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NOW 1:07 PM I[CALL TO ORDER]
AM CHAIR PAIGE ELLIS, THE MAYOR PRO TEM OF AUSTIN.I AM THE CHAIR OF THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND WE ARE HERE AT AUSTIN CITY HALL, MAY 11TH, 2023.
[Public Communication: General]
GIVE A COUPLE OF UPDATES AS WE GET STARTED INTO THIS MEETING.SO WE TYPICALLY, FOR THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS ONLY HAVE SPOTS FOR FIVE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND IT'S GENERAL COMMUNICATION.
SO SINCE A LOT OF THE ITEMS THAT WE'RE DOING ARE BRIEFINGS, WE DON'T TYPICALLY HAVE PEOPLE SIGN UP ON EVERY INDIVIDUAL ITEM THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD SEE IN A NORMAL COUNCIL MEETING.
BUT BECAUSE I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE ITEMS OF INTEREST THAT PEOPLE HAD, WE EXPANDED THAT TO 10 PEOPLE.
WE WILL STILL GIVE YOU ALL THREE FULL MINUTES TO GO AHEAD AND COMPLETE YOUR REMARKS.
I WOULD ASK THAT THEY STAY PERTINENT TO MOBILITY BECAUSE THAT'S THE JURISDICTION OF THIS COMMITTEE, AND TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE FOCUSING MOSTLY ON JUST MOBILITY ASPECTS IN AUSTIN, CUZ THERE MIGHT NOT BE FOLKS ABLE TO, UH, RECEIVE, COMMENT, OR BE ABLE TO TAKE NOTES ON OTHER SITUATIONS THAT PEOPLE MIGHT HAVE QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT THAT ARE OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF OUR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT, OUR CAPITAL DELIVERY PROJECTS.
SO ON THAT NOTE, IT IS BIKE MONTH, SO OUR MAY COMMITTEE MEETING, WE REALLY LIKE TO TRY TO FOCUS AS MUCH AS WE CAN ON BICYCLE MOBILITY INFRASTRUCTURE.
I'M JOINED BY VICE CHAIR CADRE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON JOINING US VIRTUALLY.
AND WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER JOINING US.
AND COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTEZ WILL, UM, ARRIVE HERE AS SOON AS SHE IS ABLE TO.
SO WE HAVE 10 PEOPLE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GROUP PEOPLE BY SIMILAR TOPIC, SO WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO TRY TO GET PEOPLE, UM, NOT KNOWING EXACTLY WHICH TOPICS PEOPLE ARE SIGNED UP ON.
I'M GONNA TAKE THE FIRST SPEAKER, WHICH IS TERRY ADAMS. DO YOU WANNA COME SPEAK TO US? TERRY? IS TERRY HERE? SHE LEFT.
UM, LET'S, TANYA PAYNE, DO YOU WANNA TELL US WHICH ITEM IT IS THAT YOU'RE WANTING TO SPEAK ON HER? SHE'S NOT HERE EITHER.
HOW ABOUT KAREN BLIZZARD? WELCOME.
AND ARE WE ABLE TO RUN THE TIMER DURING THIS MEETING? I KNOW WE, OUR CHRISTOPHER PARKS, OUR NORMAL LIAISON IS NOT WITH US TODAY, SO YOU MAY NEED TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF GRACE JUST TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE ALL THE BELLS AND WHISTLES IN ORDER TIMERS READY TO GO.
I'M KAREN BLIZZARD AND I'M SPEAKING TODAY TO INTRODUCE A NEW NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, ZILKER 3 51.
IN REFERENCE TO THIS 351 ACRES OF ZILKER PARK.
OUR TAGLINE IS EVERY ACRE FOR EVERYONE BECAUSE ZILKER IS A METROPOLITAN PARK THAT BELONGS TO ALL OF AUSTIN, BRINGING WITH IT MOBILITY CHALLENGES.
WHETHER YOU LIVE IN THE ZILKER NEIGHBORHOOD OR IN WINDSOR HILLS CIRCLE, C EAST, CESAR CHAVEZ, NORTHWEST HILLS, OR FAR SOUTH AUSTIN.
THE GROUP'S MISSION IS TO HONOR, PRESERVE, AND ENHANCE THE NATURAL CULTURAL AND RECREATIONAL TREASURES OF THE PARK FOR ALL.
TO HONOR ANDREW ZUCKER'S STATEMENT THAT ZILKER METROPOLITAN PARK QUOTE, OUGHT TO BELONG TO ALL THE PEOPLE OF AUSTIN CLOSE.
ZILKER 3 51 ENVISIONS A PARK THAT WELCOMES ALL VISITORS TO EXPERIENCE THE NATURAL BEAUTY, VIBRANT PROGRAMS AND RECREATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES, AND BECOME STEWARDS OF THE PARK FOR CURRENT AND FUTURE GENERATIONS.
ZUCKER 3 51 1 WAS FORMED IN 2022 BY THE ZILKER COLLECTIVE IMPACT WORKING GROUP 14 NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS AND ONE VENDOR WHO OPERATE WITHIN ZILKER PARK.
THEY INCLUDE ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDEN, FRIENDS OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL, BARTON SPRINGS CONSERVANCY, THE ZILKER THEATER PRODUCTIONS, HILL COUNTRY CONSERVANCY, TRAIL OF LIGHTS FOUNDATION, AUSTIN PARKS FOUNDATION, AUSTIN SUNSHINE CAMPS, GIRL SCOUTS OF CENTRAL TEXAS, ZER CABIN ROWING DOCK, THE TRAIL CONSERVANCY, A ABC KITE FESTIVAL, WATERLOO DISC GOLF CLUB, LOFT SCULPTURE, GARDEN AND MUSEUM, AND FRIENDS OF THE AUSTIN NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER.
THESE LONG-STANDING AND BELOVED ORGANIZATIONS ARE PART OF THE FABRIC OF ZILKER PARK AND OF AUSTIN.
FOR DECADES, THEY HAVE SERVED MILLIONS OF PARK VISITORS BY PROVIDING RECREATIONAL AMENITIES PROGRAMS THE FREE SUMMER MUSICAL, AND SUMMER CAMPS WITHOUT THE BARRIER OF COST TO NAME JUST A FEW.
WITH THEIR LONGSTANDING HISTORY.
THESE GROUPS PROVIDED INPUT TO THE VISION PLAN THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT PROCESS IN SUPPORT OF SOME ASPECTS OF THE PLAN, AND WITH SUGGESTIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT.
AREAS OF SUPPORT INCLUDED MULTIMODAL MOBILITY IMPROVEMENTS, BRINGING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE PARK, ALONG WITH ECOLOGICAL UPLIFT OF 92 ACRES IN THE PARK.
WITH SUPPORT FROM LEADERSHIP AUSTIN AND AUSTIN TOGETHER, THESE GROUPS CAME TOGETHER TO DISCUSS WHETHER AND HOW A NONPROFIT MIGHT BE FORMED TO REPRESENT ALL OF ZER PARK.
AFTER A YEAR AND A HALF OF DISCUSSIONS AND PLANNING, ZER 3 51 WAS FORMED AS A NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION
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WITH A COMMUNITY BOARD OF DIRECTORS AND A 15 MEMBER ADVISORY BOARD.IT'S WORTH NOTING THAT ZER 3 51 HAS NO DESIRE PLANS OR INTEREST IN RUNNING PRIVATIZING OR MANAGING ZER PARK.
THE GROUP HAS NOT YET FORMED A RELATIONSHIP WITH PAR, BUT INTENDS TO DO SO THROUGH PARS COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIP PROGRAM TO DETERMINE HOW BEST WE CAN SUPPORT AND SUPPLEMENT PARS WORK IN THE FUTURE.
THE LIST I AM WORKING OFF OF, IT LOOKS LIKE BILL BUNCH IS SIGNED UP ON THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE.
GOOD AFTERNOON, UH, CHAIR ELLIS, MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE AND COUNCIL.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'M EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAVE OUR SPRINGS ALLIANCE.
UM, AND SPEAKING TO THE ROAD BRIDGE AND THE RELATED, UH, PARK PLAN, UM, WE VERY MUCH ARE IN STRONG FAVOR OF PRESERVING THE HISTORIC BRIDGE OVER BARTON CREEK.
IF YOU'VE EVER, UH, WALKED OR SWAM OR PADDLED UNDER THAT BRIDGE, YOU KNOW HOW BEAUTIFUL IT IS.
UH, THE ORIGINAL BRIDGE IS FROM THE 1920S, IS IN EXPANDED VERY NICELY IN 1946.
IT'S A 200 YEAR BRIDGE, AND, UM, AND WE THINK IT REALLY SHOULD BE PRESERVED.
I PASSED OUT AND YOU SHOULD EACH HAVE A LETTER FROM, UH, CIVIL ENGINEER FROM, UH, DECADES, TOM KIM, UH, ABOUT HOW THE BRIDGE IS IN CURRENTLY EXCELLENT CONDITION.
UM, THERE MIGHT BE SOME QUESTIONS THAT ARE NOT ANSWERED, BUT THE, THE PICTURE THAT THE STAFF PUBLIC WORKS HAS BEEN PAINTING, THAT IT'S DETERIORATED AND THAT IT NEEDS TO BE BASICALLY, UH, THE TOP DECKING BLOWN UP WITH A SERIES OF, UH, MINOR EXPLOSIONS AND COMPLETELY REBUILT, UH, IS SIMPLY NOT ACCURATE, OR AT LEAST THE SCIENCE THAT WE'VE SEEN DOES NOT SUPPORT THAT.
HE BUILDS BRIDGES FOR THE CITY OF AUSTIN AND HAS FOR DECADES IN OTHER CITIES.
AND THERE'S A TWO PAGE SUMMARY OF HIS WORK, UH, MASTERS IN CIVIL ENGINEERING FROM THE SEVENTIES AT UT.
UM, THIS IS WHAT HE DOES FOR A LIVING, LITERALLY.
UM, SO, UH, IT IS NATIONAL REGISTER BRIDGE.
UM, IT WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE ZILKER PARK PLAN, WHICH MAKES NO SENSE BECAUSE THE PARK PLAN'S CALLING FOR FOUR OTHER BRIDGES.
UM, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NOT BEEN COORDINATION HERE.
UH, THE PARK PLAN, THE DRAFT PLAN MISLEADS AND IS MISREPRESENTS THAT THE PARK PLAN THE DRAFT FROM THE CITY'S CONSULTANTS PROTECTS ALL OF THE CONTRIBUTING FEATURES OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER HISTORIC DISTRICT OF ZER PARK.
THAT IS FALSE BECAUSE THIS DIS, THIS BRIDGE IS PART OF THAT HISTORIC DISTRICT, A CONSI CONTRIBUTING FEATURE.
UH, ALSO A CRITICAL POINT THAT YOU SHOULD START FROM IS THAT THE ONLY BOND FUNDING THAT WAS APPROVED IN THE LAST PACKAGE BURIED WAS FOR ENGINEERING DESIGN AND ANALYSIS.
AND IT SPECIFICALLY WAS LOOKING AT REHABILITATING THE BRIDGE OR BUILDING A NEW ONE.
SO THERE'S NO VOTER MANDATE TO REPLACE THIS BRIDGE WITH THIS GIANT UGLY HIGHWAY STANDARD ISSUE, HIGHWAY BRIDGE, WHICH I THINK YOU'LL SEE PICTURES OF FROM STAFF.
UM, AND THERE'S NO MONEY FOR IT.
UH, WE CAN FIX THE BRIDGE FOR MUCH CHEAPER AND A AVOID ALL THE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE THAT WOULD COME WITHOUT A DISTRICT ADDITIONAL CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
THE NEXT SPEAKER I HAVE IS MIKE KADI, AND THEN AFTER THAT WILL BE ROY WHALEY.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TODAY.
I'M HERE AS A 50 PLUS LONG USER OF ZER PARK AND A BOARD MEMBER OF BARTON SPRINGS CONSERVANCY AND THE ADVOCACY CHAIR FOR FRIENDS OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
UH, REGARDING THE MOBILITY'S COMMITTEE'S PURPOSE FOR ADDRESSING LAND USE MATTERS CONCERNING MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION MODES, I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON THE VISION PLANS MOBILITY PROVISIONS, WHICH WE BELIEVE MAKES ZER METROPOLITAN PARK THE WELCOMING AND ACCESSIBLE PARK FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
UH, AS YOU KNOW, THE PLANS PROVISIONS IN THIS RESPECT WERE APPROVED BY THE BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL AND ALSO THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
UM, AND I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE ASPECTS OF THE PLAN THAT WE THINK ARE GREAT IMPROVEMENTS TO THE MOBILITY.
UH, ONE IS THERE ARE FIVE NEW BIKE OR PED BRIDGES CONNECTING EITHER OVER THE LAKE OR OVER THE CREEK TO IMPROVE MOBILITY IN THE PARK.
THERE'S AN IMPRESSIVE AND APPEALING NATURE OR
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LAND BRIDGE TO PROVIDE A SAFE AND HOPEFULLY VERY NATURAL CROSSING OVER BARTON SPRINGS ROAD.THERE ARE ALSO AN EXTENSIVE TRAIL SYSTEM OF 6.9 MILES OF NEW TRAILS IN THE, IN THE PARK THAT, AGAIN, ENHANCED MOBILITY WITHIN ZUCKER.
THE PLAN ALSO INCLUDES A ROBUST AND EXCITING TRANSIT OPTION, WHICH IS PART OF THE ASPECT OF THE PLAN.
AND A LOT OF THE COMMUNITY, INCLUDING AT ONE POINT THE NE THE NEIGHBORHOOD COMMUNITY THOUGHT THAT THE TRANSIT PIECE OF THIS WAS ACTUALLY IDEAL.
UH, BUT THIS IS JUST ONE SMALL PIECE OF ALL OF THE MOBILITY SOLUTIONS.
UM, THERE'S ALSO, UH, SOME PROPOSALS TO IMPROVE, UH, MOBILE RAPID TRANSIT CONNECTIONS WITH EXTERNAL SHUTTLES FROM THE PARK TO LAMAR, OR IF PROJECT CONNECT COMES ONLINE TO ONE OF THOSE STOPS THERE.
UH, SO THAT WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT AS WELL.
UM, BUT AS A DIRECT BENEFIT OF ALL OF THESE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PLAN FOR MOBILITY, WE ALSO CAN ACHIEVE, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE PLAN'S NUMBERS, 92 ACRES OF ECOLOGICAL IMPROVEMENT AND RESTORATION IN THE PARK.
UM, AND YOU MAY WONDER HOW THOSE THINGS WORK TOGETHER.
THE BASIC IDEA SEEMS TO BE THAT IF WE CAN CONSOLIDATE THE EXISTING SURFACE PARKING, A LOT OF WHICH IS ACTUALLY REALLY CLOSE TO BARTON CREEK AND LADYBIRD LAKE, AND IF WE CAN CONSOLIDATE THAT INTO A SMALLER FOOTPRINT ANYWHERE FROM ONE TWO, POSSIBLY THREE BRIDGES THAT WOULD BE PHASED IN OVER TIME.
THE VISION PLAN IS ACHIEVING THAT INCREASE IN ECOLOGICAL HEALTH.
YOU CAN ACTUALLY PULL BACK ALTOGETHER ABOUT NINE ACRES OF A PERVIOUS COVER ACCORDING TO THE NUMBERS OF THE PLAN.
AND AT LEAST THAT IS KIND OF HOW THE PARKING PIECE FITS WITH THE TRANSIT PIECE, FITS WITH THE BIKING PIECE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF HERE, IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF COMPLICATED MOVING PARTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT INTERESTS THAT HAVE TO BE RESOLVED, AND I REALLY WANT TO COMMEND THE CITY'S DESIGN TEAM FOR THEIR VERY HARD WORK TO TRY TO LISTEN TO ALL OF THE INPUT AND TRY TO COME UP WITH A SOLUTION THAT MEETS MAYBE NOT ANYONE'S PERFECT ANSWER, BUT A REALLY GOOD SOLID ANSWER TO PLAN FOR THE SUSTAINABLE FUTURE OF ZUCKER PARK.
WE HAVE ROY WHALEY NEXT, AND I ALSO HAVE DAVID WEINBERG SIGNED UP.
ARE YOU ON THE SIMILAR TOPIC OF, OF ZUCKER? OKAY, YOU'LL BE NEXT.
HOW DO Y'ALL, MY NAME IS ROY WHALEY.
I'M THE CONSERVATION SHERIFF FOR THE AUSTIN REGIONAL GROUP OF THE SIERRA CLUB.
AND TO REMIND YOU, NOBODY'S CAR WANTS TO GO TO THE PARK.
PEOPLE WANT TO GO TO THE PARK, AND WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO GET PEOPLE NOT CARS TO THE PARK.
AND THAT WILL MEAN A ROBUST TRANSIT SYSTEM, INCLUDING A SHUTTLE THAT RUNS FROM NEARBY OFFSITE PARKING AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE CITY.
CUZ WE WANT EVERYONE, NO MATTER WHERE YOU LIVE IN AUSTIN, TO BE ABLE TO COME TO Z OR PARK.
AND WHY IS ZILKER SO SPECIAL? BARTON SPRINGS, WHICH IS NOT MENTIONED IN THIS PLAN, AND NOT EVERYONE GOES FOR BARTON SPRINGS, BUT ZER IS A WONDERFUL PARK, BUT WE'VE GOT WONDERFUL PARKS ACROSS AUSTIN.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT 30 MILLION FOR A LAND BRIDGE, THE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS FOR PARKING GARAGES, I SEE THAT WE COULD BE SPREADING THIS MONEY TO ALL THE PARKS IN AUSTIN.
AND TO ME, THAT CREATES REAL EQUITY.
IT'S NOT JUST BEING ABLE TO GO TO THE PARK SILK PARK, BUT IT'S BEING ABLE TO HAVE A GREAT PARK NEARBY, HOPEFULLY WITHIN WALKING DISTANCE.
BUT WE, UH, ARE PARTICULARLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE 30 MILLION LAND BRIDGE AND MOVING THE ZILKER HILLSIDE THEATER THERE.
UM, THE PARAMOUNT THEATER SEATS 1,280 PEOPLE, I BELIEVE WAS THE NUMBER I READ.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE SHOW UP FOR PRESENTATIONS THERE.
YOU CAN HAVE THE SAME THING AT THE EXISTING HILLSIDE THEATER THAT WE'VE ALREADY SUNK A LOT OF MONEY INTO AND IT NEEDS MORE.
BUT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED RATHER THAN TO TAKE OUT OVER A DOZEN TREES, SOME HERITAGE TREES TO CREATE A LAND BRIDGE THAT WILL SCAR THE PARK DURING CONSTRUCTION.
I'M NOT EVEN SURE HOW THEY WILL GET TRAFFIC THROUGH DURING THIS CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE NEED, INSTEAD OF 30 MILLION THERE, LET'S PUT 30 MILLION INTO DOVE SPRINGS.
LET'S PUT IT INTO WALNUT CREEK.
LET'S PUT IT INTO SOME OF THE AREAS WAY NORTH THAT GET VERY LITTLE ATTENTION.
SO LET'S SPEND THIS MONEY MORE WISELY THAN WHAT THIS VISION PLAN IS PROPOSING.
WE HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE VISION AND AND THERE IS A COALITION WORKING ON THAT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IT'S NOT SEEN THAT IT, THE REALITY IS, IT IS NOT A GROUP OF GRUMBLING NEIGHBORS.
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IS PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE CITY.SIERRA CLUB REPRESENTS PEOPLE FROM ACROSS THE CITY AND SIERRA CLUB MEMBERS ARE CONCERNED ABOUT SPENDING THIS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR ZILKER WHEN THEY DON'T SEE THAT MUCH WRONG WITH ZER.
30 MILLION FOR A LAND BRIDGE, 120 MILLION FOR ANOTHER CROSSING.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND FOR WEARING YOUR BIKE HELMET.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I WANTED TO MAKE A COUPLE QUICK POINTS ABOUT PARKING GARAGES.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, IT REALLY WOULD'VE BEEN NICE IF THE PARKS BOARD LATER IN THIS MONTH WORE THE COUNCIL IN JULY OR WHENEVER THE VOTE COMES UP, HAD A VISION PLAN IN FRONT OF THEM THAT WAS IN LIVING IN THE WORLD OF THE PRACTICAL AND THE, AND THE, UH, POSSIBLE.
I THINK BUILDING A MULTI-STORY UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, A NINE IRON SHOT FROM BARTON SPRINGS IS SOMETHING THAT EXISTS MORE IN THE WORLD OF SCIENCE FICTION THAN IT DOES IN PRACTICALITY.
HERE'S THE SECOND POINT I WANNA MAKE ABOUT PARKING GARAGES OVER I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY MONTHS, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW IN SPENDING, HOW MUCH TAXPAYER MONEY THE DESIGN WORKSHOP SEEM TO FAIL TO ASK THE PUBLIC AN UP DOWN QUESTION, DO YOU WANT PARKING GARAGES IN ZER PARK? WELL, THEY DIDN'T.
AND YOU CAN ASK THEM LATER THIS AFTERNOON, WHY, PERHAPS, BUT SOMEBODY ELSE DID.
AND YOU NEXT WEEK WILL BE HEARING ABOUT AND SEEING A POLL WHICH ASKED SPECIFICALLY ABOUT PARKING GARAGES.
AND WHAT THAT POLL WILL SAY IS, PARKING GARAGES IN ZER PARK HAVE NO SUPPORT IN THE CITY OF AUSTIN, NOT IN EAST AUSTIN, NOT IN WEST AUSTIN.
THERE IS NOT A SINGLE COUNCIL DISTRICT WHERE PARKING GARAGES IN ZILKER PARK HAVE A MODICUM OF SUPPORT, NOT A SINGLE ONE.
SO WHEN LOOKING AT THIS PLAN IN TERMS OF MOBILITY, LET'S A LOOK AT WHAT CAN WE ACTUALLY DO THERE, AND B, LET'S ALSO BE LISTENING TO THE PUBLIC ON WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE IN THE PARK.
AND THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE PARKING GARAGES.
HAVE TERRY ADAMS OR TANYA PAYNE ARRIVED? I'M GUESSING THEY'RE ON A SIMILAR TOPIC BEFORE WE MOVE ON.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO WITH JULIO GONZALEZ ALANO.
SO TODAY WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT LITTLE NUMBERS THAT END UP BEING VERY IMPORTANT FOR THE BIG NUMBERS RELATED TO PROJECT CONNECT.
WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT COST MARCH FOR L R T.
BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE DATA, I WANNA TELL YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE DATA.
THE DATA IS BASED ON 44 RAIL PROJECTS IN THE US AND CANADA.
OF COURSE, WE ADJUSTED FOR PURCHASING POWER PARITY AND INFLATION, AND WE DID INCLUDE THE FIGURES FROM THE MEMO RELEASED ON MAY 3RD BY ATP ABOUT THEIR COSTS.
IF YOU LOOK AT ALL, UH, 44 PROJECTS, YOU SEE THAT THE TWO MOST PRODUCTIVE HIGH RIDERSHIP PROPOSALS FROM ATP ARE SORT OF IN THE MIDDLE MEDIAN.
HOWEVER, IF YOU DIVE CLOSER AND LOOK AT ONLY THOSE PROJECTS THAT HAVE 65% OR MORE AT GRADE GUIDEWAY, THE COST IN MILLIONS PER MILE FOR OUR MOST PRODUCTIVE PROJECTS IS SOMEWHAT HIGH.
THAT DOESN'T MEAN EXPENSIVE, IT JUST MEANS HIGH.
ANOTHER WAY TO LOOK AT THIS IS TO LOOK AT JUST A SUB SAMPLE OF THE PROJECTS.
FOR CITIES THAT ARE MOST LIKE US, CHARLOTTE, HOUSTON, AND PHOENIX, AND AGAIN, THE COST PER MILE IN US DOLLARS AND FOR 2023 ENDS UP BEING ABOUT 125 MILLION.
NOW, JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING HAS A HIGH COST PER MILE DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT IS EXPENSIVE OR UNPRODUCTIVE.
IN THIS SCATTER PLOT, WHAT YOU ARE LOOKING AT IS THE COST PER MILE ON THE, AND THE RIDERSHIP ON THE Y AXIS, THERE'S VERY GOOD NEWS IN THAT N LT C PPV IS A BLOCKBUSTER RIDERSHIP PROJECT, BUT IF WE USE THE 40% CONTINGENCY AND THE COST THAT HAVE BEEN GIVEN US BY ATTP, IT IS STILL A HIGH COST PER MILE PROJECT.
A DIFFERENT WAY OF LOOKING AT PRODUCTIVITY IS TO LOOK AT WHAT DOES IT COST TO GET A THOUSAND WRITERS IN TERMS OF MILLIONS.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SAMPLE, AGAIN, OUR PROJECTS ARE SOMEWHAT MORE EXPENSIVE
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THAN SOME OF OUR PEERS.THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT'S EXPENSIVE, IT JUST MEANS THAT WE NEED TO MAKE IT PRODUCTIVE.
IT ALSO MEANS THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TOO IF WE PRESS ON COSTS, SQUEEZE OUT A FEW MORE MILES, AND THERE'S ABOUT 2.8 MILES BETWEEN 38TH AND CRESTVIEW STATION PUSHING AND ASKING FOR THE FEASIBILITY OF WHAT IT WOULD COST TO GET TO CRESTVIEW STATION FOR 38 AL ULTRA JACK YELLOW JACKET SHOULD BE OUR PRIORITY.
ANOTHER PRIORITY TO MAKE THINGS MORE PRODUCTIVE IS TO LOOK AT THE SMALL DOTS AND TRY AND PACK RIDERSHIP THERE SO THAT OUR COST PER RIDERSHIP MATCHES WHAT OUR COST PER MILE BENCHMARK WOULD REQUIRE.
AND I KNOW IT SEEMS LIKE YOU MAY HAVE BEEN CUT OFF, IF YOU COULD EMAIL US OR MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE INFORMATION IF THERE WAS ANYTHING FURTHER.
UM, AND THAT GOES FOR EVERYBODY.
WE'RE MORE THAN HAPPY TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT.
GOOD AFTERNOON MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
AND, UM, YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN ME AT SOME OF THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETINGS.
UM, I HAVE BEEN DOING A DEEP DIVE ON MANY OF THE DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND COUNCILS AND THEIR PLANS REGARDING, UM, SAFETY AND MOBILITY AND TRANSPORTATION IN AUSTIN.
AND IT SEEMS THAT ALL OF THEM HAVE THE SAME COMMON THEME OF AFFORDABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, SAFETY, UM, ALL IN CONJUNCTION TOGETHER TO TRY TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF CARS ON THE ROAD.
SO I JUST WOULD LIKE TO MAKE YOU AWARE OF THE RISK OF THE, OF THE LACK OF AFFORDABLE AND SAFE TRANSPORTATION BETWEEN RAINY STREET AND EAST RIVERSIDE.
FOR PATRONS AND SERVICE INDUSTRY WORKERS DURING PEAK HOURS, UBER RIDES FROM RAINY STREET TO RIVERSIDE COST ANYWHERE FROM 75 TO A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
IF YOU'RE A WAITER OR A BARBACK, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO PAY THAT EVERY NIGHT.
SO THIS RIDE NORMALLY COSTS EIGHT TO $10 AND DUE TO THE SURGE PRICING, MOST INTEREST WORKERS AND PATRONS CHOOSE TO WALK SCOOTER OR BIKE FROM RAIN STREET TO EAST RIVERSIDE.
THE LARGE CROWDS OF PEOPLE TRYING TO GET HOME VIA CAR ALTERNATIVES INCREASES THE RISK OF ACCIDENTS FROM MIDNIGHT TO 3:00 AM.
AS PATHS AND ROADS ARE NOT WELL LIT, CAMERAS ARE NOT PRESENT.
DISTRACTED TIRE DRIVERS PLAGUE, THE STREETS AND JUDGMENT MAY BE IMPAIRED AND OPPORTUNISTIC CRIMINALS DUE AWAIT TO MITIGATE THE RISK OF ADDITIONAL ACCIDENTS AND VIOLENT CRIME.
I'M REQUESTING THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE.
URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, BICYCLE ADVISORY COUNCIL, PEDESTRIAN ADVISORY COUNCIL AND CAPITAL METRO PRIORITI PRIORITIZE OPTIONS FOR SAFE, AFFORDABLE TRANSPORTATION FROM RAINY STREET TO RIVERSIDE DURING PEAK ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT HOURS.
THERE IS CURRENTLY A NIGHT O RIVERSIDE SHUTTLE THAT RUNS FROM SIXTH STREET TO EAST RIVERSIDE, BUT THAT BUS STOP IS A 21 MINUTE WALK AWAY FROM RAINY STREET.
SO THAT REALLY PREVENTS IT FROM BEING A RESOURCE TO PATRONS AND WORKERS IN THAT AREA.
I RECOMMEND A SHUTTLE BUS RUNNING FROM 4:00 PM UNTIL 3:00 AM UM, THAT WILL IMPROVE SAFETY, BUT ALSO MOVE AUSTIN TOWARDS SUCCESSFULLY RECOGNIZING THE GOALS OUTLINED IN VISION ZERO.
AND MANY OF THE OTHER PLANS I FOUND ONLINE, THESE PLANS ALL STATED THAT THEIR GOAL IS TO BUILD A SAFE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION NETWORK IN AUSTIN.
UM, I HAVE A PLAN FOR THE ROUTE, UM, BUT I THINK I'M GONNA RUN OUT OF TIME SO I CAN EMAIL THAT TO YOU.
BUT I HUMBLY MAKE THESE REQUESTS ON BEHALF OF THE FAMILIES OF THE YOUNG MEN WHO CAN NO LONGER SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES.
MY BROTHER JOSHUA ALVIN CROWE.
JASON JOHN MARTIN GUTIERREZ, JOHN HONEY, CLIFF AX TOLD JAKE WALTRIP, RANDY LUX FOLD.
SANTIAGO, BE JULIO SANTOS III.
I REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
I UNDERSTAND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS AND HOW YOU ARE AN INUNDATED WITH REQUESTS AND COMPLAINTS.
I AM A NINE YEAR VETERAN HOA PRESIDENT AND I'M ONLY DOING IT BECAUSE NO ONE IN THE COMMUNITY WILL STEP UP.
SO I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
YOU'RE, AND, AND, UM, HOPE THAT WE CAN ALL WORK TOGETHER TO IMPROVE THE CITY, THE CITY OF AUSTIN, AND MAKE OUR STREETS SAFE.
YEAH, I JUST, I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR, FOR YOUR ADVOCACY AND YOU KNOW, I'VE SEEN YOU AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY C COMMITTEE MEETINGS AND, UH, YOU KNOW, HEARING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING, THE ADVOCACY, YOU'VE DONE THAT SINCE YOUR, YOUR, YOUR BROTHER'S PASSING.
COULD YOU SEND THAT TO MY OFFICE? AND IF YOU'RE GONNA BE HERE UNTIL THE END OF THE MEETING, OR, OR IF YOU'RE HEADING OUT, I CAN QUICKLY GRAB YOU OUTSIDE AND I CAN GET SOME OF THIS STUFF FROM YOU.
UM, I'M SORRY, I HAVE TO GO BACK TO WORK.
UM, FAIR ENOUGH TO WORK FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE.
UH, WE'RE TRYING TO CREATE A TREATMENT FOR IT, SO I HAVE TO GET BACK TO WORK, BUT YES, I'LL, I'LL MEET YOU OUTSIDE.
IS ELIZABETH GONZALEZ HERE? I DON'T SEE ELIZABETH GONZALEZ LAST CALL FOR TERRY ADAMS OR TANYA PAYNE LOOKS LIKE THAT CONCLUDES OUR GENERAL COMMUNICATION PORTION
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OF THIS MEETING.[1. Approve the minutes of the Mobility Committee meetings held on March 2, 2023 and April 6, 2023.]
WILL NOW MOVE TO ITEM ONE, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES OF THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING HELD ON MARCH 2ND, 2023 AND APRIL 6TH, 2023.MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES.
COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY MAKES THE MOTION.
I HAVE A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
THAT IS FOUR OF US WHO ARE PRESENT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE HAS STEPPED OFF MOMENTARILY.
[2. Discussion and possible action on 2023 Mobility Committee meeting dates.]
ITEM NUMBER TWO WILL BE DISCUSSION, DISCUSSION AND POSSIBLE ACTION ON THE 2023 MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEETING DATES.SO I HAVE HANDED OUT A, ACTUALLY THE CALENDAR I HANDED OUT IS MORE JUST ABOUT WHERE OUR COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE AND WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE WORK SESSIONS OR CITY HOLIDAYS.
WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY PROPOSING FOR THE AUGUST MEETING IS, UM, KIND OF A NEW IDEA BECAUSE WE'RE STILL TRYING TO SORT OUT EXACTLY WHICH WEEK WE'RE GONNA BE DOING OUR COUNCIL MEETING, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE AUGUST 24TH OR AUGUST 31ST.
SO WHAT WE'RE GONNA PROPOSE FOR TODAY IS TO GO AHEAD AND ADOPT A SCHEDULE THAT LETS US POST FOR BOTH DAYS.
AND THEN YOU WILL SEE A CANCELLATION LATER ON DOWN THE LINE ONCE WE LAND ON WHERE THAT COUNCIL MEETING IS GOING TO BE.
BUT I DIDN'T WANNA PREEMPT THE WORK OF THE COUNCIL IN TRYING TO DETERMINE WHETHER THAT MEETING SHOULD BE ON THE 24TH OR 31ST.
SO WE'VE SUGGESTED THE THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS STAGGER AND PICK THE ONE THAT'S NOT USED.
SO DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE ADOPTING BOTH DATES AND WE WILL CANCEL ONE LATER.
I'VE GOT A MOTION BY COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTEZ AND A SECOND BY COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY.
ALL IN FAVOR? IT IS UNANIMOUS.
WE NOW HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE BACK ON THE DIAS, SO THAT IS A TOTAL OF FIVE.
[3. Update from the chair of the Urban Transportation Commission (UTC) regarding recent UTC actions.]
WE WILL NOW MOVE ON TO ITEM NUMBER THREE, THE UPDATE FROM THE CHAIR OF THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION, WHICH IS NOW SUSAN SUMMERS.THANK YOU FOR STEPPING INTO THAT ROLE.
CAN YOU GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF AN UPDATE ON THE WORK OF THE COMMISSION? YEAH.
HEY, UM, THANK YOU, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ELLIS AND, UH, CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I APPRECIATE BEING HERE WITH YOU TODAY.
I THINK IT'S BEEN A LITTLE WHILE SINCE YOU HEARD DIRECTLY FROM A UTC MEMBER.
I WAS SORT OF ACTING CHAIR FOR A WHILE AND NOW I'M ELECTED CHAIR.
UM, SO I'M GONNA QUICKLY, QUICKLY RUN THROUGH THE LAST, DID YOU, LET ME JUST ASK, DID YOU HAVE UPDATES ON LIKE OUR FEBRUARY MEETING? WHAT WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HEARD FROM A UTC MEMBER? I THINK IT'S BEEN TWO MEETINGS OR LONGER.
I KNOW IT'S HARD HAVING Y'ALL COME IN THE MIDDLE OF A THURSDAY, GIVEN THAT YOU'RE ALREADY VOLUNTEERING ON A COMMISSION.
UM, BUT I THINK, I THINK IT'S BEEN A COUPLE, IT'S ON MY CALENDAR NOW, SO AS LONG AS I KNOW I CAN PLAN FOR IT.
SO, UM, LET ME JUST RUN YOU, I'VE PULLED UP THROUGH FEBRUARY AND I'M JUST GONNA QUICKLY, QUICKLY RUN YOU THROUGH SOME OF OUR, UM, BIGGEST ACTION ITEMS, REALLY THINGS WE TOOK VOTES ON, SO, WHICH I THINK ARE IMPORTANT.
SO, UM, OUR, UM, UH, FOR OUR, UM, UH, FEBRUARY WAS REALLY, UM, THE SOUTH CONGRESS, UH, TRANSPORTATION MANAGEMENT DIS WE HAD A LOT OF, UH, SPEAKERS THAT WEEK AND WE DID, UH,
SO I ACTUALLY DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S, BUT THEN IT, OR WE DID, UM, UH, LET'S SEE.
OH GOSH, DID I CLOSE THE WRONG TAB? DID.
UM, SO THEN IN OUR MARCH MEETING WE DID A RECOMMENDATION ON THE, UM, SUPPORTING THE ATX WALK BIKE ROLE PLAN.
SO WE DID, UM, THAT WAS OUR BIG, OUR BIG ACTION ITEM IN MARCH.
SO WE WERE IN SUPPORT OF THAT PLAN.
UM, IN APRIL WE HAD, UM, WE HAD OUR OFFICER ELECTIONS.
I AM NOW THE U TC CHAIR RUEN, UH, OUR COMMISSIONER RUBEN BROOKS IS THE UTC VICE CHAIR.
UM, AND WE HAD A, UM, OUR BIG MEETING IN, IN APRIL, WE HAD THE UM, UH, ZILKER PARK DRAFT VISION PLAN, WHICH I BELIEVE YOU'RE ALSO, YOU HEARD SOME REMARKS.
WE HAD A LOT OF, UM, PASSIONATE, UH, UH, SPEAKERS AT THAT MEETING.
AND WE ALSO HAD A WELL IMPLEMENTATION DATE.
WE DID PASS A RECOMMENDATION REGARDING THE DRAFT ZER PARK PLAN, WHICH IS SUPPORTIVE OF THE TRANSPORTATION ELEMENTS OF THE PLAN.
BUT THE BIG THE BIG, UM, INTERVENTION THAT WE MADE IS, IS SOME DISCUSSION OF THINGS LIKE A TRANSPORTATION STUDY, PARTICULARLY REGARDING THE NUMBER OF LANES AND SORT OF OVERALL, UM, UH, ROAD FORMAT OF BARTON SPRINGS ROAD THROUGH THE PARK.
UM, AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAID IS THAT ANY TRAFFIC STUDY, THERE SHOULD REALLY BE A STUDY THAT FO FOCUSES ON MULTIMODAL ACCESS TO THE PARK RATHER THAN, UH, CAR LEVEL OF SERVICE AND SORT OF SPEED THROUGH THE PARK.
SO LIKE FOCUSING ON ACCESS, WE WERE VERY, UM, I THINK IT'S FAIR TO SAY THAT THE COMMISSION WAS VERY
[00:30:01]
EXCITED TO HEAR ABOUT OPPORTUNITIES TO SLOW DOWN TRAFFIC, ENHANCE SAFETY AND ACCESS TO THE PARK.UM, WE DID HAVE, UH, A GOOD DISCUSSION ALSO AROUND PARKING GARAGES THAT WAS NOT PART OF OUR RECOMMENDATION, UM, BUT OBVIOUSLY, UM, VERY HEALTHY DISCUSSION ON SORT OF BALANCING THE, UM, THE NEED FOR EQUITABLE ACCESS TO WHAT IS REALLY OUR CROWN JEWEL, UM, CITY PARK, UH, ALONG WITH, YOU KNOW, WANTING TO, UH, MEET THE GOALS OF THE AUSTIN STRATEGIC MOBILITY PLAN AND GIVE PEOPLE ACCESS IN LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO THE PARK, UM, INCLUDING VIA TRANSIT, UM, AND WALKING AND BIKING AND ROLLING.
UM, AND THEN, UM, UH, THAT WAS OUR APRIL MEETING.
OUR, UM, MAY MEETING JUST HAPPENED.
UM, WE KNOW WITHIN THE LAST BIG THING THERE WAS A RECOMMENDATION ON, UM, THE, UH, LIGHT RAIL IMPLEMENTATION OPTIONS.
AND THAT IS POSTED TO OUR, UH, SITE.
IT WAS, UM, UM, I CAN ALSO SHARE THAT WITH THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS WELL.
UM, I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THE COMMISSION DID ON THAT.
ONE OF, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS WE'VE DONE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON U BUT, UM, DID I, I GUESS YOU COULD SAY BOTH OR ONE OR THE OTHER OF, OR ELEMENTS OF BOTH.
UH, THE IMPLEMENTATION OPTION THAT GOES FROM NORTH LAMAR TRANSIT CENTER TO PLEASANT VALLEY.
AND, UM, AND THE OTHER SURFACE FULLY SURFACE RUNNING PLAN, WHICH IS THE PLAN THAT GOES FROM, UM, 38TH OR MAYBE FARTHER, BUT DEFINITELY 38TH TO ULTA TO A YELLOW JACKET.
AND SO, UM, IN THE RECOMMENDATION WE DO DISCUSS, UM, THE BENEFITS OF SURFACE RUNNING RAIL.
WE DISCUSS, DISCUSS THE WAY THAT WE, UM, SOME, SOME THINGS WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN TERMS OF THE INTERACTION OF BUSES, UM, AND, UH, AND THE LIGHT RAIL PLAN.
WE ALSO DISCUSS SOME OF THE THINGS WE LIKE BEST ABOUT BOTH PLANS.
SO WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, NORTH LAMAR OBVIOUSLY BEING THE HIGHEST PROJECTED RIDERSHIP PLAN.
UM, AND, UM, BUT THE OTHER PLAN HAS SOME ADVANTAGES.
AVOIDING, UM, HAS A LOT LESS RIGHT OF WAY ISSUES, UM, BUILDS, YOU KNOW, A LEG TO SOUTH CONGRESS.
SO, UM, A LOT OF, BUT DEFINITELY VERY VOCALLY SUPPORTING THE SURFACE RUNNING OPTIONS.
WE ALSO DID SOMETHING THAT WAS A LITTLE INNOVATIVE, IT'S LIKE A LITTLE BIT MY, UM, BUT WE RECOMMEND IT, UM, A PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE 2.0.
UM, NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT WE ARE, UM, VERY HEAVILY CONSIDERING SURFACE RUNNING LIGHT RAIL VERSUS, UM, UNDERGROUND OR ELEVATE IT, WHICH WAS SORT OF WHAT WAS IN THE, UH, 2020 VOTE WAS FOR, UH, UNDER, WE SUGGESTED THAT WE WERE VERY PLEASED WITH THE PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE THAT CITY COUNCIL PASSED LAST FALL, WHICH WAS TO SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, UM, WORKINGS OF VARIOUS CITY DEPARTMENTS WORKING SEAMLESSLY WITH ATP AND WITH CAP METRO TO IMPLEMENT THE LIGHT RAIL.
WE SUGGESTED IT MIGHT BE GOOD TO LOOK AT A PROJECT CONNECT ORDINANCE 2.0 THAT WOULD SPECIFICALLY LOOK AT, UM, THE DOWNTOWN AREA, UH, SURFACE RUNNING AND ANY ADDITIONAL TWEAKS THAT MAYBE NEED TO MADE THINGS LIKE EGRESS FROM PARKING GARAGES AND CURB CUTS AND STREET DIRECTIONALITY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE THAT MAY NEED TO CHANGE AND BEGIN TO WORK.
THOSE THAT WILL ALSO GIVE PEOPLE THE CONFIDENCE IN THE COMMUNITY AS, AS CAMP METRO AND ALL OF OUR PARTNER, UM, ORGANIZATIONS KNOWING THAT WE'RE REALLY GOING TO CRYSTALLIZE THE PRIORITY AND, UH, FOR THE LIGHT DOWNTOWN THAT WE WILL NEED SURFACE RUNNING WORK.
IT CAN REALLY WORK, BUT WHEN YOU WATER IT DOWN BY NOT GIVING THEM THE FULL PRIORITY OR NOT, UM, BEING REALLY ATTENTIVE TO HOW THEY'RE INTERACTING WITH EVERYTHING ELSE GOING ON IN THE STREETS, THAT'S WHEN WE CAN HAVE A PROBLEM.
SO, UM, THINKING ABOUT THAT NOW, NOW THAT WE, I THINK MANY IN THE COMMUNITY BELIEVE WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS LOOKING AT A SURFACE RUNNING OPTION, THINKING ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO NOW AS A CITY TO SORT OF CRYSTALLIZE THAT IN OUR TRANSPORTATION REGULATIONS ON THOSE AFFECTED STREETS.
SO, UM, AND THAT'S, UM, YEAH, THAT WAS OUR, OH, AND ALSO, UM, ONE OF THE OTHER THINGS WE SAID IS AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, YOU KNOW, THE TWO FOR THOSE SURFACE RUNNING OPTIONS, WE SHOULD REALLY TRY TO INTEGRATE THE BEST OF BOTH, RIGHT? SO, UM, IF IT'S THE 30 38TH TO OLTORF TO YELLOW JACKET, TRYING TO GET FAR NORTH ON NORTH LAMAR AND TOWARDS THOSE AMAZING RIDERSHIP AREAS THAT ARE OUR BI COMMUNITY UP IN RUNDBERG, WE KNOW THAT THAT'S SUPER IMPORTANT.
SO TRYING TO GET AS FAR NORTH AS WE CAN IN PHASE ONE, UM, OR WITH, UM, FOR EXAMPLE WITH THE, UH, IF WE GO WITH THE NORTH LAMORE TRANSIT PLAN, ENSURING THAT WE DO BUILD AT LEAST A LITTLE JOINT DOWN TO SOUTH CONGRESS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO RISK DISRUPT SERVICE SO DOWNTOWN WHEN WE NEED TO BUILD THAT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND ALSO LOOKING AT, UM, JUST VARIOUS OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE GONNA ARISE, UM, TO, TO REALIZE AS MUCH OF THE VISION, VISION AS POSSIBLE, UM, EARLY
[00:35:01]
IN PHASE ONE AND BE REALLY FLEXIBLE.SO, UM, LET ME THINK IF I, THAT ONE IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT ONE.
I JUST WANNA PULL IT UP AND MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISS ANY OTHER SUPER IMPORTANT PIECE.
IT'S ON OUR SITE, LIKE I SAID.
UM, AND YEAH, JUST, UM, MAKING SURE GREAT WITH, UH, ALL OF OUR MULTIMODAL, UM, UH, OPTIONS.
UM, ALSO THAT WE SHOULD BE ATTENTIVE TO ROW THAT SO THAT RIGHT OF WAY SO THAT ATP SHOULD THINK ABOUT OPTIONS.
IF SOMETHING, IF SOME PART OF THE RIGHT OF WAY IS NOT GRANTED BY TECH STOCK, WE SHOULD HAVE SOME BACKUP PLANS READY TO GO THERE.
UM, AND WE SHOULD ALSO BEGIN TO LOOK AT, UM, WHETHER SOME OF OUR B R T UM, AREAS, UM, CAN BE REAL ANOTHER
SO YOU CAN THROUGH THAT RECOMMENDATION.
I KNOW YOU HAVE A BUSY AGENDA TODAY, BUT IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I WOULD CERTAINLY BE HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM.
WE APPRECIATE THE UPDATE AND YOUR SERVICE ON THE COMMISSION.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS? COUNCIL MEMBER FUENTES.
UH, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR PROVIDING THIS UPDATE FROM THE URBAN TRANSPORTATION COMMISSION.
UH, MY, AND I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO KNOW WHAT THE COMMISSION RECOMMENDS AS THE PREFERRED, UH, ROUTE FOR THE FIRST PHASE OF IMPLEMENTATION OF PROJECT CONNECT.
MY ONLY QUESTION WOULD BE, OR, OR SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THIS RECOMMENDATION IS ALSO FORWARDED TO OUR ATP BOARD MEMBERS AND CAP METRO BOARD MEMBERS.
I THINK THAT THEY WOULD ALSO FIND THIS INFORMATION HELPFUL.
AND COUNSEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
YES, WE DID SHARE IT WITH ATP CUZ IT WAS, WE PASSED THIS ON THE LAST DAY OF THE COMMENT DEADLINE, WHICH WAS AMAZING, BUT I DON'T THINK WE FORWARDED IT TO THE CAP METRO BOARD MEMBERS.
SO THAT IS A VERY HELPFUL RECOMMENDATION.
YES, THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER CUZ THERE WILL BE VOTES OF CITY COUNCIL AND CAP METRO AND SO IT'S HELPFUL FOR US TO ALL HAVE THE SAME BITS OF DATA.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS FOR THE CHAIR? I DON'T THINK SO.
[4. Briefing on the Barton Springs Road Bridge project and the mobility elements of the Zilker Park Vision Plan]
BUSINESS IS GOING TO BE THE BRIEFING ON THE BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE PROJECT AND THE MOBILITY ELEMENTS OF THE ZUCKER PARK VISION PLAN.AND WE'VE GOT ABOUT HALF HOUR SLATED FOR THIS, SO WANNA MAKE SURE WE CAN KEEP MOVING THROUGH THIS IMPORTANT ITEM AND THE OTHER ONES ON OUR AGENDA TOO.
I'M THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF CAPITAL DELIVERY SERVICES, UH, PRESENTING TODAY ON THE, UH, BARTON SPRINGS ROAD BRIDGE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA FOCUS OUR PRESENTATION TODAY ON THE MOBILITY ELEMENTS, PARTICULARLY ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE BRIDGE, BUT ALSO GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS AND WHAT, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT THAT'S CURRENTLY UNDERWAY.
PLEASE WANNA START OUT WITH A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY ABOUT THE BRIDGE.
UM, IT'S NEARLY A HUNDRED YEARS OLD, 20,000 VEHICLES PER DAY.
UH, IT WAS EXPANDED FROM ITS ORIGINAL TWO-LANE CONFIGURATION IN 1946.
AND AS I THINK AS EVERY, AS EVERYONE KNOWS, IT'S A KEY CONNECTION, UH, INTO ZILKER PARK, UM, WHICH HOSTS A WIDE ARRAY OF, UH, OF EVENTS AND, UH, LARGE PUBLIC GATHERINGS.
UM, THE DESIGN, UH, FUNK PORTION OF THE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE 2020 BOND.
UM, AND ONCE WE GET THROUGH WITH THE DESIGN PROCESS, WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING AND WHERE THAT'S GONNA COME FROM TO MOVE FORWARD TO MAKE THE BRIDGE A REALITY.
UM, JUST SOME IMPORTANT THINGS, UH, GOING THROUGH THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT, UM, AND SORT OF THE PRIMARY GOALS DURING CONSTRUCTION.
UH, FIRST AND FOREMOST TO MAINTAIN THE FOUR LANES OF TRAFFIC, UH, DURING CONSTRUCTION, WHICH AS YOU CAN IMAGINE IF YOU'RE GOING TO REPAIR OR REPLACE A BRIDGE, CAN BE A, A MAJOR COORDINATION ISSUE AND AN ENGINEERING CHALLENGE AS YOU MOVE FORWARD.
AND THE SECOND BEING, MAINTAINING THE AZ MORTON BARTON SPRINGS INTERSECTION DURING CONSTRUCTION AS WELL TO ALLOW FOR, UH, NOT ONLY VEHICULAR CIRCULATION, BUT ALSO PEDESTRIANS AND THINGS THAT ARE USING THE BRIDGE, UH, ON A DAILY BASIS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, 20,000 VEHICLES PER DAY ON BARTON SPRINGS ROAD ACROSS THE BRIDGE.
AND THE LIST OF EVENTS, UM, YOU KNOW, GOES NOT ONLY THROUGHOUT THE FESTIVAL SEASON IN THE SPRING AND THE FALL, BUT ALSO THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS AND BASICALLY THE PARK IS USED ALL YEAR ROUND, UM, TO, TO VER TO A VERY EXTENSIVE, UH, AMOUNT.
SO WANNA SPEAK FOR A MINUTE ABOUT THE COORDINATION THAT WE'VE HAD TO DATE BETWEEN THE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT TEAM AND THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN.
UM, JUST AT A TEAM LEVEL WITHIN THE, THE PROJECT MANAGERS OF BOTH THE, UM, THE VISION PLAN AND THE BRIDGE PROJECT, UH, THEY ATTEND EACH OTHER'S PROJECT MEETINGS.
THEY'RE IN THE LOOP BRINGING, UH, IMPACTS AND IDEAS AND UPDATES TO EACH OTHER ON A REGULAR BASIS.
UM, AND THAT'S MAKING SURE THAT THE PRELIMINARY BRIDGE PLANS, WHAT WE PUT FORWARD IN THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT, ARE IN SYNC WITH THE, UM, ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN.
[00:40:01]
COORDINATION IS ONGOING.UM, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE MAIN DESIGN CONSIDERATIONS ON THE BRIDGE ARE TO WIDEN THE BIKE LANES, UM, AND THE SIDEWALKS TO IMPROVE THAT MULTIMODAL CONNECTION AND ALLOW FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT ONLY VEHICULAR CIRCULATION, THE STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY OF THE BRIDGE, BUT ALSO PEDESTRIANS AND BICYCLES IN EVERYONE THAT'S COMING IN THERE.
AND ALSO COORDINATED ON THE PUBLIC INPUT SIDE FOR THE BARTON SPRINGS BRIDGE, AS WELL AS THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN.
UM, WE HAD A IN-PERSON PUBLIC, UM, HERE, WELL PUBLIC MEETING, UM, IN APRIL, AND WE'VE HAD ONLINE COMMENT THAT'S BEEN AVAILABLE, UH, UP UNTIL THE END OF, UM, APRIL AS WELL.
SO WE'RE, RIGHT NOW WE'RE COLLECTING THAT PUBLIC INPUT AND, AND TAKING THAT INTO CONSIDERATION AS WE MOVE THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING, UH, REPORT FORWARD.
SO THIS IS AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL, UH, ALIGNMENT OF WHAT A NEW BRIDGE WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AS YOU CAN SEE, SOME OF THE KEY ELEMENTS SHOW, UM, INCREASED PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CIRCULATION, BOTH ON THE NORTH SIDE AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE, AS WELL AS MAINTAINING THE CONNECTIONS INTO AZ MORTON AND ON TO THE WEST TO ZILKER PARK.
NOW THE ZILKER PARK PLAN IS NOT QUITE AS FAR ALONG, AND SO WE WANT TO ALLOW AS MUCH, UM, FLEXIBILITY AND OPENNESS WITH THE LANDING ON THE WEST SIDE AS POSSIBLE.
YOU SEE THE BIG BLUE AREAS ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE, AND THAT IS, UM, IT'S GONNA BE NON-STRUCTURAL IMPROVEMENTS.
SO THOSE CAN BE, UM, PRETTY EASILY ADDED AND CHANGED AND ADAPTED DEPENDING ON WHAT COMES OUT OF THE, UM, ZILKER PARK PLAN.
SO THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE BRIDGE IS TO REALLY INCREASE THAT BICYCLE AND PEDESTRIAN CIRCULATION WHILE MAINTAINING THE FOUR VEHICULAR LANES THAT CURRENTLY, UH, RUN ACROSS THE, THE BRIDGE.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, THE MAIN REASON BEHIND WHY WE'RE DOING THIS PROJECT IS THE EXISTING STRUCTURE IS REALLY AT THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE.
AND IF YOU, IF YOU GET INTO, UM, TECHNICAL TEXT DOT RATINGS, THEY'RE SORT OF TWO GENERAL AREAS.
THE FIRST BEING STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCY AND THE SECOND BEING STRUCTURAL OBSOLESCENCE.
UM, STRUCTURAL DEFICIENCY IS JUST WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THE BRIDGE IS GONNA FALL DOWN.
UH, FUNCTIONAL DEFICIENCIES ARE THINGS LIKE, UH, THE SIDEWALKS ARE NARROW, THE CURBS ARE HIGH, THE RAILINGS ARE TOO SHORT, THINGS LIKE THAT WHERE IT'S NOT A STRUCTURAL PROBLEM.
THE RATINGS FOR THE BARTON SPRINGS BRIDGE CURRENTLY IS THAT IT IS NOT STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT, ALTHOUGH THERE ARE AREAS OF CONCRETE SPALLING AND DAMAGE TO REBAR AND THINGS LIKE THAT UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE, BUT IT IS FUNCTIONALLY OBSOLETE.
UM, I'M SURE YOU ALL HAVE BEEN OUT THERE, YOU'VE SEEN THE VERY HIGH CURBS THAT ARE OUT THERE, VERY NARROW SIDEWALKS.
UH, THERE'S NOT A LOT OF SPACE FOR, UH, MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, THE FOUR LANES OF VEHICULAR TRAFFIC THAT ARE OUT THERE.
SO A LOT OF THE IMPROVEMENT THAT WE'RE STUDYING IS RELATED TO, UM, IMPROVING THE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE CIRCULATION IN THIS AREA.
SO I MENTIONED BEFORE, UH, BUILDING A BRIDGE WHILE KEEPING IT OPEN IS A, UH, BIG ENGINEERING CHALLENGE.
THIS IS, UM, A SELECTION FROM THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT THAT TALKS ABOUT A WAY OF SEQUENCING THE CONSTRUCTION SO THAT THE BRIDGE REMAINS OPEN, UH, BEGINS BY CONSTRUCTING NEW, UH, BRIDGE STRUCTURES ON THE NORTH AND SOUTH SIDE WHILE MAINTAINING THE EXISTING STRUCTURE AND THEN SHIFTING TRAFFIC, UM, TO ALLOW FOR THE NEW, UH, CROSSINGS WHERE YOU COMPLETE THE WORK AND CONNECT, UM, THROUGH THERE WITH PHASE TWO AS WELL AS PHASE THREE WHERE YOU, UH, CONSTRUCT THE SOUTHERN, REPLACE THE SOUTHERN INTERIOR THAN THE NORTHERN INTERIOR.
AND THEN AT THE BOTTOM YOU SEE THE FINAL BRIDGE ALIGNMENT, OBVIOUSLY MUCH WIDER THAN THE ORIGINAL WITH THE, UH, FOUR VEHICULAR LANES AND THEN, UM, MULTI-USE PATH AND BIKE LANES ON, ON EITHER SIDE.
SO, UM, I'LL DIVE INTO A LITTLE BIT OF SOME OF THE PROJECT OPTIONS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AGAIN, WE ARE IN THE P E R PHASE, THE PUBLIC COMMENT SIDE OF THAT.
SO WE HAVE A DRAFT, UM, P E R THAT WAS, UH, WRITTEN BY THE, THE ENGINEERS.
IT IS NOT A COMPLETED DOCUMENT AS WE ARE TAKING IN PUBLIC COMMENT AND, AND REVIEWING THOSE CURRENTLY.
SO GENERALLY, UM, THERE ARE THREE OPTIONS.
UH, THERE'S THE REHABILITATION OPTION, THE REPLACEMENT OPTION, AND THE DO NOTHING OPTION.
THE DO NOTHING OPTION WAS NOT, WAS, UH, ELIMINATED EARLY ON IN THE PROCESS, WHICH LEFT US WITH REHABILITATION AND REPLACEMENT.
UM, OF THE REHABILITATION OPTIONS, THERE ARE TWO SUB OPTIONS, WHICH INCLUDE PRESERVING THE EXISTING STRUCTURE AND POTENTIALLY CONSTRUCTING A SEPARATE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN STRUCTURE.
UH, AND THE SECOND BEING A FULL REHABILITATION OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE, WIDENING THE DECK AND THE REPLACEMENT OPTIONS, UM, INCLUDE DIFFERENT, UH, STRUCTURAL ALIGNMENTS BENEATH THE BRIDGE IN TERMS OF HOW THAT'S SUPPORTED FROM UNDERNEATH.
THIS SLIDE GOES INTO THE, UM, STRUCTURAL REHABILITATION AND WHAT WOULD NEED TO TAKE PLACE THERE.
[00:45:01]
BRIDGE DECK AS WELL AS THE SPANDREL COLUMNS.A SPANDREL COLUMN IS A VERTICAL PIECE FROM THE ARCH THAT RAISES UP TO SUPPORT THE ACTUAL BRIDGE DECK.
YOU CAN SEE 'EM IN THE PICTURE ON THE FAR RIGHT HAND SIDE, THE LITTLE COLUMNS POKING UP OUT OF THE ARCH.
SO THE FIRST STEP WOULD BE REMOVING THE EXISTING DECK AND COLUMNS, UM, AND THEN BUILDING THE ADDITIONAL STRUCTURE ON EITHER SIDE.
OBVIOUSLY THIS DOESN'T TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE PHASING THAT'S REQUIRED FOR THIS, UM, BUT MOST OF THE EXISTING STRUCTURE WOULD NEED TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO, UH, PERFORM A FULL REHABILITATION ON THE BRIDGE.
AND THE ESTIMATED COST FOR THIS OPTION IS AROUND 19 MILLION.
SO THERE'S SOME CHALLENGES THERE IN TERMS OF CONSTRUCTABILITY AS WELL AS AS COST.
FOR THE REPLACEMENT OPTIONS, WE CONSIDERED THREE REPLACEMENT OPTIONS.
THE DIFFERENCES HERE ARE THE STYLE OF THE, UH, BRIDGE SPAN.
YOU CAN SEE THERE'S A, UH, SINGLE SPAN ARCH, UH, WHAT THEY CALL A TWO SPAN, SORT OF THE THE Y PICTURE, UH, IN THE MIDDLE, AND THEN A THREE SPAN, WHICH IS ON THE RIGHT, WHICH IS WHERE THE Y SHIFTED ANOTHER WAY.
AND THERE'S THREE HORIZONTAL, UH, PIECES OF THE BRIDGE THAT GO IN THERE.
SO, UM, AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, THE DRAFT P E R, AND AGAIN THIS IS A DRAFT DOCUMENT, UM, MOVES FORWARD WITH A THREE SPAN REPLACEMENT OPTION AT A ESTIMATED COST OF 10.2 MILLION BASED ON THE CONSTRUCTION CHALLENGES.
UM, THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN, UM, VIEWS THROUGH THE UNDER UNDERSIDE OF THE BRIDGE AND, UM, ALLOWING FOR THAT LARGER BRIDGE DECK ON TOP, WHICH IS AT THE END OF THE DAY THE, THE MAIN GOAL OF THE MOBILITY IN AND OUT OF THE PARK.
THIS IS A RENDERING OF THAT, UM, PRELIMINARY OPTION HERE SHOWING THE ZILKER EAGLE ON THE LEFT HAND SIDE AS WELL AS, UM, TRAILS, UH, THE TRAIL CONNECTION UNDERNEATH THE BRIDGE.
UM, AND THEN THE, THE, UM, THREE SPAN Y ALIGNMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT STRUCTURE.
AND THEN HERE IS, UH, A RENDERING OF THE UPPER SECTION SHOWING THE BIKE LANES, UH, PEDESTRIAN WALKWAY, SOME UH, STREET FURNITURE, UM, POTENTIAL MEDIAN AND, AND WHAT THE, THE ALIGNMENT WOULD LOOK LIKE.
AND THIS IS, UM, OUR SCHEDULE STEP RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE JUST RECEIVED, UM, WE JUST CLOSED THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD ON THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT.
SO WE'RE CURRENTLY COMPILING ALL THOSE COMMENTS, CATEGORIZING THEM INTO GENERAL CATEGORIES IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PUBLIC SENTIMENT WAS.
AND AGAIN, WE DID BOTH AN IN-PERSON, UH, MEETING AS WELL AS ONLINE COMMENTS IN COORDINATION WITH THE, UH, ZILKER VISION PLAN.
AND AS WE REFINE THOSE AND UM, GET TOGETHER, THE NEXT STEP IS GOING TO BE REFINING THOSE AND ADDRESSING ANY COMMENTS OR CONCERNS AND THEN WORKING ON TOWARDS A FINALIZED PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORT WITH A RECOMMENDATION, UH, FOR THE BRIDGE.
AND I KNOW THAT WAS VERY BRIEF, BUT I'LL LEAVE IT OPEN FOR QUESTIONS.
AGAIN, I KNOW ABOUT THE BRIDGE STRUCTURE, THE, UH, ZILKER PARK PLANNING PROCESS.
I'M NOT THE BEST PERSON TO TALK ABOUT THAT, SO IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT, WE'LL GET SOME OF MY FRIENDS UP HERE TO HELP.
AND THE OBVIOUS ONE IS, ARE THE COMMENTS LEANING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER AS FAR AS WHICH ONE THE PUBLIC PREFERS? YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T SEEN THOSE YET.
I DON'T WANNA GIVE YOU ALL A SNEAK PEEK, UH, WITH WHAT THEY SAY, BUT WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AND THEY WILL BE INCLUDED IN THE PRELIMINARY ENGINEERING REPORTED DISCUSSION OF WHAT THE, WHAT THE PUBLIC PREFERS.
THAT'S A VERY DIPLOMATIC ANSWER.
WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS DID THE ENGINEER THAT WENT OUT THERE THAT, YOU KNOW HE'S AFFILIATED WITH SEE SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN OUR ENGINEERS MM-HMM.
JUST I WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND HOW WE HAVE SUCH DIFFERING VIEW MM-HMM.
AS I MENTIONED, THE, THE EXISTING BRIDGE IS NOT STRUCTURALLY DEFICIENT.
UM, AND SO IT'S NOT A CASE OF, YOU KNOW, THE BRIDGE IS IN DANGER OF, OF FALLING DOWN, WHICH I FEEL LIKE, UM, MR. BUN'S REPORT WAS MORE ABOUT IT REALLY AGREES WITH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE RECOMMENDATION THAT IS, IT IS AN ENDANGER OF, OF FALLING DOWN.
IT'S ABOUT PROVIDING THAT ACCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, IN AND THROUGH THE PARK.
UM, OUR ENGINEERS ARE ACTUALLY HERE AND SO THEY CAN SPEAK MUCH MORE IN TERMS OF WHAT UM, WHAT WENT INTO THEIR INVESTIGATION.
THEY DID MUCH MORE THAN A VISUAL INVESTIGATION AND MUCH, I'M ONLY ASSUMING WHAT IS A MUCH MORE IN DEPTH INVESTIGATION CUZ THEY GOT UP THERE, YOU KNOW, UNDERNEATH THE COLUMNS WENT INTO, YOU KNOW, UNDER, IN THE WATER AND WERE ABLE TO LOOK UP AND WHAT I CAN ONLY ASSU, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE MR BUNCHES ENGINEER DID, BUT I CAN HAVE
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OUR ENGINEERS COME AND TALK ABOUT WHAT THEY DID IN TERMS OF EVALUATING THE EXISTING STRUCTURE.WELL, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO JUST HAVE THEM SIT DOWN WITH THE OTHER ENGINEER AND JUST MAYBE THEY'LL COME TO A SIMILAR CONCLUSION ONCE THERE'S A SIMILAR LEVEL OF INFORMATION.
UM, BUT IT, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE, THE ARCHES ARE NOT THE ISSUE, IT'S THE DECK IS THAT IT'S THE, IT'S THE DECK AND THE, THE COLUMNS THAT SUPPORT THE DECK ARE THE MAIN ISSUE.
THERE IS SOME STRUCTURAL WORK THAT WILL BE NEEDED WITH THE ARCHES JUST BASED ON, UM, YOU KNOW, CONCRETE THAT HAS FALLEN OFF.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE EXTENT OF DISRUPTION TO DO THAT WORK IS ACTUALLY QUITE A BIT CUZ YOU HAVE TO GET DOWN ON A BARGE IN THE WATER TO BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, THEY DO, IT'S CALLED FIBER WRAPPING AS AN OPTION WHERE THEY BASICALLY WRAP IT AND EPOXY IT TOGETHER IS AN OPTION FOR, FOR REPAIR ON THAT.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, BACK TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, IT'S, IT'S UM, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MATTER OF ENGINEERING OPINION AS IT GOES FORWARD.
AND I WOULD RECOMMEND, IF IT HASN'T ALREADY, PLEASE SUBMIT THAT, UM, ENGINEERING REPORT AS PART OF THE PUBLIC COMMENT CUZ THEN WE CAN EASILY ADDRESS IT, YOU KNOW, WHEN IT COMES THROUGH IN THAT AS WELL, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE REASON WE DO THE PUBLIC COMMENT IN THE FIRST PLACE SO WE CAN HAVE FOLKS BETTER OUTSIDE EXPERTS THAT MAY HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS WHERE OUR EXPERTS CAN THEN RESPOND TO THOSE, THOSE COMMENTS AND THINGS.
AND IF WE WERE TO ASSUME OR ACCEPT THAT CONCLUSION THAT LET'S SAY YOU COULD JUST REDO THE DECK EASILY OR JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, PUT A NEW LAYER ON THERE, WHATEVER IT IS MM-HMM.
I REMEMBER AT ONE POINT THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF, WELL IF YOU PUT THOSE THERE, THEN WHATEVER NEEDED TO SUPPORT THOSE WOULD INEVITABLY BLOCK THE HISTORIC STRUCTURE.
IS THERE, IS THAT LIKE A REQUIREMENT? IS, IS THERE A WAY TO DO IT? AND I'M SURE THERE'S ALWAYS A WAY TO DO IT, BUT HOW FEASIBLE IS IT TO HAVE PEDESTRIAN BIKE BRIDGES THAT RUN KIND OF OUTSIDE OF THE CURRENT BRIDGE THAT DOESN'T BLOCK THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE CURRENT BRIDGE? YEAH, IT, IT'S POSSIBLE.
UM, BUT THEN YOU GET INTO THINGS LIKE WHAT IS THE BEST VALUE FOR THE MONEY? CUZ IF WE CAN DO A FULL BIT BRIDGE REPLACEMENT WITH THE PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE OPTIONS ON THE EXISTING BRIDGE FOR, YOU KNOW, THE ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT 10 MILLION, BUT IF THE ALTERNATE IS ALMOST DOUBLE THAT COST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING WHERE, YOU KNOW, FROM AN ENGINEERING STANDPOINT, YOU GET THE SAME USE FOR A REDUCED COST AND THEREFORE IT MAKES IT PRETTY CLEAR THAT THAT'S THE OPTION.
OBVIOUSLY THERE MAY BE OTHER THINGS IN PLAY HERE WHERE WE MAY WANT TO GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION AND AGAIN THAT'S, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC COMMENT PLAYS INTO THAT QUITE A BIT AS WELL.
SO IN TERMS OF THE HISTORIC NATURE, UM, I DON'T KNOW, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA CALL A FRIEND CAUSE I'M NOT SURE A HUNDRED PERCENT SURE ON THE HISTORIC NATURE, BUT PAUL INTO, CAN YOU COME UP FOR A SECOND? WAS THE, HIS ON THE HISTORIC NATURE OF THE BRIDGE? I, MY RECOLLECTION IS THAT IT WAS NOT A HISTORIC WITH THE PARK.
SO THE STRUCTURE, THE STRUCTURE ITSELF IS NOT HISTORIC.
IT'S A CONTRIBUTING STRUCTURE TO THE PARK.
AND SO THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF NUANCE THERE IN TERMS OF WHAT YOU CAN DO AND, AND YOU CAN'T DO IN TERMS OF THE THE VIEW.
AND THEN LASTLY, JUST IN TERMS OF TIMING, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE LOOKING TO MOVE THIS PROJECT FORWARD, BUT TO YOUR POINT ABOUT IT'S NOT IN DISREPAIR TODAY, WHAT IS THE REAL NEED IN TERMS OF WHEN THIS, HOW LONG DO WE HAVE UNTIL WE REACH THAT POINT? IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO, TO TELL.
THERE'S NO, LIKE WE CAN, THERE'S NO HAVE 20 YEARS OUT OF THIS BRIDGE OR YEAH, THERE'S NO EMINENT DANGER OF OF THE BRIDGE FALLING DOWN, BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE 10 YEARS, 15 YEARS, 20 YEARS.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS A BRIDGE BUILT IN THIS TIMEFRAME IS AT THE END OF ITS USEFUL LIFE AND NEEDS TO BE EITHER SIGNIFICANTLY OVERHAULED TO EXTEND THAT LIFE OR COMPLETELY REPLACED.
AND THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF INFRASTRUCTURE EVERYWHERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, BRIDGES LIKE THIS, UM, YOU KNOW, CAN HAVE THAT EXPECTED LIFE OF ABOUT A HUNDRED YEARS.
AND, AND AS I MENTIONED, THIS ONE IS NOT IN, UH, STRUCTURALLY A BAD, A BAD STATE.
IT'S A MATTER OF THE, THE FUNCTIONAL OBSOLESCENCE OF THE BRIDGE.
AND I WILL POINT FOLKS TOWARD, THERE'S A ROAD BRIDGE BACKUP ITEM THAT HAS BEEN POSTED AS WELL.
IF THERE'S ANYONE AT HOME WHO WANTS TO KIND OF SEE THE, UM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT OPTIONS AS FAR AS AESTHETICS AND HISTORIC STRUCTURE AND ABUTS AND SOME OF THOSE OTHER NITTY GRITTY DETAILS THAT ARE IN THERE, THAT IS POSTED IN BACKUP.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL DOING WORK ON THIS.
I WAS LUCKY TO BE ABLE TO ATTEND THE MEETING, UM, THAT WAS AT THE MACBETH REC CENTER.
I KNOW THERE WERE LOTS OF GOOD FOLKS WANTING TO SHARE INFORMATION, LOTS OF FOLKS ATTENDING TO GATHER INFORMATION.
UM, I RECALL ATTENDING A PRE-BID MEETING ALL THE WAY BACK IN 2015.
THERE WAS A CONVERSATION ABOUT HISTORIC BRIDGES AND
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THE CITY WANTING TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE THE OPTIONS WITH THIS PARTICULAR BRIDGE.WHAT IS THE OPTIONS WITH THE RED BUD AISLE BRIDGE MM-HMM.
UM, WE KNOW THE RED BUD AISLE BRIDGE HAS BEEN ADDRESSED AND THIS ONE STILL HAS NOT BEEN.
AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE'RE DOING MOVING FORWARD, UH, HELPS RIGHT SIZE THIS FOR THE FUTURE.
UH, HOPEFULLY ALSO HAS A NOD TO THE PAST.
UM, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE AND AUSTINITES CAN STILL, UM, SEE THE THINGS THAT WE'VE KNOWN AND LOVE FOR YEARS AND, AND BEEN ABLE TO, AS SOMEONE SAID EARLIER, PADDLEBOARD THROUGH THEM AND EN AND ENJOY IT IN A CERTAIN WAY THAT WE KNOW PEOPLE ARE USING THAT PARK SPACE VERY ACTIVELY.
UM, BUT I WILL ALSO SAY AS SOMEONE WHO HAS BICYCLED THROUGH THIS PARK, THIS BRIDGE IS NOT FUNCTIONAL FOR BICYCLISTS AND IT'S BARELY FUNCTIONAL FOR PEDESTRIANS.
UM, I DON'T, I KNOW I'M SPEAKING TO THE CHOIR HERE, PREACHING TO THE CHOIR SITUATIONS WHERE PEOPLE MAY BE TRYING TO WALK OR BIKE IN SPACES THAT ARE NOT BUILT FOR THEM, WHERE WE HAVE BUSES AND HIGH SPEED TRAFFIC COMING THROUGH.
THAT IS A VERY DEADLY EQUATION.
AND I WANNA MAKE SURE WHATEVER WE'RE DOING IS RESPONSIVE TO THE PUBLIC, SETS US UP FOR THE FUTURE NEEDS AND IS GOING TO BE SAFE FOR PEOPLE NO MATTER HOW THEY'RE ACCESSING THE PARK, WHETHER IT'S ON FOOT, WHETHER THEY'RE PUSHING A STROLLER WITH A PUPPY NEXT TO IT, WHETHER THEY'RE ON A BIKE, A BUS, IF THEY HAVE TO ACCESS BY CAR, THAT THIS BRIDGE IN PARTICULAR IS NOT CREATING UNSAFE, UH, SITUATIONS FOR FOLKS UNNECESSARILY.
DO WE HAVE MORE QUESTIONS ON THIS ITEM? UM, OKAY, I'VE GOT, I'M GONNA IDENTIFY HANDS, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA NEED TO MOVE TO THE ZER PARK PLAN IN A MINUTE, BUT LET'S GO WITH COUNCIL MEMBER KELLY AND I SEE DIRECTOR, DIRECTOR MENDOZA.
DID YOU HAVE A OH, ON THAT POINT, DID YOU WANNA TALK ON THAT POINT? THANK YOU CHAIR CHAIRPERSON.
JUST ANOTHER CONSIDERATION, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALTERS, UH, REHAB VERSUS REPLACEMENT.
UH, MY EXPERIENCE WITH, WITH BRIDGE REPLACEMENT PROJECTS IS, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE HAVE ANOTHER 10, 20, 30 YEARS OF USEFUL LIFE OF THE SUBSTRUCTURE OF THIS BRIDGE, AS IT NEARS THE END OF THAT LIFE, THEY ROUTINELY NEED MORE AND MORE ATTENTION AND CARE AND SPORADIC MAINTENANCE.
YOU'LL SEE AN INCREASED OCCURRENCE OF SPALLING, UH, UH, JOINT SEAL REPLACEMENTS, THE SURFACE REPAIRS, THAT CONSEQUENCE OF THAT'LL BE THE BRIDGE WILL BE TAKEN IN AND OUTTA SERVICE MORE OFTEN.
SO IF WE DON'T TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'LL, THEY'LL BE UM, UM, UM, UM, YOU KNOW, UP IMPACTS TO ITS OPERATIONAL ABILITY GOING FORWARD.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THE OPERATIONS MAINTENANCE ASPECT OF THIS, UH, KNOWN.
AND TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, THE FACT THAT THIS PRE MEETING HAPPENED IN 2015, THAT MEANS THE DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN AT LEAST LOOKING AT THIS AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE RIGHT STRATEGY FOR 10 YEARS ALREADY.
SO WE'RE NOT STARTING AT A, THIS IS A NEW CONVERSATION WE'RE STARTING AT, THIS IS 10 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD AND THOSE OPERATION COSTS WILL JUST INCREASE OVER TIME.
UM, SO I'M LOOKING AT THE SLIDES HERE AND WE HAVE BRIDGE REPLACEMENT OPTION COMPARISONS.
OH, OTHER WAY YOU WANT THAT ONE, OR THE ONE THAT'S A COUPLE FURTHER DOWN FROM THAT.
UM, IN TERMS OF THE, TALKING ABOUT THE TIME OF CONSTRUCTION, UM, RIGHT NOW THE, THERE'S NOT THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF THE TIME OF CONSTRUCTION, HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE.
THE REAL CON CONTROLLING FACTOR ON THAT IS THE TRAFFIC SHIFTS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO TO MAINTAIN THE BRIDGE BEING OPEN.
THAT'S REALLY THE CONTROLLING FACTOR.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS IF WE WERE ABLE TO CLOSE THE BRIDGE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME, WE COULD GET THE WHOLE THING DONE MUCH QUICKER.
THAT I DON'T THINK IS A REAL TENABLE OPTION JUST IN TERMS OF GETTING PEOPLE AROUND AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT WE COULD DO THE CONSTRUCTION MUCH FASTER IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO MAINTAIN TRAFFIC OVER THERE.
SO, UM, IN TERMS OF THE STRUCTURAL DESIGNATION, THERE'S NOT REALLY A DIFFERENCE, A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE IN TERMS OF TIME OF, OF CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THE DIFFERENCES IN, IN COST AND THINGS COME IN ACTUALLY THE, THE STRUCTURAL COMPLEXITY THAT'S IN THERE, UM, IN TERMS OF HOW LONG THE SPANS ARE, UM, BETWEEN EACH OF THE, UM, BETWEEN EACH OF THE COLUMNS COMING OUT OF THE WATER, THE ARCH SPAN WOULD TAKE A, A A IS MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE OF THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S REQUIRED THERE AND THE, THE LEVEL OF EFFORT THAT HAS TO TAKE PLACE IN THE WATER TO DO THAT, TO BUILD THAT.
UM, MEANWHILE, THE, THE OTHER TWO
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ARE, UM, LESS COMPLICATED IN TERMS OF THE MEANS OF, OF BUILDING THEM, BUT AGAIN, AT THE SAME TIME, THE, THE TOTAL DURATION IS ABOUT THE SAME FOR ALL THOSE OPTIONS.AND I'M NOT SURE IF I DIDN'T HEAR IT, BUT WHAT WOULD THAT TOTAL DURATION BE? COULD YOU PLEASE REMIND ME? UM, DO WE HAVE A DURATION ESTIMATE RIGHT NOW? BALLPARK, ABOUT THREE YEARS.
AND, UM, DO WE AN ANTICIPATE BECAUSE OF SUPPLY CHAIN OR ANYTHING ELSE THAT THERE MIGHT BE AN ADDITIONAL INCREASE IN COST OVER THOSE THREE YEARS? I'M SORRY, SAY IT AGAIN.
WOULD THERE BE ANY ANTICIPATED INCREASE IN COST OVER THOSE THREE YEARS THAT WE'RE AWARE OF NOW? NO.
THE, THE COST ESTIMATES HERE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, UM, YOU KNOW, ESCALATION AND, UM, INFLATION OVER THE PERIOD BETWEEN WHEN WE'RE CONDUCTING THE ESTIMATE AND WHEN THE PROJECT IS ACTUALLY GOING TO CONSTRUCTION.
OBVIOUSLY THERE ARE POTENTIAL FOR FUTURE UNSEEN EVENTS THAT IS NOT INCLUDED IN THERE, BUT AS FAR AS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, THAT INCLUDES, UH, YOU KNOW, OUR ESTIMATE OF INFLATION MOVING FORWARD, UM, TO THE ACTUAL CONSTRUCTION YEAR.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME AND PRESENTATION TODAY.
IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, I WILL SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT PRESENTATION AND WE'LL MOVE ON TO THE ZER PARK VISION PLAN, MOBILITY ASPECTS.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR PROTAN, COUNCIL MEMBERS GREGORY MONTE WITH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
I'M THE PROJECT MANAGER FOR THESE LOCAL PARK VISION PLAN.
JOINING ME IS CLA AMPLE WITH DESIGN WORKSHOP.
DESIGN WORKSHOP, AS YOU KNOW, WAS HIRED BY THE CITY OF AUSTIN TO ASSIST THE PARKS DEPARTMENT IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ZOLA PARK VISION PLAN.
UM, I KNOW WHERE SHORTER COULD EITHER TURN UP THE MIC JUST A LITTLE BIT OR, SURE.
UM, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND HAND IT OVER TO CLAIRE CUZ I WANT US TO GO THROUGH THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW WE'RE LIMITED ON TIME, SO WE'RE WE'RE AVAILABLE FOR ANY QUESTIONS AFTERWARDS.
GOOD AFTERNOON COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU, TO PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF THE ZILKER PARK MASTER PLAN.
MY NAME IS CLAIRE HEMPLE AND AS PRINCIPAL OF DESIGN WORKSHOP, I LEAD THE CONSULTANT TEAM FOR PAR ON THE ZILKER PLAN.
I ALSO SERVE ON THE PLANNING COMMISSION, BUT I AM NOT REPRESENTING THAT BODY HERE TONIGHT.
ZILKER PARK HAS BEEN A DRAW FOR GENERATIONS OF AUSTINITES AND THOSE THAT LIVED HERE BEFORE.
IT IS THE HOME OF ECOLOGICAL TREASURES, GATHERING SPACES, PLAY AREAS, AND HOME TO MANY BELOVED FACILITIES AND EVENTS.
THE FIRST COMMUNITY SURVEY TOOK PLACE AROUND THE TIME OF THE START OF THE TRAIL OF LIGHTS IN 2020.
QUESTIONS ASKING HOW WELL ZUCKER PARK IS MEETING PEOPLE'S NEEDS AND WHY PEOPLE DON'T VISIT OR ASKED AMONG OTHERS.
HIGHLIGHTING THE CHALLENGES THAT WERE TO BECOME CENTRAL TO THE RECOMMENDATIONS PRESENT IN THE, IN THE DRAFT NATURAL AREAS AND TRAILS ARE SOME OF THE CURRENT ELEMENTS OF THE PARK THAT MEET PEOPLE'S NEEDS.
BUT PARKING ISSUES, CROWDING ISSUES, AND ACCESS WERE INDICATED AS PROBLEMS TO SOLVE FOR.
OTHER ISSUES ARE EVIDENT AS ONE WALKS AROUND THE PARK, SOME OF WHICH ARE PICTURED HERE, LIKE AREAS THAT SEE INTENSE STORM DRAINAGE AND EROSION PROBLEMS AND INEX INACCESSIBLE AREAS ALONG THE CREEK.
AND HOPEFULLY YOU'LL BE ABLE TO VISIT SOME OF THESE SITES ON YOUR WALKS, UM, THIS COMING WEEK.
UM, THIS SHOWS A HANDFUL OF THE HUNDREDS OF COMMENTS FROM THE INITIAL SURVEY FOCUSED ON MULTIMODAL ACCESSIBILITY AND CONNECTIVITY TO AND WITHIN THE PARK.
THE CHALLENGE IS HOW TO BALANCE THESE INITIATIVES WITH THE OTHER GUIDING PRINCIPLES AROUND EQUITY, THE ENVIRONMENT, SUSTAINABILITY, AND HISTORY AND CULTURE.
SO WHAT IS A VISION PLAN? THERE HAVE BEEN VISION PLANS DONE FOR DISCRETE ELEMENTS IN FACILITIES WITHIN ZILKER PARK, SUCH AS THE NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL AND THE SUNKEN GARDENS.
BUT THIS IS THE FIRST COMPREHENSIVE PLAN DONE FOR ZILKER PARK AS A WHOLE.
IT IS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS VISION PLAN IS INTENDED TO BE.
IT WILL OUTLINE THE LONG TERM, DECADES LONG VISION PRINCIPLES, GOALS, AND STRATEGIES FOR ENHANCEMENT MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF THE PARK.
THE VISION PLAN DOES NOT SERVE AS DETAILED DESIGN OR CONSTRUCTION PLANS, PLANS FOR DAY-TO-DAY MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE, NOR DETAILED BUDGETING FOR PARK ENHANCEMENTS.
THIS IS HELPFUL TO KEEP IN MIND AS WE GO THROUGH THE RECOMMENDATIONS IN THE DRAFT PLAN.
THE ZILKER METROPOLITAN VISION PLAN'S MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO PROVIDE A VISIONARY FRAMEWORK TO DIRECT THE PRESERVATION FUTURE IMPROVEMENTS IN CARE OF ZILKER.
THE PARK NEEDS A VISION PLAN TO MAKE SURE IT IS VI VIABLE AND ACCESSIBLE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
IT INVOLVES IN IDENTIFYING THE NEED FOR RECREATIONAL AMENITIES, RECOMMENDING IMPROVEMENTS TO THE PARK'S, CURRENT FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS, AND PUTTING AN EMPHASIS ON PRESERVING THE HISTORIC CULTURAL AND ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS.
SUSTAINABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, EQUITY, NATURE, AND ECOLOGY AND HISTORY AND CULTURE ARE THE FIVE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE GOALS.
BUT FOR THE PURPOSE OF TODAY'S MEETING, WE'LL FOCUS MAINLY ON THE ACCESSIBILITY GUIDING PRINCIPLE.
AS THIS MOST CLOSELY RELATES TO MOBILITY.
THE TEAM HAS BEEN WORKING ON THE VISION PLAN PROCESS SINCE
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FEBRUARY, 2021.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HAS BEEN CENTRAL TO THE PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE TWO YEAR TIMEFRAME, WHICH PROVED ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING DUE TO COVID ERROR RESTRICTIONS.
DURING THIS TIME, OUR TEAM HAS CONDUCTED OVER A HUNDRED POP-UPS, DOZENS OF SMALL GROUP DISCUSSIONS, TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP MEETINGS, FIVE VIRTUAL COMMUNITY MEETINGS, AN IN-PERSON OPEN HOUSE, SIX COMMUNITY SURVEYS, AND ADDITIONAL WORK WITH THE PARKS BOARD WORKING GROUP.
TODAY'S BRIEFING IS ONE TOUCHPOINT IN THE FINAL STAGES OF THE PROJECT WITH THE PARKS BOARD MEETING ON MAY 22ND, CONCLUDING WITH CONSIDERATION OF ADOPTION BY CITY COUNCIL LATER THIS SUMMER.
THE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE ENTIRE 351 ACRES ARE DEPICTED HERE REGARDING MOBILITY.
MULTIPLE MODES OF ACCESSIBILITY ARE ADDRESSED INCLUDING TRANSIT, VEHICULAR, BIKE, AND PEDESTRIANS.
SOME OF THE PROJECTS OF NOTE IN THE PLAN, AS SHOWN ARE REALIGNMENT OF STRATFORD DRIVE ALONG MOPAC UP TO THREE PARKING GARAGES, CONVERSION OF SEVERAL VEHICULAR ROADS TO PEDESTRIAN AND BICYCLE ROUTES, AND THE LAND BRIDGE AS A CONNECTOR ACROSS BARTON SPRINGS ROAD.
THE EXTERNAL SHUTTLE, AS SHOWN ON THIS SLIDE, IS CRITICAL TO SUPPORT THE ANTICIPATED INCREASE IN ZILKER VISITORSHIP AS THE CITY'S POPULATION GROWS IN THE FUTURE.
THE TWO PROPOSED LINES WILL, UM, CONNECT THE PARK TO TRANSPORTATION HUBS IN EXTERNAL PARKING GARAGES LIKE ONE TEXAS CENTER, REPUBLIC SQUARE AND CITY HALL.
A SHUTTLE WAS PILOTED LAST SUMMER WITH AROUND 500 WRITERS GETTING FREE LIFTS FROM THE GARAGE AT ONE TEXAS CENTER TO ZILKER AND THE SHUTTLE WILL BEGIN AGAIN ON MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND.
REGARDING VEHICULAR CIRCULATION, THE PLAN RECOMMENDS HOLDING THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES WITHIN THE PARK AS THERE ARE TODAY, BUT BY CONCENTRATING PARKING AND GARAGES, IMPERVIOUS COVER IS REDUCED.
ADDITIONALLY, THERE WILL BE AN INTERNAL SHUTTLE CIRCULATOR AS SEEN IN THE ORANGE LINE, AN EXPANSION OF THE ZAR TRAIN EAGLE TRAIN ROUTE TO THE NORTH AS SEEN IN THE TEAL COLOR TO SERVE AS BOTH A RECREATIONAL ELEMENT AND A WAY TO GET AROUND THE PARK.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS, THE PLANS SERVE AS A COMPREHENSIVE WAY TO ADDRESS ACCESS AND MOBILITY WITHIN THE PARK, INCLUDING HIGHLIGHTING SHARED PARKING SOLUTIONS, CAPITALIZING ON PARKING GARAGE INVESTMENTS ADJACENT TO THE PARK LIKE THE NEW DOHERTY ART CENTER AND PEDESTRIAN BRIDGES FROM THE NORTH AND EAST INTO THE PARK FOR EASIER, SAFER ACCESS.
REGARDING PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE CIRCULATION, THE PLAN ENHANCES AND INCREASES TRAIL TRAIL CONNECTIVITY, INCREASING CONNECTED TRAILS BY 55% WITH THREE TRAIL HEADS, ONE OF THEM BEING THE VIOLET CROWN TRAIL HEAD, AND FIVE CROSSING POINTS ALONG BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, INCLUDING THE LAND BRIDGE.
A SIX BRIDGE CONNECTS THE FUTURE MOPAC SHARED USE PATH OVER BARTON SPRINGS ROAD AS YOU HEAD TO OR FROM THE LAKE.
NOW WE'LL ZOOM IN FOR A CLOSER LOOK CUZ IT'S HARD TO SEE WHEN YOU'RE ZOOMED OUT TO THE ENTIRE PROPERTY.
YOU'LL NOTICE SMALL ICONS ON THE DESIGN ELEMENTS TO LINK HOW THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES AND GOALS ARE SUPPORTED.
THE NORTHERN AREA OF THE PARK IS MOSTLY UNTOUCHED WITH THE ZILKER NATURE PRESERVE AND THE NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER REMAINING IN PLACE.
THE LANDFILL ON EITHER SIDE OF MOPAC IS RESTORED TO NATURAL AREAS TO BETTER CONNECT VISITORS TO THE WATER.
AS MENTIONED EARLIER, THE ROWING DOCK REMAINS IN ITS CURRENT LOCATION WITH PEDESTRIAN CONNECTIONS FROM ENS CREEK UNDER STRATFORD DRIVE TO CONNECT THE NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER AND TRAIL USERS TO THE WATER.
THERE IS A TRAIL HEAD FOR THE BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL BESIDE THE PARKING GARAGE, UM, LOCATED UNDERNEATH MOPAC AND STRATFORD DRIVE IS REALIGNED THE PARALLEL MOPAC AND LEAVES ITS FORMER ALIGNMENT DEDICATED TO BIKES AND PEDESTRIANS.
THIS IS A VIEW FROM THE MOPAC INTERSECTION WITH THE ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDEN LOOKING OUT TOWARDS DOWNTOWN AND LADY BIRD LAKE WITH A RESTORED NATURAL AREA IN PLACE OF THE BUTLER LANDFILL.
THE CENTRAL PART OF THE PARK INCLUDES AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE CONNECTED TO THE LAND BRIDGE THAT ALLOWS FOR SAFE PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE CROSSING OVER BARTON SPRINGS ROAD.
THE SPORTS AREA IS NOW MORE CLOSELY LOCATED AT THE POLO FIELD LAWN AND THE DIS GOLF AREA REMAINS IN ITS CURRENT CONFIGURATION.
THE ZER HILLSIDE THEATER IS LOCATED AT THE NORTH END OF THE LAND BRIDGE.
THIS IS A VIEW FROM THE TOP OF THE LAND BRIDGE LOOKING TOWARDS THE GREAT LAWN AND DOWNTOWN ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE PARK.
LUNA ROAD IS CLOSED TO EVERYDAY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.
THERE ARE NEW PEDESTRIAN AND BIKE CONNECTIONS ACROSS THE LAKE IN BARTON CREEK TO BETTER CONNECT EXISTING AND FUTURE PARKING AREAS AND RELIEVE PARKING NEEDS INSIDE THE PARK BOUNDARIES.
THIS IS A VIEW OF THE ZORE HILLSIDE THEATER CONNECTED AT THE LAND BRIDGE.
THE THEATER'S CURRENT LOCATION DOESN'T ACCOMMODATE GROWTH OF THE THEATER'S PROGRAMMING AND PRESENTS CHALLENGES FOR ACCESSIBILITY, PARKING, AND UTILITIES.
BY RELOCATING IT TO THE PROPOSED AREA IN THE GREAT LAWN, THE THEATER PRODUCTION CAN BETTER ACCOMMODATE ALL USERS.
AND THIS LOCATION AL ALSO PROVIDES OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDENS AND NATURE AND SCIENCE CENTER SOUTH OF BARTON SPRINGS ROAD.
THE PLAN INCLUDES CONNECTIONS ACROSS BARTON SPRING, UH, BARTON CREEK ON EITHER SIDE OF THE POOL, A WELCOME PLAZA, AND A NEW AND ENHANCED PLAY AREAS AT THE EXISTING PLAYGROUND NEAR THE POOL.
IN NEW PLAY AREAS ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE PARK, THE SIZE OF THE PLAYGROUNDS, THE SOUTH AREA WAS REDUCED TO KEEP THE CURRENT MONKEY TREE LAWN INTACT.
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SHOWN HERE ON AZ MORTON WOULD BE THE LO LOWEST PRIORITY OF PARKING GARAGES AND MAY POSSIBLY NOT EVEN BE NEEDED AS OTHER PARKING SOLUTIONS LIKE SHARED USE PARKING OPTIONS BECOME AVAILABLE.THIS IS A VIEW OF THE AREA TO THE EAST OF BARTON SPRINGS POOL.
THIS SPILLWAY, THIS SHOWS ACCESSIBLE PATHS TO THE WATER'S EDGE RE-VEGETATED AREAS AND DEFINE AREAS FOR WATER ACCESS TO ALLOW FOR HEALING BACK OF THE BANKS.
THE WEST SIDE OF THE PARK FEATURES NEW TRAILS IN THE FORESTED AREA NEAR THE MACBETH RECREATION CENTER IN THE GIRL SCOUT CABIN.
COLUMBUS DRIVE FROM THE VE MAINTENANCE FACILITY TO THE VIOLET CROWN TRAIL HEAD WILL BE CLOSED TO EVERYDAY VEHICULAR TRAFFIC ALLOWING FOR UNIMPEDED ACCESS FROM THE GREEN BELT IN VIOLET CROWN TRAIL TO THE LAND BRIDGE TO THE BUTLER HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
THIS IS A VIEW OF THE CHILDREN'S PLAY SPACE WITHIN THE SPORTS AREA.
THE REASON FOR HAVING MULTIPLE PLAY AREAS WITH PLAY AREAS WITHIN THE PARK IS TO BETTER DISTRIBUTE VISITORS ACROSS THE PARK AND ALLEVIATE CROWDING.
THE PLAN RECOMMENDATIONS ARE DIVIDED INTO SMALLER PROJECTS TO ALLOW FOR MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH IMPLEMENTATION.
THE RECOMMENDATIONS GENERALLY FALL INTO THE CATEGORIES THAT ARE SEEN HERE, ADMINISTRATION, ACCESSIBILITY, ECOLOGICAL RESTORATION, AND FACILITIES AND PROGRAMS TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE PROJECTS MAY BE PRIORITIZED.
THE PLANNING TEAM DID A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS BASED ON COMMUNITY INPUT RECEIVED THROUGHOUT THE DURATION OF THE PROJECT AND DISCUSSIONS WITH CITY DEPARTMENTS ON THIS QUADRANT.
AND THE HIGHER BENEFIT AND LOWER COST PROJECTS ARE CLOSE CLUSTERED AT THE TOP LEFT.
AND THE LOWER BENEFIT HIGHER COST PROJECTS ARE AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT.
THE PROJECT TIMELINE WAS ESTABLISHED BASED ON THE COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS.
HOWEVER, IT IS INTENDED TO BE FLEXIBLE BASED ON AVAILABLE FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES.
ANOTHER IMPORTANT ASPECT IS THE CORRELATION AMONG PROJECTS THAT ARE CODEPENDENT FOR IMPLEMENTATION.
FOR EXAMPLE, SURFACE PARKING WILL ONLY BE BE REMOVED WHEN THERE IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY TO ACCESS THE PARK.
EITHER A PARKING SOLUTION OR MORE FREQUENT TRANSIT OR SHUTTLE SERVICES.
AS AN EXAMPLE, TO CONCLUDE OUR NEXT STEPS ARE TO VISIT THE PARKS BOARD AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, ATTEND THE PUBLIC HEALTH COMMITTEE ON MEETING ON JUNE 14TH AND CITY COUNCIL MEETING TENTATIVELY ON JULY 20TH FOR COUNCIL'S CONSIDERATION FOR ADOPTION.
SO I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE HANDS UP.
AND JUST AS A REMINDER, WE'RE JUST COVERING THE MOBILITY ASPECTS OF IT.
SO I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER PORTIONS OF THIS PLAN THAT FOLKS ARE CURIOUS ABOUT, BUT JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE STAYING ON THE, UM, MOBILITY ASPECTS.
I JUST WANTED TO TO CIRCLE BACK ON THE PARKING GARAGE.
THAT SEEMS TO BE GARNERING A LOT OF ATTENTION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
I KNOW I CERTAINLY HAVE RECEIVED LOTS OF EMAILS REGARDING IT.
CAN YOU CLARIFY, CAUSE FROM THE COMMENTS THAT YOU PRESENTED TO US EARLIER, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S, WE MIGHT NOT NEED THE PARKING GARAGE IF WE'RE ABLE TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT STRATEGIES AND SOLUTIONS.
SO CAN YOU, UM, REEMPHASIZE THAT PORTION OR ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE? SURE.
UM, IT'S TOUGH TO DO WITH JUST 10 MINUTES, BUT WE, UM, THE PLANNING TEAM STARTED WITH THE ASSUMPTION OF KEEPING THE SAME NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES AS WE WERE ABLE TO CALCULATE THAT ARE THERE TODAY.
AND THAT'S JUST UNDER 2,500 SPACES.
THAT INCLUDES WHAT WE TERMED FORMAL PARKING, WHICH IS PAVED SURFACES WITH INFORMAL PARKING, WHICH IS AREAS LIKE THE BUTLER LANDFILL AND THE POLO FIELD.
SO USING THAT AS THE NUMBER THAT WE WERE AIMING TO ACHIEVE.
UM, THE IDEA TO REDUCE IMPERVIOUS COVER AND CONSOLIDATE WHERE CARS ARE ARRIVING WITHIN THE PARK.
THAT'S WHY THERE ARE THREE PARKING GARAGES LOCATED AROUND THE PARK.
THE COMMENT ABOUT IF THEY MAY NOT BE NEEDED IS WE ALSO HAVE A LOT OF OTHER MOBILITY SOLUTIONS WITHIN THE PARK, UM, TALKING ABOUT SHUTTLES, PARKING AREAS OUTSIDE OF THE PARK THAT PEOPLE CAN WALK INTO WITH THE BRIDGES.
UM, SO IF WE ARE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE THOSE PARKING SPOTS OUTSIDE OF ZILKER, THAT MEANS THEY DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE LOCATED WITHIN ZILKER AND WITH A A, OUR POPULATION IS GROWING IN AUSTIN.
WE KNOW THAT THE NUMBER OF PARKING SPACES THAT IS THERE TODAY, UM, WOULDN'T BE SUFFICIENT FOR THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE ANTICIPATE VISITING EVEN MORE FREQUENTLY IN ZILKER MOVING FORWARD.
ANYTHING TO ADD GREG? NO, I WAS, I WAS GONNA ALSO MENTION THAT, UM, THE SOLUTION OF THE GARAGES AND THEIR LOCATION WAS TO RELIEVE THE CONGESTION THAT WE WERE SEEING IN CERTAIN AREAS OF THE PARK.
THE OTHER THING TO THINK ABOUT IS THAT THE EXISTING SURFACE LOTS RIGHT NOW DO NOT HAVE ANY SORT OF DRAINAGE ENHANCEMENTS FOR THE RUNOFF.
SO SOME OF THE PARKING LOTS THAT ARE NEAR BARTON CREEK RUN DIRECTLY FROM THEM THROUGH THE TURF, STRAIGHT TO THE CREEK.
[01:15:01]
SO A GARAGE WAS A SOLUTION TO HOPEFULLY FOCUS, UH, THOSE DRIVERS COMING TO THE PARK IN A CERTAIN LOCATION AND THE GARAGE WOULD TREAT THAT RATHER THAN THE SURFACE LOT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING RIGHT NOW.SO ALL THOSE CAR POLLUTANTS JUST RUN OFF INTO THE PARK AND THOSE CLOSEST TO THE CREEK OR OTHER AREAS HAVE, UH, CREATED SOME DRAINAGE ISSUES IN EROSION.
I THINK THAT CONVERSATION AROUND THE GARAGES HAVING THEIR OWN TREATMENT IS INTERESTING.
COULD YOU GO INTO A LITTLE MORE DETAIL? I'M CERTAINLY NOT A GARAGE SPECIALIST ENGINEER, BUT I KNOW THAT GARAGES THAT, UM, OUR DESIGN CAN ACCOMMODATE THOSE TYPE OF FACILITIES IN THEM.
I MEAN, WE'VE SEEN THE, I GUESS, EVOLUTION OF GARAGES FROM GREEN ROOFS NOW.
UM, SOME HERE IN, IN THE COUNTRY, UM, AND THE STATE HAVE NOW USED GREEN ROOFS, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT IN, IN THIS PARK.
SO ANYTHING THAT IS GONNA BE DESIGNED SPECIFIC TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS GONNA BE IN THE NEXT PHASE.
WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY KIND OF TRY TO DECIDE THAT RIGHT NOW.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE IN THE NEXT PHASE, WHICH IS GONNA AGAIN, BE IN THE DESIGN PHASE THAT'S GONNA HAVE ITS OWN COMMUNITY DIALOGUE.
TO ADD TO THAT, UM, I KNOW FUNCTIONAL GREEN IS SOMETHING THAT COUNCIL HAS BEEN WORKING WITH WATERSHED PROTECTION DEPARTMENT ON.
UM, AND SOME OF THE ELEMENTS, THE SPECIFICS OUT OF FUNCTIONAL GREEN WOULD CERTAINLY BE A PART OF ANY FUTURE FACILITY DESIGN, ESPECIALLY, UH, PARKING STRUCTURE.
UM, IN ADDITION, THE, UM, URBAN DESIGN GUIDELINES ARE BEING UPDATED AND, UM, I KNOW THE WORKING GROUPS ARE BEING SPECIFIC WITH THE KIND OF GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THEY ARE LOOKING TO SEE IN URBAN STRUCTURES.
IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS VERY INTENTIONAL TO KEEP THAT NUMBER THE SAME, ESSENTIALLY.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY THAT IS? DID YOU HAVE PUBLIC FEEDBACK THAT, UM, WAS NOT IN AGREEMENT ABOUT WHETHER PARKING SHOULD BE INCREASED OR DECREASED AND THAT'S WHY YOU CHOSE TO STICK WITH THE SAME NUMBER? CAN YOU TALK ME THROUGH THAT THOUGHT PROCESS? YES.
SO, UM, THE COM WHEN WE STARTED WITH THE INITIAL SURVEY, A LOT OF THE, THE COMMENTS WERE AROUND CHALLENGES TO ACCESSING ZILKER, WHETHER THAT'S FINDING A PARKING SPACE OR JUST OVERALL CROWDING.
UM, SO, AND WE DIRECTLY ASKED IF PARKING WAS AN ISSUE AND THERE WAS A LOT OF RESPONSE ABOUT, YES, PARKING IS AN ISSUE AT ZILKER PARK.
THAT BEING SAID, UM, ONE, ONE COULD HYPOTHESIZE THAT, WELL, WE NEED TO PROVIDE MORE PARKING.
UM, BUT THAT IS NOT GENERALLY A BEST PRACTICE IN PARK DESIGN.
UM, AND WE HEARD THAT WITH THE COUNT THAT WE, BASED OFF OF OUR INFORMATION OFF OF, UM, THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY NOT ACCOUNTING FOR ALL THE SPACES THAT ARE USED.
FOR INSTANCE, ON THE POLO FIELD, WE DIDN'T COUNT THE ENTIRETY OF THE POLO FIELD AS POTENTIAL PARKING.
UM, WE JUST COUNTED A PORTION OF IT FROM WHAT WE COULD SEE ON THE AERIAL USE THE, THE AREA THAT WAS MOST HEAVILY IMPACTED.
UM, SO IT'S NOT AN EXACT SCIENCE FOR HOW WE GOT TO THAT NUMBER, BUT WE ALSO HEARD THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ONLY COUNTED THE FORMAL PAVED SPOTS THAT ARE THE QUOTE UNQUOTE LEGAL SPOTS THAT ARE THERE TODAY.
UM, BUT WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE TODAY ARE USING THE GRAVEL LOT, THE POLO FIELD AS PARKING SPACES.
SO THAT DIDN'T SEEM LIKE A RESPONSIBLE WAY TO ADDRESS THE, THE NEED FOR PARKING.
SO THAT'S WHY WE ARRIVED AT COUNTING BOTH THE FORMAL INFORMAL SPACES, BUT NOT TRYING TO ACCOMMODATE MORE PARKING THAN THAT TODAY, EVEN THOUGH THE POPULATION OF AUSTIN WAS GROWING.
AND I HAD SEEN EVEN OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, EVERY SO OFTEN THERE WILL BE A, A BUSY DAY IN THE PARK AND PEOPLE START JUMPING THE CURB AND PARKING ON THE PECAN GROVE.
AND THAT'S CAUSED A LOT OF, A LOT.
I KNOW I GET NOTES ABOUT IT, I GET EMAILS, I GET TEXT MESSAGES ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
SO I KNOW THERE'S THE RIGHT BALANCE OF, UM, NOT INCENTIVIZING PEOPLE TO BE PARKING IN PLACES THAT ARE NOT DESIGNATED, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, IF THE FORMULA DOESN'T WORK, PEOPLE WILL JUST JUMP THE CURB AND START PARKING ANYWHERE AND THEN IT GETS VERY HARD TO MAINTAIN WITH, UM, PARKING TICKETS OR CHANGING THAT BEHAVIOR ONCE SOMEONE HAS DECIDED THEY'RE JUST GONNA MAKE THEIR OWN SPOT.
UM, TRYING TO FIND THAT BALANCE.
SO I I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
AND DID I SEE YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP? I, I'LL LET YOU GO AHEAD AND ASK SOME QUESTIONS CAUSE I KNOW I'LL HAVE A FEW MORE.
BUT, UM, I'LL BE HERE TILL THE END OF THE MEETING AND YOU MAY NOT NECESSARILY WANT TO BE
I APPRECIATE THAT NOW, AND, AND IS RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT OFF AS IT RELATES TO THE POLO FIELD.
ARE YOU'RE NOT COUNTING ANY OF THE POLO FIELD AS PARKING IN THE FUTURE.
IT'S, YOU'RE, YOU'RE USING IT AS INFORMAL PARKING TODAY, BUT NOTHING FOR THE FUTURE, IS
[01:20:01]
THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.SO THE, THE PROPOSAL THAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS AN UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE, TWO STORIES THAT WOULD ACCOMMODATE THAT, WHAT IS CURRENTLY BEING PARKED ON TOP OF THE JAIL.
AND DO YOU KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER OF STALLS YOU'RE PLANNING FOR THE UNDERGROUND GARAGE, ROUGHLY THAT GARAGE? UM, SUNNY, DO YOU KNOW? UM, I'D HAVE TO LOOK AT THE PLAN, BUT I THINK IT'S AROUND THREE 50.
AND SO IF I'M LOOKING AT YOUR, UH, AND LOOKING AT YOUR PLAN KIND OF PRIORITIZATION OF, OF THE GARAGES, IT WOULD BE THE UNDERGROUND MOPAC AND THEN AZ MORTON, WOULD THAT BE A CORRECT CHARACTERIZATION? CORRECT.
AND, AND, UM, FOR THE GARAGES OF THE 24 50, HOW MANY COME FROM THE GARAGES? AND THEN THAT MIGHT BE IN HERE AND I JUST MISSED IT, BUT, UM, OH, IN THE GARAGES? YEAH, SO ABOUT 2000, UM, ACCOMMODATED IN THE GARAGES, THE THREE GARAGES, 2000 SPOTS, AND THEN THE REMAINDER OF THE 450 IS ALONG BARTON SPRINGS ROAD AS PARALLEL PARKING.
AND THEN WE ARE KEEPING SOME OF THE SURFACE LOTS SUCH AS THE ONE THAT'S ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE POOL FOR ACCESSIBILITY REASONS AND THE EXISTING PARKING, UM, ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE POOL.
SO THAT WOULD MEAN ON YOUR, YOUR CAR, YOUR PARKING SPOT COUNT FOR THE GARAGES.
I WOULD HAVE TO IMAGINE THAT THE MOPAC GARAGES PLAN TO BE QUITE LARGE IF YOU'RE ONLY DOING 400 UNDERGROUND.
AND I, I I I DON'T WANNA QUOTE THOSE NUMBERS.
SO, AND HAVE Y ONLY HAD ANY DISCUSSIONS WITH TEXT DOT ABOUT AND HOW ARE WE WE FEELING ABOUT THAT? YEAH, WE HAD, UM, MULTIPLE DISCUSSIONS WITH CTR MAY AND TECH DOT, AND A REPRESENTATIVE OF TECH DOT WAS ON OUR TECHNICAL ADVISORY GROUP MEETING, WHICH WE MET WITH FIVE OR SIX TIMES DURING THE PROCESS.
UM, THEY, WE DISCUSSED THE PARKING GARAGE IDEA, AND IF YOU'VE SEEN PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF THE PLAN, AT ONE POINT WE HAD THE GARAGE TO THE EAST SIDE OF MOPAC.
UM, AFTER THOSE DIS THOSE DISCUSSIONS, WE FELT COMFORTABLE TO MOVE IT UNDERNEATH MOPAC KNOWING THAT THERE IS A MOPAC SOUTH EXPRESSWAY PROJECT COMING ONLINE IN THAT IF THIS PLAN GETS FAR ENOUGH AHEAD OF THAT PROCESS, THAT THERE'S A GREATER CHANCE OF WORKING THROUGH, UH, AN IMPROVEMENT LIKE THAT.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THEY DIDN'T TAKE IT OFF THE TABLE.
AND THEN LASTLY, AND YOU TOUCHED ON IT A LITTLE BIT WITH BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, WE HAVE THOSE PARALLEL PARKING SPOTS.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT HAVING ONE LANE ROAD VERSUS THE, THE EXISTING TWO-LANE ROAD.
AND I FULLY GET YOUR JOB WAS TO LOOK AT WHAT MAKES THE PARK THE BEST, NOT THE FULL MOBILITY OF THE REGION.
UM, BUT THAT IS AN ITEM JUST, I KIND OF, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE ALL FLAGGED AND HEARD THIS, BUT, UM, IF WE JUST LOOK HOW THINGS ARE, HOW THEY'RE DESIGNED, RIGHT? IF YOU WANNA GET EAST WEST, IT'S BARTON SPRINGS ROAD.
IF YOU'RE SOUTH OF THE RIVER, IT'S BARTON SPRINGS ROAD OR YOU GOTTA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO TWO 90 AND THAT'S JUST A REALITY THAT WE FACE.
AND SO, UM, I THINK FURTHER DISCUSSION ON THAT, WE'VE HAD LOTS OF DISCUSSION ON THAT, BUT I, I KNOW WE'RE GONNA BE DIVING DEEPER INTO THAT ISSUE, SO I JUST WANNA FLAG IT HERE TODAY.
WE'VE HAD LOTS OF CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR BRIDGE AND YOU KNOW, WHO IT SERVES AND WHO USES IT EVERY DAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO, UM, UNDERSTAND BETTER THE TRAFFIC FLOW THAT'S DEPENDENT UPON THAT.
AND I KNOW OVER THE YEARS, I THINK IT WAS PROBABLY OVER 10 YEARS AGO, THERE WAS SOME TALK OF EXPANDING LANES ALONG BARTON SPRINGS ROAD, AND I JUST WANNA ASSURE PEOPLE THAT THAT'S NOT WHERE THE CONVERSATION LIES TODAY.
UM, IT IS MORE ABOUT MAINTAINING OR EVENTUALLY IF IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY, POTENTIALLY MINIMIZING LANE TRAFFIC JUST SO THAT WE CAN RIGHT SIZE SOME OF THE TURNS THAT HAPPEN ALONG THAT STREET.
THERE'S A LOT OF LIKE LEFT RIGHT, THAT HAPPENS.
AND IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET TRAFFIC TO FLOW BETTER, I'M WILLING TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, BUT I KNOW WE DEFINITELY NEED MORE OF THE BIKE AND PEDESTRIAN INFRASTRUCTURE AS HAS BEEN SHARED, SHOWCASED BY THE NEW SHARED USE PATH GOING IN AROUND THE BOTANICAL GARDEN, UM, THAT WAS FUNDED WITH QUARTER CENT FUNDING.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK LENDS ITSELF WELL TO THIS PLAN AND ALLOWS FOR MORE PEOPLE TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE PARK.
I KNOW JUST LAST WEEKEND, THE WEEKEND BEFORE LAST, I WAS GONNA TAKE A LEFT ON STRATFORD.
I SEE A DAD WITH A STROLLER WITH A TINY ONE IN IT WITH A PUPPY
[01:25:01]
BY HIS SIDE AND A MOM WITH A LITTLE BIT OLDER ONE, BUT STILL A YOUNG ONE TRYING TO MAKE THEIR WAY UP TO THE ZILKER BOTANICAL GARDEN.AND I JUST THINK THAT'S A PLACE THAT WE SHOULDN'T, WE SHOULDN'T BE.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN AGREEMENT WITH ME HERE THAT WE SHOULD AT LEAST MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE TRYING TO USE THIS SPACE HAVE SAFE ACCESSIBLE OPTIONS NO MATTER WHICH CORNER OF THE, THE PARK THEY WANT TO USE.
UM, I KNOW IN 2019 WE DID A CAT METRO PILOT TO DOUBLE UP THE 30 ROUTE THAT RUNS THROUGH THERE.
UM, I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHERE THE DATA LANDED.
I DON'T KNOW THAT IT NECESSARILY, UM, WAS SOMETHING PEOPLE JUMPED ON IN THE MOMENT.
BUT I THINK IF WE REVISIT THAT CONVERSATION AND START TALKING ABOUT THE SUMMER MONTHS AND WHETHER, UM, I, AS A NEW WE CALL ME THE BABY CAT METRO BOARD MEMBER, UM, CAN COME IN AND TRY TO, TO ACTIVATE MORE OF BUS BUS ACTIVITY COMING INTO THAT PARK, I THINK THAT'S REALLY HELPFUL FOR FOLKS.
BUT I WANNA BE MINDFUL THAT PEOPLE WITH DOGS, PEOPLE WITH, YOU KNOW, DOUBLE STROLLERS, PEOPLE WITH MOBILITY IMPAIRMENTS ARE NOT NECESSARILY GONNA SERVICED BY ONE SPECIFIC OPTION.
THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE ALL OPTIONS ON THE TABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY AREN'T EXCLUDED FROM THIS SPACE.
DID YOU WANNA JUMP IN? I JUST WANTED YOU BROUGHT UP CAP METRO.
I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT THEY WERE ALSO MEETING WITH US IN PART OF THIS PLANNING PROCESS.
SO WE COORDINATED WITH THEM QUITE A BIT TO TALK ABOUT THE EXISTING ROUTE AND LOOKING AT FREQUENCY, LOOKING AT EVEN DISCUSSING LIKE THE MON YOU KNOW, THE, THE NAME CHANGING BECAUSE I THINK IT'S SO, UH, I'M SORRY, A BARN CREEK MALL.
AND INSTEAD OF KIND OF INCORPORATING THE PARK NAME IN THERE TO HELP PEOPLE IDENTIFY THAT IT IS PART OF THE DESTINATION ON THE WAY TO THE, THE MALL OBVIOUSLY, BUT JUST SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
WE EVEN TALKED ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF THE DILL, UM, IF YOU RECALL, YOU'VE BEEN HERE LONG ENOUGH, THE DILL THAT USED TO RUN NORTH AND SOUTH OF THE RIVER.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE DISCUSSED IN ENHANCING TRANSIT TO THE PARK.
SO THAT WAS DEFINITELY SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT QUITE A BIT.
AND IT'S, IT WAS ABOUT IMPROVING THE USER EXPERIENCE AND THE SAFETY WITHIN THE PARK FROM A BIKE AND PET STANDPOINT.
MUCH LIKE YOU JUST SAID ABOUT YOUR OBSERVATION RECENTLY.
CAUSE I KNOW THEY RECENTLY INCORPORATED THE BULL CREEK ROUTE, SO NOW IT'S GOT LIKE A BARTON CREEK TO BULL CREEK NAME, WHICH IS GREAT BECAUSE FOLKS THAT MAY HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAD TO STOP DOWNTOWN AND CHANGE BUSES NOW HAVE ACCESS TO THAT PARK SPACE AS WELL.
SO I'M, AND I KNOW CAP METRO IS A GREAT PARTNER IN TRYING TO MAKE SURE THERE'S AS MANY MOBILITY OPTIONS FOR EVERYBODY AS POSSIBLE.
SO I'M CERTAINLY LOOKING FORWARD TO THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBER RYAN AL ALTER HAD ALREADY BROUGHT UP THE DIS UH, THE DISCUSSION OF BARTON SPRINGS BOULEVARD.
UM, CAN YOU TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT HOW AND WHEN DECISIONS WOULD BE MADE ABOUT ON STREET PARKING FOR, FOR THAT SECTION OF THE ROAD? UM, AND I'M ALSO APPROACHING THIS FROM A MINDSET OF PUBLIC SAFETY, TRYING TO MAKE SURE, UM, IF WE HAVE THAT ON STREET PARKING AND A LANE NARROWS AND THERE'S AN EMERGENCY VEHICLE TRYING TO GET THROUGH, HAVE WE THOUGHT ABOUT HOW AND WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS TAKE PLACE TO ENSURE WE DON'T HAVE GRIDLOCK MM-HMM.
SO THAT LED TO A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS WITH, AT D OBVIOUSLY THE PARKS DEPARTMENT DOES NOT GET INVOLVED IN ROADWAY DESIGN AND OR LEVEL OF SERVICE.
SO WE WOULD LEAN ON, UM, THE AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT TO HELP LEAD US THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
SO IN THOSE DISCUSSIONS, SO IN THE PLAN, WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS ADD FLEXIBILITY IN SAYING THAT THE IMAGES THAT WE PROVIDE IN THE PLAN ARE NOT FINAL OR SET IN STONE, BUT THEY'RE MORE POSSIBILITIES OF TO KIND OF GET THE DISCUSSION GOING AND TO FURTHER THAT INTO THE DESIGN PHASE, BUT ALSO UNDERSTANDING THAT ATD IS GONNA PLAY A HUGE ROLE IN THAT BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO LOOK AT THAT ROADWAY IN A MORE COMPLETE WAY THAN WE EVER COULD.
WHAT WE WERE PROVIDING WAS THE INFORMATION THAT WE WERE HEARING, HEARING IN OUR PLANNING PROCESS AND SHARING THAT WITH THEM SO THAT THEY COULD GET A MORE COMPLETE PICTURE OF WHAT THE EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THUS FAR IN THE PARK.
AND IT'S ONE THAT IS NOT VERY SAFE AND IT'S NOT INVITING YOUR, YOU KNOW, OBSERVATION SEALS THAT POINT.
SO AGAIN, WE KEPT HEARING ABOUT THAT A LOT.
SO, UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MOVING FORWARD ATD IS GOING TO BE PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND WE WOULD CERTAINLY WITHIN THE PARK BE PART OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS.
I KNOW, UM, SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO TELL WITH A VISION PLAN HOW MUCH IS FULLY BAKED.
UM, THERE CAN BE THIS FEELING OF DECISIONS ALREADY BEING MADE, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF THIS THAT IS STILL TB D UM, THERE'S NOT FUNDING ALLOTTED FOR IT.
THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'LL HAVE TO TAKE, UM, INTO CONSIDERATION, YOU KNOW, PIECE BY PIECE AS NEEDED.
UM, AND THE LAST QUESTION THAT I'LL ASK IS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT THE CONVERSATIONS AROUND THE ZILKER EAGLE ARE BEING INCLUDED IN, I KNOW WE HEARD ABOUT THE BRIDGE, UM, REPAIR OR REPLACE PROJECT
[01:30:01]
AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE'RE DECIDING, UM, IS HELPFUL WITH THE ZILKER EAGLE.CAUSE I KNOW THEY'RE STILL WORKING THROUGH SOME CONSTRUCTION, UM, DECISIONS THAT NEED TO BE MADE ON THAT.
SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE CONVERSATION, RIGHT, AS FAR AS MAKING SURE THE BRIDGE AND THE PLAN WORK FOR THE EAGLE? YES, DEFINITELY.
AND, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION ABOUT ADDING SOME ROUTE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE, THE PARK WAS IN WORKING WITH, WITH THE ZILKER EAGLE AND, AND HOW THEY ENVISION GROWING BECAUSE THIS IS DECADES LONG PROJECT, UM, THAT WOULD OCCUR.
UM, BUT BEING ABLE TO SERVE IN MULTIPLE WAYS, THE 350 ACRES OF THE PARK AND BUILDING IN WHERE THOSE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES WOULD BE AND CO-LOCATING THOSE CLOSE TO OTHER, UH, FACILITIES.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
THANKS FOR COMING TO THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO FUTURE PRESENTATIONS.
[5. Briefing on the Austin Core Transportation Plan.]
OUR AGENDA IS A BRIEFING ON THE AUSTIN CORE TRANSPORTATION PLAN.AND I WILL JUST FLAG THAT IT IS 2 38 AND ALTHOUGH I TRY MY BEST TO MOVE US ALONG AND GET US FINISHED ON TIME, WE MIGHT RUN OUT OF TIME FOR THE MOBILITY BOND UPDATES.
I HOPE NO ONE'S OFFENDED AND I APPRECIATE THE PRESENTATION THAT GOT PUT TOGETHER AND IT WILL STILL BE USEFUL UNTIL WE CAN BRING YOU BACK POTENTIALLY AT THE NEXT MEETING.
GOOD AFTERNOON, CHAIR BY SHARON, ALL THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS.
I'M THE DEVELOPMENT OFFICER FOR TRANSPORTATION AND PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR GIVING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BRIEF YOU ALL ON THE AUSTIN AUSTRIA CORE TRANSPORTATION PLANK ACT PLAN.
AS, UH, MOST OF YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THE ACT PLAN FOR THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND THE PRIMARY INTENT OF THE ACT PLAN IS TO LOOK INTO OUR DOWNTOWN STREET AND SEE HOW WE CAN OPTIMIZE THE STREETS AND REVITALIZE THEM TO PRIORITIZE MULTIMODAL TRANSPORTATION.
WITH THE TRANSFORMATIONAL PROJECTS LIKE PROJECT CONNECT AND IDENTIFIED CENTRAL SECTION IN THE HORIZON, I THINK IT IS VERY TIMELY TO LOOK INTO DIFFERENT OPTIONS FOR OUR DOWNTOWN GRID, HOW WE CAN MAKE IT MORE, UM, EFFICIENT, OPTIMIZE THEM, AND HOW CAN WE SUPPORT THE GENERATIONAL INVESTMENT ON PROJECT CONNECT AND IDENTIFI PROJECT.
SO AS PART OF THE ACT PLAN, WE HAVE, UH, DONE SIGNIFICANT ENGAGEMENT WITH THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SOLICITED FEEDBACK ON DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE DEVELOPED, AND, UH, NOW WE ARE LOOKING INTO THE ASSESSMENT OF, OF, OF THOSE DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
SO WITHOUT GETTING INTO FURTHER DETAILS, I'M GONNA ASK DAN HENNESSY, MY COLLEAGUE, WHO IS THE PROJECT LEAD FOR THE A PLAN HE IS GONNA TAKE.
TAKE US ANYWHERE FROM HERE ON DAN.
UH, WHAT I WANNA DO TODAY IS, UM, PROVIDE YOU JUST A QUICK OVERVIEW OF, OF WHAT THIS IS AND WHY WE'RE DOING IT, UM, WHAT WILL COME OUT OF THE PROCESS, UM, DETAIL A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THAT WE'VE DONE SO FAR, AND THEN WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS AND, AND WHAT THOSE NEXT STEPS ARE.
UH, SO WE ARE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE TRANSPORTATION CONNECTIONS LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW AND WHAT THEY SHOULD LOOK LIKE IN THE FUTURE INTO, OUT OF AND THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UM, NOT JUST THAT, BUT ALSO WITHIN DOWNTOWN AND REALLY CONNECTING PEOPLE ACROSS THE DIFFERENT SUB-DISTRICTS OF DOWNTOWN.
UH, THERE HAVE BEEN A GREAT NUMBER OF PLANNING AND ENGINEERING STUDIES OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS.
UM, SOME OF THEM ARE, UH, SOMEWHAT DATED AT THIS POINT WITH RESPECT TO BEST PRACTICES FOR BICYCLE DESIGN OR OUR CURRENT TRANSIT PLANS.
UM, SOME OF THEM, UH, HAVE CONFLICTS WITH ONE ANOTHER, UH, THAT NEED TO BE, UM, FIGURED OUT THROUGH THIS PROCESS.
BUT ESSENTIALLY WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS, UM, MOVING PAST THOSE PLANS, UNDERSTANDING THE CONSTRAINED RIGHT OF WAY THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH DOWNTOWN, AND TRYING TO IDENTIFY FEASIBLE PROJECTS THAT ACCOMMODATE OUR AS AND P GOALS THAT ALSO UNDERSTAND THE REALITIES OF DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT OF THE I 35 CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PLAN AND THE PROJECT CONNECT ALTERNATIVES THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDER CONSIDERATION.
UM, WE WANT TO, AS COMING OUT OF THIS PROCESS, COMMUNICATE WHAT THOSE ULTIMATE PLANS ARE FOR THE RIGHT OF WAY DOWNTOWN.
UH, DETERMINE HOW WE'RE GOING TO IMPLEMENT THEM, AND AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, BRING THE COMMUNITY ALONG SUCH THAT THERE IS SUPPORT AND EXCITEMENT FOR THE CHANGES TO THE DOWNTOWN STREETS FOR THESE PROJECTS.
UH, AS GOOGLE MENTIONED, THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT WE PAUSED THIS IN 2020 DUE TO, PARTIALLY DUE TO THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC, BUT SECONDLY, WE GOT WIND THAT, UH, PROJECT CONNECT WOULD MAKE IT TO THE BALLOT AND, UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY, UH, MATERIALLY WOULD CHANGE, UM, WHAT
[01:35:01]
DOWNTOWN STREETS NEEDED TO DO AND, AND WHO THEY WOULD SERVE.UM, WE RESTARTED THIS PROCESS IN, IN EARNEST IN EARLY 2020, UH, AND WE'VE BEEN UPDATING IT AS, UH, NEW INFORMATION FROM TECH OUT AND THE TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP HAVE BEEN AVAILABLE AS WELL AS WE'VE GOTTEN, UM, NEW INFORMATION FROM OUR CORRIDOR PROGRAM OFFICE ON, UH, DIFFERENT CORRIDORS DOWNTOWN AS A RESULT OF THE CHANGES TO, UM, THE PROJECT CONNECT, UH, INVESTMENT PLAN.
UM, THIS HAS BECOME MORE OF A SCENARIO PLANNING EXERCISE WHERE WE ARE WORKING ACROSS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BECOME LESS PRESCRIPTIVE AND MORE OF US MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE INPUT TO BOTH TUX DOT AND THE ATP, UM, BUT ALSO THAT WE'VE GOT OUR DUCKS IN A ROW TO BE ABLE TO ACT, UM, ONCE THEY'VE MADE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR PROJECTS.
I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT DEVELOPING THIS PLAN WAS AN ACTION ITEM IN THE APPROVED, UH, AS P FROM 2019.
SO WITH RESPECT TO, UH, THE CAPITAL EXPRESS CENTRAL PLAN, UM, TXA HAS SHOWN, UH, A NEW CONNECTION OF FIFTH STREET ACROSS THE FREEWAY.
THEY'VE ALSO SHOWN ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE FREEWAY, UH, TWO SIXTH STREET AND SEVENTH STREET, AND THEY'VE ALSO SHOWN A REVERSAL OF EIGHTH STREET.
UH, THE SCHEMATIC THAT YOU SEE IN FRONT OF YOU FOR THE A HUNDRED FEET TO THE WEST OF THE PROPOSED BOULEVARD, UH, ALONG I 35 IS AS FAR AS WE'VE SEEN WITH RESPECT TO THEIR MODELING, UM, AND THEIR SCHEMATIC DESIGN IS, UH, SO THERE'S NO PLAN FROM THEM IN TERMS OF HOW THIS INTEGRATES BACK INTO OUR CITY STREETS.
SO THAT'S A BIG PART OF WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO.
WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM ABOUT THE MODELING FOR THE SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS OF THESE CHANGES, UM, IF THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, IF IT MAKES IT EASIER ON THEM, THEY HAVEN'T THOUGHT OF US IF THERE'S A, A GOOD REASON FOR THEM.
BUT WE DO THINK THAT, UM, AFTER REVIEWING THESE CHANGES, THEY DO FACILITATE SOME OF OUR PLANS AND WE CAN MAKE THEM WORK, UM, WITH BROADER CHANGES FARTHER TO THE WEST THROUGH DOWNTOWN.
UH, I'LL ALSO NOTE THAT THIS PLAN DOES PROVIDE PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CAPACITY INTO AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN, UM, TO MAKE UP FOR WHAT WE'LL SHOW ON THE NEXT SLIDE IN TERMS OF SOME OF THE LOSS CAPACITY WITH RESPECT TO VEHICLES GETTING INTO AND OUT OF DOWNTOWN.
SO I MENTIONED THE, THE CAPACITY CONSTRAINTS.
UM, REALLY IT'S, IT'S TWO LOCATIONS THAT WE WOULD FIND CHANGES WITH RESPECT TO VEHICLE CAPACITY, GETTING IN AND OUT.
UM, AT THE DRAG, UM, WE, WE DON'T QUITE MAKE IT ON, ON THIS MAP, BUT, UM, YOU'LL HAVE REDUCED VEHICLE CAPACITY AT GUADALUPE, UM, ACROSS MARTIN LUTHER KING COMING INTO DOWNTOWN, AND THEN EITHER AT EITHER LOCATION CROSSING CAESAR CHAVEZ, UH, VEHICLE OPERATIONS WOULD CHANGE FAIRLY SIGNIFICANTLY, UH, DEPENDING ON THE, THE CHANGE, UM, OR THE, THE PROGRAM IMPLEMENTED.
UM, SO WE'VE, WE'VE CONSIDERED BOTH AND WE, AND WE'RE PLANNING FOR BOTH, AND FRANKLY, WE NEED AN ANSWER FROM ATP BEFORE WE CAN DELIVER A FULL DRAFT PLAN.
UM, BUT ALL THE OPTIONS ARE, ARE BEING CONSIDERED AS PART OF THIS, UM, PLANNING EXERCISE.
OUR ULTIMATE PROCESS, WE'RE REALLY KIND OF STUCK IN THAT CYCLE OF BLUE RIGHT NOW WHERE WE GET INFORMATION FROM OUR PARTNERS AND, UM, REVIEW THE ASS AND P REVIEW OUR MODAL NETWORKS FOR BIKES AND FOR TRANSIT IN PARTICULAR, AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO IMPLEMENT PROJECTS THAT, UM, MATERIALLY MEET, UH, OUR NEEDS THERE, BUT ALSO PROVIDE, UM, CONSISTENCY AND, AND, AND ABILITY FOR TEXT DOT AND, UH, ATP TO, UH, GET THE FULL, UH, EFFICIENCY OUT OF THEIR PROJECTS AND, AND TIE BACK INTO THE DOWNTOWN GRID NETWORK.
UM, AGAIN, ALL OF THIS IS DONE IN THE CONSTRAINED IDEA OF THE 80 FEET THAT THE DOWNTOWN GRID GIVES US FROM BUILDING FACE TO BUILDING FACE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF WE IMPLEMENTED EVERYTHING THAT'S IN SOME OF THE PLANS THAT WE, UH, HAVE ALREADY, WE WOULD NEED 120 FEET OF SPACE.
SO THE, THE OTHER PART OF THIS PLAN IS TO REALLY MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT WHAT GOES WHERE, UM, AND FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE ON EVERY INDIVIDUAL STREET DOWNTOWN SO THAT WE CAN BE CLEAR ABOUT WHAT STREETS ARE SUPPOSED TO DO AND WHAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO DO, BUT THEN ALSO ENSURE THAT WE'RE CREATING ENOUGH STREETS THAT DO ENOUGH OF EVERYTHING, UH, TO CREATE FULL NETWORKS FOR PEOPLE.
UH, THIS IS, COMES FROM THE, UM, CENTRAL CITY IN MOTION PLAN FROM THE CITY OF PORTLAND, BUT WE REALLY LIKE THIS DELIVERABLE IN TERMS OF SIMPLE, UH, GRAPHICS, IN TERMS OF THE EXTENTS OF THE PROJECTS, WHAT THEY'LL BE, UH, BOTH FROM A CROSS-SECTION PERSPECTIVE, BUT ALSO ON THE GROUND.
AND THEN QUICK EXPLAINERS ABOUT WHY WE'RE DOING THEM, THE BENEFITS OF THEM, AND PLANNING LEVEL COST S THAT INCLUDE, UH, OR THAT CAN BE INCLUDED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, FUNDING EXERCISES TO DETERMINE HOW THESE ACTUALLY GET IMPLEMENTED AND OUR ABILITY TO IMPLEMENT THEM.
ALSO, TALKING WITH OUR PARTNERS WHO ARE GONNA REQUIRE SOME OF THE CHANGES TO STREETS AND WHAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO DO, UH, IN TERMS OF HELPING TO FACILITATE SOME OF THESE CHANGES.
ULTIMATELY, THAT'LL ALL GET COMPILED INTO A FULL LIST OF PROJECTS, UM, THAT ARE ALL BASED ON FEASIBLE DESIGN SOLUTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN WORKED THROUGH EVERY DIVISION WITHIN T P W WITH CAP METRO, WITH ATP.
[01:40:01]
UM, SOME WILL INCLUDE SOME COORDINATION WITH TECH A TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE UNDERSTOOD EVERYTHING THAT, THAT THEY HAVE INFLUENCE OVER TOO.UM, BUT THEN IT'LL LEAD TO, YOU KNOW, A ONE YEAR PLAN, A FIVE YEAR PLAN, A 10 YEAR PLAN THAT CORRESPONDS TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF THOSE PROJECTS AS WELL.
WE HAVE DONE EXTENSIVE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THIS, UH, WITH REALLY GREAT RESULTS.
UH, AND I DON'T WANT TO TAKE TOO MUCH CREDIT FOR THAT BECAUSE OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN ALLIANCE HAS REALLY, UH, MOVED THE NEEDLE FOR US ON THIS.
THEY IDENTIFIED HELPED US IDENTIFY MORE THAN 80 DOWNTOWN STAKEHOLDERS.
THEY PUT TOGETHER A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT WORKING GROUPS, UH, HELPED US ORGANIZE DIFFERENT PUBLIC EVENTS, PUBLICIZED OUR SURVEYS.
ACROSS THE TWO SURVEYS WE HAD, WE HAVE MORE THAN 3,500 RESPONSES, WHICH IS AS SUCCESSFUL A SURVEY AS FORMER ATD HAD EVER HAD AS PART OF OUR, UM, OUT OUTREACH AND ENGAGEMENT ON A, ON A PLANNING EFFORT LIKE THIS FOR A, FOR A, UM, SUCH A NARROW REGION.
UM, AND SO WE HAVE BEEN FOCUSING BOTH ON, UM, COVERING DOWNTOWN, BUT ALSO MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ENGAGING PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN AS WELL AS IDENTIFYING FOCUS POPULATIONS FOR DOWNTOWN.
AND YOU'LL SEE THAT IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES THAT WE, WE'VE REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT MUSICIANS AND HOTEL STAFF AND JANITORIAL STAFF AND STATE OFFICE WORKERS AND, AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TALKED TO ALL OF THEM, GAVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUBLICIZE THIS AND MAKE SURE THAT WE HEARD FROM THOSE DIFFERENT POPULATIONS.
JUST A, A QUICK MAP OF SOME OF THE EVENTS IN OUR FIRST PHASE.
WE WERE DOWNTOWN, UM, AND WE GOT SOME FEEDBACK IN THROUGH SOME OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT THEY THOUGHT WE WERE MAYBE TOO DOWNTOWN FOCUSED IN SOME OF OUR ENGAGEMENT.
SO AS YOU'LL SEE ON THE NEXT SLIDE, WHEN WE WENT TO PHASE TWO, UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.
WE SIMILARLY DID THE SAME PHASE EVENTS DOWNTOWN, BUT WE ALSO TRIED TO MAKE SURE WE GOT TO EVERY COUNCIL DISTRICT TO GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE MEET US IN PERSON, UM, IN ADDITION TO THE SURVEY, IN ADDITION TO DOWNTOWN EVENTS.
UH, AND THAT HELPED EXPAND ENGAGEMENT TO, UH, TO NEW DEMOGRAPHICS AND, AND NEW COMMUNITIES THAT WE DIDN'T GET THE FIRST TIME AROUND.
SO, TO THOSE ENGAGEMENT RESULTS, UM, THE FIRST SURVEY REALLY FOCUSED ON STATED PREFERENCES FOR PEOPLE ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED THE STREETS TO DO.
AND WHAT WE HEARD LOUD AND CLEAR WAS THAT THEY PREFERRED, UH, PROTECTED BIKE LANES, WIDE SIDEWALKS AND ALSO ACTIVE BUILDING FRONTAGES AND, AND STREET ZONES WHERE THEY WOULD BE ESSENTIALLY ANYTHING THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE TWO CURBS IS WHAT PEOPLE ASKED US TO NOT PRIORITIZE, EVEN TO THE EXTENT OF, UM, TRANSIT ONLY LANES.
WE WERE A LITTLE BIT SURPRISED TO SEE THAT THOSE RATED SLIGHTLY LOWER, UM, BUT I THINK PEOPLE REALLY STRONGLY HAD A PREFERENCE FOR A PROTECTED, UH, BICYCLE AND MICRO MOBILITY NETWORK THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
WE ALSO ASK PEOPLE HOW THEY GET DOWNTOWN RIGHT NOW AND HOW THEY'D LIKE TO GET DOWNTOWN, UM, NOT JUST TO AND FROM, BUT ALSO MOVE AROUND WITHIN.
AND ESSENTIALLY EVERYTHING THAT'S NOT IN A CAR, UH, PEOPLE HAD A PREFERENCE TO WANT TO DO MORE.
UH, THERE ARE A, A GREAT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO CURRENTLY DRIVE ALONE WHO, OR, OR OTHERWISE TAKE A TNC OR CARPOOL WHO WOULD LOVE TO DO THAT LESS, UH, AND JUST FEEL LIKE WE HAVEN'T GIVEN THEM THE OPTIONS THROUGH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS TO, TO PROVIDE THAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM.
UM, SO, UH, WE HAVE A PRETTY CLEAR MANDATE HERE FROM THE PUBLIC TO GIVE PEOPLE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THOSE THINGS THROUGH OUR INFRASTRUCTURE DECISIONS.
THIS SLIDE HAS WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION, BUT I WANT, WHAT I WANTED, UH, THIS TO SHOW THROUGH THIS, UH, HEAT CHART IS THAT NO MATTER HOW WE SLICE THE POP POPULATIONS IN TERMS OF THE DEMOGRAPHIC RESPONDENT'S, GENDER, RACE, INCOME, UH, AGE, SOME OF THOSE FOCUS POPULATIONS THAT I MENTIONED, EVERY GROUP TOLD US THE SAME THING.
WE DEFINITELY EXPECTED MORE CHANGES IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, PRIORITIZING TRAVEL WITHIN OR TWO OR EXITING DOWNTOWN, UM, WHETHER THERE WAS PREFERENCES FOR VEHICLE LANES OR BIKE LANES OR SIDEWALKS OR, OR WHATEVER.
BUT, UM, EVERY, EVERY GROUP TOLD US THE SAME THING.
IT WAS FRANKLY PRETTY SHOCKING HOW STANDARD IT WAS.
UM, SO ACROSS THE 2100 RESPONSES, MOST OF THESE CATEGORIES ARE, UH, WELL, EACH OF THEM IS OVER 100 RESPONSES.
MOST OF THEM ARE, UM, SEVERAL HUNDRED RESPONSES, UH, THROUGH THE SURVEY.
IN THE SECOND PHASE, WE ASK PEOPLE TO, UM, ESSENTIALLY WE, WE SHOWED THEM THEIR REVEALED PREFERENCES IN TERMS OF WHAT THE STREET SECTIONS WOULD LOOK LIKE, STARTING WITH WHAT WE WOULD, WHAT WOULD BE ON THE STREETS IF WE DID NOTHING AT ALL.
UH, SO THIS IS FROM THE GREAT STREETS MASTER PLAN, THE TWO SECTIONS THAT ARE IN THERE.
UH, THE TYPICAL GREAT STREET THAT IS MOST, UH, APPLICABLE THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN HAS THE VERY NICE 18 FOOT, UM, TREE FURNITURE ZONES AND SIDEWALKS IN FRONT OF THE BUILDINGS.
ESSENTIALLY, THE GREAT STREETS MASTER PLAN LEADS THAT TO TWO TRAVEL LANES AND PARKING WITH MIXED BICYCLE LANES IN BETWEEN.
AND, UM, IT MIGHT BE SOME, UM, PREFERENCE FROM KNOWING WHAT THE OTHER OPTIONS WERE AND, AND SEEING THE, UH, UH, HAVING DONE PHASE ONE OF THE SURVEY.
[01:45:01]
UH, BUT PEOPLE REALLY, UH, DID NOT LIKE THAT OPTION.AGAIN, THE STREET MASTER PLAN WAS COMPLETED IN 2001.
WE'VE LEARNED A LOT ABOUT BICYCLE DESIGN SINCE THEN.
UM, MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN ACROSS THE POND TO SEE BEST PRACTICES FROM AROUND THE WORLD.
UH, WE'RE, WE'RE IMPLEMENTING A LOT OF THAT NOW.
UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN SOMETHING LIKE THIRD STREET WASN'T, UH, UM, THOUGHT ABOUT AT THE TIME OF THE GREAT SERIES MASTER PLAN.
SO THERE'VE BEEN A LOT OF CHANGE AND, AND AGAIN, UM, EVEN IF WE LEFT IT AS IT IS NOW, THERE'S NOT, UH, A GREAT DEAL OF SUPPORT FOR THOSE ALTERNATIVES.
UM, I THINK PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT WE NEED TO BE MORE FLEXIBLE IN TERMS OF OUR DESIGNS.
PRESENTED PEOPLE WITH A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS.
UH, NONE OF THESE ARE, WERE WE MADE CLEAR THAT NONE OF THESE ARE DIRECTLY FOR IMPLEMENTING, BUT WE SHOWED BASED ON THE DIMENSIONS AND THE ABILITY TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, THREE TRAVEL LANES VERSUS ONE BIKE LANE, THREE TRAVEL LANES VERSUS TWO BIKE LANES WITH NARROWER PEDESTRIAN SPACES, REMOVING A TRAVEL LANE, BUT PROVIDING FULL GREAT STREETS AND BETTER, UH, BIKE LANES.
THERE'S A STRONG PREFERENCE FOR COMPLETE, UM, BICYCLE AND MICRO MOBILITY NETWORKS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING THAT IN BOTH DIRECTIONS, UH, AND DOING SO POTENTIALLY AT THE EXPENSE OF SOME PEDESTRIAN SPACE, YOU KNOW, NOT, NOT HARKENING STRICTLY TO THE 18 FEET, UH, THAT'S IN THE GREAT STREETS MASTER PLAN, BUT ALSO POTENTIALLY AT THE, UM, ABILITY, UH, TO PROVIDE TRAVEL LANES.
UH, WE WANTED TO, AGAIN, TO JUST SHOW PEOPLE THE RESULTS OF THEIR PHASE ONE SURVEY AND SAY, CONFIRM AGAIN THAT THIS IS WHAT YOU TOLD US AND WE WANT YOU TO, WE WANNA UNDERSTAND IF YOU SUPPORT THESE ALTERNATIVES OR NOT.
WE ALSO PROPOSED, UH, A COUPLE DIFFERENT SCENARIOS RELATED TO THE BICYCLE NETWORK IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO EXPAND IT AND WHAT IT MIGHT COST PEOPLE.
UH, THOSE INCLUDED SOME MAPS RELATED TO, UM, WHERE THOSE BIKE FACILITIES MIGHT BE.
AGAIN, PEOPLE, UM, ASKED US TO PROVIDE THE GREATEST EXPANSION TO THE BICYCLE AND MICRO MOBILITY NETWORK THAT WE THOUGHT POSSIBLE.
UH, WE, WE TRIED TO MAKE IT CLEAR ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD LEAVE, WHAT THAT WOULD COST IN TERMS OF VEHICLE LANES, IN TERMS OF PARKING SPACES.
UM, AND AGAIN, PEOPLE TOLD US, EXPAND THE BIKE NETWORK, PROVIDE LANES FOR SCOOTERS, UM, AND DO IT THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
WE ALSO, UH, CONFRONTED PEOPLE WITH THE QUESTION ABOUT PROVIDING DEDICATED TRANSIT ONLY LANES SO LONG AS WE COULD PROVIDE EVERYTHING ELSE.
UM, WE, AND WE SPECIFICALLY ASKED THE QUESTION, UH, ABOUT TARGETED INSTALLATION OF DEDICATED TRANSIT LANES, KNOWING AFTER A DISCUSSION WITH OUR CAPITAL METRO PARTNERS, THAT THEY REALLY DO ONLY NEED IT IN A COUPLE OF LOCATIONS TO MATERIALLY CHANGE THE ABILITY TO HAVE CONSISTENT OPERATIONS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
AND AGAIN, UM, MORE THAN 85% SUPPORT FOR THOSE TARGETED INSTALLATIONS OF D DEDICATED TRANSIT LANES THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
THE LAST QUESTION WE ASKED PEOPLE WAS ABOUT STREET DIRECTIONALITY.
AS I MENTIONED, THE UM, I 35 PROJECT IS GONNA REQUIRE SOME CHANGES.
IT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SOME CHANGES.
AND THE DOWNTOWN AUSTIN PLAN, THE GRAY STREET'S MASTER PLAN, BOTH CONSIDERED SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO ESSENTIALLY EVERY STREET DOWNTOWN, UM, TO MAKE THEM TWO-WAY.
THERE ARE SOME CHALLENGES IN IMPLEMENTING TWO-WAY STREETS, ESSENTIALLY WITH TWO-WAY STREETS.
PEOPLE, UM, EXPECT WHATEVER FACILITY YOU PROVIDE, WHETHER IT'S A TRANSIT LANE, PARKING, UH, BICYCLE LANES TO BE ON BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET WITH A ONE-WAY STREET, YOU'RE ONLY DOING THAT IN ONE DIRECTION.
AND WITH A CONSTRAINTED SPACE WE HAVE, THAT BECOMES MORE OF A CHALLENGE.
THIS IS THE ONE PLACE WHERE WE DIDN'T GET A CLEAR ANSWER FROM PEOPLE.
THERE'S A SLIGHT PREFERENCE FOR TWO-WAY STREETS THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN, UM, BUT NOT SIGNIFICANT, UM, AND NOT, UH, AS STRONG AS WE'VE SEEN WITH SOME OF THE OTHER ITEMS IN TERMS OF, UH, BICYCLE NETWORKS AND, AND THE TRANSIT LANES.
SIMILARLY TO THE PHASE ONE SURVEY, WE SAW THE SAME ACROSS THE BOARD HERE, GENDER, RACE, INCOME, DOWNTOWN GROUPS, ALL TOLD US THE SAME THING.
AGAIN, GOT THE SAME NUMBER OF, UH, RESPONSES THROUGHOUT THE, THE, UM, CATEGORIES.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT WAS REALLY HEARTENING FOR US TO SEE THAT WE HAVE A BROAD COALITION OF PEOPLE WHO WANT, WHO SUPPORT THESE CHANGES.
SO WHERE ARE WE AT? WE ESSENTIALLY KNOW WHAT TEXTILE IS PROPOSING TO US WITH RELATED TO I 35.
WE'D LOVE SOME MORE INFORMATION FROM THEM ABOUT SPECIFIC MODELING, UH, QUESTIONS WE HAVE AND, AND HOW THEY PLAN TO TRANSITION, UH, TO THE WEST OF THE PROPOSED BOULEVARD THROUGHOUT DOWNTOWN.
UM, I MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE WIDENED THIS OUT TO BE A, UM, UH, PLANNING EXERCISE THAT IS SCENARIO BASED BASED ON WHAT WE HEAR FROM AUSTIN TRANSIT PARTNERSHIP ABOUT THE INITIAL INVESTMENT FOR PROJECT CONNECT.
UM, WE ARE IN THE PROCESS OF DEVELOPING WHAT WE KNOW AND DIFFERENT PLANS RIGHT NOW SO THAT WE CAN RESPOND TO THAT AND HAVE A DRAFT PLAN READY FOR REVIEW, UM, ONCE WE GET THAT ANSWER.
AND THEN THROUGH THE SUMMER WE WILL BE DOTTING I AND CROSSING T'S ON THAT DRAFT PLAN, COMING BACK TO BOARD'S, COMMISSION'S, COUNCIL FOR, UH, REVIEW, FOR COMMENT, UM, FOR FURTHER CONSIDERATION.
BUT WE ALSO DO NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION TO TEXT THAT INTO I, INTO, UH, ACP RATHER
[01:50:01]
FOR, UM, HELPING THEM, UM, BEGIN DETAILED DESIGN ON THEIR PROJECTS AND, AND HELP US IMPLEMENT SOME OF THESE CHANGES, UM, THINGS THAT THEY NEED TO HAPPEN, UM, THAT PROVIDE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO CREATE OUR NETWORKS.WITH THAT, UH, THAT'S THE IT FOR THE PRESENTATION AND I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
YEAH, I WILL MAKE THIS AS QUICK AS POSSIBLE BECAUSE I KNOW PEOPLE ARE GONNA RIDE ON BIKES IN THE NEXT THREE MINUTES.
IS THAT RIGHT? IN THEORY, IN THEORY,
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT, THERE'S A LOT OF CONSTRAINT ON FOLKS IN TERMS OF TRANSIT, UH, WALKABILITY, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS.
SO MY, I GUESS MY QUESTION TO YOU IS THERE, IS THERE MONEY THAT IS POTENTIALLY WHETHER THROUGH BONDS OR, OR ELSEWHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IS THERE MONEY TO PUT TOWARDS RAINY STREET IN TERMS OF SAFER INFRASTRUCTURE, LIKE, LIKE SIDEWALKS AND, AND ALL THAT? YEAH, SO A LOT OF THAT IS HAPPENING RIGHT NOW THROUGH DIFFERENT DEVELOPMENT APPLICATIONS.
UM, THOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE CRANES THAT YOU SEE DOWN THERE BUILDING, THEY ALL HAVE A SERIES OF IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR BUILDING.
UH, BY THE TIME THEY COMPLETE THEIR CONSTRUCTION.
UM, THAT IS A FAIRLY COMPLETE SET OF IMPROVEMENTS WE FEEL IN TERMS OF, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, IT REALLY DOESN'T FEEL LIKE IT RIGHT NOW WITH MM-HMM.
UH, BUT IT WILL, WHEN THEY'RE DONE, THERE WILL STILL BE SOME WORK TO DO.
UM, THE AS AND P AND THE, UH, THIS ACT PLAN DO CONSIDER SOME, UH, ADDITIONAL CONNECTIONS, UM, AND EXTENSION OF RAINY STREET TO CAESAR CHAVEZ, UH, ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS, UM, AT RED RIVER STREET AND CAESAR CHAVEZ FOR BIKES AND FOR, UH, BETTER ALIGNING THAT, UH, INTERSECTION.
UM, SO THERE, THERE ARE, UH, THOSE ARE CONSIDERED IN THE ACT PLAN, BUT REALLY WE THINK THEY'RE MATERIALLY IMPLEMENTED THROUGH THE, UM, IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE TIED TO THOSE RESPECTIVE SITE PLANS.
RIGHT NOW IN THE RAINY DISTRICT, THERE ARE A LOT OF CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS UNDERWAY.
THAT'S A REAL CHALLENGE FOR, UH, US AS WELL AS THE, THE RESIDENTS OUT THERE.
BUT AS DAN MENTIONED, WHEN THE PROJECTS ARE BE, ARE GONNA BE COMPLETED, THERE IS GONNA BE CERTAIN IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO INCREASE SAFETY AS WELL AS MOBILITY.
FOR EXAMPLE, ON RED RIVER RIVER STREET, UH, WHEN THAT IS DONE, UM, THERE IS GOING TO BE WIDER SIDEWALK ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE RED RIVER STREET, AS WELL AS A CYCLE TRACK ON THE EAST SIDE OF RED RIVER STREET THAT IS GOING TO CONNECT TO THE DAVIS STREET.
AND THERE IS GONNA BE ANOTHER CYCLE TRACK NORTH SIDE OF DAVIS STREET THAT IS GOING TO CONNECT RED RIVER, UH, STREET TO RAINY STREET.
THERE IS ALSO GOING TO BE A TRAFFIC CIRCLE AT DEV STREET AND RED RIVER STREET.
SO THERE ARE NUMEROUS IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE GOING TO HAPPEN EVENTUALLY WHEN ALL THIS CONSTITUTION PROJECTS ARE GOING TO BE COMPLETED.
I KNOW WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE AT THE, UH, LISTENING SESSION AND RAINEY EARLIER ON, AND A LOT OF REALLY PASSIONATE, UM, FOLKS ON RAINEY'S TREATS, SO I'M SURE THEY'D BE, UM, REALLY HAPPY TO HEAR ABOUT ALL THIS.
THANK YOU FOR PRESENTING THIS INFORMATION AND THIS DATA.
I WAS ACTUALLY UNIQUELY SURPRISED THAT EVEN CONSTRUCTION WORKERS FAVOR WERE A DEDICATED TRANSIT LANE, SO THAT WAS REALLY INTERESTING TO, TO LEARN.
IT WAS THAT SLIDE 15 REALLY CAUGHT MY ATTENTION.
THERE'S A WHOLE SECTION ON THE PROTECTED BICYCLE AND MICRO MOBILITY LANE, AND THE ONES WITH THE DARKEST GREEN ARE JANITORIAL AND LATE NIGHT MUSICIANS AND BAR RESTAURANT AND VENUE STAFF.
AND YOU CAN SEE THIS REAL TREND THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE TRAVELING LATE AT NIGHT, ESPECIALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT, ARE PROBABLY THE ONES IN THE MOST NEED OF THESE PROTECTED LANES.
TO THE POINT THAT, UM, MS. CROW THAT CAME TO SPEAK TO US EARLIER TODAY WAS TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, WORKING ON RAINY OR DOWNTOWN AND LIVING ON EAST RIVERSIDE AND HOW DO WE HELP CONNECT, UM, THOSE COMMUTERS SAFELY IN THE, IN THE, YOU KNOW, MIDNIGHT HOURS.
MY COLLEAGUE, UH, KELSEY VISITOR AND I, WE, WE WENT DOWN TO A LOT OF THE VENUES AND SPOKE TO DOORMEN AND, AND SERVERS AND BARTENDERS AND, UH, OVERWHELMING HOW TIED TO VEHICLES THEY FEEL THEY ARE RIGHT NOW, GIVEN THE LATE HOURS AND THE LACK OF ALTERNATIVES.
THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT PRESENTATION.
ON THAT NOTE, WE ARE GONNA BE POSTPONING
[6. Mobility bond update.]
THE BONDS REPORT THAT WE WERE SET TO TAKE UP AND THAT LEAVES US[7. Update on the City's Strategic Mobility Outcome.]
WITH ANNOUNCING THE UPDATE ON THE STRATEGIC MOBILITY OUTCOME.I SEE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER IS GOOD.
HE'S WAVING HIS HAND SAYING REVIEW THE REPORT.
UM, IT IS NOW GOING TO PROBABLY BE RENAMED AS CITY OF AUSTIN MOBILITY REPORT, SO IF YOU SEE THAT ON FUTURE AGENDAS, UH, JUST TAKE NOTE THAT THAT'S ESSENTIALLY THE SAME DOCUMENT.
WE'RE JUST RENAMING IT AND THEN WE WILL NOT HAVE A
[01:55:01]
JUNE MEETING OR JULY MEETING AND WE WILL NOW BE POSTED FOR MEETINGS ON THE 24TH AND 31ST.BUT AGAIN, WE'RE ONLY GONNA PICK ONE OF THOSE DAYS AS THE CITY COUNCIL CALENDAR GETS UPDATED.
SO JUST BE AWARE THAT ONE OF THOSE WILL BE CANCELED AND WE WILL ONLY PICK ONE OF THOSE DATES AND WE'LL LIKELY BE TALKING ABOUT I 35 PROJECT CONNECT AND POTENTIALLY THE CYPRESS PROJECT UPDATE THAT COUNCIL MEMBER CADRE HAD, UM, ASKED FOR PREVIOUSLY.
I WOULD JUST ASK IF DIRECTOR SNOW CAN REACH OUT TO MY OFFICE.
I STILL WOULD LIKE TO MEET WITH HIM ABOUT THE, UM, BONDS UPDATE.
UH, SO JUST WANTED TO FLAG THAT.
AND ON THAT NOTE, IT IS 3:02 PM AND WE ARE ADJOURNING AND PRETEND, I'M SORRY, MY HAND IS RAISED.
COUNCIL MEMBER HARPER MADISON.
[8. Identify items to discuss at future meetings.]
HAD A FEW OTHER ITEMS FOR, UM, POTENTIAL CONSIDERATION FOR FUTURE AGENDAS.UM, ONE QUESTION I HAD THAT I DIDN'T ASK DURING THE COURSE OF THIS CONVERSATION, THIS WAS SUPER INFORMATIVE AND VERY HELPFUL, BUT I WOULD LIKE VERY MUCH TO HAVE A VERY EXPLICIT CONVERSATION THAT SPECIFICALLY IS DIRECTED BY WAY OF DISTRICT.
I WANNA KNOW WHAT OPTIONS WOULD MAKE THIS EASIER AND MORE ACCEPT OR MORE ACCESSIBLE RATHER FOR RESIDENTS OF NEIGHBORHOODS LIKE MINE AND EAST AND NORTHEAST AUSTIN TO GET ACCESS TO ZER PARK.
I FEEL LIKE SOME THINGS WERE ADDRESSED, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE SPENT ENOUGH TIME AND OR EMPHASIS TO MAKE IT SO THAT IT'S EASIER FOR ME MOVING FORWARD AS WE CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT EAD AND I'M DOING ALL THIS SORT OF DISTRICT LEVEL PLANNING, IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO CONTINUE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CONNECTIVITY.
UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT BOGGY, CONNECTING TO WALNUT, CONNECTING TO SHOW, CONNECTING TO LIKE REALLY HAVING A TRULY CONNECTED CITY.
I'D JUST LIKE TO HAVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT HOW THIS SPECIFIC ZER CONVERSATION GIVES MORE PEOPLE IN DISTRICT ONE ACCESS TO A PARK THAT I THINK TRADITIONALLY WE OFTENTIMES JUST DON'T ACCESS.
UM, UH, THE OTHER THING THAT I'D LIKE TO PUT ON THE AGENDA FOR POTENTIAL CONSIDERATION AS SOMETHING WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT IS I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, DURING THE COURSE OF OUR CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR PARTNERS AT A I S D AND THEIR BOND FUNDING, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED DURING THE COURSE OF THAT CONVERSATION IS ABOUT THEIR, UM, ELECTRIFICATION OF THEIR FLEET.
I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR FROM THEM ABOUT WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, WHAT THE TIMELINE LOOKS LIKE, AND HOW WE AS A BODY CAN SUPPORT THAT EFFORT.
I KNOW THAT THERE IS A LOT OF OVERLAPPING CONVERSATIONS WITH A I S D RIGHT NOW GIVEN THAT THEIR BOND JUST PASSED AND SO WE WANNA HELP MAKE SURE WE'RE GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNERS, BUT THOSE ARE REALLY GOOD ITEMS FOR US TO IDENTIFY.
AND WITHOUT FURTHER COMMENTS, IT IS 3:04 PM AND I AM ADJOURNING THE MEETING OF THE MOBILITY COMMITTEE.
WHEN YOU SEE ME PASSING, IT OUGHT MAKE YOU I OF MY HEELS, THE END, THE PALM OF MY HAND FOR PHENOMENAL.