News from the City of Austin, Texas

Community Celebration of New Northern Walnut Creek Trail Extension

Feb 13, 2023 02:00 pm

Join Austin Public Works Urban Trails Program for an afternoon of public festivities celebrating the opening of a new section of the Northern Walnut Creek Trail! Stop by Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park on Saturday, March 4 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a ribbon-cutting, live music, a food truck, and fun activities on the new 1.3-mile trail. 

- 11 a.m. Council Member Leslie Pool will provide welcoming remarks in the Walnut Creek Park Pool Parking Lot, adjacent to the new trail (12138 N. Lamar Blvd.) 

- Ribbon cutting ceremony 

- Live music by Ashton “Infinity Jones” Deary 

- A youth bicycle ride led by Ghisallo Cycling Initiative 

- A guided family nature walk led by a Biologist 

- Food truck with food for purchase 

Prior to the event, several community groups will be participating in It’s My Park Day volunteer activities near the new trail.  

Limited parking is available in Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park, please consider biking or taking public transportation. More details about the event can be found here. 

About the new Northern Walnut Creek Trail extension:

The new section of urban trail was designed and constructed by Austin Public Works Urban Trails Program, and connects Oakbrook Drive to Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park. The path goes beneath North Lamar Boulevard, making it easier for residents who are walking or biking to access destinations and amenities across this busy corridor. The trail was made possible with funding from the 2016 Mobility Bond and funds from the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department. 

“In 2009, City Council passed a resolution stating that all residents should have access to a public park within a ten-minute walk from their home. But having a park located close to your home doesn't mean you have a safe way to get there along city streets,” said Council Member Leslie Pool. “And that's where our urban trails enter the picture: with each new urban trail, we’re making it safer and easier for thousands of residents to walk or bike to our parks to enjoy our city’s open spaces.”

With the new addition, the Northern Walnut Creek Trail now totals 4.4 miles one-way, from Balcones Neighborhood District Park to Oakbrook Drive. The Urban Trails Program plans to eventually connect the Northern Walnut Creek Trail to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail, but four sections of the trail must be built before the 19-mile trail system connects Govalle Neighborhood Park in east Austin to the Balcones District Park in North Austin. Learn more about future Walnut Creek Trail projects here. 

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Austin Mobility News: Drivers reminded to share the road with cyclists as crews remove storm debris

Feb 13, 2023 12:00 pm

Austin Mobility News: Drivers reminded to share the road with cyclists as crews remove storm debris

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Swim Season is Nearly Here: Two Pools Closing for Routine Maintenance, Lifeguard Training and Hiring Ongoing
Feb 13, 2023 10:46 am

Springwoods Pool will be closed February 21 and February 22 for routine maintenance. Barton Springs Pool will be closed for annual routine maintenance February 25 through March 10. For the hours of operation of other year-round pools during these closures, visit AustinTexas.gov/Pools.

Lifeguards Earn $20/Hour
Austin is now hiring hundreds of lifeguards starting at $20/hour! Lifeguards get free training and a free uniform. Lifeguard training and hiring starts at age 15 and there is no age limit. Learn more about how to become a lifeguard at LifeguardAustin.com.

February Lifeguard Hiring Event
Anyone interested in a lifeguard job can come to Fiesta Gardens at 2101 Jesse E. Segovia St. on Sunday, February, 26 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. to apply and get signed up for training. Applicants should bring their photo ID and social security cards. 

Spring Break Training
Lifeguard training takes place all year, but most seasonal lifeguards in Austin get trained during spring break. Everyone must complete the job application and their hiring paperwork before they can register for training. Lifeguard Certification Schedule, Lifeguard Renewal Class Dates and more training details at LifeguardAustin.com.

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Austin-Bergstrom International Airport welcomes Copa Airlines

Feb 13, 2023 09:30 am

AUSTIN, Texas – Copa Airlines has announced its entrance to the Austin and Central Texas air service market with new nonstop service to Panama City launching from Austin-Bergstrom International Airport (AUS) on July 6, 2023. The airline, based out of Panama, will be the sixth international airline at AUS and the fourth new carrier to launch since 2020. AUS will become Copa’s 15^th US destination and route increases Copa Airlines’ network to 80 destinations in 32 countries in North, Central, and South America and the Caribbean.

“This exciting announcement has been years in the making,” said Jacqueline Yaft, AUS CEO. “We are thrilled to welcome Copa Airlines to Austin, Texas and cannot wait for Austinites and Central Texas to discover the gem of Panama City, Panama, a destination rich in culture, history and community. AUS is proud to bring more convenient options for connecting Central Texas to Central and South America. This route will provide economic and tourism benefits for generations to come.”

This new route will offer connections to over fifty-five (55) destinations in Latin America, via the Hub of the Americas®, located at the Tocumen International Airport in Panama City. Austinites and Central Texas travelers will soon benefit from Copa’s world-class, award-winning service with the most punctual airline in Latin America according to OAG Punctuality League 2023.

“We continue strengthening our network of destinations in the U.S. and incorporating this new route represents a window of opportunities to increase commerce, tourism, and cultural and educational exchanges between the state capital of Texas, Panama and our entire region. We’re pleased to offer greater connectivity to our passengers and contribute to the growth of tourism and commerce in Panama and the countries we serve,” said Christophe Didier, Vice President, Global Sales and Distribution at Copa Airlines.

Travelers will get to explore the crossroads between North and South America. Panama City offers visitors a robust gastronomy scene with five-star restaurants and cuisines from cultures around the world and exciting nightlife. After spending time in the bustling city, visitors can explore nature-based experiences like whale watching, scuba diving, surfing and hiking up the highest point in the country – Baru Volcano National Park.

“Today's announcement of the Copa route launch from Panama City to Austin marks the first nonstop flight from Central America to AUS,” said Tom Noonan, President and CEO of Visit Austin. “This is a testament to how Austin continues to grow as a premier destination, and we are thrilled that Copa has invested into Austin.”

“We are thrilled that Copa Airlines has chosen AUS to begin service to Panama,” said Doug Driskill with Dell Technologies and Chair of the Austin Chamber Air Services Task Force. “This route has the added benefit of providing excellent connections to destinations throughout Central and South America. Opportunity Austin is proud to be a supporting partner in this effort, and we look forward to the economic development and leisure travel benefits that this route will provide for businesses and people in the Austin region. Copa’s announcement today continues the success story of our ever-expanding list of international connections, and we fully expect this route to be a huge win for both Copa and our community.”

Nonstop service on flight CM 0716 will depart Austin (AUS) at 3:34 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday and arrives at Tocumen International Airport (PTY) at 8:16 p.m. Return flights to Austin on CM 0715 leave Panama City at 9:18 a.m. on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and arrives in Austin at 2:04 p.m. The flight will be serviced by a Boeing 737-800.

Tickets are on sale now at Copa.com.

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Homeless Strategy Division Hosting Virtual Community Meetings February 15–17

Feb 13, 2023 07:53 am

The City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Division will host virtual meetings to update the community on efforts to address homelessness and answer community member questions. There will be two identical virtual meetings on the evenings of February 15–16, 2023, with an additional webinar tailored to service providers on the morning of Friday, February 17, 2023. 
 
“In 2023, we will continue our quarterly community update sessions, which have become an important channel for keeping people up to date on the city’s efforts, and hearing from the community and service providers,” said Dianna Grey, the City of Austin’s Homeless Strategy Officer. 
 
Topics to be presented will include, but not be limited to: 

- Finding Home ATX funding update 

- Affordable housing development 

- City of Austin social service contracting

- Encampment management and the HEAL Initiative 

- Community-wide shelter system assessment and planning 
Register to attend a Virtual Meeting 

- Public Session One: Wednesday, February 15, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. 
Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_XpJtD2eYTyCQubDgDwKfgQ 
 - Public Session Two: Thursday, February 16, from 6:30 – 8 p.m. 
Registration link: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YdEShFpjRyytHpmD9CLzQQ 
- Service Providers: A separate email invitation will be sent for a webinar taking place on Friday, February 17, from 9 am – 10:30 am. This webinar is for Service Providers only.  

To learn more about homelessness in Austin, please visit www.austintexas.gov/homelessness

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Historic Clean-up Effort Follows Devastating Ice Storm
Feb 12, 2023 07:33 pm

Recovery and clean-up efforts continue and extensive progress has been made nearly two weeks after a historic ice storm swept through Austin. More than 100,000 cubic yards of storm debris has been cleared away, nearly all rights-of-way have been cleared of downed trees and branches and power has been restored across the community thanks in part to collaboration with partner utilities spanning several states.

“I am so thankful for the hard work and dedication of thousands of city staff, volunteers and partner agencies who rallied to help in storm recovery efforts,” City Manager Spencer Cronk said. “This was a historic event with catastrophic impact on our community. Once again, the resilience and commitment of our residents, business owners, community organizations, and City employees were on display as everyone did their part getting the City on its feet again.”

The City’s response to the storm is now squarely focused on citywide clean up and community recovery. Crews from multiple departments are mobilized clearing storm debris and clearing downed power lines.

“This storm had a devastating impact on our community. Our efforts throughout this event have been on life safety and supporting the most vulnerable, including the unhoused, and in making sure everyone stayed home and off the roads. We believe these efforts saved lives and allowed emergency services to respond to calls. The ice storm progressed quickly and as it began impacting the tree canopy and power service, the EOC pivoted to provide sheltering and food, and support debris clearance and power restoration efforts,” said Aoife Longmore, Homeland Security and Emergency Management Deputy Director. “We are in a more stable place with weather conditions but are still in recovery, and are actively working with non-governmental organizations and community groups to support those in need.”

Clean-up and Recovery Numbers to Date

- Austin Resource Recovery collected more than 115,781 cubic yards of storm debris in 2,085 loads.

- 1,170 tons of storm debris has been dropped off at Austin Water’s Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant (as of February 11). 

- 180 Austin Public Works employees cleared downed trees and other debris from rights-of-way.

- More than 1,400 meals were distributed to approximately 600 families via four Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCs).

Power Restored to All Customers with Storm-related Outages

More than 99.9% of Austin Energy customers have power. Outages currently on the outage map are not directly related to the storm. Since the start of the storm, Austin Energy restored power to more than 373,000 customers.
Austin Energy is working directly with a small number of customers who remain without power because of damage on customer-owned equipment that needs a licensed electrician to repair.
For more information, see Austin Energy’s press release.

Beware of Scams

Emergencies bring out scammers. They are already taking advantage of this natural disaster. Scammers sound urgent, scary or even overly positive and friendly. They offer bogus discounts on utility bills or say they have rebates. Then they steal customer credit card information.
Austin Energy will never ask for your credit card or wire transfer information over the phone. If you get a suspicious call about your account, hang up. Then call Austin Energy Customer Care at 512-494-9400. Learn more about how to spot scams.

Event Response, Coordination and Shelter Services

The Austin Travis County Emergency Operations Center (ATCEOC) was activated beginning January 30 with a situational assessment team moving to a full Emergency Operations Center (EOC) activation through Feb. 12 with 24 hour a day response coverage. The City of Austin and Travis County have signed local disaster declarations from the winter storm Declaration of Disaster-Severe Winter Weather.
Cold Weather Shelters were opened with the support of the City’s contractor, the Austin Area Urban League, from Jan. 30 through Feb. 3 and again on Feb. 10, and served approximately 2,000 people over the course of the event. Additionally, with many departments and agencies closed, the City was able to provide 66 rides to people needing access to shelters.

The EOC led the opening of general emergency shelters for people with power outages. Shelters were activated for 10 nights and served 49 guests and three pets with 20 cases of water at the ready.

In coordination with HSEM, Texas Department of Emergency Management brought in the Forestry Service to support debris clean up and volunteers to help field calls from residents needing support for clean up on private property.

To support reimbursement efforts, the EOC began to collect damage assessments for potential reimbursement of response and repair costs to the city. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report their damage to the State using the iStat tool.  

Recovery Efforts and Multi-Agency Resource Centers (MARCS)

The City encourages all residents in need to visit the "virtual" resource center which can be accessed online 24/7.
MARCs supported Austin-Travis County families that were impacted by the storm.  Community organizations and city departments came together to support 151 families and provide 500 meals at the MARC that closed on Saturday. Over four days, MARCs provided 589 families with more than 1400 meals.

Clearance of Debris in Rights-of-Way

Approximately 180 Austin Public Works employees continue to work today to clear the right-of-way of downed trees and debris. That includes a Street & Bridge crew that is responding to reports of hanging tree limbs. Through coordination with TDEM the Texas A&M Forest Service has also provided saw teams to assist in debris removal.

Crews are using a grid system approach to methodically address debris that is located on streets and sidewalks across the city. The initial assessment of the City’s grid system map has been completed and crews have cleared debris from more than 1,412 sites. The effort to clear the full city's rights-of-way may take another week or more. At least 20 crews will be dedicated to debris clearing throughout this week. Please use caution while traveling and slow down around work crews.

Limb Removal Around Power Lines and Clearance of Debris on Private Property

Utility crews continue to work on removing limbs around power lines. If cut limbs land on private property, property owners are responsible for discarding these limbs. Please bring all limbs to the curb for collection by Austin Resource Recovery. Austin Resource Recovery (ARR) has increased the help it is getting from contractors to speed up storm debris collection efforts. More than 70 crews are collecting large branches and tree limbs from ARR customers. So far, over 115,781 cubic yards of storm debris have been collected in more than 2,085 loads.

ARR customers can request a collection of large storm debris by calling 3-1-1 (or 512-974-2000) or submitting a storm debris collection request through the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app or at Austin311.org. Limbs should be at the curb ready for collection.
Customers can also drop off tree limbs and branches at no charge at Austin Water’s Hornsby Bend Biosolids Management Plant, 2210 FM 973, Austin, daily from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. More than 2,604 loads of storm debris have been dropped off at the facility by customers, weighing in at 1,170 (through February 11). Learn more at AustinRecycles.com.

Anyone who is physically unable to move limbs should contact Austin 3-1-1 for support by dialing 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000 by phone, using the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app or at Austin311.org. Residents with physical limitations or financial needs requiring help cleaning up winter storm debris can also request volunteer assistance through the Austin Disaster Relief Network. File a request by completing this form or calling 512-806-0800. (Note that this phone line is for new requests only.)

Utility Resources

This week Austin City Council waived late-payment fees on City of Austin utility bills with due dates between Jan. 31 – Feb. 17, 2023, to assist customers who experienced outages, storm damage or postal delays.
Here are some links to additional resources:

- Get updates on Austin Energy's restoration and recovery work at austinenergy.com/go/restoration

- Tune in for Austin utility emergency alerts at austintexas.gov/alerts

- Access a list of licensed electrical contractors

- Get more information from the City of Austin about emergency repairs, permitting and inspections

- Get assistance, information and free recovery resources at austintexas.gov/recovery

- Find outage information at outagemap.austinenergy.com

- Get winter weather safety tips

- Get the latest news releases on winter storm recovery at austinenergy.com/go/news

- Watch the latest news conference in the ATXN archive

- Follow Austin Energy on social media:

Facebook.com/austinenergy

Twitter.com/austinenergy

YouTube.com/austinenergy

Code Compliance Resources

The Austin Code Department remains dedicated to addressing unsafe conditions that put the health and welfare of our community at risk and to serving as an educational resource to impacted residents. Residents with code violation concerns are encouraged to submit those by calling 3-1-1 (or 512-974-2000), through the Austin 3-1-1 mobile app or at Austin311.org. 

Parkland Assessments and Cleanup

Austin Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) crews have nearly completed parkland assessments at Austin's 330 public parks and other PARD-managed properties. Due to the severity of the storm, tree remediation will likely take months. PARD crews have begun cleanup and tree pruning, with hanging branches being their top priority. PARD is also working to add warning signs to priority sites encouraging visitors to use caution. When visiting a park, please be aware of your surroundings and be cautious around trees until remediation is complete.

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More to read:
Power Restored Following Historic Ice Storm
City of Austin Winter Weather Daily Status Update - Feb. 11
Homicide Investigation in the 5800 block of Techni Center Drive

For more City of Austin news releases, visit AustinTexas.gov.