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Austin police will be able to arrest individuals who refuse to vacate certain homeless camps starting July 11. (Laura Figi)
City of Austin officials say police can begin arresting individuals who refuse to vacate dangerous homeless camps, including those in flood-prone areas or near busy roadways, on July 11.
Meanwhile, public records obtained by Austonia show that the majority of homelessness-related charges were dropped over a six-year period.
More than half of 6,806 charges filed between January 2015 and mid-May 2021 were dismissed or closed for a variety of reasons, including plea bargains and "(in the) interest of justice," according to city data. Twenty-eight cases were closed because the defendant had died. Around a quarter of defendants charged were found guilty.
Nearly 58% of Austin residents voted to approve Proposition B during the May 1 election, which reinstates three local ordinances regarding:
- Sitting or lying down on a public sidewalk
- Aggressive solicitation
- Public camping
Now the city of Austin is reinstating these ordinances. Police began issuing warnings and citations earlier this month. Starting July 11, police policies will allow the arrest of individuals who refuse to vacate certain camps, although city officials have said arrests will be a last resort.
Save Austin Now, the political committee that championed Prop B, has criticized the multi-phase plan and the dearth of citations issued since its passage. Interim Police Chief Joseph Chacon said at a June 15 news conference that police had not issued any citations or made any arrests during the first phase of the plan, which ran from May 11 through June 12.
Nearly 54% of the 6,806 charges filed between January 2015 and mid-May of this year related to the ordinance prohibiting sitting or lying down on a public sidewalk or sleeping outdoors, according to city data. Although public camping was the focus of Prop B, that ordinance accounted for about one quarter of the charges filed.
City officials are still working out where homeless residents can go, legally, in the absence of adequate shelter space and housing units.
Council members directed staff to identify possible temporary sanctioned campsites in each district but pushed back on most of the options presented, citing concerns about parkland and public safety. They then failed to provide direction on additional campsite criteria and a possible implementation plan before taking a six-week recess.
During the final phase of the implementation plan, which begins Aug. 8, police can arrest individuals who do not voluntarily leave campsites.
- Austin begins phased plan to reinstate homeless camping ban ... ›
- City says City Hall homeless camp clearout was atypical - austonia ›
- Multiple homeless arrested at City Hall as tents cleared - austonia ›
- Austin City Council drags on homeless camping ban reinstatement ... ›
- Austin releases phased plan to reinstate camping ban - austonia ›
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(ABIA)
The Austin airport is warning travelers to “pack your patience” as it expects this Memorial Day weekend to be the busiest in airport history.
This weekend will kick off a period of more than 4.8 million passengers passing through Austin-Bergstrom International Airport by the end of summer—contributing to a projected record-breaking year of 22 million passengers at ABIA.
The surge in traffic at the airport comes as ABIA considers itself officially recovered from the pandemic's impact, an airport spokesperson ABIA Public Information Specialist Bailey Grimmett told Austonia. Additionally, the population growth in Central Texas and more service offered from ABIA has meant more people at the airport, she said. However, it has come under fire for increasingly long wait times at TSA and not having enough parking.
Flying soon? Here’s how to prepare for a busy airport this summer.
Arrive hours early for your flight, especially if it's in the morning
Summer travel lines in September 2021. (Austonia)
The busiest passenger traffic days in summer 2021 were Thursdays, Fridays, Sundays and Mondays, according to a release but each day of the week is expected to see increased traffic this summer. Lines tend to be longest before 8 a.m. and sometimes mid-morning hours.
Grimmett told Austonia the average person should arrive at the airport two-and-a-half hours before boarding time for domestic flights or three hours early for international flights. You might want to tack on extra time if…
- You need to park or are returning a rental.
- You’re traveling with a big group, children or those who require assistance.
- You’re checking in baggage.
Familiarize yourself with TSA requirements
(ABIA)
The worst thing while traveling is getting stuck in security and having to repack all of your belongings. If you’re traveling with a carry-on of toiletries, medication or food, double-check with TSA.gov if you’re not sure.
Security screening checkpoints open at 3 a.m. and Grimmett said don’t hesitate to ask a staff member if you need help. Faster screening is available by applying for TSA PreCheck or Clear screening for an extra fee.Rather wait for the rush to die down?
Grimmett said to expect near-constant high traffic through August, when students return to school and tourist season ends. The lull is short-lived though—ABIA typically sees another travel uptick in October for events like F1 and ACL Festival.
Once you’re inside, refer to our complete guide to ABIA for a look at the amenities.
(Shutterstock)
By Kali Bramble
Calls for firmer regulation of the dockless scooters, mopeds and e-bikes scattered about the city may hit the desks of City Council in coming months, as a recommendation from the Downtown Commission makes its way to the agenda.
The recommendation proposes stricter requirements for providers to remove devices blocking sidewalks, crosswalks and other rights of way and increase fees for subsequently impounded vehicles. The proposal also calls for implementing a ticketing system for riders who violate municipal traffic code or state law.
Since 2018, the steady influx of electronic scooters has left Austin’s Transportation Department scrambling to integrate the devices into city infrastructure. As of this year, companies Bird, Lime, LINK, and Wheels collectively operate a total of 14,100 micromobility devices, many of which are concentrated in Austin’s urban core.
“I walked out of my office at Sixth and Congress today at noon and counted 65 scooters laying on their side,” Texas Monthly founder Michael Levy said in a public comment. “It looks like a war zone.”
Critics of the exploding scooter market cite incidents of devices blocking pedestrian walkways for days on end. Under the commission’s proposal, improperly discarded devices would be subject to impounding within two hours, with the time limit reduced to one hour in the downtown area. A $100 release fee along with a $5 per day storage fee would go toward investment in infrastructure solutions, such as augmenting the 25 existing parking corrals throughout the city.
Detractors also cite episodes of reckless and inebriated scooter riders as an increasing public health problem. While restrictions like in-app speed reduction technology have sought to mitigate such incidents, emergency room workers anecdotally report an alarming number of scooter-related injuries, especially on weekends. Preliminary data from Austin Public Health supports such claims, though it is still a challenge to quantify.
Micromobility advocates, on the other hand, argue that scooters provide an important service to those navigating Austin’s patchwork public transportation system. The Transportation Department considers such short-distance mobility options another solution in its toolbox to combat the city’s over-reliance on cars.
Still, scooter skeptics wonder if these benefits outweigh consequences. Levy noted that cities like San Diego have responded very differently to the burgeoning industry, instituting strict regulations and penalties that have reduced the presence of scooters without banning them entirely.
The Downtown Commission’s recommendation proposes citations for scooter riders violating municipal parking and traffic laws amounting to $100 for first-time offenders, followed by $250 for subsequent offenses. The proposal would also ban scooter-riding on a number of highly trafficked sidewalks, though these remain unspecified.
The commission hopes such tools could work alongside efforts by the Transportation Department to ramp up enforcement, including the recent establishment of 10 full-time mobility service officer positions charged with regulating scooter use. Increased revenue from licensing fees and ticketing could also serve to finance infrastructure solutions.
“It’s shocking to me that we currently only get around $1 million a year out of these fees,” Commissioner Mike Lavigne said. “I did some rough math … and figure we’ve maybe gotten $6 million since this thing started. It seems to me like we could be getting a whole lot more to invest in making it more sustainable, like more docking stations and corrals, so there’s somewhere for these scooters to go.”