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No need for capes in Austin's #VisionZeroHero campaign
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It's a bird ... it's a plane ... no ... it's a Vision Zero Hero! And, better yet, it could be you!
That's right, we're nominating YOU to be the next Vision Zero Hero to help make our streets safer. Vision Zero is an international movement that aspires to reduce the number of people who die or are seriously injured in traffic crashes to zero. Austin officially joined this movement when City Council adopted the Vision Zero Action Plan in 2016.
Your task is simple, but important: Take the pledge online, record a short video or take a photo, post it on Facebook and/or Twitter using #VisionZeroHero, then nominate another person (e.g., friend, family member, co-worker) by tagging them in the post.
Here is a sample video-script, but feel free to get creative:
“Hey, y’all! My name is ____, and I’m proud to announce that I’ve been nominated as a Vision Zero Hero for Austin, Texas! I’m excited to help Austin reduce all traffic-related deaths and serious injuries to zero. I took the pledge online and I promise to drive slower on neighborhood streets to keep families safe (or add your own pledge here). I nominate ___________ to be a Vision Zero Hero, too!”
Just to recap:
- Pledge online - AustinTexas.gov/VisionZeroHero
- Post about your pledge with #VisionZeroHero
- Tag someone else to be nominated!
ATD will track these pledges using #VisionZeroHero and retweet/share them from our accounts: @AustinMobility and Facebook.com/ATXTransportation
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See Austin Mayor Steve Adler’s #VisionZeroHero post here on Twitter or his Facebook video below:
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ATD staff talks smart city initiatives on national podcast
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A legally blind man serves as a passenger in an autonomous Google (now Waymo) car in Austin’s Mueller neighborhood in 2015.
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What does it take to be a "smart city" in terms of transportation, and what is Austin's approach? ATD Assistant Director Jim Dale dove into this topic as a recent guest on the Institute of Transportation Engineers' "ITE Talks Transportation" podcast.
Dale discussed several Austin smart city initiatives, including the recent publication of the Smart Mobility Roadmap, Austin's approach to shared electric and autonomous vehicle technologies. The Roadmap, authored by the City of Austin (led by ATD Chief of Staff Karla Taylor) and Capital Metro, reviews emerging technologies in the context of meeting community goals. The Roadmap outlines policies, pilots and programs for consideration, as well as their connections with data, land use and infrastructure. The Roadmap, Dale said, "looks at those types of technologies and policies through the lenses of equity, affordability and also safety" in order to reach "outcomes for people."
"There’s not much value in the transportation system unless we can connect people to other things that enrich their lives," Dale explained, citing access to jobs, education, healthcare, emergency services, libraries, parks and simply other people. "That’s kind of how we think of the transportation system – whether you’re driving in a car, walking, biking, in transit – How can we better connect people to those activities or services that end up enriching their lives and making us a more desirable community to live and play in?"
Find out how Austin is using smart city technology, policies and partnerships across the state and beyond to help reach these mobility goals by tuning into the Austin "Smart Communities" episode of the ITE Talks Transportation podcast.
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As parking pay stations get upgrades, old technology finds new life
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Old pay station front panels and batteries wait at the ATD Meter Shop to be recycled.
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If you’ve paid to park at a City of Austin parking spot, you’re probably familiar with the pay stations that courteously dispense parking stickers for you to slap onto your windshield (that is, unless you’re using the parking app). Well, the trusty towers in Austin's downtown core received upgrades in September, with more efficient solar panels, new and improved batteries, front panels with color displays, and better data-crunching capabilities. What’s more – much of that old hardware is getting a second life!
Working with the Austin Materials Marketplace, ATD has donated approximately 130 solar panels to local education nonprofit Hackstarz. These panels will live on as both energy sources and instructional materials for children studying solar electronics. Our staff was also able to secure the recycling of 143 pay station doors, which amounts to over 2,600 pounds of metal and plastic saved! Finally, Austin Resource Recovery is recycling those old batteries. It's a win-win situation!
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Less traffic plus no tolls on MoPac: It all adds up to MetroRideShare
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Have you done the math on what it costs to drive alone to work every day? How much fuel it takes and how many hours are spent driving, unable to get anything else done?
Hundreds of people who live or work in Austin have taken back that time and put money back in their pockets by taking advantage of MetroRideShare vanpooling. Now, these high-occupancy heroes are getting some extra credit, with free access to the new MoPac express lanes!
The answer is clear: Vanpools are becoming the cheaper and faster commuting option! If you live or work anywhere in Austin, you can join one of the almost 250 MetroRideShare vanpools on the road or start your own with five or more coworkers today! Call 512-477-RIDE (7433) or go to capmetro.org/metrorideshare to get started.
Want to check the math for yourself? Try out the calculator at commutesolutions.com to add up what you currently spend on gas, maintenance, and insurance and see how much you might save by vanpooling. You might find yourself daydreaming about how those hours spent in the car alone could transform into time spent reading, texting, chatting, or eating breakfast while a co-worker takes the wheel.
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