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October 11, 2021
A new pedestrian and bicycle bridge near Longhorn Dam will soon give Austinites another way to cross Lady Bird Lake. Austin Public Works started the design phase of the project for the new bridge in the summer of 2021, which is expected to be completed in 2026.
The $ 460 million 2020 Safety and Active Transportation Bond included funding the design and construction of the new pedestrian and bicycle bridge, which is expected to cost $ 15 million.
In 2019, Austin Public Works and Austin Transportation shared five bridge alternatives based on 2018 community contributions. Alternative B, a wishbone-shaped bridge connected to the shore at three points, received the most support.
The project team will provide updates to the community on key milestones during the design phase of the project. Learn more and subscribe to project updates at AustinTexas.gov/NewLHDBridge.
A creative zebra crossing resembling the Progressive Pride flag comes to downtown Austin at the intersection of Bettie Naylor (Fourth) and Colorado Streets. In commemoration of National Coming Out Day, Austin Transportation is installing the crosswalks at the intersection today. The intersection will be closed until around 5:00 p.m.
National Coming Out Day is a day that raises awareness for individuals within the LGBTQ + community. This city-installed placemaking activation sends a message of hope, support, and acceptance to all who live and visit in Austin.
The design for the rainbow transitions was based on previous designs requested by the community. The Progressive Pride flag that formed the basis for the zebra crossing includes black and brown stripes that represent people of color, as well as baby blue, pink, and white that represent the transgender community.
In addition, Austin Transportation’s Artbox program will decorate three nearby utility boxes. The Artbox on the southwest corner of Bettie Naylor and Colorado Street will display the original 1978 Gilbert Baker Pride Flag, 2017 Philadelphia Pride Flag, 2018 Progress Pride Flag by Daniel Quasar, and Intersex Progressive Pride Flag 2021 by Valentino Vecchietti.
Photos and videos of the installation can be seen here. To learn more about the history of these flags, or the other Pride flags displayed on artboxes in the area, visit the Smart Mobility website.
The death toll in road accidents is increasing nationwide, in Texas and Austin. Austin Transportation (ATD) continues to work to reduce these serious accidents and achieve zero road deaths by expanding technical solutions and action-oriented messaging. ATD’s Vision Zero employees gave a presentation on October 7th about their ongoing efforts to the Austin City Council’s Mobility Committee.
Speed is the primary factor in determining the severity of the accident, which is why ATD is focused on delivering projects with safer designs and an emphasis on adequate speeds for safe results. Examples of these projects are flashing yellow turn arrow signals to prevent accidents when drivers turn left unprotected, and pedestrian hybrid beacons that warn drivers of pedestrians on the lane at intersections where there are no traffic lights.
With Austin Mobility Bond Dollars, 12 intersection security projects have been completed, and 18 more are in the early planning and design stages.
The choice of the driver plays an important complementary role to a safer transport infrastructure in order to prevent serious and fatal accidents. The four most common behaviors that lead to accidents are speeding, distraction, intransigence, and driving with a disability. With dynamic messaging displays at key accident locations, advertisements, a Safe 2 Save community competition and more scheduled for the holidays, ATD continues to encourage community members to consider their driving decisions so everyone can safely finish their journeys.
Next Vision Zero efforts include:
It was 1931, the height of the Great Depression, and Roy Velasquez needed a job.
Velasquez, a first-generation American, then 21, born to parents immigrating from Monterrey, Mexico, decided to get into the taxi business because, as he told biographers Glen Cootes and Karen Strong, “it was the only thing what was left open. ”
So Velasquez went to the owner of Ten Cents Taxi to look for work.
“The guy I went to is him [said]”I hate to tell you, but I can’t hire you because you could ruin my clientele,” “Velasquez recalled, according to Robyn Turner’s 1982 book Austin Originals.
So Velasquez went into business for himself, starting Roy’s Taxi in 1931 with a single Ford Model A, which he bought for $ 450 and borrowed $ 5 from a friend to cover the city permit fee.
During those years the other taxi companies did not carry black passengers in a segregated Austin. Roy’s Taxi was the first to do this. Velasquez started his business at a gas station at the end of the tram tracks on Sixth Street and Chicon Street. If passengers missed the tram, which cost a dime, Roy’s taxi took them anywhere in town for a dime.
Velasquez built Roy’s taxi steadily and ran it until his death in 1981. His family continued to run the business until 2006 when they sold it to Yellow Cab Co.
In addition to his pioneering work as a businessman, Velasquez was a leader in the community. He built relationships with Mayor Tom Miller, Councilor Emma Long, and US Senator Dennis Chávez of New Mexico, among others. According to a story he told biographers Cootes and Strong, he helped Lyndon B. Johnson get first elected to the US Congress in 1937.
Together with his brother Julius, Nash Moreno and Henry Moreno, Velasquez organized the Austin Chapter of the League of United Latin American Citizens in 1935.
“People say ‘political leader,’ but I always call myself a civic leader,” Velasquez told author Turner. “Politics is something you do when you have a special interest in one way or another. A civic leader is a man who cares about his people and tries to do what’s right for the community.”
Downtown Austinites is expecting a refreshed red transit lane on Lavaca St. in the coming weeks. The City of Austin crews will be removing the transit lanes between Fourth Street and 18th Street from October. This is the continuation of a joint venture formed in 2020 between the City of Austin and Capital Metro and is designed to improve transit operations and safety by providing clarity for drivers.
The project will be completed in five phases:
Lavaca St.
- Between the fourth and fifth St.
- Between the sixth and seventh St.
- Between 15th and 16th St.
- Between 16th and 17th St.
- Between 17th and 18th St.
Some areas are being repainted while others are being repainted with a higher quality, more durable product. If you have any questions, please contact austinmobility@austintexas.gov.
This press release was produced by the City of Austin. The views expressed here are your own.
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