Although Austin has fewer overall automobile crashes than other major Texas cities, the percentage of crashes involving serious injury or death of a pedestrian is still at the same rate — 27.9 percent– as other large Texas cities. That is one conclusion of the special report from the Austin City Auditor’s Office. Council members Zo […]
Transportation
Posted inTransportation
Travis County approves study on passenger rail between Austin and San Antonio
Between the I-35 expansion, MoPac construction, and the general growing pains of the metroplex beyond its transportation infrastructure’s capacity, Travis County Judge Andy Brown has long advocated for the need for commuter rail between Austin and San Antonio. On Tuesday, the Travis County Commissioners Court took its first step towards making that a reality, approving […]
Posted inTransportation
Will Austin embrace air taxis?
At their most-recent meeting, City Council’s Mobility Committee heard a presentation from Assistant City Manager Michael Rogerson the burgeoning air taxi industry, which Rogers framed as an emerging issue for city transportation. “As a matter of fact, we’ve had these (vehicles) here in Austin, at South by Southwest,” Rogers said, referring to test flights hosted […]
Posted inTransportation
A decade of Vision Zero shows progress on crashes and injuries, not on deaths
On Monday afternoon, city leaders and transportation policymakers gathered to celebrate the unveiling of Vision Zero’s 10 Year Report on Austin’s progress toward making traffic deaths a thing of the past. “Traffic crashes aren’t accidents. They are preventable,” said Mayor Pro Tem Vanessa Fuentes during the press conference Monday. “They are a public health crisis, […]
Posted inRoads
Behind those walls along I-35, TxDOT is building one of the largest tunnels Austin’s ever seen
If you’ve been driving on I-35 through Central Austin, you may have noticed tall construction walls going up at certain points along the highway and wondered what’s going on behind them. Those barriers are designed to block the sound of machines digging deep holes called drop shafts for one of the largest tunnel projects in […]
Posted inTransportation
Austin airport expansion to get even bigger under new deal approved by Council
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, already bursting at the seams, will see its largest-ever expansion start to take final shape after a City Council vote. For travelers, the decision will lead to more gates, more terminal space and possibly higher ticket prices. Council’s action on Thursday gives airport staff the green light to finalize a long-term deal with […]
Posted inTransportation
FAA denies request to increase safety restrictions in skies above Austin’s airport
The Federal Aviation Administration is rejecting a request to upgrade Austin’s airspace to the same level surrounding the nation’s busiest airports. Class B airspace — one notch above Austin’s Class C airspace — is highly regulated to reduce the risk of midair collisions. Pilots must follow stricter rules, and air traffic controllers have greater authority. A reclassification […]
Posted inRoads
New concrete barricades coming to Austin’s Sixth Street as part of safety plan
Starting today, city crews will begin replacing the water-filled barricades on East Sixth Street with concrete barriers. The swap is one step in Austin’s effort to tame the famously rowdy strip and create a more welcoming district that draws a broader age range and more spending, even if not everyone’s ready to sanitize “Dirty Sixth.” The new concrete barricades […]
Posted inTransit
CapMetro shares ridership numbers, touts continued post-pandemic rally
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority presented new ridership numbers that continue to tell a story of a slow but steady revival in usage of Austin’s public bus and rail system. CapMetro, like virtually every other transit agency in the United States, saw its ridership numbers plummet during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those numbers have improved across […]
Posted inRoads
Lady Bird Lake trail will detour during I-35 construction, but the details remain unclear
A shaded stretch of Austin’s most heavily traveled trail is about to become a construction site for up to eight years. But with days to go before equipment is moved beneath I-35, details of a years-long detour for the Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail remain up in the air. The 10-mile-long Butler […]
Posted inRoads
Why Austin keeps turning intersections into roundabouts
You’re driving through Austin and come to an intersection with something unfamiliar in the middle. No stop sign. No traffic light. Just a giant concrete circle. Do you yield? Gun it? If you’ve wondered this, you’re not alone. More of Austin’s intersections are being turned into roundabouts as part of a safety strategy. In theory, […]
Posted inBicycles
New MoKan Trailhead offers a rest stop along East Austin’s expanding trail network
A dusty, neglected patch of land wedged between Bolm Road and Union Pacific’s train tracks has been converted to a trailhead, offering a place to sit and a fountain that can fill water bottles and offer dogs something to drink. The triangular trailhead opened quietly this spring along the Mokan Trail, which runs parallel to a […]