Become an APT Volunteer!

Volunteer Alert!

As you know, the Leander to Austin or the “Red Line” will be running starting next Monday.
We expect a lot of enthusiasm from riders and even onlookers on this historic day for Austin.
In order to grow our transit system - we need to support groups like the Alliance for Public Transportation who will have volunteers at the downtown and MLK Stations all week.

Can you help us by handing out pro-transit literature and asking people to complete a short questionnaire?

Our goal is to reach people who are seeing the value of having multi-modal transportation options by letting them know of APT’s mission.

Our strongest needs are here:

Monday the 27th from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at both the Downtown Station and the MLK Station. Many people will be getting off at the MLK Station as there will be CapMetro shuttles going back and forth to the UT campus.

We still have a few slots available for the morning shifts at the downtown station. Those shifts start at 7:00 a.m. and go until 9 a.m.

Please Let Dave Foster know of your interest by e-mailing him at dfoster@cleanwater.org and which of the two stations you prefer to volunteer at. You will be there along with several other APT representatives so don’t worry about being alone out there.

Help us recruit more transit-friendly supporters!

CAMPO

State Sen. Kirk Watson has told a Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) committee that he would not run for re-election as chair of the regional planning organization, a leadership position he has held since 2007. Watson made his announcement in his opening remarks on Monday afternoon before a special… CAMPO-appointed committee that is charged with making recommendations for changing the composition of the CAMPO board.

[via In Fact Daily]

Check CAMPO’s calendar here for updates on Advisory Committee meetings or opportunities for the community to weigh in on what’s happening in Austin.

The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) facilitates transatlantic cooperation as a means to help solve local problems.  GMF, in cooperation with local leaders and organizations in Austin and San Antonio, Texas asks you to save the dates, February 18-20, 2009, for workshops in San Antonio, San Marcos, and Austin that will offer European perspectives on a number of rail initiatives confronting Central Texas.

Official Agenda

Register

Old wars don’t seem to die until the old warriors do, but Central Texas now has a transportation coalition that joins road huggers with wine sippin’, quiche eatin’, euro-want-to-be, new urban, rail advocates.  Has one side or the other had an epiphany?  Not really, although each side is getting more sophisticated in their positioning. “Some people will say we are anti-transit and we are not. We do believe that this region needs so many new roads, that we need to do those projects first.” Or maybe, “74 percent of Central Texans want a transportation system that includes rail and transit. Envision Central Texas respondents overwhelming chose to focus growth in existing urban areas with the rail and transit system needed to support that kind of growth. So when are we going to level the play field and quit treating transit as the poor step child of transportation?”

Well those days of subtle nuances are over. CATC and RECA have joined with the Austin Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Austin Alliance, and the Alliance for Public Transportation for something more important than the old “road verse rail” battle lines… more local funding and the chance to fight over that later.

The Texas legislature will be asked to give metro regions more taxing authority. North Central Texas has a six year head start on these conversations with their local officials and state delegation and here is there concept.

• Give locals authority to choose from several tax and fee options.
• The MPO calls for projects with the focus on rail, but some road projects of regional significance can be included.
• The MPO helps each county determine revenues needed to pay for their share of the projects.
• Each county in the region calls an election and sets the ballot language.
• Those counties that approve the referendum will get their projects done.
• MPO manages the distribution of new local revenues.
• Bonding, construction, maintenance and operations is done by cities, counties, transit authorities, etc. who proposed the projects.

Thus far, Central Texas, North Central Texas, and San Antonio have formed coalitions to push for a local transportation funding option. And, key State Senators and Representatives are indicating support. Keep tuned in to see what happens with this item as the speaker’s race is decided, throughout the legislative session, and finally when a bill lands on the Governor’s desk.