Stories by Samuel Stark
Mobility Committee hears the case for preventing cars from blocking bike lanes
Members of the Mobility Committee heard an argument Thursday for implementing a program that would increase enforcement of vehicles blocking bike lanes in hopes of making the streets safer for cyclists. Though the committee made no action regarding the future…
Bicycles • By Samuel Stark • Sep 13, 2022
UTC calls TxDOT proposal to expand I-35 'just so weak'
Urban Transportation commissioners voiced their continuing concerns Tuesday about the Texas Department of Transportation’s plans to reconstruct and expand the portion of Interstate 35 that goes through Austin’s downtown. TxDOT is currently studying the environmental impacts of the two design…
Roads • By Samuel Stark • Sep 9, 2022
Council postpones vote on controversial license plate reader resolution
Nearly 40 people showed up at the City Council meeting last Thursday either to voice their concerns or show their support for the re-implementation of the Austin Police Department’s automated license plate reader program, which has proven to be an…
City Council • By Samuel Stark • Sep 6, 2022
Two more Texas towns are considering leaving Capital Metro
Two more Austin suburbs – Lago Vista and Manor – have decided to hold an election this November to determine whether to pull out of their partnerships with the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority. These elections follow Leander’s vote in May,…
Transit • By Samuel Stark • Sep 1, 2022
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Advocates continue the fight for free transportation for Austin's unhoused
The start of Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority’s monthly board of directors meeting yesterday had a different feel than usual. Typically, a few speakers may approach the podium to speak in support of or against an item on the agenda. Yesterday, however, advocates and…
Transit • By Samuel Stark • Aug 30, 2022
Parks board raises concerns over Statesman PUD proposal, calling it 'not superior’
The Parks and Recreation Board said Wednesday that the highly anticipated mixed-used development plan composed of several buildings on the former Austin American-Statesman lot does not do enough to protect the iconic space in front of the Congress Avenue Bridge.…
Development • By Samuel Stark • Aug 26, 2022
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Parks board continues talks about alleviating 'flagrant' violations of leash laws
Austin’s Parks and Recreation Board recommended Monday to create more fenced off-leash dog areas in the hopes of decreasing the rising number of citizens allowing their dogs to roam parklands leash-free where they are not permitted to do so. Austin…
Parks • By Samuel Stark • Aug 24, 2022
Cap Metro struggles to recruit and retain more bus operators
Late last year, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority raised the starting hourly wage for bus drivers to $22/hour and kicked in a $5,000 signing bonus for qualified candidates with a commercial driver’s license. But despite these perks, the transit organization is…
Transit • By Samuel Stark • Aug 19, 2022
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Data tracking electric scooter collisions still incomplete
If you’re an Austinite living within a few miles of downtown, there’s a good chance you know of someone who has been in an electric scooter crash, sustaining anything from a few scrapes to a much more serious injury. Though…
Public Safety • By Samuel Stark • Aug 18, 2022
Crossing guard shortage persists as school start date nears
“Let’s go crossing now, everybody’s learning how, looking left and right with me,” crossing guard Jimmy McCord sang to the tune of the Beach Boys hit “Surfin’ Safari.” “I’m a bit of an entertainer,” he noted. This is just one…
Education • By Samuel Stark • Aug 11, 2022
Mobility committee hears the case for remotely piloted delivery robots
The colorful little robots roaming the streets of Austin, delivering burritos and fried chicken, are likely not going anywhere soon. If anything, this might only be the beginning of the era of robotic delivery. At least that was the sentiment…
Transportation • By Samuel Stark • Aug 5, 2022
Austin explores increasing traffic enforcement to reduce growing fatalities
In a memo sent Wednesday, Austin’s police and transportation departments updated City Council on strategies to reduce an increasing number of severe crashes and fatalities on the city’s streets and highways. In 2021, there was the highest number of traffic…
