• Austin Transportation brings local lens to SXSW smart mobility talks
• ATD joins consortium to develop standards for connected and automated vehicle testing
• Watch Austin 3-1-1 pedicab ride talks at SXSW for City facts and fun
• Bring your input to the streets at Traffic Jam event on March 28
• Movability Austin welcomes new executive director
• Getting to the Point: Podcast recommendation
• Coming up in this week's calendar

Austin Transportation brings local lens to SXSW smart mobility talks

Now that we're done with South by Southwest, it's time to get some south by southREST, and for us and our civic-minded readers, that means catching up on panels we missed. Feel FOMO no more by checking out podcasts of many SXSW sessions, including the panel featuring Austin Transportation Director Rob Spillar and leaders from other cities, entitled "How Cities will Drive Autonomous Vehicles." Listen to the recording here!

As noted in Austin Mobility News, the panel dealt with how city leaders can maximize the public benefits and minimize the challenges of autonomous vehicles. "It would be great to have that shiny technology, but if I’m not solving a problem, it’s just a gadget," Spillar said.

Spillar offered up the real-world challenge of helping students get from Huston-Tillotson University in Central East Austin to internships in Northwest Austin as an example of a use-case for such technology. "I think it’s really incumbent on cities ... to define those use-cases, because that’s what’s going to really harness these new technologies," he concluded, referring to autonomous, shared and electric vehicle developments.

Jason JonMichael, Austin Transportation's Assistant Director for Smart Mobility, also joined new mobility leaders for the panel "Creating the Mobility System of Tomorrow" to discuss ways the public and private sectors can work together to improve mobility for all.

"I think we need to get out of the habit of trying to shop a need with the technical solutions we have, but flip it on its head and change the storefront," JonMichael said. "Let [the public sector] shop and tell you what our needs are and then you come to us with what you think some of those solutions might be."

Tien-Tien Chan, Austin Transportation Planner, participated in "The Future of Mobility in Cities," where she spoke with some of the industry's biggest players about connecting the technological conversation back to human beings: moving people safely, efficiently and equitably while helping them shift their behaviors away from the single-occupancy vehicle paradigm.

We at Austin Transportation love the work we do and enjoy sharing about it with the public! Thanks for tuning in with us.

ATD joins consortium to develop standards for connected and automated vehicle testing

Austin Transportation has joined OmniAir Consortium, an association that promotes interoperability and certification for intelligent transportation systems, tolling and connected vehicles. Austin Transportation's membership with OmniAir will help ensure that connected and automated vehicle technologies deployed in Austin are interoperable and conform with industry standards.

“Standards implementation, certification, and interoperability are paramount to the successful deployment of emerging technologies, like connected vehicles,” said Jason JonMichael, Austin Transportation Department, Assistant Director, Smart Mobility. “The work OmniAir is pioneering with connected vehicle technology will help solve many of the mobility and transportation safety needs of Austin’s residents, business and visitors in addition to other cities across the country.”

“Austin is a nationally-recognized innovation leader in smart mobility," said Jason Conley, Executive Director for OmniAir Consortium. "Austin Transportation Department’s experience in real-world testing and deploying shared, electric, autonomous, and connected transportation technologies is paving the way for smart cities around the world. We look forward to working together to advance OmniAir’s mission."

Visit AustinTexas.gov/SmartMobility to learn more about the department's upcoming and ongoing smart mobility initiatives.

Watch Austin 3-1-1 pedicab ride talks at SXSW for City facts and fun

• Interview with David from the Music and Entertainment Division. As a sound engineering consultant, David helps work on site and sound inspections for outdoor sound permits.
• Interview with Frances from Austin Transportation. As a special events manager, Frances helps various departments and divisions to coordinate plans and processes for traffic control, parking enforcement, and regulation of various transportation options.
• Interview with Reggie from Austin 3-1-1. As a 3-1-1 ambassador, Reggie takes calls from the public about issues about anything from noise to parking or park maintenance.

Bring your input to the streets at Traffic Jam event on March 28

• Date: Wednesday, March 28, 2018
• Time: 4-8 p.m.
• Location: Austin Central Library (710 Cesar Chavez St, Austin, TX 78701)
  • Take transit! The library is served by Routes 3, 111, 171 and 803.

Movability Austin welcomes new executive director

Getting to the Point: Podcast recommendation

• Hidden Brain  - The Unintended Consequences Of Trying To Fix Traffic (Audio length: 17:01)
  • This episode of Hidden brain explores traffic around the world and the many approaches to managing it. It also discusses why building more roads does not reduce traffic but instead worsens it.

Coming up in this week's calendar

Bicycle Advisory Council Meeting

• Date: Tuesday, March 20, 2018
• Time: 6 p.m.
• Location: Austin City Hall (301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701), Room 1027

  
Want more mobility news? Visit Movability Austin!