A day after a federal judge ruled that Texas violated the National Voter Registration Act, state Rep. Celia Israel reiterated her call for the state to allow voters to register online. “We must stop denying Texans access to the polls immediately,” Rep. Israel said. “Texas is violating the National Voter Registration Act, and we have […]
Caleb Pritchard
Posted inBicycles
Dockless bike-sharing issues surface at city forum
After more than a yearlong absence, dockless bike-sharing returned to downtown Austin on Wednesday, if only for a few hours. Representatives from nine different firms that dabble in dockless technology brought their wares and their pitches to the new Central Library for a community forum hosted by the Austin Transportation Department. The event served as […]
Posted inTransit
Green Line creeps forward at Commissioners Court
The Travis County Commissioners Court voted in a split decision on Tuesday to initiate a study of potential financing options for the proposed commuter rail line between Austin and Manor known as the Green Line. The move marks a small victory for the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority whose Project Connect initiative includes the Green Line […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 4.3.18
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 10. Receive briefing on the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) 2019–2022 Project Call Project Evaluation and Recommendation Report. (Judge Eckhardt) […]
Posted inTransportation
CAMPO offers the region a TIP
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is taking a draft proposal for more than $400 million worth of transportation projects out for public feedback. CAMPO assembled this latest iteration of the four-year Transportation Improvement Program, or TIP, from a list of projects submitted by governments and agencies across its six-county jurisdiction. Just over half of […]
Posted inBicycles
B-cycle’s UT expansion a towering success
When Austin B-cycle expanded its reach into the University of Texas campus area last month, its executive director predicted it would be a big success. It turns out his expectations were too low. “Forty days into this, and we’re where we thought we’d be in six to eight months,” Elliott McFadden told the Austin Monitor […]
Posted inAustin
Innovation team sets sights on bedbugs, overcrowding at homeless shelter
The Innovation Office earlier this month issued a set of recommendations to mitigate serious problems plaguing the 14-year-old Austin Resource Center for the Homeless at East Seventh and Neches streets. Last week, the office’s so-called i-team briefed the Downtown Commission on the suggestions it put forth in a March 1 memo after months of research. […]
Posted inWhispers
Ahead of big changes, transit tweaks coming to a street near you
Expect another small burst of transit-enhancing improvements to hit the road this year. On Monday, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board of directors unanimously approved a three-year, $3 million agreement with the city aimed at improving bus speed and reliability. The plan calls for 10 projects to be undertaken between now and September, with half […]
Posted inTransit
Project Connect’s new system map remains mode agnostic
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Monday officially debuted Project Connect’s latest draft system map, a plan that charts a regional network of potential high-capacity transit investments. A series of multicolored lines trace major corridors, both established and developing, that converge on downtown from a variety of locations on the outskirts of the city. “This […]
Posted inWhispers
Capital Metro to would-be passengers: Come on and take a free ride
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s board of directors voted unanimously on Monday to suspend fare collection during the first full week of June. The free rides will coincide with the major bus network overhaul that came out of the Connections 2025 planning process. Now branded as the CapRemap, the new system will prioritize frequency over […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 3.27.18
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. 8. Receive report on the status of the Travis County Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Task Force. (Commissioner Daugherty) Monitor’s Take: In […]
Posted inBicycles
Dockless bike-share pilot development rolls forward
More than a year after an aborted attempt to move into Austin without permission, several dockless bike-sharing companies have switched gears and are now patiently working with the Transportation Department as it develops a pilot program that could put the smartphone-activated two-wheelers on city streets by this summer. On Wednesday night, Active Transportation Program Manager […]