Without concrete policies in place, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization could quickly fall short of its goal to incorporate transportation demand management into its 2040 Regional Transportation Plan. Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt presented an amendment of the 2040 plan to the CAMPO Transportation Policy Board on Monday evening that she said would help […]
Ryan Thornton
Posted inWhispers
Oak Hill approval ‘required by law’
In a memorandum regarding last week’s City Council decision to allocate $3.3 million from the 2016 Mobility Bond for the Oak Hill Parkway project, Austin Transportation Director Rob Spillar wrote, “This participation is required by state law.” The money represents 10 percent of the state transportation department’s costs for right-of-way purchase and reimbursable utilities relocation […]
Posted inPlanning
Del Valle PID moves forward, but county is not done negotiating
The petition to create the Velocity Crossing Public Improvement District in Del Valle was unanimously approved by the Travis County Commissioners Court Tuesday morning after its third and final public hearing. As the county’s first commercial PID, the development has raised a number of concerns over the past several weeks about what distinguishes this PID […]
Posted inTransportation
Adler succeeds Conley as CAMPO chair
In accordance with its bylaws, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization unanimously approved Austin Mayor Steve Adler’s succession to chair of the Transportation Policy Board at the board’s meeting Monday evening. The previous chair, Will Conley, announced his plan to resign at the board’s last meeting on Jan. 14. The board also approved a motion […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin traffic deaths outlier in statewide trend
As streets are growing more dangerous year by year in Texas’ largest cities, Austin may be heading in the opposite direction. Data compiled by Pedestrian Advisory Council Member Adam Greenfield indicates that San Antonio and Dallas have experienced sharp rises in traffic deaths and serious injuries over the previous decade, with Houston following at a […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 2.12.19
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The full agenda can be found on the Travis County website. 1. Receive comments regarding a resolution of no objection for Austin Parmer II […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
County stands firm on new construction standards for low-water crossing
Some Travis County voters are regretting having approved over $4 million to fix a low-water crossing at Great Divide Drive in Bee Cave as part of the 2017 bond. Listed alongside two dozen other projects under Proposition A, the project description stated that funds would go toward a bridge and replacement of “undersized culverts.” But […]
Posted inPlanning
2019 could be the year to end city parking minimums
The Pedestrian Advisory Council is asking City Council to confront a broad spectrum of issues this year with a simple change to the city’s dated land use code. In a unanimous vote Monday evening, PAC approved a recommendation to Council to eliminate mandated parking minimums from the city’s land use code entirely. Among other requests, […]
Posted inTravis County
County says affordable housing should be priority in Del Valle PID
Public improvement districts are becoming more prevalent in eastern Travis County, but commissioners are worried that not enough is being done to ensure that lower-income residents will benefit from the opportunities PIDs bring to their communities. Before voting next week on a petition to create the Velocity Crossing PID in Del Valle, commissioners consulted with […]
Posted inPremium Types
TipSheet: Travis County, 2.5.19
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets every Tuesday at 9 a.m. To help our readers stay informed, each week we offer a selection of interesting items from the voting session agenda. The full agenda can be found on the Travis County website. 1. Receive comments regarding a petition to create the Velocity Crossing Public Improvement […]
Posted inTransit
Access to schools highlights Cap Remap limitations
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority knew that its June 2018 network change, Cap Remap, would remove transit service from vulnerable communities long before the changes took place. The eliminations were part of an intentional attempt to funnel resources into frequent service routes across the city. The agency’s own internal analysis of the route changes in November […]
Posted inRoads
City reluctantly fulfills legal obligation for Oak Hill Parkway
When the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization approved the Oak Hill Parkway Project on Jan. 14, Austin Mayor Steve Adler’s only regret was the loss of a good opportunity to use tolls to cover maintenance costs. Austin City Council members Jimmy Flannigan, Ann Kitchen and Alison Alter also contributed “ayes” at the time. So it’s […]