PROGRAM UPDATES
September 28, 2023- Our Future 35 Submits Application for $105M Federal Grant
Funds are from the Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program Grant from the Federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) in order to fund the infrastructures and amenities planned for a cap over the reconstruction I-35 Freeway between Cesar Chavez and 4th Street, generating over 5 acres of public space.
The Reconnecting Communities and Neighborhoods Program is a major discretionary grant program that seeks to fund projects that address harm from past infrastructure planning decisions, accelerate equitable community revitalization, and improve access to everyday destinations.
The City of Austin selected this portion of the project for grant funding due to its proximity to areas in need of mobility and equity improvements, as well as its size and cost for construction. The City is continuing to explore funding strategies for the entirety of the Cap and Stitch project, such as future grants, philanthropy, Public/Private Partnerships (P3) and others.
February 28, 2023 - Our Future 35 Awarded $1.12M Planning Grant through USDOT’s Reconnecting Communities Pilot Program
Funds will be used to evaluate critical transportation, public health, equitable development, and environmental justice outcomes in the City of Austin. The study, Our Future 35: Connecting Austin Equitably Mobility Study, focuses on 8 miles of the I-35 corridor from US 290 (north) to SH 71 (south). The study will identify affordable housing, anti-displacement and business support strategies for neighborhoods surrounding new freeway caps, identify transportation equity-focused action items, develop a placemaking plan, and evaluate transportation-related health and environmental justice concerns, and recommend mitigation for impacted neighborhoods. This study will coincide with the current TxDOT NEPA/design of the I-35 corridor and provide additional input from the surrounding communities towards determining where highway caps and freeway crossings will be included in the design. The proposed freeway caps will provide an opportunity for community placemaking, and the application discusses that placemaking will be a priority of the study. For the official announcement from USDOT see https://www.transportation.gov/grants/reconnecting-communities/reconnecting-communities-fy22-awards.
March 2, 2023 - Facebook Live Q&A
Have questions about the Our Future 35 project or want to learn more about how to get involved? Our Future 35 will be going LIVE on the Corridor Office Facebook for a Q&A this Thursday, March 2 at 11am CT.
Answers will be provided by subject matter experts:
Mike Trimble, Corridor Program Office Director
Alta Alexander, Community Steering Committee Co-Chair
Brendan Wittstruck, Community Steering Committee Co-Chair
Emily Risinger, Downtown Austin Alliance
Hope to see you there - https://www.facebook.com/ATXcorridors.
February 8, 2023 - December Engagement Report
Our Future 35 hosted an Open House in August 2022 and a virtual survey in September 2022. A demographic analysis of initial survey respondents indicated the project team had not yet proportionately heard from all community members. As a result, the project team conducted additional targeted engagement sessions and online outreach in December 2022 to help increase opportunities for underrepresented community members to provide input on the Our Future 35 Program’s vision and goals. A report documenting those efforts can be read HERE. It is extremely important to the engagement process that we maximize and encourage participation across all communities and ensure all voices are heard, especially in communities that are directly impacted by the project. This analysis has helped to identify community groups that have not yet provided input and with whom we aim to engage further and encourage participation.
January 26, 2023 - Program Vision and Goals Finalized
From the August 2022 Open House and September community survey to December’s survey re-launch and community tabling outings, the Our Future 35 Program team co-created a set of vision and goals alongside the community. In November and December 2022, the Community Steering Committee refined the synthesized input into language that could guide the project forward. Future concept development and other studies will directly relate to ensuring the program’s vision, mission, and goals are upheld. The vision and goals graphic and video can be viewed here and on our social media pages here and here.
December 29, 2022 - Community Steering Committee Elects Co-Chairs
Our Future 35’s Community Steering Committee elected two Co-Chairs, Alta Alexander and Brendan Wittstruck, to lead the group’s upcoming efforts. To learn more about the Steering Committee, and read up on the bios of its members, check out this. When the results came through, Alta shared “thank you all for your vote of confidence! We are excited to represent our community in this capacity and can’t wait to dig in with you.” And Brendan mentioned, “I really appreciate being a part of this group and working and learning from all of you.” Starting in 2023 the Co-Chairs will assist program staff above and beyond the regular monthly CSC meetings.
December 9, 2022 — Our Future 35 Secures Additional $1.5 Million in Federal Funds
Austin City Council voted to approve the receipt of $1.5 million in federally earmarked funds to support continuing Our Future 35 Cap and Stitch planning and development at yesterday's City Council Meeting. A media release covering the details can be viewed here.
Also, a Community Impact article on the proposal for the new funding, can be accessed here.
KXAN covers the topic here:
And Austin Monitor does the same here.
November 18, 2022 – Open House Report Released & Survey Relaunched
On the August 27, 2022, the Our Future 35 program held a public open house and launched an online survey (which originally closed on September 25, 2022) to update the community on the current status of the project, to share past and future engagement efforts, and to present initial program themes and goals for discussion.
During the in-person session and online survey, participants were invited to:
• Provide input into the project vision by providing statements, key words, and imagery.
• Review five project themes and preliminary goals developed from previous I-35 cap and stitch studies and engagement efforts.
• Begin to identify measures of success associated with the project themes.
• Undertake a simple public open space/park programming exercise to consider what could be placed on future caps and stitches
The in-person event attracted 300 attendees and the online survey had over 1300 responses. A report summarizing the input from both events can be reviewed HERE.
Now the project team has re-launched the same online survey as before, this time in English and Spanish, for those who did not have the opportunity to provide their input in August or September.
We would still love to hear from you! CLICK HERE to share your thoughts in a 5-10 minute virtual survey. This survey will remain open until December 16, 2022 at 11:59PM CT.
November 16, 2022 — City of Austin and TxDOT Release Joint I-35 Memo
Austin Assistant City Manager Gina Fiandaca and Austin District Engineer at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Tucker Ferguson released a joint memo today to Mayor Steve Adler and Austin City Council Members providing an update on TxDOT's I-35 Capital Express Central Project and City of Austin's Our Future 35 Cap and Stitch Project.. The key points, as well as the full memo, can be viewed here: ACM Fiandaca and TxDOT update to Mayor and City Council (11/16/2022)
October 13, 2022 - Reconnecting Communities Grant Application
On October 13, the City of Austin and Downtown Austin Alliance submitted a USDOT Reconnecting Communities Grant application, seeking $1.12 million in federal funding to establish an Equitable Mobility Study. This planning study, if funded, will evaluate critical transportation, public health, equitable development, and environmental justice outcomes needed to move the Austin community's vision for Our Future 35 forward. USDOT will notify grant winners in early 2023.
October 3, 2022 - Community Committee Formation
The Scoping Working Group, originally formed in 2020 from grassroots activism, has been reborn as the Our Future 35 Community Steering Committee. Over the next 9-12 months, the committee will oversee and co-create the study's identified outcomes, the project's vision and goals, and the analysis and prioritization of investments. Additionally, the Our Future 35 Community Steering Committee will be charged with helping to shape the Study's community engagement efforts and ensure the Study outputs accurately reflect community feedback received via in-person and digital open houses, focus groups, and stakeholder conversations. Features on committee members coming soon.
September 2, 2022 - Virtual Open House
The online survey is now closed. Check back soon for a report on what we heard at both the in-person Open House on August 27th and the online survey that was open from September 2nd to September 25th.
August 27, 2022 – Public Open House at Native Hostel
Thank you to everyone who attended the Our Future 35 Public Open House on Saturday, August 27, 2022, at Native Hostel! The project team received tremendous input from community members and looks forward to continued engagement this Fall. A special thank you to the City of Austin's partners: Downtown Austin Alliance, Public City, ARUP, Lionheart Places, Carter Design Associates, Hood Design Studio, Overland Partners, and the featured creatives, Ami Plasse, Zai Sadler, Fanchy Art, Ray Price with Notes for Notes, and Justin Humphrey, who made the event possible. View slideshow to see photos from the in-person event.
Stay tuned for an official report summarizing the community input provided at the in-person Public Open House and on the Virtual Open House survey.
