Last week I had the privilege of attending an open house for Project Connect , the planning effort to build a high-frequency, high-capacity, fast-running base for Austin’s transit system. Although the in-person open houses for the Orange and Blue lines are over, you can still review the materials and get your feedback heard at the virtual open house . CapMetro…
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Five Alternatives to Giant Parking Plinths
Last year, I sketched out why downtown has so many huge parking plinths . But another world is possible! Today, we’ll check out alternatives to the plinth. Then, coming soon, we’ll have a look at how regulations could finally #parktheplinth. Transportation Demand Management The easiest car to park is the one that isn’t driven to the destination at all. TDM programs work with…
Six Reasons Austin Should Go Big On Small Apartments
Coming up on Thursday, the 2019 version of the Austin City Council will start deliberating on one of the biggest decisions of this year: where to go now that CodeNEXT is dead . City Manager Spencer Cronk asked for direction from City Council on five questions , including how much we should allow “missing middle” housing (think: small multi-unit buildings…
Three versions of Austin’s next transit map
This blog cut its teeth analyzing Project Connect’s light rail vision in 2014 but I’ve stayed relatively silent on the current iteration of Project Connect. Largely, this was because Project Connect did pretty extensive but not super sexy analysis in their preliminary reports and I didn’t have much to object to in it or add to it. The…
CodeNEXT Is Dead, Long Live CodeNEXT!
CodeNEXT, Austin’s long-awaited rejiggering of the land development code, is dead. Mayor Steve Adler was the first politician to acknowledge the reality that “something has gone horribly wrong” and the project had been “poisoned” by “misinformation, hyperbole, fearmongering, and divisive rhetoric.” The news cycle moved from breaking news to roundups and roundups of takes, and now we’re at the part…
Lockless and Flockless: The State of Austin’s Dockless Vehicle Pilot Program
If you hadn’t heard, Austin has a newfangled pilot program for dockless bikes and scooters. This is awesome because scooters are awesome and bikes are awesome, and if you disagree, I’ll leave you in my scooter dust, at no more than 15 miles per hour. via GIPHY So, now that we’re a month into the city’s new dockless regulations, let’s…