An infrastructure win

In recent years it's been hard to be optimistic about Austin transportation policy, so it's a welcome change to report on TWO pieces of good news in one week. There was Cap Metro's implementation of Tap 2 Pay and now the completion of the Wishbone Bridge.

The Wishbone Bridge is a key improvement to what I would argue is already one of Austin's most valuable pieces of infrastructure: the Butler Hike & Bike Trail.

This week's sponsor:

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I remember feeling so grateful for the trail biking home one evening from Buzzmill on E. Riverside. The 2.5 miles from there to Auditorium Shores on the trail were safe, speedy and serene. Very different from the biking experience throughout most of the city. I remember thinking, the city should make a goal of making this experience available in every neighborhood.

Urban trails are far more expensive than building sidewalks or creating on-street bike lanes from plastic sticks. But they are obviously far more effective, both in protecting bikers and walkers and attracting bikers and walkers. It is not just a piece of transportation infrastructure but a piece of recreational/leisure infrastructure that will be warmly embraced and fiercely defended by the community once it is put in place. That's why I've long argued the city should prioritize speeding up the buildout of the Urban Trails Plan.

Six solid affordable housing projects

City Council today unanimously endorsed six affordable housing projects that are applying to the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs for 9% federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits.

There are a limited number of 9% credits and there is fierce competition for them – it's possible none of these projects will be selected.

Part of the scoring process is to get the approval from the local government body. I don't believe Council has ever declined to endorse such a project in the decade I've covered it. I created a map with the proposed projects:

Two in particular caught my attention. Both are by O-SDA Industries, a local affordable houser.

The first is located smack in the middle of Travis Heights. Unsurprisingly some neighbors are pissed.

As astutely noted by Asher Price of Axios, putting a 75-unit project in this location would have been a much heavier lift during the days of the at-large City Council. Angry Travis Heights homeowners would weigh on the minds of every at-large Council member, whereas today only two of the 11 (the D9 rep and the mayor) represent those residents. The other nine don't have to worry too much about pissing them off.

The other one is located in my old neighborhood, right next to El Chilito at Menchaca & Redd. This particular vacant lot, right across from Joslin Elementary and the Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center, has long been a magnet for insalubrious conduct. A couple years ago there was a business interested in putting a coffee shop there but wanted a drive-thru that neighbors were not excited about.

In theory it is a prime location for affordable housing because of the close proximity to a great school, a bus route that goes downtown & a couple of nearby grocery stores.

What's cool about all six of these proposed projects is that they all include a substantial number of two and/or three-bedroom units for those at 50% of the area median income. Right now that is roughly $53.5k for a family of two, $60k for a family of three and $67k for a family of four.

Here are links to the unit breakdowns by size & income level for the four other developments:

Jordan II by Foundation Communities (2701 1/2 Philomena St)

Residences @ Springdale by Deets Development (5612 Springdale)

Sunflower Apartments by Foundation Communities (601 W. Braker)

The Maven by DMA Development (618 E. Highland Mall Blvd)

Clarification

I'd like to make a clarification about a headline ("Public transit enters the 2010's") of my story on Monday about Cap Metro's adoption of Tap to Pay.

Some seemed to believe I was suggesting that Cap Metro should have implemented this technology a long time ago, but as I made clear in the article, it's only in the last few years that any U.S. transit agency has implemented it. Adapting to 21st century payment habits has been a major challenge for all transit agencies. Cap Metro has certainly struggled with tech in the past, but getting Tap2Pay is cause for celebration.

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