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Austin Mobility News: April 4, 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).
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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.

New web portal gives the public access to more Austin micromobility data
The Austin skyline is pictured from the shores of Lady Bird Lake.
From January to March 2022, with South by Southwest back in person for the first time in three years, Austin residents and visitors took 716,300 dockless scooter and bicycle trips, up more than 68% from the same period in 2021 when SXSW was held virtually, but still down nearly 40% from 2019, the last time the festival was held in person.  

A new Austin open data web portal from tech company Ride Report features detailed ridership data that lets members of the public, researchers and reporters see a heat map of rider activity and learn when and where micromobility trips are taken. The data does not identify specific riders.

The open data portal also shows the median distance and duration of dockless scooter and bicycle trips, the average number of trips per day and total number of miles traveled – all data that is available for users to download.

Although Austin was one of the first U.S. cities to have dockless scooters and bicycles, it has been just four years since the devices were introduced. The data will be a useful tool for the City to make informed, data-driven decisions when it comes to this evolving form of transportation.

Project Connect engagement opportunities continue this week

A rendering shows a CapMetro light rail car.
Last week, the community had two opportunities to engage the Orange Line and Blue Line project teams on the design of the two light rail lines coming as part of Project Connect—the ongoing effort to expand public transit in the Austin area.

If you could not attend the March 29 and 31 meetings, you can still submit comments and feedback to Project Connect staff through a virtual open house, available in English and in Spanish. 

The open house is open through April 29 as the public transit agency approaches a major milestone, 30% design, this summer. Project Connect staff have split the presentation into four themes: connectivity, traffic and transportation, environmental review and anti-displacement strategies and investments. 

Project Connect staff will be holding two more virtual working group meetings in the next week. On Wednesday, April 6, the community meeting will focus on the Orange Line and South Congress Avenue, and on Monday, April 11, the workshop hosted by Council Members Leslie Pool and Chito Vela will focus on Crestview Station. For more information, visit ProjectConnect.com/GetInvolved. 

Survey will help inform transportation options in the Austin region
A graphic shows multiple modes of transportation, including buses, vehicles, bicycles and people walking.
The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) is developing a program to improve mobility and reduce congestion in the Austin region by getting people out of their cars and using alternate transportation methods.

CAMPO is a group of public officials from seven counties in the region that work together to prioritize projects, allocate federal funds and develop transportation plans that serve the region.

The organization is developing a Transportation Demand Management (TDM) program that will address congestion in the region using strategies such as carpooling, using transit, implementing flexible work schedules and more to address congestion during peak travel times and give travelers more options.

As CAMPO develops this TDM plan, the organization is looking to hear from Central Texas residents via a short survey. The feedback will help the organization understand the challenges businesses and travelers face and how it can make the system work better for everyone.
Take the survey here.

Calendar Corner: April 5 – 12, 2022

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.


Project Connect South Congress Workshop

The Orange Line is a 20-mile light rail transit (LRT) corridor that would travel along Lamar Boulevard and Congress Avenue from Tech Ridge Park & Ride south to Slaughter Lane. This workshop will focus on the area that includes the SoCo Station and Oltorf Station.


East Yager Lane Virtual Public Meeting

Join the Austin City Council District 1 and District 7 offices at a virtual community meeting to learn more about mobility and safety improvements planned for East Yager Lane from Natures Bend to Jourdan Crossing Boulevard. This project will enhance pedestrian and bicycle safety for all users along this one-mile stretch.


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. 


Project Connect Crestview Station Workshop

This meeting will be co-hosted with City Council Members Leslie Pool and Jose “Chito” Vela. Several projects are in development around the intersection of North Lamar Boulevard and Airport Boulevard, including the Orange Line, the Red Line, the Red Line Parkway, and several planned developments. This workshop will focus on opportunities to redesign the Crestview station area and reimagine the station area’s public realm experience.


I-35 Capital Express Central Community Input Meeting

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is holding a series of meetings to periodically receive feedback on the I-35 Capital Express Central project, which focuses on the eight-mile stretch from US-290 East to SH-71/US-290 West. The next CapEx VOICE (Volunteer Opportunity in Community Engagement) meeting will be held in person at Huston-Tillotson University. This will be the first CapEx VOICE meeting since TxDOT made significant design changes in January to Alternative 3 in response to feedback from the community and the City of Austin.

About the City of Austin Transportation Department

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

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