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Scooters: Committee calls for clear rules

The number of dockless scooter operators wanting a share of the Austin market continues to rise. This week, Austin welcomed the latest entrant, Lyft, with permits for 1,500 authorized units, pushing the total number of authorized scooters (not the number…

Transportation • By Ryan Thornton • Dec 7, 2018

Transportation Dept. faulted in right-of-way audit

When Austinites are asked for their top complaints about the city, one of the most frequent responses relates to traffic. The central city is particularly congested and contractors working in the right-of-way exacerbate the problem. According to a report released…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Dec 7, 2018

Austin economy looks sunny, with affordability as the biggest cloud

Austin business and policy leaders were shown a optimistic picture of the state and local economy Thursday at the Austin Chamber of Commerce’s annual economic forecast, with the smallest concern on the horizon partly a result of the city’s strong…

Austin • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 7, 2018

Even with new funding, parks board says city has a long way to go to repair pools

The year 1996 was the gold standard for Austin’s city Aquatics Division, according to Richard DePalma, a member of the Parks and Recreation Board. Since then, “We’ve just continued to shrink.” At the Dec. 4 meeting of the board, DePalma…

Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Dec 7, 2018

Homeowners share stories of home repair anguish

Austin city auditors found the Neighborhood Housing and Community Development Department home rehabilitation loan program left a significant number of homeowners unhappy with the work contractors did and frequently missed its own goals over a three-year period, fiscal years 2015-2017.…

City Hall • By Jo Clifton • Dec 6, 2018

Local pols examine impacts, options in state school funding debate

Leaders from all levels of government in Central Texas, plus most of the area’s school districts, learned Wednesday that they could be in for budgetary hits if state lawmakers pass limits on local property tax increases without restructuring the state’s…

Budget • By Chad Swiatecki • Dec 6, 2018

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Capital Metro votes kids ride free, forever

Looking at the 120,000 annual service hours added with Cap Remap this summer or at the major upcoming investments between Project Connect and a fully electric bus fleet, we might expect Capital Metro to be squeezing every possible penny out…

Transit • By Ryan Thornton • Dec 6, 2018

City cemeteries will soon see the light with new bond funding and event space

The city of Austin has operated cemeteries since 1839; however, it was only in 2013 that the Parks and Recreation Department assumed responsibility for cemetery operations, at which point the department made a few changes. Despite funding challenges allowing for…

Parks • By Jessi Devenyns • Dec 6, 2018

Between storms and traffic, Travis County tries to stay afloat

A growing influx of vehicles to Travis County paired with the effects of the climate crisis has the county struggling to provide the infrastructure needed to simultaneously absorb the effects of both. At the same time, the recent Atlas 14…

Travis County • By Ryan Thornton • Dec 5, 2018

After being stymied by Abbott, Council moves ahead on east side housing initiative

Hobbled by Gov. Greg Abbott in their attempts to create more homestead preservation districts that would set aside tax revenue for affordable housing in gentrifying areas, a number of City Council members are trying to maximize the impact of the…

Housing • By Jack Craver • Dec 5, 2018

Candidates dissatisfied with polling places

After all the excitement about Austinites’ heavy participation in the Nov. 6 election, there has been a huge drop in the number of voters participating in runoff elections. News outlets across the state reported heavy turnout throughout the November election’s…

Elections • By Jo Clifton • Dec 5, 2018

Old UT Co-op gets an upzoning after being empty for over a year

The University of Texas Law School Foundation owns the building that used to be a retail UT Co-op store on the corner of Medical Arts and Dean Keeton streets (2902 Medical Arts St. and 2901 Hampton Road). The foundation came…

Zoning • By Alyx Wilson • Dec 5, 2018

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