IN A FEW YEARS AFTER WE'VE BUILT ITS PROPERTY TAX, UM, RELIEF.
SO IT DOESN'T HELP YOU BUILD OUT SOMETHING NEW.
IT HELPS YOU ONCE YOU'RE IN THAT PLACE A LITTLE BIT, WHICH IS, WE'RE GRATEFUL.
UM, RALLY AUSTIN, WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND TALK TO THEM AGAIN.
WHEN WE TALKED TO THEM EARLIER, THEY WERE LIKE, WELL, WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THINGS.
WE CAN'T REALLY, UM, DO ANYTHING RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT.
WE'VE RATED IT TO $130,000, WHICH IS AMAZING FROM OUR TINY COMMUNITY.
UM, I GUESS WE'RE A MIGHTY COMMUNITY, THAT'S WHAT I SHOULD SAY.
BUT, UM, FOR LOOKING INTO A RENTAL PROPERTY, PEOPLE ARE LESS INTERESTED.
BANKS ARE LESS INTERESTED IN FUNDING THAT.
UM, BECAUSE I, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE WHY, BUT THE INTEREST RATES ARE VERY, VERY HIGH AND THE PAYBACK'S REALLY FAST.
SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING, UM, SPECIFICALLY ON THE RALLY.
AUSTIN, IF Y'ALL KNOW, WELL, I, I DON'T WANNA BE NEGATIVE ABOUT THINGS.
IT FEELS A LITTLE BIT LIKE IN AUSTIN, YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO GET FUNDING, OR YOU HAVE TO KNOW THE RIGHT PEOPLE TO GET SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, UM, LIKE WE WERE TOLD, OH, WE CAN'T REALLY HELP YOU.
AND THEN WE SEE ALL THIS STUFF GOING TO THE PARAMOUNT INTO ANTONE'S, AND, UM, NO SHADE TO THEM.
I'M GLAD THEY'RE BEING SUPPORTED, BUT IT THEN I'M LIKE, WELL, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE GET THAT SUPPORT? UM, SO THAT'S, I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING HERE IS IF Y'ALL KNOW, IF Y'ALL HAVE CONNECTIONS FOR THAT, THEN THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD BE REALLY, REALLY GRATEFUL FOR.
WE WOULD LOVE TO STAY IN DOWNTOWN.
UM, WE WOULD LOVE TO CONTINUE OFFERING, YOU KNOW, THE SURFACES TO WORKERS AND TOURISTS DOWN HERE AND RESIDENTS THAT WE DO.
AND WE BRING A LOT OF PEOPLE TO DOWNTOWN.
PEOPLE COME FROM ALL, ALL OVER, LIKE OUT OF THE, UM, SOMETIMES OUT OF THE COUNTRY, RARELY, BUT SOMETIMES, UM, BUT OUT OF THE STATE THEY COME TO SEE US AT AND ALL DEFINITELY FROM ALL THE SURROUNDING AREAS, THEY COME TO DOWNTOWN.
SO WE'D LOVE TO STAY DOWNTOWN IF WE COULD.
AND WE'RE JUST DOING OUR BEST TO TRY TO FIND IF THERE'S, THIS IS JUST US ASKING IF YOU HAVE ANY IDEAS.
SO, UM, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME.
I REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE YOU.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
UH, DOES ANYBODY HAVE QUESTIONS? YES, I DO.
UM, SCHIFFER, SO I'M AWARE THAT SOME ARTS GROUPS AND ARTS EDUCATION GROUPS TEACH OUT OF THE AUSTIN REC REC CENTERS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT, BUT THERE ARE MULTIPLE REC CENTERS AROUND TOWN.
YOU'RE CLEARLY OFFERING COMMUNITY BENEFIT, ESPECIALLY WITH YOUR CHILDREN'S CLASSES.
I DUNNO IF THAT'S AN OPTION, IF YOU'VE LOOKED INTO THAT.
UM, THE, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IS VERY KIND.
UM, BUT THEY, THEY HAVE VERY SPECIFIC HOURS THAT DON'T NECESSARILY WORK WITH US.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WHEN I'VE LOOKED AT THEATERS, UH, THE PARKS DEPARTMENT HAS A LOT OF COOL THEATERS IN AND AROUND, LIKE OUTDOOR SPACES THAT I LIKE.
I WAS THINKING MORE FOR THE CLASSES THAN FOR THE PERFORMANCES.
AND THEN ALSO I THINK THE LAST TIME YOU HERE, I ASKED IF YOU HAD CONTACTED DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THEIR DASA PROGRAM.
UM, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, AND I COULD BE WRONG, I THINK THE GENTLEMAN LEFT.
UM, THAT'S A FAIRLY TEMPORARY PROGRAM.
BUT IT MIGHT BE BETTER THAN NOTHING.
[01:45:01]
LIKE IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A THREE MONTH PLACE TO DO PERFORMANCES, IT MIGHT BE BETTER THAN NOTHING.I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE PERFORMANCE SPACES, BUT WE ARE GONNA, I WROTE DOWN NOTES THAT WE'RE GONNA GO BACK AND TALK TO THEM AGAIN.
UM, YEAH, EVEN A, EVEN A LITTLE BIT OF A PERFORMANCE SPACE WOULD BE WONDERFUL.
UM, I THINK THEY, UH, THEY GENERALLY ARE MORE ON THE, LIKE, ARTISTIC, YOU KNOW, LIKE ARTS, BUT, BUT YES, I WOULD LOVE TO, BUT LIKE, I'M THINKING OF SOME OF LIKE THE EMPTY BUILDINGS THAT USED TO BE MUSIC VENUES.
IT MIGHT NOT BE A THEATER, BUT IT MIGHT BE, AGAIN, BETTER THAN NOTHING.
AND I'M VERY THANK YOU BECAUSE I'M VERY EXCITED ABOUT REACHING OUT TO HIM.
I'VE GOT HIS, I SAW HIS NAME AND EVERYTHING, SO I'M, UH, I'M GONNA REACH OUT TO HIM TOMORROW.
COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, COMMISSIONER HOUSTON SO MUCH.
THE, UH, THE HIGHLIGHT IS A WONDERFUL PLACE.
I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF PLAYING ON THAT STAGE.
HAVE YOU, UM, REACHED OUT TO ARTS COMMISSION AND COULD YOU POSSIBLY COME FOR CITIZEN COMMUNICATION ON MONDAY AND SAY THIS, BECAUSE THIS, I HAVE, THIS IS THE FIRST I'M GEARING OF IT, SO I'M NOT SURE THE ARTS IN GENERAL KNOWS THAT THE HIDEOUT IS IN JEOPARDY.
I DON'T THINK THAT WE HAVE TALKED TO THE ARTS COMMISSION DIRECTLY.
WELL, I'LL PUT THAT ON MY LIST.
AND OUR NEXT MEETING IS FEBRUARY.
AND IT WOULD BE OKAY TO COME AND DO LIKE JUST THE PUBLIC COMMENT LIKE WE DID HERE? YES.
I CAN'T GET YOU ON THE AGENDA, BUT IF YOU CAN DO PUBLIC COMMENT AND THEN WE CAN DO A FUTURE AGENDA ITEM TO GET A PRESENTATION AS SOON AS POSSIBLE EARLY IN BE MARCH.
BUT I HAD HEARD THAT THIS WAS HAPPENING.
AND WE'LL DEFINITELY RALLY TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING TOGETHER.
COMMISSIONER HOUSTON? UH, YES.
UM, I BELIEVE THERE'S STILL SPACE AVAILABLE AT THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE ON GUADALUPE AND 18TH.
IT, IT MAY NOT FIT YOUR HOURS, BUT, UH, WE'D LOVE TO HAVE YOU AS A COFFEE SHOP IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THE, THE COUNTY COURTHOUSE ON EIGHT AT 18TH.
UH, YEAH, AT 18TH AND GUADALUPE.
CAN I REACH OUT TO YOU DIRECTLY OR DO YOU KNOW WHO TO REACH OUT TO? UM, NO, I'M, I'M NOT SURE, BUT, BUT IT WAS, UH, DEFINITELY A SUBSIDIZED RATE TO THE PREVIOUS TENANT THERE.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A VERY SECURE ENVIRONMENT THOUGH.
OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? MR. BTA? QUICK COMMENT.
UM, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS.
I TOOK MY FIRST CLASSES AT THE HIDEOUT IN 2001, I THINK, AND I WAS THE MUSICAL DIRECTOR FOR GIRLS, GIRLS, GIRLS FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
UH, YOU GUYS WERE COMEDY IN THIS TOWN ALONG WITH ESTHER SPS IN THE VELV VITA ROOM BEFORE THERE WAS, AUSTIN WAS KNOWN FOR COMEDY.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP THESE LEGACY BUSINESSES AROUND.
UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO, THIS IS KIND OF A LEARNING PROCESS, I THINK, FOR US TOO.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO LEARNING MORE.
UH, ONE OF THE GREAT BENEFITS OF THESE PUBLICLY BROADCAST MEETINGS, IF THERE MAY BE PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY WATCHING THIS CERTAINLY PRESS COVERAGE, UH, THAT MAY PROVIDE SOLUTIONS THAT WE, WE WOULDN'T EVEN BE AWARE OF.
SO I HOPE THIS WORD GETS OUT AND, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO PURSUING MORE ANSWERS FOR YOU GUYS.
I ALSO WANNA POINT OUT THAT OUR REPORTER OVER THERE USED TO GO TO CLASSES AT THE HIDEOUT, SO I FEEL, UM, LIKE WE'RE DOING SOMETHING GOOD HERE.
WELL THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW WHAT IS GOING ON.
UH, WE WISH YOU WELL AND WE'LL DO WHAT WE CAN TO HELP.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION.
I REALLY APPRECIATE AND YOUR SUGGESTIONS.
THERE'S SOME REALLY, UM, GOOD ONES THAT I WANNA WRITE DOWN AND GO SCURRY AND GO LOOK AT.
NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS, UM, A PROPOSED EDIT AMENDMENT TO THE BYLAWS FOR THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION UPDATE FROM THIS ARTS COMMISSION.
[6. Update from the Arts Commission on City of Austin Cultural Arts Funding.]
THE ARTS COMMISSION? SORRY,WE GOT ICED OUT FOR OUR LAST MEETING, SO WE DID NOT HAVE OUR LAST MEETING.
WE HAVE A GENERAL UPDATE THAT, UM, STAFF REVIEWED 2,455 ELIGIBILITY FORMS AND PROVIDED 400 HOURS OF DIRECT APPLICATION ASSISTANCE.
THE PANEL MEETINGS ARE 30, 36 TOTAL PANEL MEETINGS TO GO OVER THE APPLICATIONS.
THEY'LL BE FINISHING UP AT THE END OF FEBRUARY AND THEN THEY'LL GO INTO REVIEW AND WE SHOULD BE GETTING PAYMENTS OUT IN MARCH.
UM, OUR MEETING IS NEXT MONDAY,
[01:50:01]
AND I WILL WRITE IT UPDATE SENT TO CHRISSY AND GET IT OUT TO YOU SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.AND THEN WE, UNTIL THE NEXT, UM, COMMISSION MEETING, TAKING OFF MY COMMISSION HAT AND PUTTING ON MY
I WANT YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT WE ARE CONVENING A CREATIVE CONFERENCE CALLED THE BIG WE ON MARCH 27TH AND 28TH.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR EMAILS AND SOCIAL MEDIA.
IF YOU'RE ARTIST, CREATIVE PERSON, PRODUCER, THEN YOU SPACE, WE'RE CONVENING ALL CREATIVE IN AUSTIN TO TRY TO GET CON CONCISE ACTUAL RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT HOW ARTS AND OFTEN CAN FLOURISH.
THE BIG WE CREATIVE CONFERENCE.
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW THAT.
IS, DID I MISS ANYTHING ELSE?
[7. Approve amendments to the Downtown Commission bylaws regarding purpose and duties. ]
THERE IS A RECOMMENDATION TO AMEND OUR DOWNTOWN COMMISSION BYLAWS TO MAKE OUR BORDERS CONTIGUOUS WITH THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN.UM, I DON'T KNOW IF EVERYONE HAS HAD A CHANCE TO SEE THE EDITS.
UM, THERE WAS A RED LINE THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE AGENDA.
UM, I CAN READ, UM, I CAN READ WHAT WE HAVE, UH, SUGGESTED, BUT, UM, YOU'RE NOT GONNA ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO TELL WHAT RED LINES THERE ARE.
THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION SHALL ADVISE THE CITY COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF REGARDING POLICIES AND PROJECTS IMPACTING DOWNTOWN AUSTIN SERVE AS STEWARDS FOR, AND IT USED TO SAY, DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN SERVE AS STEWARDS FOR THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN.
AND AS SUCH, SERVE AS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR THE CITY COUNCIL AND STAFF ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN AND OFFER RECOMMENDATIONS ON AMENDMENTS TO THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN AS NEEDED, MAINTAIN LIAISON, REPRESENT RE RELATIONSHIPS WITH CITY STAFF AND OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AND PERFORM OTHER ACTIVITIES AS DIRECTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, THE DOWNTOWN AREA IS, IT USED TO BE BORDERED BY, UH, MLKI 35, LADY BIRD AND LAMAR, BUT NOW IT'S GOING TO READ THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN AREA IS CONTIGUOUS WITH THE BOUNDARIES OF THE CENTRAL CITY DISTRICT PLAN.
SO, ANY DISCUSSION, I GUESS, DO WE HAVE A MOTION? I MOVE THAT WE ADOPT THIS.
SO MOVES COMMISSIONER BTA SECONDS.
ANY OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THE MOTION CARRIES.
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
I NOTED, UH, FROM TODAY'S DISCUSSIONS, UM, THAT WE, I GUESS NEXT TIME WE'RE GOING TO OFFICIALLY SET UP THE BUDGET WORKING GROUP.UH, 'CAUSE WE HAVE TO HAVE IT ON THE AGENDA RIGHT.
UH, THE WORKING GROUP WAS ALREADY, IT'S ALREADY SET UP.
WE JUST HAVE TO MEET, MEET LEGAL OF A RECOMMENDATION.
AND I WILL BE GETTING WITH, UM, COMMISSIONER BTA AND COMMISSIONER SCHIFFER TO MEET AND YOU, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN.
UM, AND WE WILL BE, PLEASE PUT A, HOLD A PLACE ON THE, THE AGENDA FOR US TO PUT THINGS OUT AND WE WILL GET YOU, UH, INFORMATION.
IN THE INTERIM, WE WILL TRY TO PUT SOMETHING ON THE AGENDA 'CAUSE IT REALLY NEEDS TO PASS IN MARCH FOR IT TO GO TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO, SORRY THAT I'VE BEEN LAZY ABOUT THIS, BUT WE WILL GET THIS DONE.
I WAS SIMPLY GONNA ADD, I BELIEVE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DUE MARCH 31ST, SO PROBABLY THE NEXT MEETING WE HAVE, WE CAN, THE NEXT MEETING WE CAN ADOPT THAT.
AND THAT'S OUR NEXT MEETING IS ACTUALLY MARCH 11TH INSTEAD OF THE NORMAL WEEK.
UH, ONE NOTE THAT I MADE, AND I'M NOT, I GUESS ONE OF THE TRANSPORTATION PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT MENTIONED A CURB SPACE STUDY.
I HAVE NOT SEEN THAT, BUT IF THERE WAS A WAY TO GET A COPY OF THAT, UM, MAYBE CURB SPACE ACTIVATION STUDY.
I, I THOUGHT THEY WERE GONNA BE CONDUCTING THOSE KINDS OF STUDIES.
I DON'T THINK THEY'VE DONE YET.
SO THERE'S A WHOLE NEW TECH THING CALLED CURBSIDE MANAGEMENT, OR YOU CAN LIKE MAP YOUR CURBSIDE AND ELECTRONICALLY DO THINGS, BUT YOU DON'T THINK IT'S HAPPENED YET? NO, IT SOUNDED TO ME LIKE THEY WERE GOING TO BE DOING THAT.
LIKE ESPECIALLY TALKING ABOUT SPECIFICALLY BEER TRUCKS.
BUT IN GENERAL, CURBSIDE REAL ESTATE IS CONSIDERED EXTREMELY VALUABLE FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.
ALRIGHT, UM, THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING I HAD, I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST TIME WE HAD A PRESENTATION FROM VISIT AUSTIN.
[01:55:01]
MM.IT'D BE GOOD TO GET AN UPDATE ON THE CONVENTION CENTER TOO.
I'D LOVE A CONVENTION CENTER UPDATE.
SO, UM, A PRESENTATION BY VISIT AUSTIN, DOES SOMEBODY WANNA SECOND THAT? YEAH, I'LL SECOND THAT.
AND A PRESENTATION UPDATING US ON THE CONVENTION CENTER.
UM, IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, UM, I GUESS WE CAN STAND.
HELLO? I JUST, I JUST WANTED TO BRING UP WHAT THE NEXT STEPS ARE FOR, FOR JUST FOR DEALING WITH THE PRESENTATION THAT WE GOT TONIGHT AGAINST THE RECOMMENDATION THAT GOT SENT NEXT LAST MONTH,
WELL, THE RECOMMENDATION, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE SENT LAST MONTH WAS SIMPLY A RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY COUNCIL TO DO WHAT WE THOUGHT AT THE TIME WAS BEST FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
IT WAS A RECOMMENDATION THAT THEY COULD EITHER GO WITH OR NOT GO WITH QUITE SEVERAL ORGANIZATIONS HAD, INCLUDING THE DESIGN COMMISSION, I THINK ACTUALLY FOLLOWED SUIT WITH THEIR OWN RECOMMENDATIONS.
MY POINT BEING, IF NOTHING ELSE, IT CREATED SOME, UM, NEED FOR DISCUSSION AND BROUGHT THAT POSSIBILITY CLOSER TO THE FOREFRONT.
AND I THINK IT PROBABLY DID LEAD TO THE PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT, HAVING AN EMPHASIS ON THE TWO-WAY STREET, UM, DISCUSSION.
NOW I ALSO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE DECIDED THAT THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF THE ENGINEERING AND STUFF THAT THEY DO ON SIXTH AND, UH, FIFTH AND SIXTH IS DONE WITH AN EYE TOWARD BEING ABLE TO CHANGE TO TWO WAY EASILY IF THEY EVER NEED TO.
SO THEY'RE GONNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PHYSICAL ENGINEERING IS COMPATIBLE WITH THAT.
AND THAT BASICALLY, IF THEY EVER DECIDE TO DO THAT, ALL THEY'LL HAVE TO DO IS STRI.
SO THEY HAVE TAKEN US SERIOUSLY AND PAID ATTENTION.
BUT THAT BEING SAID, BUT TO CLARIFY, OUR MAKING A RECOMMENDATION DOES NOT IMPOSE ANY OBLIGATION ON ANYBODY SHOULD ON THE CITY.
THEY DON'T HAVE TO LISTEN TO US.
I ONLY, I ONLY BRING IT UP BECAUSE AT THE TIME OF THE MEETING I MENTIONED THAT THE, THE PRESENTATION SAID THAT EACH STREET SHOULD BE LOOKED AT INDIVIDUALLY.
AND SO, AND THIS PRESENTATION TONIGHT SHOWS US LOOKING AT SIXTH STREET INDIVIDUALLY.
AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT SHOULD BE COMMUNICATED TO COUNSEL THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE LOOKING AT THE STREET INDIVIDUALLY AND THAT WE SHOULD GO WITH THE DECISIONS THAT, THAT THEY MAKE.
WELL, UM, I, I BELIEVE THAT THAT WANTS TO BE A DISCUSSION ITEM AMONGST US AT THE NEXT MEETING.
WE CAN PUT THAT ON THE AGENDA.
BUT ALSO THAT GROUP IS GOING TO BE PRESENTING TO COUNCIL AND TO THE OTHER BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AS WELL, NOT JUST TO US.
SO IT'S, THEY'RE ALSO TAKING THAT FORWARD TO COUNCIL THEMSELVES.
UH, BEFORE I SAY WE'RE ADJOURNED, ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANYTHING ELSE THEY WOULD LIKE TO RAISE? ALRIGHT, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR TIME.
THAT WAS A LONG MEETING TONIGHT, BUT I THINK WE GOT A LOT ACCOMPLISHED.