20250402-007: DRAFT Recommendation on Micro Transit to Parks Environmental Commission — original pdf

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ENVIRONMENTAL COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION 20250402-007 Seconded By: _____ Date: April 2, 2025 Subject: City-Wide On-Demand Micro Transit to Parks and Recreation Centers Motioned By: Richard Brimer WHEREAS, many of Austin's favorite parks, including Zilker Park, Vic Matthias Shores, Michael Butler Park, Roy G. Guerrero Park, Bull Creek Park, and the Barton Creek Greenbelt have parking capacity problems on busy days; and WHEREAS, Austin's voters have indicated support for public transit solutions to the extent of willingness to be taxed specifically for solutions; and WHEREAS, On-Demand transit (aka Demand-Response transit), which offers shared-ride van service summoned by cell phone, browser app, or telephone, can provide direct transit from a rider's location to their destination, including any City Park, thus relieving the need to take a personal car; and WHEREAS, compared to conventional fixed-route modes that have first mile/last-mile problems and often involve transfers between vehicles, direct van transit offers an ease-of-use and accessible advantage for carrying recreational equipment, children, and small groups to and from a park; and WHEREAS, by reducing the number of car and truck trips to parks and recreation centers from any city- wide origin, On-Demand transit can reduce the demand for on-site and near on-site parking; and WHEREAS, CapMetro currently offers On-Demand van service (Pickup) in several zones around the city, but only within those zones; WHEREAS, experience in other cities suggests that On-Demand transit can be successfully offered as a citywide service, providing rides between any source and destination within the city; and WHEREAS, the Capital Area Rural Transportation System (CARTS) provides similar on demand services for clients in Bastrop, Elgin, La Grange, Lockhart, Marble Falls, and Taylor with connections to larger transit systems at a reasonable price; and WHEREAS, the only public transit to many parks is by fixed route/fixed schedule bus, with many parks having little or no public transit access; and WHEREAS, On-Demand fleets can serve multiple purposes, supporting work commuting on weekdays and recreational commuting during more popular recreational hours; and WHEREAS, public transit agencies typically set On-Demand fares so that rides are affordable for all citizens; and  WHEREAS, On-Demand service requires no physical infrastructure, so is more adaptable to long-term changes in the configuration of the city and can be financed with much lower capital expenditure than other forms of public transit with the possible exception of conventional buses; and WHEREAS, commercially available modeling technology is available that would support rich, formal analysis of the potential sizing and functioning of On-Demand public transit integrated with Rapid Bus (BRT) service in the context of Austin's physical layout, traffic data, and other existing transit modes; and WHEREAS, the Environmental Commission passed the Polo Field Restoration Recommendation on February 7, 2024 (Recommendation 20240207-004) to minimize parking in Zilker Park; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin Parks Board passed a similar Resolution at its February 24, 2025 meeting. THEREFORE, the City of Austin Environmental Commission recommends: 1. Austin City Council support efforts to implement On-Demand city-wide van service in Austin which would allow better access to our parks system and recreational resources with focus on parks with limited parking and existing transit options. 2. Austin City Council engage qualified professionals to provide detailed, objective modeling of an integrated city-wide On-Demand/BRT transit system as a central feature of our public transit system. 3. Austin City Council work with CapMetro to engage in and support such modeling. 4. Austin City Council and CapMetro explore all avenues to expanding CapMetro’s On-Demand Pickup service to city-wide scope. Vote: For: Against: Abstain: Absent: Attest: .