Category Archives: Mobility

Mobility refers to land use as it concerns mobility, all transportation modes including roads, aviation, public transit, pedestrian programs, bicycle programs, ground transportation, taxicab regulation, Lone Star Rail, core transit corridors, and related matters.

Statement by Mayor Adler on Proposition 1 and the Smart City Challenge

I worked to avoid this costly election because neither choice delivers by itself the outcome Austin needs. What Austin needs are safety, TNCs, and local control.

Today, neither Prop 1 choice is best for Austin because neither delivers by itself what we need.

But because these are the only choices in front of me, I will vote “Against” on Prop 1 because I believe such a vote puts Austin and the rideshare companies constructively back at the negotiating table.

I have concluded that only an “Against” vote will allow Austin to find the right solution.

Continue reading →

What I learned in Amsterdam

 

getting onto an electric bike in AmsterdamBy Steve Adler

Our innovation exchange trip with Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx just took us through Amsterdam where we met with Dutch Mayors, non-profits (NGOs), and companies all in pursuit of the “Smart City” vision. What Diane Land, my wife, Rob Spillar, the director of our city’s transportation department, have seen is interesting and has potentially interesting applications to our mobility challenges in Austin.

First off, a Smart City is a city in which data is captured from all aspects of urban life and then that data is employed to improve its residents’ quality of life. This could take a thousand different forms, such as traffic lights that monitor traffic levels and patterns, time of day, weather, events in the area, and then which adjust synching and timing to minimize traffic delay. In other words, the kind of thing we’re working on with the Smart City Challenge.

And of course I need to explain this picture, but more on that below. Continue reading →

#DOTSmartCity Update for April 20

Ce-oRgkUMAAS4I-Here’s the latest rundown of coverage on Austin’s bid for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Smart City Challenge!

“Where Innovation Leadership and Urbanization Collide”
By Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx
http://www.transportation.gov/fastlane/where-innovation-leadership-and-urbanization-collide

Beginning today, I will be participating in roundtables, presentations and panels that highlight transportation’s role in improving quality of life, economic development, and the environment. Continue reading →