[00:00:11]
DO WE HAVE GERALD DARDY ON
WHAT ABOUT JUDGE BISCO? COMMISSIONER JONES.
WHAT ABOUT TERRY MITCHELL OR COMMISSIONER? SHEA I'M OR PROXY TODAY.
UM, SO I'VE GOT, I BELIEVE EVERYBODY ELSE ACCOUNTED FOR, UM, AS I SAW YOU POP ON.
[1. Certification of Quorum – Quorum requirement is 11 members]
THAT, WE DO HAVE A QUORUM AND, UM, IF ANY OF THOSE OTHER INDIVIDUALS JUMP ON BETWEEN NOW AND THEN PLEASE HELP ME TO KEEP TRACK OF THAT, UH, FELLOW BOARD MEMBERS.UM, WITH THAT, WE'LL MOVE ON TO OUR, FIRST OF ALL, LET ME CALL THE MEETING TO ORDER, UM, AT TWO OH FIVE, 2:03 PM ON THE, UH, 12TH OF OCTOBER.
AND ONCE AGAIN, WE ARE MEETING VIRTUALLY AND, UM, WE HAVE A CORE OF, OF THE BOARD.
UH, SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER TWO,
[2. Public Comments]
PUBLIC COMMENTS.AND, UM, I HAVE THREE PEOPLE SIGNED UP, BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY, UM, ALL SEEM TO BE RELATED TO THE ALEXANDER FARM OR YOU ALL, I BELIEVE YOU ALL ARE FOR ITEM NUMBER NINE.
IS THAT CORRECT? WE ARE FOR BOTH.
ALRIGHT, WE'LL START WITH, UM, ROSALYN AND YOU KNOW, THE DRILL.
UM, YOU'VE GOT THREE MINUTES AND, UM, WELCOME TODAY.
AND, UH, AND JUST AS A REMINDER LATER ON THE AGENDA, WE WILL HEAR FROM TEXDOT ON THIS SPECIFIC PROJECT.
UM, LET'S SAY, LET ME GET MY TIMER STARTED HERE AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MY NAME IS ROSALIND ALEXANDER
I'M A SIXTH GENERATION, TEXAS BORN AND BRED DESCENDANTS OF DANIEL ALEXANDER MOTHER SENDING THE ALEXANDER FARM IN ALEXANDER CEMETERY SEATED BETWEEN 50 806,000 HIGHWAY ONE 83 SOUTH.
JUST OVER A MILE OUTSIDE OF AUSTIN WAS FOUNDED BY MY GREAT GREAT GRANDFATHER, ENSLAVED THOROUGHBRED, HORSE, RACE, BREEDER, RACE, HORSE BREEDER, AND TRAINER DANIEL ALEXANDER DANIEL, AND HIS MOTHER SAID HE CAME TO TRAVIS COUNTY IN JANUARY OF 1839 WITH THE FAMILY OF TEXAS FOUNDING FATHER.
THOMAS MCKINNEY, GENERATIONS OF MCKINNEYS HAD OWNED AND RAISED HORSES FROM THE MID 17 HUNDREDS IN VIRGINIA, KENTUCKY, AND MISSOURI.
THEIR PROJENITOR IMMIGRATED TO AMERICA FROM SCOTLAND BEFORE THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR.
WHEN THE MECHANICS, WHEN THE MCKINNEYS GOT TO TEXAS AND THEY RAISED THEIR THOROUGHBREDS FIRST IN GALVESTON IN THE 1820S AND THIRTIES, THEN ON, UH, AT ONION CREEK NEAR MCKINNEY FALLS, TEXAS FROM THE 1840S FORWARD.
DANIEL ALSO ACCOMPANIED THOROUGHBREDS ON KENYON WILLIAMS COMPANY, FLEET OF THEORIES AND SCHOONERS TO NEW ORLEANS AND OTHER HORSE RACES WITH HEFTY PERSISTS THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.
DANIEL WAS ONE OF THOUSANDS OF ENSLAVED, HIGHLY SKILLED AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE EARLY DAYS OF OUR NATION, WHOM HISTORIANS NOW REFER TO AS RACE WAR SMITH, THEY NURTURED AND DEVELOPED HORSE RACING INTO AMERICANS FOR SPORT.
THEY WERE NOT ONLY THE FIRST RIDERS IN THE KENTUCKY DERBY.
THEY WERE THE SPORTS CELEBRITY ATHLETES, COACHES, AND MENTORS OF THEIR DAY.
DANIEL ALEXANDER AS WELL REMEMBERED BY HIS CELEBRITY MENTEES AND THEN A NATION'S RACING RECORDS OF THE LATE 19TH CENTURY.
DANIEL ALEXANDER TRAINED THE MCKINNEYS THOROUGHBRED HORSES, AT LEAST ONE OF WHICH WAS HIRED BY SIR, ARCHIE SINE, A BLOODLINE THAT EVENTUALLY BROUGHT THE WORLD'S CROWN WINNER.
SECRETARY DANIEL ALSO TRAINED COPPER BOTTOM GENERAL, SAM HOUSTON'S QUARTER HORSE, WHO WAS ALSO ON THE ARCHIE BLOODLINE AS WERE MANY OF HIS FELLOW BLACK RACEHORSE MEN, DANIEL EARNED FAVORITE STATE OF SOME, THE MCKINNEY'S FOR HIS MASTERY OF THE ANIMAL HUSBANDRY THAT LED TO WINS ON THE TRACK.
THE ALEXANDER FARM HAS BEEN HELD BY SENDING HIM DANIEL'S DESCENDANTS FROM AT LATEST 1847.
WHEN HE WAS GIVEN THE HOME THE LAND TO HOMESTEAD IN EXCHANGE FOR HIS HORSERACING ABDOMEN, HE WAS ALSO INTRODUCED BY THE MCKINNEY'S TWIN IRISH INDENTURED SERVANTS, EMMELINE ADAMS, WHOM HE MARRIED TO CHUCK SAW A CHOCTAW.
SO THE YAMAS, THE NATION OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE NOW HEADQUARTERED IN OKLAHOMA STILL RECOGNIZE DANIEL.
I WAS BANDERAS ONE OF THEIR ELEMENTS LIKE SAM HOUSTON, WHOM THE CHEROKEE DUBBED RAVEN DANIEL ALEXANDER'S COMMUNITY RACIST DURING THE REPUBLIC OF TEXAS YEARS DURING RECONSTRUCTION AND INTO THE EARLY 20TH CENTURY WERE LEGENDARY.
INDIGENOUS PRESET HISTORY HAS NEVER BEEN FAR FROM OUR HOMELAND OR HOMESTEAD.
THE SMITH ROCK SHELTER USED SINCE 500 BC BY CENTRAL TEXAS INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AT MCKINNEY FALLS NEAR THE ALEXANDER FARM IS ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES.
THE ACREAGE, THE DANIEL ALEXANDER RACIST FAMILY ON FOR DECADES, IT'S STILL DEALING WITH GENDER HOMESTEAD.
THE DAVID ALEXANDER CEMETERY CONTAINS DANIEL'S REMAINS, AND THOSE ARE SOME 60
[00:05:01]
MARKED AND UNMARKED ALEXANDER DESCENDANTS.IF THE ALEXANDER PHARM AND ALEXANDER CEMETERY ARE HARMED BY THIS ROADWAY EXPANSION, PLEASE UNDERSTAND THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE, NO REPLACEMENT IN CENTRAL TEXAS OR THE UNITED STATES FOR OUR FARM AND CEMETERY.
WE WILL MOVE ON TO MARCELLUS ALEXANDER JR.
AND BEFORE YOU START, UM, IF EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD PLEASE MUTE THEIR MICROPHONES, SO WE DON'T HAVE ANY BACKGROUND NOISE.
SIXTH GENERATION DESCENDANTS, JUSTINIAN DANIEL, AND THE NAMESAKE OF MY PATERNAL AND MATERNAL GRANDFATHER IN 1966, THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT AND THE USD OT CODE BECAME THE LAW OF THE LAND.
IT'S PROHIBITED THE TAKING OF HISTORIC SITES, JUST LIKE THE LAW IN 1968, EVEN TEXAS HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT TOOK THE LAND FROM THE FRONT OF THE ALEXANDER FARM AND ALEXANDER CEMETERY TO CONVERT RURAL ROUTE TWO INTO A FOUR LANE PLUS MEDIUM VERSION.
WOULDN'T NOT ONLY TOOK THAT LAND WASTED A HUNDRED FOOT LIVER ON THE OTHER SIDE OF WHAT IS NOW THE HIGHWAY.
SIMILARLY MCKEANY FAMILY HISTORIAN.
MARGARET HINSON WRITES THAT THE ENSLAVED PEOPLES VERY OLD GROUNDS NEAR MCKINNEY FALLS OR BULLDOZED TO CREATE A GOLF COURSE BECAUSE THERE WERE NO PRESERVATION MANDATES IN PLACE AT THAT TIME.
SO WE, THE ALEXANDER FAMILY, THE DESCENDANTS OF DANIEL AND CINDY COME TO CAMPO A BODY OF ELECTED COUNTY AND MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS WITH OVERSIGHT RESPONSIBILITY FOR ROADWAY EXPANSION, TO BE SURE, YOU KNOW, OUR LANDS, LEGACY, ITS STORY, AND OUR LEGAL RIGHTS TO PREVENT THAT ENCOURAGE.
WE ARE VERY PROUD OF OUR HERITAGE AND THIS PACIFIC PLACE.
DURING THESE PARTICULAR, 200 YEARS, THE TEXAS AND AMERICAN HISTORY AND CULTURE, ANY IN DANIEL'S DAY, HER FAMILY HAS PRODUCED FARMERS, RANCHERS ENTREPRENEURS, AS WELL AS CORPORATE EXECUTIVES AND PROFESSIONALS TAKEN DANIEL'S TAP AND BUILT A WAY OUT OF THE NOTE WAY OF SLAVERY.
THIS PLACE, THE ALEXANDER FARM AND ALEXANDER CEMETERY IS OUR HOME IS THE BEDROCK OF OUR SENSE OF FAMILY IS A SOURCE OF PRIDE FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AS EVIDENCE IN OUR HISTORICAL RECOGNITIONS, BY STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND CULTURAL AGENCIES.
WE ARE THE FIRST IN THE FOUNDING FAMILIES ROOM.
THE CARVER MUSEUM AND CULTURAL CENTER HAVE BEEN FEATURED AT THE BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT.
WE ARE REPEATEDLY REFERENCED IN TEXAS STATE PUBLICATIONS AS AMONG CENTRAL TEXAS, LONGEST STANDING AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILY FORMS. WE ARE BOTH WE WERE BORN WITH AND HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP WHAT HAS BEEN STRIPPED AWAY FROM SO MANY AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES IN TEXAS AND THE UNITED STATES.
THAT IS A CLEAR SENSE OF PLACE OF WHERE WE COME FROM AND WHO WE ARE.
MY FATHER USED TO TELL US, HEY, PUT DATES WRONG, BE PATIENT.
AND THE WORLD WILL COME BACK AROUND TO YOUR WAY OF THINKING.
UM, AND FINALLY WE HAVE ONE L HERON.
I'M ONE L ALEXANDER HERON, A SIXTH GENERATION TEXAN AND DESCENDANTS OF AFFINIAN AND DANIEL ALEXANDER.
WE LEARNED OF TECH STOCKS PLANS TO EXPAND HIGHWAY ONE 83 AND POTENTIALLY TAKE FROM US AGAIN IN NOVEMBER OF 2019, WHEN WE RECEIVED THE POSTCARD, INFORMING US OF A COMMUNITY MEETING FOR INPUT FROM CONCERNED PARTIES AND STAKEHOLDERS, WE SHARED CLAIMS CONFIRMING OUR PROPERTIES, HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE, AND WE WERE REASSURED THAT THE HEALTH CODES AND OUR DESIGNATION FROM THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION SHOULD PREVENT ANY INCURSION.
WE WATCHED HIS PLANS FOR HIGHWAY ONE 83 NORTH OF HIGHWAY 71, WHICH STARTED AS FOUR LANES AND IS NOW BEING CONSIDERED THE STRETCH
[00:10:01]
12 LANES, WHICH INCLUDE THE ACCESS ROADS, UM, BASED ON CONTRACTS THAT WERE APPROVED BY THIS BOARD AND OTHERS.IN 2014, THAT YEAR WE LAID OUR PARENTS TO REST IN THE ALEXANDER CEMETERY.
OUR DAD MARCELLUS WINSTON ALEXANDER PASSED AWAY FIVE DAYS AFTER OUR MOTHER IN NOVEMBER OF THAT SAME YEAR, HE HAD LIVED ON THE ALEXANDER FARM, HIS ENTIRE 97 YEARS.
OUR MOTHER JUANITA ALEXANDER HAD LIVED ON THE FARM.
SO SHE MARRIED OUR FATHER IN THE SMALL HOUSE IN WHICH THE CURRENT OWNERS OF THE ALEXANDER FARM GREW UP AFTER THE SHOCK OF THE 1968 X OF HIGHWAY DEPARTMENT TAKING OF ALEXANDER LAND, WE WERE CONFUSED AND FURTHER DISTRESSED BY THE LACK OF INFORMATION AND DIRECTION OFFERED BY THE TECH STOP AT THE TECH STACK COMMUNITY MEETING, WE LEARNED THE TECH STOCKS PROPOSED ROUTE WOULD DESTROY AND ELIMINATE OUR DATED CEMETERY AND MOST OF THE HOUSES AND OTHER BUILDINGS ON OUR FARM WE ASKED FOR AND WERE GRANTED A STAKEHOLDERS MEETING WITH TECH STAT IN EARLY FEBRUARY, 2020.
WE WERE CALMED BY VERBAL PROMISES OF ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO BE DELINEATED AND EVALUATED BY TECH STACK ENGINEERS.
WE WAITED AND HEARD NOTHING MORE FROM TEXTILES.
WE THOUGHT IN ONE, THE SUPPORT OF STATE LEVEL ELECTED OFFICIALS WHO ALSO CALLED A MEETING WITH TEXTS, TEXTS OUT, OFFICIALS REPEATED THEIR ASSURANCES WITH NO NEW INFORMATION AS TO ALTERNATIVE ROUTING OF THE EXPANSION OF THE ROADWAY THAT ABUTS OUR HUNDRED AND 73 YEAR OLD AFRICAN AMERICAN FARM.
MY SISTER ROSLYN BEGAN OFFERING PUBLIC COMMENTS OBJECTING TO THE EXPANSION PROJECT, AS IT APPEARED IN CAMPOS REGIONAL PLAN.
WE ALSO WROTE A FORMAL LETTER AS A FAMILY TO TEXT.
WE HAVE RECEIVED A COPY OF THE CONTRACT, HAD BEEN AWARDED TO CP AND Y IN THE SUMMER OF 2019 TO CONDUCT A STUDY OF THE EXPANSION, AMIR THREE MILES FROM OUR GATES.
WE RECENTLY WITNESSED THE STARTUP CONSTRUCTION ON A NEW HIGHWAY INFRASTRUCTURE FOR HIGHWAY ONE 83, JUST PAST 71, STILL NO WORD FROM TECH STAT ON THE PROMISE ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO BE CLEAR, OUR FAMILY WANTS THIS BOARD TO KNOW THAT WE DON'T VIEW OUR PARTICIPATION IN TODAY'S MEETING AS AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE.
WE CARE DEEPLY ABOUT IT AND ARE FOCUSED ON PRESERVING THE RICH HISTORY OF OUR ANCESTORS AS WELL AS LOOKING FORWARD FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS OF OUR FAMILY.
AND THIS CONCLUDES OUR COMMENTS.
THAT CONCLUDES PUBLIC COMMENTS AND, UM, WE'LL MOVE ON TO SHARE ANNOUNCEMENTS.
I MAY CIRCLE BACK AT THE END OF THE MEETING.
[4. Report from the Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) Vice Chair.]
UP IS REPORT FROM THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND JULIA, I SAW YOU ON THE CALL.UM, CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY, GREAT.
SO, UH, I'M JULIA CLEARY AND I WILL BE STANDING IN FOR CHAIR HODGE THIS AFTERNOON.
UM, SO THE TACT MET VIRTUALLY ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH.
UM, AND WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES, THERE WERE NO ACTION ITEMS, BUT THERE WERE A COUPLE OF ITEMS, UH, FOR INFORMATION AND DISCUSSION.
UM, FIRSTLY, UH, THERE WAS A DISCUSSION ON THE CRITERIA FOR THE FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION, 53 10 PROGRAM, I BELIEVE THAT'S ITEM 10 ON YOUR POLICY BOARD AGENDA PER DAY, UM, WHICH ALLOCATES FUNDING TO GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND NONPROFITS FOR TRANSIT PROGRAMS IN THE URBANIZED AREA.
UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS, UM, FROM THE TAC, UH, INCLUDING A SUGGESTION THAT IT MIGHT BE MORE EFFICIENT TO, UH, ALLOCATE THE FUNDING FOR A TWO YEAR CYCLE AS OPPOSED TO AN ANNUAL CYCLE.
UM, AND THERE WAS ALSO A REQUEST FOR CLARIFICATION REGARDING THE 53 10 SELECTION PROCESS ITSELF AND THE ROLE OF THE TAC, UM, SPECIFICALLY QUESTIONS AS TO WHY THE TOPIC ITSELF WAS NOT BEING ASKED TO GIVE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE PROPOSED PROJECTS AS IT DOES ON THE, ON THE TIP.
UM, FOLLOWING ON FROM THAT, THERE WAS A BRIEF DISCUSSION ON THE FULL AMENDMENT CYCLE FOR THE TIP AND THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN.
UM, AND, UM, WE HAD A PRESENTATION ON A POTENTIAL CAMPER OR OPEN ROADS POLICY FROM KIMLEY HORN AND ASSOCIATES.
UM, THE OPEN BOARD'S POLICY WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS PROPOSED IN THE REGIONAL INCIDENT MANAGEMENT STUDY BACK IN, UH, 2018, UM, WITH THE OBJECTIVE OF THE, I'M SORRY, THE OBJECTIVE OF CLEARING ROADS AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE WHENEVER THERE IS AN ACCIDENT IN ORDER TO GET TRAFFIC MOVING AGAIN.
UM, IN TERMS OF, SO, SORRY SPECIFICALLY, UM, THERE WAS A TARGET, UH, TO CLEAR FREE WOULD BE REPLETE FOR FREEWAYS TO BE CLEARED IN 30 MINUTES, UM, AND OTHER ROADWAYS, BUT TO BE CLEARED WITHIN 60 MINUTES, UH,
[00:15:01]
IN TERMS OF COMMENTS RECEIVED, UH, ONE MEMBER STRESS, THE IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING AT FRONTAGE RULES AS WELL AS MAIN LANES, UH, DURING INCIDENTS.UM, AND THERE WAS A, HE HAD A REQUEST THAT A NUMERIC TIME GOAL THEY ESTABLISHED FOR THE TRAFFIC CONTROL SENSORS TO MEASURE HOW LONG IT TAKES THEM TO ADJUST TO THE GREEN TIMES ON THE FRONTAGE ROAD DURING INCIDENTS.
UM, THERE WERE ALSO COMMENTS REGARDING THE NEED FOR COMMUNICATIONS TRAINING THROUGHOUT THE REGION.
UM, THERE WAS A QUERY REGARDING THE STATUS OF THE, UH, THE TECHSTOP AUSTIN INCIDENT MANAGEMENT PROGRAM AND ITS STATUS.
UM, AND ONE MEMBER SUGGESTED THERE WAS A NEED TO MARKET ALTERNATIVE RIGHTS OF KEY ARTERIALS TO THE PUBLIC, PARTICULARLY DURING THE
UM, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION REGARDING PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND WORKING WITH THE DPS REGARDING, UH, DATA FOR OFFICER REPORTS, UM, AND TO, UH, CHRIS, WHICH IS THE TECH STOCK CRASH REPORTING SYSTEM.
UM, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ABOUT SCOPE AND THE APPLICABILITY OF THE POLICY.
AND FINALLY, UH, THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION ON ENGAGING AND CONSULTING WITH RUDEL AGENCIES, UH, THROUGH CATALOG.
AND WITH THAT, I WOULD BE GLAD TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, JULIET, DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? OKAY.
HEARING NONE, WE WILL MOVE ON.
UM, THERE IS NO NEED FOR AN EXECUTIVE SESSION TODAY, ITEM FIVE.
[6. Discussion and Take Appropriate Action on August 10, 2020 Meeting Minutes]
TO ITEM NUMBER SIX, DISCUSSING APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE AUGUST 10TH, 2020 MEETING MINUTES.UM, I MEAN, EVERYBODY'S HAD TO REVIEW THOSE.
IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE OAKLAND? I JUDGE COUNCIL MEMBER MATEUS SECONDS.
UM, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION, OKAY, I'M GOING TO GO INTO REVERSE.
IS THERE ANYBODY AGAINST THE MOTION? OKAY.
WE WILL GO WITH, AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS IN FAVOR OF THE MOTION.
AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD ALSO THAT I HAVE SEEN, UM, TERRY MITCHELL JOIN AND, UM, UH, I THINK WE'RE STILL MISSING COMMISSIONER DARTY, JUDGE BISCO.
UM, BUT I THINK EVERYBODY ELSE IS ACCOUNTED FOR.
THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY ITEM
[7. Discussion and Take Appropriate Action on FY 2020 & 2021 Unified Planning Work Program (UPWP) Amendment #3]
NUMBER SEVEN, TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION.ON THE 2020, 2021 UNIFIED PLANNING PROGRAM, AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE IS HERNANDEZ.
UM, TODAY WE'RE DOING AN AMENDMENT NUMBER THREE TO THE, UM, FISCAL YEAR 2020 AND 2021 UPW DUP.
UM, SO WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND DISCUSS THE CARRY OVERS.
UM, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS WE'RE CARRYING OVER, UM, SOME, UM, FUNDING, AN EXPENSE, UM, FUNDING FROM FISCAL YEAR 2020 TO FISCAL YEAR 2021.
AND THOSE PROJECTS ARE FOR THE GPC.
WE'RE CARRYING OVER SOME, UH, S TBG AND SOME LOCAL FUNDING.
UM, WE'RE CARRYING OVER THE TDC THOUGH, THE TD M PROGRAM, UM, SOME SP S TBG AND TDCS.
UM, THOSE WERE ALSO, UM, AN EXPENSED.
WE ARE WAITING FOR A NOTICE TO PROCEED ON THAT PROJECT.
UM, THE NEXT CARRY OVER WOULD BE FOR THE, UM, SAN MARCUS PLATINUM PLANNING STUDY ALSO, UH, STB G AND, UM, LOCAL FUNDS.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR, UM, YARRINGTON ROAD PROJECT, UM, THAT IS ALSO STG AND SOME STATE FUNDING THAT WE ARE CARRYING OVER.
UM, SO ALL OF THOSE PROJECTS ARE ONGOING AT THE MOMENT.
UM, SOME ARE COMING CLOSE TO THEIR END, SO, UM, THOSE WILL BE WRAPPED UP IN FISCAL YEAR 2021.
UM, SO THE NEXT ONE WE WILL GO TO IS SOME NEW FUNDING, UM, FOR THE RTC.
UM, WE ARE ADDING $70,000 OF FTA, 53 OH FOUR FUNDS.
SO IN FISCAL YEAR 2021, WE PROGRAM 25,000.
UM, SO WE'RE JUST ADDING 70,000 OF, UM, THAT FUNDING.
UM, THE NEXT ONE WOULD BE OUR, UM, CITY OF ROUND ROCK.
THEY, UM, WE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK TO ADD THEIR TRANSIT MASTER PLAN UPDATE TO OUR U PWP AND THAT'S PER FEDERAL REGULATION.
[00:20:01]
SO THE FUNDING INCLUDES SOME, UH, FEDERAL TRANSIT ADMINISTRATION PHONES, 53 OH SEVEN.UM, THOSE ARE, UM, FUNDS THAT ARE, UH, WERE GRANTED TO THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK.
SO THOSE ARE NOT ARE, ARE OFFENDING, AND THEY WILL BE PROVIDING, UH, THE 200,000 OR 200.
UM, THE 50,000 IS LOCAL FUNDS FROM THE CITY OF ROUND ROCK.
UM, THIS WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BACKGROUND, UM, PAPER, UM, BUT WE, I DID NOTICE THAT ON PAGE 18, UM, THERE IS A GRAND TOTAL COLUMN, UM, THAT STATES 2018 AND 2019.
SO WE'RE GOING TO CHANGE THAT, UM, TO REFLECT THE CURRENT UPW P, WHICH IS 20, 20 AND 2021.
UM, ALSO ON, UM, PAGE 30 IN THE STATE COLUMN FOR TASK FIVE, UM, WE'RE ADDING A MISSING FIGURE OF 185,900.
NOW THE TOTAL IS CORRECT, BUT FOR SOME REASON THE NUMBER DIDN'T TRANSFER OVER TO THE STATE FUNDING.
SO WE'RE JUST, UM, CORRECTING THAT, UM, TO ADD THAT TO OUR COLUMN.
UM, SO WITH THAT, UM, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, AND IF WE DON'T HAVE ANY, UM, WE'RE REQUESTING, UM, THAT THE UPW P AMENDMENT THREE, UM, BE APPROVED AND IT'S COMBINING RESOLUTION 2020 DASH 10 DASH SEVEN, MORGAN.
THERE'S BEEN A MOTION BY JUDGE LEE AND A SECOND BITE OR MORGAN, UM, DISCUSSION.
I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS, CIVILIAN, GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
UM, I DON'T, I DO NOT HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AS TO THE MERIT OF MOVING THE FUNDS FORWARD.
HOWEVER, UM, I, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A BETTER DELINEATION OF THE PROJECTS THAT THE FUNDS ARE BEING FORWARDED TO ADDRESS.
UH, I HAVE BEEN DISCUSSING HOW WE LAY OUT A GENERAL PROJECT WHEN WE STARTED TALKING ABOUT DOLLARS GENERAL SCOPE OF THE PROJECT.
UH, WHETHER THE PROJECT MANAGER, YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC PROJECT IS A CAMPUS STAFF MEMBER OR CONSULTANT, UH, WHETHER WE HAVE, UM, SOME TYPE OF PRIORITIES RANKING AND COMPETE OUR RISK ASSESSMENT, WE USE TO SELECT THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, OR SOME TYPE OF SCHEDULE WITH MILESTONES.
WHAT IS THE STATUS IN THE WORLD, IN THE WORK PHASE NOW? AND, AND THEN SOME TYPE OF ESTIMATED COMPLETION DATE? I THINK IT'S OKAY IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOVING FUNDS FORWARD, BUT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO IDENTIFY THE PROJECTS FOR WHICH THE FUNDING IS BEING MOVED.
AND WHEN WE CAN EXPECT OUTCOMES FROM THAT FUNDING, I'M GOING TO LET THAT OR ASHBY AS YOUR CONCERNS, I BELIEVE, UM, IN THE BACKUP, THE GENERAL PROJECTS AND CARRY OVER OF PROJECTS, WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT, BUT I'M GONNA LET ASHLEY OR TERESA ANY OTHER SPECIFICS.
UM, WE CAN DEFINITELY GET YOU A TIMELINE FOR THAT.
UM, I CAN WORK WITH THE PROJECT MANAGER, UM, TO GET THAT TO YOU AS NEEDED.
I'M REALLY LOOKING FOR A MATRIX OF PRIDE OF PROJECTS, WHICH PROJECTS ARE WE TALKING ABOUT, WHICH PROJECTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TWO THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND THEN KIND OF CATEGORY BY CATEGORY.
SO I HAVE A MATRIX OF PROJECTS ABOUT THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, AND THEN WHEN WE CAN EXPECT THE OUTCOMES FOR THOSE PROJECTS, IT'S REALLY MORE, JUST A TRACKING MECHANISM THAN ANYTHING ELSE TAKING WHAT IS VERY GENERAL
[00:25:01]
TO MAKE IT A LITTLE MORE PRECISE.SO WE UNDERSTAND THE ACTIVITY THAT IS GOING ON OVER TIME.
HEARING NUTS AND PASSES ANATOMY.
IF YOU'RE NOT SPEAKING, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UH, DO YOU DO, UH, COULD THAT, UH, COULD THAT ASSESSMENT BE DONE BY THE DECEMBER POLICY BOARD MEETING? UM, I WILL HAVE TO ASK STAFF, UM, THE, THE DT, A LEVEL OF DETAIL OF THE PROJECTS IS IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL.
AND SO IF YOU COULD PERHAPS DELINEATE SOME MORE SPECIFICS AND GET THAT TO ASHBY, UM, THEN HE CAN GIVE US FEEDBACK TO LET US KNOW.
UM, IF, YOU KNOW, AT THE POINT IN TIME, I MEAN, I I'M SURE ALL THE INFORMATION OR GETTING IT ACCUMULATE, ACCUMULATED INTO A FORMAT.
I'LL BE HAPPY TO WORK WITH ASHLEY AND HIS STAFF TOO, TO GET IT INTO A FORM THAT WOULD BE WORKING PAPER ORIENTED.
[8. Discussion and Take Appropriate Action on 2021 Transportation Policy Board Meeting Schedule]
NUMBER EIGHT IS THE SCHEDULE OF, UM, NEXT MEETING SCHEDULE FOR 2021.UM, AND, UH, FEEL EVERYBODY WILL PUT THOSE ON THEIR CALENDAR, BUT WE'LL GO AHEAD AND VOTE ON THOSE AS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE ARE ACTION ITEMS, UH, FOR THOSE WE OBVIOUSLY WANT TO MEET, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO MEET JUST FOR THE SAKE OF MEETING.
AND SO, AS YOU KNOW, THIS SUMMER, THERE WERE A COUPLE OF MEETINGS THAT WE CANCELED BECAUSE THERE SIMPLY WASN'T ACTION THAT WE NEEDED TO TAKE.
BUT IF YOU'LL GO AHEAD AND PUT THESE ITEMS, THESE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR, AND I'LL TAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE THOSE DATES.
HERE'S SOME LITTLE SECONDS, AND IT LOOKS LIKE THESE ARE CONSISTENTLY THE SECOND MONDAY.
SO THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT SO WE CAN GET IT ON OUR CALENDAR INSTANTLY AND IT'S CONSISTENT.
WELL, YOUR AUDIO IS REALLY CUTTING OUT BECAUSE NOT EVERYBODY HAS PLEASE RESTATE WHAT YOU JUST SAID.
UM, THE MOTION PASSES UNANIMOUSLY.
UM, SO PUT THOSE DATES ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR THAT FOR 2021.
WE'RE GOING GET SET FOR DECEMBER, WHICH IS THE FIRST MONDAY.
ALL THE REST ARE CONSISTENTLY SECOND, MONDAY, RIGHT? ON TWO ITEMS.
[9. Briefing on US 183 South Study and Alexander Farm]
AND AGAIN, I'M ASKING IF, CAN YOU JUST MEET EVERYBODY? AND THEN, UH, I, I'M NOT IN CONTROL OF THAT, UH, THAT THEIR STAFF IS WISE NOT TO GIVE ME THAT LEVEL OF CONTROL OF THE MEETING.UM, UM, I THINK EVERYBODY HAS, UH, DONE THAT NOW.
AND, UM, WE HAVE FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM, BUT I'M GOING TO ASK, UH, WOULD YOU ALL RATHER, AND, AND I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO THE SPEAKERS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP.
UM, IF WE WANT TO HEAR THE PRESENTATION FROM TECH STOCK FIRST, AND THEN, UM, HEAR YOUR COMMENTS, WE CAN DO THAT.
OR YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SPEAK NOW, MS. UH, ROSLYN I'LL, I'LL DEFER TO YOU SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN, UM, THE, THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WE'VE HEARD FROM THE MOST, WHAT'S YOUR PREFERENCE.
UM, THE TEAM ARE THE TWO OTHER PARTIES THAT ARE SPEAKING THIS AFTERNOON.
UH, AGREEABLE TO US HOLDING OFF OUR TOM MINTS UNTIL AFTER THE TECHSTOP PRESENTATION.
MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE FOR TECHS TO DO THEIR PRESENTATION FIRST.
[00:30:01]
THAT THEN.AND, UM, WE, UH, IT LOOKS LIKE THAT'S QUEUED UP AND, UM, THANK YOU.
AND, UH, SO HEATHER, I'M GOING TO TURN THIS OVER TO YOU.
AND AGAIN, A REMINDER, IF EVERYBODY WOULD MUTE THEIR MICROPHONE WHILE SHE'S SPEAKING, AND THEN UPON HER CONCLUSION, WE'LL, UH, HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC AND THEN WE'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM BOARD MEMBERS.
UM, I'M HEATHER FC NOAH, AND THE TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR WITH TECH STAT.
THE PRESENTATION PROVIDED IN PUBLIC FORUM TODAY IS THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS PROVIDED TO SOME BOARD MEMBERS.
FOLLOWING THE LAST POLICY BOARD MEETING TODAY, I'LL WALK THROUGH MUCH OF THE CONTENT THAT WAS PROVIDED AT THE OPEN HOUSE HOUSE LATE LAST YEAR, SUMMARIZE COMMENTS RECEIVED, AND THEN DISCUSS WHERE WE ARE IN THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY IS TO EXPLORE POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS TO
THE GOAL IS TO ENHANCE SAFETY, MOBILITY, AND ACCESS WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA.
THE STUDY AREA EXTENDS NINE MILES BETWEEN SH 71 AND SAGE ONE 30 MULTIPLE NEIGHBORHOODS, BUSINESSES, AND OTHER STRUCTURES ARE LOCATED ALONG OR IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO THE CORRIDOR AND THE AUSTIN BERGSTROM INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT BORDERS THE PROJECT AT THE SOUTHEAST CORNER OF US, ONE 83 FSH 71, THE EXISTING ROADWAY RIGHT AWAY VARIES BETWEEN 100 FEET TO 175 FEET.
THE EXISTING SECTION IS FOUR LANES WITH THE MEDIAN AND FULL CHARLOTTE SHOULDERS FROM SH 71 TO FMA 12 BURT NARROWS TO AN UNDIVIDED SECTION AT FMA 12 WITH TWO FOOT SHOULDERS, SOUTH TO
A TYPICAL SIX LANE DIVIDED ROADWAY WITH FULL SHOULDERS REQUIRES APPROXIMATELY 175 FEET AWAY.
THIS PHOTO IS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES AND ONLY THE REQUIRED NUMBER OF LANES WILL BE DETERMINED AFTER COMPLETION OF TRAFFIC STUDIES.
IT'S A TYPICAL FREEWAY SECTION REQUIRES APPROXIMATELY 400 FEET OF GET AWAY WITH THIS EXPLAIN MAIN LANE SECTION AND A SIX LANE FURNITURE SECTION AS WAS THE PREVIOUS DIVIDED SECTION.
THIS ILLUSTRATION IS CONCEPTUAL ONLY AND REQUIRED NUMBER OF LANES FOR THE U S ONE 83.
CORRIDOR WILL BE DETERMINED AFTER COMPLETION OF TRAFFIC STUDIES.
THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN AREA HAS GROWN SIGNIFICANTLY IN RECENT YEARS AS SHOWN BY THESE STATISTICS.
THIS IMAGE ILLUSTRATES THE POPULATION GROWTH BETWEEN 2010 AND 2017 WITHIN THE DIFFERENT NEIGHBORING CENSUS TRACKS ALONG THE CORRIDOR.
THE NORTHERN LIMITS SHOWN IN DARK PURPLE INDICATE POPULATION GROWTH BETWEEN 41 TO 47% WITH THE WHITE AREA INDICATING A BIA WITH NO POPULATION GROWTH.
ALTHOUGH THERE IS NO POPULATION GROWTH IN THE PROPERTY AREA AROUND ABI AIRPORT HAS DEVELOPED A MASTER PLAN WHICH WILL INCREASE ADJACENT TRAVEL DEMANDS IN THE AREA, THE LATTER PURPLE TRAPS TO THIS RANGE FROM 22 TO 30% GROWTH RATE, THIS DATA WAS CALCULATED BEFORE CAMPOS RECENT DEMOGRAPHIC STUDY AND ALSO APP AFTER TESLA'S BIG EFFECTOR FACTORY WAS ANNOUNCED.
THEREFORE, THESE NUMBERS ARE CONSERVATIVE, THE INCREASE IN POPULATION AND RESULTS IN THE NEED FOR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS, COMPOUNDED ANNUAL GROWTH RATES BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2003 AND 2018 CAN BE SUMMARIZED.
AND SO THE NORTHERN AND SOUTHERN HOUSE WITH FM 16, 25 AS THE BREAK POINT SHOWN HERE TO THE NORTH CIRCLED IN ORANGE AND TO THE SOUTH CIRCLED IN PURPLE TO THE NORTH GROWTH RATES RANGE BETWEEN FIVE TO SEVEN AND A HALF PERCENT.
AND TO THE SOUTH RANGE FROM FOUR TO 5% AND PARTICULAR GROWTH RATES DOUBLED NORTH OF BURLESON.
AND THE FIVE YEARS BETWEEN 2013 AND 2018, WHEN COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS FIVE YEARS, 2018 TRAFFIC COUNTS RANGE FROM 20,000 TO 44,000 VEHICLES PER DAY, AN ANNUAL DATE AVERAGE DAILY TRAFFIC THROUGHOUT THE QUARTER.
THIS HEAT MAP ILLUSTRATES CRASHED IN CITIES OVER NINE YEARS, BETWEEN THE YEARS OF 2010 AND 2019, THE HOTSPOT LOCATION SHOWN IN RED INDICATE THE INTERSECTIONS WITH THE HIGHEST CRASH RATES FRUSTRATES FOR THE CORRIDOR AREA EXCEEDS STATEWIDE AVERAGES BY APPROXIMATELY 20% OR SIMILAR FOUR LANE DIVIDED ROADWAYS.
[00:35:04]
THIS GRAPHIC ILLUSTRATES THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS.THE PROJECT KICKED OFF IN THE SUMMER OF 2019 WITH A TYPICAL DURATION OF TWO TO THREE YEARS.
AND THIS PHASE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WILL BE ESTABLISHED AND POTENTIAL IMPROVEMENTS WILL BE IDENTIFIED AND EVALUATED TO ENHANCE SAFETY ACCESS AND MOBILITY.
WITHIN THE PROJECT AREA, THE STUDY TEAM WILL IDENTIFY AND EVALUATE ALTERNATIVES FOR ADDRESSING THE SAFETY AND MOBILITY NEEDS OF THIS DEVELOPING CORRIDOR.
THESE ALTERNATIVES WILL INCLUDE ROUTE LOCATION OPTIONS AS WELL AS DESIGN OPTIONS.
THE STUDY WILL CONCLUDE WITH THE IDENTIFY WITH THE IDENTIFICATION OF A RECOMMENDED ALTERNATIVE.
IF A BUILD ALTERNATIVE ACHIEVES ENVIRONMENTAL DECISION.
AT THAT TIME, THE PROJECT COULD BEGIN THE PURCHASE OF ESTABLISHED RIGHT AWAY AND DETAILED DESIGN COULD BEGIN.
THE OPEN HOUSE WAS HELD ON NOVEMBER 7TH, 2019 AND 65 MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC ATTENDED.
AND 29 COMMENTS WERE RECEIVED ONLY THE TYPICAL SECTIONS AND A BLANK MAP WERE PROVIDED TO GATHER COMMENTS.
THE COMMENTS ARE SUMMARIZED AT A HIGH LEVEL HERE.
PEOPLE SUPPORTED THE PROJECT AND ITS ABILITY TO FACILITATE GROWTH FOR BUSINESSES.
COUPLED WITH REQUESTS FOR URGENCY.
THE FREEWAY SECTION WAS REQUESTED WHILE OTHER COMMENTS REQUESTED A CENTER LEFT TURN LANE, ALONG THE CORRIDOR REQUEST FOR IMPROVED OPERATIONS AT THE 71 U S ONE 83 INTERCHANGE AND REQUEST TO SYNCHRONIZE TRAFFIC SIGNALS AND TRADITIONAL LIGHTING TO FULL PUBLIC MEETING SUMMARY OR REPORT IS PROVIDED ONLINE.
FOLLOWING THE PUBLIC MEETING, WE HAVE CONDUCTED 12 STAKEHOLDER HOLDER MEETINGS.
TWO OF WHICH WERE WITH THE ALEXANDER FARM AND FAMILY BLINDING.
THE CORRIDOR ARE PROPERTIES THAT ARE BEING CONSIDERED AS SUBJECT TO PROVISIONS OF SECTION FOUR F OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION ACT.
AND THE ALEXANDER FARM IS BEING CONSIDERED IN THIS CATEGORY, SECTION FOUR F PROHIBITS USING LAND OR PURCHASING RIGHT AWAY FROM A HISTORIC PROPHECY, UNLESS THERE IS NO FEASIBLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVES THROUGH STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH.
WE HAVE IDENTIFIED ALTERNATE ROUTES THAT HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE ALTERNATIVES.
AND NOW TIMELINE IS SHOWN HERE.
PRELIMINARY, PRELIMINARY ROUTE AND TRAFFIC STUDIES ARE JUST WRAPPING UP AS MENTIONED BEFORE THE IDENTIFICATION OF A NEW ALTERNATE ROUTES REQUIRED ATTAINING ADDITIONAL AERIAL MAPPING AND SURVEY OUTSIDE THE PREVIOUSLY ESTABLISHED LIMITS.
WE ARE TARGETING SPRING OF 2021 AND FOR THE NEXT OPEN HOUSE, AT WHICH TIME, THE RECOMMENDED TYPICAL SECTION BASED ON TRAFFIC STUDIES WILL BE PROVIDED AS WELL AS ALTERNATIVE RESULTS.
FOLLOWING THE OPEN HOUSE COMMENTS WILL BE CONSIDERED AND ALTERNATIVES WILL BE SCREENED TO DETERMINE HOW WELL EACH OPTION SATISFIES THE PROJECTS, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES UNTIL THE OPTIONS ARE IDENTIFIED, DEVELOPED, TRAFFIC MODELING IS CONDUCTED AND THE ALTERNATIVES EVALUATION IS COMPLETE.
WE ARE UNABLE TO DETERMINE WHAT ALTERNATIVE WOULD MOVE FORWARD AS RECOMMENDED TEXDOT.
AND THE PROJECT TEAM RECOGNIZES THAT PUBLIC INPUT HELPED TO MAKE PROJECTS BETTER.
THEREFORE, WE STRIVE TO MAKE THE PROJECT DEVELOPMENT PROCESS TRANSPARENT AND INCLUSIVE.
WE ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO STAY INVOLVED IN THE PLANNING PROCESS AND TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE COMMENTS FOR QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS, PLEASE VISIT THE PROJECTS WEBSITE OR GOOGLE SEARCH US ONE 83 71, OR SEND AN EMAIL TO THE EMAIL ADDRESS HERE.
THIS CONCLUDES TODAY'S PRESENTATION.
YOU, UM, HEATHER, UH, I WILL NOW MOVE INTO, UM, THE FOLKS THAT HAVE SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THIS, UM, ROSALIND YOU ARE URGED, UH, TO, TO SIGN UP AND THEN FOLLOWED BY ELIZABETH THEN DONNA, AND THEN, UM, SO ROSALYN, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD, I WILL, UM, START THE TIMER HERE AS SOON AS I CAN FIND IT ON MY PHONE.
DURING THE JULY CANCEL MEETING COMMISSIONER BRIGID, SHEA VERBALLY EXPRESSED HER LACK OF SUPPORT OF TECH U S ONE 83 EXPANSION HARMING THE ALEXANDER FARM AND ALEXANDER CEMETERY DURING THE AUGUST FEEDING COMMISSIONER SHADES PROTESTATIONS.
WHEN THE PROMISE OF A STATUS REPORT FROM TEXTILE ON THE IMPACT OF ITS HIGHWAYS EXPANSION ON THE ALEXANDER FARM, WE WERE ELATED AT THE PROSPECT OF LEARNING, WHICH ALTERNATIVE ROUTES WERE BEING CONSIDERED.
WE WANTED ASSURANCE THAT THE PARTIALLY BUILT INFRASTRUCTURE AT SH 71 AND US ONE 83 DID NOT PRECLUDE OR PREEMPT FROM STUDY ANY ROUTING ALTERNATIVES THAT WOULD AVOID US, AVOID
[00:40:01]
US ENTIRELY.THE SEPTEMBER CAMPO MEETING WAS CANCELED.
THE TECH STOCK TOOK THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF THE COMMISSIONERS ON HOW THEIR EXPANSION MIGHT AFFECT THE TECH STOCK FOR GETTING HIS PLEDGE TO US AND OUR ELECTED STATE SUPPORTERS, NEITHER TOLD THE ALEXANDER FAMILY OF THE BRIEFINGS NOR INVITED US TO ATTEND THEM.
WE ALSO LEARNED THAT THE LONG ABANDONED LONGHORN SPEEDWAY PROPERTY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY FOR PART OF THE ALEXANDER HAD BEEN SOLD IN JUNE AND JULY OF 2020 TO HOLD CAP MANUFACTURER OF THE HEAVY FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT AND CRANES THAT WILL DOUBTLESS BE NECESSARY FOR THE EXPANSIONS CONSTRUCTION.
WE LEARNED THAT THE CHARLES F. AUSTIN CEMETERY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY FROM THE ALEXANDER FARM IS THE FINAL RESTING PLACE IN THE COUNTY, HIS MOTHER AND SISTER WHO JOINED THE MCKINNEY BROTHERS AT THE FALLS IN THE 1850S, BOTH THE ALEXANDER CEMETERY AND THE AUSTIN CEMETERY HAS BEEN DESIGNATED AS HISTORIC BY THE TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
THEY SIT ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF US.
ONE 83 SOUTH THAT IS SLATED FOR EXPANSION BY TEXTILE.
THERE HAS STILL BEEN NO WORD FROM TEXT ON ITS PLAN, THE HONOR, MORAL AND LEGAL CODES THAT WERE ENACTED TO PROHIBIT PEOPLE'S BURIAL SITES FROM BEING BULLDOZED.
WE HAVE A WAY TO TEXT THAT'S ALTERNATIVE ROUTES.
AS WE WITNESSED IT'S CONTINUATION OF ONE 83 NORTH EXTENSIVE REWINDING OR WIDENING.
IT HAS NOW BEEN NEARLY A YEAR SINCE WE RECEIVED THE POSTCARD BY FULLY ANNOUNCING THE NEW STUDY OF A U S ONE 83 SOUTH EXPANSION.
THEIR PRELIMINARY ROUTE THAT IS TEXTBOOKS WILL OBLITERATE THE ALEXANDER FARM AND ALEXANDER CEMETERY.
WE MARKED A FEW MAPS THAT WE ASKED THE CAMPUS STAFF TO SHARE WITH THE BOARD ON SCREEN.
WE ARE NOT ENGINEERS, BUT IN THE ABSENCE OF ANY OTHER ALTERNATIVES FROM STOCKS, EXCEPT THE ONE THAT WILL OBLITERATE OUR FARM AND CEMETERY, WE THOUGHT WE'D SHARE SOME ADVICE THAT WE SECURED SOME TRANSPORTATION PROFESSIONALS.
PLEASE UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE NOT SUGGESTING THAT THESE ARE THE ONLY VIABLE ALTERNATIVES.
WE SEEK TECH STOCKS EXAMINATION OF ANY AND ALL ALTERNATIVES THAT WILL PREVENT FURTHER OBLITERATION OF THE ALEXANDER FARM AND CEMETERY.
ALRIGHT, ELIZABETH, I'M SORRY.
UM, NOW, UH, LET ME RESET THE TIMER, MS. MERRITT, YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MY NAME IS ELIZABETH MERIT AND I SERVE AS DEPUTY GENERAL COUNSEL FOR THE NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION BASED IN WASHINGTON, DC.
I'M PARTICIPATING IN THIS MEETING BECAUSE I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES UNDERSTAND FROM A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE, THE STRINGENT LEGAL REQUIREMENTS THAT APPLY TO PROTECT THE ALEXANDER FARM AND COMPEL THE DEVELOPMENT OF ALTERNATIVES IN ORDER TO AVOID AND MINIMIZE HARM TO THE ALEXANDER FARM.
THE MOST IMPORTANT OF THESE LEGAL MANDATES IS SECTION FOUR F OF THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION.
AND FOR ANY PROJECT THAT INCLUDES FEDERAL TRANSPORTATION FUNDING, SECTION FOUR F PROHIBITS ANY USE OF HISTORIC PROPERTIES AND OTHER PROTECTED SITES, UNLESS THERE'S NO FEASIBLE IMPRUDENT ALTERNATIVE TO THE USE.
AND THE PROJECT INCLUDES ALL POSSIBLE PLANNING TO MINIMIZE HARM.
SO IN ORDER TO JUSTIFY REJECTING AN ALTERNATIVE THAT WOULD AVOID THE PROTECTED SITE OR BE LESS HARMFUL, THE TRANSPORTATION AGENCY WOULD HAVE TO SHOW THAT THE LESS HARMFUL ALTERNATIVE WOULD POSE UNIQUE PROBLEMS OR TRULY UNUSUAL FACTORS, OR WOULD INVOLVE COST OR COMMUNITY DISRUPTION OF EXTRAORDINARY MAGNITUDES.
IN ADDITION TO SECTION FOUR F SECTION ONE OH SIX OF THE NATIONAL HISTORIC PRESERVATION ACT REQUIRES THE TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE POTENTIAL ADVERSE EFFECTS OF THE PROJECT ON THE ALEXANDER FARM THAT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT REQUIREMENT IS ACCOMPLISHED THROUGH A UNIQUE CONSULTATION PROCESS WITH INTERESTED PARTIES, TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE ALTERNATIVES AND MODIFICATIONS TO THE PROJECT THAT COULD AVOID MINIMIZE OR MITIGATE ITS ADVERSE EFFECTS.
NOW, IN THIS CASE, THERE'S NO DISPUTE THAT THE ALEXANDER FARM IS A HISTORIC PROPERTY PROTECTED BY THESE LAWS AND NOTICE BUTTE THAT THIS HISTORIC PROPERTY WOULD BE USED AND ADVERSELY AFFECTED, BUT THE PROJECT AS CURRENTLY PROPOSED.
SO IT'S NOT A DIMINIMOUS IMPACT.
AND AS YOU'VE HEARD THE CEMETERY ON THE OTHER SIDE OF US, ONE 83 FROM THE ALEXANDER FARM IS ALSO A HISTORIC PROPERTY.
THEREFORE AVOIDANCE ALTERNATIVES NEED TO BE DEVELOPED NOW BEFORE ANY FURTHER PLANNING WORK GOES FORWARD.
AND FORTUNATELY IT IS STILL EARLY IN ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW PROCESS IN RESPONSE TO THE PROPOSED PROJECT, THE FAMILY MEMBERS DEVELOPED A FEW CONCEPTUAL ALTERNATIVES, WHICH WERE SUBMITTED AS YOU CAN SEE, ALTERNATIVE ONE WOULD SERVE AS A LOOP TO THE EAST.
ALTERNATIVE TWO WOULD BE MORE OF AN ELONGATED TRIANGLE TO THE EAST AND ALTERNATIVE THREE, WHICH IS MY FAVORITE VEER TO THE NORTHEAST ALONG ROUTE NINE 73, AND CONTINUED DIRECTLY UP TO ROUTE 71, WHICH WOULD THEN CONNECT IT BACK UP TO ROUTE
[00:45:01]
CONCEPTUAL IDEAS DEVELOPED BY LAY PEOPLE, BUT THEY SERVE AS EXAMPLES OF THE TYPES OF ALTERNATIVES TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES NEED TO DEVELOP NOW IN ORDER TO SATISFY THEIR STRICT LEGAL RESPONSIBILITIES UNDER SECTION FOUR, AND SECTION ONE, WE URGE THE TRANSPORTATION AGENCIES TO INITIATE SEX AND ONE OF SIX CONSULTATION.AND THANK YOU IN ADVANCE FOR CONSIDERING THESE COMMENTS OR, UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
WE HAVE, UH, DONNA CARTER, IF YOU WANT TO GO AHEAD, MS. CARTER YOU'RE THREE MINUTES.
MY NAME IS DONNA CARTER, F I A I A, I AM AN, A PRESERVATION ARCHITECT AND PLANNER HERE IN AUSTIN.
THE HISTORIC VALUE OF THE ALEXANDER FARM AND ITS IMPORTANCE TO THE FAMILY HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED, BUT THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FARM AND ITS CAPACITY TO TELL STORIES OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN SETTLEMENT AND CENTRAL TEXAS IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
THE HOMESTEAD LAND, THE FARM AND THE HISTORIC CEMETERY ARE WITNESS TO THE ALEXANDER FAMILY, THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER AFRICAN AMERICAN FAMILIES AND THE SETTLEMENT OF PILOT KNOB.
IT SHOWS A FAMILY SELF-SUFFICIENT YET AND EXPLICABLY BOUND TO THE BROADER SOCIAL ORDER OF AFRICAN AMERICAN AND WHITE FAMILIES WERE CONNECTED.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS FOR THE TELLING OF AUSTIN'S HISTORY AS A PRESERVATION ARCHITECT, THE FACT THAT TEXTILE MIGHT BLINDLY FIND NO OTHER ALTERNATIVE THAN TO DIG UP AND TAKE AWAY.
THIS LEGACY IS REALLY A MEASURE OF THE LACK OF RESPECT.
WE AS A COMMUNITY HAVE ENDURED FOR SO LONG AND INDEED HAVE COME TO EXPECT.
ANDREA, ROBERT HAS SAID IN HER STUDY OF FREEDOM COLONIES, IF YOU INTERRUPT THIS SPACE WITH A PIPELINE, A NEW FREEWAY, CLEAR-CUTTING NOT ONLY HAVE YOU DONE SOMETHING UNPLEASANT AND INTERRUPTED A SENSE OF PLACE.
YOU'RE INTERRUPTING PEOPLE'S ABILITY TO HAVE A COMMUNAL IDENTITY.
THIS IS ABOUT HOW AFRICAN AMERICAN ASSETS ARE REVIEWED AND VALUED ABOUT WHETHER PLACES WHERE AFRICAN AMERICANS NOT ONLY LIVED, BUT THRIVE, NOT ONLY HAVE ROOTS TO HAVE THEIR OWN ROOTS DEVELOPED WITH THEIR OWN HANDS AND WHERE WE DETERMINE THAT ARE INDEED OUR LIVES MATTER AND THAT WE ARE TAKEN SERIOUSLY.
WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DATE IS AN INDICTMENT OF HOW OUR PLACES HAVE BEEN REVERED AND PROTECTED, WHICH IS THEY HAVEN'T SYSTEMICALLY DISENFRANCHISED COMMUNITIES OFTEN HAVE LITTLE SHOW FOR THEIR HISTORY.
THERE'S OFTEN NO TANGIBLE PROPERTY RETAINED AND, AND REVERED BY ONE FAMILY.
THERE ARE NO HEIRLOOMS PASSED DOWN THROUGH THE GENERATIONS.
THIS LAND IS LIKELY TO YIELD INFORMATION AND IMPORTANT TO HISTORY, WHICH IS A CRITERIA FOR HISTORIC DESIGNATION PLAN.
THAT IS LIKELY TO YIELD IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT AUSTIN, AFRICAN AMERICAN HISTORY AND HISTORY NOT OFTEN TOLD IN A NUANCE, IN A CONTEXTUAL MANNER.
THIS LAND CAN BE BULLDOZED DOCUMENTED IN A GOVERNMENT REPORT AND THEN DRIVEN OVER BY THOUSANDS WHO HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY HAVE DESTROYED.
THE CEMETERY IS A TANGIBLE WITNESS TO TIME.
THE BURIALS ARE CAPSULES IN TIME THAT ASK TO BE RESPECTED AND LEFT UNDISTURBED FAMILY.
GRIOS RECEIVING THOSE IN THE FUTURE, MAINTAINING WITNESS TO THE PAST.
THEY SOAK UP THE SALT AND THE TEARS OF TODAY, AND THEY FORM A BRIDGE TO THE FUTURE.
WE ASK THAT PLANNING AGENCIES AND PUBLIC BODIES COME TOGETHER TO DEVELOP THESE ALTERNATIVES, TO TALK ABOUT THESE ALTERNATIVES AND TO RESPECT THIS HALLOWED PLACE.
SO THEY ARE NO LONGER COMPLICIT IN THIS SYSTEMATIC REMOVAL OF OUR HERITAGE.
NEXT WE HAVE ONE L ALEXANDER HARRIS.
YOUR THREE MINUTES BEGINS NOW.
SO, SO WHY ARE WE AT CAMPO TELLING YOU ABOUT THE ALEXANDER FARM, OUR ILLUSTRIOUS UNPRECEDENTED LENGTH IN HISTORY, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU COLLECTIVELY DETERMINED THE NEXT GENERATION OF TRANSPORTATION OPTIONS FOR THE REGION WE CALL HOME.
YOU HAVE IT WITHIN YOUR POWER TO PUT THE DECADES OLD, SYSTEMICALLY RACIST AND DISCRIMINATORY PRACTICE PRACTICES OF TEXTS, TAKINGS, AND CHECK.
WE KNOW THAT THE MIX OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE FUNDING OF THE STATE'S ROADWAYS CAN BE COMPLEX AND POLITICALLY FRAUGHT, BUT THE EFFECTS OF YOUR FIDUCIARY OVERSIGHT ARE TOO RARELY ADVANTAGEOUS TO BLACK INDIGENOUS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR YOU TEMPLE BOARD, HAVE IT WITHIN YOUR POWER TO BEGIN TO CORRECT THE POWER, THE PATTERN OF ABUSE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN LANDOWNERS THROUGHOUT TEXTS, WEAPONIZATION OF EMINENT DOMAIN IN CENTRAL TEXAS, WE ARE HERE APPEALING TO YOU BECAUSE YOU HAVE THE POWER TO STOP THIS TAKING ABOUT FOUNDING FAMILIES, LEGACY THAT THIS TENACIOUS TENACIOUSLY PERSISTED AGAINST ALL THE HORRORS OF SLAVERY, JIM CROW,
[00:50:01]
AFRICAN-AMERICAN DISENFRANCHISEMENT, AND THE DEPTHS OF SOCIAL INJUSTICE.WE HAVE ONLY BEGUN TO UNDERSTAND AND RECTIFY AS A COMMUNITY OF STATE AND A NATION.
YOU CAN TAKE A DIFFERENT APPROACH.
YOU CAN PROTECT AND PRESERVE A RICH AND UNIQUE PART OF TEXAS HISTORY.
UM, THANK YOU, MS. UM, THAT IS ALL WE HAVE FOR, UM, COMMENT ON THAT.
AND, UM, NOW I'M GOING TO OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD MEMBERS, UM, OF HEATHER OR TUCKER.
SO ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS? SURE, SURE.
UM, I'M SORRY, IF YOU COULD JUST SAY YOUR NAME CAUSE I CAN'T SEE, UM, JUST NEXT WEEK.
UM, ADAM CHERA I WAS ONE, UH, REBELLION.
ALRIGHT, GO AHEAD, COMMISSIONER TRILLIONS.
UM, WE, WE DID, UH, MY OFFICE DID HAVE A MEETING WITH TEXTILE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, ALTERNATE, ALTERNATE ROUTES ARE BEING CONSIDERED.
I'D LIKE TO UNDERSTAND THE STATUS OF, OF THAT CONSIDERATION, UH, IF, IF I COULD FROM, FROM OUR TEXT DOC.
UM, SO THE ALTERNATIVE IS ANALYSIS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
UM, AS I MENTIONED, UH, FIRST WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT THE, THE FOOTPRINT WIDTH, AND WE'VE JUST ARE COMPLETING THAT ANALYSIS TO LET US KNOW HOW WIDE THE RIGHT OF WAY WOULD NEED TO BE.
AND, UH, ADDITIONALLY, AFTER WE MET WITH THE ALEXANDERS AND SOME OTHER STAKEHOLDERS, WE HAVE IDENTIFIED, UM, AREAS, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY REROUTING, LIKE, UM, SIMILARLY, LIKE WE SAW TODAY, UM, AROUND, UM, THESE HISTORIC PROPERTIES.
CAUSE WE, WE DEFINITELY IDENTIFY, UM, THE NEED FOR ALTERNATIVE ROUTES TO LIMIT THE IMPACT.
SO THESE PROPERTIES, WE UNFORTUNATELY AREN'T READY AT THIS TIME TO SHOW THOSE ALIGNMENTS, BUT, UM, THERE ARE SO FAR OUT OFF OF THE EXISTING PROJECT.
WE HAD TO GO GET A PLANE AND SLIDE TO GET AERIAL SURVEY, UM, AND AERIALS, UM, SO THAT WE ARE READY, UH, TO SHOW, UH, NEXT SPRING, THE DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVES THAT WE HAVE BEEN LOOKING AT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY WE HAVE TO DO, WE HAVE TO SET THE RIGHT AWAY FOOTPRINT AND THEN WE HAVE TO PUT DESIGN CRITERIA TO THE ALTERNATIVE ROUTE AND, UM, THEN WE'LL PRESENT THOSE AND WE HAVE PROMISED THE ALEXANDER FAMILY THAT WE WILL MEET WITH THEM AT LEAST A MONTH BEFORE GOING PUBLIC SO THAT THEY DON'T SEE, UH, THESE ALTERNATIVE ALIGNMENTS FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THE PUBLIC FORM.
UM, MAY I, MAY I ASK THAT, UM, THE NOT OFFERS BE INCLUDED IN THOSE BRIEFINGS? UH, IT IS.
UM, I AM, I AM SATISFIED WITH THE MEETINGS AND BRIEFINGS THAT WE'VE HAD THUS FAR.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT, UH, WE ARE INVOLVED AND TRACK ALL OF THESE DECISIONS THAT GO FORWARD.
UM, I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT, UH, THAT THIS REALLY IS A SIGNIFICANT PLACE, UH, IN, IN THE AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITY AROUND AUSTIN AND, AND NOBODY CAN REALLY ARGUE THAT IT WAS NOT CUSTOM, UH, HISTORICALLY TO MAKE SURE THAT AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES OR, OR, UM, AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES WERE INVOLVED IN DECISION MAKING PROCESS.
SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE BRIEFING THE FAMILIES AS EARLY AS WE POSSIBLY CAN.
UM, MY OFFICE HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTED IN BEING BRIEFED AS WELL.
AND, AND I WANT TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TAKE ALL OF THESE ISSUES INTO, UH, INTO PRIMARY CONSIDERATION AS WOUNDS AS WE TALK ABOUT THE WAY WE WILL MOVE FORWARD.
MADAME CHAIR, IF I MAY, UM, I WANTED TO SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO REITERATE WHAT COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN SAID, HEATHER, YOU DID A PHENOMENAL JOB BRIEFING US.
I THINK IT'S OVER A MONTH AGO OR SO REGARDING THIS ISSUE.
UM, YOU OBVIOUSLY UNDERSTOOD OUR CONCERNS.
SO I APPRECIATE, UM, COMMISSIONER SHAY AS WELL WITH THAT.
AND, UM, THAT, THAT MEANT A LOT.
AND I APPRECIATE YOUR PROACTIVE APPROACH WITH THE FAMILY ON THIS.
UH, PART OF MY CONCERN WAS FRANKLY, WE WEREN'T, WE WEREN'T UNDERSTANDING IF THERE IS ACTUALLY SOME GIVE AND TAKE SOME, SOME CONVERSATIONS TO ACTUALLY HAVING, YOU KNOW, BASED ON OUR PUBLIC COMMENTS HERE IN THE MEETING.
SO IT'S GREAT TO KNOW THAT YOU WERE HAVING THOSE MEETINGS AND HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT MAKES IT A DIFFERENCE TO THE FAMILY.
I WANT TO SAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SPEAKING OUT ON THIS SPECIFIC ISSUE.
UM, WE KNOW ALL TOO WELL, PART OF THE PROBLEMS
[00:55:01]
AND THE ISSUES THAT HAPPEN IS THAT, UM, WHEN PEOPLE AREN'T MADE AWARE OF OR COGNIZANT OF THIS.SO, UM, I KNOW THAT MYSELF AND AS WELL AS EVERYONE ELSE IN THE SPORT APPRECIATES EVEN PROACTIVE, EDUCATING, SPEAKING ABOUT THIS MEETING WITH STAFF TO TALK ABOUT THIS ISSUE.
I THINK THAT OVERALL IN GENERAL, IT'S GREAT TO HEAR THAT I KNOW HEATHER, YOU SAID THAT YOU'RE NOT READY TO, UM, TO MAKE PUBLIC THERE'S OTHER ALTERNATIVES WITH THAT, BUT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THOSE THINGS AND WE'RE TRYING TO BE PRAGMATICS, MAKE SOMETHING THAT MAKES SENSE BOTH FOR THE FAMILY AND FOR THE REGION ON THAT.
THAT'S HONESTLY, THIS IS THE WAY GOVERNMENT'S SUPPOSED TO WORK.
SO IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT IT'S ACTUALLY DOING ITS JOB OVER HERE.
THANK YOU FOR, UM, TEXTILE ON THIS ITEM, TERRY, UP THERE.
UM, I HOPE, UH, AS PART OF TECH STOCKS LOOK AT THIS, UH, AND STUDY THAT, THAT YOU GUYS ARE, ARE ALSO CONSIDERING ALTERNATIVES, UH, TO THE PROFILE OF THE FACILITY, UH, YOU KNOW, WITHIN CERTAIN AREAS.
I THINK, I THINK THIS SECTION OF, OF ONE 83 IS CURRENTLY, UM, FOUR LANES DIVIDED AND, UH, DOES IT MEET THE RIGHTAWAY REQUIREMENTS THAT LONGTERM, UM, UH, FACILITY THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, BUT, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED SIMILAR ISSUES RELATED TO HIGHWAY 21 NOW BUILD OUT ON THAT AND THE IMPACT OF VERY WIDE RIGHT AWAY, UH, FOR THE FUTURE.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT GOING TO MEAN AS FAR AS, UH, TAKING AND DESTRUCTION OF PHYSICAL PROPERTIES ALONG, UH, THAT FUTURE FACILITY? SO I HOPE ALSO AS PART OF THE LOOK THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE ALIGNMENT, BUT YOU'RE ALSO LOOKING AT ALTERNATIVE, UH, PROFILES, UH, FOR, FOR THAT FACILITY COUNCILMEMBER PLAN AGAIN.
UM, WE, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOOKING AT ALL OF THAT, UM, AND, UM, YOUR COMMENTS ARE NOTED FOR SURE.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I WISHED I HAD MORE TO SHOW YOU TODAY CAUSE I, I KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD AT IT.
IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, THE PROCESS NEEDS TO BE THE PROCESS.
WE'RE NOT QUITE THERE YET ON OUR, OUR, UM, TRAFFIC ANALYSIS AND, AND EVERYTHING, BUT THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF TIME, UM, FOR, UH, GETTING COMMENTS ON THE WIDTH AND THE ALIGNMENTS.
AND WE'LL TAKE DOT COMMENT OF THE PROFILES AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, W WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO HURRY ON THIS PROJECT AT ALL, THAT THE FUNDING HAS NOT IDENTIFIED.
UM, IF, IF WE NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE BIT MORE TIME, ONCE WE GET ALL OF THIS OUT IN THE PUBLIC, I'M, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
SO, UM, DEFINITELY THERE IS TIME FOR THIS, EVERYONE TO BE HEARD.
SO WE GOT, I, I NOTED YOUR COMMENTS AND WE'LL, WE'LL BE SURE TO KEEP THAT IN THE PROJECT RECORD AND MOVING FORWARD.
YEAH, I REALLY, I, I, IT'S JUST, I WANT TO SECOND THE PROFILE ISSUE BECAUSE I CAN LOOK UP PARTY THREE ON THE NORTHWEST SIDE OF THE CITY WHERE MY DISTRICT IS, AND IT'S ABOUT 300 FEET WIDE AND IT'S FOUR LANES PLUS FOUR LANES IN THE FOUR LANES, EACH DIRECTION, FOUR LANES ON THE ACCESS ROAD.
AND WE'RE ABOUT TO DO FOUR MORE LANES OF AN X OF A EXPRESS LINE PROJECT.
SO I THINK THERE REALLY IS SOME, SOME PROFILE CONVERSATION TO HAVE, AND, AND TUCKER, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ROLE OF THE POLICY BOARD IS IN TECH STOCK POLICY SETTING IN TERMS OF YOUR DEFAULT PROJECT ROLLED OUT, BUT 100 FEET IS PRETTY WIDE FOR AN URBAN AND SUBURBAN SETTING.
UM, WHEN WE, WHEN WE'RE GETTING INTO THESE KINDS OF USES THAT HAVE BEEN BUILT UP ALONG THE ROAD.
SO I DEFINITELY SECOND THAT, AND THANKS TO COMMISSIONER TREVELYAN AND COUNCIL MEMBER HIGHER FOR YOUR COMMENTS.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON ITEM NUMBER NINE? OKAY.
HEATHER, THANK YOU FOR YOUR UPDATE.
[10. Discussion on Federal Transit Administration (FTA) Section 5310 Program Criteria]
TO ITEM NUMBER 10, WHICH IS THE DISCUSSION ON SECTION PRETEND YOU'RE NOT FOR THAT.SO THIS ITEM IS JUST A DISCUSSION ON THE FTA 53 10 PROGRAM CRITERIA.
AND JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE, IF YOU'RE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THIS PROGRAM, AND THIS IS IT'S A GRANT PROGRAM, BUT DEFINITELY BY FTA AND IT ESSENTIALLY ALLOCATES A MILLION DOLLARS EVERY YEAR, 53, 10 FUNDING TO TRANSPORTATION
[01:00:01]
PROGRAMS. THESE CAN BE NONPROFITS OR GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS FOR THESE TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS, WHAT KIND OF GAP FEATHERS THAT HELP AUGMENT THE EXISTING TRANSIT SYSTEM, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE WATER SYSTEMS THAT ARE RUN BY CAPITAL METRO CARTS, CITY OF ROUND ROCK, AND ALSO NOW THE CITY OF SAN MARCUS IS FINE.IT'S BASICALLY FUND PROGRAMS, SPECIFICALLY SERVE OLDER ADULTS AND THOSE INDIVIDUALS WITH PHYSICAL AND MENTAL DISABILITIES.
AND SO THAT'S JUST A REMINDER OF THE PROGRAM.
WE'VE BEEN SLACKING PROJECTS FOR THIS PROGRAM SINCE 2012, WE HAD AN AGREEMENT AS THE MPO, WE SELECT THE DESIGNATED RECIPIENT FOR THESE FUNDS.
AND SO THAT DOESN'T MEAN THE RECIPIENT IS A CAPITAL METRO.
AND PART OF THAT AGREEMENT IS THAT A COUPLE OF METRO ACTUALLY ADMINISTERS THE PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY ARE AN ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT OF THE FUNDS WE USE AS A PROGRAM, UM, OF THAT AGREEMENT WAS THAT CAMP.
I WOULD ACTUALLY DO THE PROJECT SELECTION.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING EVERY YEAR.
AND SO WHAT THIS ITEM IS, IS THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE BEEN INCREDIBLY COMPETITIVE AND WE'RE STILL USING THE SAME CRITERIA.
UM, AND SO AT THE REQUEST OF SEVERAL BOARD MEMBERS, WE DID GO BACK IN THE BOOK AT THE FOUR PART PERIOD AND REALLY KIND OF LOOK AND SEE WHAT WE CAN TO, TO UPDATE THE CRITERIA TO MORE ALIGNED WITH THE OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE FOR THE OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WE ADMINISTER.
SO FOR THAT PROCESS, WE DID REVIEW AVAILABLE RESEARCH AND RESOURCES.
UM, THERE ARE A LOT OF RESOURCES OUT THERE, BUT FTA ALSO THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD DID A GOOD SURVEY OF ALL THE PROGRAMS OF THE COUNTRY.
AND THEN WE ALSO DID REVIEW THOSE INDIVIDUALLY.
WE LOOKED AT OTHER PROGRAMS, 50% CRITERIA, AND WE LOOKED AT ABOUT 10 DIFFERENT PROGRAMS TO LOOK AT HOW THEY ADMINISTER THE PROGRAM.
WE ALSO DID HAVE A MEETING WITH THE GRANT ADMINISTRATOR, BUT DESIGNATED RECIPIENT HAD A METRO TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE DO UPDATE STILL MEETS THE REQUIREMENTS AND ATTENDANCE PROGRAM.
UM, AND AS JULIA MENTIONED EARLIER, WE DID REVIEW THIS WITH THE TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE SENT THE CURRENT CRITERIA TO THEM AND THEN ASK FOR THEIR FEEDBACK.
SO WE CAN INCORPORATE THAT INTO, INTO THE UPDATE.
AND THEN TODAY WE ARE HERE WITH YOU, OF COURSE, AND WE'D LOVE TO GET YOUR FEEDBACK.
WE DO HAVE SOME DRAFT CRITERIA THAT WE'LL REVIEW WITH YOU AND TAKE ANY FEEDBACK AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT.
AND SO BRIEFLY, I'LL JUST SAY YOU SHOULDN'T PROBABLY REMEMBER THE REST, BUT THIS IS THE HER PROCESS THAT WE USE.
YOU HAVE THE BASIC ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS ON THESE ARE JUST BASIC FDA REQUIREMENTS.
THE PRODUCTS SERVE THE ORGANIZED EARLIER ON THE SPONSORS CAN BE A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION.
THEY'RE TYPICALLY A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION UP UNTIL ABOUT, I'D SAY SEVEN YEARS AGO WITH AN UPDATE.
I THINK IT WAS MARCH 21 THAT ALLOWED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS ALSO TO APPLY FOR THE OPERATING FUNDS.
UM, REMEMBER ACTIVITIES ARE BASICALLY EITHER TRADITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECTS WHERE WE'LL BE BUYING BUSES OR, YOU KNOW, JUST BASIC CAPITAL OR YOU CAN PAY FOR OPERATING EXPENSES SUCH AS SALARIES AND GAS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND SO ON THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE THE SCORING CRITERIA ON THIS IS WHAT WE WAS APPROVED IN 2012.
AND WE HAD THESE SEVEN CRITERIA.
I WON'T LIST THEM OUT HERE, BUT YOU'VE GOT THESE, THIS LIST HERE AND I'LL SAY THE WEIGHTS ARE THERE FOR EACH CRITERIA.
AND SO THAT WAS OUR STARTING POINTS.
SO WE DID TAKE A STAB AT UPDATING THIS PROCESS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE SCORING CRITERIA, THIS IS A DRAFT OF IT IS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME.
WE DID MOVE BUDGET OVER INTO A READINESS SECTION.
UM, WE BELIEVE THAT OUR READINESS WE'LL BRING THAT IN KIND OF IN LINE WITH THE OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE FOR DESPERATE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
AND SO WE BELIEVE THE BUDGET INSTEAD OF BEING SCORED IS A BASIC REQUIREMENT.
AND THEN ALSO INCLUDED IN BEDDING.
THIS IS THE ABILITY OF THE LOCAL SPONSORS TO PROVIDE THE LOCAL MATCH FOR BACK HAUL FEDERAL PROGRAMS. THIS IS A MATCHING PROGRAM WHERE THEY HAVE TO PROVIDE EITHER 20% OR 50% OF THE TOTAL PROJECT COST.
AND THEN ALSO WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE IN GOOD STANDING, MANY OF THE APPLICATIONS OR APPLICANTS, EXCUSE ME, WE'LL COME BACK YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR FUNDING.
SO WE DO WANT TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE IN GOOD STANDING.
THEN, AS JULIA MENTIONED, ONE OF THE SUGGESTIONS WAS TO CALLS BY ANNUAL SCHEDULE.
CURRENTLY WE DO IT EVERY YEAR, USUALLY ABOUT THIS TIME.
AND WE DO THINK THIS IS ACTUALLY A GOOD RECOMMENDATION.
I HAVE TO GO DO A BONE MARROW BASIS.
WE THINK THIS WILL, UM, INSTEAD OF BEING ROUGHLY A MILLION DOLLARS, YEAH, WE'LL GET OUT $2 MILLION EVERY TWO YEARS, AND THIS WILL BETTER ALLEVIATE THE STRESS OF THE SPONSORS HAVING TO APPLY FOR THE FUNDING.
IT IS LABOR INTENSIVE FOR THEM, AND THIS WILL ALLOW THEM TO PLAN BETTER
[01:05:01]
OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS BECAUSE THEY WILL HAVE THAT FUNDING SECURED ON.SO WE DO THINK THIS IS A GREAT RECOMMENDATION.
AND THEN ON THE RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE SOME UPDATED SCORING CRITERIA.
WE HAVE SHIFTED SOME OF THE WEIGHTS PROGRAM.
SUSTAINABILITY IS THE SAME THING AS FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THE BENEFIT WE REDUCED THE POINTS ON BENEFIT BECAUSE WE DO BELIEVE THAT IS CAPTURED IN ALL OF THE CRITERIA IN SOME FASHION OR ANOTHER.
SO WE JUST GAVE THAT ALL, KIND OF REDUCE THAT DOWN TO 10 POINTS, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE THE NEXT FIVE CRITERIA ARE FIVE POINTS EACH, AND WE BELIEVE THESE RATES ARE APPROPRIATE BECAUSE THESE ARE IMPORTANT, BUT THEY'RE ALSO NOT DEAL BREAKERS.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT KIND OF EXPERIENCE WE'RE LOOKING AT TO SEE IF SOMEBODY HAD EXPERIENCED EITHER WITH THIS PROGRAM OR WITH ANOTHER SIMILAR TYPE OF PROGRAM COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS AND INTERCONNECTIVITY, BOTH OF THESE THINGS, UM, ARE IMPORTANT, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, A LOT OF THE EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS THAT WE DO FUND THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, UH, ARE SOME OF THEM ARE INDEPENDENT OF THE REST OF THE TRANSIT SYSTEM.
I'LL SAY FOR EXAMPLE, SENIOR ACCESS.
UM, THIS IS A PROGRAM THAT WE FUND THAT SENIORS CAN CALL IN SENIOR ACCESS, WILL COME PICK THEM UP AND TAKE THEM WHEREVER THEY NEED TO GO.
UM, AND DOESN'T NECESSARILY CONNECT INTO THE LARGER TRANSIT SYSTEM.
IT WILL TAKE THEM TO RUN THEIR ERRANDS TO THE DOCTOR'S OFFICE OR TO THE GROCERY STORE.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREAT IF THEY DO HAVE THESE PARTNERSHIPS WITH SAY CAP METRO, BUT WE DIDN'T WANT THAT TO BE A DEAL BREAKER.
UM, AND THEN RTCC PLANNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES.
WE BUMPED THAT UP TO 20 POINTS.
THIS IS ACTUALLY REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS PROGRAM IS DESIGNED TO IMPLEMENT THAT PLAN.
UM, THEY, THE ANYTHING THAT IS APPROVED TO BE FUNDED ACTUALLY HAS TO BE DIRECTLY LISTED IN THE PLAN.
SO WE THOUGHT THAT WAS IMPORTANT.
AND THEN PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND MONITORING, LIKE ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS WE'VE BEEN DOING HERE, FEDERAL FUNDING, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO MEASURE ITS EFFECTIVENESS, TO BE ABLE TO MONITOR OUR INVESTMENTS OVER TIME ARE IMPACTING THE TRANSIT NETWORK.
AND SO WE WERE ASKING THAT THE SPONSORS HAVE A PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEM IN PLACE.
AND THEN FINALLY THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, SIMILAR TO THE WAY WE DO OUR OTHER SCORING CRITERIA.
WE HAVE THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, A CALCULATION THAT WILL BASICALLY LOOK AT THE VALUE OF THE PROJECTS BASED ON THE INVESTMENT.
AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT RIDERSHIP, UH, THE TOTAL PROJECT COSTS AND HOW MUCH FUNDING THEY'RE REQUESTING.
AND THEN WE'LL LOOK AT THE IMPACTS, NOT THROUGH AN OBJECTIVE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
AND THAT IS THE BULK OF ALL THAT IS HIGHEST RATIO OF FRANCE, BUT THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, BECAUSE IT IS VERY STRAIGHT FORWARD AND WE'LL GIVE YOU THAT THAT'S STRAIGHT FORWARD VALUE ANALYSIS OF THE PRODUCT.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THIS UPDATE TO THE CRITERIA WILL BALANCE THE SUBJECTIVE OR THE QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE ASPECTS OF THESE PROJECTS.
AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE.
SO THAT CONCLUDES THE PRESENTATION ON THE UPDATE.
I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE ANY FEEDBACK YOU WANT CHANGE, IF ANYTHING, AND ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
CLARIFY, UH, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURE AND MONITORING SEEMS TO BE THE NEW PIECE.
THE OTHERS HAVE SORT OF BEEN REDEFINED AND SHIFTED AROUND, BUT THAT, THAT PIECE IS REALLY, UM, THE NEW INSERT IN MOST OF THIS.
AND I KNOW, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN, UH, I BELIEVE I SAW HER POP UP WITH A QUESTION.
UM, SHOULD I GO AHEAD? SO, UM, ON THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, CAN YOU REMIND ME THE WAITING IN THE HEAD BEFORE, BEFORE THAT? I BELIEVE IT WAS 15 POINTS, EXCUSE ME, ESSENTIALLY, THAT COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
SO, UM, CAN YOU TALK WITH ME A BIT MORE ABOUT, ABOUT THAT? AND THE REASON I'M ASKING ABOUT IT IS THE THINKING BEHIND IT IS THAT, UM, YOU HAD, YOU HAD EXPLAINED WHY THE INTERCONNECTIVITY WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU, YOU WOULDN'T WANT TO, TO RAISE PWI BECAUSE OF THE KINDS OF PROJECTS.
IS, WOULD THAT NOT THAT THINKING RELATES SOMEWHAT TO THIS, THIS, UM, COST BENEFIT CAUSE 30 POINTS IS LIKE, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE NEXT SLIDE? 30 POINTS IS THE HIGHEST POINTS GIVEN TO ANY ONE AREA.
SO CAN YOU JUST HELP ME UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE A LITTLE BIT BETTER FOR THAT? YES.
[01:10:01]
COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, WE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU RECALL ON THE OTHER CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE FOR, YOU KNOW, SO YOUR ROADWAY PROJECTS AND, YOU KNOW, STRICTLY TRANSIT PROJECTS AND ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION WITH ALL OF THOSE, I HAVE A 50% COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS RATIO, YOU KNOW, IT'S HALF PERFORMANCE MEASURE AND HALF COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.SO THAT WAS KIND OF THE THINKING THERE IS THAT THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS IS THE MOST STRAIGHTFORWARD WAY TO MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THE PROGRAM.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE THOUGHT IT DESERVED TO BE THE HIGHEST OF THE HIGHEST AMOUNT OF POINTS IN THIS PROCESS.
AND THE OTHER THING IS, ONE THING WE'VE NOTICED IN PAST OTHER CALLS IS THAT PROJECTS ARE TENDING TO BUNCH UP, UM, QUITE FREQUENTLY WE'LL HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE PROGRAMS ARE VERY, VERY SIMILAR IN NATURE.
SO BEING ABLE TO TEASE OUT THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN THEM CAN MOST EFFECTIVELY BE DONE THROUGH THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS, BECAUSE IT'LL GIVE YOU A, JUST A STRAIGHTFORWARD ANSWER IN REGARDS TO THAT INVESTMENT.
AND SO THAT TO ME, I THOUGHT WAS THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY TO WHY IT'S WEIGHTED THAT WAY.
AND THAT'LL HELP KIND OF DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN TWO PROJECTS THAT MAY LOOK ON THE SURFACE CASE SIMILAR, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE ONE THIS, YOU KNOW, IT'LL BE THE SAME PROGRAM, ESSENTIALLY, THE WE'LL BE SERVING AND BE ASKING FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF FUNDING, BUT ONE WILL BE SERVING MORE WRITERS, SERVING 100 WRITERS AS OPPOSED TO 30.
AND SO WE KNOW WHICH ONE WILL BE THE BETTER BEST.
SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S DESIGNED TO TEASE OUT.
AND THEN, UM, DID WE GET COMMENTS FROM, UM, NOBODY COMES FROM CAP METRO ON THIS ONE OR FROM THE ATTACK? I THINK IT CAME BEFORE THE TECH, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, BUT ON THE ACTUAL WAITING, HAVE WE GOTTEN THAT GOTTEN THEIR INSIGHT? NO, WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN THERE IN THE CURRENT CRITERIA TO USE, TO KIND OF COME UP WITH THESE WAYS.
SO I'D BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO GET THEIR FEEDBACK ON THAT.
THE MAIN COMMENT THEY GOT THAT THEY, WE RECEIVED FROM THEM WAS TO MOVE TO A BIANNUAL SCHEDULE.
I THINK THAT WAS THE ONLY COMMENT THAT WE DID RECEIVE.
WELL, I'D JUST LIKE TO UNDERSTAND FROM THEM, IF THEY HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THE DIFFERENCE IN WAITING, IT IS QUITE A BIT OF MOVING AROUND THE POINTS, WHICH MAY BE FINE.
I'M TRYING TO THINK THROUGH THE IMPACT OF THAT.
AND I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE THE, UM, UH, THE ATTACK, EVEN IF IT'S JUST INFORMALLY ASKING FOR THE TAC MEMBERS TO GIVE SOME FEEDBACK, IS THIS GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO US FOR APPROVAL? UH, YES.
MA'AM, THAT WAS ONE THING I DIDN'T, UH, I'D LIKE TO DO A GROUP IN THE NEXT MONTH.
UM, AND I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY IF YOU WANT ME TO SEND THIS OUT TO THE TAC, GIVE THEM, YOU KNOW, MAYBE TO THE END OF THE WEEK TO GIVE ME FEEDBACK AND THEN WE CAN PRESENT A MORE POLISHED VERSION, UH, NEXT MONTH.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OF RYAN ON 10? I HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER ALONG THIS CURVE AND YOU MIGHT EXPECT THIS RIGHT.
UM, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE REASON FOR RE REANALYZING THIS? UH, IT WAS A REQUEST AT THE LAST POLICY BOARD MEETING WHEN WE HAD THE APPROVAL.
UM, THE LAST TIME WE DID THE GRANT CALL, I THINK THIS WAS BACK IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR.
UM, I THINK, YEAH, IT WAS JUST ASK FOR US TO KIND OF REVISIT AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO.
I MUST HAVE BEEN ASLEEP AT THAT POINT.
I WILL SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GREATLY BENEFITED ROUND ROCK A MATTER OF FACT THAT WE PROBABLY NEED MORE OF IT.
UH, THE USE OF OUR SENIOR COMMUNITY IS JUST CRAZY ON, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID AND THANK GOD WE HAVE SENIOR ACCESS TO HELP OFFSET IT, BUT I WAS JUST CURIOUS OF BIKING.
I DO HAVE A OKAY, GO AHEAD, MAYOR.
UH, PROGRAM EXPERIENCE IS ONLY FIVE POINTS.
I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND WHY THAT WOULD BE SO LOW.
THERE IS, I MEAN, THE EXPERIENCE, I THINK ONE OF THOSE THINGS WAS ACCURATELY MAINSTREAM EXPERIENCE, BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, WE ALSO WANT TO OPEN IT UP TO, UH, EVERY YEAR WE GET NEW APPLICANTS THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE, AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO, IF IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM, IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM AND WE DIDN'T WANT PROGRAM EXPERIENCE TO NECESSARILY KICK SOMEBODY OUT OF THE RUNNING IF THEY HAVE A DECENT PROGRAM IN PLACE.
SO THAT WAS THE THINKING THERE IT'S LIKE HER, IF YOU HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED, I THINK THAT'S HELPFUL.
UM, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT WOULD NECESSARILY, UM, I DON'T WANT THAT TO INCLUDE OTHER GROUPS, NEW PROGRAMS FROM BEING ABLE TO
[01:15:01]
APPLY.WHEN YOU SAY PROGRAM EXPERIENCE, YOU MEAN EXPERIENCE WITH OUR PROGRAM, I'M JUST LOOKING TO MAKE SURE SOMEBODY'S GOT SOME EXPERIENCE AND A SIMILAR SITUATION.
IT'S NOT SOMEBODY THAT PUT TOGETHER A GROUP YESTERDAY BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS A, THIS IS A BIG DEAL AND IT'S VERY IMPORTANT.
SO I WAS, I WAS JUST LOOKING FOR EXPERIENCE OR EXPERIENCE, NOT NECESSARILY THAT I HAD TO HAVE EXPERIENCE WITH OUR PROGRAM.
AND THAT, AND THAT ALSO GOES INTO READINESS AS WELL AS MAKING SURE IF WE'RE FUNDING TO THIS EQUIP PROGRAM, WHICHEVER ONE, IT MAY BE THAT THEY DO HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO ACT, TO BE ABLE TO PULL IT OFF, ESSENTIALLY BECAUSE WE DO, WE GET NEW APPLICANTS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS ONE, I THINK NONPROFIT HAD BEEN STARTED THREE MONTHS BEFORE THEY APPLY FOR FUNDING.
AND WE DID NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO DO THAT.
NOT ONLY WILL IT BE CAPTURED IN THE SCORING CRITERIA, BUT THAT WILL BE REVIEWED AS READINESS AS WELL.
IF WE SEE SOMEBODY THAT WE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE PROGRAM THAT WE JUST DON'T THINK THEY CAN USE THIS FUNDING AND WE WON'T RECOMMEND IT THEN SHOULD IT BE RENAMED TAKE PROGRAM OUT AND JUST SAY EXPERIENCE SLASH READINESS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, GIVEN THAT THERE'S CERTAINLY, AND ALSO THE PROGRAM EXPERIENCE, IT'S NOT JUST 53, 10, BUT IT'S THAT THEY HAVE EXPERIENCED MANAGING FEDERAL GRANTS IN GENERAL.
ANYTHING COMPARABLE WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE AS WELL, BUT YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THAT'S, WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT IS THAT THEY'VE DONE SOMETHING SIMILAR.
BUT YET, LIKE YOU SAY, IF THEY JUST FIRED UP, YOU KNOW, A FEW MONTHS AGO AND I'M MAY NOT BE READY.
SO THANK YOU, BRIAN, JUST TO CLARIFY, I BELIEVE, UM, ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT YOU'RE HIGHLIGHTING HERE IS READINESS PART OF ELIGIBILITY.
UM, SO, UH, IT CAN'T BE THEIR FIRST RODEO.
UM, UH, AND, AND SO YOU'VE MOVED SOME OF THAT OVER, IT'LL BE CAPTURED REALLY AS THE FIRST FUNNEL TO GET, UM, INTO THE SCORING CRITERIA.
MA'AM, THAT'S VERY SIMILAR TO, YOU KNOW, THE WAY WE DID IT BACK IN 2018, IT REALLY IS A SCREENING MECHANISM TO, WE DON'T WANT TO SCORE ANYTHING THOUGH.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
SO YEAH, THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, LET THEM SHARE? YES.
UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, HOW ARE WE ENCOURAGING SUCCESSFUL PLANS? UM, ARE, ARE THOSE WHO RUN SUCCESSFUL PLANS, UH, INTO OTHER, IN, INTO OTHER AREAS OF THE REGION THAT THEY MIGHT BE SUCCESSFUL IN? WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS WHEN WE LOOK AT SOMETHING LIKE THE, UH, CAPITOL AREA, RURAL TRANSIT PROGRAM, UH, WHAT ARE WE DOING TO IDENTIFY WHAT'S BEING DONE WELL AND HOW MAYBE IT COULD COULD PARTNER WITH, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, THE, THE NEW PICKUP PROGRAMS THAT CAP METRO HAS PUT INTO PLACE.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE PUT TOGETHER A, UH, TRAVIS COUNTY PUT TOGETHER A TRANSIT DEVELOPMENT PLAN, UH, THAT, UH, WORKS, UM, UP THE NORTHEASTERN CORRIDOR INTO MAYNOR.
AND WE FOUND WHERE WE PUT A PICKUP SITE, UH, WE HAVE INCREASED PARTICIPATION OR RIDERSHIP, TENFOLD.
UH, WHAT CAN WE DO TO IDENTIFY BEST PRACTICES IN AREAS WHERE, UH, WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A NEED AND THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES, BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE NOT MARRIED AT THIS POINT THAT MAYBE WE CAN CREATE A ECONOMIES OF SCALE BY MARRYING, HOW ARE WE, HOW ARE WE IDENTIFYING THE ASSETS THAT ARE IN THE AREA THAT MAY NOT BE TALKING AT THIS POINT? THAT'S A VERY GOOD POINT.
AND THAT'S ACTUALLY, SO THE RTCC PLAN ITSELF, UM, THIS IS AN OFFSHOOT TO FUND THOSE INITIATIVES.
AND THAT'S WHAT THAT PLAN ACTUALLY DOES.
WE'RE ACTUALLY IN THE MIDDLE OF UPDATING, NOT STARTING THIS YEAR, BUT WHAT THAT PLAN DOES, IS IT ANALYZES, IT DOES A GAP ANALYSIS.
IT DOES LOOK AT WHERE THERE ARE DEFICIENCIES AND MAYBE SOME OPPORTUNITIES REALLY TO LIKE YOU MENTIONED, JUST TO, YOU KNOW, PROGRAMS AND PEOPLE.
AND SO THAT'S REALLY WHY THE RTC PLANNING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES WHILE WE BUMPED UP THE POINTS ON THAT, BECAUSE THAT REALLY THOSE OBJECTIVES AND GOALS IN THERE, THAT'S WHAT IT'S DESIGNED TO DO.
AND SO PROJECTS THAT ACTUALLY ADDRESS THOSE GOALS WILL EITHER RISE TO THE TOP.
AND THOSE WILL BE THE ONES THAT WE'RE SELECTING.
AND THAT ALSO COMES BACK TO THE PERFORMANCE, MEASURING MONITORING.
IT'S A, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO MONITOR HOW THESE PROGRAMS ARE BEING IMPACTED, UH, BEING
[01:20:01]
IMPACTFUL TO THE REGION.I THINK WE CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AND SEE MAYBE THERE'S SOME BETTER AREAS THAT WE CAN INVEST IN.
SO IT'S, IT'S NOT A SPRINKLE THROUGHOUT, BUT I WOULD SAY THE RTCC PLAN IS REALLY, UM, THOSE POINTS THEY'RE REALLY GONNA MAKE THOSE EFFECTIVE PARTNERS KIND OF RISE TO THE TOP AND THEN THE INNER, INNER CONNECTIVITY AND COORDINATION AND PARTNERSHIPS.
I TOUCHED TOUCH ON THAT, BUT NOT AS DIRECTLY AS THE PLAN ITSELF, I WOULD LIKE TO, UM, TO TALK WITH YOU OFFLINE.
AND I WORKED THROUGH THE CRITERIA, JUST SO, JUST SO THAT I UNDERSTAND IT BETTER AND CAN BE HELPFUL THINGS THAT ARE WORKING IN OUR TDP.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON, UM, ITEM, NUMBER 10 FINISHING ALONG? OKAY.
YEAH, BECAUSE AS COMMISSIONER BECCA, I WAS ACTUALLY GONNA CALL ON YOU.
I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH THE RTCC.
THAT WAS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
IS RYAN, ARE WE GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RTCC BOARD JUST LOOKED OVER THE SCORING CRITERIA AND ARE, AND ARE COMFORTABLE WITH IT? ALRIGHT.
YEAH, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
SO THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR BOWLS AND EVERYTHING ARE KIND OF DISTILLED IN THAT PLAN.
SO HOPEFULLY THIS WILL, BUT I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, ISSUES THAT MOST OF THEM ARE APPLICANTS AS WELL.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALWAYS KIND OF NOT THE ISSUE, BUT WE TRY TO, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THEIR INPUT OF COURSE, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES WHO ARE APPLYING FOR THESE FUNDS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DON'T WANT THEM TO NECESSARILY WEIGH IN TOO MUCH, I GUESS THAT MAKES ANY SENSE.
I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I MEAN, THE CHAIR AT LEAST SEND IT TO LAO.
YOU KNOW, HE'S, HE'S OUTSIDE OF THE APPLICANT PROCESS BEING A CITY COUNCIL GUY, I THINK I'M LIKE AT LEAST LOUD TO SEE IT.
AND THAT, YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT CONFLICT OF INTEREST IS ALWAYS, I THINK THE MORE FEEDBACK, THE BETTER, UM, BECAUSE THEY, THEY KNOW THIS WORLD BETTER, BETTER THAN ANYBODY.
SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
SO I'LL DEFINITELY, I'LL GET IT A WHILE AND IF HE WANTS TO TAKE IT TO THE FULL RTCC, UM, I'M, I'M HAPPY WITH THAT.
THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BECKETT.
UM, SO I THINK WE'VE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY THAT WANTED TO SPEAK ON THIS ISSUE.
[11. Discussion on 2021 Transportation Alternative Set-Aside (TASA) Program Project Call]
TO ITEM NUMBER 11, WHICH IS DISCUSSION ON THE 2021 TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SET ASIDE PROGRAM, PROJECT CALL, UH, RYAN.I BELIEVE THAT SHE, AGAIN, GO AHEAD.
UM, SO WE ARE GEARING UP, UM, TO HOLD A TRANSPORTATION ALTERNATIVE SET ASIDE, CALL FOR PROJECTS EARLY NEXT YEAR.
I WOULD SAY, JUST TO REMIND EVERYONE OF WHAT THAT IS IS IT'S BASICALLY A PULLOUT FROM THE STB FUNDING THAT THE REGION RECEIVES.
UM, IT'S $2.5 MILLION THAT WE RECEIVE ANNUALLY IN PASSIVE FUNDS.
UM, THESE ARE A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN STG FUNDING IN THAT THEY DO HAVE A TIME LIMITS.
THE FUNDING DOES LAPSE, UM, FOUR YEARS AFTER IT'S BEEN AUTHORIZED AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, AND THE FUNDING IS ONLY FOR THE URBANIZED AREA OF THE CAMPUS REGION.
UM, TECH SIDE ACTUALLY ADMINISTERS TACIT FUNDING INTO THE SMALLER COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS THE RURAL AREAS OF THE REGION.
UM, AND SO THE FUNDING ITSELF IS FOR SMALLER SCALE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AND ACTIVITIES.
THIS INCLUDES BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN FACILITIES, RECREATIONAL TRAILS, SAFE ROUTES TO SCHOOLS.
I SOUND TRANSPORTATION TO LEAD A COMMUNITY.
AND SO WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, UM, CRITERIA THAT WE HAVE, THAT IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT THIS IS GEARED TOWARDS.
UM, AND SO, UH, JUST REMIND EVERYONE BACK IN 2018, WE DID ALLOCATE NEARLY $10 BILLION IN PASSIVE FUNDING TO PUBLIX FOR FISCAL YEARS, 2019 AND 2022.
THESE WERE BUNDLED UP ALONG WITH THE OTHER CATEGORY TWO AND CATEGORY SEVEN FUNDING THAT WE DID ALLOCATE.
UM, AND SO WE ARE ANTICIPATING, UH, APPROXIMATELY $10 MILLION TO BE AVAILABLE FOR, UH, FISCAL YEAR 23 THROUGH 26.
UM, THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE CONTINUING RESOLUTIONS, THE PAST ACTS.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE, IF THERE ARE ANY CHANGES AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL THERE BE ADDITIONAL FUNDING AVAILABLE.
UM, AND SO WE WILL USE THE CURRENT PROJECT SELECTION PROCESS, UH, THAT WE USED LAST TIME IN 2018.
THIS INCLUDES A READINESS EVALUATION OF THE PROJECTS, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT THING FOR TASKS AND PROJECTS IS THAT SINCE THEY DO HAVE THAT TIME LIMIT, UH, A TIGHTER SCHEDULE, BUT IT IS VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT INES IS EVALUATED FOR THESE PRODUCTS.
UM, AND THEN ONCE THEY PASS READINESS, WE EVALUATE THEM BASED ON THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AS WELL AS THEY COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
[01:25:01]
UM, AND SO WE AREN'T SUSPENDING OPENING THE PROJECT CALL EARLY 21, UM, A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT NOTES.UM, SO THERE, UH, THIS RELATES TO THE DEFERRAL INITIATIVE THAT WE DID BACK IN JUNE.
UM, SO ONE OPTION IS THAT WE CAN ALLOCATE THE ENTIRETY OF ANTICIPATED FUNDING TO NEW PRODUCTS THAT APPLY.
SO THE ENTIRETY OF THE 10 MILLION, UM, BUT THERE IS A SECOND OPTION AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING IS THAT WE CAN ALLOCATE FUNDING TO.
THERE WERE A COUPLE OF ELIGIBLE PROJECTS FROM THE DEPLOYER CATEGORY, SEVEN LISTS, UM, AND WE ARE RECOMMENDING THAT WE REFUND THOSE PROJECTS SUBJECT TO READINESS EVALUATION, AND ALSO SPONSOR COORDINATION.
WE DO NEED TO CHECK WITH THESE SPONSORS TO MAKE SURE, HEY, DO THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THESE FUNDS IF THEY BECOME AVAILABLE? AND THEN ALSO WE NEED TO REVISIT BOTH OF THESE PROJECTS AND REEVALUATE THEIR READINESS.
THEY WERE DEFERRED BECAUSE THEY HAD SOME PROJECT DELAYS.
AND SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE DO THESE AGAIN, BECAUSE OF THE TIME, SINCE THE ISSUE WITH THE FUNDING, THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE READY TO MOVE FORWARD.
SO, UM, BUT IF WE DID THAT, WE'D BE LOOKING AT HOW WE'RE GETTING $3.7 MILLION TO THOSE TWO PROJECTS.
AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE FUNDS WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR NEW PROJECTS TO APPLY FOR.
SO THAT WOULD BE $6.3 MILLION AVAILABLE TO OTHER SPONSORS THAT THAT IS OUR, WE ARE RECOMMENDING OPTION TWO, BUT, UH, JUST WANT TO LET EVERYONE BE AWARE THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD WITH THE TASA PROPER POLITICS EARLY NEXT YEAR.
WE'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE PROGRAM.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS IS AN INFORMATIONAL ITEM.
SO THE POLICY BOARD CAN KIND OF, UH, THINK ABOUT IT, WEIGH IN ON OPTION ONE, OPTION TWO.
UM, BUT I THINK, UH, IF Y'ALL RECALL, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH, UH, THE DEFERRAL PROCESS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THE BOARD, UM, WAS LOUD AND CLEAR ON IS THAT AS FUNDING BECAME AVAILABLE DEFERRED PROJECTS, WE WANTED TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THOSE.
UM, BUT READINESS IS GOING TO BE IMPORTANT, UM, IN THE TIMING OF THOSE.
UM, SO ASHBY, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO ADD ON THAT? YES.
MADAM CHAIR, CAN YOU ALL HEAR ME? OKAY.
SO I'M GOING BACK TO THE PURPOSE OF GIVING THE BOARD THIS PRESENTATION TODAY.
UM, WE WANTED TO ASK, OR AT LEAST HAVE THE DISCUSSION WITH YOU ABOUT, UH, WHETHER OR NOT THE BOARD WOULD PREFER FOR US TO INITIATE A CALL, UH, EARLY, UH, 2021, UH, FOR THESE FUNDS, UM, AS, UM, RYAN STATED FOR, UH, OPTION ONE AND TWO, UH, YOU ALSO HAVE AN OPTION TO DO NOTHING AT THIS POINT.
UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WE'RE, WE'RE GIVING YOU THIS PRESENTATION TODAY IS WE'RE TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE.
AND, UM, BECAUSE THIS MONEY HAS STRICTER TIME LIMITS ON IT.
AND A LOT OF THE OTHER FUNDING THAT WE DEAL WITH, WHETHER IT'S A CATEGORY TO A CATEGORY SEVEN, UM, FUNDING, UM, WE, WE ARE NOT RECOMMENDING WAITING UNTIL WE HAVE ANOTHER PROBLEM ON TOP FOR PRODUCTS IN 2022 OR 2023, BECAUSE WE FEEL LIKE, UM, YOU AS LOCAL GOVERNMENTS WOULD LOSE TIME AND POTENTIALLY WE MIGHT LOSE MONEY AS A REGION.
SO WE WILL TRY TO BE PROACTIVE AND SAYING, HEY KNOW, LET'S, LET'S ASK THE BOARD NOW HOW THEY LIKE TO HANDLE THIS MOVING FORWARD.
AND IF YOUR PLEASURE IS FOR US TO DO A CALL FOR PROJECTS NEXT YEAR, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT.
UM, WE DO THINK THAT, UM, WE OUGHT TO LOOK AT THE TWO DIFFERENT PROJECTS FIRST AND, UM, THAT, THAT GOES TO A CONVERSATION I'VE HAD WITH VICE-CHAIR KITCHEN A COUPLE TIMES.
AND, UM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH BOTH THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND WITH TRAVIS COUNTY STAFF ON THE NORTHERN WALNUT CREEK TRAIL PROJECT, AND THE BLAKE MINOR, A SHARED USE PATH.
WE FEEL LIKE THOSE PROJECTS THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON THEM NOW FOR A WHILE, SINCE THE DEFERRAL.
AND WE FEEL LIKE MAYBE THEY ARE IN A POSITION WHERE THEY CAN MOVE FORWARD IN A TIMELY MANNER, BUT WE WILL NEED TO SEE SOMETHING FROM THEM SAYING THAT THAT MONEY, IF, IF THE BOARD CHOOSES OPTION TWO, UM, THAT THE MONEY ALLOCATED TO THOSE PROJECTS, THAT THEY CAN MEET THE LET DATE AND MOVE FORWARD.
BECAUSE IF, IF THEY CAN'T, THEN WE'RE GOING TO LOSE, POTENTIALLY LOSE MONEY AS A REGION.
SO, UM, JUST WANTED TO CLEAR THAT UP MADAM CHAIR.
AND, AND JUST A REMINDER THAT THE 2018 CALL THAT WE DID WAS FOR FUNDING FOR FYI 19 THROUGH 22.
SO WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WOULD BE FYI 23 THROUGH FYI 26, IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY.
[01:30:01]
IS REALLY TO ASHLEY'S POINT JUST GETTING A JUMPSTART AND, UM, SO IF, UH, YOU CAN MULL IT OVER AND THEN WE CAN LOOK AT OPTION ONE, TWO, OR TO ASHLEY'S POINT OPTION THREE AS DO NOTHING THIS YEAR.UM, WE CAN LOOK AT THOSE, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE ACTION ON THAT SO THAT WE CAN GIVE DIRECTION, UM, AT THE NEXT MEETING TO STAFF, AS WELL AS LET THE COMMUNITY KNOW, UM, ABOUT THIS POSSIBLE FUNDING.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS ABOUT RYAN'S PRESENTATION? NOPE, NO QUESTIONS ON ONLY A BIT IF I COULD.
UM, AND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, UH, I APPRECIATE THE STAFF WORK THAT WAS DONE.
AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT IT'S, IT SEEMS TO ME THAT AS I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE, THE MATERIALS, THESE ARE A COUPLE OF PROJECTS THAT HAVE ALREADY GONE THROUGH A VETTING PROCESS, AND IT MIGHT BE EFFICIENT ARE THE MOST EFFICIENT THING THAT WE MIGHT DO TO MOVE FORWARD ON PROJECTS THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH OUR BEDDING SYSTEM, UM, WITH THE APPROPRIATE ADJUSTMENTS AND REASSESSMENTS, IT WOULD SAY WHETHER IT WOULD BE EASIER TO DO THAT THAN TO AGAIN, START ALL OVER AGAIN, AS A, AS OPPOSED TO MOVING FORWARD WITH, WITH, UH, WHAT HAS BEEN HEADED.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? UM, THIS IS, UM, THAT'S YOUR KITCHEN.
AND I THINK OUR INTENT WAS WHEN WE, UM, WHEN WE HAD THE, WHEN WE WENT THROUGH THE DEFERRAL PROCESS THAT, THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER DEFERRED PROJECTS FIRST SUBJECT, OF COURSE, TO THE READINESS, UH, CRITERIA THAT, UH, THAT ASHLEY JUST LAID OUT FOR US.
SO I THINK THIS IS, UM, THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS COME UP FOR US, UM, WITH REGARD TO THOSE DEFERRED PROJECTS.
SO I, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO KEEP WITH THAT, UH, INTENT.
SO ASK ME, DO YOU THINK THAT, UM, IF I'M HEARING YOU RIGHT, YOU'RE STILL DOING A LITTLE BIT MORE VETTING TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE ARE ALREADY WITHIN THE, UM, TIMELINE, SO WE DON'T LOSE MONEY, IS THAT CORRECT? YES, MA'AM, UM, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO BOTH AUSTIN AND TRAVIS COUNTY STAFF ABOUT THE RESPECTIVE PROJECTS, AND WE FEEL LIKE THEY'RE GETTING TO A POINT WHERE WE FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
WELL, AS LONG AS THEY'RE THEY FIT THAT CRITERIA, THEN I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, UH, GO AHEAD WITH THOSE, UM, UH, AND THEN THE REMAINING FUNDING.
SO WE'LL GO AHEAD WITH OPTION TWO.
UM, SO THAT ITEM AT MEETING EITHER OPTION ONE OR THE OPTIONAL MEETING.
[12. Executive Director’s Report on Transportation Planning Activities]
AND MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER.SO, UM, UH, ACTUALLY BEFORE WE, INSTEAD OF GOING IN ORDER, UM, I'M ACTUALLY GOING TO SKIP DOWN, UM, TO, UH, 1216.
SO ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AGO, I RECEIVED A COUPLE FROM, UM, THE TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD, UH, FOR THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES.
AND THEY WERE ASKING IF I WOULD FACILITATE A NATIONAL PANEL TO LOOK AT EQUITY CONSIDERATIONS IN TRANSPORTATION.
AND, UM, THIS WAS, UM, THE PANEL ACTUALLY ALREADY PLAYS.
AND, UH, IT WAS A NUMBER OF, UM, PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY, UM, FOLKS REPRESENTING, UH, TRANSIT OPERATORS, UM, UH, HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS, STATE HIGHWAY ON DEPARTMENTS OF TRANSPORTATION.
UM, AND ALSO, UM, RESEARCHERS, TWO PEOPLE FROM PORTLAND STATE, UM, UH, DR.
CARA LEWIS FROM TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY OUT OF HOUSTON.
UM, AND THERE WERE, UM, ALSO PEOPLE, UM, WHO, UH, WORKED FOR TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD AS WELL.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THE PANEL WAS TO COME UP WITH RESEARCH IDEAS ON EQUITY, UH, THAT COULD BE THREADED INTO, UM, THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, UH, RESEARCH WORKED FOR THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
AND SO IT WASN'T MEANT TO BE A ONETIME BRAINSTORMING ACTIVITY.
WE HAVE MEETING FOR TWO HOURS.
WE HAD A REALLY GOOD MEETING AND, UH, I HAVE NOT SEEN THE, THE PROCEEDINGS FROM THE MEETING YET, BUT, UH, TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD STAFF IS GOING TO, UM, UM, CONDENSE EVERYTHING THAT WE SAID DURING THAT MEETING.
[01:35:01]
LOOK FOR, UM, LOOK FOR FOUR COMMON THREADS THAT WERE SAID THROUGHOUT IT, AND THEN USE THAT AS A BASIS FOR, UM, RESEARCH ON EQUITY AND TRANSPORTATION GOING FORWARD.SO JUST WANTED TO REPORT ON THAT, AND THEN I ALSO WANT IT BEFORE YOU MOVE FORWARD.
I JUST WANTED TO TAKE A MINUTE TO SAY THAT'S A BIG DEAL, AND THAT WAS A BIG DEAL FOR OUR REGION.
AND IT'S JUST A TESTIMONY TO THE RESPECT THAT YOU'VE EARNED THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND THE NATION AND WHAT YOU DO, UM, AND WHAT YOU DO MAKES CAMP, UH, LOOK GOOD.
SO, UH, WE APPRECIATE IT AND, UH, JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP THERE.
AND CONGRATULATIONS FOR BEING SELECTED TO DO THAT.
UM, THE OTHER ITEM I WANTED TO REPORT ON WAS TO GIVE SOME RECOGNITION TO CENTRAL TEXAS REGIONAL MOBILITY AUTHORITY.
UM, THEY RECENTLY RECEIVED THE AWARD FROM THE ENGINEERING NEWS RECORD FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DID ON 45 SOUTHWEST, UH, IN PARTICULAR, THEY WERE, UM, THEY WERE, UH, HIGHLIGHTED FOR, UM, THE WORK THEY DID ON BOTH THE PLANNING AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF 45 SOUTHWEST AND HOW THEY WERE VERY SENSITIVE TO THE ENVIRONMENT, BOTH DURING THE CONSTRUCTION AND IN THE OPERATIONS OF THE PROJECT.
SO JUST WANTED TO SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO CTE RMA FOR, UM, THEIR AWARD FROM ENGINEERING NEWS RECORD.
UM, ACTUALLY LET ME GO BACK TO THE THING THAT'S ACTUALLY NOT ON HERE.
SO, UM, BIASED YOUR KITCHEN, YOU AND I HAVE TALKED A COUPLE OF TIMES ABOUT, UM, LOOKING AT THE DIFFERENT PROJECTS AND COMING UP WITH THE PRIORITIZATION PROCESS FOR, FOR THE THINGS THAT WE DID NOT DISCUSS TODAY.
AND, UH, AS I DISCUSSED WITH YOU IN THE PHONE EARLIER, WHICH WAS HE IN THE LAST WEEK, UM, AS STAFF, WE ARE STILL KICKING THAT AROUND INTERNALLY.
WE PLAN TO BRING SOMETHING TO THIS BODY TO START TO THINK ABOUT NO LATER THAN DECEMBER OF THIS YEAR.
IT'S OUR GOAL TO HAVE SOMETHING TO YOU TO LOOK AT AT THE NOVEMBER BOARD MEETING, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO RUSH RIGHT NOW.
WE DON'T SEE ANY MONEY DROPPING OUT OF THE SKY BETWEEN NOW AND FEBRUARY, BUT, UM, WE ARE WORKING ON THAT AND, UM, WE HAVEN'T FORGOTTEN.
SO, UM, I'LL NOW ASK, GET BACK UP TO ITEM 12.
UH, A AND I'LL ASK A NEAR VET TO GIVE THAT PRESENTATION.
THIS IS NEAR A BED CAMPUS STAFF SLIDE, PLEASE.
SO THESE SLIDES ARE HERE TO DISCUSS HOW THE PANDEMIC HAS AFFECT OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM IN TWO WAYS, THE IMPACT OF TRANSPORTATION, FINANCES AND THE STATE, AND HOW WORKING FROM HOME HAS BECOME MORE PROMINENT COMMUTE OPTION.
THIS FIRST LIVE HERE SHOWS THE MAJOR SOURCES OF FUNDING FOR THE STATE HIGHWAY FUND, WHICH FUNDS ALMOST ALL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS IN TEXAS FUNDED WITH EITHER FEDERAL OR STATE MONEY.
YOU CAN SEE THAT AFTER THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE LARGEST SOURCES ARE A SALES TAX OR PROPOSITION SEVEN AND MOTOR FUELS TAXES PROPOSITION ONE, OR PROCEEDS FROM OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION TAXES MAKE UP LESS THAN 10% OF THAT BUDGET.
THE NEXT, THE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE GOING TO LOOK AT THE EFFECTS THE PANTROPIC HAS HAD ON VARIOUS PORTIONS OF THE STATE HIGHWAY FUND.
THE BLUE BAR SHOWS THE EXPECTED EARNINGS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.
ALL THE ORANGE BAR SHOWS THE ACTUAL COLLECTIONS FOR OUR MOTOR FUELS AND REGISTRATION FEES, WHICH MAKE UP ABOUT 28% OF THE STATE HIGHWAY FUND.
THE STATE COLLECTED ABOUT 150 MILLION LESS THAN WHAT WAS EXPECTED FOR THOSE TWO CATEGORIES.
UH, WHEN LOOKING AT THE PROPOSITIONS PROP ONE RELATED TO OIL AND NATURAL GAS PRODUCTION PROVIDED ABOUT $330 MILLION, LESS THAN EXPECTED THIS COMBINED WITH THE SHORTFALL FOR MOTOR FUELS, TAXES AND REGISTRATION COMBINES FOR ABOUT 450 MILLION, ABOUT A $450 MILLION SHORTFALL, WHICH REPRESENTS ABOUT 4% OF THE STATE HIGHWAY FUNDS BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2020.
NOW TRANSITIONING TO WORKING FROM HOME.
UM, WE ARE GOING TO LOOK AT WHO IN THE REGION HAS ACCESS TO A COMPUTER AND INTERNET, A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE HAVE BROADBAND AND EVEN MORE SO A COMPUTER, OR YOU CAN SEE THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT OWN A COMPUTER OR HAVE INTERNET ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE EITHER BLACK OR HISPANIC, ESPECIALLY WHEN COMPARED TO THEIR OVERALL POPULATION OF, UH, OVERALL PROPORTION OF THEIR POPULATION TO THE REGION.
UH, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE, IN TERMS OF WHO HAS PRIMARILY WORKED FROM HOME KNOW PEOPLE WHO ARE WHITE, THEY INVOLVE AS THREE QUARTERS OF THAT CATEGORY WHILE PEOPLE WHO ARE BLACK AND HISPANIC ARE MORE LIKELY TO RELY ON PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
[01:40:01]
NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.THESE ARE THE INDUSTRIES HERE THAT RE THAT ARE PRESENT IN OUR REGION.
THE ONES IDENTIFIED WILL BE DISCUSSED OVER THE NEXT FEW SLIDES.
AND THEY SHOWED THE DIFFERENT INDUSTRIES WHERE WORKERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO EITHER USE TRANSIT OR WORK FROM HOME.
YOU CAN SEE THE TRANSIT USERS ARE MORE LIKELY TO WORK IN RETAIL, HEALTHCARE OR GROCERY STORES, WHICH ARE INDUSTRIES THAT WERE DEEMED ESSENTIAL DURING THE FIRST MONTH OF THE PANDEMIC.
ON THE OTHER GRAPH, YOU COULD SEE THAT PEOPLE WHO WORK FROM HOME ARE MORE LIKELY TO WORK IN PROFESSIONAL OR FINANCIAL POSITIONS.
NEXT SLIDE IN THOSE INDUSTRIES THAT RELY MORE ON TRANSIT.
YOU CAN SEE THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE BLACK OR HISPANIC ARE MORE REPRESENTED THAN THEIR PROPORTION OF THE WORKFORCE.
NEXT LINE, YOU CAN SEE THE OPPOSITE WHERE PEOPLE WHO ARE WHITE ARE MORE REPRESENTED THAN THEIR PROPORTION OF THE WORKFORCE IN INDUSTRIES, WHERE PEOPLE ARE MORE LIKELY TO WORK FROM HOME AND EXCELLENT.
THIS SECOND, LAST SLIDE JUST SHOWS THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRIPS PEOPLE TAKE ON A DAILY BASIS.
THE SECOND COLUMN SHOWS THE NUMBER OF TRIPS TO VOTE.
IT'S GOING TO WORK ONLY MAKE UP 17% OF ALL TRIPS.
THIS SHOWS THAT EVEN IF PEOPLE BE MORE PEOPLE STARTED WORKING FROM HOME, THAT NOT ONLY IMPACTS A LIMITED NUMBER OF OVERALL CHAIRS AND NEXT LINE.
SO IN SUMMARY, WHAT THESE SLIDES HAVE SHOWN THAT NOT EVERYONE GETS TO BENEFIT FROM THE WORK FROM HOME PUSH THAT HAS HAPPENED FROM THE BEGINNING OF THE PANDEMIC.
EVEN IF EVERYONE DID START WORKING AT HOME, THE TOTAL NUMBER OF OVERALL SHIFTS PRODUCE WOULD NOT BE THAT MANY WELL.
WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON THE CHALLENGES OF EQUITABLY, REDUCING TRIPS AND THE DEMAND ON OUR TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM.
RURAL REQUIRE THINGS LIKE GO OUT, GATHERING MORE DATA, CONDUCTING OUTREACH AND COORDINATION WITH OUR FEDERAL AGENCIES.
THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.
ASHBY, IF YOU, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS ON THAT OR, UM, IF NOT, UH, IF THERE WERE ANY QUESTIONS THAT CAME UP FROM THE BOARD FROM NEAREST PRESENTATION ON, ON THE, THE PRESENTATION ITSELF, UM, WE'RE STILL WAITING TO GET MORE DATA AS IT CONTINUES TO COME IN, BOTH FROM, UM, TEXTILE AND FROM, UH, OTHER SOURCES.
WHAT WE DO KNOW FROM TEXTILE, UM, TRAFFIC COUNTS IS WHEN WE LOOK AT THINGS LIKE, UH,
DIMMICK ABOUT 85% IS THE LAST THING I SAW FROM THE DISTRICT.
UM, SO, UH, WE NEED TO SEE WHAT, WHAT THE REST OF THAT MEANS.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'M STILL, I'M STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHY WE AREN'T SEEING THE MOPAC EXPRESS LANE, RIGHT, WHERE WE WERE WHEN THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES ARE, ARE SIMILAR TO WHAT THEY WERE BEFORE.
THE ONE OF THE THREE, EIGHT TOLL LANES ARE PRETTY MUCH BACK WHERE THEY WERE.
UM, SO WE'RE TRYING TO SIFT THROUGH THAT DATA AND GET BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF, UM, WHAT WE NEED TO DO GOING FORWARD.
AND WE DO KNOW NOW, UM, THAT, UM, I GUESS FROM A, FROM A COMMUNITY AND A REGIONAL PERSPECTIVE, WE NEED TO BE TALKING ABOUT BROADBAND ACCESS, UM, NOT JUST AS A TRANSPORTATION ISSUE, BUT ALSO AS AN EDUCATION ISSUE UNTIL WE GET, YOU KNOW, UM, FURTHER ALONG.
SO I'LL, I'LL STOP AND SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
UM, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ASHBY? I FOUND THAT REALLY, REALLY INTERESTING.
HAS THERE BEEN ANY RATIONALE AS TO RUN A REASON WHY, UM, MOPAC THE EXPRESS LANES IS HAVING LESS TRAFFIC WITH THAT, AND THEN YOU SAID 85% RETURNING TRAFFIC, CORRECT.
G ON THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES.
THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE IT OUT RIGHT NOW, AND THIS IS JUST ME GUESSING, UM, IS THAT MOST PAC EXPRESS SORT OF TOOK, UM, TOOK CARE OF, I WOULD CALL OVERFLOW.
IT WAS THAT A PERCENTAGE OF THE TRAFFIC THAT WAS SORT OF OVER THE CAPACITY OF THE ROADWAY TO HANDLE.
AND RIGHT NOW THE GENERAL PURPOSE LANES HAVEN'T REACHED THAT, THAT LEVEL AGAIN YET.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING I CAN FIGURE OUT.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS A COUNCIL MEMBER KITCHEN.
I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT PRESENTATION.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE QUESTION OF THE IMPACT OF WORKING FROM HOME IS SOMETHING THAT I'M HEARING A LOT.
[01:45:01]
AND SOME PEOPLE, UM, IT'S, IT'S TEMPTING TO BELIEVE THAT THAT'S SUFFICIENT, BUT WE ALWAYS KNOW THAT'S NOT.AND SO, UM, HAVING THIS KIND OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE I THINK IS VERY HELPFUL FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, ASHBY, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU FOR THE REST OF ITEM.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE ON B PROJECT UPDATES? ANYTHING THERE? LET ME TURN THAT OVER TO RYAN.
I JUST WANT TO LET THE BOARD KNOW THAT WE DO HAVE THE PROGRESS REPORTS, BACKUP MATERIALS.
IT WAS BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION, BUT SOME OTHER SUPPORTS DID NOT UPDATE THAT WAY.
SO WE WILL BE SENDING OUT AN UPDATED PROJECT REPORT, UH, PROBABLY TOMORROW OR WEDNESDAY.
UM, BUT THESE PARTNER SUPPORTS ONLY, UH, THAT YOU SEE IN THE BACKUP MATERIALS.
WE'RE ONLY TRACKING THE ACTIVE PROJECTS AND THEY'RE NOT TRACKING THE CLOSE OUT PROJECTS OR ANY OF THAT DIFFER.
UM, BUT IF YOU, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TRACK, UH, WE HAVE, UH, QUARTERLY PUBLIC REPORTS THAT ARE SUBMITTED BY THE SPONSORS, AND THIS ALLOWS US TO KIND OF KEEP AN EYE ON ALL THE INVESTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE YEARS MOVING FORWARD.
SO, UM, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANYTHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW, BUT THOSE REPORTS ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, AND WE WILL, UM, EITHER IN NOVEMBER OR DECEMBER, WE'LL DO A, UH, AN ACTUAL PRESENTATION ON PARTS OF THE REGION.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU A HOLISTIC VIEW OF THE PROGRESS, UM, ABOUT ALL THE PARTNERS YOU'VE INVESTED IN.
SO I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
AND JUST AS A BY WAY REMINDER, THAT BEGINS ON PAGE 57 OF YOUR REPORT AND PACKET AND RUNS THROUGH THE END.
SO THANK YOU FOR NOT PRINTING THAT.
UM, BUT IT IS IN THE BACK OF MATERIAL AND FOR THOSE VIEWING ONLINE, IT'S ALSO AVAILABLE ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, ASHLEY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD IN CONCLUSION? YES.
MADAM CHAIR, ONE THING I DID WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE PROGRESS REPORT, UH, WE DID RECEIVE SOME INFORMATION FROM THE CITY OF SAN MARCUS ON THE STATUS OF THEIR PROJECTS THAT, UM, FOR SOME REASON DID NOT MAKE IT INTO THE ACTUAL REPORT ITSELF.
SO, UM, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, PLEASE DON'T THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, SAM, CAUSE ISN'T WORKING TO GET THEIR PROJECTS READY.
THEY ARE, AND THAT WILL GET CORRECTED TO SEND BACK OUT.
[3. Chair Announcements]
THE ONLY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I HAVE UNDER ITEM NUMBER THREE IS, UM, WE WILL TRY TO DO A EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING THIS MONTH, UH, WHETHER IT'S FRIDAY OR MAYBE ON THURSDAY, UNDERSTAND AUSTIN DOESN'T HAVE A COUNCIL MEETING.UM, BUT I'LL GET WITH ASHBY AND KIM AND WE'LL CHECK EVERYBODY'S CALENDARS TO SEE WHAT WORKS THE BEST.
[13. Announcements]
AS A REMINDER, THE NEXT TAC MEETING IS, UH, MONDAY, OCTOBER 19TH AT 2:00 PM.AND OUR NEXT TRANSPORTATION POLICY BOARD MEETING WILL BE NOVEMBER 2ND AT 2:00 PM.
AND, UH, WITH THAT, WE WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN LEADING.