Copy
Subscribe

Austin Mobility News: August 29, 2022

Your weekly news update from the City of Austin Transportation Department
Red, yellow and blue icons of people traveling by different modes (car, bus, motorcycle, scooters, walking, wheelchair, bicycling and using mobility assistive devices) in front of icons depicting iconic Austin buildings (Frost Tower, the Capitol, etc).
Facebook Facebook
Twitter Twitter
Flickr Flickr
Website Website
Email Email
RSS RSS
In this week's edition:
Para obtener más información en español, vea este correo electrónico en su navegador y haga clic en la esquina superior derecha para la traducción al español.

Recently installed pedestrian islands make streets safer to cross
Pedestrians on Wickersham Lane and Oak Springs Drive now have a safer way to get across the street after Austin Transportation installed several new pedestrian crossing islands in both areas this summer. 

The new islands on Wickersham Lane are located near Sheringham Drive, Cromwell Circle and Oltorf Street. The Oak Springs Drive crossings are located near Webberville Road, Tillery Street, Gunter Street and Mercer Drive. 

Pedestrian crossing islands offer many benefits to street safety and comfort, including: 
  • Shortening crossing distances so that a person can cross one travel lane at a time,
  • Enhancing visibility by drawing attention to a street crossing area,
  • Helping slow vehicle speeds, and 
  • Improving the likelihood that a person driving will yield to a person crossing the street.
More details on both pedestrian crossings, as well as images, are available here: 
 

Wickersham Lane crossings

Oak Springs crossings 

For more information, visit AustinTexas.gov/CrossingIslands. 

New report gives leaders tools to improve bus service, cut emissions
The National Association of City Transportation Officials released a report in August that puts forth a simple concept: the most powerful tool leaders have to address climate change is the city bus, and options are available at the local level to improve bus service quickly.

Move! That! Bus! Tactics for Transforming Transit in Two Years provides an action plan for local officials to make quick decisions that lead to immediate results to reduce emissions and improve the lives of residents. The report focuses on three action items:
  • Offering frequent all-day bus service,
  • Redesigning streets to prioritize bus service, and
  • Adopting local policy reforms that support transit.
Caitlin D’Alton of the City of Austin and Nadia Barrera-Ramirez of CapMetro were part of a network of transit professionals from across the U.S. and Canada that developed the recommendations.

The City and CapMetro are already implementing many of the recommendations in the report, including bus-only priority lanes to help deliver faster travel times and expanded service as part of CapMetro’s Project Connect.

You can read the full report here.

Longhorn football kicks off Sept. 3

Another season of University of Texas football begins Sept. 3 as the Longhorns take on the University of Louisiana-Monroe at 7 p.m., the first of three consecutive home games to begin the season.

The Longhorns, who come into the season unranked for the first time since 2016, will host No. 1 Alabama on Sept. 10 at 11 a.m., followed by a matchup against the University of Texas-San Antonio on Sept. 17 at 7 p.m.

Roads in the campus area, including parts of Dean Keeton Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, will be closed on gameday to safely accommodate the crowds around the stadium. You can find a map of the closures at the City’s website.

If you are planning to attend a game, the best way to get there is by taking the bus or riding your bike. CapMetro bus service is free for UT students, faculty and staff with a valid school ID, and multiple routes serve the UT campus with frequent service. Use CapMetro’s trip planner to find the route that works best for you.

You can also rent a MetroBike to get to the tailgate and the game. Multiple stations are located across campus, including one just north of Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium at the intersection of 23rd Street and San Jacinto Boulevard.

For more information on mobility options on campus, visit UT’s Parking and Transportation Services website.

Project Connect staff working with community to update light rail plan

Even as they face rising costs and supply chain issues affecting communities on a global basis, Austin leaders remain committed to completing the Project Connect plan city voters approved in 2020 without implementing new taxes.  

The Austin Transit Partnership board of directors discussed the Project Connect timeline with staff on Wednesday, Aug. 24. In the spring of 2023, staff plans to bring forth an updated light rail implementation plan.

As staff develops that plan, the community will be engaged throughout. Upcoming meetings include the Project Connect Community Advisory Committee on Sept. 8, and more engagement opportunities will be posted on Project Connect’s Get Involved page.

“My expectation is that we’re going to be technically sound, that we will produce the functions that are requested and we explain how we get there,” said ATP board member Jeff Travillion at the Aug. 24 meeting.

Travillion was officially sworn in as the newest member of the ATP board on Aug. 24. You can watch a recording of the meeting at ATXN.

Maintenance underway on South Congress Avenue 
A section of South Congress Avenue is being resurfaced between Oltorf Street and Ben White Boulevard. Austin Public Works is applying new pavement to the road to prolong the life of the street. 

The project will begin in early September and work is expected to be completed in two months, pending weather or any other unanticipated delays. 

Flex posts marking the protected bicycle lane on this street section are being removed as part of this maintenance work. They will be replaced as new markings are reinstalled following the resurfacing process. 

If you use your bicycle to commute in this area, please be aware of the short-term impacts of the project. If you are in your vehicle anywhere in Austin, please always be aware of bicyclists and give them at least three feet of space when passing. 
There will be no Austin Mobility Newsletter on Monday, Sept. 5 in observance of Labor Day. The next newsletter will be released Monday, Sept. 12. 

Calendar Corner: August 30 – September 12, 2022

Mobility Authority Board of Directors

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority Board of Directors is comprised of seven local community volunteers who are responsible for setting policies, identifying priority projects and ensuring the agency is operated in an efficient and effective manner.


Urban Transportation Commission

The Urban Transportation Commission makes recommendations to City Council on transportation-related matters, including energy-efficient transportation, transit service, active transportation options, taxicab franchises and provisions to best serve those with mobility impairments.


City Council Mobility Committee

The Mobility Committee reviews land use as it concerns mobility, all transportation modes including roads, aviation, public transit, pedestrian programs, bicycle programs, ground transportation, taxicab regulation, core transit corridors and related matters.


Project Connect Community Advisory Committee

The City of Austin, Capital Metro and the Austin Transit Partnership created an advisory committee to advise all three partners on topics related to equity and Project Connect, including efforts to curb displacement along the Project Connect system.


CAMPO Transportation Policy Board

The 22-member Transportation Policy Board (TPB) is the governing body for the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) and is made up of 20 elected officials and a representative from TxDOT and one from Capital Metro. The TPB is the body that makes decisions on CAMPO policy and decides how CAMPO funding is allocated. 


Pedestrian Advisory Council

The Pedestrian Advisory Council advises the City of Austin and other jurisdictions on all matters relating to walking.

About Austin Transportation

The City of Austin Transportation Department works to provide a safe, efficient, innovative, cost-effective and sustainable transportation system that connects roadways, bikeways, walkways and transit systems in order to bring improved access and mobility to our community. We are taking proactive steps to engage and educate the community, which is why you received this news update. Visit AustinTexas.gov/Transportation.
Austin Transportation and Public Works Department
P.O. Box 1088
Austin, Texas 78767

Add us to your address book
Manage your newsletter subscription Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
Facebook
Twitter
Flickr
Website
Email
RSS