Apr 02, 2026 Mobility Committee

VICE CHAIR CADRE.

TO ITEM NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE MARCH 5TH, 2026 MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING.

UH, WHY IS IT DOING THAT? DON'T TOUCH THE MIC.

THERE YOU GO.

UH, NO, I JUST WANNA THANK, UH, MR. JOHNSON FOR, FOR HIS WORK ON THIS.

UH, WE WERE CHATTING YESTERDAY AT THE NORTH LOOP, UH, NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION MEETING, UH, IN 20, UH, 11.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT AT UT I WAS WALKING IN WEST CAMPUS.

UH, THERE WAS A STUDENT WHO HAD BEEN ON HIS PHONE WHO DROVE THROUGH A STOP SIGN.

UH, AND I ENDED UP IN HIS FRONT, UH, FRONT WINDOW.

AND WHEN HE PUT ON HIS BRAKES, I WENT FLYING OUT.

LONG STORY SHORT, I, I HAVE TO HAVE MY SEMESTER DROP DROPPED AND I STILL HAVE SCARS IN MY ARM.

UH, BUT HE WAS A DISTRACTED DRIVER.

UH, AND THANKFULLY I WAS ABLE TO COME OUT OF IT RELATIVELY UNHARMED.

UM, BUT THAT'S ON THE CASE WITH EVERYONE.

SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT, THAT YOU DO.

YOU'RE WELCOME.

THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT STORY LOT YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WATCHING AND WATCHING ON THE VIDEO LOOP.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS MR. JOHNSON.

WE WILL NOW MOVE

[1. Approve the minutes of the March 5, 2026, Mobility Committee Meeting.]

DO I HAVE A MOTION MADE BY THE VICE CHAIR? SECONDED BY MAYOR PRO TELA.

ALL IN

[00:05:01]

FAVOR? LOOKS LIKE WE ARE UNANIMOUS FOR EVERYONE ON THE DAIS.

[7. Fiscal Year 26-27 Congressional Community Project Funding Requests & Legislative Updates memo dated March 23, 2026. [Carrie Rogers, Government Relations Officer - Austin Intergovernmental Relations].]

ARE NOW GONNA TAKE UP ITEM SEVEN.

SO THIS IS THE ONLY ONE THAT WE'RE GONNA TAKE UP OUT OF ORDER, BUT WE HAD A REQUEST, UH, DUE TO SOME TIME CONSTRAINTS TO LISTEN TO OUR INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS OFFICE.

AND SO ITEM SEVEN IS THE BRIEFING BY MEMORANDUM, AND WE HAVE KERRY ROGERS HERE TO PRESENT TO US.

THANK YOU SO MUCH, CHAIRWOMAN.

UH, AGAIN, AS YOU SAID, I'M KERRY ROGERS, THE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF I AM ON MUTE.

DOES ANYBODY ELSE TURN OFF THEIR ALERTS TODAY? I GOT TWO ALERTS EARLIER TODAY, SO HAPPY TEST ALERT SYSTEM DAY TO ALL WHO ARE CELEBRATING ONE SAW, UH, THE NEWS ALERTS, UH, THIS WEEK ABOUT THE TESTING.

UM, I AM THE LEGISLATIVE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND I HAVE WITH ME TODAY ERICA ZAGARE, WHO IS OUR GRANTS OFFICER HERE FOR THE CITY.

UH, TO ANSWER ANY, UH, HARD QUESTIONS ABOUT OUR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING REQUEST.

UM, THE, UH, OFFICE OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS SENDS A A LEGISLATIVE UPDATE EACH MONTH, AS YOU KNOW, TO OUR MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL WITH INFORMATION RELATED TO OUR GOINGS ON.

AND SO OUR OUR TOPIC TODAY IS JUST TO HIT A FEW HIGHLIGHTS RELATED TO THAT PARTICULAR MEMORANDUM, SPECIFICALLY IN MOBILITY.

I THINK I'VE TOLD, UH, MOST OF YOU THAT I SPENT THE FIRST 20 YEARS OF MY CAREER AS A, AS A TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONAL, AND SO HAVE GREAT AFFECTION FOR THIS SPACE.

UM, OVER THE LAST, UM, YOU KNOW, 15 MONTHS OR SO IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, AND NOT UNLIKE OTHER LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME FOCUSING ON TRANSPORTATION, FUNDING, AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND OTHER TOPICS.

UM, THE LAST BIG TRANSPORTATION BILL THAT, THAT WE ALL SAW AND FAMILIAR WITH ARE OF COURSE, THE INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT.

UM, AND THE BIPARTISAN INFRASTRUCTURE LAW THAT, THAT, UM, WERE PUT INTO PLACE BACK IN 2021.

THOSE PROGRAMS ARE STARTING TO EXPIRE, UM, MEETING, MEETING THEIR CONCLUSION DATE.

AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CHATTER AROUND THE NEXT SURFACE TRANSPORTATION REAUTHORIZATION LEGISLATION, UM, AS A MOUTHFUL.

AND, UM, IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, THE BASICS BILL HAS BEEN FILE FILED.

THAT'S HR 74 37.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING AND WANNA KNOW THE ACRONYM, BRIDGES AND SAFETY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR COMMUNITY SUCCESS ACT, THAT'S BASICS.

UM, THE, THE GOOD THING ABOUT THIS LEGISLATION AND WHAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND AND I IMAGINE MANY ACROSS THE COUNTRY HAVE BEEN ADVOCATING FOR IS GREATER LOCAL CONTROL OVER THOSE DOLLARS.

UH, MOST LANE MILES WITHIN ANY COMMUNITY BELONG TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

AND, AND, UM, OFTEN WITH MANY ISSUES, WE ARE BEST POSITIONED IN UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE NEEDS ARE OF OUR COMMUNITY.

AND SO, UM, AS THIS PARTICULAR BILL MOVES FORWARD, I THINK THAT, UM, UM, WE ARE WELL POSITIONED.

I THINK WE'VE DONE A, UM, A VERY ROBUST JOB OF EXPRESSING THE CITY'S POSITION ON THIS PARTICULAR BILL.

AND SO WE'RE WATCHING AND WAITING.

UH, WE'VE RECEIVED QUESTIONS ABOUT TIMING.

UM, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF YOU'RE, UH, READING THE TEA LEAVES YOU, UH, UM, UM, WOULD EXPECT THAT THIS LEGISLATION WOULD HOPEFULLY COME UP BEFORE THE CONCLUSION OF THIS, UH, FISCAL YEAR.

UH, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING THAT.

UM, WE ARE IN AN ELECTION YEAR, UH, ADJACENT TO THIS.

THEY'RE OF COURSE, WORKING ON THE APPROPRIATIONS BILL THAT IF EVERYTHING WENT WELL AND WE HAD OUR MAGIC WAND, THAT WOULD BE, UM, COMPLETED BY OCTOBER ONE, WHICH IS WHEN THEIR FISCAL YEAR CONCLUDES.

BUT WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT.

SO THE ABBREVIATED VERSION IS BASICS BILL.

WE LOVE IT.

IT'S MORE ABOUT LOCAL AUTHORITY, BUT WE DON'T SEE IT, UH, GETTING SIGNED OR TAKEN UP.

THIS PARTICULAR YEAR.

I MENTIONED APPROPRIATIONS, SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS RIGHT NOW.

UH, APPROPRIATIONS ACTUALLY IN WASHINGTON IS IN THE PROCESS OF DOING BILL MARKUPS FOR THE VE THE 12 APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEES.

UM, WE WORK MET WITH OUR CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND OUR, UH, DEPARTMENTS ABOUT PROJECTS THAT WE MAY WANTED, WANT TO HAVE SUBMITTED TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION FOR CONSIDERATION AS PART OF COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING.

ERICA AND OUR GRANTS DIVISION AND GOVERNMENT RELATIONS LED THAT EFFORT.

AND, AND SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS JUST ASK HER TO HIT ON A COUPLE OF THOSE MOBILITY PROJECTS.

AND OF COURSE, CHAIRWOMAN AND COUNCIL MEMBERS WE'RE PLEASED TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AS WELL, ERICA.

THANK YOU, CARRIE.

GOOD AFTERNOON.

ERICA ZANGRE, UH, GRANTS OFFICER AUSTIN GOVERNMENT RELATIONS.

AND, UH, WE SUBMITTED THE POWERPOINT PRESENTATION, UM, THAT INCLUDES THE FULL LIST OF THE COMMUNITY FUNDING PROJECT REQUESTS THAT WE SUBMITTED, UH, TO OUR CONGRESSMEN.

AND SO, UM, THE MEMO, UM,

[00:10:01]

LACKS A FEW OF THOSE PROJECTS, AND SO WANTED TO SUBMIT THIS TO YOU ALL SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE THE FULL LIST OF PROJECTS.

WE PRESENTED THIS TO THE DIRECTORS OF ALL OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE SUBMITTED.

UM, AND JUST WANTED TO, UH, CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO SLIDES FIVE THROUGH NINE.

THAT'S WHERE THE, YOU WILL SEE THE FULL LIST OF PROJECTS AND IT INCREASED, UM, THE, UH, SUBMITTED TOTAL FROM 78 MILLION TO 79 MILLION.

UM, JUST, UH, JUST A, A HAIR OVER, BUT, UH, JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE COMPLETE LIST, WHICH IS DIFFERENT FROM, UH, WHAT WE'LL SHARE IN THE MEMO.

UM, AT THE LAST MINUTE, ONE OF OUR, UM, CONGRESSMEN REQUESTED FOR US TO SUBMIT AN ADDITIONAL PROJECTS.

AND SO THAT'S WHY THERE WAS THAT INCREASE.

UM, AND SO THIS NUMBER, THE 79 MILLION INCLUDES PROJECTS, AS CARRIE MENTIONED, UM, THAT FOCUS ON TRANSPORTATION AND TRAILS AND EVEN, UM, SOME THAT WAS SUBMITTED BY, UM, OR FOR ON BEHALF OF OUR, UH, PARTNERS IN THE COMMUNITY, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, FOR EXAMPLE.

UM, AND SO I CAN TAKE ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE REGARDING, UH, THE FULL LIST OF PROJECTS, IF YOU HAVE ANY.

I HAVE ONE TO LEAD US OFF, I HAD NOTICED THAT BOTH OF OUR LOCAL CONGRESSMEN HAD LISTED $4 MILLION FOR THE EAST AVENUE TRAIL, WHICH IS THE ONE THAT RUNS ALONG, WILL RUN ALONG I 35.

UM, IS THAT HALF AND HALF OR IS THAT THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR THE BETTERMENTS THAT WE'RE HOPING TO SEE THE CITY ADD THE TOTAL DOLLAR AMOUNT? SO WE SUBMITTED TWO PROJECTS TO BOTH OF OUR, UH, CONGRESSMEN, UM, EAST AVENUE BETTERMENT TRAIL, AND ALSO, LET ME SEE THE, THE SECOND ONE BEST, YES, THE EMERGENCY VEST MM-HMM .

AND SO, UM, BOTH OF THOSE ARE THE FULL AMOUNTS THAT WE SUBMITTED TO BOTH OF THE CONGRESSMEN.

OKAY, SOUNDS GOOD.

SO THEY'RE ON BOTH OF THE LISTS AND IT JUST MAY BE ONE GETS CARRIED FORWARD OR THE OTHER, BUT NOT BOTH.

UH, IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT BOTH COULD BE CARRIED FORWARD.

YEAH, IT'S, UM, IT UNDERSCORES THE IMPORTANCE I THINK, OF THE PROJECT IF BOTH MEMBERS ARE CHOOSING TO ADVANCE IT, EVEN IF IT'S THE SAME PROJECT.

SEE, THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR.

ARE THERE OTHER QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON THIS PARTICULAR ITEM? HOW ABOUT COUNCIL MEMBER LANE? UM, IT'S NOT A QUESTION, BUT MORE THANK YOU.

I WANTED TO THANK YOU FOR ENSURING THE INCLUSION OF THE RED LINE TRAIL SEGMENT THAT CONNECTS THE LAKELINE STATION TO THE HIGHER DENSITY HOUSING THAT WENT IN AND THE SURROUNDING AREA, UM, AFTER IT OPENED.

SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ENSURING THAT, THAT, THAT MADE IT IN THERE WITH THE INFORMATION NEEDED.

UM, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, COUNCIL MEMBER.

AND ONE THING I WANTED TO FLAG, THIS HAS COME UP IN A COUPLE OF OTHER CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE WE HAVE THIS, UM, CENTRALIZED STRUCTURE, IF YOU WILL, FOR FUNDING PURSUITS, PROJECTS THAT MAY NOT HAVE BEEN ADVANCED UNDER THIS PARTICULAR, UH, PROCESS FOR COMMUNITY PROJECT FUNDING.

WE STILL HAVE THAT INFORMATION FOR OTHER GRANT OPPORTUNITIES THAT MAY COME UP, UM, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

AND SO I SAY THAT FOR YOU ALL, BUT OF COURSE, ANYONE ELSE WHO MAY BE LISTENING THAT FUNDING PURSUITS ARE, UH, AN ONGOING PROCESS IN OUR OFFICE.

ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

WE KNOW WHERE TO FIND YOU IF WE COME UP WITH ANY.

TAKE US TO ITEM NUMBER TWO, OUR BRIEFING FROM THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

THANKS FOR YOUR WORK.

THAT WILL

[2. Briefing from the Urban Transportation Commission regarding actions from the March 16, 2026, Special Called meeting. [Natalie Leone, Business Process Consultant - Austin Transportation and Public Works].]

GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UM, I AM HERE TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE MARCH 16TH URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.

UM, IT WAS A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING.

THERE WERE TWO ACTION ITEMS, AND THE FIRST WAS A FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND 2027 RECOMMENDATION FOR BUDGET.

AND THE OTHER WAS A AMENDMENT TO THEIR BYLAWS.

UH, BOTH ARE POSTED IN BACKUP, THE FINAL RECOMMENDATION, AS WELL AS THE RED LINE DOCUMENT FOR THE BYLAWS.

FANTASTIC.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM COMMITTEE MEMBERS ON THOSE TWO ITEMS? I DON'T BELIEVE SO.

THANKS, NATALIE.

OUR FIRST PRESENTATION, WHICH IS GOING TO BE ITEM THREE, THE BRIEFING ON CITYWIDE LIGHTING PLAN.

AND THAT BRINGS US TO

[3. Briefing on Citywide Lighting Plan. [Joel Meyer, Transportation Safety Officer - Austin Transportation Public Works].]

GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PRO TEM AND MEMBERS OF COUNCIL.

MY NAME IS JOEL MEYER.

UM, HERE TO GIVE A BRIEFING ON THE CITYWIDE LIGHTING PLAN.

I'M THE, UH, TRANSPORTATION SAFETY OFFICER OVERSEEING THE VISION ZERO PROGRAM WITHIN TRANSPORTATION

[00:15:01]

PUBLIC WORKS.

THANKS A LOT FOR HAVING US.

SO WHY ARE WE DEVELOPING A CITYWIDE LIGHTING PLAN? SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, FROM THE VISION ZERO PERSPECTIVE, WE KNOW THAT STREET QUALITY STREET LIGHTING IS REALLY ONE OF THE, UM, MOST EFFECTIVE COUNTERMEASURES WE CAN IMPLEMENT ON A SYSTEM WIDE SCALE TO REDUCE ROADWAY FATALITIES AND SERIOUS INJURIES.

SO, YOU KNOW, FROM FROM TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE THINK THERE'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY HERE TO REALLY BOLSTER OUR VISION ZERO EFFORTS THROUGH, UH, MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH AROUND LIGHTING WITHIN THE CITY.

BUT THERE'S ALSO A LOT OF OTHER, UM, POLICY INITIATIVES AND, UH, DIRECTIVES THAT WE THINK CAN BE SUPPORTED THROUGH BETTER LIGHTING.

SO UNDERSTANDING THE ROLE THAT LIGHTING CAN PLAY IN REDUCING CRIME OR EVEN IMPROVING PEOPLE'S SENSE OF PERSONAL SAFETY, UM, IMPROVING THE SAFETY AND UTILITY OF OUR URBAN TRAIL SYSTEM AND OUR PARKS.

SO WE'VE BUILT ALL THIS GREAT INFRASTRUCTURE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL DECADES, MAKING SURE THAT IT'S USABLE AT NIGHT FOR PEOPLE WHO, WHO, WHOSE MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION IS, IS BIKE.

AND, UM, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

ALSO, JUST IMPROVING THE OVERALL NIGHTTIME QUALITY OF LIFE AND URBAN CHARACTER.

WE KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF UNIQUE, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS IN AUSTIN.

WE HAVE A LOT OF BUSINESS DISTRICTS, HISTORIC DISTRICTS, AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A GOOD, UM, CONTEXT SENSITIVE APPROACH TOWARDS THOSE AREAS.

AND THEN I THINK REALLY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR AUSTIN, IS MAKING SURE WE PROTECT SENSITIVE SPECIES AND, UH, BEING ABLE TO REDUCE LIGHT POLLUTION WITH ANY IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE MAKE TO OUR, TO OUR LIGHTING.

SO THIS PROJECT IS REALLY A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN, UM, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS, AUSTIN ENERGY AND, AND PARKS AND RECREATION, ALONG WITH OTHER, UH, INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS WITHIN THE CITY.

AND IT'S BEING FUNDED THROUGH, UM, UH, SAFE STREETS AND ROADS FOR ALL FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY GRANT THAT, THAT OUR CITY RECEIVED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, ALONG WITH SOME, UH, FUNDING FROM AUSTIN PARKS AND RECREATION.

BEFORE I DIG INTO THE PLAN, I I JUST REALLY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ONGOING INTERDEPARTMENTAL COLLABORATION THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING AROUND LIGHTING.

SO REALLY THIS PLAN IS ABOUT BUILDING ON THOSE SUCCESSFUL EFFORTS AND KIND OF UNIFYING THOSE INTO OVERALL STRATEGY.

UM, ONE, ONE INITIATIVE I WANTED, I WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT WAS THE WEST CAMPUS LIGHTING PROJECT.

THIS WAS A COLLABORATION BETWEEN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS AND AUSTIN ENERGY SEVERAL YEARS AGO, REALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING IN WEST CAMPUS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF AUSTIN'S MOST DENSEST, UH, CITIES OR, UH, NEIGHBORHOODS, UH, IN RESPONSE TO, YOU KNOW, CRIME AND SOME PEDESTRIAN CRASHES WE HAD SEEN IN THAT AREA.

AND THROUGH THAT EFFORT, WE REALLY HAD SOME GREAT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY, WITH DIFFERENT STAKEHOLDERS, AND IT ACTUALLY LED TO SEVERAL HUNDRED NEW OR IMPROVED LIGHTS BEING INSTALLED IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD.

AND WE, WE'VE REALLY SEEN SOME GREAT RESULTS THERE.

IT ACTUALLY WON A NATIONAL AWARD FOR CRIME PREVENTION THROUGH ENVIRONMENTAL DESIGN.

AND SO THAT'S THE KIND OF INITIATIVE WE WANNA BUILD OFF OF.

UM, BUT BEYOND THAT, WE'VE, UH, TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN USING SOME OF OUR MOBILITY BOND DOLLARS, UH, TO REALLY FOCUS ON SOME OF OUR HIGH CRASH CORRIDORS AND IMPROVE LIGHTING ON STREETS LIKE SLAUGHTER LANE OR BLUFF SPRINGS ROAD, UM, AREAS THAT JUST HAD SIGNIFICANT LIGHTING GAPS IN, IN THAT WE THINK LIGHTING CAN REALLY PLAY A ROLE IN REDUCING CRASHES THERE.

UM, PARKS AND RECREATION HAS DONE SOME GREAT WORK IN RECENT YEARS LOOKING AT IMPROVING LIGHTING AROUND TRAILHEAD, UH, YOU KNOW, PLACES DOWN LIKE NEAR RAINY STREET WHERE THERE'S BEEN SOME CRIME AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, SO THEY HAVE A STRONG INTEREST IN IMPROVING LIGHTING.

AND THEN AUSTIN POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HEAR A LOT FROM THE OFFICERS WE WORK WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, REQUESTS FOR IMPROVED LIGHTING IN SOME OF THE AREAS WHERE THEY'RE SEEING SOME, SOME CRIME HOTSPOTS.

SO I THINK THERE'S A BIG OPPORTUNITY THERE.

AND THEN THINGS LIKE THE GREAT STREETS PLAN UPDATE, MAKING SURE WE INTEGRATE, YOU KNOW, TAKE ALL THAT GOOD WORK THAT'S HAPPENING IN DOWNTOWN, UH, AND UNDERSTANDING HOW THAT FITS INTO THE OVERALL APPROACH WITH THE LIGHTING PLAN.

JUST TO DIG INTO THE SCOPE OF WORK A LITTLE BIT, UM, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT IS A BIG PART OF THIS PLAN.

THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'VE BEEN FOCUSED ON SO FAR.

UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HEAR FROM THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE'S, UM, PREFERENCES RELATED TO LIGHTING.

WE KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF KIND OF SUBJECTIVE PARTS OF LIGHTING, SO WE REALLY WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT, UH, ABOUT THAT, BUT ALSO THEIR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS AND, AND REQUESTING NEW LIGHTING AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

SO WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF REALLY GOOD FEEDBACK SO FAR.

UM, EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS THAT'S REALLY TALKING ABOUT, UM, DATA COLLECTION.

UM, THERE'S TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIGHTING ASSETS ON WITHIN THE CITY RIGHT NOW, AND SO WE'VE, WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME MAKING SURE WE HAVE A COMPLETE AND ACCURATE DATA SET TO, TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM.

UM, OUR, OUR CONSULTANTS WILL BE DOING AN ORGANIZATIONAL AND PEER CITY REVIEW, SO REALLY LOOKING AT HOW LIGHTING IS CURRENTLY HANDLED WITHIN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, UM, MAKING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THERE.

AND ALSO LOOKING AT SOME OF OUR PEER CITIES, ESPECIALLY TEXAS CITIES AND CITIES WITH THEIR OWN, UM, MUNICIPALLY OWNED UTILITY, UH, TO KIND OF MAKE SOME COMPARISONS THERE.

UH, WE'LL BE DEVELOPING NEW UPDATE AND UPDATED LIGHTING DESIGN GUIDELINES, NOT JUST FOR STREET LIGHTING, BUT ALSO FOR TRAIL LIGHTING, PARK LIGHTING, PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING.

SO THAT'LL ACTUALLY BE THE FIRST TIME AUSTIN

[00:20:01]

HAS HAD A STANDARDIZED SORT OF, UH, DESIGN APPROACH TOWARDS THOSE OTHER TYPES OF LIGHTING ASSETS.

UH, THERE'LL BE POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, TALKING ABOUT HOW WE ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT THIS PLAN, UH, ANY CODE CHANGES THAT NEED TO BE MADE TO SUPPORT THESE RECOMMENDATIONS.

UH, AND THEN REALLY FOR THE FIRST TIME HAVING A PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK FOR NEW LIGHTING.

SO WE KNOW WE HAVE ALL THIS NEED, WE HAVE A VERY LARGE LAND AREA.

HOW DO WE TAKE, UH, RESIDENT INPUT AND OUR, OUR SAFETY GOALS, OUR EQUITY GOALS, ALL THESE KINDS OF THINGS AND, AND PRIORITIZE NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.

AND THEN I THINK PROBABLY MOST IMPORTANTLY IS AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SO ALL THIS, ALL THIS WORK WILL FEED INTO AN ACTUAL, UM, YOU KNOW, FORECAST OF FORECAST OF WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE, WHAT THE GAPS ARE, AND HOW MUCH FUNDING IT'S GONNA TAKE, UH, TO ACTUALLY MAKE THESE IMPROVEMENTS.

UM, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, THE, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IT'S UNDERSTOOD THAT THE SCOPE DOES INCLUDE, UM, STREET PEDESTRIAN TRAIL AND PARK LIGHTING WITHIN THE PUBLIC RIGHT OF WAY.

IT DOES NOT INCLUDE PRIVATELY OWNED OR FACADE LIGHTING.

SO, UM, THAT CAN BE A SOURCE OF LIGHTING WITHIN OUR RIGHT OF WAY, BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING WE ARE ABLE TO KIND OF TRACK IN A CONSISTENT WAY.

GOING INTO A LITTLE BIT OF THE COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE DONE THUS FAR, UM, WE HAVE A TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE COMMITTEE MADE UP OF, UH, VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS.

UM, THERE'S A LOT OF INTEREST ACROSS, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO THAT GROUP'S REALLY HELPING TO, UM, DEVELOP SOME, SOME POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS, SOME TECHNICAL, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS THROUGH THIS PLAN.

AND THEN SEPARATE FROM THAT, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

AND THIS IS MADE UP OF A REALLY DIVERSE GROUP OF, OF COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS.

UM, EVERYONE FROM DARK SKY TEXAS AND, UH, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, YOU KNOW, GROUPS THAT ARE CONCERNED WITH, UM, PROTECTING SENSITIVE SPECIES AND PROMOTING, UH, OUR, OUR PARK, OUR PARKS, UH, ALL THE WAY TO GROUPS LIKE SAFE HORNS, WHO'S MORE CONCERNED WITH PERSONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY IN WEST CAMPUS TO SAFE STREETS AUSTIN, WHO HAS MORE OF A, YOU KNOW, TRAFFIC SAFETY ANGLE.

SO WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INPUT AND WE THINK THAT WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD GROUP OF, OF FOLKS THAT CAN HELP GUIDE THIS PLAN.

UH, AS PART OF THAT ENGAGEMENT, WE'VE DONE, UH, A NIGHT WALK AND LIGHTING ONE-ON-ONE PRESENTATION WHERE WE TOOK OUR COMMITTEE, OUR ADVISORY COMMITTEES OUT ON RAINY STREET AND KIND OF TALKED ABOUT, UH, VARIOUS LIGHTING STRATEGIES, UM, GOT PEOPLE'S PREFERENCES FOR DIFFERENT COLOR TEMPERATURES, THINGS LIKE THAT.

UH, WE'VE HAD TWO PER IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSES WHERE WE INVITED THE PUBLIC TO COME, UH, LEARN FROM OUR CONSULTANTS ABOUT THE BASICS OF LIGHTING AND GATHER THEIR INPUT PROJECT WEBPAGE, AND THEN A PUBLIC SURVEY WHICH RECEIVED 362 RESPONSES.

UM, JUST GOING OVER SOME OF THE, THE HIGH LEVEL SURVEY FINDINGS, AGAIN, WE HAD AROUND 300, WE HAD 360 2 RESPONSES TO THIS SURVEY.

UM, WHAT WE FOUND FROM THAT WAS REALLY A PREFERENCE FOR MORE NATURAL, WARM OR UNA UNOBTRUSIVE LIGHTING.

SO IF YOU LOOK ON THAT, UH, GRAPHIC ON THE RIGHT, REALLY TALKING ABOUT MORE IN THE KIND OF 3000 TO 2000 KELVIN, UM, AREA OF THAT COLOR TEMPERATURE.

UM, WE ALSO HEARD A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR REDUCING SKY POLLUTION AND SUPPORTING DARK SKY FRIENDLY POLICIES.

UM, A LOT OF SUPPORT FOR IMPROVING SAFETY, BUT MAKING SURE THAT THAT'S BEING USED RESPONSIBLY AND NOT BEING OVERLY BRIGHT.

UM, WE HEARD SOME SUPPORT FOR, UM, CLEAR PROCESSES FOR REQUESTING NEW LIGHTING.

SO IF, IF SOMEONE WANTS A, A LIGHT ON A TRAIL OR PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHT, WHERE DO THEY GO TO? HOW DO WE, UM, YOU KNOW, STAND UP 3 1 1 SO PEOPLE CAN HAVE A CLEAR PROCESS FOR THAT.

AND THEN I THINK ONE OF THE, THE MORE INTERESTING FINDINGS FROM THIS SURVEY WAS, UM, SOME EVIDENCE OF LATENT DEMAND FOR THINGS LIKE NIGHTTIME WALKING, BIKING, OR TRAIL USE OR, OR TRANSIT USE.

SO, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, WE, WE FOUND THAT 26% OF THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS SAID THEY WOULD USE OUR URBAN TRAILS MORE IF THERE WERE IMPROVED LIGHTING, AND WE SAW THAT ACROSS, UM, YOU KNOW, BIKING AND TRANSIT USE AND ALL THESE OTHER, UM, MODES.

AND SO I THINK THERE'S A BIG OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY SUPPORT OUR, YOU KNOW, AS SMP MODE SHIFT GOALS WITH LIGHTING.

UH, TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE EXISTING CONDITIONS ANALYSIS I MENTIONED THERE'S, YOU KNOW, TENS OF THOUSANDS OF LIGHTING ASSETS ON, UH, ON OUR ROADWAYS CURRENTLY.

UM, SO OUR CONSULTANT, OUR CONSULTING TEAM HAS SPENT A LOT OF TIME OVER THE PAST YEAR GOING OUT INTO THE FIELD AND VERIFYING WHERE THESE ASSETS ARE, THE, THE, THE HEIGHT OF THE POLES, THE WATTAGE OF THE BULBS, AND THEN REALLY COLLECTING NEW DATA ON THESE URBAN TRAIL AND PARK LIGHTS THAT HAVE BEEN INSTALL, BEEN INSTALLED OVER THE YEARS AND MAKING SURE WE HAVE A GOOD, UM, DATA SOURCE TO, TO BUILD UPON.

I THINK WHAT'S REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THIS PLAN IS WE'RE, WE'RE NOW USING THAT DATA FROM THAT ASSET INVENTORY TO DEVELOP A CITYWIDE LIGHTING MODEL, WHICH IS KIND OF WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING THERE ON THE RIGHT, WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY QUANTIFY THE LIGHTING THAT'S HITTING THE GROUND, UM, ACROSS THE CITY, ACROSS OUR TRAILS, PARKS, STREETS, AND REALLY USE THAT AS A BASIS TO UNDERSTAND WHERE THERE, WHERE THERE'S GAPS, UM, WHERE WE SHOULD BE PRIORITIZING NEW LIGHTING AND, AND THINGS LIKE

[00:25:01]

BEING ABLE TO QUANTIFY HOW MUCH ENERGY SAVINGS WE COULD POTENTIALLY ACHIEVE BY, BY, YOU KNOW, CONVERTING DED OR THINGS LIKE THAT.

UM, ANOTHER REALLY INTERESTING THING THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO WITH THIS CITYWIDE LIGHTING MODEL IS ASSESS, UH, THE IMPACT OF LIGHTING ON CRASHES AND CRIME.

SO THIS IS, UH, SOME KIND OF PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS WE'VE DONE ON TRAFFIC SAFETY WITH RESPECT TO LIGHTING.

SO ON THE LEFT THERE WE HAVE A, UM, TABLE KIND OF SHOWING OUR, UH, VARIOUS STREET LEVELS, UH, WITHIN THE AS SMP AND HOW MUCH OF THAT NETWORK IS UNDER LIT.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, THE, THE OUR HIGH INJURY NETWORK, UM, AROUND 24% OF THAT NETWORK BY MILEAGE HAS LESS THAN 0.1 FOOT CANDLES, WHICH ESSENTIALLY MEANS THERE'S, THERE'S NO LIGHTING, UM, CURRENTLY.

SO THERE, THAT JUST REPRESENTS A HUGE OPPORTUNITY TO IMPROVE SAFETY ON SOME OF THESE NETWORKS.

ON THE RIGHT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT A, AN ANALYSIS THAT OUR CONSULTING TEAM DID LOOKING AT THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIGHTING AND NIGHTTIME PEDESTRIAN CRASHES.

SO ESSENTIALLY BEING ABLE TO IDENTIFY AREAS WHERE THERE'S A HIGH PREVALENCE OF CRASHES AND LOW LIGHTING OR VICE VERSA.

UH, AND THIS WILL HELP US REALLY UNDERSTAND WHERE WE SHOULD PRIORITIZE RESOURCES TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY OR, UH, OR OTHER MODES.

WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THIS SAME KIND OF ANALYSIS FOR CRIME AND, AND WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH, UM, A PD AND THEIR CRIMINOLOGISTS TO REALLY DO ONE OF THE LARGEST NATIONWIDE STUDIES OF LIGHTING AND CRIME, UM, THAT'S BEEN DONE.

SO WE'RE EXCITED ABOUT THAT.

SOME OF THE CURRENT THINGS WE'RE WORKING ON, UM, REVIEWING, UH, EXISTING LIGHTING POLICIES AND STANDARDS.

SO LIGHTING IS TALKED ABOUT IN VARIOUS, UM, CRITERIA, MANUAL AND, AND CODES AND ORDINANCES ACROSS THE CITY.

UH, OUR TEAM IS DOING A SCAN OF THOSE AND LOOKING FOR AREAS WHERE WE COULD MAYBE STREAMLINE SOME, SOME THINGS AND CONSOLIDATE THOSE.

UM, LOOKING AT HOW OTHER PIT PEER CITIES DO THOSE KINDS OF THINGS, UM, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT HERE ON THE RIGHT IS A E EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CALL A RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX.

ESSENTIALLY, BY THE END OF THIS PLAN, WE WILL BE ABLE TO VERY CLEARLY DISTINGUISH WHICH DEPARTMENT, WHICH GROUPS HAVE RESPONSIBILITY OF DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES RELATED TO LIGHTING.

SO FOR EXAMPLE, PEDESTRIAN SCALE LIGHTING AND TRAIL LIGHTING, UH, AND TO SOME EXTENT PARK LIGHTING.

THESE ARE ALL SORT OF EMERGING PROGRAMS THAT, THAT REALLY, REALLY NEED TO BE, UM, RESOURCED UP AND HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES ASSIGNED.

SO WE'LL BE KIND OF DEVELOPING SOME CLEAR, UH, RESPONSIBILITIES THERE.

UH, AND THEN WE'RE REVIEWING EXISTING LIGHTING CHARACTER AREAS, SO OUR HISTORIC DISTRICTS, ECONOMIC AND CULTURE CULTURAL DISTRICTS, SOME OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD OVERLAYS LIKE UNO, UM, THAT HAVE UNIQUE NEEDS AND UNIQUE LIGHTING, UM, DESIGN GUIDELINES.

IN TERMS OF UPCOMING WORK, UM, WE'LL BE TAKING ALL OF THIS INFORMATION AND ACTUALLY MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS ON LINE EDITS THAT NEED TO HAPPEN WITHIN EXISTING LIGHTING CODES AND DESIGN GUIDELINES.

AND THAT'LL BE BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT, BEST PRACTICES, AND SOME OF THE OTHER DATA WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT AS PART OF THIS PLAN.

UM, ESTABLISHING LIGHTING WARRANTS.

SO THAT'LL HELP DEFINE WHERE AND WHAT TYPE OF LIGHTING NEEDED IS NEEDED IN DIFFERENT CONTEXTS.

SO, UM, REALLY HAVING A CLEAR AND TRANSPARENT WAY OF SAYING LIGHTING IS NEEDED HERE, LIGHTING'S NOT NEEDED HERE, AND WHAT KIND OF LIGHTING IS NEEDED IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

UM, A PRIORITIZATION FRAMEWORK WILL ALSO EMERGE FROM THIS PLAN, REALLY TAKING INTO ACCOUNT SOME OF THE COMMUNITY INPUT WE HEARD THROUGH THE, THROUGH THAT PROCESS, BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, A DATA-DRIVEN APPROACH FROM A TRAFFIC SAFETY STANDPOINT, INCORPORATING EQUITY FACTORS, UM, UNDERSTANDING WHERE THERE'S ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS IN AUSTIN, AND REALLY USING THAT TO HELP PRIORITIZE WHERE NEW LIGHTING GOES.

AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, UH, WE WANT ALL THIS WORK TO ACTUALLY LEAD TO IMPLEMENTATION.

AND SO A BIG PART OF THIS PLANNING EFFORT WILL, WILL BE AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WHERE WE'RE GONNA QUANTIFY LIGHTING GAPS, UM, DEVELOP OUT DIFFERENT BUILD OUT SCENARIOS BASED ON AVAILABLE FUNDING.

SO DO WE WANT TO BE BUSINESS AS USUAL OR DO WE WANNA BE MORE AGGRESSIVE AND, AND WHAT ARE THE COSTS AND, AND BENEFITS OF THOSE DIFFERENT BUILD OUT SCENARIOS? AND THEN, UH, IMPORTANTLY WE'LL REALLY BE LOOKING INTO POTENTIAL FUNDING MECHANISMS FOR NEW LIGHTING.

SO CURRENTLY MOST LIGHTING IN AUSTIN IS, UM, PAID FOR THROUGH A, A CHARGE ON CUSTOMERS UTILITY BILLS.

UM, WE'VE ALSO PAID FOR LIGHTING THROUGH, UH, OUR SAFETY GRANTS, FEDERAL AND STATE GRANTS.

UM, THERE MAY BE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES, OTHER GRANTS THAT WE CAN LOOK TOWARDS TO HELP, UM, IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE RECOMMENDATIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT TO EXPECT.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS FALL, COMING BACK WITH SOME DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS AND REENGAGING WITH BOARDS, COMMISSIONS AND, AND COUNCIL COMMITTEES, UM, AND THEN USING THAT PROCESS TO INCORPORATE SOME OF THAT FEEDBACK INTO THE FINAL PLAN DOCUMENT.

UM, LATE 2026, UM, WE'LL HAVE A FINALIZED PLAN THAT WE COULD POTENTIALLY BRING TOWARD TO COUNCIL FOR ADOPTION, DEPENDING ON, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, STRUCTURE THAT.

AND THEN BEYOND 2026, UM, YEAH, REALLY JUST LOOKING AT IMPLEMENTATION, WE

[00:30:01]

THINK WE REALLY WANNA BUILD OFF OF SOME OF THE GREAT WORK THAT'S ALREADY BEING DONE AND, AND REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING WITH SOME OF THESE PLANNED RECOMMENDATIONS.

SO WITH THAT, I'D BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY RECOMMENDATION, UH, ANY QUESTIONS? I'M, I'M JOINED BY SOME OF MY COLLEAGUES AT AUSTIN ENERGY AND PARKS AND RECREATION.

IF, IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS ON, ON THOSE TOPICS, WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT CONVERSATION.

I KNOW THAT YOU'VE HAD A CHANCE TO MEET WITH THE COUNCIL OFFICES ON SOME OF THESE TOPICS.

DO WE HAVE QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS? I'LL PICK SOMEONE.

IT'S ZOE.

UM, AND I KEEP TOUCHING THE MIC.

UM, WELL, I REALLY APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION, REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THIS WORK.

UM, KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED BEFORE, UM, AND IT'S ALMOST PTSD TODAY, BUT WHEN I, WHEN I GOT HIT BY THE CAR WHEN I WAS AN UNDERGRAD, IT WAS AN PART OF WEST CAMPUS THAT HAD DIM, I FORGET, IT WAS LIKE DIM TO NO LIGHTING.

UH, WE, WE, WE'VE GOTTEN, YOU KNOW, THROUGH MY YEARS IN OFFICE, WHETHER IT BE WEST CAMPUS OR ON, ON RAINY STREET, UM, YOU KNOW, CORRESPONDENCE FROM CONSTITUENTS AROUND LIGHTING ISSUES.

SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE WORK BEING DONE.

UM, I GOT, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.

UM, ONE IS ON THE WEST CAMPUS, UH, LIGHTING PLAN.

UM, WITH, ON THAT, DO WE HAVE ANY UNDERSTANDING OF HOW, UH, ON HOW THE UNO TREE LIGHTING REQUIREMENTS IMPROVED LIGHTING CONDITIONS? YEAH, I MEAN, SO AS PART OF THAT PLAN, YOU KNOW, AUSTIN ENERGY WENT BLOCK BY BLOCK AND, AND, UH, IDENTIFIED THE LIGHTING GAPS AND FROM WHAT, WHAT I UNDERSTAND, ADDRESS THE VAST MAJORITY OF THOSE LIGHTING GAPS.

AND ALSO DID THINGS LIKE TRIM BACK TREES WHERE THERE WAS SOME CONFLICTS THERE.

SO, UM, I, I DON'T HAVE A GOOD ANSWER ON HOW THAT'S IMPACTED LIKE CRIME OR, UM, TRAFFIC CRASHES AT THE MOMENT, BUT I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING WE, WE WANNA LOOK TO NOW THAT IT'S BEEN, UH, A, A COUPLE YEARS SINCE THAT'S BEEN IMPLEMENTED.

GREAT, THANK YOU.

AND, AND THEN MY SECOND QUESTION IS, COULD IDEAS BE OFFERED IN THE PLAN ON ANY POTENTIAL FUNDING PARTNERSHIPS TO IMPLEMENT LONG TERM? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

WE'RE GONNA REALLY LOOK TOWARDS OTHER CITIES, UM, LOOK AT THE CITY'S CURRENT KIND OF FINANCIAL SITUATION, AND I REALLY UNDERSTAND THE ARRAY OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY PAY FOR LIGHTING.

OBVIOUSLY AS NEW DEVELOPMENT COMES IN, THERE'S CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR LIGHTING THERE.

SO I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S AN AREA THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING, BUT IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY TO EVEN EXPAND UPON THAT? YEAH, YEAH.

I KNOW THE WEST CAMPUS LIGHTING PLAN TALKS ABOUT PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNERSHIPS.

HAVE WE ALREADY KIND OF FOUND SOME OF THOSE? YEAH, I MEAN, I THINK, YEAH, UNO IS A GREAT EXAMPLE WHERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS, UM, TO GET THE, THE DENSITY BONUS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

I THINK THERE'S CREATIVE THINGS WE CAN LOOK, LOOK INTO FOR THIS PLAN.

ALL RIGHT, LET'S KICK IT OVER TO COUNCIL MEMBER LANE.

UM, ON THE, ON THE ISSUE OF WHEN NEW DEVELOPMENT COMES IN, I'M WONDERING IF DEVELOPERS EVER PARTNER WITH THE CITY'S LIGHTING PROGRAM, UM, THROUGH THINGS LIKE FEE AND LIE OR OTHER MECHANISMS THAT'S IMPORTANT IMPROVEMENTS IN THE SURROUNDING AREA AS OPPOSED TO JUST DIRECTLY ON THEIR PARCEL? UH, IT'S A GOOD QUESTION.

I, I WOULD HAVE TO GET WITH OUR, UM, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TEAM ON, ON THAT, BUT I THINK THERE ARE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THINGS LIKE THE STREET IMPACT FEE THAT COULD POTENTIALLY BE USED IF IT FALLS WITHIN THE, YOU KNOW, STATE LAW.

SO I THINK THOSE ARE, WE, WE REALLY WANT TO, UH, LOOK AT ALL THE DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES THAT COULD POTENTIALLY FUND LIGHTING.

'CAUSE WE KNOW THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE GAPS THAT, THAT WE CAN'T AS A CITY FUND ON OUR OWN.

I, I WANNA, I ABSOLUTELY WANNA HIGHLIGHT THAT POSSIBILITY BECAUSE SOMETHING THAT I'VE SEEN OCCUR A LOT IN SOME OF THE AREAS OF OLDER DEVELOPMENT IN THE CITY AND THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE MIGHT BE ONE NEW DEVELOPMENT, SO WE'LL GET REALLY NICE SIDEWALKS, BUT THIS FAR WE'LL GET SOME LIGHTS RIGHT THERE, BUT THERE, SINCE THE OTHER ADJACENT, UH, THE REST OF THE CORRIDOR IS ALREADY FULLY DEVELOPED, IT'S NOT COMING IN ANOTHER MECHANISM.

SO JUST DEFINITELY ABSOLUTELY WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT THAT.

OH, HELLO, DR.

DIRECTOR MENDOZA.

THANK COUNCIL MEMBER LANE, RICHARD MENDOZA, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.

NO, THAT'S A VERY GOOD OBSERVATION.

THE FEE IN LIEBE ABSOLUTELY COULD BE USED FOR LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS ALONG SIDEWALKS.

UM, HOWEVER, THE, UM, STREET IMPACT FEE WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR THIS AS IT BY STATE LAW COULD ONLY BE APPLIED TO ADDRESSING CAPACITY.

UM, I ALSO ENJOYED HEARING THE RESULTS AROUND PEOPLE BEING, BEING OPEN TO USING SOME OF THE URBAN TRAILS AT NIGHT MORE OFTEN.

UM, I'M WONDERING IF YOU HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT TRAFFIC SIGNAL SENSORS NOT ALWAYS BEING EFFECTIVE AT DETECTING BICYCLES AT NIGHT, AS THERE ARE OTHER SAFETY IMPLICATIONS RELATED TO THAT.

AND IF NOT, I JUST WANTED TO ELEVATE THAT CONCERN THAT WE'VE HEARD.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

I THINK, UM, YEAH, DETECTION'S A BIG, BIG PART OF WHAT OUR TRAFFIC SIGNALS GROUP DOES.

BIKES AND OTHER MODES, BUT I KNOW THEY'RE ALWAYS WORKING ON FINDING GOOD SOLUTIONS TO THAT.

CERTAIN CHALLENGES.

AND THIS IS NOT MY AREA OF EXPERTISE, BUT I THINK THERE ARE CHALLENGES WITH, YOU KNOW,

[00:35:01]

MY, UH, MY NEXT QUESTION IS ALSO RELATED TO THE TRANSPORTATION IMPLICATIONS.

UM, I I, I, WE WERE VERY HAPPY TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE SURVEY AND, UM, A NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT'S HAPPENED IN MY DISTRICT, WHICH A LOT OF YOU HAVE HEARD IS 95% ROUND ROCK ISD IS THAT NOTIFICATIONS WENT OUT FROM ROUND ROCK ISD TO FAMILIES THAT A QUITE A NUMBER OF BUS ROUTES WERE BEING CANCELED, UM, FOR NEXT SCHOOL YEAR.

AND THE STATE, THE NEED, PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION OF THE NEED FOR LIGHTING AND THE SAFETY PROFILE IS VERY DIFFERENT IF YOU'VE GOT YOUNG, YOUNG KIDS AS YOUNG AS FIVE YEARS OLD TRYING TO WALK OR BIKE DISTANCES OF ONE TO TWO MILES.

UM, SO I WANTED TO FLAG THAT AS A NEW ISSUE THAT'S ARISEN AND IT'S FAIRLY WIDESPREAD IN, IN DISTRICT SIX, AND WE ARE IN ACTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH BOTH ROUND OUR ISD AND THE SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOL PROGRAM TO TRY TO PINPOINT WHERE THE PRIORITY ISSUES ARE IN EVERYONE'S VIEW.

UM, AND SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS ON YOUR RADAR SO THAT IT CAN BE, UM, ADDRESSED AS YOU CONTINUE TO MOVE FORWARD.

UM, AND THEN I ALSO, A LARGE NUMBER OF THE, UM, ROUTES THAT KIDS WOULD BE USING TO GET TO SCHOOL HAVE A SITUATION WHERE EITHER IT'S A BOUNDARY BETWEEN CITY AND COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY, OR IT'S, UM, OR THE ROAD ITSELF WEAVES IN AND OUT OF BEING CITY AND COUNTY RESPONSIBILITY.

AND SO, UM, I ASSUME THAT THAT APPLIES TO THE LIGHTING IMPROVEMENTS AS WELL.

AND SO I WANTED TO ELEVATE THAT ASPECT AS WELL AS WE'RE THINKING ABOUT POTENTIAL FUNDING PARTNERS BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD TO GET THINGS DONE WHEN YOU'VE GOTTA GO ACROSS THOSE JURISDICTIONS.

AND SO, UM, IN ADDITION, UH, THAT BRINGS ME TO SLIDE NINE WHERE YOU HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY MATRIX AND I WONDER, UM, IF THERE'S A WAY TO INCORPORATE A, A KEY PARTNERS, UM, A COUPLE OF KEY PARTNERS COLUMNS OR, OR, OR ELSE A DIFFERENT MATRIX THAT'S RELATED TO THAT FOR BOTH OUR COUNTY PARTNERS AND OUR ISDS.

UM, I KNOW MY DISTRICT HAS THREE DIFFERENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS IN IT, AND 60% OF IT'S IN WILLIAMSON COUNTY, 40% IN TRAVIS COUNTY.

AND SO BEING ABLE TO, UH, HAVE A COORDINATED APPROACH TO THE, THOSE JURISDICTIONAL BOUNDARIES AND ISSUES, I THINK WOULD BE HELPFUL ALSO IN IDENTIFYING FUNDING PARTNERS.

BUT AT, BUT IF THAT COLLABORATION DOESN'T HAPPEN, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SOLVE THE SAFETY ISSUES OR ADD THE LIGHTING.

SO IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT IN BOTH THOSE WAYS.

GREAT, THANKS.

AND JUST, AND JUST QUICKLY ON THE, ON THE SCHOOL'S FRONT, WE, WE'VE HEARD MANY OF THE SAME, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, PICK UP AND DROP OFF WITH KIDS AND WE, WE DO HAVE, UM, AISD TRANSPORTATION SERVICES REPRESENTATIVE ON OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

SO WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF DATA SHARING ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE THEY'RE HEARING CONCERNS AND HOW WE CAN COORDINATE SOME OF THESE INVESTMENTS TO IMPROVE LIGHTING FOR KIDS.

THAT'S GOOD TO KNOW.

HELLO, MR. ROGERS? HI, .

YES.

, I JUST WANTED TO, TO ADD A LITTLE BIT TO MM-HMM .

YOU HAD A QUESTION RELATED TO IMPLEMENTATION AND, AND PARTNERSHIPS.

I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY WITHIN THIS, THIS STUDY THAT, THAT'S TAKEN PLACE IS TO DEVELOP THE P THREE PARTNERSHIPS.

THERE ARE LOTS OF COMPANIES THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT DO THIS ON A REGULAR BASIS, AND, AND MANY OF THEM, IT, IT, IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHERE WE HAVE OUR SYSTEMS, OUR LIGHTS.

NOW, SOME OF THE COMPANIES BASE THEIR MODELS ON ENERGY SAVINGS AND THAT'S HOW THEY MAKE THEIR MONIES BACK.

SO THERE'S A WAY WITH OUR EXISTING SYSTEMS TO, TO UPGRADE TO LEDS.

AND THEN THERE'S OTHER PARTNERS OUT THERE THAT ARE, THAT ARE LOOKING AT A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPLEX WAYS TO, TO GET THEIR RETURNS.

AND SO THIS PROJECT WILL HELP US TO IDENTIFY.

SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT WITH EVERY STUDY THAT WE DO TO HAVE THE IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY, IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.

SO IT'S NOT JUST DOING A, A STUDY FOR, YOU KNOW, TO KEEP ON THE SHELF.

SO THAT IS GONNA BE A PART OF THIS.

SO, AND I'M, I'M EXCITED TO, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THIS EFFORT HERE.

APPRECIATE THAT, THAT CONTEXT AS WELL.

UM, I'M, I'M REALLY HAPPY TO SEE THE WORK ON DATA, UH, MODELING, MAPPING, LOVE, ALL THOSE THINGS.

LOVE THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE OVERLAYING CONSIDERATIONS AROUND PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL.

AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD THAT COMMENT AS MY FINAL COMMENT.

ONCE WE HAVE THAT STANDARD MAPPING.

AND I HAVE AN ADDITIONAL QUESTION.

I KNOW SHE'S MENTIONING THAT SHE HAS SCHOOLS OUTSIDE OF AD'S BOUNDARIES.

I DO TOO WITH E'S ISDI KNOW THERE'S SOME IN DELL VALLEY.

UM, ARE, ARE ALL SCHOOL DISTRICTS GETTING TO BE A PART OF THESE MEETINGS OR IS INFORMATION BEING COLLECTED ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT THOSE OVERLAPS ARE? YEAH, I THINK, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF OUR, OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP, WE'VE, WE'VE REALLY RELIED ON A ISD, BUT, BUT I THINK WE DO NEED TO ENGAGE

[00:40:01]

WITH, YEAH.

ALL, ALL THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PART OF, AS WE DEVELOP PRIORITIZATION, UM, NEW STANDARDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO ENGAGE WITH THEM.

SO I THINK WE'LL BE SURE TO DO THAT IN THIS NEXT PHASE.

THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.

AND THEN I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT FOLKS THAT ARE NOT ON AUSTIN ENERGY.

YOU SAID THERE IS A CHARGE ON THE BILL THAT HELPS WITH CITYWIDE LIGHTING.

WHAT HAPPENS IF FOLKS ARE NOT AUSTIN ENERGY BILL PAYERS? YEAH, I THINK THIS IS A BIG KIND OF COMPONENT OF THE PLAN THAT, THAT WE REALLY NEED TO SPECIFY IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO THESE, UM, STANDARDS APPLY TO, TO AREAS OF TOWN THAT ARE IN DIFFERENT UTILITY DISTRICTS.

SO WE'VE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE REACHED OUT TO PET AND, UH, BLUEBONNET SO FAR MM-HMM .

UM, I THINK THEY'RE, THEY'RE OPEN TO, TO LIKE HEARING WHAT OUR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE.

ULTIMATELY THIS PLAN DOES KIND OF, UM, RELY A LOT ON CITY OF AUSTIN JURISDICTION AND CODES AND ORDINANCES THAT WE CAN CONTROL, BUT ESPECIALLY THOSE AREAS IN AUSTIN ENERGY SERVICE TERRITORY THAT HA UH, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ARE EVEN IN THE EETJ.

I THINK, I THINK WE, WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW THIS ALL FITS TOGETHER.

SO THAT'S, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE'LL DO IN THIS ORGANIZATIONAL REVIEW PART OF THE PLAN.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I KNOW THERE IS A FORM OF CENTRAL BILLING THAT HELPS WITH MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS THAT LIVE WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS ARE ALL COST PARTICIPATING IN THESE PROGRAMS. BUT I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF NUANCE WITH WATER UTILITY, ELECTRIC UTILITY, UM, I EVEN HAVE SOME NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THEIR LIGHT BILL GETS PAID TO SOMEONE ELSE, BUT THE STREET POLES ARE STILL MAINTAINED BY AUSTIN ENERGY.

AND SO I'M CURIOUS ABOUT WHERE THAT, UH, SWEET SPOT IS TO MAKE SURE THAT, UM, FOLKS THAT ARE BENEFITING FROM THE SERVICES ARE PARTICIPATING.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYTHING'S BEING CONSIDERED.

UM, I HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ABOUT THE, THE TONE OF THE LIGHTS, THE SLIDE THAT YOU HAD THAT SHOWED WARMTH AND COOLNESS OF OF LIGHTS.

ARE THERE ANY METRICS BY WHICH THAT DECISION CAN BE MADE? OR ARE THERE ANY PROVEN EFFECTS ON HUMAN BEHAVIOR ABOUT WHERE A WARM LIGHT VERSUS COOL LIGHT ARE BENEFICIAL? YES, THERE ARE.

I, I WANNA MAKE SURE I STAY IN MY LANE HERE.

'CAUSE THIS, THIS IS A VERY KIND OF NUANCED TOPIC, BUT I THINK GENERALLY SPEAKING, THE, THE WARMER LIGHTS, UM, HAVE LESS OF AN IMPACT ON, ON OUR WILDLIFE, ON OUR SENSITIVE SPECIES, AND ALSO IN, IN SOME WAYS, YOU KNOW, HUMAN PERCEPTION AND, AND YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT I DON'T, I DON'T WANT TO KIND OF SPEAK OUT OF TURN ON THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE, UH, A REALLY NATIONALLY RENOWNED LIGHTING CONSULTANT THAT'S GONNA HELP US THINK THROUGH SOME OF THOSE THINGS.

AND WE ALSO HAVE A, UM, ECOLOGIST ON, ON THE TEAM THAT'S GONNA HELP US LOOK AT SPECIFIC SPECIES IN AUSTIN THAT AND WHAT THE NEEDS THERE ARE.

SO THAT'LL ALL BE INFORMED BY, BY SOME EXPERTS.

THAT'S GOOD TO HEAR.

I CAN IMAGINE THERE'S SOME CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE IT MAKES MORE SENSE FOR A PLACE TO BE WARM AND INVITING AND OTHER PLACES WHERE YOU WANT IT TO BE COOLER AND LESS INVITING IF YOU'RE TRYING TO DETER CERTAIN TYPES OF BEHAVIOR.

UM, IS CAP METRO PART OF THIS WORK AS WELL? I KNOW WE'RE JUST HAVING CONVERSATIONS AROUND BUS STOPS AND SHELTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

ARE THEY PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN WHATEVER DETERMINATIONS THE CITY COMES UP WITH? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

WE'VE, WE'VE HAD SOME INITIAL DISCUSSIONS WITH, WITH CAP METRO AND THEY, THEY PARTICIPATED IN SOME OF OUR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.

I THINK, UM, ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF COLLABORATION, LOOKING AT HOW WE CAN IMPROVE LIGHTING LEADING UP TO TRANSIT STOPS, UM, AND SUPPORTING THOSE FIRST AND LAST MILE CONNECTIONS, I THINK THAT THERE'S A STRONG INTEREST IN DOING THAT.

UM, THE, THE PLAN ITSELF ISN'T NECESSARILY LOOKING AT A BUS STOP AMENITIES AND LIGHTING IN THAT RESPECT, BUT I THINK WE CAN MAKE SOME RECOMMENDATIONS THAT KIND OF TIE THOSE THINGS TOGETHER.

AND I WOULD ASSUME, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THEM AND I DUNNO THAT THEY HAVE A REP HERE RIGHT NOW, BUT I WOULD JUST IMAGINE THAT IF THERE WAS INFORMATION THAT WE FELT WAS HELPFUL FOR THEM TO KNOW ABOUT BUS STOP LIGHTING THAT THEY'D PROBABLY BE RECEPTIVE TO YEAH.

TO LEARNING THAT.

UM, I THINK THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAVE.

UM, MAYOR VELA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING BEFORE WE MOVE ALONG TO THE NEXT ONE? ALL RIGHT, I THINK THAT'LL DO IT FOR TODAY.

OH, ONE LAST QUESTION.

THE SLIDE WITH THE HEAT MAP, IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN FIND ONLINE AND ZOOM INTO, OR IS THAT SOMETHING WE COULD REQUEST A LINK TO IF WE WANNA DIG INTO IT A LITTLE FURTHER? YEAH, I THINK IT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL IN DRAFT FORM.

WE'RE, WE'RE STILL SORT OF DEVELOPING THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, WE'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE WITH, WITH YOUR OFFICE KIND OF AS AN INTERIM PRODUCT.

I THINK, THINK WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE IMPLICATIONS OF LIKE PUBLISHING THAT PUBLICLY ARE IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, SENSITIVE ASSETS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT, UM, WE CERTAINLY WANNA SHARE THE, THE FINDINGS FROM, FROM THAT ANALYSIS.

WELCOME A CM ROGERS MADAM CHAIR.

I JUST WANTED TO ADD TO THE QUESTION LAST QUESTION THAT YOU, YOU TALKED ABOUT, UM, UM, BUS STOPS AND OTHER THINGS.

I THINK WITH THIS PROJECT IS GONNA HELP US TREMENDOUSLY, ESPECIALLY WITH THE GIS MAPPING OF ALL OF THOSE ASSETS.

[00:45:01]

AND I KNOW THIS HAS BEEN A CONCERN, UH, FOR A LOT OF OF FOLKS HERE IN THIS CITY.

HAVING THE, THE ONE MAP THAT HAS ALL THE DIFFERENT LAYERS ON IT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO MANY DIFFERENT, UH, ASSESSMENTS, WHETHER IT'S LOOKING AT CRIME STATISTICS IN, IN THESE AREAS VERSUS WHERE THE LIGHTS ARE LOOKING AT ALL OF OUR BUS STOPS.

AND, UH, THERE'S AN ENDLESS ARRAY OF THINGS THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO, BUT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO FIRST HAVE THE FOUNDATIONAL INFORMATION ALTOGETHER TO, TO BE ABLE TO DO MANY DIFFERENT STUDIES.

AND, AND, AND SO THAT'S WHAT I THINK THIS IS REALLY IMPORTANT FOUNDATIONAL STEP FOR US IS TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT MANY DIFFERENT EFFECTS OF THE LACK OF LIGHTING IN MANY AREAS IS DOING AND, AND, AND THE IMPACTS THAT IT HAS ON OUR COMMUNITY.

AND THEN FOR US TO DEVELOP A STRATEGIC, UH, UH, IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY TO ADDRESS MANY OF THOSE CONCERNS THAT EXIST WITHIN OUR CITY.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I KNOW WHEN FOLKS LOOK AT THE MOON TOWERS, THEY MAY NOT NECESSARILY ASSOCIATE THEM WITH PUBLIC SAFETY ISSUES, BUT THAT'S PART OF WHY THEY WERE ORIGINALLY PUT IN PLACE.

AND WE STILL HAVE SOME THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TODAY.

AND I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER INTEREST GROUPS OUT THERE THAT CARE A LOT ABOUT THIS FOR MIGRATORY BIRDS.

I KNOW IT'S CURRENTLY LIGHTS OUT CENTRAL TEXAS SEASON TO TRY TO HELP OUR MIGRATORY BIRDS FIGURE OUT WHERE THEY NEED TO BE AND STAY ON THE NORMAL PATHS THAT THEY SHOULD BE FOLLOWING.

AND THEN I KNOW THERE'S ALSO FOLKS THAT CARE A LOT ABOUT BIRD SAFETY FOR BUILDINGS AND TINTED GLASS AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO HELP AVOID COLLISIONS, BIRDS AND WINDOWS AND, AND THAT SORT OF SITUATION.

AND SO I APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, ANY AND ALL GROUPS THAT COULD BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION AND CERTAINLY APPRECIATE OUR VISION ZERO PROGRAM ALSO CARING A LOT ABOUT LIGHTING SAFETY, ESPECIALLY AROUND BIKE PED INFRASTRUCTURE AND PREDICTABILITY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.

ANY MORE QUESTIONS? I THINK WE'RE ALL GOOD.

THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.

[4. Briefing on Bond Funded Bridge Projects. [Eric Bailey, Deputy Director and Genest Landry, Assistant Director - Austin Capital Delivery Services].]

THE NEXT ITEM IS GONNA BE NUMBER FOUR, THE BRIEFING ON BOND FUNDED BRIDGE PROJECTS.

APOLOGIES.

LET ME GET MY NOTES IN ORDER HERE.

UM, GOOD AFTERNOON.

I'M ERIC BAILEY.

I'M THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES FOR THE CITY OF BOSTON.

AND WITH ME TODAY IS, UH, JANAE LANDRY, WHO IS THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES.

AND WE'RE GONNA PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE BOND FUNDED BRIDGE PROJECTS.

UM, AT A HIGH LEVEL, WE'RE GONNA REVIEW AND PROVIDE UPDATES ON THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE, REDBUD TRAIL, WILLIAM KENNAN ROAD OVERPASS, AND THE RECENTLY COMPLETED WISHBONE BRIDGE.

I WILL GET US STARTED WITH THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE.

UM, AS A REMINDER, THIS BRIDGE, THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE IS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD THIS YEAR.

IT WAS EXPANDED IN 1946 TO ITS CURRENT FOUR-LANE CONFIGURATION AND SEES AN AVERAGE OF 20,000 VEHICLES PER DAY.

IT'S A KEY ENTRANCE TO ZILKER PARK AND SOME OF THE CITY'S SIGNATURE EVENTS, INCLUDING THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS, BLUES ON THE GREEN IN THE AUSTIN CITY LIMITS MUSIC FESTIVAL.

UH, THIS PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE CITY'S GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS WITH THE BULK OF THE FUNDING COMING FROM THE 2020 BOND, AS WELL AS A RECENTLY RECEIVED, UH, $32 MILLION FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION BRIDGE IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM GRANT THAT WILL GO TOWARDS THE CONSTRUCTION COST OF THE PROJECT.

THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN BEFORE COUNCIL ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

UH, THE FIRST TIME WAS WITH THE 2020 BOND RESOLUTION, WHICH INCLUDED DIRECTION FOR STAFF TO COMPLETE THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT AND THEN RETURN TO COUNCIL FOR A PRESENTATION ON THE OPTIONS AND DIRECTION FROM COUNCIL ON WHICH OPTION TO PURSUE.

STAFF PRESENTED THESE OPTIONS AT A WORK SESSION IN DECEMBER OF 2023, AND AT A SUBSEQUENT COUNCIL MEETING, STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE FULL REPLACEMENT OPTION.

UH, SINCE THEN, THIS PROJECT IS RETURNED TO COUNCIL RELATED TO THE APPLICATION AND ACCEPTANCE OF THE FEDERAL GRANT.

UH, THE NEXT TIME THIS PROJECT WOULD NEED TO GO TO COUNCIL WOULD BE IF FOR A CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT AWARD, UH, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE NEW BRIDGE.

UM, THIS PROJECT WILL GO TO VARIOUS BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS AS A PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, AND THAT'LL BE HAPPENING, UH, THROUGHOUT 2026.

SO NEXT I'M GONNA PROVIDE SOME GENERAL INFORMATION ON WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE DESIGN PROCESS.

UH, BECAUSE OF THE FEDERAL GRANT THAT WE RECEIVE FOR CONSTRUCTION, THE PROJECT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT OR NEPA PROCESS.

AS A PART OF THIS PROCESS, ALL THE ALTERNATIVES THAT WERE PRESENTED IN THE PRELIMINARY BRIDGE REPORT ARE ANALYZED.

AGAIN, DETERMINATIONS ARE MADE BY THE ADMINISTERING AGENCY.

IN THIS CASE IS TXDOT IN COORDINATION WITH THE TEST TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES INCLUDING, UH, SAVE OUR SPRINGS, WHICH HAS BEEN INVITED TO COLLABORATE

[00:50:01]

ON THE NEPA DOCUMENT, UM, AND DETERMINE WHAT ADDITIONAL STUDIES, IF ANY, UH, NEED TO BE COMPLETED.

UH, ADDITIONALLY THE PUBLIC IS INVITED TO PROVIDE COMMENT.

WE'LL BE HOSTING EVENTS RELATED TO THE NEPA DOCUMENT AND, UM, RECEIVING THOSE COMMENTS AND RESPONDING TO THOSE IN KIND.

AND THIS PROCESS SHOULD TAKE ABOUT A YEAR TO COMPLETE AND CURRENTLY IS UNDERWAY.

UH, WE'RE LOOKING TO WRAP THAT UP AT THE END OF 2026, HAVE THE PROJECT READY TO BID IN EARLY 2027.

UH, DURING THIS NEPA PROCESS, WE'RE WORKING WITH TXDOT, THE ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION DEVELOP TO DEVELOP THE DESIGN AND DETERMINE HOW TO COMPLY WITH ALL THE RELEVANT REGULATIONS, INCLUDING THE CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE ZILKER PARK, UH, DESIGNATION.

SO IN ADDITION TO THE NEPA PROCESS, WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH THE CITY OF AUSTIN PERMITTING PROCESS TO OBTAIN APPROVAL FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, UH, RELATED TO ANY VARIANCES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR THE PROJECT.

SO, SO PART OF THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT, THE CONSULTING ENGINEER STUDIED THE BRIDGE INTERNALLY AS WELL AS EXTERNALLY.

AND THE ENGINEER LOOKED AT TRAFFIC PATTERNS, A DA ACCESSIBILITY, COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF VARIOUS OPTIONS.

AND FINALLY, THE CITY AND, AND, UH, ENGINEER COORDINATED WITH THE ARMY CORPS AS WELL AS THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION, UH, ON THE AVAILABLE OPTIONS FOR THIS PROJECT.

UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE AT THIS POINT THAT THE BRIDGE ITSELF IS A CONTRIBUTING FEATURE TO THE ZILKER PARK HISTORIC LANDMARK DESIGNATION, AND THE BRIDGE ITSELF IS NOT A HISTORIC LANDMARK.

UH, EQUALLY IMPORTANT IS DURING THE THIS COORDINATION EFFORT, BOTH THE ARMY CORPS AND TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION HAVE INDICATED THAT A FULL REPLACEMENT ALTERNATIVE IS A VIABLE ALTERNATIVE FOR THIS PROJECT.

UM, AND TO ADD ON, IN ADDITION TO OUR NORMAL PROCESS OF DESIGN, THERE'S ALSO A THIRD PARTY REVIEW, UH, BY AN INDEPENDENT ENGINEER WHO'S REVIEWED THE, UH, THE PROJECT DESIGN AS WELL.

SO LET'S REVIEW THE CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE BRIDGE.

UH, PHOTO IN THE UPPER LEFT SHOWS CRACKING AND EXPOSED STEEL UNDER THE BRIDGE.

UH, PHOTO IN THE UPPER RIGHT SHOWS CRACKING AND DELAMINATION AROUND THE BRIDGE COLUMNS.

LOWER LEFT IS A CONCRETE CORE SAMPLE FROM THE BRIDGE DECK SHOWING DETERIORATION IN THE CONCRETE.

AND THE PHOTO IN THE LOWER RIGHT SHOWS CURB, SIDEWALK AND GUARDRAIL.

UH, IF YOU'VE BEEN OUT THERE, YOU KNOW THE CURBS ARE HIGH, THE SIDEWALKS ARE NARROW, AND THE RAILINGS ARE VERY LOW.

UM, THIS BRIDGE IS CURRENTLY FUNCTIONALLY OBSOLETE, WHICH MEANS THAT IT DOESN'T MEET THE CURRENT DESIGN STANDARDS.

SO YOU CAN SEE, UH, SPECIFICALLY FROM THE, THE RAILINGS AND SIDEWALKS THAT ARE OUT THERE.

UH, THE CONSULTING ENGINEER ALSO UNDERTOOK A STRUCTURAL EVALUATION OF THE BRIDGE IN 2023 AND FOUND THAT, AND THIS IS A QUOTE, UH, BASED ON THE CURRENT LEVEL OF DETERIORATION OF THE LONGITUDINAL BEAM AND CONTINUED INTRUSION OF WATER, IT'S ESTIMATED THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF REHABILITATION, SIGNIFICANT DETERIORATION COULD PROGRESS TO A POINT WHERE INCREASES IN MAINTENANCE COST AND REPAIRS REACH A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL IN FIVE TO 10 YEARS.

REPAIR OF THE LONGITUDINAL BEAM ALONE TO LIMIT WATER INTRUSION MAY NOT BE SUFFICIENT TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF THE BRIDGE SIGNIFICANTLY.

A PREFERRED METHOD TO LIMIT THE WATER INTRUSION WOULD BE TO REPLACE THE DECK, ENTIRELY, ELIMINATE THE LONGITUDINAL AND TRANSVERSE JOINTS ALTOGETHER.

AND IN ADDITION, SINCE THE SPANDREL COLUMNS ARE EXHIBITING LOW COMPRESSIVE STRENGTH AND SEVERAL EXHIBIT FALLING AND OR DEAMINATION, ANY BRIDGE RE REHABILITATION DESIRING INCREASED LIFESPAN WOULD INVOLVE STRIPPING THE STRUCTURE DOWN TO THE ARCH RIBS AND REBUILDING THE SPAN COLUMNS, FLOOR BEAMS AND DECK.

SO IN PLAIN ENGLISH, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? TRANSLATING FROM ENGINEER? THAT MEANS YOU CAN'T SIMPLY DO THE REPAIRS TO THE SPALLING CONCRETE AND PATCH THE CRACKS IN THERE.

THE ENTIRE DECK OF THE BRIDGE NEEDS TO BE REMOVED AND REPLACED IN ORDER TO, UH, EXTEND ITS USEFUL LIFE AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE STILL ABLE TO GET THE CRITICAL VEHICLES ACROSS THE BRIDGE THAT WE NEED TO.

SO, UM, IN ADDITION, DUE TO THESE CONCERNS BROUGHT UP IN THE PRELIMINARY, CAN I, UM, OH YEAH, SORRY.

IS THIS A URGENT QUESTION? UH, THE, HE'S GOT THAT ON THE SCREEN.

THERE'S SOME TECHNICAL TERMS ON THERE AND I JUST WANT TO CLAR GET A QUICK CLARIFICATION.

UH, PRESERVING THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, AS I MENTIONED, WAS ELIMINATED FROM FURTHER ANALYSIS DUE TO THE STRUCTURAL CON CONDITION OF THE EXISTING BRIDGE.

SPING CONCRETE SPING IS WHEN THE CONCRETE, EVEN THE UPPER LEFT HAND, YOU CAN SEE THE LOWER EDGE OF THE CONCRETE BEAM.

THERE'S A HORIZONTAL LINE, WHICH IS WHERE THE REINFORCING STEEL IS, AND SPALLING IS WHERE THOSE CONCRETE PIECES FALL OFF OF THE CONCRETE STRUCTURE.

DELAMINATION DE DEAMINATION IS IN THE RIGHT HAND CORNER.

YOU CAN SEE IT KIND OF HASHED IN ORANGE THERE.

IT'S WHEN THE CONCRETE SURFACE SLOUGHS AWAY FROM THE STRUCTURAL MEMBER THERE.

GOT, I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THOSE TERMS. YEAH, I APPRECIATE IT.

THEY BOTH SOUND BAD.

ALL RIGHT.

SORRY FOR THE INTERRUPTION.

NO PROBLEM.

I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE DIDN'T MISS A MOMENT.

I WAS JUST HITTING MY STRIDE TOO.

UM, SO, UM, LET'S SEE.

IN ADDITIONALLY, DURING DUE TO THE CONCERNS BROUGHT UP IN THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT AND SUBSEQUENT TDOT INSPECTIONS OF THE BRIDGE, UH, THE CITY ENGINEER AND TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT SHIFTED TRAVEL LANES TO THE SOUTH TO LIMIT HEAVYWEIGHT TRAFFIC SUCH AS BUSES AND FIRE APPARATUS, UH, SHIFTING IT AWAY FROM THE OLD PORTION OF THE BRIDGE, UH, THAT WAS IN THE WORST STRUCTURAL CONDITION.

SO IN THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT, FIVE OPTIONS WERE EVALUATED.

[00:55:01]

UH, THREE REPLACEMENT OPTIONS AND ONE REHABILITATION OPTION MOVE FORWARD FOR FURTHER ANALYSIS AND DURING THIS PROCESS, STAFF HELD OPEN HOUSES, UH, IN PERSON AND ONLINE FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.

UH, FROM THE RESPONSES RECEIVED, UH, REHABILITATION AND REPLACEMENT WERE EVENLY SPLIT IN TERMS OF THE PUBLIC PREFERENCE ON THE ALTERNATIVES.

SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BRIDGE REHABILITATION OPTION, UH, HERE'S A SCHEMATIC OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

UH, THE TOP DECK WOULD BE REMOVED FROM THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.

REPAIRS WILL BE MADE TO THE EXISTING ARCHES.

ADDITIONAL ARCHES WILL BE ADDED TO ACCOMMODATE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRAFFIC.

THEN THE DECK WOULD BE REPLACED, UH, LESS THAN HALF OF THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE WOULD REMAIN AND ALL OF THE OLD ARCHES WOULD BE OBSTRUCTED FROM VIEW BY THE NEW ONES THAT WILL BE INSTALLED.

UH, THIS OPTION, UH, COSTS AS MUCH AS A BUILDING A FULL NEW STRUCTURE, BUT HAS A SHORTER, USEFUL LIFE, UH, THAN A NEW STRUCTURE WOULD APPROXIMATELY 50 YEARS FOR THE REHABILITATION COMPARED TO 75 PLUS YEARS FOR THE REPLACEMENT OPTION.

THIS DIAGRAM SHOWS WHAT THE NEW BRIDGE WOULD LOOK LIKE.

PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE LANES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BRIDGE WITH THE SAME NUMBER OF THROUGH TRAFFIC LANES IS CURRENTLY EXIST.

AND THE ADDITION OF A RIGHT HAND TURN LANE ONTO A AZ MORTON TO IMPROVE VEHICULAR CIRCULATION FOR THAT TURNING MOVEMENT.

SO, AS I MENTIONED A FEW SLIDES BACK, AS A PART OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, WE WILL NEED REVIEW BY THE LANDMARK COMMISSION, UH, PARKS BOARD DESIGN COMMISSION, AND THE ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION DUE TO VARIANCES THAT ARE NEEDED FOR CONSTRUCTION IN AND AROUND, UH, BARTON SPRINGS AND ZILKER PARK.

UH, ACTION FROM ALL OF THESE COMMISSIONS WILL COME AT A LATER DATE WHEN WE'RE NEARING THE END OF THE PERMITTING PROCESS, BUT WE'RE NOT THERE YET.

THE 90% DESIGN SUBMITTAL IS DUE FROM THE CONSULTANT THIS MONTH.

AND FOR PROJECTS LIKE THIS, UH, THAT 90% MILESTONE GENERALLY STARTS THE PERMITTING PROCESS BECAUSE THE PLANS ARE DEVELOPED ENOUGH FOR THE REVIEWERS TO PROVIDE DETAILED COMMENTS, UM, AROUND THE PROPOSED PROJECTS.

UM, BECAUSE OF RECENT DISCUSSIONS AT THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION, THE PROJECT TEAM HAS DECIDED TO REACH OUT TO OTHER RELEVANT COMMISSIONS FOR A STAFF BRIEFING AND PROJECT UPDATE.

NO ACTION AGAIN, AT THIS POINT IS NEEDED FROM ANY OF THE COM, THE COMMISSIONS THAT'LL COME LATER THIS YEAR.

SO, UH, IN THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION MEETING IN FEBRUARY, UH, THEY DISCUSSED THE RECOMMENDATION OF DESIGNATION OF THE BRIDGE AS A HISTORIC LAND PARK LANDMARK.

UM, AS A REMINDER, A RECOMMENDATION FROM THE LAND LANDMARKS COMMISSION WOULD THEN GO TO PLANNING AND ULTIMATELY TO CITY COUNCIL FOR A FINAL DESIGNATION.

UH, IT'S IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT THAT THE DESIGNATION OF THE BRIDGE AS A HISTORIC LANDMARK DOES NOT PRECLUDE THE REPLACEMENT OPTION.

IT CHANGES THE REVIEW PARAMETERS BY THE TEXAS HISTORIC COMMISSION AND THE RELEVANT REGULATIONS RELATED TO THE DESIGN OF THE REPLACEMENT STRUCTURE.

UM, SO THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD NEWS AROUND THIS BRIDGE IN TERMS OF THE, UH, CONSTRUCTION GRANT AND THAT FUNDING, AND WE'RE WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THE PERMITTING REQUIREMENTS TO OBTAIN THAT AND, AND OBTAINING ADDITIONAL PUBLIC COMMENT AS WELL AS COMMENTS FROM BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS.

SO, I'D LIKE TO ALSO PROVIDE A QUICK EXAMPLE OF A PROJECT THAT I ACTUALLY WORKED ON IN THE PAST.

THIS IS THE CALIFORNIA INCLINE IN SANTA MONICA, CALIFORNIA, A STRUCTURE THAT FACED SIMILAR ISSUES TO, UH, THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE.

UH, THE RIGHT HAND SIDE OF THIS ROAD IS BUILT JUST ON THAT ERODING BLUFF.

THE LEFT HAND SIDE IS A SERIES OF NON-CONTIGUOUS STRUCTURES THAT WERE IN POOR CONDITION.

YOU CAN SEE HERE BY THE GENTLEMAN LEANING AGAINST THE RAIL.

THAT RAIL IS ALSO VERY SHORT.

SIDEWALKS ARE VERY NARROW.

THERE'S NO DEDICATED BIKE LANES.

UM, BUT THIS BRIDGE ALSO HAS, UH, HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE, UH, IN THE AREA.

AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NEXT SLIDE HERE, YOU CAN SEE THIS IS THE REPLACEMENT PROJECT.

THE MAIN FEATURE THAT WAS REPLICATED, NOT DUPLICATED, WAS THE ARCHWAYS IN THE RAILING.

UH, YOU CAN SEE THE SAME NUMBER OF VEHICULAR LANES UP AND DOWN, AS WELL AS A MUCH, UH, BETTER EXPERIENCE FOR PEDESTRIANS AND CYCLISTS WHO ARE CHOOSING TO USE THIS, UH, TO GET UP AND DOWN THAT CALIFORNIA INCLINE.

AND, UM, WITH THAT, I CAN EITHER ANSWER QUESTIONS NOW OR I CAN PASS IT OVER TO JENA TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER PROJECTS.

HOWEVER Y'ALL WOULD LIKE TO.

MAYBE LET'S STOP AND TALK ABOUT THIS FOR JUST A SECOND.

UM, THAT WAY WE'RE NOT JUMPING AROUND TO DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT TOPICS.

DO ANY OF Y'ALL HAVE QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON IT? OKAY.

LET'S START WITH MAYOR PRO TELA.

THANK YOU, CHAIR.

SO THE COST COMPARISON, UH, IS THE SAME BASICALLY TO TO REHABILITATE VERSUS BUILD A NEW BRIDGE.

THAT'S CORRECT.

WITHIN THE MARGIN OF ERROR OF THE COST ESTIMATES AT THIS POINT.

NOW, DOES REHABILITATION INCLUDE, UH, ADDITIONAL CAPACITY AND, AND I'M THINKING PARTICULARLY OF LIKE A PEDESTRIAN, UH, BIKE CAPACITY, OR DO WE HAVE TO BUILD LIKE THE FLUGER BRIDGE TYPE, YOU KNOW, OVER THE CREEK TO, TO PUT, TO GET THE, THE PEDESTRIAN AND AND BIKE, UH, UH, ACCESS THAT WE NEED? NO, THAT WOULD INCLUDE, THE REHABILITATION WOULD INCLUDE THE SAME LANE CONFIGURATIONS AS SHOWN HERE.

THE STRUCTURE ITSELF WOULD GET WIDER.

THERE WOULD BE NEW, UM, ARCHES AS SHOWN.

I THINK THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO SHOW IT.

YOU CAN SEE THE ORIGINAL STRUCTURE YEAH.

IN THE MIDDLE ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND.

IS, IS IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME SIZED BRIDGE AND THE SAME KIND OF TRAFFIC HANDLING BRIDGE, CORRECT? YES.

UH, PICTURE AND THE ADDITIONAL ARCH STRUCTURES, UH, TO THE NORTH AND TO THE SOUTH TO ACCOMMODATE PEDESTRIANS.

AND BY, SO THE DESIGN IS EXACTLY THE SAME.

UH, I MEAN, THE FINAL OUTCOME

[01:00:01]

UH, THE, SO I MEAN, THEN IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT COMPLETELY REPLACING THE DECK, THEN THE ONLY THING WE'RE PRESERVING ARE THOSE I CAN'T, THE FOUR, FOUR ARCHES IN THE MIDDLE.

UH, SO IS THIS A MATTER OF AESTHETICS? UH, I MEAN, AGAIN, JUST THINKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE, BECAUSE I, I THINK THE EXAMPLE THAT YOU SHOWED THE CALIFORNIA BRIDGE, I, I MEAN, WE CAN BUILD A BRIDGE THAT HEARKENS BACK TO THE CURRENT BRIDGE WITH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I I, I'M NOT, DON'T, NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE BRIDGE, HONESTLY.

I'M NOT SURE IF I'VE EVER LOOKED AT IT THAT CLOSELY, BUT, UH, AGAIN, LIKE IS THAT THE MAIN ISSUE HERE WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HISTORICAL PRESERVATION? YEAH.

THERE'S, THERE'S OTHER THINGS THAT ARE INVOLVED AND TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS AS YOU GO THROUGH WITH THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION AND THE LANDMARKS COMMISSION HERE AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT TALK ABOUT PRESERVING THAT.

'CAUSE ONE OF THE CHALLENGING THINGS IS THAT YOU DON'T WANNA MIMIC EXACTLY WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.

THERE'S A FINE LINE BETWEEN, UH, PRESERVING THE LOOK AND FEEL VERSUS MAKING IT JUST A CARBON COPY OF SOMETHING THAT LOOKS THE SAME BUT IS BIGGER.

AND SO THAT'S A PIECE OF THE PROCESS THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH NOW WITH THE, UM, NEPA DEC DECLARATION AND WORKING OUR WAY THROUGH THOSE COMMENTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

THE ISSUE, UH, THE MAIN ISSUE IS REALLY RELATED TO SERVICE LIFE.

WHEN YOU DO A REHABILITATION PROJECT, YOU'RE SPENDING THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR LESS SERVICE LIFE.

AND SO FROM A PURE ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO SPEND THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO GET LESS VALUE OUT OF IT.

UM, NOW THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT'S A RIGHT, WRONG, OR INDIFFERENT ANSWER.

BUT THAT'S THE WAY THAT, UH, AS AN ENGINEER, WE LOOK AT THINGS, IT'S LIKE, WELL, WE WANT TO GET THE MOST SERVICE LIFE THE MOST BANG FOR OUR BUCK AS WE MOVE FORWARD AND BEING, UH, YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLE STEWARDS OF THAT PUBLIC BOND MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING.

AND LAST, UH, QUESTION, WHAT ABOUT THE TRAIN ? OH, UM, I WILL, I'VE GOT, WE'RE MAKING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR THE TRAIN.

THERE'S GONNA BE A NEW, UH, STRUCTURE THAT'S BUILT UNDER THERE.

I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'VE BEEN UNDER THERE.

THE STEEL STRUCTURE IS, I'M, I'M MORE FAMILIAR WITH UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE, HONESTLY, THAN I THINK .

UM, SO THERE'S A WHOLE SERIES OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GONNA HAPPEN IN THAT AREA UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE, INCLUDING ACCOMMODATING FOR, UH, IMPROVED TRAIL SYSTEM, THE TRAIN, UH, IMPROVING THE WAY THE BANK IS SET UP, GOING DOWN THERE, PLANTINGS, THINGS LIKE THAT.

MAKING THAT LOT MORE, UH, NOT ONLY ROBUST IN TERMS OF EROSION AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT ALSO MAKING IT MORE AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AND, UM, REDUCING A LOT OF THE ONGOING MAINTENANCE ISSUES THAT ARE HAPPENING, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE TRAIN AND THE EROSION THAT'S HAPPENING UNDER THE EXISTING BRIDGE.

AND, AND I, I DON'T KNOW, I I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER THE, THE, THE TRAIN FORMERLY KNOWN AS AILER ZEPHYR.

YES.

UH, I KNOW THAT'S THE EAGLE.

THE EAGLE.

THE EAGLE, YEAH.

THAT'S ABSOLUTELY FRIGHTENING.

UH, I KNOW THAT'S HOW IT CROSSES, UH, BARTON SPRINGS ROAD AND DOES ITS KIND OF LITTLE TRAIN RIDE, WHICH WE ALL KNOW AND LOVE SO MUCH.

UH, SO I, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR THE, UH, ZILKER EAGLE.

YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.

THAT, AND LIKE I SAID, THAT'S GONNA BE A BIG PART OF, UM, NO MATTER WHAT OPTION WE PURSUE, UH, IMPROVING THE, UM, THE TRAIN, UH, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THERE, AS WELL AS THE PEDESTRIAN AND, AND BICYCLE INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE TRAIL TO GET FOLKS, UH, UNDERNEATH, UH, THE BRIDGE.

AND I THINK THAT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT POINT, IS THAT THE, THE CHARMING NATURE OF THE BRIDGE IS SOMETHING THAT IT'S VERY CHARMING WHEN YOU'RE NOT ON IT .

UM, WHEN YOU'RE ON IT, YOU EITHER JUST DON'T SEE IT OR YOU THINK THIS BRIDGE IS REALLY OLD.

I MEAN, IT'S A HUNDRED YEARS I'VE BEEN SAYING WE SHOULD THROW IT A HUNDRED YEAR BIRTHDAY PARTY BECAUSE IT, YOU KNOW, IT HAS SERVED US WELL.

BUT I DUNNO WHY WE WOULD PUT THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY IN TO REBUILD A BRIDGE AND THEN END UP HAVING TO DO IT AGAIN LATER WHEN CONCRETE AND REBAR CONTINUED TO FALL INTO THE WATER BELOW IT.

I DON'T THINK THAT'S ECOLOGICALLY HEALTHY.

I DON'T THINK THAT IS OUR SAFEST PLAN FORWARD FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

UM, YOU DID TALK ABOUT ROUTING TRAFFIC RIGHT NOW, AND YOU MENTIONED CAP METRO BUS AND FIRE TRUCKS.

WHERE ARE THEY ADVISED TO DRIVE RIGHT NOW? IS IT THE INTERIOR LANE? YEAH, THEY'RE STILL ON THE BRIDGE, BUT THEY'VE BEEN SHIFTED TO THE INTERIOR LANES.

UM, IT ACTUALLY, IT ALIGNS WITH THE, UM, THE PROJECT THAT TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DID IN TERMS OF NARROWING THE LANES ON, UH, BARTON SPRINGS ROAD FURTHER TO THE EAST.

AND SO IT ALIGNS THERE.

AND INSTEAD OF HAVING, UM, TWO LANES IN EACH DIRECTION AS WAS THERE BEFORE, THERE'S NOW ONE LANE WESTBOUND, TWO LANES EASTBOUND BECAUSE OF THE SHIFT IN TRAFFIC, UH, TO MOVE THOSE HEAVY VEHICLES OFF OF THE OLD OLDER SECTION OF THE BRIDGE, WHICH HAS BEEN VERY HEALTHY.

AND I KNOW THE VISION ZERO PROGRAM ALONG BARTON SPRINGS HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL FOR SAFETY.

THE WAY THAT IT WAS DESIGNED BEFORE THE CAP METRO BUS WAS HAVING TO KIND OF DO THAT LANE JOG RIGHT NEXT TO A SIDEWALK THAT IS NOT WHAT WE WOULD SEE BUILT TODAY.

SO IF YOU'RE STANDING ON THAT SIDEWALK, AND EVEN THOUGH OUR BUS DRIVERS ARE, ARE VERY SKILLED, UM, THE FEELING WHEN YOU'RE ON THE OUTSIDE IS QUITE FRIGHTENING BECAUSE YOU SEE THAT, HEY, I'M KIND OF IN FRONT OF THEM, UM, EVEN AS THEY'RE ACCOMMODATING

[01:05:01]

TRAFFIC.

UM, AT WHAT POINT WOULD IT BE LOAD LIMITED TO THINGS LIKE MOVING VANS OR EMS AMBULANCES? AT WHAT POINT WOULD THOSE NOT BE ABLE TO SAFELY? IT'S, IT'S HARD TO PREDICT, UH, WHEN IT COMES TO STRUCTURES LIKE THIS, TXDOT WILL BE MOVING FORWARD WITH THEIR NEXT, UH, ROUND OF, UH, BRIDGE EVALUATIONS AND LOOKS LIKE DIRECTOR MENDOZA IS GONNA TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT THAT.

HI DIRECTOR.

HELLO AGAIN.

AND SO, YES, TWO YEARS AGO WE REDUCED THE LANES FROM FOUR TO THREE TO AVOID HAVING TO LOAD LIMIT THE BRIDGE UNDER ADVISEMENT BY THE, UH, T STOP BRIDGE ENGINEERS.

AND, UM, AND THEIR NEXT, THEY, THEY INSPECT ALL THEIR BRIDGES EVERY TWO YEARS.

THE NEXT ROUND OF INSPECTIONS WILL BE THIS YEAR.

AND SO WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT THAT REPORT, UM, DECIDES.

AND IT'S QUITE POSSIBLE THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AVOID LOAD LIMITING IN THE FUTURE, AND THAT WOULD AFFECT THE ROUTE 30 AS WELL AS EMERGENCY RESPONSE VEHICLES.

UM, I, I KNOW THAT Y'ALL ARE WATCHING THIS CLOSELY, AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE LESS FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS, TXDOT DOES DO WHAT'S CALLED ON SYSTEM OFF SYSTEM INSPECTIONS AND SO ON SYSTEM IS ON TDOT RIGHT OF WAY.

BUT THEY ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE OUR TDOT STATE ENGINEERS ASSISTING WITH BRIDGES THAT ARE KIND OF NOT NECESSARILY PART OF THEIR BUDGET NORMALLY, BUT THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE BRIDGES ARE SAFE TO BE ABLE TO CONNECT BETWEEN HIGHWAYS AND THINGS LIKE, YOU KNOW, SOUTH LAMAR OVER TO MOPAC.

THEY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE ROUTES ARE, UM, ARE SAFE FOR PEOPLE.

AND SO I APPRECIATE THIS EXTRA ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

YOU KNOW, I, I KEEP TELLING THE STORY 2015, YOU KNOW, PAIGE ELLIS WAS AT THE PRE-BID MEETING TALKING ABOUT THIS BRIDGE AND THE NEED TO REPLACE IT.

AND HERE WE ARE 11 YEARS LATER AND WE HAVE STAFF TELLING US TIME AND TIME AGAIN, UM, THAT OUR OPTIONS HAVE TO BE ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY FIRST.

I MEAN THIS, YES, LET'S MAKE IT AS AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AS WE POSSIBLY CAN, UM, FOR THE FOLKS THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE BRIDGE.

UM, BUT RIGHT NOW I'M VERY CONCERNED THAT IT'S A BIG SAFETY ISSUE AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, LISTEN TO OUR EXPERTS WHO KNOW HOW THIS WORKS AS THEY'RE TELLING US THAT CONCRETE IS FALLING OFF OF THE BRIDGE AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD RESPONSIBLY.

SO I APPRECIATE THE, THE INFORMATION ON THIS.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THIS BRIDGE? 'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER SLIDES FOR OTHER BRIDGES.

ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU.

HI EVERYONE.

I'M GONNA FIRST GO OVER THE RED BUD TRAIL BRIDGE.

SO RED BUD TRAIL IS A TWO LANE ROADWAY, UM, WITH NO SHOULDERS AND A THREE FOOT SIDEWALK ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF RED BUD.

UM, THE EXISTING RAILINGS SIMILAR TO THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE ARE CONSIDERED FUNCTIONALLY OBSOLETE, SO THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE NO LONGER IN USE BY TXDOT.

NOW, IN ADDITION TO VEHICULAR PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE TRAFFIC, THIS EXISTING BRIDGE ALSO CARRIES EIGHT SEPARATE UTILITY LINES OVER, UM, LAKE AUSTIN.

UM, THIS BRIDGE ALSO SERVES AS THE MAIN MEANS OF ACCESS FOR THE ALRICH WATER TREATMENT PLANT.

SO THE ORIGINAL PROJECT SCOPE, UM, HERE INCLUDES A TOTAL OF, OF FOUR BRIDGES.

UM, AND THAT IS PRIMARILY TO GET THIS, THE EXISTING STRUCTURE OUT OF THE 100 YEAR FLOOD LEVEL.

AND THESE BRIDGES WOULD SERVE BOTH, UM, PEOPLE TRAFFIC AND UTILITY LINES.

YOU CAN SEE ON THE PROPOSED BRIDGE SECTION ON THE TOP RIGHT, UM, THE UTILITY CORRIDOR.

UM, WHAT THAT WOULD DO IS ALLOW FOR THE UTILITY LINES THAT ARE CURRENTLY BEING CARRIED BENEATH THE BRIDGE, UM, TO BECOME ACCESSIBLE, UH, TO, TO PEOPLE WHO NEED TO MAINTAIN THEM AND ALLOW FOR THE VEHICULAR TRAFFIC TO REMAIN OPEN.

UM, SO THE ORIGINAL PROJECT ALSO INCLUDES LIGHTING, UM, A CONTINUOUS SHARED USE PATH, UM, ALL THE WAY TO LAKELINE, UH, TO LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS AT LAKE AUSTIN BOULEVARD AND A FULL BRI, UM, MILLEN OVERLAY.

THE PROJECT WOULD REQUIRE EXTENSIVE TRAFFIC CONTROL PLANNING IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN ACCESS, UM, TO ULRICH.

UM, DURING CONSTRUCTION, YOU CAN SEE FROM THE SCHEMATIC THAT'S SHOWN ON THE BOTTOM LEFT, UM, THAT WE ARE RE BUILDING THESE REPLACEMENT STRUCTURES, UM, WHAT WE WOULD CALL OFFSET FROM THE EXISTING, BUT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO TIE IN AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN TRAFFIC, UM, THE ENTIRE TIME.

UM, THE PLANS FOR THIS ARE CURRENTLY, UM, AT A HUNDRED PERCENT AND READY TO MOVE INTO FORMAL PERMITTING.

UM, BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS A QUITE EXTENSIVE, UH, REPLACEMENT PROJECT.

THE TOTAL PROJECT COST FOR THIS IS $130 MILLION, AND THAT LEAVES A FUNDING NEED FOR $77 MILLION.

SO, UM, RECOGNIZING THE FINANCIAL CONSTRAINTS THAT CURRENTLY EXIST,

[01:10:01]

UH, LATE LAST YEAR, THE PROJECT TEAM HIRED A STRUCTURAL ENGINEER TO PERFORM A BRIDGE ASSESSMENT, DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO REHABILITATE RATHER THAN REPLACE THE EXISTING BRIDGES WITH THE OPTION OF POTENTIALLY WIDENING, UM, THE BRIDGE TO PROVIDE SAFER ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WALKING AND BIKING.

UM, AND FORTUNATELY, UNLIKE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE, THIS STRUCTURE IS A SITUATION WHERE THE STRUCTURAL ASSESSMENT HAS SHOWN THAT REHABILITATION AND ONGOING NA MAINTENANCE WOULD ACTUALLY EXTEND THE LIFESPAN OF THIS BRIDGE, UM, BY AN ADDITIONAL 50 YEARS.

IN ADDITION, THE STRUCTURAL ENGINEER DETERMINED THAT, UM, WIDENING THIS STRUCTURE IS POSSIBLE, UM, SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO GET, UM, BETTER ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WALKING AND BIKING.

UM, THE WIDTH OF THAT WIDENING WOULD DEPEND ON WHETHER WE, UM, ESSENTIALLY JUST THE ENGINEERING TERM WOULD BE CANTILEVER IF WE KIND OF JUST EXTEND THE BRIDGE OUT, UM, WITHOUT PUTTING MORE ELEMENTS IN THE WATER VERSUS PUTTING SUBSTRUCTURE ELEMENTS IN THE WATER.

BUT WE ARE ABLE TO WIDEN, UM, IN EITHER SITUATION.

UH, SO THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT NEWS FOR THIS STRUCTURE.

UM, AND WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING, UM, WITH CDS AND TPW ARE CURRENTLY WORKING TOGETHER TO DETERMINE A SCOPE THAT WOULD BOTH REHABILITATE, UM, AND PRESERVE THE EXISTING STRUCTURE AND ALSO WIDEN THE BRIDGE TO PROVIDE SAFER BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESS WITH MINIMAL IMPACTS TO THE CREEK, UM, AND WITHIN THE EXISTING AVAILABLE BUDGET.

UM, WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IS WE'VE GONE THROUGH OUR REPORT AND WE ARE IDENTIFYING SCOPING ELEMENTS, UM, AND WE'RE READY TO REENGAGE WITH THE ENGINEER TO GET A DETAILED BUDGET AND SCHEDULE, UM, AND THEN START WORKING ON THESE REHABILITATION AND WIDENING PLANS.

SO THE LAST STRUCTURE THAT I AM GOING TO COVER IS THE WISHBONE BRIDGE.

UM, THIS WAS A PRIMARILY 2020 BOND FUNDED BRIDGE, UM, THAT WE JUST COMPLETED AT THE END OF LAST YEAR.

UM, AND SO THE BRIDGE AND THE UNDERPASS WERE BOTH OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN FEBRUARY.

UM, AND THIS IS REALLY ONE OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES, UH, FOR TPW AND CDS.

SO THE EASTERN MOST SEGMENT OF THE ROY BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL HAS BEEN A PINCH POINT FOR THE TRAIL SYSTEM FOR DECADES PRIOR TO 2021, THE TRAIL, UM, CONSISTED OF A FOUR FOOT SIDEWALK ALONG PLEASANT VALLEY ROAD THAT ALSO DOUBLED AS MAINTENANCE ACCESS FOR THE LONGHORN DAM.

WHEN THE DAM REQUIRED MAINTENANCE, UH, TRAIL TRAFFIC HAD TO BE DETOURED TO THE OTHER SIDE OF PLEASANT VALLEY, UM, SO THAT ACCESS CREWS COULD, COULD ACCESS THE DAM GATES.

THE INITIAL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT, UH, WAS TO PROVIDE SAFE PASSAGE ACROSS LADY BIRD LAKE FOR PEOPLE USING THE TRAIL, AS WELL AS PEOPLE COMMUTING NORTH AND SOUTH ON FOOT OR BY BIKE EAST OF I 35.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT PART OF THIS PROJECT IS THE UNITY UNDERPASS.

UM, AND SO THIS PROJECT REPLACED THAT CULVERT, IT FILLED IT IN AND ACTUALLY REPLACED IT WITH THE STRUCTURE THAT YOU SEE HERE IN THIS PICTURE.

UM, THEN YOU UNDERPASS IS PARABOLA SHAPED STRUCTURE AND IT'S 16 FEET IN HEIGHT, AND SO YOU REALLY GET THE FEELING OF OPENNESS WHEN YOU'RE IN THE UNDERPASS.

UM, AND THE ARTWORK ON THE UNDERPASS WAS PART OF AN ART AND PUBLIC PLACES INSTALLATION.

UM, AND SO ART AND PUBLIC PLACES CONTRACTED WITH REGINALD ADAMS. UM, AND THAT TEAM IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE LIMESTONE AT THE BOTTOM, THE TILE MOSAIC AND THE ROOF MURAL THAT YOU SEE HERE.

SO THIS PROJECT BEGAN IN 2018 WITH THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING STUDY.

UM, AND THAT PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING STUDY WAS FUNDED BY A COMBINATION OF 2016 LOCAL MOBILITY FUNDS AND QUARTER CENT FUNDS.

THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEER ENGINEERING PHASE INCLUDED HEAVY ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC.

IN FACT, WE WENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC THREE TIMES WHILE WE WERE IN, UM, PRELIMINARY.

SO FOUR MONTHS AFTER KICKING OFF DESIGN OR PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING WITH THE ENGINEER, UM, WE CONDUCTED OUR FIRST PUBLIC MEETING AT FIESTA GARDENS.

AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT WAS TO INTRODUCE THE PROJECT, UM, AND JUST GET GENERAL FEEDBACK FROM THE PUBLIC ON, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT THE PUBLIC WOULD LIKE TO SEE HERE, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE THE PINCH POINTS, WHAT ARE THE CONSTRAINTS? THAT FIRST PUBLIC MEETING WAS VERY, VERY HEAVILY ATTENDED.

UM, AND WE GOT

[01:15:01]

ROBUST, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT FROM THE SURVEY THAT FOLLOWED THAT MEETING.

WE TOOK THE FEEDBACK THAT WE RECEIVED BOTH AT THE MEETING AND, UH, THROUGH THE SURVEY AND USED THAT TO INFORM BOTH THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES THAT GUIDED THIS PROJECT DEVELOPMENT, UM, AS WELL AS THE INITIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES.

UM, FOR THIS PROJECT, WE INITIALLY DEVELOPED FIVE SEPARATE, UM, ALTERNATIVES FOR, FOR CROSSINGS THAT COULD GET PEOPLE, UM, ACROSS LADY BIRD LAKE.

AND THEN WE WENT BACK TO THE PUBLIC, UM, WHILE WE WERE STILL IN PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING BEFORE ANY DECISIONS HAD BEEN MADE WITH THOSE FIVE, UM, ALTERNATIVES.

THAT SECOND MEETING WAS, WAS AN OPEN HOUSE, UM, WITH BOARDS SHOWING OPTIONS AS WELL AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE PUBLIC TO, UM, YOU KNOW, DRAW THEIR OWN OPTIONS OR, OR LIST ANY THINGS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MISSED.

UM, I WILL NOTE THAT THE, THE WISHBONE STRUCTURE WAS NOT ONE OF THE OPTIONS THAT WAS PRESENTED IN THAT PRELIMINARY PUBLIC MEETING.

THAT IDEA WAS ACTUALLY SUBMITTED BY SEVERAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS THROUGH THAT SECOND PUBLIC MEETING.

UM, SO AT THE END OF THAT MEETING, SIMILAR TO THE FIRST MEETING, THE TEAM REGATHERED WENT THROUGH OUR, OUR SURVEY DATA, UM, USED THAT TO INFORM HOW THE PROJECT WOULD PROCEED GOING FORWARD.

UM, THE, THE OPTION OF THE WISHBONE BRIDGE WAS BROUGHT TO OUR DESIGN ENGINEERS, UM, AND OUR STAKEHOLDERS AND EVERYONE AGREED THAT YES, THIS SERVES THE NEED OF BOTH CONTINUING, UM, MOVEMENT ALONG THE TRAIL AND PROVIDING NORTH SOUTH CONNECTIVITY.

SO WE CAME FORWARD WITH THE RECOMMENDED OPTION, UM, WRAPPED UP OUR PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING AND WENT BACK TO THE PUBLIC FOR A THIRD TIME BEFORE WE COMPLETED THE PRELIMINARY PHASE FOR ESSENTIALLY WHAT I WOULD CALL A DID WE GET IT RIGHT MEETING, UM, IN THAT MEETING AS OPPOSED TO THE FIRST TWO, UM, PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT WAS NOT THERE.

I THINK WE MIGHT'VE HAD ABOUT 10 FOLKS SHOW UP.

UM, THE PROJECT TEAM TOOK THAT AS TO TELL US THAT YEAH, WE GOT IT RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, WE SUBMITTED, UM, WE DID QUITE A BIT OF OUTREACH AFTER THE SECOND MEETING LISTING, YEP, THIS IS OUR PREFERRED OPTION.

UM, AND I THINK PEOPLE AGREED THAT, YES, THIS IS, THIS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE.

SO AT THAT POINT WE MOVED FORWARD, UM, WITH FINALIZING THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING.

UM, THE PROJECT AT THAT POINT, UM, WAS PUT ON HOLD AS WE AWAITED PROJECT FUNDING TO TAKE IT THROUGH DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION.

AND THAT FUNDING CAME AT THE END OF 2020, UM, WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE 2020 MOBILITY BOND.

AFTER THE BOND PASSED, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO GET OUR ENGINEER REENGAGED, UM, AND BY MAY OF THE NEXT YEAR START DETAILED DESIGN.

UM, BECAUSE WE HAD DONE SUCH A ROBUST PROCESS IN THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING PHASE, UM, AND ANSWERED MANY OF THE KIND OF QUESTIONS IN TERMS OF WHAT THE SCOPE WOULD BE, WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THROUGH DESIGN DEVELOPMENT VERY QUICKLY, UM, AND GET TO A PERMIT BY DECEMBER OF 2023, WHICH WAS ABOUT TWO AND A HALF YEARS FOR THE DESIGN ENGINEER.

UM, WHICH FOR, FOR CITY PROJECTS OF THIS SIZE AND COMPLEXITY, WHERE WE ARE BUILDING A BRIDGE DIRECTLY UPSTREAM OF A AUSTIN WATER CONTROLLED DAM IN A VERY LARGE, UM, RIVER THAT REQUIRED EXTENSIVE ENGAGEMENT WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF OUR STAKEHOLDERS WERE ON BOARD, UM, WITH THE PROJECT EARLY ON, UM, IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL.

SO CONSTRUCTION BEGAN IN JUNE OF 2024.

UM, AND WE REACHED SUBSTANTIAL COMPLETION THIS PAST DECEMBER IN 25.

UM, THIS PROJECT ORIGINALLY HAD A CONSTRUCTION DURATION DATE OF, OF 24 MONTHS, SO OUR CONTRACTOR WAS ACTUALLY ABLE TO DELIVER THIS PROJECT SIX MONTHS EARLY.

SO JUST A QUICK REVIEW KIND OF BY THE NUMBERS OF THIS PROJECT AND MAJOR OUTCOMES.

UH, THIS PROJECT WAS THE FIRST MAJOR INVITATION FOR BID, UH, PROJECT FROM THE 2020 BOND TO GO TO BID.

UM, AND THEN THIS PROJECT ALSO, YOU KNOW, LIKE AS I SAID, WE WERE ABLE TO CUT THE CONSTRUCTION DURATION DOWN FROM 18 MONTHS OR FROM 24 MONTHS TO 18 MONTHS.

UM, IN ADDITION, ONLY 1% OF OUR CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY WAS USED.

UM, AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO KINDA LOOK BACK ON PROJECTS LIKE THIS IN TERMS OF WHAT WENT RIGHT, WHAT WENT WRONG, AND I THINK THE PICTURE HERE IN THE RIGHT IS KIND OF A PERFECT EXAMPLE.

UM, SO WHAT THIS PICTURE SHOWS IS ACTUALLY, IT'S A, IT'S A DOCK THAT THE CONTRACTOR USED IN ORDER TO BUILD THE STRUCTURE.

THIS DOCK WAS NOT IN OUR DESIGN PLANS, IT WAS NOT IN OUR PERMIT.

UM, INSTEAD WE HAD A, A, A SECOND DOCK.

THAT IS ACTUALLY WHERE, WHERE THE BRIDGE ENDS THAT

[01:20:01]

WE HAD INTENDED TO BE THE CONTRACTOR'S ACCESS POINT.

BEFORE THIS PROJECT REACHED NOTICE TO PROCEED, THE CONTRACTOR APPROACHED, UM, THE CITY WITH THE IDEA OF BUILDING THE SEPARATE STRUCTURE, UM, A TEMPORARY FLOATING STRUCTURE SO THAT THEY COULD CONSTRUCT MORE QUICKLY.

UM, THIS REQUIRED THE CITY TEAM TO QUICKLY MOBILIZE WITH THE ENGINEER OF RECORD, MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS DOABLE, MAKE SURE THAT THIS WAS PERMITTABLE, UM, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY GET OUR RETURN ON INVESTMENT IF WE WENT WITH THIS APPROACH.

WE WERE ABLE TO GET ALL THAT DONE BEFORE THE PROJECT WENT TO NTP.

AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE CONTRACTOR WAS ABLE TO VERY, VERY QUICKLY GET THIS PROJECT BUILT.

UM, IN ADDITION, THROUGH THE PROCESS, WE REALIZED THAT ACTUALLY THIS STOCK HAS SOME PERMANENT FOUNDATION ELEMENTS, UM, AND HAS A PERFECT VIEW OF DOWNTOWN.

AS A RESULT OF US BEING ABLE TO SAVE ON THE CONSTRUCTION CONTINGENCY, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA TURN THIS AREA INTO A PERMANENT OVERLOOK.

UM, THAT WILL GIVE NOT ONLY THE CONTRACTOR AND THE FOLKS THAT ARE WORKING THERE THAT GREAT VIEW, BUT, BUT THE PUBLIC WILL ALSO BE ABLE TO ENJOY THAT VIEW OF DOWNTOWN.

SO THAT, THAT IS IT FOR ME.

I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON EITHER OF THOSE TWO BRIDGES.

ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE COMMITTEE? MAYOR PATAM BELLA THAT, UH, OVERLOOK THAT'S RIGHT BY UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE? OR IS IT JUST, JUST SOUTH OF THE BRIDGE? RIGHT, THAT, THAT'S, I SAW THAT PORTION.

SO THAT'S WHAT, AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE USING THE UNUSED CONTINGENCY FOR.

YES, WE WERE ABLE TO USE SOME OF THAT CONTINGENCY, YES.

WHAT WAS THE, UH, PERCENTAGE, UH, CONTINGENCY FOR THE PROJECT.

SO WE GO TYPICALLY WITH A 10% CONTINGENCY AND IT'S GONNA USE SIGNIFICANTLY LESS THAN THAT, SO.

THEY ARE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE.

UH, WELL AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS ON AN ON TIME ON BUDGET.

UH, EXCELLENT PROJECT.

I WENT OUT THERE FOR THE FIRST TIME THE OTHER DAY AND, UH, IT'S GORGEOUS.

IT IS QUITE REMARKABLE.

WE HAD A GREAT TIME AT THE RIBBON CUTTING FOR IT.

I KNOW IT WAS, UM, WELL ATTENDED.

I THINK THERE WERE PROBABLY LIKE A THOUSAND PEOPLE THERE.

IT WAS, THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE, THEY WERE ON THE HILLSIDES, THEY WERE LOOKING OVER THE RAILINGS, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WAS HAVING A GREAT TIME DOING THAT.

AND I THINK IT JUST GOES TO SHOW, YOU KNOW, BRIDGES ARE, THEY'RE NOT CHEAP, BUT THEY HAVE TO LAST A VERY LONG TIME.

THEY'RE IMPORTANT FOR CONNECTING OUR COMMUNITY AND MAKING SURE THAT FOLKS CAN GET WHERE THEY NEED TO BE SAFELY.

UM, AND WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE PUBLIC FOR OUR BOND DOLLARS, LIKE THIS ONE WAS THE 2020 MOBILITY BOND.

I KNOW WE HAD SOME HELP FROM, UM, CONGRESSMAN KOSAR TO HELP KIND OF MOVE THIS, THIS ALONG AND MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS, WAS FEASIBLE.

BUT, YOU KNOW, THE OLD BRIDGE ON SOUTH PLEASANT VALLEY WAS NOT FUNCTIONAL.

IT WAS JUST LIKE A LITTLE COW PATH THAT YOU COULDN'T EVEN GET YOUR BIKE CANDLES SQUEEZED THROUGH WITH ALL OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.

AND SO I'M APPRECIATIVE OF ALL THE WORK THAT STAFF HAS DONE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT BRIDGE WORKS, THAT THE WISHBONE BRIDGE HAS BEEN DELIVERED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE.

UM, WE ALWAYS LOVE TO SEE THAT AND THAT THE COMMUNITY WAS INVOLVED IN THE CONVERSATION AROUND WHAT IT SHOULD LOOK LIKE.

AND SO IT'S SOMETHING EVERYONE CAN REALLY GET BEHIND AND EVERYBODY CAN BE PROUD OF, PROUD OF.

UM, DID YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNCIL MEMBER LANE? I ALSO HAVE A COMMENT.

, OKAY, GO FOR IT.

AS BOTH OF YOU, I ALSO WANTED TO CONGRATULATE YOU ON THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT.

UM, IT ALL, IT TAKES VISION TO PUT SO MUCH WORK INTO THE EARLIEST STAGES OF A PROJECT.

UM, AND SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT.

AND ALSO, I JUST WANTED TO SAY HOW HELPFUL IT WAS FOR ME, THE SPECIFICITY WITH WHICH YOU LAID OUT WHAT THE KEYS TO SUCCESS WERE IN THIS CASE.

SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

APPRECIATE IT.

AND I GOT WORD THAT THERE MAY HAVE BEEN 20,000 PEOPLE THERE, SO IT, I MEAN, IT WAS GRIDLOCKED, IT WAS PEOPLE TRYING TO GET OFF THE BRIDGE, PEOPLE TRYING TO GET ON THE BRIDGE, AND NO ONE COULD PICK A LANE.

SO HOPEFULLY IT'S ALL BEEN SORTED OUT NOW THAT A FEW WEEKS HAVE GONE BY AND EVERYONE HAS HAD AMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO GO AND CHECK IT OUT WHEN IT'S LESS POPULATED.

BUT IT WAS CERTAINLY A, A BIG MOMENT FOR AUSTIN, TEXAS, AND I THINK SOMETHING THAT WAS GENERATIONAL, TO BE ABLE TO SEE SOMETHING ACTUALLY GO FROM THOUGHT TO DELIVERED IN THAT SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME.

AND WHEN YOU GO ACROSS THE PFLUGER BRIDGE OR OTHER PLACES THAT PEOPLE CAN, CAN GET IN TOWN, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY BIG MOMENT TO BE ABLE TO POINT TO SOMETHING AND SAY, WE DID THAT AND EVERYBODY CAN NOW ENJOY IT.

SO I THINK THAT DOES IT FOR THIS PRESENTATION.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE.

FIVE, THE BRIEFING REGARDING THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT.

LET'S TAKE UP ITEM NUMBER

[5. Briefing regarding Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. [Kristin Pipkin, Consulting Engineer - Austin Transportation Public Works]]

GOOD AFTERNOON COMMITTEE MEMBERS, RICHARD MENDOZA, DIRECTOR OF TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS.

I'M JOINED BY MS. KRISTEN PIPKIN, OUR, UM, MANAGING ENGINEER IN SPECIAL PROJECTS.

AND, UM, SHE IS GOING TO PROVIDE AN UPDATE ON THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT,

[01:25:01]

UM, PROGRAM.

AS YOU MAY RECALL, UM, APPROXIMATELY 18 MONTHS AGO, THE CITY OF AUSTIN WAS VERY FORTUNATE AND RECEIVED A OVER $48 MILLION GRANT FROM THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY TO APPLY THREE DIFFERENT STRATEGIES TO REDUCE, UH, OUR CARBON FOOTPRINT AND, UH, UH, EMISSIONS WITHIN OUR CITY.

WE SPENT MUCH OF LAST YEAR IN THE PLANNING STAGES, AND I'M PRETTY HAPPY TO REPORT THAT MOVING INTO THE SECOND YEAR, YOU'RE GONNA SEE EXECUTION IMPLEMENTATION ON ALL FRONTS OF THOSE THREE STRATEGIES.

SO WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MS. PIPKIN.

THANK YOU, RICHARD.

UH, GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, COMMITTEE MEMBERS.

UH, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE TODAY.

UH, AGAIN, MY NAME IS KRISTEN PIPKIN, AND I'LL BE BRIEFING YOU ON THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT.

TODAY'S DISCUSSION WILL PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE GRANT, INCLUDING THE INVESTMENTS IT SUPPORTS OUR CURRENT PROGRESS, AND THE OPPORTUNITIES IT BRINGS TO OUR COMMUNITY.

BY THE END OF THIS BRIEFING, MY GOAL IS FOR YOU TO HAVE A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE GRANT GOALS AND WHERE WE STAND ON THE OVERALL PROCESS.

SO WHAT IS THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT? UH, THE CLIMATE POLLUTION REDUCTION GRANT, OR CPRG ENABLES US TO IMPLEMENT TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES THAT KEEP PEOPLE MOVING DURING AN UNPRECEDENTED 10 TO 15 YEARS OF REGIONAL ROADWAY CONSTRUCTION AND CONTINUED POPULATION GROWTH.

THIS GRANT POSITIONS AUSTIN AND THE CENTRAL TEXAS REGION TO PROACTIVELY MANAGE CONGESTION, REDUCE CLIMATE POLLUTION AND SUPPORT RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES THROUGH MAJOR, UH, MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE TRANSITIONS.

THE TOTAL GRANT AWARD IS 47.8 MILLION, AND THE GRANT TERM IS FOR FIVE YEARS.

UM, AS RICHARD MENTIONED, THE GRANT TERM BEGAN IN JANUARY OF 2025, AND IT WILL END IN DECEMBER OF 2029.

THE FIRST YEAR WAS THE PLANNING YEAR, AND THIS YEAR IS THE FIRST YEAR OF GRANT ACTIVATION IN IMPLEMENTATION.

SO HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE SET THE GOALS FOR CPRG? CPRG MEASURES SUCCESS THROUGH A KEY METRIC VEHICLE MILES TRAVELED, OR V MTS VMT REDUCTIONS DIRECTLY CORRELATE TO REDUCTIONS IN CARBON EMISSIONS.

IF WE CAN REDUCE V MTS, WE CAN REDUCE CARBON EMISSIONS.

CPGS GOAL IS TO REDUCE REGIONAL V MTS BY 39 30 9 MILLION MILES OVER A FIVE YEAR GRANT PERIOD.

WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHILE IT SOUNDS DAUNTING WHEN BROKEN DOWN, THIS MEANS 820 PEOPLE PER DAY TRAVELING BY RIDE, SHARE, BIKE, BUS, OR SCOOTER INSTEAD OF, INSTEAD OF DRIVING IN A CAR ALONE.

IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE A VISION LIKE THIS, IT TRULY TAKES A VILLAGE.

FOR CPRG, WE ARE WORKING WITH OUR INCREDIBLE REGIONAL PARTNERS AT TXDOT, CAP COG CARTS, CAMPO CAP, METRO, AND MOVABILITY ON THIS WORK.

I, OKAY.

SO FOR AN INITIAL STEP, IN ORDER FOR US TO GET STARTED, OUR TEAM GATHERED COMMUNITY INPUT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT MOST INFLUENCES PEOPLE'S TRANSPORTATION DECISIONS.

WE USED A MIX OF OUTREACH METHODS THAT INCLUDED AN ONLINE SURVEY, FOCUS GROUPS, AND IN-PERSON INTERCEPTS.

ALTOGETHER, WE COLLECTED FEEDBACK FROM APPROXIMATELY 1700 COMMUNITY MEMBERS, NOT ONLY IN AUSTIN, BUT ALSO WITHIN THE REGION.

THE RESULTS WERE CLEAR MORE THAN 72% OF OUR RESPONDENTS RELY ON THEIR PERSONAL VEHICLE.

THE TOP FACTORS INFLUENCING TRAVEL DECISIONS ARE CONVENIENCE, SAFETY, AND TIME.

THIS EXERCISE SERVED AS AN IMPORTANT LEVEL SETTING MOMENT AS WE DESIGN STRATEGIES THAT MEET PEOPLE WHERE THEY ARE AND ADDRESS THE REALITIES OF DAILY TRAVEL WITHIN OUR REGION.

WITH THE COMMUNITY FEEDBACK IN MIND, THE TEAM IS USING THREE KEY MEASURES TO REACH OUR VMT GOALS, WHILE ALSO REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS.

MEASURE ONE IS FOCUSED ON IMPROVING, IMPROVING EXISTING TRANSIT SERVICES THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIPS WITH CAP METRO AND WITH CARTS.

MEASURE TWO FOCUSES FOCUSES ON INVESTING IN TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT INFRASTRUCTURE, WHICH INCLUDES MOBILITY HUBS,

[01:30:01]

BIKE AND PED COUNTERS, AND AIR QUALITY SENSORS.

AND MEASURE THREE IS TO INTRODUCE TRAVEL OPTIONS THROUGH, UH, AND THIS WILL BE DONE THROUGH A-A-T-D-M MOBILE PLATFORM, ALSO THROUGH A MARKETING AND EDUCATIONAL CAMPAIGN AND THROUGH DIRECT INCENTIVES.

SO, TO FOCUS A LITTLE BIT MORE IN ON, ON MEASURE ONE AS PART OF MEASURE ONE, OUR TEAM PARTNERED WITH CAP METRO AND CARTS TO IDENTIFY NEW AND ENHANCED TRANSIT SERVICES THAT SUPPORT OUR VEHICLE.

MILES TRAVELED REDUCTION GOALS.

THIS MAP HIGHLIGHTS BOTH ACTIVE AND PROPOSED TRANSIT SERVICES THAT ARE PLANNED FOR 2026.

THE HIGHLIGHTS, UH, HIGHLIGHTS ON THE MAP ARE, ARE THE FOLLOWING.

THE CARTS, UH, 2026, UH, STRATEGY PROVIDES KEY OPPORTUNITIES TO EXTEND OUR WORK BEYOND AUSTIN AND FULLY ENGAGE WITH OUR RURAL AND SUBURBAN COMMUNITIES IN A REGIONAL MOBILITY SOLUTION.

WE ARE ALSO ABLE TO CAPTURE GREATER, GREATER VMT REDUCTIONS RE REDUCTIONS BY PARTNERING WITH CARTS IN THESE, UH, SUBURBAN AND RURAL OPTIONS WITH CAP METRO.

OUR 2026 STRATEGY FOCUSES ON COMMUNITIES AND ROUTES MOST AFFECTED BY THE I 35 CONSTRUCTION, ENSURING THAT TRANSIT REMAINS A RELIABLE OPTION DURING THE YEARS OF DISRUPTION.

CAP METRO HAS ALSO PROPOSED AN EAST WEST CIRCULATOR SERVICE TO HELP PEOPLE MOVE ACROSS 35 MORE EASILY WHILE UNDER CON, WHILE, WHILE I 35 IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION STRENGTHENING CONNECTIVITY DURING THIS CRITICAL PERIOD.

AS PART OF THIS MEASURE, OUR TEAM PLANS TO REVIEW SERVICES IN PARTNERSHIP WITH CAT METRO AND CARTS AND CONSIDER POTENTIAL ADJUSTMENTS.

ADJUSTMENTS WILL BE BASED ON CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS, AVAILABLE RESOURCES, OPERATING COSTS, AND THE RIDERSHIP IMPACT ON OUR VMT GOALS.

RIGHT NOW, WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THE PROCESS FOR IDENTIFYING ANY POTENTIAL SERVICE ADJUSTMENTS FOR 2027.

SO, MOVING ON, UH, TO MEASURE TWO AS PART OF MEASURE TWO TWO, OUR TEAM IS BUILDING 40 MOBILITY HUBS AT A RATE OF APPROXIMATELY 10 PER YEAR, INSTALLING 50 NEW BIKE AND PET COUNTERS, AND 50 NEW AIR QUALITY SENSORS, INCLUDING ONE MOBILE, UH, SENSOR THAT WILL BE INSTALLED ON A CAP METRO BUS.

THIS MAP HIGHLIGHTS THE LOCATIONS, UH, OR THE SITE SELECTED FOR 2025 AND 2026 IN 2025.

UH, AS PART, UH, EVEN DURING OR RUNNING CONCURRENTLY WITH OUR, WITH OUR PLANNING, OUR OUR PLANNING YEAR, WE WERE ABLE TO GO AHEAD AND ADVANCE THE INSTALLATION OF 15 NEW BIKE AND PED COUNTERS THAT YEAR.

THIS YEAR, 20 BIKE AND P COUNTERS WILL BE INSTALLED.

10 MOBIL, 10 MOBILITY HUBS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED, AND 20 AIR QUALITY SENSORS WILL BE INSTALLED THROUGHOUT OUR REGION.

THE TEAM WILL, ANNUALLY, ANNUALLY REVIEW THE NEW SITES OVER THE LIFE OF THE GRANT FOR MEASURE THREE, OUR MEASURE THREE AS PART OF MEASURE THREE KEY, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES TO PROMOTE MOST SHIFTS ARE PERFORMED BY OUR PARTNERS AT MOVABILITY.

MOVABILITY SUPPORTS LARGE SCALE EMPLOYER, UH, EMPLOYER TD AND PLANNING EFFORTS, SCHOOL POOL, AND CHALLENGES THAT PROMOTE TRYING ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.

OOPS.

HOW DID WE, ALRIGHT, THANKS.

IN ADDITION, MEASURE THREE FOCUSES ON A LARGE SCALE, UH, MARKETING CAMPAIGN.

THE GOAL IS TO DEVELOP A DIVERSE AND INCLUSIVE REGIONAL MARKETING CAMPAIGN FOR AUSTIN AND CENTRAL TEXAS.

OUR TEAM EXECUTED A CONTRACT WITH C PLUS C, UH, THE MARKETING COMPANY THIS MONTH.

SO MORE INFORMATION IS TO COME ON ON THIS ITEM.

IN ADDITION, IN MEASURE THREE, WE, WE HAVE FUNDING FOR A TRANSPORTATION WALLET AND CASH FOR COMMUTERS.

BOTH PILOT PROGRAMS, UH, ARE TO KICK OFF LATER THIS YEAR.

THE TRANSPORTATION WALLET WILL PROVIDE, WILL PROVIDE UP TO 70 LOW INCOME RESIDENTS WITH A BENEFITS CARD.

THE PILOT PROGRAM IS COORDINATED WITH HAKA, UH, AUSTIN PUBLIC HEALTH AND WORKFORCE SOLUTIONS TO DISTRIBUTE THE BENEFITS CARDS TO OUR COMMUNITY MEMBERS FOR CASH FOR COMMUTERS.

THIS WILL OFFER CASH FOR EMPLOYEES TRAVELING TO AND FROM WORK.

AS I MENTIONED THIS, THESE ARE BOTH PILOT PROGRAMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY, UH, BEING DEVELOPED.

SO MORE INFORMATION TO COME ON BOTH THE, THE LAYOUT OF THE PROGRAM AND THEN SOME OF THE IN INITIAL,

[01:35:01]

UH, FINDINGS FROM IT IN, IN FUTURE UPDATES.

AND FINALLY, THROUGH MEASURE THREE, WE ARE DEVELOPING A REGIONAL T DIUM, UH, MOBILE PLATFORM AS PART OF CTX GO.

CTX GO IS A ONE-STOP SHOP THAT INCLUDES A MOBILE APP AND A WEBSITE TO PROVIDE CONSTRUCTION RELATED UPDATES AND RESOURCES.

IN ADDITION, IT WILL BE A REGIONAL HUB FOR TRIP PLANNING USING ALL MODES OF TRANSPORTATION AND CASH INCENTIVES FOR USING ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.

SO HOW WILL THIS WORK? THE APP WILL PROVIDE ONE CENTRALIZED PLATFORM FOR AGENCIES TO ENTER LANE CLOSURE DATA, LANE CLOSURE DATA IN REAL TIME TRAFFIC INFORMATION.

USING THIS INFORMATION, AGENCIES WILL BE ABLE TO INFORM THE PUBLIC ABOUT CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS ALT OFFER, ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF TRAVEL AND INCENTIVES TO ENCOURAGE OUR COMMUNITY TO USE ALTERNATIVE MODES OF TRANSPORTATION.

THIS APP IS CURRENTLY UNDER DEVELOPMENT AND IS SCHEDULED TO BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC LATER THIS YEAR.

AND, AND WITH THAT, UM, I WILL BE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, REGARDING THE GRANT AND THE UPDATE.

UH, HOW, HOW IS THE SCOPE DETERMINED ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT WE CAN SPEND THE MONEY ON? I KNOW THERE'S USUALLY FEDERAL GUIDELINES, UM, BUT DID THE CITY PUT ANY GUARDRAILS AROUND LIKE, WHAT EXACTLY ARE WE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH OR CAN IT GO TOWARD ANYTHING THAT IS INCLUDED AS FAR AS IT REDUCES CLIMATE POLLUTION? THE, THE GRANT REQUIREMENTS, THE MEASURE THREE KIND OF, I GUESS ARE THE CATEGORIES OF WORK AT WHICH WE CAN SPEND THE GRANT FUNDING ON THAT WAS PUT FORTH AS PART OF THE CITY'S PROPOSAL WHEN THEY INITIALLY DEVELOPED IT.

SO THOSE DECISIONS WERE MADE AT THAT TIME.

SO WE DO HAVE TO STAY WITHIN, UH, I GUESS THE SCOPE OF WORK THAT IS KIND OF DESCRIBED FOR MEASURE ONE, TWO, OR THREE.

SO MEASURE ONE THAT FUNDING NEEDS TO GO TOWARDS THIS, THE, THE TRANSIT SERVICE OPTIONS, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE YOU, YOU COULDN'T USE IT FOR A DIFFERENT, A DIFFERENT TYPE OF WORK AS ONE EXAMPLE.

SO IF WE CAME UP WITH SOME NEW IDEA, WE COULDN'T GO BACK AND ADJUST WHAT WE HAD SAID WE WOULD USE IT ON AT THIS POINT, RIGHT? I, I DON'T THINK AT THIS TIME, NO.

AND, AND WHEN YOU SAY, AND WHEN YOU SAY MAKE A CHANGE, I GUESS IT'S KIND OF, I'M KIND OF CURIOUS TO KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WOULD BE IF IT'S CONSISTENT WITH THE SCOPE, THAT IS ONE THING, BUT IF IT, IF IT KIND OF GETS OUTSIDE OF WHAT WE HAVE ESTABLISHED AS PART OF THE SPIRIT OF WHAT THAT MEASURE'S SUPPOSED TO BE, THEN WE CAN'T GO BACK TO THE EPA AND MAKE THAT CHANGE.

GOTCHA.

I WAS THINKING BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SUCH SUCCESS WITH OUR MOBILITY BONDS, TRYING TO HELP ENHANCE THOSE PROGRAMS, BUT IT DOESN'T SOUND LIKE AT THIS STAGE THAT BIKE LANE SHARED USE PATH FIRST MILE LAST MILE WOULD QUALIFY.

NOT, NO, NOT, NOT AT THIS TIME.

AND I MEAN, OUR, OUR TEAM ACTUALLY IS, IS I GUESS HAS A SEPARATE GRANT.

THE TASSA GRANT THAT IS, IS, IS WORKING ON, ON SOME OF THOSE OTHER ALTERNATIVE SOLUTIONS TOO, LIKE WITH THE BIKE SHARE STATIONS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.

BUT THOSE SOLUTIONS CANNOT BE DONE AS PART OF THIS GRANT.

I APPRECIATE THAT.

I KNOW THAT THE FEDERAL GRANT OPPORTUNITIES HAVE CHANGED PRETTY DRASTICALLY OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS MM-HMM .

AND SO I KNOW THAT OVER THIS CONVERSATION THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, THIS IS GOOD FOR THAT USE AND THIS PROGRAM'S GOOD FOR THAT USE, BUT NOW SOME OF THEM ARE EITHER SPENT OR CANCELED AND MM-HMM .

I CAN ONLY IMAGINE.

IT'S A LOT OF WORK TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WHAT IS AVAILABLE THESE DAYS IS SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT COMPREHENSIVELY AS A DEPARTMENT, UM, GIVEN THAT SOME OF OUR OTHER LIKE NEIGHBORHOOD ACCESS AND EQUITY, YOU KNOW, $105 MILLION NO LONGER ON THE TABLE.

UM, AND I'M SURE THAT AFFECTS THE OVERALL SCOPE OF WHAT WE WERE HOPING TO GET FOR FEDERAL GRANT DOLLARS.

RIGHT.

I MEAN, I, I THINK KIND OF GIVEN THE LANDSCAPE AND THE, AND THE CHANGES OF, OF, OF HOW FEDERAL FUNDING, HOW FEDERAL, UH, FUNDING IS BEING SPENT, OUR PLAN AS A PROGRAM AND OUR STRATEGIES IS TO STAY AS CONSISTENT AND ON POINT WITH WHAT WE HAD PROPOSED IN THE APPLICATION.

UH, I THINK THAT KEEPS US KIND OF INSULATED FROM ANY POTENTIAL CHANGES OR OVERSIGHT.

UM, SO I THINK IT'S, IT'S BEST FOR US AS A TEAM TO KIND OF JUST STAY VERY CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE, UH, WITH WHAT THE GRANT HAD ORIGINALLY PROPOSED.

I SEE.

AND IS CONVERSATION AROUND ALL THE TDM AND INFRASTRUCTURE NEEDS, UM, ARE Y'ALL LOOKING AT THIS STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN TO HELP ENHANCE THOSE? I KNOW THE COUNCIL JUST APPROVED 5 MILLION MORE DOLLARS FOR A CAP METRO ROUTE, BUT IT DIDN'T GO WEST OF GUADALUPE.

AND I'M REALLY CURIOUS AS WE TRY TO HIT OUR MODE SHIFT GOALS, UM, HOW WE'RE TAPPING INTO FOLKS THAT HAVE SUCH LIMITED OPTIONS NOW.

MM-HMM

[01:40:01]

YOU KNOW, IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, WELL, YOU'VE GOT A 30 MINUTE BUS ROUTE AND WE'RE GONNA CHANGE IT TO 15, OR WE'RE GONNA, UM, BE ABLE TO CREATE A LOOP WHERE WE DON'T HAVE A LOOP RIGHT NOW, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE FOLKS THAT DON'T HAVE ENOUGH BUS SERVICE MM-HMM .

LIKE HOW DO WE TAP INTO THAT POPULATION AND GET FOLKS TO ENTER THE, UM, THE MODE SHIFT CONVERSATION IN A WAY THAT OTHER PARTS OF TOWN HAVE HAD ACCESS TO FOR A VERY LONG TIME? AND, AND I WOULD AGREE THAT, AND THAT IS A HOT TOPIC, UH, UH, AMONGST OUR TEAM AS WELL, UH, BECAUSE WE, AND AS I MENTIONED IN THE PRESENTATION, WE HAVE TO MEET PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY WHERE WE ARE AT RIGHT NOW, WHICH MEANS THERE ARE CERTAIN REALITIES THAT WE HAVE TODAY ON, FOR INSTANCE, WHERE TRANSIT SERVICES CURRENTLY OFFERED.

IF THEY DON'T HAVE OPTION OPTIONS FOR THAT, WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS? WHAT ARE OTHER MOBILITY SOLUTIONS THAT WE CAN PROVIDE THOSE COMMUNITIES? AND SO THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE ARE HAVING AND IT, IT COULD BE A RIDE SHARE OPTION THAT THAT MIGHT BE THE DIRECTION WE HAVE TO GO IN SOME OF THOSE PLACES.

BUT THAT IS DEFINITELY FRONT AND CENTER ON OUR MINDS TOO.

AND, AND WE, AND WE DO RECOGNIZE THAT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF SERVICES, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT CONSISTENT ON THE LEVEL OF SERVICE IN, IN THE DIFFERENT REGIONS OF THE CITY.

SO HOW DO WE CLOSE THOSE GAPS? UM, KNOWING THAT OUR OVERALL GOAL IS, IS MOST SHIFTING AND, AND TO REDUCE VM TS REDUCE, UH, TRAFFIC CONGESTION THROUGHOUT THE REGION.

UM, AND WE HAVE TO START WITH WHERE, WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW TO DO THAT.

I APPRECIATE IT.

I KNOW THE BA CANYON LAND PRESERVE IS COMING UP ON A MAJOR ANNIVERSARY AND THINKING ABOUT THE MOST ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE PARTS OF TOWN, HAVING THE LEAST ACCESS TO ANYTHING OTHER THAN DRIVE ALONE IN YOUR CAR.

IS SOMETHING I AM TRYING TO WORK THROUGH RIGHT NOW MM-HMM .

SO I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE YOUR EYES ON IT AND APPRECIATE IT.

YEAH, WE DO.

WHICH HAS A VERY LONG TITLE, BUT I CALL IT AFFECTIONATELY THE DIRECTOR'S REPORT.

ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DON'T THINK SO.

WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT TOPIC AND IT IS GOING TO BE NUMBER SIX,

[6. Report by Austin Transportation and Public Works related to ongoing mobility programs and projects in the Central Texas region, including construction and service updates: monthly updates on the projects and operations of critical infrastructure departments. [Richard Mendoza, Director - Austin Transportation Public Works].]