Several road safety-related projects in the Austin area have been selected to be the beneficiaries of the Texas Department of Transportation’s 2020 Highway Safety Improvement Program. The funded projects include new signal installations and safety lightings on segments of roadway that have been identified as “high-injury” by the Austin Transportation Department. The planned improvements “can reduce up to 25 injuries per year,” according to a news release from ATD, which added that recent work to improve the department’s crash data “enabled quick identification of specific locations where local projects would rank and compete best for local streets funding through this program.” Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca said in the release, “The city of Austin is proud to partner with TxDOT for these vital safety improvements. We have a community goal to reach zero deaths and serious injuries on our roadways despite being one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation.”

A special called Austin City Council meeting will look at issues related to homelessness at 2 p.m. today. The meeting was pitched as a way to continue Council’s discussion on plans to allocate American Rescue Plan funds toward the issue, and on Thursday, Council members also decided it would be a good opportunity to talk about sanctioned encampments in the city. A preliminary list of 45 potential campsites released in May was met with criticism from Council and public, and city staffers have asked for more time and a clearer set of guidelines from Council. In terms of the ARP money, while Council has indicated its hope that a large portion of the $143.6 million could be used to help fund permanent supportive housing, those numbers are not yet nailed down, and how the funding interacts with other resources remains “extremely confusing,” as Council Member Alison Alter noted at Thursday’s meeting.

Safer bike routes are coming soon to the Cherrywood neighborhood. Austin Transportation is set to start construction this month on the Cherrywood Neighborhood Bikeways, the latest project from the 2016 mobility bond. The routes are planned for parts of East 34th Street, Cherrywood Road, Schieffer Avenue, and Wilshire Boulevard, with construction scheduled in three phases between now and 2024. Phase one includes immediate improvements like paint and flex posts, with concrete pedestrian islands and pinch points for cars coming in later phases. Much of the improvements are intended to slow traffic down so most people can feel comfortable riding their bikes in the middle of the street.

The parks department invites community members to participate in a virtual meeting to discuss the Zilker Café Conditional Use Permit, which would amend the zoning of the popular cafe next to Barton Springs Pool to allow for the sale of wine and beer. “PARD will provide an outline of the process and timeline, share the proposed menu by Springfed and the CUP plans submitted to the Development Services Department.” Thursday, June 17, 6 p.m. Register here. Community members are also invited to attend the first of five community meetings to consider the Zilker Metropolitan Park Vision Plan. At this meeting, “PARD will share the outcomes of the recent site analysis and needs assessment, a review of what the team heard during small group discussions, and the community survey. Based on this information, draft Guiding Principles and Goals for the vision planning process will be shared for community feedback.” The meeting will be hosted virtually on Zoom and Facebook Live on Tuesday, June 29, 6 p.m. A recording of the meeting will also be posted on the project web page.

City Council has unanimously approved an increased property tax exemption for senior and disabled homeowners. Council members voted unanimously Thursday to increase the amount these homeowners can exclude from city property taxes, from $88,000 to $113,000. A separate proposal that would double the tax-exempted portion of Austin homesteads was approved on its first two readings, and will require another vote for it to go into effect.

A city program that allows businesses to convert street and parking space into outdoor dining and shopping areas is here to stay. City Council voted to extend the Shop the Block pilot program, an effort to keep businesses afloat during the pandemic, until Dec. 1. “The program has served our small shops and restaurants really well for economic recovery,” Council Member Leslie Pool said, “and it leads to a more pedestrian-friendly atmosphere.” Pool said she would bring forth a measure this summer to create a more permanent program. Check out this video featuring businesses that have taken advantage of the program.

Pride Month, held every June, commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of 1969, which launched the nation’s gay rights movement. To honor Pride Month, the Austin ISD Pride Committee will be raising the Pride flag at the district’s Central Office on Friday, June 4. According to a news release, “The ceremony will reiterate the district’s commitment to LGBTQIA+ students, staff and families.” AISD will also be participating in the Austin Pride Parade on Saturday, Aug. 14, as well as offering professional development courses created by Out Youth’s Texas GSA Network, to help staff create supportive learning environments for LGBTQIA+ youth.

To celebrate the post-pandemic return to normalcy, Capital Metro is offering free rides every Saturday and Sunday from June 5 to July 4. The transit agency suggests that riders “take MetroBus down to South Congress, MetroRail up to Q2 Stadium and MetroRapid to the fireworks on July 4.” To top it off, Visit Austin is keeping track of annual fireworks displays and other Fourth of July-related events here.

Ross Ramsey, The Texas Tribune’s executive editor, is moderating a Common Ground for Texans panel to analyze the Texas 87th legislative session and lawmakers’ reaction to Winter Storm Uri. He’ll be joined by Cinde Weatherby of the League of Women Voters, reporting on the outcome of election reform legislation, and Austin Justice Coalition’s Chas Moore, looking at criminal justice reform. The panel will be followed by audience dialogue. Join the panel via Zoom. Saturday, June 12,  2-3:30 p.m.

Fish all over Texas are trembling in anticipation of Free Fishing Day, an annual extravaganza taking place this Saturday, June 5, when anglers may cast their lines in any public waterway without a fishing license. Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Inland Fisheries Director Craig Bonds described the event as a “wonderful opportunity for anglers to share their knowledge, skills, equipment, and love for fishing,” adding he hoped participants would also learn that “purchasing a license is an act of conservation. A fishing license purchase is one of the simplest and most effective ways people can support fisheries science and management.” TPWD has many different programs and resources for anglers of all skill levels and ages, from a primer called How to Fish to instructions on mastering the art of fish release. Learn more at TakeMeFishing.org.

The water tower at Enchanted Rock State Natural Area in Fredericksburg was damaged by February’s severe winter storm. Now the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is advising visitors and campers that they’ll have to bring their own water to the park while a crew is working to repair the water tower. There will be no water available for drinking water, personal hygiene or cleaning equipment from June 4-July 1. The restrooms will be closed, though port-a-potties and composting toilets will be available for use. Park staffers urge visitors to bring sufficient water for their stay, recommending “at minimum 32 ounces of water per person per hour of physical activity.” Friends of Enchanted Rock will be selling bottled water at park headquarters during office hours, and bottled water is also for sale in the vending machines.

Due to the very real chance of stormy weather in our immediate future, AISD has moved all of its graduation ceremonies indoors. The district has also made some changes in scheduling, in order to “accommodate the new venues and make traffic flow as smoothly as possible.” Here is the adjusted schedule for graduation ceremonies on Wednesday, June 2, at Delco Activity Center: 8:30 a.m., LBJ ECHS/LASA; 11:30 a.m., Navarro ECHS; 2:30 p.m., Eastside ECHS; 5 p.m., Northeast ECHS; and 8 p.m., Anderson HS. Here is the schedule for Thursday, June 3, at Burger Activity Center: 8:30 a.m., Crockett ECHS; 11:30 a.m., Travis ECHS; 3 p.m., Akins ECHS; and 7 p.m., Bowie HS. All graduation ceremonies will be livestreamed on AISD.TV or Facebook Live.