Planning Department staff explained to a portion of City Council members this week why they intend to move forward with only about half of the Planning Commission’s suggested changes to the South Central Waterfront Plan. At a combined meeting of the Mobility Committee and the Housing and Planning Committee, the message from principal planner April […]
Austin City Council Mobility Committee
A City Council committee that reviews matters related to all modes of transportation.
Posted inTransportation
New scooter rules are in effect now
As of this month, new regulations dictate how scooters operate in Austin. “I think it might be one of the biggest complaints we get in the office,” said Council Member Zo Qadri, who represents downtown. “For me, it’s not as much about the visual clutter. It’s about accessibility and safety.” Richard Mendoza, director of Transportation […]
Posted inCity Hall
In 2024, Paige Ellis will focus on her two main loves: mobility improvements and parks
The past year has been a busy one for City Council Member Paige Ellis, who served as mayor pro tem throughout 2023. She described the extra duties of the position as “a great experience.” Noting that Mayor Kirk Watson is very detail-oriented, Ellis said she never had any question about what needed to be done. […]
Posted inBicycles
Austin Energy says e-bike rebate program on track to double in size
As retailers brace for the holiday shopping season, 2023 is shaping up to be a good year for e-bikes in Austin. Austin Energy stopped by City Council’s Mobility Committee meeting last week for an update on its e-bike rebate program, which kicked into high gear this past January with a resolution doubling rebate values. Preliminary […]
Posted inTransportation
Safe Routes to School Program charts course ahead as infrastructure plan turns 4 years old
With 425 projects at over 100 schools under its belt, Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Department is moving forward with plans to improve pedestrian and bike routes to elementary and middle schools throughout the city. Safe Routes to School Program Manager Coleen Gentles stopped by City Council’s Mobility Committee meeting last week for a brief […]
Posted inRoads
City official explains need to fix Barton Springs Road bridge
There is an urgent need to move forward with repairs and expansion of the Barton Springs Road bridge leading into Zilker Park, Eric Bailey, acting deputy director of Capital Delivery Services for the city, told City Council’s Mobility Committee last week. The bridge was built in 1926 and expanded to four lanes in 1946. Bailey […]
Posted inTransportation
Mobility Committee laments state law curtailing city’s power over driverless car companies
City Council members heard last week about the ongoing public safety concerns that the emerging autonomous vehicle industry has created in Austin. Last week’s Mobility Committee meeting saw a presentation from staff from the Transportation and Public Works Department as well as public safety departments that updated committee members on their attempts to improve safety […]
Posted inTransportation
Mobility Committee airs financial, environmental concerns over I-35 expansion
City Council members expressed a variety of concerns about the Interstate 35 expansion through downtown Austin, including a desire that the state and Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization delay funding approvals on the $4.5 billion project until concerns over construction-related greenhouse gas emissions can be addressed. Last week, Council’s Mobility Committee approved a recommendation that […]
Posted inTransportation
City champions electric bike-share as mode shift trailblazer
Four years into Austin’s commitment to have half its population choose alternatives to driving by 2039, the Transportation and Public Works Department is still hopeful its growing pains will eventually pay dividends. Division Manager Kirk Scanlon visited City Council’s Mobility Committee last week for an update on the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan, a framework of […]
Posted inParks
Why are parking garages a part of the Zilker Vision Plan?
City Council’s Mobility Committee learned more about the mobility aspects, in particular the proposed parking garages, of the Zilker Vision Plan at its meeting Thursday. The city released the draft of the vision plan in September. The document, which runs more than 200 pages, encompasses ecological restoration and uplift, park programming, education and outreach, and […]
Posted inTransit
Housing and Planning Committee weighs in on light rail design plans, preparing for challenging decisions
With the June deadline for a final proposal fast approaching, Austin’s long-awaited light rail system is beginning to take shape. Austin Transit Partnership, Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and city staff all joined City Council’s Housing and Planning Committee last week to discuss the five designs for the first phase of the multibillion-dollar infrastructure project, each […]
Posted inTransit
Mobility Committee weighs feedback on new Project Connect options
Following the release of scaled-back plans for Austin’s future in light rail, representatives from the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority, Austin Transit Partnership (ATP) and the city provided an updated briefing on Project Connect light rail at the City Council Mobility Committee’s regular meeting last Thursday. Some Council members at the meeting raised concerns about the […]