Politics & Government

Austin Mobility News For July 19

The project teams will share the latest details on the current proposed design for each line and engage in discussion with the community.

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Press Release Desk, News Partner

Press release from the City of Austin:

July 19, 2021

In this week's edition:

Find out what's happening in South Austinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Para obtener más información en español, vea este correo electrónico en su navegador y haga clic en la esquina superior derecha para la traducción al español.

Join the upcoming Orange and Blue Line public meetings

All Austinites are invited to join the Project Connect team for in-person and virtual public meetings starting July 27 to learn about the most recent updates on the planning of the Orange and Blue Line Light rail lines. These expansive light rail lines will serve North, South, and East Austin with a downtown subway and connections to the airport.

Find out what's happening in South Austinfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

The project teams will share the latest details on the current proposed design for each line and engage in discussion with the community. Join Capital Metro for one or more of these experiences:

  • In-person open house focusing on the Orange and Blue Lines: Austin Central Library, Saturday July 31, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. Come and go at your convenience.
  • Live virtual meetings focusing on the Orange or Blue Line: Tuesday, July 27 – Thursday, August 5. Includes breakout sessions to discuss the projects at a neighborhood level.
  • On-demand virtual open house: Tuesday, July 27 to Friday, August 27.

Learn more and register for a meeting today at ProjectConnect.com/Get-Involved.

East Austin transit connects with the Richard Moya Bus Plaza

The Richard Moya Bus Plaza, is now open, bringing a multimodal transportation hub to a former parking lot in East Austin.

A collaboration between the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) and Capital Metro, the new bus plaza links four Capital Metro routes with nine CARTS routes, provides access to Capital Metro's bike-sharing service MetroBike, offers paratransit services and connects riders with Capital Metro’s on-demand service called Pickup.

The CARTS Board of Directors dedicated the bus plaza in the memory of Richard Moya, the founder of CARTS, its first and longtime Board Chair and the first Mexican-American elected to public office in Travis County, Texas, as County Commissioner from 1970-1986.

The hub includes a new route to the Austin Bergstrom International Airport and two more frequent connections to downtown Austin. It is located at the intersection of East 5th Street, Cesar Chavez Street and Shady Lane, and provides access to multiple busy corridors, including US 183, Airport Boulevard, the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, and East 7th Street.

The former truck parking lot has been reconfigured into a vibrant spot with native landscaping, rain gardens to capture stormwater runoff and a new indoor facility for transit riders to enjoy while waiting.

Get involved to inform where Austin builds places to walk, bike and roll

The City of Austin Public Works and Transportation departments have partnered to create ATX Walk Bike Roll - a project to update three plans that guide when and where we build places to walk, bike and roll.

  • Urban Trails Plan (2014) – The plan update for the Urban Trails Program will re-examine the proposed trail network, develop a new project selection process and improve policies with the goal of building more miles of trails in less time.
  • Sidewalk Plan (2016) – The plan update for the Sidewalk Program will look beyond sidewalks to create a safe pedestrian network. The update will consider where safe crossings are needed, as well as curb ramps, pedestrian crossings and more.
  • Bicycle Plan (2014) – The plan update for the Bicycle Program will include prioritization criteria for the on-street bikeway network and better integrate the on-street bikeway network with urban trails, transit and other regional projects.

Updating these plans together will allow for a more connected system to give you more choices for how you travel. That brings us closer to achieving the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan (ASMP) goal of increasing how many people walk, bike or take transit.
Sign up now to attend the first public meeting at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, August 11. Learn more at: Austintexas.gov/ATXWBR

Share your input on MetroBike's future

MetroBike, a partnership between Austin Transportation Department, Bike Share of Austin and Capital Metro continues to make improvements to Austin’s public bike-share system. Long-term service improvements include providing an all-electric fleet, expanding the number of bikes and stations, integrating with existing and planned Capital Metro transit services and improving services for reaching communities outside the downtown core.

The partnership wants to learn how to make MetroBike a more attractive and useful option for Austin community members and visitors. Your input will help us establish an inclusive, community-led vision so MetroBike’s expansion supports the mobility needs of everyone city-wide.

Take the survey / Responda nuestra encuesta. The MetroBike Strategic Expansion Plan Survey will close this Friday, July 23.

Construction begins this week on Rundberg Lane intersections

Construction of safety and mobility improvements at the intersections of Rundberg Lane/IH-35 and Rundberg Lane/Middle Fiskville Road is expected to start this week.

As part of the 2016 Mobility Bond, both intersections will see Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)-compliant pedestrian ramps, restriped high-visibility crosswalks and reflective pavement markings. Rundberg Lane at IH-35 will also receive updated medians for better access management and a new pedestrian crossing island to enhance connectivity for people walking and people riding bikes.

View a fact sheet about the projects. Ver un mapa de mejoras del proyectos.

Construction is expected to last up to three months. Please use caution when traveling through these areas and watch for workers and construction signage.

Eight Intersection Safety/Vision Zero projects have already been built with 2016 Mobility Bond funding. Learn more at AustinTexas.gov/2016BondIntersections.

Calendar Corner: July 19 - 25, 2021

Bicycle Advisory Council

The Bicycle Advisory Council (BAC) advises the City of Austin and other jurisdictions on all matters relating to the use of the bicycle.

Movability: Mobility Summit

Local and national leaders will discuss mobility post-pandemic, and how we can move our region in a better direction.

Urban Transportation Commission

The Urban Transportation Commission advises the City of Austin and other jurisdictions on all matters related to transportation.

I-35 Capital Express Central Open House

This is a public open house to answer questions and provide information about the I-35 Capital Express Central project.

This press release was produced by the City of Austin. The views expressed here are the author’s own.

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