Transportation Department seeks funding for new bike plan to add paths

The Austin Transportation Department is looking to raise $151 million as part of the newly enacted 2014 Austin Bicycle Master Plan.

The money will be used to fund 47 new miles of urban trails and 200 additional miles of on-street facilities which would more than double the city’s current bike capacity.

Austin currently has a Bicycle Friendly Community ranking of silver, which is based on the ratio of biking facilities to the city’s total population. Portland, a platinum rated city with a comparable population, is the inspiration for Austin’s expansion.

The city is looking at both public funding and private partnership opportunities to help move the project along.

Robert Spiller, Austin’s Director of Transportation said that funding for the bicycle lanes and facilities will be provided by the department’s budget and other public funds.

“We have an annual budget and an annual plan where we take advantage of where Public Works is completing their repaving,” Spiller said. “So that is where we coordinate with them to capture streets once they have been repaved – change the striping, change the control technique…as new funding opportunities come forward, whether a future bond cycle or future grant, we want to make sure that we have access to those funds.”

The 2014 Austin Master Bicycle Plan outlines major potential funding sources. The Transportation Department’s general fund will provide money through their annual allocation used for urban growth development and public recreation. The department will also look for potential funding through bonds, transportation user fees, grants, and federal and state funding sources.

The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, a federally mandated organization for central Texas, has a financial forecast between 2015 and 2040 of $398 million towards bicycle and pedestrian projects, according to the Texas Department of Transportation. The amount of that money going toward the 2014 Master Plan is currently not set.

Nathan Wilkes, engineering associate and coordinator of the 2014 Austin Bicycle Master Plan said that the Austin Transportation Department will also partner with other organizations to help fund the project. Wilkes said that gaining partner and private funding will help leverage federal funds.

“I think too often in the past we have been focused entirely on the public investment side of it and getting bond funding for our facilities,” Wilkes said. “A lot of the facilities that we are getting that are all ages and abilities are actually partnerships with TxDOT…there are a lot of exciting partners we can bring in to this.”

The 2014 Austin Master Bicycle Plan will cost $35 million less than the North Mopac Managed Lane Project, but will be able to support 1,000 more vehicles per day through the downtown and university areas, according to the Austin Transportation Department. This will be assisted by the creation of five times the number of bicycle share rental systems, or Austin B-cycle facilities.

Austin is hoping to replicate the success of Seville, Spain, whose instillation of only 87 miles of trails resulted in an increase in bike usage from .5 to 7 percent.

The project’s timeline will depend upon the availability of funding, but Spiller said that it should be completed in 10 to 15 years.

“We are also looking for ways on how we can close the network because we have been taking advantage of the opportunities over the last six years and we have a lot of infrastructure,” Spiller said. “We can expand the overall network faster by doing connecting projects. I would hope to move forward with this as quickly as possible, the next 10 years or so.”

Austin does not specifically know how much funding they will receive from each of their possible sources, and all previous funds for bicycling have been spent, encumbered or committed to projects in progress, according to the city.

Phillip Tracy

Austin City Council adopts updated bike plan with hopes of creating a safe environment for bicyclers of all ages

The Austin City Council voted on Thursday to expand the city’s bicycle plan, adding an additional 247 miles of bike paths and creating a network for bikers of all ages and abilities.

A part of Imagine Austin, the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan is an update of a plan originally passed in 2009. Since then, there has been a 70 percent expansion of lanes and trails, from 126 to 210 miles in a span of five years, according to documents provided by the Austin Transportation Department.

The new plan is set up to create 200 additional miles of on-street facilities and 47 miles of urban trails at a cost of $151 million. The main focus of the new plan is safety, which will be addressed by adding protected bike lanes. A concern brought up at the City Council meeting is that additional bike lanes would reduce motor vehicle safety, leading to an increase in traffic.

A.J. Camp, owner of Peddler Austin bike shop, said that the infrastructure for bikers in Austin has been improving, but safety is still a concern.

“There are a lot of cities that are way worse to ride a bike in, but every time you go out you are taking a risk because the safety infrastructure is not great,” Camp said. “The lanes are about two feet wide and there is no separation between the bikes and the cars…especially with all the cell phone usage going on.”

The main goal of the 2014 Bicycle Master Plan is to build a biking network for people from ages 8 to 80 by creating protected bike lanes, or lanes that have a physical boundary between bicyclists and automobile drivers.

Nathan Wilkes, engineering associate with the Austin Transportation Department and coordinator of the 2014 Austin Bicycle Master Plan, said that the potential amount of people that bicycling could reach has not yet been realized.

“Only 15 percent of Austinites are willing and interested in painted bike lanes, so only 15 percent of Austinites are attracted to our 2009 plan,” Wilkes said. “If we switch to protected lanes we can reach 55 to 60 percent of Austinites. We have seen a lot of really exciting results from our updated plan.”

Robert Spiller, Austin’s Director of Transportation, said that the implementation process will be dependent on funding.

“We will be looking for, whether they are STPMM funds, surface transportation metropolitan mobility funds, or other funds that can flow either from the state or the fed to fund this,” Spiller said. “We have an annual budget and plan where we take advantage of when Public Works is completing their repaving. So that is where we coordinate with them to capture streets once they have been repaved. We would hope to move forward with this as quickly as possible, the next 10 years or so.”

The 2014 Austin Bicycle Master Plan is anticipated to convert 7 percent of the 300,000 daily vehicle passengers from the business and university districts of Austin, according to statistics provided by Austin’s Transportation Department.

Nathan Wilkes said that their implementation plan revolves around creating a compact and connected Austin.

“Bicycling is a way to make spaces closer and to connect people, but also create an affordable Austin,” Wilkes said. “The second largest expense in a household is transportation budgets, so any increases in bicycle transportation we can do has an impact on the affordability of our community and creating a healthy option.”

The updated plan required an amendment before being passed that addressed the concerns of motor traffic volume, stating that there will be flexible public engagement to encourage a successful implementation.

Major Lee Leffingwell had concerns about the road and parking capacity that new bicycle lanes would take up.

“Our policy is not to reduce motor vehicle capacity,” Leffingwell said at the City Council meeting. “There could be roads that could stand some reduction in capacity, but that ought to be a waiver to the policy, we just see a lot of public criticism over it.”

By Phillip Tracy

Illegal rideshare services being considered as possible solution to DUI occurrences in Austin

Austin City Council members and city residents say they hope the Council’s recent decision to temporarily allow rideshare services will provide an alternative to the limited transportation options available in the city.

Rideshare services like Uber and Lyft use GPS on users’ cell phones to connect independent drivers with people searching for a ride. Citizens say the conveniences of using an app to locate their position and the increase of transportation options could help reduce the number of DUI’s in Austin. 

According to statistics provided by the Texas Department of Transportation, driving under the influence accounted for 27 fatalities in Austin in 2013, an increase of 23 percent from 2012.

Research conducted in Seattle by Uber, the largest rideshare company in the country according to a recent study by FutureAdvisor, estimates their service to have decreased the number of DUI arrests by 10 percent.

Leah Bojo, policy director for Austin City Council member Chris Riley, said that rideshare services are important during late-night hours, when taxi and city transportation methods do not operate as frequently as they do throughout the day.

“The advantage of allowing Uber and Lyft to operate in Austin is that they provide another transportation option,” Bojo said. “Transportation choices are important in helping everyone get around. Austin isn’t currently providing many transportation choices late at night and at peak times. We have limited bus routes at night and it can take a very long time to get a cab. Uber and Lyft could help fill those gaps.”

TxDOT statistics show that in 2013 the majority of DUI accidents in Texas occurred between the hours of 2 and 3 a.m.

Melissa Ayala, spokeswoman for Capital Metro, said that while late night bus routes are in place, Capital Metro cannot further expand that particular service.

“Over the years we have consistently added late-night services,” Ayala said. “We are not looking to expand the services because of budgetary restrictions, but the services that we have are readily used every weekend.”

Andy Moore, the chief of staff for Austin City Council member Mike Martinez, said that taxi drivers’ unwillingness to operate late-night is the reason that Transportation Network Companies could be important for the city.

“The number of taxi permits that the city issues is about seven hundred and fifty,” Moore said. “The city tracks the permits and when they are actually out on the road, during peak times like at night when people are leaving our entertainment districts or other weekends after football games, the majority of those permits are not actively on the road. The taxi drivers are choosing to not be on the road during times of need.”

Moore said the taxi companies claim that their drivers do not like the added hassle when working at late-night peak hours.

“They do not like to deal with drunken people, they do not like the potential for people throwing up in their vehicles, or taking off running,” Moore said. “There are a myriad of issues that are associated with nighttime passengers, and some of them just like to have a more normal work schedule.”

Jennifer Houlihan, executive director of Austin Music People, an advocacy group for musicians and their fans, said that she is concerned with Austin’s public safety and believes rideshare services  could reduce the number of road accidents.

“We want people to travel to Austin and have a great time and then get back home or back to their hotel safely,” Houlihan said. “Obviously, DWI’s are important to all of us in Austin, a public safety issue that deserves all of our attention. So what we would like to see are more options for people who are travelling late at night.”

Rideshare companies have faced backlash from around the world. Germany has outlawed their use and local officials in Austin say that their lack of regulation could be a safety concern.

Scott Henson, creator and author of Austin based “Grits for Breakfast” blog, said that the city has failed to invest in public transportation and that taxi regulations are for protecting a local oligopoly.

“I'm personally more worried about reducing DWI deaths than preserving the monopoly stranglehold on the local market by two cab companies which are inconvenient, unreliable and field too few cabs to service the city,” Henson said in an email.

The Austin City Council will meet on October 16 to vote on permanently legalizing Transportation Network Companies.

Phillip Tracy

Newly founded University High School provides students with an education and gateway toward recovery

The first high school in Austin aimed at helping students addicted to drugs and alcohol opened session this August with an enrollment of 13.

University High School is located on the third floor of University Christian Church where staff and church members have worked throughout the summer to transform the space into a functioning school. University High School was designed to provide high school students with an academic setting free from the temptations of drugs and alcohol. The school’s administrators are hoping to expand in coming years, but the independent private school does not have the funds to offer scholarships to those who cannot afford the tuition.

Dr. Lori Holleran Steiker, associate professor at The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work co-founded University High School. She said she recognized the importance of having a learning environment dedicated to students in recovery.

“There is an epidemic of drug and alcohol problems in our high schools these days,” Holleran Steiker said. “Even schools with alterative programs have serious undercurrents of drug and alcohol use and misuse. What we find is that students do not have a protective environment that is not just free of drugs and alcohol, but also proactive with helping the students recover.”

Becky Ahlgrim, executive director of University High School, said that the students who are enrolled in the school have varying degrees of addiction.

“The student’s addictions range from ongoing marijuana use to pharmaceuticals,” Ahlgrim said. “Some students have had experience with meth, heroin and alcohol and some have abused their medications.”

According to statistics provided by The Center for Students in Recovery at UT Austin, 90 percent of alcohol and other drug use problems start between the ages of 12 and 20. Holleran Steiker cited research showing that 65-90 percent of students who go to treatment end up relapsing after they go back to their regular high schools. She highlighted the unique experience that University High School provides in helping students on their path to recovery.

“The students start the day from 8-9 a.m. with check-in, which is where they might let out something that is weighing heavily on their hearts. It is a very intimate setting where they share any concerns or dilemmas,” Holleran Steiker said. “Then on Fridays they have condensed schedules so that we can have Friday fill-up where the students participate in things like yoga, art and theatre... the recovery staff is another unique piece.”

Recovery Coach Mason Broussard is a graduate of Archway Academy, the largest recovery school in the nation. He provides University High School students with a direction toward sobriety. 

“Students are really influenced at this stage in their lives trying to figure out who they are,” Broussard said. “We want University High School to create an environment that they can latch on to and direct it in to a positive chapter in their life.”

University High School has a partnership with The Bridge School, an accredited online high school, where the students take their courses virtually.

“Our staff is trained by the school using Skype,” Holleran Steiker said. “That allows us to accommodate ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th graders, everything from learning disabled kids to AP classes.”

The recovery school is located at the University Christian Church near UT Austin. The Rev. Chuck Kutz-Marks, senior minister at the church, said that the church community has been enthusiastic about helping the school.

“The woman who was sharing the dream for the high school said it was being built on the model of Archway Academy in Houston,” Kutz-Marks said. “As soon as she said that, one of our church members stood up and said ‘that school saved my nephew’s life.’ She went on to say that he had been stabilized by that sober high school in Houston. Ever since then the energy behind this has been very good.”

Becky Ahlgrim explained that its founders designed the school to be accessible to all, but its reliance on private donations means that not all students can afford to pay for a tuition that stands near $10,000 a year.

“What would make things easier is an abundance of financial support in order to make sure that no student who qualifies is turned down because of their economic situation,” Ahlgrim said. “Because families spend money on treatments and therapy there are some families that request financial support to be in a safe and sober environment. Our biggest wish is to be able to offer that to them.”

Co-founder Holleran Steiker explained that the school was created when several people who were passionate about the same idea happened to come together at the same time.

“If I get nothing else done for the rest of my life it wouldn’t matter,” Holleran Steiker said. “It is just one of those things.”

By Phillip Tracy

Environmentally conscious Texans power municipally owned companies towards diverse energy sources

Public influence has driven energy companies in Texas to adopt more environmentally friendly ways of powering homes, according to a company executive at the UT Energy Symposium last Thursday.

Energy company representatives said that federal regulation and a push by the citizens of Texas have led their companies to adopt improved renewable resource goals. As part of its efforts, Austin and Austin Energy have gone so far as to adopt plans to eliminate carbon sourcing by 2030.

Cris Eugster, executive vice president of CPS, a San Antonio based company that serves over 740,000 electric and 331,000 natural gas customers, highlighted the public’s influence on emphasizing renewables and diversifying energy sources.

“Here in this country the government is by the people,” Eugster said, “and so there is such interest in renewables and solar by the people out there that I think those kinds of policies are going to be hard for the government to say ‘I’m going to go 180 degrees; I am going to stop incentivizing these kinds of technologies.’”

According to Eugster, the goal is to diversify energy production by expanding the percentage produced by renewable sources (wind, air and solar) and decreasing the majority that comes from environmentally unstable means, like coal.

Trevor Udwin, a graduate research student at UT, spoke about Eugster’s main issues after the symposium,

“Mr. Eugster made it clear to the audience at the Energy Symposium that diversifying the city's energy mix was a top priority for the utility,” Udwin said.

Eugster also said that dividing the pie so that all of the pieces are the same size is important when it comes to stability.

 “We have a diverse generation of fleets so if one fuel type fails we are balanced and we have other types to use,” Eugster said, “Part of it is protecting our customers from the downside of any potential disruptions.”

According to 2013 statistics provided by the Energy Information Administration, 67 percent of America’s energy is sourced by fossil fuels (coal, natural gas and petroleum), but new legislation from the Environmental Protection Agency is making coal less profitable by forcing energy companies to cut carbon emissions for existing power plants.

“So what that [legislation] means is that you have to shut down plants,” Eugster said,  “or create a smaller footprint of the plants that you have… so that plays well for nuclear, renewable, solar, wind and any kind of efficiency gains…coal is now off the table.”

Changgui Dong, a UT doctorate student studying energy policy, said after the symposium that he was impressed that the public has responded by inviting new, cleaner sources of energy.

“It is amazing to hear that consumers in San Antonio are willing to pay a little more for renewable energy sources, though living in the biggest oil and gas state like Texas,” Changgui Dong said. “I think that is the future of energy diversity, since both our people and the environment want that.”

Austinites and the City Council have gone a step further by pushing Austin Energy, Austin’s largest municipally owned energy company, to adopt 100 percent carbon free sourcing by 2030.

Carlos Cordova, spokesman for Austin Energy addressed the city’s goal.

“The first goal is 35 percent renewable energy by 2020,” Cardova said. “We have already announced that we will meet that by the 2016/2017 time frame… next is carbon free by 2030. That is a little harder to do; we have less than 16 years to do that.”

When asked about Austin’s carbon free goal, the San Antonio based executive vice president of CPS Energy made it clear that it would be a tough task to reach.

“I wish you guys the best of luck.” Eugster said with a smile.

Cordova explained that the ambitious goal set by the city of Austin is proof that the public can make a difference.

“Austin Energy is a public power utility owned by the citizens of Austin because we are part of the city government,” Cordova said. “Citizens of Austin have a voice on how their energy is sourced.”                                                                                By: Phillip Tracy