by Kristina Witt

The May Urban Core Happy Hour at Violet Crown gave us the opportunity to offer the ultimate scientific survey: what is your favorite thing about downtown (that we managed to jot down in Kristina’s phone)?  The top result came in various forms, but its theme was indisputable: walkability.  We love being able to forget about traffic, live where we socialize, and get outside to walk around in our community.

Of course, we did get a variety of other answers. Here is a taste.

• “Living here!”  Okay, this was another incredibly popular answer. But further probing tended to roll it into walkability.  Did we mention how thoroughly scientific this survey was?

• “Drinking.” Well, we can only assume this was in reference to our Urban Core Happy Hours, so to you, kind sir, we say: thank you.

• “Walking around with my dog.”

• “My fat kitties.”

• “My boyfriend.”

• “The dance clubs.”

• One gentleman offered the following coy answer: “It has a point now.”  Could this have been in reference to the diversity of uses that have been introduced into the downtown core in the last decade? The increased widespread appreciation for sustainable density?  Green transit options?  After much further probing, we discovered what he meant: “the Austonian.” Ah, a quite literal point-in the skyline.

• “The fabulous system of parks.” In all honesty, there was definitely another clause appended to this quote that operated something like a call to action, but it was late in the happy hour, and we were pretty happy by that time, so in the interest of Ultimate Accuracy it has been redacted.  Not to worry, check out the Sports & Recreation page at downtownaustin.com to find out more about parks initiatives.

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City of Austin officials from the Watershed Protection and Parks and Recreation departments will host a community briefing on Tuesday, July 19, about plans to restore the banks of Lady Bird Lake along a short section of the hike and bike trail on the Shoal Creek Peninsula.

The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. in Room 325 at One Texas Center, 505 Barton Springs Road.

Erosion is currently threatening the hike and bike trail on the peninsula, a manmade finger of land jutting into Lady Bird Lake at the mouth of Shoal Creek, near the Seaholm Power Plant site. There is a small pedestrian bridge connecting the tip of the peninsula to the main shoreline of the lake.

The City of Austin will present two different solutions to the erosion. One is to shore up the banks using limestone boulders. The other possibility is to remove part of the peninsula allowing Shoal Creek to flow directly into the lake. This would include building a second pedestrian bridge near the mouth of Shoal Creek. Both options include landscaping and possible improvements to the trail along the peninsula.

Construction is likely to take about six months, starting in 2012. Portions of the hike and bike trail near the peninsula will be closed during construction.

More information is available at http://www.austintexas.gov/watershed/shoal_creek_peninsula.htm

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Polls are open today, Saturday June 18th, until 7pm.  This is an important run-off for City Council, Place 3 candidates Randi Shade and Kathie Tovo.

All registered voters in Austin can take part in this election and a driver’s license is the only ID required.  Unlike early voting, though, you must cast your ballot at your specific precinct location.  To find that pollling location, you can visit the Travis County Clerk’s site here:

http://www.traviscountytax.org/showVoterNameSearch.do

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It’s a runoff and your vote counts. Even if you didn’t vote in the general election, you can vote Saturday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., but you have to do it in your precinct polling location (see below for help).

The DANA board endorses Randi Shade. Randi is  committed to making sure the city grows sustainably. She’s a critical thinker and a strong advocate, and she cares deeply about doing what’s right for our city.

Randi is also endorsed by the Austin Police Association, Austin Progressive Association, Austin Firefighters Association, Building Owners and Managers Association, Austin Board of Realtors, and so many others, including most Democratic clubs that endorsed in this race.

If you live downtown, you are most likely voting in one of the following locations:

• Precinct 445: Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe St.
• Precinct 444: Travis County Courthouse, 1000 Guadalupe St.
• Precinct 438: Sanchez Elem. School, 73 San Marcos St.
• Precinct 266: Senior Activity Center, 2874 Shoal Crest Ave.
• Precinct 250: Mathews Elem. School, 906 West Lynn St.

To find your specific polling place, click here.

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by Josh Allen

Traffic congestion led the Downtown Austin Transportation Management Association (DATMA) to form with the goal to help more people come downtown in fewer vehicles.

No doubt downtown is an attractive place to work with a growing residential population, thriving retail sector, and a strong, educated workforce that wants to work near the concentration of restaurants, cultural events and entertainment venues. But, with 90,000 people working downtown, many commuters face stop-and-go traffic on crowded roads.

Research shows that a transportation management association (TMA) could reduce the number of single occupant vehicles traveling to downtown by 2 to 10 percent, which correlates to 2,800 to 9,800 vehicles daily in Austin’s core.

TMAs, which exist in over 150 cities, typically educate about transportation alternatives and help find ways to make those alternatives feasible choices for downtown employees as well as residents and visitors.  In Portland’s Lloyd District, the TMA advocated for changes in bus routes and discounted commuter passes. Over 10 years, commuters using transit increased from 21% to 41%, trips on bicycles increased from 1% to 5%, and many people began carpooling.

DATMA formed in March with an initial 9-member board, including DANA member Roger Cauvin. In the coming months, DATMA will hire an executive director who will focus on program development and membership recruitment.

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