Austin-Bergstrom International Airport will have crucial new runway safety equipment installed by the end of the month. Federal investigators say the technology could have prevented a near-miss between two planes that could have killed 131 people last year. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is wrapping up installation of the equipment that provides air traffic controllers with a […]
Transportation
Posted inTransit
Project Connect lawsuit finally headed to court Monday
Although the matter has been postponed in the past, it seems likely that Monday will be the trial date for the Austin Transit Partnership and the city of Austin lawsuit to validate voter-approved bonds for Project Connect, combined with the Dirty Martin’s lawsuit to prevent issuance of those bonds. The other important player on this […]
Posted inTransportation
Traffic signals to be activated this month at I-35 and Fourth Street
Long-awaited traffic signals have been installed at Interstate 35 and Fourth Street – one of the most popular ways to walk from one side of the highway to the other – and are scheduled to be activated this month. The lights will include buttons for pedestrians to activate the stop signal. The heavily used bike […]
Posted inRoads
TxDOT argues in court that I-35 never caused racial discrimination – contradicting TxDOT
The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is arguing in federal court that Interstate 35 didn’t unfairly disadvantage Black or Latino Austinites, contradicting the state agency’s own historical assessments of the highway that opened in 1962. “Defendant specifically denies the allegations that the construction of I-35 caused discrimination against Black or Latino communities or that I-35 […]
Posted inBicycles
MetroBike to get a makeover this summer after a pause in operations
On July 1, the city’s bike rental program, MetroBike, will shut down in order to undergo a transformational change. When it reopens in mid-July, CapMetro Bikeshare will have new stations, e-bikes and an app, along with a vision to expand across the city. The retooling of the bikeshare program is part of a strategic expansion […]
Posted inTransportation
Mobility Committee briefing outlines progress and funding gaps in sidewalks and urban trails program
Since issuing a major facelift to Austin’s urban trail and sidewalk plans late last year, Transportation and Public Works Department staffers are following up with City Council, stopping by last month’s Mobility Committee meeting for a progress update. The plan calls for 810 miles of new sidewalk infrastructure and 740 miles of shared street solutions, […]
Posted inRoads
Across Austin, Street Impact Fees are being collected but not yet spent
Though none of the money has been spent, two years of collecting Street Impact Fees has netted a potential $17 million in roadway capacity projects for Austin roads. Curious members of the Downtown Commission got an update on the city’s Street Impact Fee program from Transportation & Public Works supervising engineer Nathan Aubert at their […]
Posted inTransit
Transit, housing initiatives highlight accessibility concerns for disabled community
Advocates for disabled people in Austin want to ensure upcoming major changes to the local transportation network and housing market don’t exclude those with physical, visual or hearing impairments. A discussion on Tuesday at the Austin office of the advocacy group ADAPT of Texas brought together leaders attached to the Project Connect mass transit plan […]
Posted inCourts
Lawsuit over bonds that would pay for Project Connect is taking a longer route
Although lawyers for the city of Austin and the Austin Transit Partnership were looking for a way to validate bonds needed to build Project Connect, the city’s proposed rail system, they have run into opposition from the Texas attorney general’s office as well as individual citizens opposing ATP’s plans. In addition to pushback from Attorney […]
Posted inRoads
Funding freeze for I-35 expansion denied in heated CAMPO vote
An attempt to freeze funding for the Interstate 35 expansion through Central Austin until the project’s impact on air quality can be more fully assessed was easily defeated Monday in a vote by the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s planning board. The 22-member panel allocates billions in federal transportation cash throughout the Austin area. The […]
Posted inRoads
UT pledges $13.5 million to cover I-35 from Dean Keeton to 15th Street
The University of Texas is making a $13.5 million down payment to cover Interstate 35 from 15th Street to Dean Keeton, a feat that will be made possible by a state project to widen and lower the highway through Central Austin. UT System Regents voted Thursday to approve a funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). […]
Posted inRoads
Changes to the city’s Corridor Program raise ‘serious transparency concerns’ for transportation commissioners
A massive shortfall in the city’s Corridor Program has caused work to be paused or cut back in some areas of the city. At their most recent meeting, Urban Transportation commissioners questioned the lack of public engagement on the changes. The current cost of all of the improvements envisioned in the program is about $1 […]