|
|
|
|
|
|
The Soul Food Truck Festival will take place at Huston-Tillotson University on Saturday, June 18. (Image courtesy Soul Food Truck Festival)
|
|
On June 19, 1865, Union general Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and informed the people of Texas that all slaves were free. The date of that declaration, which came more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, is the basis for the annual Juneteenth holiday.
Last year, President Joe Biden created a federal holiday to commemorate Juneteenth, the first federal holiday created since Martin Luther King Jr. Day in 1983. But in Austin, the celebrations have been going on for years.
This year, the annual Juneteenth parade will begin Saturday, June 18, at 10 a.m. on East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard with the parade ending near Rosewood Park. You can find a map of the parade route and street closures at the City's website and more information on the annual Juneteenth celebration here.
At Huston-Tillotson University on Saturday, June 18, the Soul Food Truck Festival will feature a celebration with Texas Black-owned food trucks, live music and more celebrating Black food, community, culture and heritage.
Austin Transportation will be at the Soul Food Truck Festival from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. to meet you, take suggestions, give out some swag and help you learn more about Austin Transportation's Vision Zero program. Between bites and great music, come by to say hello and meet the Austin Transportation crew.
|
|
Project Connect team announces preferred location for train yard
|
|
A preferred site for the Combined Maintenance Facility to store the light rail trains that will run on the Blue Line and the Orange Line was announced by Project Connect staff June 8.
The preferred location is just north of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, between SH 71 and the Colorado River. At a previous meeting May 10, staff explained the factors that led them to shorten their list of preferred sites to those located near the end of the proposed Blue Line at the airport. Those factors included the acreage needed, topography of the site and proximity to the light rail routes that will be serviced.
At 82 acres, the preferred site will include four buildings, totaling approximately 320,000 square feet. There will be eight maintenance bays, space for up to 80 trains and approximately 200 employees working at the facility.
The selected site is just a proposal, staff said, and still needs final approvals. After those approvals, the next steps in the process will include design and construction.
You can find a video recording of the June 8 meeting here.
Upcoming meetings
Project Connect met with the community in December 2021 and February 2022 at design workshops to discuss how the Drag could transform with the addition of Orange Rail service. Design options presented included a transit mall with light rail and bus lanes with no vehicular traffic, as well as light rail with lanes for vehicle traffic and/or buses. This meeting will present updated Orange Line design concepts and corresponding vehicular traffic planning strategies around the Drag. Register here.
This meeting will focus on the proposed Blue Line and Orange Line subway stations, with discussion of community needs, tunnel technology, accessibility and safety features. Register here.
|
|
Win an Austin-themed pin in the Get There Summer Challenge
|
|
Get multimodal this week and you will have a chance to snag an Austin-themed Get There ATX pin. The Get There Summer Challenge is open from June 10-19.
To join the challenge, participants must:
- Follow @getthereatx on Instagram.
- Take a photo or video of themselves using a different mode of transportation other than a one-person-one-car trip, post it to their story or feed, and tag @getthereatx. Examples of other modes of transportation may include bike, scooter, bus, MetroRail, roller skate, skateboard, carpool, rideshare and more.
Photos must be original content from the participant. Photos may not be explicit, vulgar, or violent in nature.
Each participant may only receive one pin. Participants can choose their desired pin while supplies last.
Winners can pick up their pin at the Austin Transportation office during business hours Monday through Friday 9 a.m.-4 p.m., or let the Get There ATX team know via Instagram where they would like their pin mailed.
Read the full rules for the challenge on our website.
|
|
|
There will be no Austin Mobility Newsletter on Monday, June 20 for the Juneteenth holiday. The newsletter will return Monday, June 27.
|
|
Calendar Corner: June 14 – 27, 2022
|
|
|
The Bond Oversight Commission monitors the implementation of projects approved in bond elections and ensures efficiency, equity, timeliness and accountability in the implementation of existing and future City bond programs.
The Austin Transit Partnership is an independent local government corporation with the authority and resources to design, construct and implement the Project Connect program.
This webinar will cover how to build a year-round active transportation policy for employees and why such programming helps employers.
The Bicycle Advisory Council advises the City of Austin and other jurisdictions on all matters relating to the use of the bicycle.
The CapMetro Board of Directors discusses and takes action on operations of the region's transit system. CapMetro services include fixed-route buses, MetroRapid, MetroExpress, MetroRail, Metro Access, MetroRideShare and Pickup. The agency also operates UT Shuttle and a host of other services. A public hearing precedes the board meeting, as noted in the start time below.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
