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November 16, 2021
Project Connect, the multi-billion dollar public transportation investment approved by Austin voters in November 2020, is about more than just the new rail and bus routes coming into town.
Developing around Austin’s new train stations is also an important part of creating a transit lifestyle. Transitory Development (TOD) manages what can be built in neighborhoods near stops and encourages residents to get around on foot, bike, or bike.
TOD brings significant benefits to the community, but the growth surrounding these developments could cause new investments to drive rents higher and displace nearby vulnerable communities.
In recognition of this potential challenge, Austin City Council approved a $ 300 million investment in anti-displacement funds to support projects and programs that help low-income families stay safe from their neighborhoods and help others those from the effects of transit investment.
The Equitable Transit Oriented Development (ETOD) planning program will build on these investments and bring community members together to create and implement plans for future development along the Project Connect corridors.
Capital Metro and the city host community discussions to develop equitable TOD guidelines and principles, and listen to residents, small businesses and organizations to explore how to not only protect against displacement, but create more economic opportunity .
To learn more about ETOD and to get involved, attend one of the following online meetings:
Tuesday, November 16, 5:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., registration for the virtual meeting
Wednesday, November 17th, 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., registration for the virtual meeting
Additional ETOD meetings will be held in 2022 and the dates will be posted on the Project Connect Get Involved website when available.
Leading companies from the electric vehicle (EV), micromobility and energy technology industries gathered at Electrify Expo on November 12th on the Circuit of the Americas to discuss the future of electric vehicles and opportunities for clean transportation, utilities, and multimodal and shared mobility to discuss.
Representatives from EV buying and sharing companies joined Austin Energy employees to discuss the changes in transportation behavior caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The public health challenges of shared transportation actually turned out to be a bright spot for another clean transportation option: electric bikes.
“Although we saw some rider numbers on our public transit decline, we saw people from the city of Austin using our e-bike sharing system get on e-bikes,” said Amy Atchley, senior lead, EV Equity Program Austin Energy. “We think this is the year of e-bikes and it was exciting to see them take off.”
Other panellists highlighted the importance of services that enable people to familiarize themselves with and test drive electric vehicles before making a purchase, such as EV subscription apps for potential buyers or demo events such as the Electrify Expo.
The expo, which had an estimated attendance of 20,000, offered test drives for new electric vehicles, e-bikes, e-skateboards and unicycles.
The introduction of electric vehicles is a key component of Austin’s goals for net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2040. Electric vehicle users can find more than 1,200 Level 2 charging points and 29 fast chargers across the city.
Austin Transportation’s Smart Mobility Office is actively working with electric vehicle partners to deploy new technology and expand the network equitably.
The Texas Department of Transportation is holding a virtual public session to receive public comments on the November 2021 November 2021 Quarterly Revision of the 2021-2024 Nationwide Transportation Improvement Program. (https://www.txdot.gov/inside-txdot/division/transportation-planning/stips.html). Following the meeting, the public will be able to comment until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, November 29, 2021, to become part of the official record.
This press release was produced by the City of Austin. The views expressed here are your own.
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https://patch.com/texas/downtownaustin/austin-mobility-news-november-15
