Here is what you should know heading into the week in Central Austin:
Bike Austin's sixth annual event that encourages residents to ride their bikes to work will take place May 19, and it is expected to draw increased ridership this year. Participants are encouraged to plan ahead, communicate with their automobile-driving counterparts and ride on the street and not the sidewalk. Visit
www.biketoworkaustin.org for more information.
One of the first projects of the $720 million mobility bond approved in November, the project spans Chesterfield from North Loop Boulevard to Koenig Lane. Work on the $131,000, 1,800-foot sidewalk is expected to be complete May 23. Meanwhile, reconstruction of Colorado Street in downtown Austin continues, and the project's completion date has been pushed back from June to July.
The sanctuary cities saga continues to unfold in Austin. Travis County officials announced on Tuesday the county had fount alternative funding sources for its 13 criminal justice programs Abbott defunded in retribution for Sheriff Sally Hernandez's stated policy of not cooperating withImmigration and Customs Enforcement warrantless detainer requests.
On Sunday, mothers and immigration advocates marched to the Governor's mansion to protest the controversial bill Gov. Greg Abbott had signed a week earlier. Senate Bill 4, dubbed by some as the "show me your papers" law, will give law enforcement officials the ability to question someone's immigration status without making an arrest when it takes effect Sept. 1.
The city of Austin is set to amend its code so that users of electronic smoking devices—e-cigarettes and vaporizers—have to abide by the same rules as tobacco smokers. On Thursday, Austin City Council voted unanimously to direct interim City Manager Elaine Hart to draft language that adds e-cigarettes and vape pens to the city's prohibitions against smoking.
