[00:00:04]
IT IS THE. THIS IS THE AUGUST 19TH, 2026 MEETING OF THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION.
[CALL TO ORDER ]
IT'S THE REGULAR CALLED MEETING AND THE TIME IS 530 FOR.THE FIRST ITEM IS THE CALL OF THE ROLL. SO, RYAN, WOULD YOU MIND DOING THAT? CHAIR. ISHMAEL. OH, CHAIR ISHMAEL, I DIDN'T HEAR YOU.
OH. DOING ROLL CALL. YES, YES, YES. DO THE ROLL CALL.
VICE CHAIR EVANSON HERE. COMMISSIONER. BUKTA PRESENT.
COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER CARROLL. PRESENT COMMISSIONER.
SILVA. COMMISSIONER. CHEN. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER.
SHIFFORD. PRESENT. COMMISSIONER. FANG. COMMISSIONER TANIGUCHI.
COMMISSIONER FANG. ARE YOU ABLE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF? COMMISSIONER. WILEY. HERE. COMMISSIONER. HOUSTON.
PRESIDENT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. BERNARD. HERE.
COMMISSIONER. MCDANIEL. HERE. COMMISSIONER. FRANKLIN.
ABLE TO UNMUTE YOURSELF? YES. HERE. THANK YOU.
ALL RIGHT. IT APPEARS WE HAVE A QUORUM. NEXT ITEM IS PUBLIC COMMUNICATION.
DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMUNICATION? WE DO NOT SHARE. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ITEM IS TO REVIEW AND APPROVE THE MINUTES FROM OUR LAST MEETING.
[1. Approve the minutes of the Downtown Commission regular meeting of June 17, 2026]
HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO DO THAT? CAN I GET A MOTION TO ACCEPT? SO MOVED. SECOND, THAT. COMMISSIONER LEVINSON MOVED AND COMMISSIONER BUKTA SECONDED.ALL IN FAVOR? AYE, AYE. ANY OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.
[1. Presentation regarding progress on the I-35 expansion. Presentation by Christiana Astarita, IH-35 Capital Express Central, Downtown Project Manager; and Tommy Abrego, IH-35 Capital Express Central, University Project Manager. (Part 1 of 2)]
NOW WE MOVE ON TO THE MEAT OF OUR AGENDA. AND FIRST UP IS A PRESENTATION REGARDING PROGRESS ON THE I-35 EXPANSION PRESENTATION BY CHRISTIANA ASTRIA. I-35, CAPITAL EXPRESS, CENTRAL DOWNTOWN PROJECT MANAGER, AND TOMMY ABREGO. I AGE 35. CAPITAL EXPRESS, CENTRAL UNIVERSITY PROJECT MANAGER.OKAY, HERE WE GO. YES. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.
CAN YOU ALL SEE ME? OKAY. I DON'T SEE YOU, I HEAR YOU, WE HEAR YOU, AND WE SEE YOUR YOU KNOW, YOUR PROJECT. OKAY? AND I SEE YOU ALL ARE ALREADY SHARING THE PRESENTATION, SO I DON'T NEED TO SHARE MY SCREEN.
CORRECT. I THINK WE ARE ALL GOOD. LET ME YEAH, START THIS SHOW VIDEO AGAIN.
WHILE SHE'S DOING THAT I IT'S REALLY HARD TO HEAR TODAY.
LIKE THE SOUND SYSTEM SEEMS TO BE MESSED UP AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, BUT.
OKAY, I DON'T KNOW IF IT CAN BE FIXED, BUT SOMETHING'S OFF.
OKAY. APOLOGIES. CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT YOU.
IT'S IT'S SOMETHING. IT'S IN HERE IN THE ROOM.
BUT YES, YOU WE WE HEAR YOU LOUD AND CLEAR. OKAY, GREAT.
I'M NOT SURE WHAT'S WHAT'S GOING ON WITH MY VIDEO SETTINGS HERE.
BUT I CAN GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED WITH THE PRESENTATION, IF THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
THAT'S GREAT. WE ACTUALLY, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT.
THIS IS RYAN. WE DO NEED ANYBODY WHO'S SPEAKING ON VIDEO TO HAVE THEIR CAMERA ON AT ALL TIMES.
THEY'RE SPEAKING. ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU HELP ME THROUGH THIS? USUALLY WE USE TEAMS RATHER THAN WEBEX.
I'M GOING DOWN TO THE BOTTOM OF THE SCREEN WHERE IT SAYS START VIDEO.
IS THAT WHAT I CLICK ON TO SHOW CAMERA? YES. OKAY.
YOU SAW YOU HAD YOUR CAMERA ON BEFORE? YEAH, IT WAS A MINUTE AGO.
LET'S DO THIS AGAIN. YEAH. FOR SOME REASON IT'S NOT.
OH. MANY APOLOGIES. WHEN I DID A PREVIEW, IT SHOWED. GOODNESS SAKES.
[00:05:15]
IT'S THE HEAT. I THINK WE CAN ALL EMPATHIZE. I HAVE A SPANISH CLASS THAT I DO IN THE MORNINGS, AND I CAN'T EVEN TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES EITHER THE CAMERA DIDN'T WORK OR THE SPEAKER DIDN'T WORK.AND WE WERE LIKE, OKAY, WE HAVE TO POSTPONE. OKAY.
IF YOU'RE USING WEBEX ON YOUR BROWSER, TRY USING THE DESKTOP APP OR VICE VERSA.
THOSE CAN THAT CAN FIX THINGS SOMETIMES. OKAY.
LET ME CLOSE OUT. COME BACK IN. SORRY. AT LEAST YOU DIDN'T PUT ON THE CAT FILTER LIKE THE GUY DOING.
RYAN, IS IT POSSIBLE THAT WE SKIP THIS PRESENTATION AND COME BACK TO IT LATER AND LET HER? YEAH, THIS CAN BE YOU CAN TAKE UP ANOTHER ITEM BEFORE THIS ONE IF THE COMMISSION WOULD LIKE TO.
OKAY. MAYBE WE SHOULD TAKE UP THE CONFERENCE.
YEAH. AND, RYAN, I STILL CAN'T HEAR YOU VERY WELL FOR SOME REASON.
I DON'T KNOW THAT YOUR SPEAKERS. OH. THAT'S BETTER.
THAT'S BETTER. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. THIS IS GOOD.
[2. Presentation regarding the opening of The Confluence. Presentation by John Rigdon, Chief Planning and Design Officer, Waterloo Greenway]
PRESENTATION BY JOHN RIGDEN, CHIEF PLANNING AND DESIGN OFFICER, WATERLOO GREENWAY.AND WE HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE HERE ALSO.
ALL RIGHT. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? YES. ALL RIGHT.
WELL, I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE MELISSA AYALA, WHO'S OUR VICE PRESIDENT OF GOVERNMENT RELATIONS. AND WE'RE THRILLED TO BE HERE TODAY TO GIVE YOU AN UPDATE ON THE WATERLOO GREENWAY PROJECT.
WILL I ASK YOU ALL TO ADVANCE OR WILL THIS ADVANCE SLIDES HERE? OKAY.
WELL, WE CAN JUST SIT UP HERE AND TALK WITH YOU ALL TOO, IF THIS DOESN'T WORK OUT. SO NO PROBLEMS HAVING TECH PROBLEMS TODAY, CLEARLY. ALL RIGHT. IT IS WORKING WELL. THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE YOU ALL AN UPDATE ON THE PROJECT.
I WANTED TO GIVE YOU ALL AN OVERALL KIND OF REVIEW OF WHAT WE'VE DONE TO DATE, A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ON THE BACKGROUND AND FOCUS ON THE CONFLUENCE THAT WE JUST OPENED, AS WELL AS WHAT'S AHEAD. SO, YOU KNOW, AT THE HEART OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THIS MAY BE OLD NEWS TO MANY OF Y'ALL, BUT WAS THE FLOOD CONTROL TUNNEL THAT THE CITY OF AUSTIN INVESTED IN? THIS FLOOD CONTROL TUNNEL, TOOK 28 ACRES OF DOWNTOWN LAND OUT OF THE FLOODPLAIN, AND ALSO LED TO THE FOUNDING OF THE CRITICAL PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY TO DO SOMETHING EXCEPTIONAL WITH THE PUBLIC SPACE THAT CAME OUT OF THAT LAND.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT LED TO THE FORMATION OF, AT THE TIME, WALLER CREEK CONSERVANCY, A 501 C THREE NONPROFIT AND A PUBLIC PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. NOW WE'RE WATERLOO GREENWAY CONSERVANCY, BUT THE PARTNERSHIP REMAINS AND IS INCREDIBLY CRITICAL TO THE WORK WE'RE DOING.
THEY APPROVE ALL CONTRACTS AND ADVANCE FUNDING FOR THE PROJECT.
SO THE BIG IDEA WAS AN INTERNATIONAL DESIGN COMPETITION IN 2012 THAT LED TO THE SELECTION OF THE MICHAEL VAN VALKENBURG AND ASSOCIATES DESIGN BY AN INDEPENDENT JURY OF EXPERTS. AND THAT REALLY LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE EXECUTION OF THE DIFFERENT PHASES THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST DECADE PLUS.
HARD TO BELIEVE TIME HAS REALLY FLOWN BY. BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN 13 YEARS NOW THAT THIS WORK HAS BEEN DESIGNED AND EXECUTED SINCE THAT COMPETITION. THE BIG IDEA WAS CREATING THIS INTERCONNECTED CHAIN OF PARKS THAT STITCHED TOGETHER WITH THE SURROUNDING AREAS OF THE COMMUNITY, REALLY MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, THE SUM WAS GREATER THAN THE PARTS.
AND I'LL GET BACK TO THAT AT THE END AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN TO DATE, BUT IT REALLY LAID THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE PHASES THAT WE'VE OPENED SO FAR, AND MVVA HAS DONE GREAT CITY SHAPING PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTRY LIKE BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK, THE SAINT LOUIS ARCH GROUNDS AND THE GATHERING PLACE IN TULSA MORE RECENTLY.
SO LOTS OF LARGE SCALE URBAN KIND OF CITY SHAPING PROJECTS, NOT JUST PARKS.
[00:10:02]
AND THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO HOW, HOW WE SEE THIS PROJECT AS WELL. SO WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE CITY TO EXECUTE THIS IN PHASES.SO PHASE ONE WAS WATERLOO PARK AND THE MOODY AMPHITHEATER.
WE WE OPENED THAT IN AUGUST OF 2021. SO WE JUST PASSED OUR FIVE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OPENING WATERLOO PARK, WHICH IS A MAJOR, EXCITING MILESTONE FOR US. IT'S TEN AND A HALF ACRES.
IT'S PROBABLY THE MOST TRADITIONAL PARK SPACE YOU WILL SEE ON THE GREENWAY.
YOU KNOW, IT'S BOUNDED ON FOUR SIDES BY STREETS, WHICH IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE CONFLUENCE AND A MAJOR REVITALIZATION OF THE PARK WITH THE LANDSCAPE PLANTING 90,000 PLANTS AND 500 TREES, BUT ALSO A LARGE PUBLIC EVENT SPACE AT THE HEART OF THAT WHICH IS THE MOODY AMPHITHEATER.
AND SO THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO BE A HOME FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS OF ALL SIZES, BUT ALSO IMPORTANTLY, BEING THIS NEW CONCERT VENUE FOR AUSTIN, WHICH HELPS GENERATE REVENUE.
AND ALL OF THAT REVENUE GOES BACK INTO SUPPORTING THE OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE OF THE PARK SPACES.
AND NOW WE HAVE THIS DOWNTOWN VENUE WHERE WE CAN BRING MORE FOLKS INTO THE HEART OF OUR CITY.
IT'S 13.5 ACRES, AND IT'S A REALLY IMPORTANT MOBILITY CONNECTION.
AND I'LL SHOW SOME IMAGERY OF THAT. YOU KNOW, I REFERENCED THE NUMBERS FOR WATERLOO PARK EARLIER JUST TO SHOW YOU THE SCALE OF ENVIRONMENTAL RECONSTRUCTION HERE. YOU KNOW, WE OFTEN CALL IT RESTORATION, BUT THE SCALE OF THIS IS RECONSTRUCTION.
WE PLANTED 200,000 PLANTS IN 1600 TREES IN THE 13.5 ACRES OF THE CONFLUENCE.
THAT'S OVER $5 MILLION INVESTED IN TREES ALONE.
A MAJOR MILESTONE INVESTMENT IN AUSTIN'S URBAN TREE CANOPY.
THIS SPACE HAS, AGAIN, LOTS OF CONNECTIONS, NEARLY A MILE OF TRAILS OFF STREET AND SOME DRAMATIC CHANGES TO MOBILITY AND ACCESS IN DOWNTOWN AND ALSO REALLY STITCHES TOGETHER SOME BELOVED DESTINATIONS IN THIS AREA THAT PREVIOUSLY WERE HARD TO GET TO AND FROM.
EVERYONE CAN ENJOY NOW, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO REVISIT THE BEFORE TO SEE WHY THIS WAS SO IMPORTANT.
THIS WOULD BE JUST NORTH OF WHERE THE FAIRMONT IS TODAY.
SO YOU HAVE THE SPRAY CONCRETE, YOU HAVE THE STACKED LIMESTONE, YOU HAVE THE ACCESS DRIVEWAY, AND ALL OF THAT IS UNDERCUT AT THE TOE OF THE SLOPE THERE.
SO WITH THE WITH THE TUNNEL IN PLACE, WE WERE ABLE TO MANAGE THOSE DRAMATIC STORM EVENTS AND REALLY USE GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE TO RESTORE THIS AS A NATURAL SPACE AND INVITE ACCESS BACK IN. SO HERE'S AN IMAGE FROM RIGHT BEFORE WE OPENED.
I PROMISE I HELP THIS TURTLE GET TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE 800 FOOT LONG BOARDWALK WHEN WE WERE DONE, BUT I THINK THIS WAS OUR FIRST NONHUMAN BOARDWALK USER WAS THIS BRAVE BOX TURTLE.
SO THIS IS AN 800 FOOT LONG BOARDWALK THAT NAVIGATES UNDER RED RIVER STREET AND CESAR CHAVEZ CONNECTING THE RAINEY STREET HISTORIC DISTRICT AND NEIGHBORHOOD TO PALM PARK, THE FAIRMONT, AND ULTIMATELY ALL THE WAY UP TO FOURTH STREET IN THE DOWNTOWN RAIL STATION.
IT'S LIT AT NIGHT. IT'S 15FT WIDE, UNIVERSALLY ACCESSIBLE AND BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN FRIENDLY.
UNFORTUNATELY, DESPITE IT THRIVING IN SOME WAYS IN TERMS OF THE PARTICULARLY THE FAUNA THAT WERE DOWN THERE IT HAD A LOT OF INVASIVE SPECIES, FAILED SLOPES. IT WAS DARK. IT HAD NO GUARDRAILS AND WAS UNSAFE.
SO HERE WE BUILT A SERIES OF LATTICE BRIDGES STITCHING TOGETHER EAST AND WEST.
YOU CAN SEE ONE OF THOSE IN THE BACKGROUND THERE.
THE OTHER THING I THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT TO POINT OUT, AND I'LL TOUCH ON A LITTLE BIT MORE, IS THE IMPORTANCE OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, NOT JUST WITHIN OUR PROJECT, BUT ADJACENT TO AND OUTSIDE OF OUR PROJECT, OUR PROJECT TEAM FROM THE VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS, AS WELL AS OUR NONPROFIT STAFF, WORKED EXTENSIVELY WITH OUR NEIGHBORS AT THE WATER LINE TO MAKE SURE THAT INTERACTION BETWEEN PUBLIC AND PRIVATE IS POSITIVE.
I JUST HAVE TO SAY THAT IT IS ABSOLUTELY STUNNING.
[00:15:01]
I HAVE BEEN THERE AND IT IS GORGEOUS. THANK YOU.SO WE DID A NUMBER OF ARTS PROGRAMS HERE OVER THE YEARS, LIKE I WEIWEI'S FOREVER BICYCLES, OILY GANGERS, HURLY BURLY, AND THROUGH THAT PROGRAMING WE REALLY HEARD FROM THE COMMUNITY.
THEY LOVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THIS SPACE RIGHT OFF OF THE TRAIL WHERE YOU COULD GATHER WITH YOUR FAMILY, TAKE A BREAK AND MAYBE GET A LITTLE BIT OF SHADE AND HAVE SOME PROGRAMS. SO HERE WE BUILT AN ELEVATED TERRACE. WE CREATED A DRY CREEK BED LANDSCAPE THAT YOU SEE THAT KIND OF FLOWS UNDERNEATH THOSE TREES.
SOME SEATING WHERE YOU CAN WATCH THE BIRDS AND THE BATS.
AND THEN WE HAVE AN ELEVATED TERRACE JUST OFF SCREEN TO THE RIGHT WHERE WE HAVE OUTDOOR SEATING.
WE'RE WORKING ON GETTING A COFFEE CART DOWN THERE.
WE'LL DO PROGRAMS THERE AS WELL. I ALSO LIKE THIS IMAGE BECAUSE THE BEFORE AND AFTER THE BACKGROUND.
I MEAN, LOOK HOW MUCH RAINEY STREET HAS GROWN.
AND THAT'S A DIRECT SHOT OVER THERE TO RAINEY STREET, ACROSS ONE OF THE THREE LATTICE BRIDGES.
HERE'S THE OPENING. SO HUGE, EXCITING DAY FOR US.
A LONG TIME COMING. WE HAD OVER 3200 PEOPLE COME OUT FOR THIS OPENING EVENT ON JUNE 6TH.
REALLY GRATIFYING TO SEE THE COMMUNITY JUST FLOW RIGHT INTO THE SPACE AND TAKE OVER.
AND HERE'S JUST AN IMAGE FROM A DRONE OF SOME OF THOSE OPENING REMARKS.
AND THEN SINCE THEN, SOME IMAGES OF THE PROJECT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I LOVE THIS.
YOU SEE THE CITY IN THE BACKGROUND, MOBILITY IN THE MID-GROUND.
AND THEN DOWN THERE WE'VE GOT OUR EGRET USING THE RESTORED CREEK.
SO ALL THESE THINGS CAN EXIST TOGETHER. WE DON'T HAVE TO CHOOSE.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S VERY EXCITING ABOUT THIS PHASE. WE SEE THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT AND THE IN THE TRAIL. AGAIN, THERE CAN BE REALLY POSITIVE BENEFITS TO THAT FROM A SAFETY AND ACCESS STANDPOINT.
AND THEN AT NIGHT, HERE'S AN IMAGE FROM NIGHTTIME.
WE DON'T PUT UP GATES. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO DO THROUGH OUR STAFFING AND OUR CRITICAL PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS WE WERE ABLE TO MAINTAIN AND OPERATE THESE THESE PARK SPACES SAFELY IN NEW WAYS THAT SERVE AT DIFFERENT HOURS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO ONE OF THOSE IS NIGHTTIME. WE HAVE UNARMED SECURITY IN THE PARKS, SO FOLKS ARE ALLOWED TO MOVE THROUGH, BUT THEY CAN'T HANG OUT. SO IF YOU WANT TO MOVE THROUGH, YOU WANT TO GRAB A PHOTO, YOU WANT TO GET TO YOUR CAR, THAT'S ALL FINE. BUT IF FOLKS ARE HANGING OUT AND USING KIND OF THE GATHERING SPACES, THEY'LL BE ASKED TO MOVE ALONG AND WE'LL LET FOLKS KNOW THAT THE PARK AGAIN OPENS AT SUNUP. AND I LOVE THIS IMAGE BECAUSE YOU CAN REALLY SEE HOW, YOU KNOW, A LOW, SAFE LEVEL OF LIGHTING THAT'S FULLY DARK SKY COMPLIANT FOR OUR MIGRATORY BIRDS STILL PROVIDES A LOT OF SAFETY FOR FOLKS MOVING THROUGH HERE.
SO PALM PARK, WE'VE BEEN DESIGNING WITH THE COMMUNITY FOR A DECADE NOW.
IT'S TOO IT'S A LITTLE OVER TWO ACRES. IT'S IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT TO THE CONFLUENCE.
SO A COUPLE SNEAK PEEK RENDERINGS HERE. THE CENTERPIECE OF THIS IS PLAYGROUNDS.
SO WE BROUGHT IN OUR PLAYSCAPE DESIGNERS AND OUR LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTS AND OUR PLAYSCAPE DESIGNERS ARE THIS WONDERFUL GROUP IN COPENHAGEN CALLED MONSTRUM, AND THEY BUILD PLAY EQUIPMENT OUT OF HARDWOOD.
THEY CAN BUILD ANYTHING. SO WITH THAT CHALLENGE, YOU KNOW, WE SAID, OKAY, BUILD ANYTHING.
AND WHAT EMERGED FROM THAT WAS THE BIRDS OF THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD.
THEY HAVE CLIMBING WALLS UP THEIR WINGS. THEIR WINGS PROVIDE SHADE FOR THE PLAY AREA.
AND ONE OF THE REALLY NICE THINGS ABOUT THE MONK PARAKEETS THAT STOOD OUT TO THE TO THE KIDS IS THEY HAVE HUGE NESTS AROUND THIS AREA, AS WELL AS THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER, AND THEY LIVE IN THESE UNIQUE COMMUNAL NESTS THAT THEY CONTINUALLY BUILD.
WE ALSO HAVE A LARGE FAMILY PAVILION. SO THIS SHADED STRUCTURE HERE WILL BE THE NEW HOME FOR BIRTHDAY PARTIES, QUINCEANERAS, FAMILY REUNIONS ALL OF THOSE GREAT LIFE EVENTS THAT CAN HAPPEN IN PUBLIC SPACES.
[00:20:02]
I'LL ALSO NOTE IF YOU CAN SEE IT HERE A LITTLE BIT, BUT TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT IMAGE, ONE OF THE REALLY FUN CHALLENGES WE GAVE OUR PLAYSCAPE DESIGNERS WAS YOU KNOW, THEY DESIGNED THESE BEAUTIFUL BIRDS THAT LOOK JUST LIKE PARAKEETS.WE ASKED THEM TO LITERALLY MAKE WHAT THE KIDS MADE.
SO WE HAVE TWO BIRDS THAT ARE LITERAL RECREATIONS OF PLAY-DOH MODELS FROM SEVEN AND EIGHT YEAR OLDS THAT ARE GOING TO ANCHOR THE LITTLE KIDS PLAY SPACE, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME RENDERINGS OF THOSE SOON, BUT WE'RE REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT TIE IN TO THE, YOU KNOW, COMMUNITY REALLY OWNING THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE DESIGN OF THIS PARK AS WELL.
SO THAT'S ABOUT TEN ACRES OF NEW TRAILS AND CREEK RESTORATION BETWEEN FOURTH STREET WHERE THE CONFLUENCE ENDS, AND WATERLOO PARK AT 12TH STREET. SO THIS IS A VERY NARROW AND VERY URBANIZED STRETCH.
SO EARLY PHASES WITH DESIGN HERE. WE ARE JUST NOW ENTERING.
WE HOPE TO GO OUT TO BID. MIDDLE OF NEXT YEAR.
AGAIN, A LOT OF THIS IS RESTORING THE CREEK, PROVIDING CONNECTIONS TO THE SURROUNDING CITY, AND THEN BUILDING THIS 15 FOOT WIDE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN ACCESSIBLE OFF STREET TRAIL.
THIS IS BETWEEN SIXTH AND SEVENTH STREET. A NEW BOARDWALK WILL STRETCH THROUGH THERE, CONNECTING TO THE SURROUNDING AREA AND PROVIDING SAFE, LIT ACCESSIBLE WALKING AT NIGHT. SO THOSE ARE THE THE NEXT PHASES.
AND I JUST WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT AS WELL ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THIS PROJECT, WHAT WE'VE DONE AND WHAT WE CONTINUE TO DO FROM A BIG PICTURE STANDPOINT.
IT'S ABOUT CONNECTING DOWNTOWN AND THE SUM BEING GREATER THAN THE PARTS.
SO HOW CAN THIS, YOU KNOW, PIECE OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE, THIS 35 ACRES OF PARKS AND OPEN SPACE, BE THAT CIVIC INFRASTRUCTURE THAT STITCHES TOGETHER ALL THESE WONDERFUL CURRENT DESTINATIONS AS WELL AS OTHER INVESTMENTS THE CITY IS MAKING.
SO HERE, YOU KNOW, THIS IS JUST A GRAPHIC SHOWING SOME OF THOSE THINGS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT 5 TO 6 MILLION ANNUAL TRAIL USERS ON BUTLER TRAIL, PREVIOUSLY 300,000 ANNUAL VISITORS TO THE CONVENTION CENTER.
BUT THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO GO UP ONCE IT REOPENS IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
7500 RESIDENTS OF RAINEY STREET, NOT TO MENTION THE VISITORS 50,000 VISITORS TO RAINEY STREET, I MEAN TO THE RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT. EVERY MONTH, 400,000 VISITORS TO WATERLOO PARK, 75000 DAILY POPULATION OF UTI. HOW CAN WE STITCH ALL THAT TOGETHER AND CREATE AN ALL HOURS DESTINATION ON THE EASTERN SIDE OF DOWNTOWN THAT LEVERAGES ALL THESE GREAT INVESTMENTS THE CITY'S MAKING AROUND US, AND NOT EVEN TO MENTION THE LOWERING OF I-35 AND THE OPPORTUNITY THAT BRINGS.
THESE TYPES OF PARKS AND GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS MORE THAN PAY FOR THEMSELVES.
THIS IS A 2018 STUDY, SO THE DATA SINCE THEN IS EVEN MORE COMPELLING.
BUT LOOKING AT OTHER PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTRY, LIKE THE HIGH LINE, BROOKLYN BRIDGE PARK, KLYDE WARREN, THE ATLANTA BELTLINE CITIES HAVE A 10 TO 1 TO 40 TO 1 RETURN ON INVESTMENT OF THE INITIAL CAPITAL INVESTMENT, JUST IN THE TAX DOLLARS CREATED BY THESE SPACES.
AND THE VAST MAJORITY OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY ADJACENT REAL ESTATE VALUES.
ALSO, YOU KNOW, THIS IS INTERESTING DATA FOR US THAT WE'VE GATHERED AND CONTINUE TO GATHER, AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME MORE DATA HERE SOON ABOUT THE CONFLUENCE. OUR FOOTPRINT OF VISITATION IS ALL OF AUSTIN, BUT IT'S ALSO A REGIONAL ATTRACTOR.
WE'RE SEEING FOLKS COME VISIT WATERLOO PARK AND THE MOODY AMPHITHEATER FROM SAN ANTONIO, HOUSTON, DALLAS COLLEGE STATION. THAT'S BEEN A SURPRISE FOR US IN TERMS OF THE REGIONAL IMPACT OF BRINGING FOLKS INTO AUSTIN, WHO THEN, YOU KNOW, STAY AND THEY THEY SPEND MONEY AND VISIT BUSINESSES AROUND.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, ON THE ONE HAND, WE WANT TO BE COORDINATED.
WE WANT TO CREATE A GREAT PUBLIC SPACE THAT MAKES SENSE.
I'M AN URBAN PLANNER. SO, YOU KNOW, I LOVE JANE JACOBS, YOU KNOW, FAMOUS PLANNING WRITER.
YOU KNOW, I LIKE TO TURN THAT A LITTLE BIT AND SAY, WE'RE CREATING EYES ON THE CREEK.
[00:25:08]
THAT MEANS PEOPLE ON THE GREENWAY SEE THOSE BUSINESSES MAKING THOSE DESTINATIONS SAFER, AND THEN THE PEOPLE VISITING AND PATRONIZING THOSE BUSINESSES LOOK OUT INTO THE PUBLIC SPACE, MAKING THAT AREA SAFER. ALSO, YOU KNOW, FOLKS WHO ARE VISITING DOWN HERE, IT'S REASONABLE TO ASSUME THEY THEY MIGHT ALSO WANT TO GRAB SOMETHING TO EAT OR SEE SOME BEAUTIFUL ART OR DO A LITTLE BIT OF SHOPPING.AND WHEN WE COORDINATE THOSE CONNECTIONS, IT CREATES A MUCH LONGER STAY, WHICH WILL MEAN MORE OF OUR COMMUNITY WILL SEE DOWNTOWN AS A RELEVANT, IMPORTANT DESTINATION FOR THEM. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BRINGING THE PARKS TO LIFE.
WE MAINTAIN ALL THOSE 300,000 PLANTS I MENTIONED WITH NO HERBICIDES.
ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAINTAINING THESE SPACES WITH VERY HIGH STANDARDS.
THEY NEED TO BE CLEAN, SAFE AND WELCOMING AT ALL HOURS.
HERE ARE SOME OF OUR AMBASSADORS DOING THEIR WONDERFUL WORK.
THEY ARE THE FIRST PEOPLE YOU MEET IN THE PARK, THE FRIENDLY FACE, WELCOMING YOU AND PROVIDING YOU WITH INFORMATION, BUT ALSO THE BACKBONE OF OUR ONGOING CLEAN AND SAFE THROUGHOUT THOSE PARK SPACES.
SO A REALLY CRITICAL PARTNERSHIP. AND IMPORTANTLY, THEY KNOW THE REST OF THE CITY AND ARE TRAINED ON THOSE RESOURCES AS WELL, WHICH MAKES THINGS MUCH EASIER TO MANAGE IN ADDITION TO OUR OWN STAFF.
SO LAST THING I'LL NOTE BEFORE WE'RE HAPPY AND MELISSA AND I ARE HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
HISTORICALLY, WE DID IT ANYWHERE BETWEEN SIXTH STREET AND WATERLOO PARK.
THIS YEAR, WE'RE REALLY EXCITED TO BRING IT BACK AFTER A YEAR OFF.
IT WILL NOW BE ON THE CONFLUENCE, AND SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TEN LIGHT BASED ART INSTALLATIONS ALONG THE NEWLY OPENED CONFLUENCE, THE MOST INSTALLATIONS WE'VE EVER DONE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT HERE COMING UP LIKELY NEXT WEEK ABOUT THOSE INSTALLATIONS, BUT SOME REALLY, REALLY EXCITING FIRMS PARTICIPATING, SOME BEAUTIFUL INSTALLATIONS.
AND LET US KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS OR ANYTHING ELSE WE PRESENTED.
I COMMISSIONER VERY GRATEFUL FOR ALL THAT YOU HAVE DONE AND PLAN TO DO.
THE GREENWAY IS SOMETHING THAT ALL AUSTINITES CAN AND SHOULD ENJOY AND BE PROUD OF.
SPEAKING OF BEING PROUD OF THE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE ON THE GREENWAY COULD YOU MENTION JUST MAYBE QUICKLY, SOME OF THE AWARDS YOU ALL HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED? BECAUSE I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I THOUGHT WAS MISSING FROM THIS PRESENTATION.
SO YOU WANT TO. SURE. THANK YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING US.
BUT WE HAVE BEEN VERY HUMBLED TO HAVE RECEIVED RECOGNITION FROM ACROSS THE COMMUNITY.
WE ARE CURRENTLY NOMINATED AS A FINALIST FOR SEVERAL EULA AUSTIN AWARDS WITH AN AWARD CEREMONY NEXT WEEK, SO FINGERS CROSSED. WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED SEVERAL AUSTIN CHRONICLE AUSTIN MONTHLY AWARDS, TEXAS TRAVELER, SOME DESIGN AWARDS AS WELL. SO IT'S IT, YOU KNOW, MAKES OUR WORK A LOT OF FUN TO HEAR COMMUNITY FEEDBACK AND RECEIVE THAT RESPONSE FROM THE COMMUNITY, ESPECIALLY AFTER THE CONFLUENCE HAS OPENED.
WELL, IT'S A TREASURE. I'LL OPEN IT UP TO OTHER QUESTIONS.
I JUST HAD A COMMENT. OH, AND AN ECHO. DEFINITELY HAVING DEFINITELY HAVING SOUND ISSUES TODAY.
SO GOOD JOB. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR FOR THAT. AND IT'S A HUGE PART OF WHAT WE DO.
AND IT'S WHY, YOU KNOW, THE CONTINUED PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CITY AND THE COMMUNITY IS SO IMPORTANT. YOU KNOW, I WORK ON THE CAPITAL PROJECTS SIDE, SO I'M TRYING TO GET US OUT OF THE BUSINESS OF BUILDING THINGS AS QUICKLY AS WE CAN. BUT THE BUSINESS OF MAINTAINING THINGS IS FOREVER.
AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO IMPORTANT TO HAVE THE CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
SO THANKS FOR THE OPPORTUNITY AND FOR RECOGNIZING THAT OUR TEAM TAKES GREAT PRIDE IN THAT.
AND I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, ONE THING THAT I'LL SHOUT OUT OUR OUR WATERLOO PARK TEAM.
THEY HAVE THE ONLY FIVE STAR GOOGLE REVIEWED PUBLIC BATHROOM I'VE SEEN, SO I DON'T WANT TO RUIN IT.
IF ANYONE'S GOING TO SUBMIT A THREE STAR REVIEW HERE TONIGHT, BUT THEY WORK REALLY HARD.
THAT IS CLEANED 25 PLUS TIMES A DAY TO MAKE SURE FOLKS HAVE A GREAT EXPERIENCE.
[00:30:07]
THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMISSIONER LEVINSON? I JUST WANT TO COMMENT THAT I, CAN SPEAK FOR THOSE CLEANER BATHROOMS AT THE WATERLOO PARK, BECAUSE I'VE BEEN TO ANY NUMBER OF YOUR CONCERTS THERE, AND IT'S EVEN DURING CONCERTS, THEY'RE ACTUALLY CLEAN.IT'S AMAZING. I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT I ALSO LIVE BY THE CONFLUENCE, AND I WAS THERE FOR THE OPENING.
AND I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT A HUGE DIFFERENCE THAT MAKES.
SO THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BUKTA.
OH, SOMEBODY'S ON THE SCREEN. BURKHART, IS IT COMMISSIONER BURKHART? HI. HI. YES. I THIS IS REALLY AN IMPRESSIVE PROJECT.
I HAVE WHAT MAY SEEM LIKE A LITTLE BIT OF A RANDOM QUESTION, BUT THE SINCE THE GREENWAY RUNS RIGHT ALONG I-35. HAS THERE BEEN ANY CONSIDERATION IN TERMS OF THE PLANTING AND THE GREENERY TO HELP FILTER THE POLLUTION FROM I-35 THAT I GUESS ANYWHERE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, WITHIN 300 TO 500FT OF A HIGHWAY HAS A, HAS A MUCH BIGGER POLLUTION FOOTPRINT FOR THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT AREA.
BUT TO YOUR BROADER QUESTION ABOUT THE SURROUNDING AREA, ONE OF THE THINGS I DIDN'T HIGHLIGHT HERE, BUT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IN THE PROJECT IS THROUGH A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE CONVENTION CENTER AND THE US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS.
WE DID BUILD A BIOFILTRATION POND AS PART OF THIS PROJECT, SO IF YOU GO VISIT, YOU WILL SEE THAT BETWEEN THIRD STREET AND SECOND STREET, KIND OF RIGHT NEXT TO SORT OF RED RIVER AND PALM PARK, AND THAT BIOFILTRATION POND CLEANS THE STORMWATER FROM 26 ACRES OF DOWNTOWN STREETS AND THE SURROUNDING AREA AROUND THE CONFLUENCE AND THE CONVENTION CENTER.
SO THOSE ARE SOME OF THE STRATEGIES THAT WERE PUT INTO THIS AREA OF THE DESIGN SPECIFICALLY THAT, YOU KNOW, REALLY HELPED, PARTICULARLY ON THE, ON THE WATERFRONT WITH, WITH CLEANING WATER, BOTH DEBRIS AND SOME OF THE POLLUTANTS THAT ARE IN THE WATER.
YEAH, I, I AM, I'M A LITTLE BIT MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE AIR QUALITY.
AND SO I'D BE CURIOUS ABOUT I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHETHER OR NOT Y'ALL WOULD LOOK INTO THE ABILITY TO USE REALLY DENSE VEGETATION THAT'S EVERGREEN TO REDUCE THE PARTICULATE AND OTHER POLLUTANTS.
THANKS THOUGH. YEAH. AND I'D BE HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT WITH OUR TEAM FURTHER.
I DON'T HAVE ANY ANY DATA FOR THAT AT THE MOMENT, BUT COULD FOLLOW UP WITH THAT.
WE BELIEVE WE WILL WE WILL RECEIVE GOLD CERTIFICATION FOR THIS WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.
AND THERE ARE COMPONENTS OF THAT THAT SPEAK TO THIS AS WELL.
BUT I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I'LL BE HAPPY TO FOLLOW UP. THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER GUPTA. YEAH. I'LL SIT WAY BACK HERE.
YEAH. GREAT JOB. I WAS ON THE THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT COMMITTEE BACK IN 2019, 2020.
MY QUESTION BEING YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE HAD A LOT OF UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS AND COMMUNITIES DOWN IN, IN THE CREEK AREA. AND THEY, OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE TO GO SOMEWHERE.
I KNOW THAT OUR COMMISSION HERE RECOMMENDED REOPENING THE OASIS HOMELESS SHELTER.
[00:35:02]
YEAH, I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE HAVE FOUND OPERATIONALLY ON THAT FRONT IS OUR DAILY STAFF PRESENCE AND THE TRAINING OF OUR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO TO CONNECT FOLKS EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS WITH RESOURCES.SO, YOU KNOW, OUR OUR VP OF PARK OPS, YOU KNOW, HIS EXPERIENCE HAS ALWAYS BEEN IF YOU CAN BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS, CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IMMEDIATELY AND THEN KNOW WHERE TO SEND THEM TO GET THE HELP THEY NEED, THAT IS THE MOST EFFECTIVE POLICY FOR MANAGING THINGS LIKE CAMPING OR OTHER ISSUES THAT CAN POP UP IN PUBLIC SPACES BEFORE THEY, YOU KNOW, ARE THERE FOR A LONG TIME. AND THEN IT BECOMES MOVING SOMEONE OUT OF THE PLACE THAT THEY LIVE. WHEREAS PREVIOUSLY IT MIGHT BE CONNECTING SOMEONE WITH A HELPFUL SERVICE.
AND AGAIN, THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE IS SO CRITICAL TO BEING THAT KIND OF FRONT LINE STAFF THAT SUPPORTS US IN THE PARKS, ALONG WITH OUR OWN STAFF AND THE RELATIONSHIPS THEY'VE FORMED WITH THE VARIOUS SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, HAS REALLY HELPED US, YOU KNOW, MANAGE THAT AND CONNECT FOLKS WITH RESOURCES AND MANAGE SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU SEE IN PUBLIC SPACES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S AN ONGOING AND EVOLVING THING.
THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY IS THE THE FOOT TRAFFIC, THE HIGH VISIBILITY, THE DESIGN WAS INTENDED TO NOT HAVE HIDDEN AREAS WHICH OFTEN CAN ENCOURAGE THINGS LIKE CAMPING AND, YOU KNOW, PLACES WHERE PEOPLE CAN HIDE OUT THAT ARE NOT TRULY INTENDED FOR THE PUBLIC TO ACCESS AND CAN BE UNSAFE FOR THOSE FOLKS. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF THOUGHT PUT INTO THE DESIGN FROM A LIGHTING, A TRAILS AND A SIGHTLINE STANDPOINT TO HELP MANAGE SOME OF THOSE YOU KNOW, ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE CONDITIONS WHERE SOMEONE COULD PUT THEMSELVES IN DANGER IF THEY WERE GOING SOMEWHERE OFF THE TRAIL. SO THERE WAS A DESIGN COMPONENT AS WELL. BUT I WOULD SAY THE BIGGEST THING IS OUR, OUR, OUR STAFF, BOTH BOTH OUR STAFF AND OUR PARTNERS OUT THERE EVERY DAY AND OUR NIGHTTIME SECURITY FOLKS AS WELL.
THAT'S GREAT TO HEAR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. COMMISSIONER WILEY.
REALLY HEARTFELT THANKS FROM THE COMMUNITY FOR THOSE.
I WANT TO KIND OF FOLLOW UP ON THE PALM PARK THING, BECAUSE RIGHT NOW MOST OF OUR CHILDREN PARK PROGRAMING IS ON THE, ON THE WEST SIDE, AND IT GOES FROM KINGSBURY COMMONS DOWN TO THE SKATE PARK DOWN TO THE BMX PARK.
AND IT'S LIKE A CONSTANT STRING OF, OF MORE CHILDREN ORIENTED PARKS.
AND I'M, I'M FRANKLY, I WANT TO FOLLOW UP A LITTLE BIT ON THE EARLIER COMMENT, BECAUSE I'M A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED THAT WE'RE PUTTING A CHILDREN'S PARK RIGHT NEXT TO I-35. DO YOU HAVE A SCHEMATIC OF LIKE WHAT THE LAYOUT THERE IS GOING TO BE IN YOUR CHART SET SO THAT WE COULD INFORM PEOPLE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT HOW THAT'S GOING TO WORK. YEAH. SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK A GREAT QUESTION.
I THINK A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE, YOU KNOW, REALLY HEARD AND WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITY ON WAS, YOU KNOW, ONE, THE HISTORY OF THAT SPACE AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO FAMILIES IMPORTANCE TO FAMILIES AND CHILDREN.
AND SO AS WE WORKED WITH THE COMMUNITIES, BOTH WHO LIVE THERE NOW, BUT ALSO FAMILIES WHO HAVE SINCE RELOCATED FROM WHETHER IT'S RAINY STREET OR CENTRAL EAST AUSTIN OR HOLLY AND USE THAT SPACE. WE REALLY HEARD ABOUT THE IMPORTANCE OF RETURNING IT TO A DESTINATION FOR FAMILIES.
SO IN THE DESIGN, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THERE WAS KIND OF THE ADVANCED PLANNING AND DESIGN OF THE HIGHWAY, WHICH I CAN TOUCH ON AS A AS ANOTHER MAJOR OPPORTUNITY HERE, WE THOUGHT A LOT ABOUT HOW WE MAKE A SAFE PLACE FOR FAMILIES AT THAT LOCATION, GIVEN ITS PROXIMITY TO THE HIGHWAY. SO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE WHEN, WHEN THE PARK OPENS IS, YOU KNOW, LIKE OTHER MAJOR BIG CITY KIND OF PLAYGROUND DESTINATIONS, WE WILL HAVE A FENCED ENCLOSURE AROUND THAT AROUND THE PLAYGROUND ITSELF WITH LARGE, GENEROUS GATED ENTRIES. BUT TO HELP SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE BUSY STREETS DOWNTOWN SO THAT WE CAN SAFELY HAVE KIDS RUN AROUND AND PLAY AND ENJOY ALL OF THOSE AMENITIES. ALSO, IT WILL BE DENSELY PLANTED AROUND IT, PARTICULARLY BETWEEN I-35 AND AND THE PARK ITSELF.
SO IT KIND OF HAS A HILL ON THE ON THE EDGE THERE AND THEN SLOPES DOWN TO THE PARK.
AND THAT WILL BE DENSELY PLANTED, WHICH WILL HELP WITH THE NOISE.
IT ALSO HELPS SOMEWHAT WITH AIR QUALITY TO HAVE THAT MUCH DENSE PLANTING THERE.
SO A LOT OF THOUGHT WENT INTO THAT AS WELL. THE OTHER REALLY IMPORTANT OPPORTUNITY IS AS THE HIGHWAY GETS LOWERED AND THE CITY CONSIDERS THE CAP AT THAT LOCATION, IF THE CAP IS IS IN PLACE THERE BETWEEN CESAR CHAVEZ AND FOURTH STREET, THAT WOULD BE A SEAMLESS EAST WEST CROSSING AT PALM PARK.
SO EAST AUSTIN WOULD BE DIRECTLY CONNECTED AGAIN TO PALM PARK.
AND THE CURRENT KIND OF CHALLENGES ASSOCIATED WITH HAVING THE IMMEDIATELY ADJACENT FRONTAGE ROAD WOULD NOT ONLY BE LOWERED, BUT THEY ALSO WILL BE CAPPED FOR A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE CONNECTION TO THE PARK.
[00:40:01]
SO AT A MINIMUM IT'S BEING LOWERED AND THERE'S NOT THAT DIRECT HIGHWAY FRONTAGE ROAD RIGHT NEXT TO THE PARK, BUT WITH THE CAP THAT COULD FURTHER SCREEN THE, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHWAY POLLUTION AND OTHER THINGS OFF FROM THE PARK.ONE OTHER THING I'LL POINT OUT IS, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK TOWARDS THE FUTURE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW IN THE IMMEDIATE ADJACENCY OF PALM PARK, THERE'S NOT A TON OF SMALL KIDS AND FAMILIES LIVING.
WE WOULD SEE IT AS A FAILURE IF WE ONLY SERVED FOLKS WHO WERE IMMEDIATELY LIVING ADJACENT TO IT.
AND THAT'S ABOUT CONNECTING TO THOSE SURROUNDING DESTINATIONS. SO YOU'RE MAKING A DAY OF IT.
AND THAT REALLY CHANGES PEOPLE'S PERCEPTIONS ON HOW CHALLENGING OR EXPENSIVE IT IS TO GET DOWNTOWN.
SO THAT'S THE WORK WE'LL DO, CONNECTING TO WONDERFUL DESTINATIONS LIKE THE MEXICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER OR, YOU KNOW, THE STATE CAPITOL COMPLEX OR UT OR RED RIVER CULTURAL DISTRICT OR THE CONVENTION CENTER AND, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC ART OPPORTUNITIES. AND THEY'RE THINKING ABOUT HOW WE CREATE THAT WHOLE DESTINATION WHERE SOMEONE COULD COME IN THE MORNING, SEE A GREAT FREE PROGRAM, OR DO SOME FITNESS FOR FREE IN WATERLOO PARK AND THEN SPEND A WHOLE DAY THERE.
THAT'LL START TO MOVE THE NEEDLE ON PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE CITY VISITING, WHICH WILL INCLUDE MORE CHILDREN AND FAMILIES IN ADDITION TO THOSE WHO LIVE WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? WELL, AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO.
KEEP IN MIND THAT ONE OF OUR CHARGES IS TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL.
SO IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO HELP PLEASE LET US KNOW.
YOU CAN GET IN TOUCH WITH EITHER ME, RYAN. AND WE CAN START WORKING ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THANK YOU. WE APPRECIATE THAT. AND PLEASE LET US KNOW IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO VISIT US FOR A TOUR.
WE'RE ALWAYS HAPPY TO SHOW PEOPLE AROUND. I GOT YOU DOWN.
THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
THANK YOU. SHOULD WE GO BACK TO I-35? CAPTAIN STITCH.
[1. Presentation regarding progress on the I-35 expansion. Presentation by Christiana Astarita, IH-35 Capital Express Central, Downtown Project Manager; and Tommy Abrego, IH-35 Capital Express Central, University Project Manager. (Part 2 of 2)]
ALL RIGHT, THAT SOUNDS GOOD. THIS IS TOMMY HERE.CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? OKAY? YES. ALL RIGHT, CRISTIANO, IF YOU CAN POP YOUR VIDEO SCREEN ON.
I THINK WE'RE READY TO ROCK AND ROLL. THERE WE GO.
I THINK IT'S ALL WORKING NOW. CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME AND SEE ME? GOOD. YES. WE CAN. OKAY, PERFECT. AGAIN, APOLOGIES EARLIER FOR MY TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES.
THE SETTINGS NOW LOOK DIFFERENT. AFTER I LOGGED OUT AND CAME BACK IN.
SO GLAD IT'S WORKING. ALL RIGHT, WELL LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET GET INTO IT.
YES. SO GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONERS. MY NAME IS CHRISTIANA ASTARITA.
I AM WITH THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION'S AUSTIN DISTRICT.
PRESENTING ALONG WITH ME TODAY IS MY FELLOW COLLEAGUE, TOMMY ORTEGO.
WE ARE BOTH PROJECT MANAGERS FOR THE I-35 CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PROJECT.
NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS FIRST SLIDE IS TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A QUICK HIGH LEVEL, HIGH LEVEL OVERVIEW OF THE OVERALL I-35 CAPEX CENTRAL PROJECT.
IT HAS LIMITS FROM US 290 EAST IN NORTH AUSTIN AND STRETCHES DOWN TO SH 71 BEN WHITE BOULEVARD IN SOUTH AUSTIN, AND IT IS APPROXIMATELY EIGHT MILES IN LENGTH AND CONSISTS OF CONSTRUCTING TWO NON-TOLL MANAGED LANES IN EACH DIRECTION, BOTH NORTH AND SOUTH, RECONSTRUCTING RAMPS, BRIDGES AND INTERSECTIONS, IMPROVING THE FRONTAGE ROADS, ENHANCING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATHS, AND ACCOMMODATES TRANSIT ROUTES.
THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST IS 4.5 BILLION AND IS EXPECTED AND CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTED.
START STARTED IN LATE 2024. NEXT SLIDE. SO THIS SHOWS YOU THE PROJECT PHASING OF THE OVERALL I-35 CAPEX PROJECT. THE YELLOW HIGHLIGHTED SEGMENTS ARE PROJECTS IN ACTIVE CONSTRUCTION WHICH ARE THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL AND PUMP STATION UNDER I-35 AND CESAR CHAVEZ. THIS IS ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETE IN 2029.
WE ALSO HAVE THE LADY BIRD LAKE PROJECT FROM HOLLY STREET TO SH 71.
AND THIS IS ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETE IN 2033.
[00:45:06]
BOTH THESE SEGMENTS ARE BROKEN DOWN INTO WHAT WE ARE CALLING AN ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, AND THEN AN ULTIMATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT. SO FOR THE ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS FOR BOTH DOWNTOWN AND UNIVERSITY, THESE ARE AT 100% DESIGN AND ARE EXPECTED TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION IN THE SPRING SUMMERTIME OF 2027.AND THE IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ARE LISTED ON THE LEFT, AND IMPROVEMENTS FOR THE ULTIMATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT ARE LISTED ON ON THE RIGHT SIDE UNDER BOTH OF THOSE SEGMENT HEADINGS. AND THEN THE ULTIMATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS ARE STILL UNDER DESIGN.
NEXT SLIDE. SO THE NEXT EIGHT SLIDES WILL COVER MORE DETAIL ON EACH OF THE I-35 CAPEX CENTRAL SEGMENTS OR PROJECTS, BEGINNING WITH THIS MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD BRIDGE.
THIS PROJECT WAS THE FIRST TO LET AND GO TO CONSTRUCTION.
THE LIMITS ARE JUST AT THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD BRIDGE.
THE CONSTRUCTION COST IS 34.4 MILLION. WE DID START CONSTRUCTION IN NOVEMBER OF 2024.
AND THE IMPROVEMENTS CONSIST OF SIMPLY RECONSTRUCTING AND WIDENING THE MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD BRIDGE TO IMPROVE CONNECTIVITY AND SAFETY ADDING SIDEWALKS AND SHADE STRUCTURES AND ALSO SAFETY BARRIER ALONG THE BRIDGE, AND THEN RECONSTRUCTING THE I-35 ENTRANCE AND EXIT RAMPS IN BOTH DIRECTIONS.
NEXT SLIDE. SO THE SECOND PROJECT TO LET AND GO TO CONSTRUCTION IS WHAT WE CALL THE LADY BIRD LAKE SEGMENT OR PROJECT. AND THE LIMITS ARE ARE FROM HOLLY STREET TO SH 71 BEN WHITE BOULEVARD.
THE CONSTRUCTION COST WAS ROUGHLY $630 MILLION.
WE STARTED CONSTRUCTION IN FEBRUARY OF LAST YEAR.
AND WE ANTICIPATE THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS PROJECT TO BE COMPLETE IN 2023.
RECONSTRUCTING THAT LADY BIRD LAKE BRIDGE WILL ALSO BE CONSTRUCTING A SINGLE POINT URBAN INTERCHANGE, OR WHAT IS CALLED A SPUI AT RIVERSIDE DRIVE. THAT WILL ALSO ACCOMMODATE FUTURE CITY CITY LIGHT RAIL ROUTES, AND THEN WE WILL ALSO BE ADDING A PEDESTRIAN ONLY BRIDGE AT WOODLAND AVENUE AND IMPROVING BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN PATHS ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
NEXT SLIDE. SO HERE IS A PHOTO OF THE I-35 AT RIVERSIDE DRIVE.
CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION. YOU CAN SEE HOW LANE ASSIGNMENTS HAVE BEEN SHIFTED.
ON THAT EAST SIDE NEAR THE RIVERVIEW APARTMENTS.
NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN HERE'S A RENDERING OF WHAT RIVERSIDE DRIVE AT I-35 PAINTED TO LOOK LIKE ONCE THE LADY BIRD LAKE SEGMENT IS COMPLETE.
THIS SHOWS YOU THE SPEWY AND HOW WE ARE ACCOMMODATING FOR FUTURE CITY LIGHT RAIL PROJECTS.
AND THEN YEAH. NEXT SLIDE. OKAY. THE OTHER TWO PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE LED IN ARE WELL UNDER CONSTRUCTION ARE THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL AND PUMP STATION SEGMENTS.
THE LIMITS FOR BOTH THESE PROJECTS. WELL, LET ME START WITH THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL.
AND THEN THE PUMP STATION IS APPROXIMATELY AT 183 JUST NORTH OF THE RIVER.
THE CONSTRUCTION COST IS APPROXIMATELY $1.1 BILLION.
AND WE STARTED CONSTRUCTION IN EARLY 2025. AND THE PROJECT IS ANTICIPATED TO BE COMPLETED IN 2029.
AND AGAIN, SO THESE IMPROVEMENTS CONSIST OF INSTALLING TWO DRAINAGE TUNNELS AND A PUMP STATION TO IMPROVE THE STORMWATER MANAGEMENT THROUGHOUT THE I-35 CORRIDOR AS WE WORK TO LOWER I-35.
[00:50:05]
THERE'S ALSO ACCESS SHAFTS THAT WILL BE ADDED ALONG I-35 TO ENSURE THAT PROPER MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONAL ACCESS TO THAT NEW INFRASTRUCTURE.SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE IMAGE ON THE RIGHT, IT SHOWS THE EXTENTS OF THAT DRAINAGE TUNNEL IN YELLOW AND THE NINE DROP SHAFTS OR OUR BLUE DOTS. AND THEN THE PUMP STATION IS ALL THE WAY IN THE FAR RIGHT HAND CORNER.
IT'S A BLUE SQUARE NEAR US 23 JUST NORTH OF THE COLORADO RIVER.
NEXT SLIDE. SO HERE ARE SOME CONSTRUCTION PHOTOS OF THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL AND PUMP STATION SEGMENTS AS OF THIS PAST JUNE. THE PHOTO ON THE LEFT SHOWS THE CURRENT PROGRESS AT OUR 11TH STREET DROP SHAFT LOCATION, AND THEN THE PHOTO ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE PUMP STATION SITE.
SO A LOT OF GREAT PROGRESS ON THIS PROJECT. NEXT SLIDE.
SO THIS SLIDE THIS COVERS THE UNIVERSITY SEGMENT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
THE LIMITS FOR THIS PROJECT ARE FROM US 290 EAST TO MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD.
IT HAS AN ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST OF ROUGHLY $1.5 MILLION.
AND FOR THAT LIKE I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE UNIVERSITY SEGMENT IS SPLIT INTO TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS.
AND THEN AN ULTIMATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, WHICH IS STILL UNDER, UNDER DESIGN.
IT'S ANTICIPATED TO GO TO CONSTRUCTION IN 2028.
SO LIKE WHAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER, WE'RE ADDING HOV LANES IN BOTH DIRECTIONS ALONG I-35.
WE ARE RECONSTRUCTING THOSE EAST WEST CROSSINGS.
SOME OF THEM MENTIONED HERE, MAIN ROAD. DEAN KEATON WE'RE ALSO RECONSTRUCTING AIRPORT.
THE AIRPORT BOULEVARD INTERSECTION AND THEN ADDING A PEDESTRIAN ONLY BRIDGE AT CAPITAL PLAZA.
AND THIS RENDERING ON THE RIGHT SHOWS THE PLAN IMPROVEMENTS AT 41ST STREET.
SO VERY EXCITED TO, TO, TO SEE THIS THESE IMPROVEMENTS GET BUILT.
NEXT SLIDE. AND THEN LASTLY, THIS IS THE LAST SLIDE I'LL COVER.
THIS COVERS THE DOWNTOWN SEGMENT IN, IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
THESE LIMITS ARE FOR MARTIN LUTHER KING JUNIOR BOULEVARD TO HOLLY STREET.
SO PICKING UP HEADING FROM NORTH TO SOUTH TIES IN WITH THE UNIVERSITY SEGMENT.
THIS. THE ESTIMATED CONSTRUCTION COST OF THIS PROJECT IS IS ROUGHLY 1.6 BILLION.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, THE DOWNTOWN SEGMENT IS ALSO SPLIT INTO TWO SEPARATE PROJECTS IN ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT WILL LET IN MID OR I'M SORRY, IN EARLY 2027 AND THEN GOES TO CONSTRUCTION IN MID 2027.
AND THEN SIMILARLY TO THE UNIVERSITY SEGMENT, HERE ARE LISTED SOME OF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE INCLUDED WITH THIS SEGMENT OF THE PROJECT. SO CONTINUING FROM THE UNIVERSITY THROUGH DOWNTOWN, TYING IN WITH LADY BIRD LAKE SOME ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE WORTH MENTIONING ARE AUSTIN WATER UTILITY RELOCATIONS IN CITY RIGHT OF WAY.
WE'VE BEEN WORKING REALLY CLOSELY WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN. AUSTIN WATER.
THESE IMPROVEMENTS STRETCH FROM 41ST STREET TO NASH HERNANDEZ BOTH EAST AND WEST OF I-35.
AS WE WORK TO LOWER I-35, A LOT OF THE THE STORM DRAIN WATER, WASTEWATER, A LOT OF UTILITIES ARE BEING SEVERED AND HAVING TO BE RELOCATED AND ADJUSTED BACK INTO CITY STREETS.
THANK YOU. CHRISTIANA. YEAH. AND WHEN I TALK ABOUT THE CAP AND STITCHES ONE OF THE THINGS TO TALK ABOUT CRISTIANO WAS TALKING ABOUT THE DRAINAGE TUNNEL PROJECT. SO NOT ONLY WERE WE PLANNING TO LOWER I-35 IN THE FIRST PLACE, BUT NOW WE'RE LOWERING I-35 EVEN FURTHER AS PART OF THESE PLANNING OF THE CAP AND STITCHES. RIGHT? SO THIS DRAINAGE TUNNEL THAT'S A 25 FOOT DIAMETER TUNNEL IS ABOUT 200FT BELOW THE GROUND.
AND IT IS I THINK THERE WAS A QUESTION IN THE OTHER PRESENTATION.
IT IS TAKING THE WATER FROM THE HIGHWAY AND GOING EAST TO THE RIVER.
[00:55:06]
ALL THE DEBRIS AND ITEMS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE WATER.ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO NOTE FOR THAT DRAINAGE TUNNEL PROJECT, IT'S REALLY EXCITING. I DO WANT TO GIVE SOME THANKS TO THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND THEIR PARTNERSHIP, AS WE ARE CREATING A CONNECTION AT THE PUMP STATION THAT WILL GO TO A POND, THAT WILL ALLOW FOR WATER TREATMENT SO THE CITY CAN PARTNER WITH US ON THAT. SO NOW ABOUT THE CAP AND STITCH.
A LOT OF FOLKS HAVE PROBABLY HEARD A LOT ABOUT CAPTAIN STITCH.
WHAT IS THAT? SO A STITCH BY DEFINITION IS ANYTHING 300FT OR LESS IN SIZE.
ONCE YOU GET BEYOND THAT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A CAP.
I HEARD SOME FOLKS MENTIONING ABOUT KLYDE WARREN PARK IN THE DALLAS AREA.
I THINK THAT'S ABOUT 800FT, GIVE OR TAKE. I WENT TO GO VISIT THAT MYSELF.
WHEN YOU'RE ON TOP OF A SPACE LIKE THAT, IT TRULY IS TRANSFORMATIVE.
IT'S OVER A HIGHWAY. YOU DON'T HEAR THE VEHICLES.
YOU SEE THEM, BUT YOU DON'T HEAR THEM OR FEEL THEM AND YOU TRULY FEEL ON YOUR OWN SPACE.
SO IN HERE IT'S TALKING ABOUT THE VARIOUS SPACES THAT THE CITY HAS COMMITTED FOR FUNDING.
SO IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE. THIS FIRST ONE IS ACTUALLY THE NORTH SEGMENT, SO CLOSER TO THE AIRPORT BOULEVARD AREA. SO THIS IS THE 41ST STREET AND THE THE AIRPORT RED LINE LOCATION. AND SO THESE PINK AREAS ARE THE OPTION B THAT THE CITY IS PLANNING FOR, FOR WHAT'S CALLED WHAT I CALL THE, THE NORTHERN STITCHES THAT ARE BEING ADDED IN ADDITION TO SOME CAPS.
IF YOU. GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, WHICH ARE IN THE GREEN.
SO A LOT OF FOLKS ARE PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH THE CESAR CHAVEZ, THE SEVENTH STREET SECTION, THIS BEING PLANNED FOR AND THE 11TH STREET TO 12TH STREET.
SECTION ONE THING THAT I DO WANT TO MAKE CLEAR IS ALL THE FUNDING COMMITMENT THAT THE CITY HAS PARTNERED WITH TXDOT IN THIS IS FOR FOUNDATIONAL ELEMENTS. SO WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S THE DRILL SHAFTS.
THAT'S THE RETAINING WALLS. THAT'S EVERYTHING THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO SUPPORT IN THE FUTURE.
WHEN WE DO PUT A LID TO OFFICIALLY MAKE IT A CAP, WHICH WOULD BE THE BEAMS, THE SLAB STRUCTURE, ETC.. ANOTHER THING ON SOME OF THESE BIGGER SEGMENTS THAT WOULD NEED TO BE CONSIDERED IS FIRE LIFE SAFETY ELEMENTS, WHICH IS THE JET FANS AND THE WATER SYSTEMS TO HELP WHEN THIS HIGHWAY WOULD BE A TUNNEL UNDERNEATH THE CAP. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS A PHOTO SHOWING FOR STREET.
NOW, AS YOU SEE TODAY LOOKING WEST FROM EAST AUSTIN, LOOKING WEST TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
YOU SEE THE FOREST FOR STREET RED LINE DOWN THERE.
NEXT SLIDE. THIS SHOWS I-35 IN THE FUTURE WITH THE FOURTH STREET RED LINE.
SO RIGHT NOW YOU SEE THE POTENTIAL FOR THE CAPS, THE HIGHWAY WOULD BE UNDERNEATH THIS ABOUT 30 TO 40 FOOT, GIVE OR TAKE UNDERNEATH. AND AS PART OF OUR CONSTRUCTION THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WE'RE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE CITY WITH CAPMETRO REALLY WANT TO THANK THEIR PARTNERSHIP. WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING AND LOWERING THE HIGHWAY, BUT WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE WORKING WITH CAPMETRO ON KEEPING THAT FOUR STREET LINE WHERE IT IS TODAY.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE A BRIDGE. IN THE FUTURE.
THAT'S GOING TO BE ABOVE THE, THE TRAVELING LANES.
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS A STREET LOOKING THROUGH DOWNTOWN AUSTIN.
THIS IS THE TYPICAL ELEVATED I-35 AS YOU KNOW IT TODAY.
I'M SURE THE CITY HAS AN OFFICIAL NAME FOR THE LIGHTS.
I CALL THEM THE DINO RIBS. LIGHTS THAT TURN ON AT NIGHT AS PART OF THIS AREA.
SO THAT'S I-35 TODAY. AND THEN NEXT SLIDE. IN THE FUTURE IS I-35.
ONE THING WORTH MENTIONING IS FOLKS ARE USED TO THE FRONTAGE ROAD BEING ON EACH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
SO THE FRONTAGE ROAD IS NOW NOT ON EACH SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY.
IT'S BUILT AS A BOULEVARD WEST. AS YOU SEE IN THIS RENDERING HERE WHICH IS GOOD FOR THE
[01:00:10]
LOWER SPEEDS AND ALSO THE PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIVITY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE BUILDING THROUGH THIS AREA.SO YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE SHADE STRUCTURES, LANDSCAPING AMENITIES ON OUR EAST WEST BRIDGES THAT EVENTUALLY WOULD BE PUT IN PLACE TO INTEGRATE WITH THAT BOULEVARD SECTION. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
THIS IS 11TH AND 12TH STREET THROUGH THE I-35 AREA.
NOW NEXT SLIDE. AND THIS WOULD BE THE POTENTIAL IN THE FUTURE.
AGAIN, A RENDERING SHOWING THE POTENTIAL OF A, OF A CAP HERE, THE HIGHWAY LOWERED BELOW 11TH AND 12TH STREET HAVING A LOT OF HISTORY. AND SO REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THE CULTURE AND A LOT OF THE HISTORY OF AUSTIN HERE IN THIS LOCATION. NEXT SLIDE PLEASE. THIS IS JUST SHOWING SOME OF THE BRIDGE ESTHETICS.
I THINK YOU SAW IT ON SOME OF THE OTHER RENDERINGS FOR MAYNARD ROAD WHEN WE'RE ULTIMATELY DONE WITH THE PROJECT AGAIN OPPORTUNITY, WE'RE GOING TO BE DOING SOME SHADE STRUCTURES, SOME LANDSCAPING.
BUT THAT ALSO INCLUDES THE EAST WEST CONNECTIVITY THAT WE'RE DOING AS A PART OF THE PROJECT.
I KNOW MOODY CENTER FOOTBALL, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS GOING ON IN THE AUSTIN AREA.
SO THESE ARE ALL THE VARIOUS ENTITIES THAT ARE A PART OF IT.
AS YOU DON'T NEED ME TO TELL YOU THAT AUSTIN IS IS SUPER BUSY AND WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON.
AND TXDOT IS NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE PLAYING IN THE SANDBOX.
ATP, OF COURSE, HAS THEIR LIGHT RAIL PROJECT GOING ON.
THE CITY IS WORKING ON THE CONVENTION CENTER. REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION EARLIER ABOUT THE GREENWAY AND THE EXPANSION OF, OF THAT PROJECT. SO OBVIOUSLY A LOT GOING ON.
SO THAT NOT ONLY ARE WE AS AGENCIES WORKING TOGETHER, BUT WE CAN COMMUNICATE TO THE TRAVELING PUBLIC WHAT'S GOING ON BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CARE WHETHER IT'S TXDOT, THE CITY OR ATP. THEY'RE JUST GOING TO CARE ABOUT EIGHT POINT A TO B.
AND HOW DOES THAT AFFECT MY COMMUTES, WHETHER IT'S VEHICULAR TRAFFIC, PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC, ETCETERA. SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THAT IS FOR.
NEXT SLIDE. AND THAT WAS IT. THAT WAS THE GIST OF OUR I 35 PRESENTATION.
I DO ALSO WANT TO THANK RYAN AND THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION FOR THE INVITATION TO PRESENT THIS TONIGHT.
TO THE GROUP, AND I'M HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS IF THERE'S STILL TIME FOR THAT.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION. I BELIEVE THERE MIGHT BE SOME QUESTIONS.
YEAH. COMMISSIONER SHEPHERD HAS A QUESTION. I'M GOING TO TRY WITH THE MICROPHONE.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD SPEAK ON THE DOWNTOWN SEGMENT TO WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION PORTION THAT WE'D BE SEEING IN THE NEAR FUTURE? SURE. CRISTIANO, DO YOU WANT TO ANSWER THAT? YES, I CAN.
SO WHAT IT IS GOING TO ENTAIL IS A LOT OF WHAT WOULD BE CALLED EARLY PHASE WORK HAVE THE DOWNTOWN SEGMENT AND UNIVERSITY TO BEND ONE PROJECT, JUST ONE STANDALONE PROJECT.
THE EARLY PHASE WORK IS IS USUALLY CONSISTS OF A LOT OF UTILITY RELOCATIONS.
YOU'RE TRYING TO MOVE THOSE UTILITIES OUT OF THE WAY.
SO THEN YOU CAN GET TO THE TRULY THE ROADWAY WORK.
SO THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING IS DOING A LOT OF UTILITY RELOCATIONS.
AND THEN SEVERAL OF THOSE CROSS STREET, NEW CROSS STREET BRIDGES AT THE SAME TIME.
SO 11TH, 12TH SEVENTH, FOURTH. I THINK A LOT OF THOSE ARE GOING TO COME INTO PLAY AND THEN
[01:05:01]
AND THEN THE ACTUAL LOWERING OF I-35 WILL COME LATER ONCE THAT DRAINAGE TUNNEL PROJECT HAS PASSED THROUGH THE, THROUGH THAT SEGMENT IS WHEN WE'LL ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO REALLY GET OUT AND THEN LOWER I-35.BUT YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO GET OUT AS MUCH EARLY PROJECT WORK AS WE CAN.
YEAH. CHRISTIANA. I THINK ONE OF THE OTHER MAJOR EAST WEST AS PART OF THAT EARLY CONSTRUCTION IS THE FOURTH STREET RED LINE BRIDGE, CORRECT? YES. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. TOMMY.
ACTUALLY, THE THAT FOURTH STREET CROSSING THERE WITH THE BRIDGE WITH THE CAP METRO RAIL.
THAT WILL BE COMPLETED. WE'RE RECORDING PRETTY, PRETTY EXTENSIVELY WITH CAP METRO ON THAT PROJECT.
SO THAT BRIDGE, THE CAP METRO RAIL EVERYTHING TIED TO THAT WILL BE COMPLETE.
SO WITH THIS ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION PROJECT, THAT'S VERY HELPFUL.
THANK YOU. OTHER QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER.
CAROL. I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION. I JUST HAVE A COMMENT.
AND THAT IS. THESE RENDERINGS DON'T SEEM TO ALIGN WITH WHAT YOU HAVE LISTED AS THE GOALS. ESPECIALLY I'M THINKING ABOUT THE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THIS LOOKS LIKE 7 OR 8 LANE WIDE BOULEVARD. WE'RE ESSENTIALLY BUILDING ANOTHER HIGHWAY NEXT TO THE HIGHWAY.
IT LOOKS LIKE A COUPLE OF FEET AND I DON'T SEE ANY BIKE LANES.
YES, SIR. I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS. SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT, SOME OF THE EAST WEST BRIDGES THAT WE'RE BUILDING, SO I MENTIONED THE TEN FOOT SHARED USE PATH THAT'S BEING BUILT AS PART OF THE PROJECT.
IN NEXT TO THAT IS BUFFER SPACE THAT WOULD BE FOR TREES, LANDSCAPING SHADE STRUCTURES AND THOSE KIND OF AMENITIES THAT, THAT DO FILL IN THAT BUFFER SPACE BETWEEN THE SHARED USE PATH AND THE TRAVEL LANE.
IT'S NOT SHOWN IN THE RENDERING, BUT YOU'RE SAYING YOU'RE PLANNING ON, ON INSTALLING THOSE.
SO I DON'T THINK WE HAVE THE BOULEVARD, I GUESS FINALIZED PER SE.
AND THE SHARED USE PATH IS ACTUALLY ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE HIGHWAY, AWAY FROM THE BOULEVARD.
THE EAST SIDE OF THE BOULEVARD IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
THE, THE BOULEVARD HAS SIDEWALKS ON BOTH SIDES OF IT, NONE OF WHICH APPEARS TO BE SHADED IN ANY WAY.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WHAT IS 102 DEGREES, YOU CAN HAVE ALL THE SIDEWALKS YOU WANT, BUT WITHOUT SHADE, NO ONE'S GOING TO USE THEM. AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE A BUFFER FROM THE CAR, PEOPLE WON'T FEEL SAFE ON THEM.
UNDERSTOOD. UNDERSTOOD. AND IT'S SHOWING A BICYCLIST IN THE WALKWAY.
THERE'S NO BIKE LANE EITHER. SO IT'S JUST VERY CONFUSING LOOKING AT THIS RENDERING, UNDERSTANDING HOW THERE'S ACCOMMODATIONS FOR FOR BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS. I THINK ONE THING WE CAN DO, RIGHT, CHRISTIANA, IS WE DO MEET BI WEEKLY.
WE MEET PRETTY PERIODICALLY WITH THE CITY STAFF AND THEIR TRANSPORTATION GROUP.
AND SO THERE DEFINITELY IS ALWAYS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE CAN PARTNER FOR THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
IF YOU COULD PULL UP THE SLIDE 18. YES. I WAS LOOKING AT THE EIGHTH STREET RENDERING OF THE, OF THE BOULEVARD. YEAH. LIKE TOMMY MENTIONED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THAT IMAGE CLOSEST TO DOWNTOWN.
[01:10:04]
IS SUPPOSED TO ACCOMMODATE BOTH BICYCLISTS AND PEDESTRIANS NORTH AND SOUTH.OKAY. AND ARE YOU ABLE TO PLANT TREES THERE? AND THEN THERE ARE SOME BUFFER SPACES.
WE'RE DOING OUR BEST TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES WHERE WITHIN THOSE BUFFER SPACES, THERE ARE, THERE IS ROOM TO PLANT SOME TREES. BUT THAT WOULD ALSO BE WITHOUT, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE, THE, THE CLEAR ZONE OR, YOU KNOW, THE OUTSIDE OF YOU KNOW, FURTHEST AWAY FROM VEHICLES AS POSSIBLE.
YOU KNOW AND THEN WHAT ELSE? ONE THING THAT MAYBE I WASN'T TOO CLEAR ABOUT EITHER APOLOGIES, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE LOWERED MAIN LANES AND HOV LANES THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN.
AND THEN THE BOULEVARD SECTION ABOVE THE BOULEVARD SECTION ABOVE IS A DIFFERENT LOWER SPEED FROM THE, THE HIGHWAY. I WASN'T TOO CLEAR ON THAT. JUST JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.
YEAH, I 35 WILL BE DEPRESSED. AND THEN YOU CAN SEE, SO WE'VE MOVED THE FRONTAGE ROAD, THE NORTHBOUND FRONTAGE ROAD OVER TO OVER TO THE WEST SIDE NEAREST DOWNTOWN. SO YOU'VE GOT NORTH SOUTH FRONTAGE ROADS THAT ARE SANDWICHED TOGETHER, CREATING A BOULEVARD SECTION AND THAT WILL HAVE A LOWER SPEED.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THERE'S, YEAH, WE'RE TRYING TO IDENTIFY AS MANY OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE NOT IN CONFLICT WITH UTILITIES OR OTHER STRUCTURES WHERE WE CAN DO PLANTINGS, PLANT TREES, ETC.. BUT YEAH, CERTAINLY NOT WE'RE NOT INTENDING TO INSTALL SHADE STRUCTURES ALONG THE BOULEVARD SECTION.
WE ARE INCORPORATING THEM ON THOSE CROSS STREET BRIDGES THAT YOU SEE.
AND THEN WE ONE THING THAT TOMMY TOUCHED ON TO THAT I WANTED TO KIND OF ELABORATE ON IS WE ARE WORKING WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN DPW ON THE EAST AVENUE TRAIL, AND THAT IS ON THE EAST SIDE OF I-35 WHERE THERE'LL BE MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO POSSIBLY WIDEN THAT SHARED USE PATH OR SPLIT IT SO THAT BICYCLISTS CAN BE ON ONE SIDE, PEDESTRIANS ON THE OTHER.
BUT THAT WILL COME. THE DEVELOPMENT OF THAT WILL COME MORE WITH THE ULTIMATE CONSTRUCTION PROJECT.
COMMISSIONER. WILEY. OKAY. YOU STILL HAVE THE DIAGRAM UP.
MY, MY FAVORITE PART OF THAT DIAGRAM IS THERE ARE NO SEMI TRUCKS ON IT.
SO CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT WE MIGHT IN THE REAL WORLD EXPECT TO HAPPEN GOING FORWARD? IS THIS IS THIS PROJECT GOING TO HELP DIVERT SOME OF THE SEMI TRAFFIC, OR WILL IT ACTUALLY BRING MORE SEMI TRAFFIC GOING THROUGH DOWNTOWN? YEAH. AND THIS IS JUST A RENDERING RIGHT.
THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO SHOW ALL THE VEHICLES THAT WOULD BE ON I-35.
SO WHILE WE ARE WORKING OUR BEST WITH THE CITY AS PART OF A, THIS PROJECT WE ALSO, THE SEMI TRUCKS ARE A PART OF THE I-35 TRAFFIC NORTH SOUTH THROUGH AND THEY GO THROUGH THE AUSTIN REGION.
OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I CAN'T SEE ONLINE.
ANY QUESTIONS ONLINE? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
THANK YOU FOR STICKING WITH US WITH THE TECHNICAL ISSUES THAT YOU WERE HAVING.
AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU AGAIN.
WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE THOSE WHEN YOU HAVE THEM.
SO ABSOLUTELY, WE'LL BE IN TOUCH. THANK YOU FOR THE TIME THIS EVENING.
[3. Presentation regarding Urban Pulse Mapping’s program for urban forest mapping. Presentation by Andrew Lane, Founder, Urban Pulse Mapping. ]
LANE, FOUNDER, URBAN PULSE MAPPING.I CAN FIGURE THAT OUT. SO. ALL RIGHT. WE'RE COOKING WITH FIRE NOW.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. WELL, HEY THANKS FOR HAVING US.
[01:15:07]
MY DAY JOB. I'M AN ATTORNEY. HE'S A STUDENT AT MCCOMBS.I'M GOOD AT BEING A LAWYER, BUT JUST IF YOU HAVEN'T NOTICED.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BEING TALKED ABOUT EARLIER IS IF YOU ARE TRYING TO BIKE OR WALK IN THIS CITY AND THERE ARE NO STREET TREES, IT'S FREAKING HOT. AND UNMANAGEABLE. AND SO I I GOT OUT OF THE ARMY ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, MOVED DOWNTOWN AS AN EXPERIMENT AND WAS GOT RID OF MY CAR, ACTUALLY SOLD IT TO HIS SISTER.
AND I'LL POINT OUT ON THIS PHOTO, YOU CAN SEE BY THE CAPITAL BY THE CAPITAL PARKING GARAGE ON THE LEFT A LINE OF DEAD STREET TREES THAT HAD BEEN BUGGING ME BY MY PLACE AND BY THAT WALLER.
WALLER PARK THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
AND EVENTUALLY I HAD CITY COUNCILMAN FOR DOWNTOWN.
WE GRABBED COFFEE AND BEFORE HE WE FINISHED UP, I WALKED HIM OVER THERE.
HOLD UP. YOU GOT TO CHECK THIS OUT. AND HE ACTUALLY FIXED MY TREES, WHICH WAS AWESOME.
SO NOW IF YOU GUYS GO THERE, IF NOTHING ELSE HAPPENS, THERE ARE TREES THERE.
BIG WIN. SO AND YOU CAN SEE MY BEAUTIFUL DOG RIGHT THERE CELEBRATING.
I STARTED JUST NOTING ON A GOOGLE MAPS LAYER WHERE EVERY SINGLE DEAD STREET TREE WAS.
AND THEN I'M ALSO ON THE PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL HERE AND DECIDED TO HAND IT OFF TO SOME OF THE CITY STAFF AND I WAS MET WITH THE RESOUNDING AND VERY SAD FOR ME REALIZATION THAT IT IS COMPLETELY USELESS TO THEM TO BE PRESENTED WITH THIS.
AND MY GERERIC THING JUST AIN'T GOING TO CUT IT.
SO I WENT, OKAY, WELL, I CAN PAY FOR ONE. HOW MUCH IS IT? AND I LEARNED THAT IT WOULD BE $10 MILLION, WHICH IS CRAZY.
ABSOLUTELY BANANAS. AND SO MY MY MAIN DAY JOB IS I'M AN ATTORNEY.
I WORK WITH A LOT OF STARTUP FOUNDERS WHO HAVE HELPED OUT WITH A LOT OF THINGS.
AND THEY DO A LOT OF MACHINE LEARNING WORK AND CARE ABOUT AUSTIN.
AND SO WE DECIDED TO COME UP WITH AN IDEA TO GET AN AUSTIN DOWNTOWN.
AND JUST CITYWIDE STREET TREE SURVEY DONE QUICKLY AND CHEAPLY.
SO WE PUT IT TOGETHER AND THUS URBAN PULSE WAS BORN.
SO IF YOU FAST FORWARD ABOUT SIX MONTHS WE PUT TOGETHER A SYSTEM WHERE WE CROWDSOURCE STREET TREE DATA, WE SEND FOLKS AROUND, WE GAMIFY IT KIND OF LIKE POKEMON GO.
THEY TAKE PICTURES OF THE TREES AND IT CREATES A CENTRALIZED DASHBOARD FOR THE CITY.
WE JUST LET'S SEE, WE JUST COMPLETED A PILOT PROGRAM WITH THE CITY OF AUSTIN.
AND JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT, WHAT WE ARE COMPARING IT WITH, WITH THIS PILOT.
I BELIEVE BARTLETT GROUP, WHICH IS A GREAT ARBORIST GROUP HERE IN THE AREA, HAD BEEN CONTRACTED BY THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE TO PERFORM A SURVEY OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA. IT'S A VERY LIMITED AREA SURVEY. IT TOOK THEM, I BELIEVE, 3 TO 4 MONTHS.
THEY ENDED UP IDENTIFYING AROUND 2700, JUST UNDER 3000 TREES.
AND IT COST SOMEWHERE AROUND $15 A TREE, WHICH IS A LOT.
AND IF YOU LOOKED AT THE ACTUAL RESULTS THE, IT IS A JUST SPREADSHEET WITH HERE'S A TREE, HERE'S ITS SPECIES. IT'S ALIVE. MAYBE PRUNE SOME STUFF.
AND THAT'S KIND OF INDUSTRY STANDARD AT THIS POINT, WHICH AGAIN, FOR $15 A TREE SEEMS BANANAS TO ME.
SO YOU CAN SEE THIS $10 MILLION PRICE TAG IS THE LAST CITY OF AUSTIN ESTIMATE IN 2024, I BELIEVE RIGHT NOW THEY'VE GOT OUT FOR BID A SIMILAR PRICE TAG THAT THEY'RE DOING FOR THE PARKS, POCKET PARKS. AND YEAH, IT'S A LOT.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE DID IS WE REPLICATED THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE SURVEY.
WE TRIED DIFFERENT TYPES OF PAYMENTS, WHETHER IT WAS A SINGLE FLAT PAYMENT THEY GOT, IF THEY GOT PAID FOR COMPLETION, ALL SORTS OF THINGS. AND WE ENDED UP IN THE SPAN OF A WEEK OR TWO LARGELY JUST BECAUSE I HAVE A FULL TIME JOB.
AND WE WERE DOING IT AT ABOUT ONE PERSON COULD DO ABOUT 300 TREES IN A DAY COMES DOWN TO AROUND, I THINK OUR MAX OUTPUT, WE WERE DOING ABOUT 3000 TREES A DAY.
IS THE PACE COMPARED TO THAT TO BARTLETT I BELIEVE DID AROUND 2700 OR 2000 800 IN 4 MONTHS.
[01:20:07]
AND AGAIN, I'M NOT SOME OF THAT THAT WE'RE PROBABLY PLANNING.I'M NOT COMMENTING ON BARTLETT. THEY'RE GREAT.
IT WAS A GREAT JOB. BUT THAT'S ABOUT WHAT WE PUSHED OUT.
WHEN WE DID THIS WHAT SOME OF THESE ARBORIST GROUPS HOW THEY DO IT IS THEY, THEY LOG THE TREE LOCATION WITH GPS AND WE NOTED THAT AS WE OVERLAID THEIR GPS ONTO ONTO THE MAP WE SAW A COUPLE AREAS THAT THEY WERE IN SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT WE WERE RUNNING INTO.
IF YOU'RE DEALING WITH GPS, YOU RUN INTO URBAN CANYON EFFECTS FROM SKYSCRAPERS.
YOUR GPS LOCATION KIND OF BOUNCES AROUND. YOU LOSE SOME OF THIS ACCURACY.
SO WE HAD TO COME UP WITH SOME COOL SOLUTIONS ON USING A MESH NETWORKS AND KIND OF DEAD RECKONING FOR THE, THE INDIVIDUALS WITH MAP COMPARISONS AND A FEW DIFFERENT REDUNDANT SYSTEMS SO THAT WE COULD FIX THE URBAN CANYON EFFECT AND GET REALLY ACCURATE RESULTS ON THE TREES. ONE BIG DIFFERENCE AS WELL THAT WE WERE ABLE TO, TO PROVIDE IS INSTEAD OF PROVIDING JUST A SHEET OF TREE LOCATIONS, WHICH ARE GENERALLY CORRECT, I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT TRAINED ARBORISTS, BUT YOU RUN INTO A LOT OF PROBLEMS WITH THAT.
THEY'RE NOT VERIFIABLE. YOU KNOW, I'VE HAD ONE ARBORIST TELL ME THAT, YOU KNOW, IF A THING WAS OVER 10% OR 15% WRONG, THAT WAS BAD. I WAS THINKING THAT IT WAS GOING TO BE LIKE 99% WOULD HAVE TO BE CORRECT.
BUT I GUESS THERE'S DIFFERENT VARIANCES. AND SO THE BROADER POINT IS WITHOUT HAVING OTHER EVIDENCE OTHER THAN JUST THIS LINE ITEM, YOU CAN'T AS A CITY GO BACK AND SEE IT. IT'S ALSO TAKES JUST A LONG TIME.
SO OURS, WE, WE, THE, THE TIGERS TAKE THE PICTURES.
IT GOES BACK TO OUR DASHBOARD. THEY'VE GOT LIKE FIVE DIFFERENT PHOTOS OF THE TREE.
SO CITY GOT BACK FROM US A LIVE DASHBOARD. WE HAD SOME LIDAR MEASUREMENTS OF, OF DIAMETER AT BREAST HEIGHT, WHICH IS APPARENTLY A VERY IMPORTANT THING FOR TREES. AS I'VE LEARNED, I'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TREES. OR WE HAD MEASUREMENTS WHERE THE TAGGERS WOULD TAKE A TAPE AND DO THE CIRCUMFERENCE AROUND IT. SO WHAT WE PRODUCED.
YEAH, WE HAD 3487 TREES. AND I'LL ALSO NOTE WE DID, WE, WE HAD SOME ISSUES WITH IT WITH, WE HAD A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT AI MODELS GOING THROUGH AND PROVIDING ANALYSIS AND IDENTIFYING SPECIES.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME PROBLEMS WHEN YOU USE AI MODELS LIKE LONDON PLANE TREES.
THEY REALLY THINK THAT MEXICAN SYCAMORES ARE LONDON PLANE TREES BECAUSE LONDON PLANE TREES HAVE BEEN PHOTOGRAPHED SO MUCH. AND SO THERE'S CERTAIN LIKE REGIONAL HARNESSES THAT WE HAD TO LEARN TO PUT IN. AND I THINK IF WE WERE TO DO THIS AGAIN AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH FUTURE CITIES, WE'LL HAVE REGIONAL HARNESSES SURROUNDING IT TO, TO AND REGIONAL ARBORISTS BEING THE ONES TO VERIFY IT RATHER THAN WE HAD ARBORISTS FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, BUT GENERALLY WE HAD 100% ARBORIST VERIFICATION.
AND CITIES CAN THEN GO BACK AND FORTH WITH ARBORISTS IF THEY NEEDED MORE INFORMATION.
AND I'M NOT GOING TO OUT HERE GET INTO COSTS, BUT I'D SAY THAT THE FOR WHAT WE ARE CHARGING CITIES NOW AND THE ACTUAL COST TO US THE DIFFERENCE IN TIME AND ACTUAL PRICE IF YOU HAD THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ONE WAS AROUND $15 A TREE.
WE, WE WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, A FRACTION OF THAT SIGNIFICANT FRACTION OF THAT.
DEFINITELY LESS THAN A THIRD OF THAT. AND MUCH, MUCH FASTER.
SO LET'S SEE, CAN WE SEE THEIR VIDEOS HERE? OKAY, COOL.
SO LET'S SEE IF WE CAN CLICK ONE OF THESE. THESE ARE JUST EXAMPLES IF IT'LL PLAY MAYBE NOT.
ARE THESE THE ACTUAL POWERPOINTS OR JUST OKAY, WELL IF IT WORKS GREAT, YOU'LL JUST GET TO SEE WHAT ATTACKER WOULD SEE WHERE THEY GO THROUGH, TAKE THE PICTURES AND THEN I'LL SHOW YOU WHAT THE DASHBOARD ON THE BACK END LOOKS LIKE.
AND IF IT DOESN'T, THEN YOU CAN JUST SEE AN INITIAL SCREENSHOT.
AND WE CAN DO ONE AT A TIME. THAT'S FINE. YEAH.
THEY TAKE PICTURES OF THE LEAVES UNDERSIDE ABOVE SIDE.
THEY CAN EITHER USE A TAPE MEASURE OR A LIDAR.
HERE I THINK WE'RE GOING TAPE MEASURE. I DON'T KNOW.
[01:25:03]
ARE WE GOING LIDAR. OKAY. WE'RE GOING LIDAR. SO USING THE IPHONE PRO, THERE'S CERTAIN LIDAR THAT YOU CAN USE AND GET YOUR SCAN.AND WE FOUND THAT THOSE ARE PRETTY, PRETTY ACCURATE.
BUT MOST OF THE ONES WE DID FOR THE CITY WERE USING THE MANUAL TAPE MEASURE.
GREAT. AND SO THAT'S HOW, AND THEN THERE'S A SELECTION OF THE GPS.
THIS IS OUT IN THE, OUT IN THE BOONDOCKS IN BEE CAVE.
SO IT ONLY USED THE GPS INSTEAD OF OUR MESH SYSTEM.
AND THEN THE LOCATION IS CONFIRMED AND THAT'S IT. AND IT WOULD BE LOGGED AS A TREE.
AND SO THAT PERSON WOULD GET PAID SOME SORT OF BOUNTY.
WHATEVER. WHATEVER WE WERE DOING. AND WE CAN GO, GO AT THE NEXT ONE.
THE OTHER VIDEO IS JUST SHOWING THAT SAME THING, BUT GOING DOWNTOWN WHERE THEY USE DPS INSTEAD OF OUR USE OUR MESH SYSTEM INSTEAD OF A GPS.
OH, GREAT. OKAY. USING A DIFFERENT DIDN'T USE DPS.
USED A DIFFERENT ONE OF OUR REDUNDANT SYSTEMS. WE GOT A LOT OF THEM TO MAKE SURE IT'S ACCURATE.
ALL RIGHT. COOL. VERY EXCITING. SO. AND. THAT WORKS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THEM. BUT YEAH, SO PROBLEMS THAT WE RAN INTO YOU KNOW, INITIALLY WE WERE USING JUST ARBORISTS WHO WERE CERTIFIED ARBORIST FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE. AND THAT WAS GOOD.
WE STARTED BUILDING OUT OUR OWN MODELS AS WELL THAT ARE PROPRIETARY. BUT WE COMPARED A BUNCH OF THE DIFFERENT FRONTIER IES, DIFFERENT HARNESSES AND ENDED UP AFTER COMPLETING THIS WE'VE SHIFTED NOW TO ENTIRELY REGIONAL SPECIFIC ARBORISTS.
BUT SAME THING, ARBORIST APPROVAL FOR EVERYONE.
AND THIS IS A SCREENSHOT OF WHAT, WHAT THE CITY WOULD HAVE.
SO AGAIN, INSTEAD OF JUST A, A. EXCEL SHEET THEY'LL HAVE THIS INTERACTIVE ACTUAL DASHBOARD, WHICH WE'VE GOT ALL THE HISTORY OF EVERY SINGLE SURVEY THAT HAS BEEN DONE.
WE WENT AHEAD UPLOADED A BUNCH OF BOSTON'S PAST ONES AS WELL.
BUT AS YOU GET MORE AND MORE SURVEYS, YOU GET MORE AND MORE DATA ON THERE THAT YOU CAN COMPARE.
YOU CAN SEE IT BY SPECIES. AND THEN WE'VE ALSO GOT IN THERE AI, AI, QUERYABLE DATABASE WHERE OUR AI CAN GO THROUGH AND PULL UP USEFUL THINGS LIKE, HEY, ARE THERE FUNGAL SPORES ON ANY OF THESE TREES? WHERE DO YOU WANT? DO YOU WANT THE MAPS? ARE THESE TREES HAVING INSECT DAMAGE OR WHAT'S GOING ON? SO THAT HELPS ARBORISTS TO ACTUALLY SEE TRENDS.
AND AGAIN, ALL THIS YOU GET INSTEAD OF 15 PLUS DOLLARS A TREE FOR A SPREADSHEET YOU GET FOR MUCH, MUCH LESS ANALYSIS ALSO PERFORM AND YOU CAN SEE KIND OF WHAT THE, THE CITY STAFF WOULD SEE ON THE, ON THE BACK END WHERE IF THEY WANT TO LOOK AT EACH INDIVIDUAL PHOTO.
AND WHEN WE HAVE OUR ARBORIST REVIEW, I DON'T HAVE THE DASHBOARD SET UP ON HERE FOR THAT.
AND OUR HOPE IS THAT REALLY THIS LARGE ARBORIST COMPANIES DON'T MAKE A LOT OF MONEY OFF THESE SURVEYS, WHICH AGAIN IS SHOCKING TO ME BECAUSE OF HOW EXPENSIVE THEY ARE. BUT THEY DON'T THEY MAKE THEIR MONEY DOING MORE INTENSIVE CARE OF TREES.
AND THESE SURVEYS ARE JUST KIND OF A COST OF DOING BUSINESS. AND SO OUR HOPE IS THAT BY, BY MAKING THIS MUCH CHEAPER AND MUCH FASTER WE CAN PROVIDE CITIES A LIVE UPDATE AND REAL SMART CITY MAP OF WHAT THEIR URBAN FOREST INFRASTRUCTURE IS.
THEY'RE GREAT AND THEY LOVE TREES AND I LOVE TREES AND IT'S AWESOME.
BUT ONE THING I WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS THE AI IS GREAT.
AI IS GETTING BETTER EVERY DAY AND WE'RE BUILDING OUT NEW SYSTEMS. AND IT'S GETTING REALLY GOOD AT IDENTIFYING SPECIES AND CARE PLANS AND THESE THINGS.
[01:30:07]
AUDITABLE EVIDENCE OF WHERE EVERY SINGLE TREE IN THE CITY IS.AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR CITY ARBORIST LOOK THROUGH IT, THEY CAN DO IT. IF YOU WANT TO HAVE ANOTHER ARBORIST LOOK THROUGH IT, YOU CAN DO IT. OR IF YOU JUST WANT TO HAVE THE AI GIVE YOU A QUICK OVERVIEW, YOU CAN DO THAT TOO. BUT THIS CAN REALLY TURN.
I MEAN, I WAS LOOKING AT DALLAS SPENT LIKE SIX POINT SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS OVER FIVE YEARS FOR, FOR A SURVEY. AND IT'S LIKE, WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT IN A FEW MONTHS AND NOT CHARGE THEM 6 MILLION.
I MEAN, I'LL TAKE THE MONEY, BUT WOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO DO THAT.
AND SAME THING. SO ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO STREET TREES I THINK THIS IS A REALLY COOL SYSTEM THAT IS REALLY FAST AND EASY TO IMPLEMENT FOR CITIES AND YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.
I WANT STREET TREES. SO HOW IS THE CITY OF AUSTIN BEEN AS FAR AS RESPONDING TO YOUR OFFER OF THIS INVENTORY AND THIS TECHNOLOGY? YEAH. GREAT QUESTION. SO WELL, THEY'VE BEEN REALLY HELPFUL JUST BY HELPING FACILITATE THE INITIAL PILOT.
UNFORTUNATELY ON OUR END, LIKE THE BIG INVENTORY THAT THEY'RE DOING IS ACROSS ALL THE PARKLANDS SOME OF WHICH ARE POCKET PARKS, WHICH I THINK WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR AND SOME OF WHICH IS FOR, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE FORESTS AND STUFF WAY OUT, OUT AND ABOUT, WHICH ISN'T NECESSARILY OUR TARGET.
I MEAN, OUR TARGETS REALLY STREET TREES AND HANDLING THAT AREA. AND SO WE'RE STILL PENDING BACK ALL THEIR FEEDBACK FROM THE PILOT RESULTS AND FROM THEM KIND OF PLAYING AROUND WITH THE DASHBOARD. WE GOT THAT TO THEM. I WANT TO SAY LAST WEEK OR EARLY THE WEEK BEFORE, SO THEY'VE BEEN BUSY WITH THE BUDGET.
BUT THEY'VE BEEN SUPER GREAT. AND GIVEN US A TON OF GREAT FEEDBACK.
THE OTHER ISSUE WITH THE RFP THAT WENT OUT IS WHEN IT WENT OUT.
I MEAN, IT, IT BASICALLY LIKE, I MEAN, I'M SURE YOU GUYS ALL KNOW HOW GOVERNMENT RFPS WORK.
IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, YOU HAVE TO HAVE DONE, WE'RE HAPPY IF YOU USE AI AND LIDAR, BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE DONE THREE SIMILARLY SIZED CITIES OF THIS LEVEL AND BEEN AN ARBORIST COMPANY FOR FIVE YEARS. LIKE, OKAY, SO LIKE THERE'S LIKE TWO COMPANIES IN AMERICA, IT'S GOING TO BE DAVY RESOURCE OR PLANET GEO.
AND NEITHER OF THEM HAVE THESE SYSTEMS. BUT THAT'S COOL GUYS.
SO YOU KNOW, BUT THEY'VE BEEN GREAT. SO IT'S NOT FRUSTRATION WITH THEM.
LIKE THE ARBORIST HERE ARE AWESOME AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY SUPPORTIVE AND VERY HELPFUL AND VERY EXCITED AND HELPING US GO PRESENT TO ARBORISTS ALL AROUND THE THE TEXAS. PROCUREMENT AND WHOEVER WROTE THOSE REGULATIONS KIND OF SUCKS, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION.
THANKS. OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH. COMMISSIONER CARROLL.
THANK YOU CHAIR. SO JUST SOME CLARIFICATION QUESTIONS.
SO IS THE ARBORIST OR CHECKING THE TAGGERS WORK TO DETERMINE THE HEALTH OF THE TREE.
SO NOT REALLY. THE TAGGERS AREN'T ACTUALLY DOING ANY REAL ANALYSIS.
THE TAGGERS ARE JUST COLLECTING THE DATA. THE THING THAT THE ARBORISTS ARE CHECKING IS THE AI.
RIGHT. BUT WHAT WE DO IS WE HAVE THE TAGGERS UP.
GET, GET A SET OF DATA THAT WE'VE MADE VERY EASY AND CLEAR, LIKE DO THIS, THIS FRAME IT HERE.
AND THEN IT GOES THROUGH OUR AI. THE AI WILL SPIT OUT SPECIES, SPITS OUT RISK ASSESSMENTS, SPITS OUT A CARE PLAN, HEALTH REVIEW, ALL THIS STUFF.
AND THE ARBORIST REVIEW ALL OF THOSE. SO HEY, DID IT GET THE RIGHT SPECIES? IT'S IMPORTANT. IS THIS RISK ASSESSMENT. ONE THING THAT WE FOUND IS THE AI REALLY LOVES TREES.
I LOVE TREES, IT'S GREAT. BUT IT THOUGHT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT IS THEY'RE TREES.
THEY'RE GOING TO GROW. WE'RE NOT MAKING PRIZE TREES LIKE AND IT WANTED YOU TO HAVE LIKE INITIALLY, LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO MASSAGE THE TREE. I MEAN, YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW UP WITH LIKE YOU'RE GOING TO FERTILIZE THE TREE.
YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GOING TO WATER THIS TREE EVERY DAY. IT'S GOING TO MAKE IT THE BEST TREE. IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IT'S A STREET TREE. YES. IS IT OVERHANGING A UTILITY LINE? THAT'S WHAT WE WANT TO KNOW. AND SO THERE WAS DEFINITELY SOME WALK BACK AND FINE TUNING THAT THE ARBORIST HAD BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE HAVE THOSE ARBORIST CERTIFIED ARBORISTS.
TAKE A LOOK AND MAKE SURE THAT THE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE BEING OUTPUT ARE CORRECT.
THE OTHER THING THAT THEY, THEY ARE A GOOD CHECK ON WHEN I'M SAYING THEY'RE CHECKING THE TAGGERS IS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE FIRST BUILT IT YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF RUNNING AND GUNNING AND TRYING TO GET THIS THING OUT REAL QUICK WHILE IT'S STILL THE SUMMER.
[01:35:01]
AND SO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THE, THE CAMERA ZOOM WASN'T WORKING RIGHT.AND ON OUR INITIAL BUILDS AND SO, OR MAYBE A TAGGER, I MEAN, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I LEARNED WITH HOW, HOW HUMANS WORK AND HOW THEY COLLECT DATA, LIKE WE HAD ONE WHOLE EMPTY STRETCH WHERE I'M LIKE, DUDE, YOU WALKED BY ALL THESE TREES, WHY DIDN'T YOU GET THEM? IT'S LIKE I DIDN'T LIKE THEM. WHAT DO YOU MEAN? I JUST DIDN'T LIKE THEM. OKAY. SO, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO WARN SOME STUFF AND AND THE ARBORISTS LOOK OVER AND LIKE, OKAY, WE MISSED THIS WHOLE SECTION, YOU KNOW? SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT THEY WERE HELPING WITH.
AND I THINK WE'VE WORKED OUT THOSE KINKS AT THIS POINT, BUT STILL NEED THE ARBORIST FOR SURE.
YEAH. I COULD SEE, YOU KNOW, YOUR YOUR COMMENTS ON THE AI.
I MEAN A NATIVE TREE THAT THAT GROWS WELL IN A FIELD.
AND THEN YOU PUT IT IN A NON NATIVE STREET CONDITION IS NOT GOING TO THRIVE IN THE SAME WAY WHERE IT DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE LIGHT, IT DOESN'T HAVE ALL THE. I KNOW, I MEAN, ABSOLUTELY, AND THERE'S DEFINITELY SOME WHERE AND WE'VE, WE'VE ADJUSTED THAT AND FIXED IT SO THAT NOW IT'S IT'S MUCH MORE IN LINE WITH CITY ARBORIST.
THESE ARE EASY ENOUGH THINGS TO CHANGE THE WEIGHTS ON FOR THE AI AND FINE TUNE IT UP.
AND SO NOW IT'S MUCH MORE, I'LL SAY REALISTIC.
IT'S LESS BRIGHT EYED, BUSHY TAILED STRAIGHT OUT OF COLLEGE. AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF PUNCHED BY THE WORLD. AND LEARNED, BUT IT. YEAH. IT'S GOOD. IT'S VERY INTERESTING.
THANK YOU FOR, FOR DOING ALL OF THIS. I APPRECIATE IT.
HOPEFULLY WE GET SOME MORE TREES. IT'S HOT. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? DID YOU PRESENT TO DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE? NO.
ACTUALLY, I REALLY SHOULD GO AHEAD AND ALSO SEND THEM THE DATA.
WELL, THANK YOU AGAIN FOR THE PRESENTATION. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
AND WE HOPE YOU HOPE IT GOES WELL. YEAH. THANKS FOR THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
AND HOPEFULLY TELL THE CITY TO USE US FOR MORE TREES.
AWESOME. THANK YOU. NEXT UP, WE HAVE A PRESENTATION ON AN UPDATE FOR THE PARKS AND REC BOARD, I GUESS. YEAH, I THINK JENNIFER IS MAKING THE PRESENTATION.
[4. Update on Parks & Recreation Board activities related to Downtown Austin. ]
JENNIFER FRANKLIN COMMISSIONER FRANKLIN IS THAT ACTOR? YES, YES. THERE'S NO PRESENTATION. JUST I KNOW IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT SINCE YOU GUYS HAVE HEARD FROM THE PARKS AND REC LIAISON.SO WE'RE IN AUGUST NOW, SO THE NEXT PARKS MEETING IS NEXT WEEK.
SO, YOU KNOW, CAN UPDATE YOU GUYS ON HOW THAT WOULD GO IN A LITTLE BIT.
BUT JULY, THERE WERE NO ITEMS RELATED TO THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AGENDA.
AND THEN GOING BACK THE MONTH PRIOR TO THAT JUNE IT WAS ACTUALLY RELATED TO A NUMBER OF THE PRESENTATIONS THAT YOU SAW TODAY IN TERMS OF WATERLOO GREENWAY AND THE CAPEX IMPROVEMENTS. AND SO THERE WAS AN ITEM ON THE DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AGENDA FOR JUNE.
I WAS NOT PRESENT DURING THE JUNE MEETING, BUT JUST TO KEEP YOU GUYS UPDATED, IT WAS REGARDING PARK LAND USE AND UTILITY RELOCATES THAT WERE KIND OF HIGHLIGHTED AS PART OF THOSE EARLY STAGES FOR THE CAPEX PROJECT.
SO THAT'S KIND OF EVERYTHING THAT'S BEEN GOING ON SO FAR FOR PARKS OVER THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
AND THEN HOPING TO KEEP YOU GUYS POSTED THROUGH MORE FREQUENT UPDATES.
YES. COMMISSIONER HOUSTON. IF I COULD GET A SHORT MINUTE JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE SHORT UPDATE.
OKAY. OH, WAIT. HOLD ON. IT'S NOT ON THE AGENDA.
IS THAT OKAY? I KNOW IT'S NOT OKAY. OH, IT'S NOT OKAY.
BUT I JUST NEED TO LET YOU ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
IF IT'S JUST A REAL QUICK, YOU KNOW, A PRIVILEGE, THAT'S FINE.
JUST CAN'T BE ANY, I WOULDN'T SAY ANY DISCUSSION.
SO YEAH, NO, JUST JUST A BRIEF UPDATE. OKAY. GO AHEAD.
SO THE ARTS COMMISSION DIDN'T MEET ON MONDAY.
WE'RE BACK WITH DOWNTOWN COMMISSION AFTER ARTS COMMISSION.
BUT WE DIDN'T MEET ON MONDAY BECAUSE WE HAVE LACK OF QUORUM.
[01:40:02]
CLOSED. AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF IMPANELING ABOUT 491 PANELISTS TO REVIEW THE APPLICATIONS AND MAKE DECISIONS.THANK YOU. APPRECIATE THAT. AND THAT RAISES ANOTHER ISSUE AND A REMINDER IN ORDER TO DO A LIAISON UPDATE, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO GET IT ON THE AGENDA. WE HAVE TO HAVE A SECOND FROM ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS.
SO LIKE I SAID, I WILL REACH OUT OR RYAN WILL REACH OUT.
BUT COMMISSIONER HOUSTON, I APPRECIATE YOU GIVING US THAT UPDATE.
ALL RIGHT. NEW BUSINESS. DO WE HAVE ANY SUGGESTED NEW BUSINESS FOR OUR UPCOMING MEETINGS?
[FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ]
I ALREADY TALKED TO RYAN ABOUT A RECOMMENDATION THAT WE ARE WORKING ON TO ESSENTIALLY ADOPT THE DAA WHAT WAS IT CALLED AGAIN? ANYHOW, THEY CAME OUT WITH SOME PROPOSALS PRIORITIES FOR HOMELESSNESS, FOR THE YEARLY PRIORITIES FOR WHAT THEY WANT IN DOWNTOWN, MOST OF WHICH WAS FOCUSED ON HOMELESSNESS.SO ANYTHING ELSE? IF NOT, DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED. SECOND. COMMISSIONER. SECONDED. ALL RIGHT, WE'RE DONE.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.