Mobility

Mobility Outcome: Getting us where we want to go, when we want to get there, safely and cost-effectively
The Mobility Outcome strategies focus on making our city and transportation network accessible and reliable for all members of our community. With an emphasis on collaboration, sustainable funding and effective planning for the future, these strategies address our goals of providing equitable and safe access to a multi-modal transportation network. This reduces harmful emissions, meets the needs of our growing community, and connects Austin to the world. 
Within the Mobility Outcome, the City Council selected the “Accessibility to and equity of multi-modal transportation choices” indicator category as a priority.
This year, Austin took steps to further improve mobility and ready the community for new changes to come in community transit options. After voters approved the initial investment for Project Connect in November 2020, the City established its Project Connect Office (PCO) and the PCO Leadership Team to serve as the City’s center for Project Connect coordination with Capital Metro and the Austin Transit Partnership. To fully engage in Project Connect’s implementation phase, the PCO established internal alignment activities and created several coordination groups to meet regularly with the Austin Transit Partnership and Capital Metro. The City has now entered into partnership agreements to facilitate coordination across agencies for Project Connect and a tri-party Joint Powers Agreement has been approved.
Project Connect rendering
Last year, a $460 million investment in sidewalks, bikeways, urban trails and other transportation programs was approved by voters to improve safety and mobility for our community, consistent with the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan. Public Works, Austin Transportation, and the Corridor Program Office have begun to work on many of those improvements and safety measures including construction of the Boggy Creek Dual-Track Trail in east Austin, improving 33 lane miles of Southwest Parkway, and improvements to Longhorn Dam Bridge in east Austin.
The Austin Transportation Department (ATD) supported street placards and Rainbow Crosswalks to recognize important community groups, while also completing 50% of the All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network in 2021. This gave over 100 miles of high-quality bikeways to six in 10 people in Austin, galvanized City voice for the I-35 Capital Express Project, installed two miles of transit priority lanes, improved bus travel time, engineered improvements for safer streets, and accelerated public project delivery times through the online Right-of-Way permit service which cut review times by more than half.
The Public Works Department (PWD) completed construction on several major projects bringing Austin its first ever Boggy Creek Dual-Track Trail  and completing a variety of mobility and safety improvements for smoother and safety roadway conditions and improved access for pedestrians and cyclists. The PWD also completed the new Travis County Fire/EMS Station in Southwest Austin—the second of five high-priority stations being delivered by Public Works’ capital delivery team in partnership with the Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County EMS.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) withstood increased travel demand this year increasing seat capacity by 22% compared to 2019. AUS also announced the re-strategizing of the Airport Expansion and Development Project, which is the largest airport Capital investment in Central Texas history. New air services and new carriers were also announced adding multiple new nonstop destinations and schedule increases from multiple airlines.
The Corridor Program Office, tasked with designing and constructing corridors that support mobility, livability, and other outcomes for the 2016 and 2020 Mobility Bond Program broke ground and completed several critical safety and mobility projects on major corridors including Guadalupe, Burnet Road, and Slaughter Lane. This occurred while initiating design, engineering, and implementation on 30 place-making projects that support culture and community outcomes as part of the Mobility Bond Program.
Browse each department's accomplishments:

Austin Transportation

  • FY2021 Approved Budget: $71.3 million
  • Full-time Employees: 353

Accomplishments 

  • Completed 50% of the All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network by mid-year 2021, giving over 100 miles of high-quality bikeways to 6 in 10 people in Austin.
  • Galvanized the city voice for I-35 Capital Express, coordinating the city’s technical, safety and equity response in partnership with TxDOT on the $6 billion I-35 Central, North and South highway rebuild projects.
  • Installed East Riverside Dr. transit priority lanes: ATD and PW, with CMTA installed two miles of transit priority lanes, improving bus travel time by 14% and 16% in the AM and PM peak, with main lane travel time unchanged.
  • Engineered improvements for safer streets by completing small- and large-scale safety treatments at 20+ locations and installed 450 reduced speed limit signs citywide. Improvements include Vision Zero Bond projects, and High-Injury Roadways.
  • Worked with public stakeholders to install iconic “Black Austin Matters”, and” Black Artists Matter” street placards and Rainbow Crosswalks to recognize important community groups.
  • Accelerated public project delivery times through a new streamlined Right of Way process for delivery of $8 billion in public projects, cutting review times by more than half.

Awards

  • American Public Works Association (APWA) National Equipment Skills “Roadeo” Competition – 2nd Place  
  • American Public Works Association (APWA) Texas Chapter Project of the Year – Shoal Creek Bikeway and Sidewalk Rehabilitation  
  • American Public Works Association (APWA) Texas Chapter In-House Project of the Year – 12th Street at EM Franklin Retaining Wall Repair Project 
  • Traffic Safety Award from the National Safety Council (NSC) and Our Driving Concern Texas Employer Traffic Safety Program for the third year in a row 
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI) Austin’s 2021 Best Public Place Award – Montopolis Recreation Center (Managed by the Public Works department) 
  • American Institute of Architects (AIA) Austin 2021 Design Award Commendation for Local Sustainability – Montopolis Recreation Center (Managed by the Public Works department) 
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI) Austin’s 2021 Best Public Project Design – Alliance Children’s Garden (Managed by Public Works) 
  • City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) SAVVY Awards (x3) – 2019 Annual Report; IN THE WORKS Printed Newsletter; Social Media Damaged Tree Campaign 
  • American Planning Association (APA) – Texas Chapter Planning Excellence Award for Bergstrom Spur Corridor Study, in partnership with Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) 

TSA checkpoint

Aviation

  • FY2021 Approved Budget: $215.1 million
  • Full-Time Employees: 549

Accomplishments

  • Announced re-strategized AEDP - the largest airport capital investment in Central Texas history.
  • Increased seat capacity by 22% compared to 2019 (Comparing November ’19 to November ’21).
  • Added two new carriers, Hawaiian Airlines and JSX, multiple new nonstop destinations, and the largest schedule increases from multiple airlines
  • Became a base operation for Allegiant.
  • Opened a new Consolidated Maintenance Facility.

Awards

  • Conde Nast Traveler’s Best U.S. Airports — #10
  • J.D. Power’s North America Airport Satisfaction Study, Best U.S. Large Airports — #7 

Corridor Program Office

  • FY2021 Approved Budget: $1.4 million
  • Full-Time Employees: 15

Accomplishments 

  • Constructed 18 critical safety and mobility projects on major corridors including Guadalupe, Burnet Road and Slaughter Lane. This includes the completed bicycle and pedestrian project at the Burnet Rd. and Braker Ln. intersection, which supported mobility around Q2 Stadium prior to its opening and inaugural season.
  • Coordinated design and engineering of projects to meet mobility and community outcomes as well as other city outcomes such as water quality, storm water drainage, and water/wastewater service in partnership with multiple City departments. Additional coordination included work with Capital Metro to support the implementation of Project Connect through augmentation of our program to meet mobility outcomes including, but not limited to mode shift and transit operations.
  • Initiated design and implementation on 30 place making projects that support culture and community outcomes as part of the 2016 and 2020 bond programs. Received City Council approval for six artists/artist teams to begin the process of artwork installation along roadways included in the Corridor Construction Program. These artwork plans are part of a joint initiative, between the Corridor Program Office and the Economic Development Department’s Arts in Public Places Program, to support complete communities along Austin corridors that are part of the 2016 Mobility Bond-funded Corridor Construction Program (CCP). 
  • Launched I-35 Cap and Stitch Project which included a feasibility study for highway caps and widened crossings that will address legacy community and segregation issues as well as improved East/West connectivity for our community. The planned I-35 reconstruction project and the potential, future construction of caps on stitches over I-35 will meet mobility outcomes related to mode shift.

Fleet Mobility

  • FY2021 Approved Budget: $62.4 million
  • Full-Time Employees: 232

Accomplishments

  • Awarded approximately $1.4M in grant funds from the VW Settlement.
  • Expanded Austin’s nationally recognized electric vehicle program to 266 Electric Vehicles or 5.36 percent of the fleet, driving 2,826 metric tons of carbon savings with an 86 percent department participation rate.
  • Expanded battery electric vehicle charging port infrastructure for City Fleet by 44 percent to 165 charging ports.
  • Launched the Connected Vehicle Program with a best-in-class enterprise GPS/Telematics system and installed 2,566 connect fleet assets.
  • Lowered the fleet carbon footprint by 8,787 metric tons or (19 percent) to 36,611 since 2007, down from 45,398 metric tons.

 Awards

  • Recipient of the Green Fleet Award, recognized in the top 20 by the National Association of Fleet Administrators NAFA Green Fleet Award  
  • Recognized as a 100 Best Fleet by the National Association of Fleet Administrators Honored as one of the 100 Best Fleets in the Americas

Project Connect

  • FY2021 Approved Budget: $400 thousand
  • Full-Time Employees: 4

Accomplishments

  • Formed the Project Connect Office (PCO) after the approval of the Project Connect referendum in November 2020. Established the PCO Leadership Team and PCO as the center for Project Connect coordination within the City organization.
  • Conducted internal alignment activities around Project Connect with multiple City departments, including establishing points of contact within departments and forming coordination groups to meet regularly with the Austin Transit Partnership design teams.
  • Participated alongside the Austin Transit Partnership and Capital Metro in Project Connect public engagement events, demonstrating to the community that the City is represented in the implementation phase of the Project Connect program.
  • Completed multi-departmental review of the 15 percent design plans for the Orange and Blue light rail lines.
  • Entered into partnership agreements to facilitate coordination across agencies, including for Project Connect anti-displacement funds and City staff support of Project Connect implementation. Developed the tri-party Joint Powers Agreement, which has been approved by Council, CapMetro, and Austin Transit Partnership.

Public Works 

  • FY2021 Approved Budget: $130.6 million
  • Full-Time Employees: 600

Accomplishments

  • Completed construction of the Boggy Creek Trail in east Austin, the first ever dual-track trail in Austin, adding to our existing network of nearly 50 miles urban trails. The project was completed in partnership with Austin Transportation and Parks and Recreation departments.
  • Improved 33 lane miles of Southwest Parkway, resulting smoother and safer roadway conditions for this busy thoroughfare.
  • Completed multiple mobility and safety improvements to Longhorn Dam Bridge in east Austin.  The project was completed in partnership with Austin Transportation Department and greatly improved access for pedestrians and cyclists.
  • Completed the new Travis Country Fire/EMS Station in southwest Austin- the second of five high-priority stations being delivered by Public Works’ capital delivery team in partnership with the Austin Fire and Austin-Travis County EMS.

Awards

  • American Public Works Association (APWA) National Equipment Skills “Roadeo” Competition – 2nd Place 
  • American Public Works Association (APWA) Texas Chapter Project of the Year – Shoal Creek Bikeway and Sidewalk Rehabilitation 
  • American Public Works Association (APWA) Texas Chapter In-House Project of the Year – 12th Street at EM Franklin Retaining Wall Repair Project
  • Traffic Safety Award from the National Safety Council (NSC) and Our Driving Concern Texas Employer Traffic Safety Program for the third year in a row
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI) Austin’s 2021 Best Public Place Award – Montopolis Recreation Center (Managed by Public Works)
  • American Institute of Architects (AIA) Austin 2021 Design Award  Commendation for Local Sustainability – Montopolis Recreation Center (Managed by Public Works)
  • Urban Land Institute (ULI) Austin’s 2021 Best Public Project Design – Alliance Children’s Garden (Managed by Public Works)
  • City-County Communications and Marketing Association (3CMA) SAVVY Awards (x3) – 2019 Annual Report; IN THE WORKS Printed Newsletter; Social Media Damaged Tree Campaign
  • American Planning Association (APA) – Texas Chapter Planning Excellence Award for Bergstrom Spur Corridor Study, in partnership with Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO)