Whatever actions City Council takes to address the Austin Police Department’s response to racial justice protests, the Downtown Commission has voted to keep closer tabs on downtown policing efforts going forward. The commission approved two proposals from Commissioner Meghan Skornia. The first requests monthly race-specific reports from APD on use of force, police-involved shootings and […]
Downtown Commission
The Downtown Commission serves as a steward for the Downtown Austin Plan and advises the Austin City Council on policies and projects that impact downtown.
Posted inHousing
City looks to hike fees on downtown developers opting out of affordability requirements
The city has proposed increasing the fees paid by downtown developers looking to add density to their construction projects but opting not to include affordable units in the buildings. At last week’s Downtown Commission meeting, a presentation on the plan to recalibrate the city’s downtown density bonus program revealed that consultants have recommended increasing the […]
Posted inPublic Safety
Seeking increased safety, Downtown Commission asks city to fully staff APD
The Downtown Commission has asked City Council to increase staffing levels for the Austin Police Department in the next budget year, while adding more public video cameras and lighting to busy pedestrian areas. The unanimously approved resolution came at last week’s commission meeting amidst debate over the state of public safety in downtown Austin. Much […]
Posted inAustin
Downtown Commission hears fundraising plans for 300 new shelter beds
A partnership between the Downtown Austin Alliance and the Austin Chamber of Commerce has identified 14 sites that could become the location for a new large shelter to serve the city’s homeless population. At last month’s Downtown Commission meeting, representatives from those groups, which are working to register a new nonprofit group called ATX Helps, […]
Posted inPlanning
MLK crossing compromises Capitol Complex pedestrian concept
The Texas Capitol Complex is now well into the first phase of construction. Funding for the second of three phases was allocated during this year’s legislative session. The project lays out a grand vision of a “cultural gateway” linking the Texas Capitol to Bullock Texas State History Museum via a public pedestrian mall containing an […]
Posted inTransportation
Commission pushes for better mobility management around work zones
Despite the city’s plans for multimodal transportation infrastructure, proper bike lanes and fully accessible sidewalks are still a scarce public amenity in many parts of Austin. They are also often the first areas within the right of way to be impacted by delivery vehicles, service trucks, and most significantly, construction zones. Acknowledging that some of […]
Posted inAustin
City hopes 10-foot fence will deter crime on Red River
The city of Austin is inching toward a “short-term” solution to a downtown alleyway that police and business owners say has become a magnet for criminal activity. Drug dealing, prostitution and human waste are frequent issues in the alley between Beerland and the old Sidewinder club on the 700 block of Red River Street, Nicole […]
Posted inPlanning
CodeNEXT failure, scooters and developers lead to new look at downtown plan
The Downtown Austin Plan, conceived in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis and approved in 2011 as Austin’s commercial real estate market was kicking back into high gear, is going to get a hard look under the hood. Last month, the city’s Downtown Commission voted 6-3 to recommend City Council direct the city manager […]
Posted inAustin
Ciclovia on hold while parking proposal creates controversy on Congress Avenue
The dream of shutting down Congress Avenue for a daylong bicycle festival is in a state of suspended animation. City Council made a step toward the idea just over a year ago when it voted on a resolution directing the city manager to explore the potential costs related to the event known as a Ciclovia. […]
Posted inAustin
Innovation team sets sights on bedbugs, overcrowding at homeless shelter
The Innovation Office earlier this month issued a set of recommendations to mitigate serious problems plaguing the 14-year-old Austin Resource Center for the Homeless at East Seventh and Neches streets. Last week, the office’s so-called i-team briefed the Downtown Commission on the suggestions it put forth in a March 1 memo after months of research. […]
Posted inBicycles
Dockless bike-share pilot development rolls forward
More than a year after an aborted attempt to move into Austin without permission, several dockless bike-sharing companies have switched gears and are now patiently working with the Transportation Department as it develops a pilot program that could put the smartphone-activated two-wheelers on city streets by this summer. On Wednesday night, Active Transportation Program Manager […]
Posted inAustin
Public toilet pilot program flush with users
The Downtown Commission learned on Wednesday evening that the city’s ongoing public toilet pilot program has served more than 8,000 users since its launch in late September. The official total through Jan. 2, according to city engineer David Magaña, is 8,355 users who have taken advantage of a mobile toilet that has been placed at […]