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Congress maintains federal transit funding in bill

The new federal transportation reauthorization bill has been approved, setting funding for the next two years. 

 

Here is a link to a summary of the transit provisions in the final bill prepared and a link to a summary of the highway and other provisions.

 

Here is a chart comparing the overall funding levels in the new bill (FY'13 and FY'14) versus the current program (FY'12). 

 

Program

FY'12 Current Funding

FY'13 New Map-21

Funding

FY'14 New MAP-21 Funding

Highway Ob Limit

$39.144B

$39.699B

$40.256B

Transit Formula Programs

$8.361B

$8.478B

$8.595B

Transit Capital Investments

$1.955B

$1.907B

$1.907B

Transit Total

$10.459B

$10.578B

$10.695B

TIFIA

$120M

$750M

$1B

Cost-saving, congestion-reducing roundabout planned

The City of Austin is continuing to move forward with improvements to Todd Lane, which includes a state-of-the-practice, modern roundabout.

Todd Lane Single Lane RA
A roundabout, such as the one shown here, is proposed for Todd Lane.

Compared to traditional intersections, modern roundabouts are safer, more efficient, better serve all roadway users and create opportunities for community gateways or focal points.

 

The initial project, at Todd Lane/Pleasant Valley Road and St. Elmo Road, considered a five lane roadway and a traditional signal-controlled intersection.

 

This approach would have required the acquisition of significant right-of-way along the corridor, which concerned adjacent property owners.

 

By utilizing a single lane modern roundabout, a three-lane road with bike lanes and sidewalks is being constructed within existing right-of-way and with less environmental impacts. Traffic signals can process up to about 600 vehicles per lane, per hour, while roundabouts can process up to double the amount per lane.

 

The project, funded by the 2006 Bond, is slated to start next year.

 

The roundabout design will reduce the project cost by about $2.7 million, allowing the saved money to be applied to other intersection improvements around Austin.

 

When the newly created Austin Transportation Department hired Assistant Director Gary Schatz in 2010, one of his first initiatives was to ensure that all future roundabouts would be based on best practices.

 

In addition to his role at the city, Schatz chairs an international roundabout committee, and has been involved with roundabout planning and implementation since the 1990s in Houston and other cities.

 

Analysis shows a single lane modern roundabout at Todd Lane will provide better levels of service than a traffic signal, and will adequately serve the anticipated traffic demands through 2035.

Rail comes to American universities, including Houston

A recent article in the Houston Chronicle details plans to bring rail to the University of Houston and highlights where high-quality transit is boosting other universities.
Report: Urban growth outpaces suburban growth
 Brazos Construction
National news reports have poured out in the last week that U.S. cities are growing faster than the suburbs for the first time since the 1920s.

 

"Driving the resurgence are young adults, who are delaying careers, marriage and having children amid persistently high unemployment," according to the Associated Press report"[T]hey are spurning homeownership in the suburbs for shorter-term, no-strings-attached apartment living, public transit and proximity to potential jobs in larger cities."

 

At the same time, reports say young people are driving significantly less than past generations.

 

In a July 2 article, Reuters reported "Generation Y includes an increasing number of people for whom driving is less an American rite of passage than an unnecessary chore."

 

That report followed an earlier study publication that showed a dip in miles driven by young people.

Young people, which data shows are driving less and living in urban environments, are a key contributor to Austin's "creative sector."

 

In March, Austin-based economic research firm TXP reported the creative sector accounted for just over $4.35 billion in Austin's economic activity in 2010, an increase of about one-third from 2005, according to Community Impact.

 

 

"We're talking about one of the most vibrant, young and exciting pieces of the overall Austin economy," Jon Hockenyos, president of TXP, told Community Impact. 

 

The unanimously-adopted Imagine Austin plan calls for a "compact, connected Austin with improved transportation options" and the Austin Transportation Department is working to implement that vision by implementing travel options to improve driving, biking, walking, and implement a regional high-capacity transit system.
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Austin Mobility is the City's effort for a fresh approach to looking at walking, biking, transit, and driving to solve the transportation puzzle for all of us. We are taking proactive steps to engage and educate the community, which is why you received this news update. Subscribe or Unsubscribe. To contact us please email [email protected] // www.austin-mobility.com