If you think you are spending a lot of time sitting on Austin’s roads going nowhere, you are right. In fact, you are contributing to the city’s 26 million vehicle-hours a year of traffic delays, according to a Texas A&M report. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Transportation Policy Board reviewed the latest congestion report […]
Transportation
Posted inTransportation
Council approves TNC ordinance on 2nd reading
In an unexpected turn of events, City Council voted Thursday to pass an ordinance legalizing Transportation Network Companies merely on second reading, rather than on the emergency basis that Council Member Chris Riley initially requested. Council Member Laura Morrison cast the sole opposing vote, as she had on the ordinance’s first reading in last week’s […]
Posted inPremium Types
Tip Sheet: Travis County Commissioners 9.30
The Travis County Commissioners Court meets at 9 a.m. Tuesday. In the interest of space, we’ve decided not to post the entire agenda here. The County Clerk’s office hosts a copy at its website. Items of interest for Commissioners Court include: 10. CONSIDER AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON PROPOSED REQUEST FROM THE HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT […]
Posted inTransportation
TxDOT data shows congestion on Austin roads
New figures released by the Texas Department of Transportation quantify what anyone who drives in the Austin area instinctively knows – traffic congestion on several local roads and highways is as bad as anywhere in the state and getting worse. One stretch, Interstate 35 through downtown between the U.S. 290 intersection and Lady Bird Lake, […]
Posted inPublic Safety, Transportation
Council OKs TNC regulations on first reading
Early Friday morning, Transportation Network Companies such as Lyft and Uber moved one step closer to operating legally on Austin streets as part of a temporary pilot program, provided they enter into an agreement with the city and follow a set of predetermined regulations. City Council voted 6-1 to approve an ordinance on first reading, […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics, Transportation
Northwest candidates talk transportation, affordability
Urban planning, pod transportation and green energy peppered Tuesday’s debate among City Council candidates vying to represent District 6 in Northwest Austin. All six candidates attended the forum, hosted by the Austin Monitor KUT News, KXAN and Univision at the Alamo Drafthouse Lakeline, off U.S. 183. Jimmy Flannigan, 36, owns Site Street, an online marketing […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation
Walnut Creek trail progresses, despite concerns
Despite some pushback from neighborhoods, phase two of the Walnut Creek Hike and Bike Trail marches on. Public Works Department project manager Richard Duane gave the Environmental Board an update on the project at the last meeting, after the board heard concerns about the project. Though it has faced some hurdles, the trail is now […]
Posted inDevelopment, Elections, Environment, Local Politics, Transportation
East Austin candidates pack stage at North Door
Candidates went head-to-head in the race to represent East Austin voters in District 3 at the latest in a series of community forums hosted by the Austin Monitor and KUT News. All of the district’s 12 candidates attended Monday’s question and answer session at the North Door on Brushy Street to talk about affordability and […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation
Urban Trails Master Plan continues to face opposition
The city’s Urban Trails Master Plan continued to come under fire at City Council’s last meeting. The plan, which comes out of a 2008 Council resolution, proposes a network of paved “urban trails” that will allow residents, particularly bicyclists and those in wheelchairs, to get around the city without using streets. In July, the Planning Commission […]
Posted inTransportation
Riley resolution to offer Uber/Lyft regulations
Austin City Council Member Chris Riley plans to introduce a resolution at Council’s Sept. 25 meeting that would attempt to establish regulations to allow Transportation Network Companies such as Uber and Lyft to operate legally in the City of Austin. Though Riley was not yet ready to talk about all of the operational details of […]
Posted inEnvironment, Transportation
Bicycle Advisory Council keeps Austin on two wheels
Bicycling is big in Austin. When you are the home of Lance Armstrong, even with his tarnished image, you’re bound to have a lot of two-wheelers on your roads, and Austin does. In fact, USA Today recently named Austin as one of the Most Bicycle Friendly Cities in the country. With the city’s hundreds of miles […]
Posted inElections, Local Politics, Transportation
District 2 candidates battle to champion Southeast
Three candidates vying to represent Southeast Austin agree — the district has long been ignored and needs a voice on City Council. District 2 covers much of Southeast Austin, including the Dove Springs and Onion Creek neighborhoods and the area surrounding Austin Bergstrom International Airport. The district is unique in that more than 60 percent […]