Item 41 eTOD

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Natasha Harper-Madison
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2019 12:52 pm

Item 41 eTOD

Post by Natasha Harper-Madison »

Colleagues,
The last 14 months have been a series of challenges, to say the least, but the one undeniable bright spot was the overwhelming determination by the voters last November to fund a long overdue transit system in Austin. Project Connect’s broad catalogue of programmatic investments in all parts of town will transform our city and help make Austin a more mobile, accessible, equitable, affordable, sustainable, and resilient city.
However, as we all know, that vote in November was just one big step in a much longer journey. One of the things that made the plan so appealing to our voters is that it largely invests in upgraded services along our most active existing transit corridors. In anticipation of those new services, we can expect the market to respond to peoples’ desire to live and work near high-quality transit by redeveloping areas along the improved routes. More housing, jobs, and other community benefits near our transit lines will help maximize our investments by boosting ridership.
At the same time, we need to ensure that the people who currently depend on transit won’t lose access to it once it becomes a first-class service.
That’s why I’m proud to be bringing forward Item 41 to our upcoming City Council meeting. The intent of the resolution is to work with Capital Metro to update our existing transit-oriented development overlays and to begin the process of evolving land use policies that help us achieve our things like our ASMP mode-shit, Vision Zero, and climate goals while also providing mixed-income housing opportunities in walkable, transit-oriented communities to all Austin residents and families.
The Project Connect package included an unprecedented investment in anti-displacement efforts, and any TOD planning we do should build on that. To be truly equitable, we need to be deliberate and intentional about including community voices in the process. That’s why this resolution calls for the city manager to participate in and support Capital Metro’s ongoing federally funded eTOD study as well as to create additional opportunities to ensure that impacted residents and stakeholders have a clear voice in shaping their neighborhoods.
I believe it is imperative that we begin this work now if we hope to avoid the negative consequences of gentrification and instead drive equity, stability, and opportunity in neighborhoods that stand to benefit the most from Project Connect.
I want to thank my cosponsors, Mayor Adler and council members Fuentes, Casar, and Ellis, for their help in crafting this resolution. I’m also very grateful to all of the historical work everyone on the dais put into the effort to bring Project Connect forward and to push it past the finish line in November, particularly to Council Member Kitchen, whose leadership on mobility at CAMPO, the Mobility Committee, and on the Cap Metro board of directors is an inspiration to me and my team.
I very much look forward to this discussion and, as always, I leave the door open to anyone who wishes to co-sponsor.

Kind regards,
NHM
Natasha Harper-Madison
Council Member District 1
Ann Kitchen
Posts: 294
Joined: Fri Jan 09, 2015 4:04 pm

Re: Item 41 eTOD

Post by Ann Kitchen »

MPT Harper-Madison

Thank you for your leadership in bringing Item 41 forward. This is the time to align our land use policies with Project Connect.

I would like to add my name as a cosponsor - and have proposed some clarifying amendments and suggested some ways perhaps to move more quickly in the highest priority areas - with designation of eTOD areas and neighborhood level planning. See my post with amendments.

Best
Ann Kitchen
City Council D5
Ann Kitchen
Council Member District 5
Natasha Harper-Madison
Posts: 64
Joined: Tue Jan 15, 2019 12:52 pm

Re: Item 41 eTOD

Post by Natasha Harper-Madison »

Thank you, CM Kitchen. I happily welcome your co-sponsorship of this IFC. I also deeply appreciate the years of experience and expertise you’ve acquired as a leader on all things mobility that inform the amendments you’ve offered. I absolutely agree that we need to move as quickly as possible to get in front of the changes that our historic transit investments will trigger. I look forward to digging into the details during our work session discussion to make sure this resolution achieves our common goals.

Kindly,
NHM
Natasha Harper-Madison
Council Member District 1
Alison Alter
Posts: 211
Joined: Fri Jan 13, 2017 3:52 pm

Re: Item 41 eTOD

Post by Alison Alter »

Colleagues,
I appreciate everyone who has worked on this item. I support the amendments offered by Council Member Kitchen and will continue looking at the language and any additional amendments which may be offered before our discussion on Thursday.
Regards,
Alison Alter
Council Member, District 10
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