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City to share 2016 Mobility Bond recommendations for South Pleasant Valley Rd. and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./FM 969 corridors
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Conceptual maps representing the South Pleasant Valley Rd. (left) and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./FM 969 (right) corridor mobility plan areas.
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The City of Austin is developing mobility plans for the South Pleasant Valley Rd. and Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./FM 969 corridors as part of the 2016 Mobility Bond.
We heard about the needs and existing conditions of these corridors earlier this year. This feedback informed the proposed recommendations we'll present at the public meetings below. The meetings will be in an open house format, so join us anytime. They will feature updated maps, refreshments and more. Habrá interpretación en Español.
South Pleasant Valley Road between Oltorf St. and Slaughter Ln.
This meeting will also feature an activity station for your children with a balloon artist and face painting. See more information about the South Pleasant Valley Road Corridor Mobility Plan.
Recommended improvements identified in the South Pleasant Valley Road Corridor Mobility Plan may be designed and constructed as future funding sources become available.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./FM 969 between North Lamar Blvd. and US 183
See more information about the Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./FM 969 Corridor Mobility Plan.
Recommended improvements identified in the Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd./FM 969 Corridor Mobility Plan may be designed and constructed as future funding sources become available.
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City to host public meeting on new pedestrian, bicycle crossing near Longhorn Dam
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The City of Austin is conducting a preliminary study for construction of a new pedestrian and bicycle bridge crossing Lady Bird Lake near Longhorn Dam. Staff is asking for feedback on what the new crossing should accomplish and what potential interim improvements could be made to Longhorn Dam. This process will kick off at a public meeting next week.
Longhorn Dam Multimodal Improvements Public Kick-off Meeting
At the meeting, Public Works and Austin Transportation staff will introduce the project and identify the needs and issues it is intended to address. This will include an overview of the project and the planning history surrounding it, along with existing conditions and considerations that will affect the alternatives analysis that will ultimately result in a proposed solution. Learn more about the project at AustinTexas.gov/LonghornBridge.
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TxDOT Workshop: Loop 360 at Spicewood Springs Road Project
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The Texas Department of Transportation is hosting a public workshop for the Loop 360 at Spicewood Springs Road Project next week.
Drop by to learn about the project and to provide feedback on proposed improvements. The input TxDOT receives at the workshop will help guide the planning process, including environmental analysis, final design and construction.
The City of Austin is contributing $46 million from 2016 Mobility Bond to improvements at four Loop 360 intersections, including Spicewood Springs Road. Learn more about the Loop 360 project on the project website.
The Loop 360 at Spicewood Springs Road project is adjacent to the City of Austin’s Spicewood Springs Road project.
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Attend a panel talk on how technology will transform transportation
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Join Austin Transportation at the Austin Forum on Technology and Society's event on transportation and mobility. Austin transportation experts will discuss how technologies are enabling new mobility options, how transportation is likely to evolve and how that will change work, communities and society.
The discussion panel features the following speakers:
- Karla Taylor, City of Austin Transportation Department
- Kathleen Baireuther, Ford Smart Mobility
- Barry Einsig, CAVita
- Gregg Hansen, Maven
- Jason JonMichael, City of Austin Transportation Department
- Alex Sabatier, Nvidia
The event is free to attend. You can submit discussion questions in advance at info@austinforum.org. This event will be a joint event with the Austin CityUP smart city consortium, of which Austin Transportation is a member. Learn more about the event on the Austin Forum website.
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Exercise your "ride to vote" tomorrow on Election Day!
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Get to the voting polls on Election Day tomorrow, Nov. 6, with these promotions! You can also plan ahead and check the wait time at your local polling site online.
Free rides
- Capital Metro will provide free transit rides throughout Election Day on all MetroBus, MetroRapid, MetroExpress, MetroRail, and MetroAccess services. MetroAccess subscribers will need to call 512-852-7272 to schedule their trips.
- Central Area Rural Transit System (CARTS) will provide FREE bus rides to rural riders on Election Day. Schedule rides 24 hours in advance by calling 512-478-RIDE (7433).
- JUMP e-bike and scooter rides are free through Veterans Day (Nov. 11). Users can enjoy up to five free rides per day, up to 30 minutes per ride.
- Lime scooter rides are free on Election Day with the promotional code LIME2VOTE18, valid for two free rides up to 30 minutes each.
Discounted rides
- Uber will be offering $10 off a single ride on Election Day with the promotional code VOTE2018.
- Lyft is offering 50% off rides on Election Day with the promotional code VOTETX4 (valid for the Austin area; check here for your ZIP code).
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Affordable Parking Program expands, online garage map now live
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The Affordable Parking Program just keeps on growing! Since we last updated you about the program, we've added three new locations. That brings the total to 17 garages for employees who work evening shifts downtown to use at affordable monthly rates.
To make it even easier for people to choose the garage that suits them best, Austin Transportation has created an interactive virtual map of the entire Affordable Parking Program inventory! You can browse the map to see all the locations, along with their hours, rates and information on who to contact to sign up!
The new garages are located at:
- 515 Congress Ave.
- 701 Brazos St.
- 328 Brazos St.
Austin Transportation is proud to be partnering with the Downtown Austin Alliance and its transportation management association Movability to help educate people about the program. If you want to help spread the word, you can download a printer-friendly flyer.
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Check it out: "The Bus Is Still Best"
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The mobility landscape of cities is changing rapidly as new technology brings promise while cities grapple with limited space to move people. In a recent piece in the Atlantic, public transit planning and policy consultant Jarrett Walker tackles this issue and comes to the conclusion that "the bus is still best" among an expanding list of solutions.
"Technology companies have brilliant solutions to important problems," Walker writes. "For the problem of emissions, they offer electric vehicles. Autonomous vehicles of the future, and active-safety systems of today, make vehicles safer. Apps make transit services easier to navigate and pay for. But those are different problems from the problem of sharing space. The technology industry’s marketers can mix these issues together, dangling an electric, autonomous future before the citizenry, but if their vision hasn’t solved the problem of sharing space, it is not a vision of a functional, inclusive city. They will try everything else first, but in the end, the only solution will be the bus."
While Austin Transportation is pursuing cutting-edge technology solutions through its Smart Mobility Program, the City recognizes that constrained rights of way make it difficult to move more vehicles. Through its related Transportation Demand Management (TDM) Program, Austin Transportation works closely with the City's transit partners at Capital Metro and other service providers to provide alternatives to driving.
TDM is the flip side of infrastructure. It focuses on helping people use the existing infrastructure in place, such as the public transit system, to travel efficiently. TDM is the idea that it is possible to improve mobility by changing how people get around rather than cities trying to build their way out of congestion. Smart Trips Austin, a joint effort between the City and Capital Metro, is a neighborhood-based outreach and education program that encourages Austinites to consider more sustainable options for getting around town through in-person outreach and by hosting walking tours, bike rides, and transit adventures. The City also supports its regional partners Movability and Commute Solutions in providing solutions to the daily commute to individuals and employers.
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Texas summit highlights early possibilities for autonomous vehicles
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Last week, the Texas Innovation Alliance’s third annual Texas Mobility Summit explored early possibilities for autonomous vehicles in Texas. The City of Austin is a founding member of the Texas Innovation Alliance, which was spurred by the U.S. Department of Transportation's “Smart City Challenge.”
Nearly 30 companies and colleges participated in a “demo day” showing their latest innovations in robotics, scooters, connected signals and more. The Alliance brings together the state’s transportation leaders – elected officials, state agencies, transit authorities, city and county departments, metropolitan planning organizations, and more – to envision and advance smart mobility solutions in Texas’s metropolitan areas. Learn more about the Texas Innovation Alliance and the Texas Mobility Summit. For information on the City of Austin's Smart Mobility initiatives, visit AustinTexas.gov/SmartMobility.
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Coming up in this week's mobility calendar
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The Hill Country Conservancy is hosting an open house for all those interested in reviewing and commenting upon suggested improvements to the Violet Crown Trailhead in Zilker Park.
Join Smart Trips Austin and Lime as we tour some of the best pocket parks on the Eastside. We will begin gathering at 5:30 p.m. at Lott Pocket Park. This event is free to attend, but registration is required on Eventbrite. More information is available on Facebook.
This is the final of five Smart Trips Austin bike rides hosted by Bike Austin. Participants will explore neighborhoods within East Central Austin, learning about history, culture, and current events while also putting their scavenger hunting skills to work along the route. Bike EAST has partnered with Smart Trips to make this ride possible. This event is free to attend, but registration is required on Eventbrite. More information is available on Facebook.
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