In a vote that pitted representatives of the city’s lowest-income districts against their colleagues, City Council members Wednesday narrowly approved an 8 percent homestead exemption — an increase of 2 percent over last year’s exemption. To a resident with a home worth $250,000, that equates to a nearly $23 yearly savings on property taxes. But […]
Audrey McGlinchy, KUT
Posted inBicycles
Advocates say bond funding for Bicycle Master Plan could diversify local biking community
Sharmar Mohamed Hassan doesn’t know the words in English to describe his bicycle. So he uses his native language, Somali, to tell me it’s a green road bike. And it’s his primary form of transportation in Austin — which, at times, can be a little touch-and-go. “I’m feeling afraid because there’s no bike lanes and […]
Posted inRoads
The mayor’s bond proposal is the “Smart Corridor Resolution.” So, what makes a street smart?
Cars, buses and trucks idle at the four-way intersection at Guadalupe Street and West Dean Keeton Street. A horde of prospective students takes to the crosswalk, the timer counting down. Traverse this intersection long enough and you might soon understand its varied pains: lights that are never green long enough and minimal crosswalks for a […]
Posted inEnvironment
County waits on long-term solutions to local flooding
April Marshall stood among the remains of her mother’s home last month in southeast Travis County, pointing out the new donated couch still wrapped in plastic. The family was still in the process of furnishing their home after it had been wrecked by flooding in October when roughly 3 feet of floodwaters rushed their home […]
Posted inCity Charter
Post Prop 1, city begins community conversations about citizen petitions
In a dark room usually reserved for musical performances in South Austin’s Strange Brew coffee shop, four Austin residents met on Monday to talk about the process of citizen petitions — the most recent of which resulted in Proposition 1 — and the debate over local regulations for ride-hailing companies. “(City) Council is considering this […]
Posted inTransportation
How an Austin taxi co-op would work
At Black Star Co-op in North Austin, workers take food and drink orders, doling out burgers and beers on a recent weekday. Ask who owns the place, and the response might confound you: the members, or a select number of customers. “We’re a member-owned business,” said employee Nicole Renaux. “So any customer can come in […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Commissioners OK support for more APD racial profiling data
After delaying a vote for several meetings, the Public Safety Commission on Monday supported a resolution asking for more racial profiling data from the Austin Police Department and a more rigorous analysis of it by the Office of the Police Monitor. Commissioner Mike Levy took a minute to congratulate fellow commissioners after a unanimous vote. […]
Posted inParks
With another lifeguard shortage, some city pools to open late
At a city-run job fair back in March, 15-year-old Jake Santema awaited an interview with staff as part of the process to become a summer lifeguard. “I’m a little nervous of the feeling of having someone’s life on my hands,” said Santema. “It sounds nerve-wracking a little bit.” It’s this level of responsibility and 40-plus […]
Posted inEnvironment
Flooding discussions continue at Open Space Committee
With the promise of rain, Upper Onion Creek resident Ken Jacob says his neighbors can be found with their eyes to the creek and the internet — where rain gauge levels are updated. So it’s essential to someone like Jacob, who serves on the city’s Flood Mitigation Task Force, that the city continue to discuss […]
Posted inTransportation
Local tech creators unveil nonprofit ride-hailing app
Standing atop the same stage where men and women perform bawdy pranks as part of adult entertainment-themed bingo every Tuesday at the Alamo Drafthouse’s Highball, local tech leader Joe Liemandt added another ride-hailing company to the list of those scrambling to fill the roads in the absence of Uber and Lyft. This one is called […]
Posted inTransportation
Some confusion at Austin’s first ride-hailing driver fair
Former full-time Uber and Lyft driver Kurt Wagenman showed up to Austin’s first transportation network company (TNC) driver fair on Tuesday with a misleading email in his inbox. “As the city has mentioned, (fingerprinting) will be free for now,” read Wagenman aloud from an email signed by ride-hailing company Get Me’s Austin city manager, Patricio […]
Posted inCity Hall
Updated: Task force report on Austin flooding prioritizes ‘life, safety and property’
Update: After our story was originally published, we heard from several members of Flood Mitigation Task Force, who disputed the assertions made by some task force members, including the group’s chairman, who said the final report lacked prioritization. An executive summary of the report, not available at Monday’s meeting of the Council’s Public Utilities committee, […]