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 […]
Austin City Council Mobility Committee
A City Council committee that reviews matters related to all modes of transportation.
Posted inTransportation
Council members hear update on the state of autonomous vehicle regulation
As a raft of autonomous vehicle companies prepares to deploy new “robotaxis” slated to eventually compete with the likes of Waymo and Tesla, city council’s Mobility Commission heard an update during a meeting on July 17 on how the legal ground under the tires has changed. The big news comes from Senate Bill 2807, which […]
Posted inTransportation
City touts ongoing success in one-year update on micromobility program tweaks
Last April, Austin made changes to its micromobility program, cutting the number of scooters on the street by 2,000 and reducing speed limits among other things. In a one-year update, city staff say those changes have worked out as well as or better than expected. In a presentation to City Council’s Mobility Committee during a […]
Posted inTransportation
Vision for transforming city core draws scrutiny ahead of likely Council vote
With Downtown Austin poised for overlapping mega-projects over roughly the next decade, City Council’s Mobility Committee took a closer look last week at the draft Austin Core Transportation Plan, which aims to tie all of the projects together. Committee members broadly supported the plan’s vision, but raised concerns about implementation details, including how to balance […]
Posted inTransit
Austin Transit Partnership presents pedestrian features, changes to stops in revised Project Connect plan
The Mobility Committee of City Council heard an update on plans for the Austin light-rail project that included a proposal for three new pedestrian features along the prospective system, as well as changes to stops, during a meeting on Feb. 20. The new pedestrian features would be a hike-and-bike greenway consisting of a tree-lined, trackside […]
Posted inTransportation
Under threat of a federal freeze, city staff says they’re staying the course on infrastructure grants
City staff made the case against panic to City Council’s Mobility Committee during an update on the state of Austin’s pending federal infrastructure grants, which some believe may be threatened by President Donald Trump’s executive orders to freeze all federal grants, during their regular meeting on Feb. 20. Richard Mendoza, director of the city Department […]
Posted inRoads
Living Streets Program updates include new funding and street closure modifications
Dirty Sixth may be reopening to car traffic, but a growing number of neighborhoods across Austin are moving in the opposite direction thanks to the city’s Living Streets Program. Back from its holiday break, City Council’s Mobility Committee took to the dais last week for an update on the program, which closes roads to through […]
Posted inBonds & Propositions
City moving ahead with adjusted scope, schedule for mobility projects funded in 2016
The city expects to move forward with $146 million in construction projects on major vehicle corridors in 2025, with improvements to Burnet Road and Slaughter Lane expected to go to bid as the next steps using funding from the 2016 mobility bond package. Other efforts planned to move forward include bike and pedestrian improvements along […]
Posted inRoads
Mobility Committee hears public concern regarding expansion of MoPac
The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority (CTRMA) has proposed multiple plans to alleviate traffic along the 8-mile stretch of MoPac Expressway South from Cesar Chavez Street to Slaughter Lane. This decadelong project is nearing the end of the development process and will be entering the implementation phase in the near future. Members of the public […]
Posted inRoads
Ambitious proposal for Congress Avenue includes pedestrian plazas, bike lanes
At its meeting last week, City Council’s Mobility Committee learned the details of a proposed ambitious redesign and reconstruction plan for Congress Avenue, which would convert the avenue into a more pedestrian-focused area over a number of possible phases. The project could fully transform Congress Avenue from Riverside Drive to 11th Street, creating pedestrian plazas, […]
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, […]