TRANSPORTATIONUPDATES Austin looks tochange its taxi operating regulations
ONGOING PROJECTS
MORROW ST.
JUSTIN LN.
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BY DARCY SPRAGUE & BEN THOMPSON
TAXICAB TRIPS, VEHICLE COUNTS DECLINE Austin City Council’s taxi cab code update comes as the local industry is seeing its lowest performance in recent years, in part due to competition from ridesharing companies and other transit options.
LAMAR BLVD.
AIRPORT BLVD.
City Council approved a change to operating rules for Austin’s remaining taxicab companies March 3, a move transportation planners said could help boost an industry that has seen its market fall o since the arrival of Uber and Lyft. In a 10-0 vote, with Mayor Steve Adler absent, council members elim- inated franchise requirements for Austin taxi companies in favor of new requirements. They also asked sta to bring recommendations by May 1 for how cabs could be moved closer to the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport arrival terminal. The cab pickup area is located within the parking garage at ABIA. Council Member Kathie Tovo led the call to move them to the curb adjacent to the arrival terminal. “I think we are creating a disin- centive for people to use cabs,” Tovo said. “I think we are adding to the
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North Lamar street maintenance Austin Public Works began on the rst phase of construction on North Lamar Boulevard on March 5. Phase 1 runs from Morrow Street to Airport Bou- levard. A second phase from Koenig Lane to Justin Lane will follow. Timeline: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays, March 5-April 9, 2022 Cost: $850,000 (Phase 1) Funding source: Austin Public Works operations and maintenance budget
ANNUAL TAXICAB TRIPS
TOTAL CABS IN SERVICE 1,016
200K 600K 1M 1.4M 1.8M 2.2M 2.6M 3M 3.4M
245 2019-20
220 2020-21
2018-19
FY 2016-17 SOURCE: AUSTIN TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY IMPACT NEWSPAPER
FY 2017-18 FY 2018-19 FY 2019-20 FY 2020-21
COMPLETED PROJECTS
problems that the cab industry is having.” Austin Aviation Director Jacqueline Yaft said cabs were moved into the garage due to congestion issues. She said with airport improvements and record passenger counts, moving
them back to the pickup lane would be di cult. Tovo said she was in favor of leav- ing the pickup zone for rideshares in the garage but feels cabs need to be relocated to help bolster their business.
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ALL INFORMATION ON THIS PAGE WAS UPDATED AS OF MARCH 16. NEWS OR QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE OR OTHER LOCAL TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS? EMAIL US AT NWANEWS COMMUNITYIMPACT.COM. Rundberg Lane safety upgrades The intersections of East Rundberg Lane at I-35 and East Rundberg at Middle Fiskville Road received up- dates designed to improve mobility and protect pedestrians, including re ective striping, accessible curb ramps, a pedestrian crossing island and the relocation of a bus stop. Timeline: summer 2021-February 2022 Cost: $598,000 Funding sources: 2016 mobility bond intersection safety, Vision Zero program
Newmember is appointed toMobility Authority’s board The board of directors of the Cen- tral Texas Regional Mobility Author- Crossley has several years of experience in urban planning and transportation, according to the Mobility Authority. BY ZACHARIA WASHINGTON
nonpro t dedi- cated to high-qual- ity urban and rural habitats in Texas. “I look forward to working with
ity welcomed new Travis County appointee Jay Blazek Crossley. Crossley was sworn in at the Mobility Authority board of directors meeting Feb. 23 after being appointed by the Travis County Commissioners Court at the Jan. 27 meeting. Crossley will replace former Board Member John Langmore, who served four years.
He serves on the Texas Pedestrian Safety Coalition, the Texas Depart- ment of Transportation External Partner Workgroup on System Safety, Capital Metro’s Project Connect Advisory Network and on the board of Vision Zero ATX. Crossley works as founder and executive director of Farm&City, a
the board and sta to explore
and evaluate more safe, multimodal, a ordable mobility options for Central Texans,” Crossley said in a statement. Jay Blazek Crossley
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NORTHWEST AUSTIN EDITION • MARCH 2022
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