New rules — and a new focus on equity — have arrived for Austin’s scooter rentals. Transportation and Public Works posted a new set of draft director’s rules governing the city’s shared micromobility program on May 12, which like a similar update to the residential parking program would offer tweaks in response to survey responses. […]
Urban Transportation Commission
The Urban Transportation Commission’s members advise City Council and the City Manager on transportation-related matters.
Posted inPlanning
Developer appeals denial of right-of-way vacation
The Urban Transportation Commission has rejected a request by the owner of one Old West Austin property to vacate right-of-way after hearing objections from the owners of a neighboring property that would be harmed by the street vacation. Commissioners voted 9-0 with one abstention and one absent to reject the street vacation request. The street […]
Posted inCity Hall
Push to consolidate city boards and commissions draws criticism from UTC
The Urban Transportation Commission (UTC) voiced opposition to a City Council-backed proposal to consolidate several of Austin’s boards and commissions, including a plan to merge the Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC) and Pedestrian Advisory Council (PAC) into the UTC. The proposal, aimed at streamlining city operations and reducing administrative burdens, could come back to Council for […]
Posted inRoads
Changes to the city’s Corridor Program raise ‘serious transparency concerns’ for transportation commissioners
A massive shortfall in the city’s Corridor Program has caused work to be paused or cut back in some areas of the city. At their most recent meeting, Urban Transportation commissioners questioned the lack of public engagement on the changes. The current cost of all of the improvements envisioned in the program is about $1 […]
Posted inRoads
Urban Transportation Commission learns of roles in mobility restructuring
The city’s many mobility-related offices and departments were recently restructured, and the Urban Transportation Commission got an update earlier this month about how the change is expected to impact the many road projects planned across the area. Jim Dale, interim deputy director of the Transportation and Public Works Department, spelled out the specialties of the […]
Posted inBicycles
Bike parking gets support in Urban Transportation Commission’s call to end parking requirements
City Council may add changes to bike parking requirements to a November resolution that will finalize the removal of parking minimums from the Land Development Code. The Urban Transportation Commission recently voted to recommend Council adopt the ordinance changes on parking minimums called for in a May resolution, while also in most cases requiring bicycle […]
Posted inPublic Safety
APD’s 911 center seeing progress in filling dispatcher, call taker vacancies
Austin Police Department has made progress in filling vacancies and improving retention in its Emergency Communications Center over the past 12 months, with more new hires expected by the end of the year. A memo released last week from Robin Henderson, interim chief for Austin Police Department, informed City Council that since last October, ECOMMS […]
Posted inLand Development Code
Mandatory parking spots for Austin bars could soon go away
As the owner of two popular honky-tonk bars – the White Horse in East Austin and Sagebrush in South Austin – Denis O’Donnell knows that safe rides are key to a flourishing nightlife. And he would love to see more efforts by the city to encourage nighttime commuters to leave their cars at home. Last week, […]
Posted inBicycles
Car blocking a bike lane? You might be able to report it and make some money soon.
In an effort to help city employees cite vehicles for illegally blocking bike lanes, the Urban Transportation Commission unanimously approved a “bike lane bounty” program at its meeting Tuesday night. The program, inspired by one in New York City, would allow Austinites to use the 311 mobile application to report photo evidence of cars obstructing […]
Posted inDevelopment
ATD reveals next steps for start of street impact fee system
The Austin Transportation Department is prepared to begin assessing its new street impact fee on developments this summer, and has prepared a rough list of 35 projects spread across the city that will be the first to get funding from the new fees. At a recent meeting of the Urban Transportation Commission, ATD staff explained […]
Posted inDevelopment
Shoal Creek/Third Street redesign aims to create greener, safer spaces downtown
The Urban Transportation Commission’s hefty meeting agenda on Sept. 7 included a proposal to significantly redesign the heavily trafficked area of downtown surrounding the intersection of Third Street and Shoal Creek Trail. The Cypress and Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy, a joint effort between the Downtown Austin Alliance, Shoal Creek Conservancy and the city of […]
Posted inTransportation
Code amendment would make car booting less of a headache
Getting booted for not obeying parking signage on private property is a huge hassle, involving a fine and a wait of sometimes an hour or more for someone to come and remove the boot. But if City Council passes a new tweak to city code, drivers could remove the boot themselves, saving time, if not […]