Stories by Jack Craver
Vision Zero advocates look to Legislature to help reduce traffic deaths
In 2015, Austin hit a record high in road deaths: 102. In the two subsequent years, things have improved, with 79 and 76 people perishing in 2016 and 2017, respectively. By the beginning of December, 69 had died this year…
Transportation • By Jack Craver • Dec 10, 2018
After being stymied by Abbott, Council moves ahead on east side housing initiative
Hobbled by Gov. Greg Abbott in their attempts to create more homestead preservation districts that would set aside tax revenue for affordable housing in gentrifying areas, a number of City Council members are trying to maximize the impact of the…
Housing • By Jack Craver • Dec 5, 2018
Report: West Campus needs more lights
Two and a half years after the murder of a UT student spurred calls to improve safety in the West Campus neighborhood, campus safety advocates and city transportation officials say it’s time for the city to improve lighting in the…
Public Safety • By Jack Craver • Dec 4, 2018
Austin teachers fear less planning time, increased class sizes
About two dozen teachers showed up to the Nov. 26 meeting of the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees to voice their concerns about a proposal floated by the district that would reduce the teacher-to-student ratio in middle schools…
AISD • By Jack Craver • Dec 3, 2018
Council approves 100-year water conservation road map
On Thursday, City Council unanimously adopted a plan to guide Austin’s water use for the next century. “This is a tremendous moment for Austin,” said David Foster, director of Texas Clean Water Action. “If we pass this plan, Austin will…
Water • By Jack Craver • Nov 30, 2018
Should the city move to a two-year budget?
Every week that City Council holds a Thursday meeting, Council members meet Tuesday for a “work session” to discuss items that they plan to vote on at the meeting. In recent months, however, Council has also begun setting aside an…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Nov 29, 2018
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Council members offer mixed reviews of displacement task force recommendations
City Council took its first look Tuesday at a long list of recommendations from a task force focused on reducing displacement of Austin’s low- and middle-income populations. The report that was unanimously approved by the Anti-Displacement Task Force includes 107…
Housing • By Jack Craver • Nov 28, 2018
AISD board approves one Confederate name change, delays others
Eight months after voting to find new names for five facilities named after veterans of the Confederate military, the Austin Independent School District Board of Trustees on Monday approved renaming one building, but punted on the remaining four. As a…
AISD • By Jack Craver • Nov 28, 2018
Council approves 18 townhouses in Northeast Austin
In spite of opposition from neighbors who fear flooding and increased traffic, at its Nov. 15 meeting City Council overwhelmingly approved a rezoning to allow the construction of 18 new homes on a vacant lot at 10300 Dessau Road. The…
Zoning • By Jack Craver • Nov 21, 2018
Minimum lot sizes: A roadblock for affordable housing?
Last week, Austin voters approved a record-busting $250 million for affordable housing, but a discussion during Thursday’s City Council meeting showed that building new housing isn’t simply a matter of having enough money. At issue is a small piece of…
City Council • By Jack Craver • Nov 16, 2018
To conserve water amid warming climate, city envisions major underground storage system
For four years, volunteer members of the Integrated Water Resource Task Force have been crafting a plan to conserve Austin’s water supply over the next century. While experts have long warned that a warming climate, coupled with a growing population,…
Water • By Jack Craver • Nov 14, 2018
Which areas of Austin killed Props J and K?
Last week, Austin voters approved nine of 11 propositions on the ballot, including seven bond measures totaling $925 million, a proposition that made small spelling corrections to the city charter and a proposition authorizing City Council to set rules for…
