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This is **so** not my normal scene but I'm at this @AustinChamber event on transportation. I usually struggle to live tweet but will try. Hoping to hear good news re: #ProjectConnect 
There are a lot of speakers.
Chamber board chair: our biggest challenge is I-35. We need a safe, reliable I-35 that keeps people and commerce moving. This means we need 2 variable, tolled, managed lanes each direction.
CTRMA up now. Director says 90% of people moving to region going forward will live outside Austin. Hoping I misheard that...?!?!
We are hearing a lot about how awesome sprawl roads are. 🤢 One highlight: I didn't know the Montopolis bridge was being converted to pedestrian use!! Looks cool.
ABIA up now. Talking about proposed expansion of the airport under their 2040 plan. Trying to right-size construction based on growth in flights. Spoke of possibly doubling the number of parking spots.
Ford Autonomous Vehicles rep now speaking. She says we know we can't pave our way out of congestion and autonomous vehicles can't solve all problems.
Emphasizes that they can't just drop autonomous vehicles on the street. Need to understand community values and needs. References plans to speak with the community.
TxDOT Austin District is up. Speaking about how exciting and unique the I-35 projects will be. He mentions that managed, rolled lanes are popular. But "the reality is we are in a non-tolled environment."
Showing images of a model with addition of one managed but non-tolled lanes each way, from SH-45 TO 290 East.
I-35 from SH 71 to SH 45 SE will receive 2 managed, non-tolled lanes. Says these projects are fully funded and will start construction by 2022.
The central section from 290 to SH 71 is the tricky, unfunded one. Possible cost $4.9 billion. They don't have the money. Need partners. Says likelihood is to go depressed or tunneled.
TxDOT requests public involvement at the open houses for north and south I-35 projects. Open houses coming up.
Mayor Adler up. Speaking about great progress on 2016 Mobility Bond projects and how they've sought outside funds. Talks about opportunity for Project Connect to have transit in dedicated lanes "without taking any of the lanes we already have."
Says the Chamber must be a partner and we must pass a big 2020 mass transit bond. Calls to examples of Seattle and Phoenix.
Mike Trimble, director of corridor mobility programs for Austin is up next. Showing slides explaining spending and projects completed so far. Over 200 projects completed.
The Corridor Mobility Program is now in final design/early out construction phase. Making the 8 year spending goal is ambitious and they are working hard. Showing the first wave projects. Some funded by CAMPO.
Speaking about the innovations on the mobility team, required to spend money quickly. One thing I personally have learned from this 2016 bond process is how challenging logistics of spending can be.
Randy Clarke from Cap Metro up. Talks about his customer service focus and the importance of telling the Cap Metro story and successes.
Talking about the new Red Line station which is ahead of schedule. Shifts to innovative mobility space and how a new electric bus fleet is part of that. First speaker of the day to mention climate change (!!!).
Speaking about new transit stations and the Westgate Transit center. Looking ahead to another center at the NE Wal-Mart.
Clarke now speaking about importance of dedicated lanes for transit. Quarter mile section of Lavaca-Guadalupe contraflow lanes took ***twelve minutes*** off transit trips.😍😍😍
Speaking about how the kids ride free program provides freedom for kids and families. Love this!!!
Shifting to Project Connect. Laying out the must-haves to make the project successful: dedicated lanes, center-running, etc. He says one of the trickier pieces is figuring out the hubs: Republic Square and Convention Center.
Clarke says we have to get away from bus vs. rail debates. Says let's go back to the fundamentals like mode shift, climate change, displacement and affordability. Focus on the vision of the community we want to live in.
Also mentions fiscal challenges of operating high capacity transit. We need to remember long term operations costs, not just capital construction costs.
Kirk Watson: "You know it, you feel it in your bones, that Austin is at a turning point."
This turning point is around... traffic and mobility. "It's only going to get worse if we do nothing or if we only do a little to say we did something."
Watson tells the audience he knows some of us have been trained to be against transit. He says it's "impossible, as well as a terrible idea, to rely solely on building roads."
He says if we don't go big, we are lost. We need large investments. Compares our transit reality to Denver's. Promoting the Transit for Austin coalition.
Watson asks audience to engage in Project Connect. Tells them to get away from "either/or" for roads vs. transit, bus vs. rail, etc.
"It's past the time to say no. It's time for us to go." - Kirk Watson
Watson says someone commented on his Facebook page that the vision for transit conflicts with the vision for I-35. Watson: "Bull!"
Watson calling out those at the Capitol who want roads with no new tolls, no new fees, and no new debt. He says that means no roads. He says that managed lanes must help us change behavior.
He says I-35 central is not worth doing without tolled, managed lanes. Calling out TxDOT's "non tolled environment" phrase. Says that's not a design or engineering term but a political one.
"For all we've accomplished on I-35, we will have failed if we don't address the central bottleneck."
Watson calls on everyone in the room to engage in the upcoming I-35 environmental process and demand variable-priced, tolled, managed lanes.
This is wild. Took bus to campus and ran into Watson speaking *again* to a group of students, I think UDems/voter registration org.
Recap of the night: no breaking news re: Project Connect. I-35 generated the most controversy of the night, with several speakers opposing the current TxDOT direction for I-35.
Seems like it is important to attend these open houses and register your opinion.
