NWA-2015-10-19-1Research shows priorities to improve traffic

Research from the MobilityATX community engagement process was unveiled by Austin think tank Glasshouse Policy on Oct. 8. Mayor Steve Adler said a bond could be possible to fully fund the Bicycle Master Plan; however he did not say whether or not he would support the idea. “We don’t have a mobility plan that works without a strong, integrated, multi-method transportation system, and that’s going to include a bicycle network,” Adler said. “It’s also going to include dedicated lanes for I-35 so we have transit that can move more rapidly than cars.” Solving Austin’s transportation issues must occur to solve affordability issues, Adler said. “We had a [transportation] bond election that was defeated last November, but the problem didn’t go away—it’s gotten worse,” Adler said. “The two biggest challenges we have in this community, mobility and affordability, are linked together, and we don’t solve affordability in this city without solving [transportation] as well. It’s that important.” District 5 Council Member Ann Kitchen, who leads the council’s Mobility Committee, said the city staff and council members are already taking steps forward in improving mobility throughout the city. Council recently agreed to divide a quarter-cent fund totaling $21.8 million among the 10 City Council districts for various transportation improvements, such as pedestrian safety devices and fixing sidewalk gaps. Glasshouse Policy Director Thomas Visco said the report does not entirely reflect the priorities of the entire Austin community and instead only represents views from those who decided to engage in the process. He said anyone who did not have their ideas included in the MobilityATX conversation can bring them forward. “I think this report will serve as a guiding document for council on what public policy priorities look like for a swath of the public,” Visco said.

New tax rate OK’d for Travis County

The Travis County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the new tax rate for the county during its Oct. 6 meeting. The approved order set a total tax rate of $0.4169 per $100 of taxable valuation for fiscal year 2015-16. The new tax rate is nearly 4 cents lower than the FY 2014-15 tax rate of $0.4563 per $100 of taxable value and will result in a decrease of about 79 cents on the average taxable homestead, said Jessica Rio, county executive for planning and budget. A taxpayer impact statement is available online for those who are interested, she said. The Commissioners Court approved Travis County’s $951.3 million budget at its Sept. 29 meeting.

WilCo meeting videos now available online

Videos of Commissioners Court regular meetings are now available on the county’s website. The video is not a live feed of the meetings but can be viewed the following day at www.wilco.org/commcourtagenda. The court began providing video of the meetings Oct. 8 to comply with House Bill 283, which was passed in the previous legislative session. The county purchased the camera and video-hosting capability from Swagit, a Plano company specializing in video streaming for local, state and federal government agencies. Williamson County opted to pay $4,490 in upfront costs and $795 per month for the ability to stream video.

City Council highlights

• Council unanimously approved Oct. 15 a contract to begin expansion at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. A 30-year lease of 30 acres of land approved Aug. 27 will help open eight gates at the airport. • Council unanimously approved Oct. 15 on second reading an item to reduce the minimum lot size required to build an accessory dwelling unit, or ADU, and lessened regulations on coinciding parking requirements. A third reading must pass council before the new regulations become official. • On Oct. 1, council approved a 15-year agreement for 118 megawatts of solar-generated electricity and a 20-year agreement for about 182 megawatts of solar-generated electricity for a total of $695 million. • On Oct. 1, council approved amending the city’s Imagine Austin plan to include Vision Zero, the goal for Austin to have zero traffic fatalities in one year.