Austin’s transit agency is putting renewed emphasis on the customers who make up the bulk of its service. On Monday, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority staff revealed to the board of directors details about a new initiative dubbed the Bus Customer Service Enhancement Plan. The multifaceted approach is aimed at all aspects of a bus trip, […]
Transportation
Posted inTransit
Capital Metro sets its sights on the sun
The Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority this summer is waging a two-front offensive on one of the most dreaded enemies of Austin bus riders: the Texas sun. The agency recently rolled out a pair of demonstration projects aimed at dulling the sun’s oppressive rays while also harnessing its potential for power. To battle the blistering heat, […]
Posted inRoads
‘Speed cushions’ hit Health and Human Services Committee
Though the program that brings new speed cushions to Austin is currently in a holding pattern, the City Council Health and Human Services Committee received an update regarding traffic calming devices at its meeting last Wednesday afternoon. Chair Ora Houston said the need for the such a discussion arose after several people testified at Council […]
Posted inTransportation
Urban Transportation Commission endorses paid parking near Deep Eddy Pool
The Urban Transportation Commission on Tuesday night got behind a proposal to add parking meters to streets on the north shore of Lady Bird Lake near Austin High School. The plan would create a parking management district stretching from Deep Eddy Pool to Lamar Boulevard. If City Council ultimately approves it, nearly 300 currently free […]
Posted inTransit
Cap Remap launch a success, despite a few wrinkles
Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority CEO Randy Clarke is hailing the rollout of the agency’s most significant bus network overhaul ever as a qualified success. In a statement sent out on Friday, Clarke hailed agency staff for what he said was 18 months of preparation for the launch of Cap Remap. The effort rearranged a majority […]
Posted inTransit
Local group launches effort to enhance statewide transit funding
The launch of a grass-roots campaign to expand transit funding across Texas kicked off in Austin Wednesday night with input from regional officials and activists, and, from the audience, some impromptu criticism of the local bus service. Dubbed One Thousand Texans for Transit, the campaign is driven by the nonprofit organization Farm&City. “We have a […]
Posted inRoads
Despite moratorium, CTRMA advances two toll projects
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority is moving forward with two toll projects despite a significant roadblock put up by the Texas Transportation Commission last year. On Wednesday, the CTRMA’s board of directors voted 6-0 to start the bidding process for three new flyovers at U.S. Highway 290 and State Highway 130 in East Austin. […]
Posted inTransit
Commissioners Court goes for Green Line
The Travis County Commissioners Court gave the green light last week to advance a study of a potential commuter rail line extending from downtown Austin out to Manor and possibly Elgin. The court voted 3-2 to approve the financial consulting firm PFM an estimated $39,000 to take a closer look at the viability of Capital […]
Posted inTransit
Anxieties abound on the eve of Cap Remap
In its final meeting before a historic overhaul of Austin’s bus network, the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors heard another blast of concerns from riders and stakeholders over potential service disruptions. A handful of speakers complained about the loss of bus service in their neighborhoods, while Austin NAACP President Nelson Linder suggested the […]
Posted inTransportation
When roads are built to prioritize cars, pedestrians are often faulted for getting hit
Part 3 of a three-part series A driver hit and killed Judy Romano’s son, Barry Friedman, while he was walking in Austin two years ago. According to the police report, Friedman tried to cross East Parmer Lane just before 6 a.m. on July 9, 2016. The driver said Friedman was in the crosswalk even though […]
Posted inBicycles
Solution for Shoal Creek landslide coming soon
City engineers are getting closer to figuring out how to fix a catastrophic landslide that knocked out a portion of the Shoal Creek Trail earlier this month. “By the end of next week, we’re probably going to have an idea of what a solution is going to look like,” Mike Kelly, managing engineer with the […]
Posted inTransportation
Housing Austin’s homeless will reduce road deaths, but that will require a big investment
Part 2 of a three-part series Mike Villegas learned his oldest child had died on Christmas Eve 2016. Villegas said he was doing work around the house with his 12-year-old son. When he went out to the front yard, he noticed a police car parked outside the house. “I knew immediately that this was not […]