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Quote of the Day
“12 feet is wide enough that you start having very high speeds, but it’s not quite wide enough to have what we would call ‘forgiving infrastructure… So, they actually found that 12-foot lanes are the most dangerous option, especially when we’re talking about these arterial streets.”
— Commissioner Spencer Schumacher, from Urban Transportation Commission calls on city to narrow traffic lanes.
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Convention Center redevelopment explores options for two Downtown landmarks in its path
From Kali Bramble:
Located just across Red River from the existing Center, the buildings known as the Trask and Castleman-Bull Houses are no strangers to the pressures of redevelopment, having arrived at their present home by way of relocation in 1991 and 2001 respectively. Now, the 175 and 152-year-old homes will again be forced to move to allow for a brand new district chilling plant for the $1.6 billion dollar project.
“There have been a lot of ups and downs and twists and turns in trying to figure out how to keep these buildings intact,” said Historic Preservation Division Manager Kim McKnight. “We do have very clear direction from Council to do whatever is necessary to get this dealt with in terms of removing historic designation as an obstacle.”
Urban Transportation Commission calls on city to narrow traffic lanes
From Miles Wall:
The resolution, proposed by Commissioner Spencer Schumacher, would bring those numbers down to 10 feet for standard and 9 feet for “constrained” lanes, with a higher limit of 11 feet for lanes used extensively by trucks, buses or other larger vehicles.
That would bring Austin more in line with the recommendations of the National Association of City Transportation Officials, a coalition of local transportation departments that work together to create standards and conduct research (Austin is one of four member cities in Texas.) It could also, Schumacher argued, make Austin’s streets safer.
He cited a 2023 Johns Hopkins study, produced as part of the school’s Bloomberg American Health Initiative, which found that lanes that were around 12 feet wide were associated with higher rates of crashes, while narrower lanes between 9 and 10 feet were not.
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City workers join flood efforts
Although Austin avoided major impacts from the severe flash flooding that struck Central Texas over the weekend, city departments have mobilized in force to support neighboring communities. First responders from Austin Fire, Police, and Austin-Travis County EMS were deployed to assist with search and rescue efforts in Burnet, Williamson and Kerr counties, while staff from more than a dozen departments — including Watershed Protection, Animal Services, Homeland Security & Emergency Management and Austin Water — have provided personnel, technical expertise and operational support.
Austin-Travis County EMS sent 11 medics and command personnel out of the county starting July 3 to support Texas Task Force 1 operations, with teams conducting water rescues and transporting patients aboard an ambulance bus. EMS crews have also been active in Travis, Burnet and Williamson counties, staffing family assistance centers and coordinating medical response. Austin Fire personnel were deployed with swift water teams and search crews throughout the region, while Austin Police officers, including the Lake Patrol, Mounted Unit, and Special Response Team, have assisted with safety patrols, waterway closures and flood recovery operations. APD’s Motor Unit escorted the body of a fallen Odessa officer on Wednesday.
Behind the scenes, city staff have also played key roles in regional response efforts. The Watershed Protection Department began debris cleanup on July 4 and has investigated dozens of flood-related service requests. HSEM personnel staffed the regional emergency operations center and helped coordinate mass care with nonprofit partners, while Austin Water closely monitored dam activity and maintained full operations throughout the storm. Animal Services helped transport animals from Kerr County shelters to free up space for displaced pets.
— Chad Swiatecki
Yet-unused maternity leave pilot extended
City manager T.C. Broadnax has authorized a one-year extension of a pilot program that provides 16 weeks of paid maternity leave to sworn Austin firefighters, despite the benefit going unused during its initial year. In a July 3 memo to City Council, Broadnax said the Austin Fire Department would again cover the cost in its FY 2026 budget, and Human Resources will continue monitoring the program’s usage. The extension also gives the city time to negotiate the benefit into the upcoming labor agreement with firefighters.
The pilot program was first included in the 2025 city budget following policy momentum that began in 2022, when Council passed a resolution extending six weeks of paid parental leave to sworn public safety employees, bringing them in line with benefits long offered to civilian city workers. Council members later pushed to expand maternity leave further and secure funding to support extended leave in the fire department. The resulting pilot offered up to three sworn firefighters 16 weeks of fully-paid maternity leave as they recover from childbirth.
While no firefighters used the benefit this past year, Broadnax said the additional year will allow the city to assess demand and determine whether the benefit should become permanent. Human Resources staff will track any usage over the next fiscal year and report back to Council in 2026 with findings and recommendations.
— Chad Swiatecki
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ELSEWHERE IN THE NEWS
Naturally, coverage of the Central Texas floods continues, and we continue to recommend KUT’s extensive coverage of them.
You also might want to check out some of the Texas Tribune coverage, like this piece about how little power counties have to stop construction in floodplains, or these graphic representations of the flooding.
In non-flood news, an entertainment CEO has been indicted for rigging the bidding process for the “development, management, and use” of the Moody Center. KXAN has the story.
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