Technology is getting smarter all the time. Even crosswalks are getting so smart they can communicate with motorists to warn them of pedestrians in their path. The city’s vendors are installing pedestrian crosswalk warning systems on Rosewood Avenue at Angelina and Navasota streets. “When the crosswalk’s push-button is activated, the system will send communications to drivers in connected vehicles, or vehicles capable of connecting to wireless networks, that pedestrians are present and crossing the street in their intended path. Connected vehicles have the ability to use this wireless technology to communicate with infrastructure and other vehicles, and their features include displaying safety messages to drivers.” Those not lucky enough to drive connected vehicles will still receive warnings in the form of “highly visible, rectangular rapid flashing beacons on both sides of the road.” If the pilot is successful, the Transportation Department may proceed to retrofit more areas of the city with the new technology.

If you’re one of the many Austinites who enjoy spending time on the Violet Crown Trail, you might consider joining forces with Hill Country Conservancy and Emerging Professionals In Conservation to help keep the trail clean and safe. Volunteers will meet at the Dick Nichols Trailhead (near the Arbor Trails shopping center) “and spend about two hours on the trail picking up trash, removing graffiti and enjoying a leisurely walk.” Oct. 9, 10 a.m.-noon. Register in advance on Eventbrite.

A new phase of construction beginning in October will bring more improvements to South Austin’s Stassney Lane. According to the city’s Transportation Department, this next phase of updates will “make it easier to cross the street, improve access to transit, provide protected space for people bicycling and improve overall intersection operations for everyone.” The work is happening at Stassney’s intersections with Lewood Drive, Buffalo Pass, Emerald Forest Drive, South First Street and South Congress Avenue. The project will last about three months. Then phase three starts in 2022, bringing even more improvements to the intersections.

Courtesy of Google Maps

A Confederate-era granite obelisk will finally be removed from the Caldwell County Courthouse lawn at 110 S. Main St. in Lockhart. Leaders of the yearslong effort to relocate the monument announced Monday that, with the help of a GoFundMe campaign, they were able to raise $29,600 to pay for the cost of relocating the monument from its prominent downtown location to the county museum. Lockhart resident and movement leader Cody Kimbell explained in an open letter in the Lockhart Post-Register last year that the obelisk is a visible symbol of white supremacy and a “slap in the face” to community members.

With Austin soon to be engulfed in ACL Fest, the Austin Police Department is launching a round of No-Refusal, “an enforcement strategy that allows jurisdictions to obtain search warrants for blood samples from suspected impaired drivers who refuse breath or blood tests,” according to the city. What that boils down to is, don’t drink and drive. If you’re planning on drinking, find a safe option to get to and from wherever you’re going that doesn’t involve getting behind the wheel of a car or a bike. As the city points out, there are more travel options than ever before, but you have to plan ahead. The No-Refusal program will be in effect for the first 10 days of October, from the beginning of ACL Fest weekend one to the end of weekend two.

Austin-based authors Bryan Burrough, Chris Tomlinson and Jason Stanford joined forces to research and write the timely new book Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of the American Myth, which purportedly tells the “real story of the Alamo, dispelling the myths, exploring why they had their day for so long, and explaining why the ugly fight about its meaning is now coming to a head.” The three writers will be discussing their book at a free, outdoor, socially distanced event hosted by the city’s Museums and Cultural Programs Division. Get advance tickets on Eventbrite. Friday, Oct. 22, 7 p.m., Zilker Hillside Theater, 2206 William Barton Drive.

Travelers who have been frustrated with Capital Metro’s somewhat unreliable service lately will be pleasantly surprised to find their money’s no good when it comes to paying the fare. Acknowledging that its “persistent staff shortage is affecting the quality of service our customers have come to expect,” the transit agency is offering free fares throughout the month of October. “We’re doing this to say thank you to our customers, who’ve been dealing with the effects on our service of staffing shortages,” Capital Metro announced. The free fares apply to all services except for MetroBike. And by the way, if you’re pondering a career change, Capital Metro is actively recruiting for bus drivers and train engineers.

Could there be a more contentious topic these days than election safety? Although the 2020 presidential election was widely praised by elections experts and top industry leaders as being the most secure in U.S. history, with record voter turnout to boot, many Americans continue to believe, without evidence, that our elections apparatus is susceptible to fraud. In an attempt to bring some civility to the discourse, Common Ground for Texans is hosting an online discussion by the National Issues Forums Institute called “Elections: How should we encourage and safeguard voting?” Saturday, Oct. 9, 2-4:30 p.m. Register for this online event here. Participants are encouraged to read this issue advisory from NIFI before attending the event.

City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee approved the creation of a new no-kill committee for the Animal Advisory Commission on Wednesday. It’s been a long-held goal of the Animal Advisory Commission to form a group around this issue. Though the city’s live outcome rate is currently around 97 percent, the pandemic and changes in how the shelter operates have raised concerns about losing Austin’s no-kill status. “The city of Austin has a long-held preference for no-kill, and in fact, we are a leader in the nation for our no-kill policies,” said Council Member Leslie Pool, who explained that the group is intended to bring a “more concerted focus” to no-kill and raise awareness and education in the community. Animal Services Officer Don Bland reiterated his commitment to maintaining no-kill going forward. “We are already exceeding what the standards are for most people. At 97, 98 percent, it’s going to be very difficult to advance that to 100 percent,” he said. “We strive to do the best we can with our resources and save everything that we possibly can.” City Council is expected to vote on the creation of the group at its Sept. 30 meeting.

A 340-unit apartment complex is planned for the growing Four Points area in Northwest Austin, but before the project can break ground, the developer needs to rezone the 17-acre property at 7911 and 8001 North FM 620 to allow multifamily use. The zoning case is moving through the city’s approval process. On Tuesday, the Zoning and Platting Commission unanimously recommended that Council approve Multifamily Low-Density (MF-2) zoning for the site, which currently has three different types of commercial zoning. City staffers also support the rezoning, saying it is compatible with other uses in the area. The existing apartment complex next door is also zoned MF-2. Staffers noted that the proposed apartments would “provide additional residential housing in this area that can serve the students” at nearby Concordia University. The rezoning will likely be on City Council’s consent agenda, in which case Council members would approve the rezoning unanimously and without discussion. A Council date has not yet been set.

A toxin named cylindrospermopsin, which may cause liver and kidney damage and is produced by certain types of cyanobacteria or blue-green algae, has been detected in “concerning levels” in Barton Creek at Sculpture Falls, near MoPac and Loop 360. The city is posting signs near the popular swimming hole to warn people against swimming in the area or allowing their pets to come into contact with the water or drink it. According to the city news release, “This incident is different from previous incidents of harmful algae in the Austin area in several ways. It is a different toxin with different health effects. The toxins were found in water samples rather than in the algae, which increases the risk of human exposure from recreational use. In addition, the toxin was found at a popular swimming hole in a creek environment, rather than in a lake or reservoir.”

Project Connect! Who doesn’t have questions? An upcoming webinar appropriately titled “Project Connect: Ask Me Anything” aims to answer questions about the massive public transit project that includes “Orange, Blue, Red and MetroRapid Projects, light rail, regional rail, high-frequency bus lines, downtown subway, and airport transit.” The webinar is hosted by the Housing and Planning Department and features the project’s engineering and design team. Register for this free event here. Wednesday, Oct. 20, 5-6 p.m.