City Council’s Mobility Committee and Housing and Planning Committee will join forces today to tackle a draft plan that will guide equitable transit-oriented development, or eTODs. The plan, which was postponed to March 9, is intended to increase affordable housing near Project Connect stations and discourage displacement. Originally launched in June 2021, with an initial target adoption of summer 2022, eTODs will lay out planning priorities and land use for the areas around the city’s new light rail lines. Today, the joint committee will go over the history of the effort and the existing eTOD regulations, as well as hear from community partners before discussing the matter. A rundown was posted on the City Council Message Board by Mayor Pro Tem Paige Ellis on Wednesday.

Greg Canally is the new executive director of Austin Transit Partnership, taking the job permanently after serving in an interim capacity since last May. ATP’s board of directors announced the decision Wednesday, though its members had indicated in January that they were interested in Canally taking the job. The appointment means the organization will have consistent leadership as it moves forward with the implementation of the region’s Project Connect mass transit project that was approved by voters in 2020. Prior to his work with ATP, Canally worked in budget and finance positions with the city of Austin. “I’m exceptionally proud to work side by side with our board and a team of experts to fulfill the will of the voters who approved this long-term investment in 2020,” Canally said in a prepared statement. “ATP is focused on bringing effective solutions to Austin’s transit infrastructure – including a core light rail system – that will connect people, create jobs and offer more ways to get us to destinations across our city. Community input is going to be crucial for ATP, and we are going to kick off a transparent, two-way process on March 21 as a first step in delivering light rail for Austin.”

An emerging projects agreement – cleverly called an EmPA – between the city of Austin and the U.S. Department of Transportation is the beginning of a “landmark local-federal partnership to identify as much as billions in funding opportunities to support the transportation and infrastructure projects slated in the Central Texas area over the next decade,” according to the news release. The EmPA was finalized at a signing ceremony Tuesday at City Hall, where Mayor Kirk Watson called it “a great opportunity for Austin to try new ideas for accelerating mobility projects in a manner that also respects our community values. I appreciate Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, the Build America Bureau, and our congressional delegation for their continued support and guidance. I hope this partnership will help us deliver critical infrastructure projects more efficiently for our taxpayers.” This is the first time USDoT has signed such an agreement with a municipality, and it’s the “result of a series of discussions between USDoT and Austin mobility leaders held in 2022.”

Thanks to host Ascension Seton, Circuit of the Americas is bringing back its popular evening bike rides. On select Tuesday nights, starting March 7 at 6 p.m., you can cruise the racetrack on your bicycle, chatting with friends and enjoying a traffic-free experience. “After the evening ride concludes, cyclists can replenish and recharge with an ice-cold drink, mouth-watering refreshments and great conversations and camaraderie with fellow riders,” according to COTA’s website. You’ll need to register in advance for your chosen bike night. Check out the schedule here.

A $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security will help the city of Austin “guard against acts of terrorism,” according to a news release. U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas called Mayor Kirk Watson on Monday to give him the news of the Urban Areas Security Initiative Grant Program award, which “targets security funding to high-threat urban areas to prevent, respond to and recover from threats or acts of terrorism.” Austin will share the funding with Travis, Williamson and Hays counties and the city of Round Rock. Watson said, “Our approach to readiness must evolve to reflect the threats as they are today, and this federal grant will help us be smart and nimble in our efforts to protect Austin from terrorism. Thank you to Secretary Mayorkas and our congressional delegation for this assistance.”

An $82,000 Heritage Preservation Grant from the city’s Economic Development Department will allow the Housing Authority of the City of Austin, or HACA, to create and install five educational kiosks at Rosewood Courts. The historic, 80-year-old apartment complex, which was the first African American public housing project in the country, is currently under renovation and the kiosks will “serve as a valuable tool to educate the public about the history of Rosewood Courts and its legacy to the East Austin community,” according to HACA’s news release. The kiosks will “provide visitors with educational details about the history of Rosewood Courts and a commemorative green space that recalls Emancipation Park, the site on which Rosewood Courts was originally built, as well as an interpretive center to connect with other African American resources across the city.” HACA Chief Operating Officer Sylvia Blanco said, “Rosewood has been a fixture of East Austin for decades. It was important to us, and to our community partners, that Rosewood’s legacy be honored and preserved.”

The next Imagine Austin Speaker Series webinar is titled “Partnering with Community Leaders: Equity-Focused Approaches to Community Engagement for the Rain to River Strategic Plan Update.” Despite its unwieldy title, the webinar offers a chance for the city’s Watershed Protection Department to showcase Rain to River, the strategic plan that will guide the work of the department over the next decade. The plan was created “on a foundation of inclusive, equity-focused community engagement,” according to the announcement. The panel will discuss their process and how they specifically included “the voices of communities historically left out of city planning processes” in their efforts. Wednesday, March 8, 5-6:30 p.m. Register here.

Live Music Capital of the World, watch out; the city of Austin has a new designation: Bird City. Thanks to Audubon Texas and the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, Austin has joined several other Texas cities in protecting our feathered friends in three important ways: community engagement, habitat enhancement, and creating safer spaces for birds. Bird-friendly habitat is good for more than just birds. As Chloe Crumley, a spokesperson for Audubon Texas, said in a news release, “Where birds thrive, people prosper. Human-dominated landscapes can support functioning ecosystems. Bird City Texas is an opportunity for communities to commit to standards that elevate urban areas to be ecologically richer and in turn offer us more beautiful, resilient and healthful places to live. We are excited to see more cities across Texas commit to this program.” Find out more about the certification here.

As part of the ACL Music Festival Grants program, Austin Parks Foundation announced Tuesday that $122,000 will be going toward local park improvements. According to a press release from APF:

• $5,000 Neighborhood Grant to North Oaks Community Garden in District 1, for a community garden fence.
• $3,785 Neighborhood Grant to Georgian Acres in District 4, for wildflower and native grass seeds and materials.
• $22,000 Community Impact Grant to Cities Connecting Children to Nature Initiative, for playground amenities.
• $75,000 Community Impact Grant to Zilker Botanical Garden Conservancy in District 8, for the Butler window restoration.
• $16,000 Community Impact Grant to Bartholomew District Park Roller Derby Track in District 4, for a feasibility study for a shade structure for Austin Roller Derby.
• $500 Neighborhood Grant to Patterson Park Community Garden in District 9, for vegetable seedling equipment.

“Our team is excited to serve the many different facets of Austin’s park-going community – from roller derby athletes to community gardeners – through this year’s grant program,” said Colin Wallis, parks foundation CEO, in a statement to the press. “We are excited to continue working with the city of Austin’s Parks and Rec Department to help several neighborhoods with their maintenance and material needs.”

A shared-use path now under construction will soon “transform an intimidating 0.7-mile stretch of Barton Springs Road and Stratford Drive into a comfortable and walkable destination.” The improvements, made possible via a collaboration between the Public Works, Transportation and Parks departments, along with the Capital Metropolitan Transportation Authority and Zilker Botanical Garden, “will transform pedestrian, bicycle and transit access to Zilker Park, Zilker Botanical Garden, and the Austin Nature and Science Center.” The project is estimated to take about 12 to 18 months to complete and will include a landscaped buffer zone between the shared-use path and traffic lanes; enhancements to bus stops; and a pedestrian hybrid beacon near the entrance to the botanical garden. Find out more on the project fact sheet.

Community members who qualify for financial aid or adaptive and inclusion support programs are eligible to register early for the Parks and Recreation Department’s “accessible, diverse, and inclusive” summer camps. Registration times will vary based on location, and there are evening and weekend times available. Learn more about financial aid here and find adaptive/inclusive support info here.

After naming interim Executive Director Greg Canally the sole finalist for the job of permanent executive director of the Austin Transit Partnership, the ATP board has begun a series of community forums on the subject and updated its website. At the first forum, which was held last week and moderated by Kristen Vassallo, Chair Veronica Castro de Barrera and ATP Board Member Juan Garza spoke about their hopes for the partnership and invited members of the public to ask questions. Listen to the audio here. The second forum will be held Wednesday at 5:30 p.m., Mendez Recreation Center, 2407 Canterbury St.