Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce

Friends of Transit:

This is another reminder of a very important regional discussion on mobility.  Please share with others and help us ensure a good showing from transit advocates.

The Alliance for Public Transportation is part of a coalition supporting local option funding for ALL modes of transportation during the upcoming legislative session.  Our own Senator Watson and Senator John Carona of Dallas will be in Austin March 24^th to talk about the role the State of Texas can and should have in funding our future mobility needs.  All transit advocates who are able – should attend this luncheon sponsored by the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and learn more about where we stand and how the State can be a partner in the growth our region is experiencing.

March 24^th; 11:30

Four Seasons Hotel

Click on this link in order to register.

Register for the Chamber’s State of Transportation featuring Texas State Senator, John Carona!

Austin Strategic Mobility Plan

AUSTIN, Texas - The City of Austin today launched a new online survey
asking citizens about their transportation priorities to help guide how
future transportation dollars will be spent. The survey mirrors the
workshop exercises conducted at the six Austin Mobility Forums across
the city this week. 

The new survey can be found at
http://www.austinstrategicmobility.com/get-involved/survey/. Results
from the survey will be shared with the City Council as it considers
future mobility projects.

“We were fortunate to have hundreds of citizens participate in the
mobility forums. We would like to expand the opportunity for citizens to
comment with this new online survey,” said Rob Spillar, director of the
Austin Transportation Department. 

The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan will guide Austin’s near- and
long-term transportation investments for roads, bicycle and pedestrian
needs, transit and potential urban rail. The survey is designed to
capture citizens’ values to help shape that plan and identify the
transportation tools that should be part of Austin’s future mobility
system.

Austin’s traffic congestion challenges will only get worse with the
region’s rapid growth, said Spillar. More than 1,200 needed
transportation projects have been identified by citizens, technical
experts, city staff and other government agencies since last fall. The
City’s Strategic Mobility Plan is working to address traffic congestion
in the short-term and meet mobility needs over the long-term.

# # #

Karla Taylor Villalon

Public Information Manager

Austin Transportation Department

512.974.7246

City of Austin

Tuesday, January 26, 2010, 9:31am CST

Austin hosting transportation public forums

Austin Business Journal

The city of Austin is asking for public input on future transportation planning during four meetings early next month.

Officials have collected 1,200 citizen-suggested transportation projects and need help identifying priorities for improving mobility in the city either by bus, bike, rail, on foot, car of otherwise.

Read more…

[via Austin Business Journal]

Transit Mixer at the The Belmont

The Alliance for Public Transportation is your organization advocating for great public transportation and transit in Central Texas.  Come to our first regularly scheduled happy hour to learn more about The Alliance, what we’ve done and hope to accomplish this year, and how to get involved.  Plus meet two of Cap Metro’s newest board members-to-be Frank Fernandez and John Langmore.  Both Fernandez and Langmore are active APT members.

When: Tuesday, November 17, 2009.  6pm

Where: The Belmont (305 W 6th St, Austin, TX 78701-2915 (12-457-0300)

How much: Free for members.  $5 donation at the door for non-members.  Annual Membership is $25.

Cap Metro

Capital Metro Board Appoints Doug Allen Interim President/Chief Executive Officer

October 12, 2009Austin, Texas -Today the Capital Metro Board of Directors named Doug Allen Interim President/CEO. This appointment takes effect upon the retirement of current President/CEO Fred Gilliam at the end of this week. Allen currently serves as Executive Vice President/Chief Development Officer for Capital Metro.

“Doug Allen has a wealth of leadership experience in the industry and has demonstrated his commitment to Capital Metro and central Texas transportation since joining the Authority more than a year ago,” said Capital Metro Board Chair and Travis County Commissioner Margaret Gomez. “During this transition, it is critical that we remain focused on the core mission and goals of this agency.”

With new Board appointments expected by the end of the year, today the Board recommended waiting until January to begin a national search for a new President/CEO.

Allen joined Capital Metro in March 2008, bringing 30 years of transportation planning and development experience. As Executive Vice President/Chief Development Officer, he currently oversees all strategic planning, communications, marketing, community development, transit oriented development, engineering and construction functions.

Allen spent the majority of his career in the Dallas-Fort Worth area beginning at the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) in 1978. In 1984, he joined Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) and was instrumental in developing plans for the DART light rail system and high occupancy vehicle network.

Allen is a member of several professional organizations including the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) where he serves as vice chairman of the Policy and Planning Committee.

Read more…

[via Cap Metro]

HousingWorks

HousingWork’s Sixth Annual Fall Housing Summit will consider how Austin’s Comprehensive Plan can help Austin realize a vision of “all kinds of housing in all parts of town.”  The Summit is free and will be held on November 14th at the Senior Activity Center at 2874 Shoal Crest.

Panelists will address the relationship between neighborhood planning, education, transportation and other aspects of community planning.  Participants will consider how we can achieve  “integrated planning” for all parts of town that recognizes the interconnectivity of schools, jobs, services, health, transportation and housing.  Register at HousingWorksSummit@yahoo.com.

via Community Action Network