It should come as no surprise that people are getting on airplanes again and flying to distant lands – or maybe to Arizona. Austin-Bergstrom International Airport reports that 735,270 travelers passed through its terminals in March, an increase of 4.9 percent compared to March of last year. Air cargo is also up, totaling 18,764,285 pounds, a healthy increase of 25.7 percent compared to March 2020.

A Vision Zero StoryMap, created by the Transportation Department, “highlights the racial disparities in traffic crashes and injuries in Austin, touches upon the historical context and institutional factors that have contributed to and perpetuated these disparities and enumerates some of the ways the Vision Zero program will seek to advance racial equity in its transportation safety work.” That may seem like quite a mouthful, but essentially, the department has created a tool to help people understand that raw statistics about fatalities and injuries represent human beings with stories and histories. As ATD says, “The emotional toll and loss of quality of life resulting from these crashes for so many of our friends, family and neighbors is unacceptable.” If you or a family member or friend has been impacted by a traffic crash, consider sharing your story with the Vision Zero team. They want to hear from you.

A lot of us know that the global population has topped 7.8 billion and counting – way more people than the planet can comfortably sustain. So what can we do about it? One partial solution is to switch to a circular economy, in which products are designed to be reusable, not disposable, and are made with recycled or reused material as much as possible. If you’re interested in learning more, check out the Housing & Planning Department webinar titled “How to Build a Society for Friends and Wellness (Not Cars and Things).” Attendees will learn how to “redefine wealth, reconsider how our consumption impacts human rights both at home and around the globe, and rethink what it means to build a sustainable future.” The webinar is presented by Sage Lenier, who works with Zero Waste USA and teaches a course called Solutions for a Sustainable & Just Future. Register here for this free virtual event. Tuesday, May 25, 5-6 p.m.

After a busy term as interim medical director, Dr. Mark Escott is making way for his permanent replacement. The city has announced that Dr. Desmar Walkes will be filling the role starting May 31. According to a press release from the city, Walkes comes to Austin after serving as Bastrop’s local health authority since 2007, where she was the point person for pandemic response, vaccine distribution and communication with local officials. “I’m honored to be joining the Austin Public Health team and look forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead as the next medical director and health authority for the city of Austin and Travis County,” Walkes said in a statement to the press. Escott, who has been in the position on an interim basis since 2019, also made a statement, saying, “While the mission is not yet complete, the Covid-19 pandemic continues to improve locally and I feel confident that our next public health authority will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to ensure a seamless transition. … Therefore, this is an opportune time for my service as interim health authority to conclude so that I can fully engage in my new role as the city’s chief medical officer effective May 31.”

The city has begun the search for the Austin Police Department’s new chief of police and is offering community members a chance to weigh in on what they would like to see. In a series of virtual meetings – see Zoom links below for date and time – consultant Ralph Andersen & Associates will solicit feedback from Austinites. Alternatively, comments about the search may be submitted through SpeakUp Austin or by sending an email to Community@AustinTexas.gov.

• Monday, May 17, noon-1 p.m.
• Monday, May 17, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, May 20, 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
• Friday, May 21, 10-11 a.m.
• Friday, May 21, 2-3 p.m.

Austin ISD has created a new office dedicated to making the school registration process easier and drawing more families back into the district. The office will be led by Alejandro Delgado, who has the title of executive director of student enrollment and advocacy. In addition to advocating for families, Delgado will facilitate the work of the Parent Engagement Support Office. Previously, Delgado was the deputy chief of staff to Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath. He has been a principal and project director for Foundation Communities as well as a principal with IDEA Allan College Prep. He started his education career at IDEA Public Schools teaching high school social studies. In a press release about the new appointment, Superintendent Stephanie Elizalde said Delgado “will focus on the district’s current enrollment trends and create a viable strategy to increase the number of families and students choosing Austin ISD. As a native of Austin and a parent in the district, I am confident he knows how to reach parents and share the many opportunities the district provides.”

Most of us know that wearing a seat belt saves lives and we automatically buckle up when we get in a car. But many Texans still do not wear their seat belts, increasing their chances of dying in a serious crash. In 2020, according to the Texas Department of Transportation, “there was a 16 percent increase in deaths of unbuckled motorists. There were 1,073 fatalities in 2020 and 926 fatalities in 2019 due to people not wearing seat belts.” In response, TxDOT is launching its annual seat belt education and enforcement campaign, Click It or Ticket. “Putting on a seat belt only takes a few seconds and doing so reduces the risk of dying by up to 45 percent for people in the front seat of passenger cars and up to 60 percent for people in pickup trucks.” Those are pretty persuasive statistics. So who’s not wearing their seat belt? Mostly, pickup truck drivers and their passengers, according to the research. “Close to half of all pickup drivers killed in crashes last year in Texas were not wearing a seat belt. Additionally, people driving at night wear their seat belt less often, even though it’s a more dangerous time to drive,” says TxDOT. So buckle up, day or night, every time.

The city’s Winter Storm Review Task Force has scheduled a series of listening sessions for the public to share their experiences and recommendations about Winter Storm Uri, which disrupted power and water service to much of the Austin area for a week or more in mid-February. The online meetings will take place on May 14 and 28 and June 11 and 23, starting at 6 p.m. each night, and will be broadcast live on ATXN. Agendas for the meetings will be posted at least three days in advance and those wishing to speak must register by phone (512-974-6339) or email (winterstormtaskforce@austintexas.gov) by noon the day before. Residents can also share written testimony, videos and photos at SpeakUpAustin.org. After the storm, Council’s Water Oversight Committee and the Austin Energy Utility Oversight Committee began looking into what caused the outages that impacted most of the city and many regions of the state. The groups also plan to look for safeguards to prevent or minimize the impacts of similar disruptions in the future.

The library is reopening! Twelve Austin Public Library branches – Central, Carver, Hampton Branch at Oak Hill, Manchaca, Milwood, North Village, Old Quarry, Ruiz, Spicewood Springs, St. John, Windsor Park, and Yarborough – are opening their doors to the public this week for “limited capacity in-person express services.” The curbside pickup and digital services that have been standard during the pandemic will continue but they will be joined by book browsing and checkout, holds pickup and checkout, and technology and reference help. Community members may also apply for new library cards and use the printing machines, public computers and Wi-Fi. It’s not all good news: overdue fines are coming back starting May 17. All adult items that are returned or renewed past the due date will start accruing fines. Library patrons will notice some changes at APL intended to keep customers and staff safe, such as Plexiglas at all circulation desks and the mandatory wearing of face masks. Find the hours of operation for all APL branches here.

If you see smoke billowing in the air near East Metropolitan Park this week, fear not; the Pruitt Tract at 8600 Burleson Manor Road is the site of several prescribed burns being conducted by Travis County Parks. Crews will be lighting burn piles between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. each day when weather permits – most likely today and Wednesday. The fires “are intended to reduce wildfire danger and improve ecosystem health” as well as “remove heavy volumes of fuel” from the area. Personnel from local fire departments and natural resource agencies are assisting with the operation. According to the news release, “Smoke will be present for much of the day, but it is expected to be relatively light and limited to the area immediately adjacent to the piles.” East Metropolitan Park will remain open during the burn operation.

Common Ground for Texans and the League of Women Voters Austin Area are partnering up to present a panel discussion exploring the “outcomes and likely consequences” of the May 1 city election. KUT reporters Andrew Weber and Audrey McGlinchy, CG4TX President Joanne Richards and Austin Homeless Strategy Officer Dianna Grey will “discuss their perspectives on the likely impacts” of the eight initiatives that were on the May 1 ballot. Afterward, attendees will split off into breakout rooms “to discuss solutions to our homeless problem.” Saturday, May 15, noon-1:30 p.m. Join the Zoom meeting.

Austin Resource Recovery’s Fix-It at Home! series presents Bike Repair Basics, a free online class where you’ll learn the repair and maintenance skills that every cyclist should know, from how to fix a flat tire to quick, on-the-road repairs. Taught by Ghisallo Cycling Initiative educator Cristina Solorzano, “this workshop will give you the confidence to overcome minor hurdles and get back on the saddle.” All are welcome, bike or no bike, and the class will be presented in English and in Spanish. Monday, May 10, 6:30-7:30 p.m. Register on Eventbrite.