REGULAR MEETING OF THE COLLEGE STUDENT COMMISSION FRIDAY, MARCH 6, 2026, AT 3:00 P.M. CITY HALL, BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS ROOM 301 W 2ND ST AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the College Student Commission may be participating by videoconference. The meeting may be viewed online at: http://www.austintexas.gov/page/watch-atxn-live Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Abrianna Citta, 210-232-4773, abrianna.citta01@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Andrew Lyon, Chair, Austin Community College Elisha Mac Gregor, Austin Community College Sage Zuniga, Austin Community College Mekides Guta, Concordia University Lorian Lopez, Concordia University Aidyn Ogle, Concordia University Aidan Cournoyer, University of Texas at Austin Carson Domey, University of Texas at Austin Kritika Ramesh, University of Texas at Austin Caleb Brizuela, Vice Chair, Huston-Tillotson University Camila Colin, St. Edward’s University Caroline Schilling, St. Edward’s University AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the College Student Commission Regular meeting on January 9th, 2026. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Approve a recommendation to Council on 6th Street Micromobility Lanes. 3. Approve a recommendation to Council on the UNO (University Neighborhood Overlay) Amendments and Student Housing. WORKING GROUP UPDATE 4. 5. 6. Update from TRANSPORTATION working group on their priorities. Update from MENTAL HEALTH working group on their priorities. Update from HOUSING working group on their work around student housing availability. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Dr. Chiquita Eugene at the Youth Initiatives Office, at chiquita.eugene@austintexas.gov or (512-972- 5003) to request service or for additional information. For more information on the College Student Commission, please contact Dr. Chiquita Eugene at (512-972-5003).
COLLEGE STUDENT COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES 9, JANUARY, 2026 The College Student Commission convened in a regular meeting on 9, January, 2026 at 301 W 2nd St, Austin, TX 78701 in Austin, Texas. Chair Lyon called the College Student Commission Meeting to order at 3:22 p.m. Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance: Andrw Lyon, Camila Colin, Carson Domey, Sage Zuniga Board Members/Commissioners in Attendance Remotely:, Aidan Cournoyer, Lorian Lopez, Elisha MacGregor, Caroline Schilling PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. The motion to approve the minutes of the COLLEGE STUDENT COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING on DECEMBER 12th, 2025, was approved on Commissioner Domey’s motion, Commissioner Zuniga’s second on a 8-0 vote. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 2. Presentation by Central Texas Food Bank regarding the College Food Access Program by Emily Larson and Anurita Mittra—presenters were unable to attend; slides were shared and reviewed by commissioners. WORKING GROUP/COMMITTEE UPDATES 3. Update from TRANSPORTATION working group on their priorities. Update by Chair Lyon. Update from MENTAL HEALTH working group on their priorities. Update from Chair Lyon. Update from HOUSING working group on their priorities. Update from Chair Lyon. 4. 5. WORKING GROUP RECOMMENDATIONS 6. None 1 FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS 7. None Chair Lyon adjourned the meeting at 3:42 p.m. without objection. The minutes were approved at the January 9, 2026, meeting on Commissioner Domey’s motion, Commissioner Zuniga’s second on a 8-0 vote. 2
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL College Student Commission Recommendation Number 20260306-02: 6th Street Design WHEREAS, 6th Street serves as a key connection between the University of Texas area, downtown, and transit services frequently used by college students, and functions as a late night transportation corridor and entertainment district; and WHEREAS, 6th Street experiences sufficient pedestrian activity to have been closed to vehicular traffic on weekend nights (Thursday through Sunday). This indicates significant non-automotive travel particularly during evening and late night hours; and WHEREAS, the nearest active transportation counter at East 4th Street and Waller Creek recorded 521,445 pedestrians and cyclists in 2025, signaling substantial travel along this general downtown corridor; and WHEREAS, college students are disproportionately reliant on walking, biking, and micromobility for affordable transportation, shown in increased micromobility use around UT Austin and downtown. This is often due to lower rates of personal vehicle ownership. College students are therefore uniquely impacted by the design of 6th Street; and WHEREAS, 6th Street’s role as a nightlife district increases the importance of safe, non-automotive transportation options for students, as students traveling late at night face higher injury risk; and WHEREAS, the lack of clear separation between pedestrians, cyclists, and micromobility users increases collision risk and reduces safety and comfort for everyone; and WHEREAS, protected bike lanes support students using bicycles, e-bikes, and micromobility devices, including dockless scooters and services such as CapMetro’s Bikeshare, reducing the need for these devices to operate on sidewalks that are regularly crowded with pedestrians, as on 6th Street; and WHEREAS, safe and accessible transportation options contribute to student well being, campus connectivity, and overall quality of life in Austin; and WHEREAS, in Recommendation 20251201-007, the Bicycle Advisory Council and Pedestrian Advisory Council jointly recommended Alternative 1 and opposed Alternative 3; and WHEREAS, the 6th Street Survey Results and Public Engagement Report found that 63% of 3,723 respondents supported Alternative 1, which included bicycle and scooter lanes with curb insets for vehicle access, while only 27% of 3,706 respondents supported Alternative 3, which included no bicycle or scooter lanes and vehicle curb access on only one side; and WHEREAS, the Urban Transportation Commission recommends that Austin Transportation and Public Works advance Alternative 1 or Alternative 2 for the 6th Street Mobility and Revitalization Project, while City Staff recommended advancing Alternative 3 to final design; and NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the College Student Commission, in alignment with the …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL College Student Commission Recommendation Number 20260306-03: UNO Amendments and Student Housing WHEREAS, the City of Austin both historically and in the present day continues to have a young college student population that is greater than or equal to approximately 100,000 students; and WHEREAS, housing affordability has become an increasingly significant challenge for college students across the City of Austin, particularly for the majority of students at major Austin-area colleges and universities, including the University of Texas at Austin, Austin Community College, St. Edward’s University, Huston-Tillotson University, and Concordia University Texas, who, due to limited on-campus housing capacity, rely on the private rental market for housing during the academic year; and WHEREAS, 48% of renters in District 9, including the area of West Campus, are “rent-burdened,” where a tenant spends more than 30% of their monthly income on housing; and WHEREAS, students attending institutions located near central Austin, including The University of Texas at Austin, Huston-Tillotson University, and Austin Community College’s Highland and Rio Grande campuses, face additional heightened housing pressures due to rising rents, limited supply, and competition with non-student renters; and WHEREAS, student-oriented rental housing in Austin has experienced substantial rent increases in recent years, disproportionately impacting students who rely on fixed financial aid packages, part-time employment, or family support; and WHEREAS, the University Neighborhood Overlay (UNO) area, particularly West Campus, experiences uniquely intense housing demand due to its proximity to The University of Texas at Austin, resulting in rental prices that significantly exceed the Austin citywide median and serve as a benchmark for influencing student housing costs more broadly; and WHEREAS, rising rents in central Austin neighborhoods have contributed to the displacement of students attending institutions without large on-campus housing availability, including Austin Community College and Huston-Tillotson University, forcing many students to seek housing farther from campus and increasing transportation costs and commute times; and WHEREAS, students at smaller and private institutions such as St. Edward’s University and Concordia University Texas face similar affordability pressures, as limited on-campus housing availability and surrounding neighborhood zoning constraints restrict access to lower-cost off-campus options; and WHEREAS, these affordability challenges affect students across institutional types, including community colleges, public universities, and private universities, demonstrating that student housing insecurity is a citywide issue not confined to a single campus or neighborhood; and WHEREAS, land-use and zoning policies such as the University Neighborhood Overlay play a critical role in shaping housing …
