Austin, Monitored: More recycling and a plea from Red River

Austin Resource Recovery expands waste services and reuse programs

From Madeline de Figueiredo:

Ron Romero, Assistant Director of Austin Resource Recovery, said the department continues to enhance its core curbside programs: weekly trash and compost collection, and biweekly recycling for the more than 220,000 households it serves. He highlighted a recent upgrade to the brush, bulky item and hazardous waste pickup program, which replaced the previous six-month rotation with an on-demand system allowing residents to schedule pickups up to three times a year.

“We started this in January and it has been a very popular change in the program,” Romero said. “We’ve seen an uptick in use and we have seen cleaner neighborhoods. We’ve seen neighborhoods and block leaders getting together to coordinate these services happening and it’s been very successful so far.”  

Red River sounds the alarm

Leaders and business owners in the Red River Cultural District want to work with the city to adjust planning and regulatory issues that could interfere with a push toward more daytime activity within the cluster of music venues, bars and restaurants. At a recent Downtown Commission meeting, RRCD executive director Nicole Klepadlo discussed the need to shift toward matinee and daytime programming—including comedy shows, pop-ups, and family-friendly events—as a strategy to support venue revenue beyond nightlife. She noted many businesses face zoning and code-related barriers that limit daytime use, and called for policy reforms to help venues adapt and remain financially viable. Klepadlo also asked for the commission’s support in pushing for implementation of a number of plans and programs that could benefit the district, including unlocking $275,000 in city-appropriated but long-stalled funding for heritage wayfinding signage to help showcase the district’s cultural history.

Klepadlo also previewed the launch of a process to create a new five-year strategic plan, designed to reflect the organization’s expanded role and changing conditions downtown. Commissioners raised concerns about parking, which remains a critical deterrent for musicians, staff and audiences. Another concern is the need to secure affordable, designated spaces near venues, especially the eastern block between Sixth and Seventh streets that is owned by Stream Realty. Without leases lasting at least five years at rates that acknowledge the importance of music venues, Klepadlo said Swan Dive, Barbarella, and Chess Club could be in danger of eventual closure.

— Chad Swiatecki

Elsewhere in the News

Getting ready for Juneteenth, East Austin’s Bethany Cemetery has new signs that celebrate Austin’s first Black cemetery.

Community Impact has the latest on plans to redevelop Anderson Square and the finishing touches on a new city hall for West Lake Hills.

Austin Business journal has their take on plans to revamp the DB90 density bonus program.

And the Austin-American Statesman has a report on I35 to the south, where they found lanes closed past the point they were scheduled to remain open — sometimes with few repercussions for contractors.

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