Podcasts about capital metro

One year later, how are people in the Panhandle managing recovery after the biggest wildfire in Texas history?The impact of DOGE cuts hits national parks in Texas, including a historical park in San Antonio. Jack Morgan of Texas Public Radio has more.Capital Metro, Austin's transit agency, saw its payment system collapse for about a month […] The post A year after the Smokehouse Creek Fire appeared first on KUT & KUTX Studios -- Podcasts.

We've been sold on the idea that a car is the ultimate freedom. But that's only true for people who can afford it. A system that relies on owning a personal car is not a system that provides freedom to everyone – it's a system that disproportionately penalizes people of color, people with limited income, or people with disabilities.So how do we build an affordable, reliable transit system that works for everyone?In this episode, Andrei and Tiffany dig into the many ways we can incorporate equity into our transportation planning. They'll cover a wide range of angles: land use, housing, transit choice, and anti-displacement. Guests:Charles Brown, founder and CEO of Equitable CitiesShyam Kannan, Mid-Atlantic transit lead at HDRChad Ballentine, VP of demand response and innovative mobility at Capital MetroTransit expert Jerome HorneListen to ModeShift on Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you listen to podcasts.

The new conservative think tank at the University of Texas, up until now referred to as the "Liberty Institute", has been formally named The Civitas Institute. Its first director will be UT alum Justin Dyer, who describes himself as a "conservative, straight out of central casting, pro-life evangelical". Adding to the misery of our early heat wave this year is Saharan Dust - along with diminished air quality, however, we should get some great sunsets. Three Austin chefs - Edgar Rico of Nixta Taqueria, Iliana de la Vega of El Naranjo, and Mashama Bailey of The Diner Bar and Grey Market - have been named James Beard winners. Austin Bergstrom International Airport has broken its monthly passenger record for the second month in a row: April's all-time-high count of 1,865,046 surpasses March's total by over 40,000. The number of residents living in downtown Austin surged 79 percent between 2010 and 2020, when it hit 13,648. After a promising start, Capital Metro has announced that it will not bring its transit schedule fully back to pre-pandemic levels after all. The revival of the Austin Opry House off South Congress is approved by the Austin City Council, with caveats about the size of the project. The city's Animal Advisory Commission has passed a vote of no confidence in the director of the Austin Animal Center. Beloved local pizza purveyor Bufalina is set to reopen in the former Frank's Laundry space in East Austin. Austin has been ranked one of the best U.S. cities for hiking, at #30 out of 200. In Texas, we rank only behind El Paso at #18. Portland, Oregon tops the list. Post Malone and Slipknot have announced Austin shows at the Moody Center and Germania Insurance Amphitheater, respectively.

Continued developments in the Uvalde school massacre: the entire nation wonders why it took law enforcement officers a full hour to neutralize the Robb Elementary shooter, during which parents urged officers onsite to act. The husband of one of the teachers killed in the shooting has died of a heart attack. Austin Police Chief Joe Chacon says we're experiencing an "epidemic" of gun violence and urges more responsible stewardship of guns, while former Austin Police Chief Art Acevedo finds fault in the Uvalde police response and is calling for a federal investigation. Governor Greg Abbott has cancelled an appearance at tonight's NRA event in Houston, opting instead to be in Uvalde, while Texas Republican lawmakers call for a renewed push to "harden" schools. Megan Markle, Duchess of Sussex was among the visitors paying respects to the victims at the school yesterday, and President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden plan a visit on Sunday. H-E-B has made a $500,000 fund available to support the victims' families. Austin Water anticipates water use restrictions soon, and is also increasing penalties for violators. Austin Water is also set to announce the location of an underground aquifer water storage site - it will reserve 60,000 acre-feet of water when completed. Are the buses running on time? In Austin, maybe not - Capital Metro is taking steps. If Austin is becoming San Francisco, it's worth noting that that city has lost more of its population in the last year than any other major U.S. city, due mainly to remote worker relocations. Texas Longhorns Baseball has made the semifinal round in the Big 12 Tournament, beating TCU 5-3. They'll rematch with the winner between the Horned Frogs and Oklahoma State on Saturday morning at 9. Kickoff times have been set for three Texas football home games this fall: 9/3 vs Louisiana Monroe (7pm), 9/10 vs Alabama (11am), and 9/17 vs UTSA (7pm). Austin FC faces the L.A. Galaxy for the second time this month on Sunday at Q2 Stadium. Last time, L.A. took the match 1-0.

Roe v Wade: Texas Republican lawmakers unveil plans to develop adoption programs - and take steps to prevent Texas women from seeking abortion care outside the state's borders - should Roe v Wade be struck down. Austin becomes the first Texas city to test a "guaranteed income" program, joining the likes of Los Angeles, Chicago and Pittsburgh. Amidst record heat, electricity shortage warnings are becoming more common across the country, including in Texas, where ERCOT has extended warnings of possible emergency conditions into next week - a rapid loss of older power pants coupled with a slower gain of renewable sources is part of the problem. Heat-related emergency calls to Austin EMS have begun to rise. Election results: Austin's Prop A on marijuana arrests and no-knock warrants passed overwhelmingly Saturday. Leander's Prop A, on keeping Capital Metro services, passed more narrowly. Both state constitutional propositions passed as well, cutting school district property taxes for Texans over 65 and those who are disabled, and increasing the homestead exemption from $25,000 to $40,000. Austin FC suffers a rare home loss, its first in two months, to the L.A. Galaxy - final score 1-0. Texas baseball wins its series vs West Virginia 2 games to 1 - its first Big 12 series victory at Morgantown ever. Texas football RB Bijan Robinson has signed an NIL deal with Lamborghini Austin, his sixth endorsement partnership. Former Texas and NFL safety Earl Thomas remains at large after a warrant for his arrest was issued in Austin for inappropriately contacting his estranged wife, a third-degree felony charge. Eater.com ranks the city's 15 most under-rated restaurants, including Bartlett's, Stiles Switch BBQ, the Workhorse, and the Fairmont Hotel's Garrison. Austin has been named the #1 city in the country for naked gardening.

Thousands of protesters marched on the Texas State Capitol building on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after the leaking of a U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that indicates the impending overturning of the 1973 Roe V Wade decision - in that event, abortion would be immediately outlawed in Texas and a dozen other states. Similar protests occurred in Washington D.C. and at statehouses across the country. ERCOT has asked power plants across Texas to postpone regularly scheduled maintenance outages in advance of near-record heat Mother's Day weekend that is expected to create record demand on the grid - so far, blackouts or outages are not specifically feared. Large tech companies including Facebook parent Meta continue investing in downtown Austin office space because of the bustling and vibrant tone of the area. Plans for Project Connect's Orange Line were detailed in a Monday conference with local transit officials. Meanwhile, the future of Capital Metro service in Leander hangs in the balance of Saturday's election. The University of Texas unveils its 10-year plan to become "the highest-impact public research university in the world" - that impact is already being felt, as researchers at UT have developed an enzyme that can break down plastics that would normally take centuries to degrade, in just hours or days. Texas Baseball defeated Houston Baptist last night 13-3 in seven innings at Disch-Falk Field - rain is expected in Morgantown as the Horns travel there for a Big 12 series at West Virginia starting Friday. A proposal by the San Antonio Spurs to host "some" games in Austin leads to speculation that they might be considering a permanent move. The Austin City Limits Music Festival will announce its 2022 lineup and put tickets on sale next Tuesday, May 10. An Austin resident has won $1 million via a Texas Lottery ticket purchased at the C-Mart store at Research and Fairfield. Amidst a recent lack of late night options, Epoch Coffee on North Loop is moving to a 24-hour schedule starting tomorrow, Sundays excluded. Austin's Spoon have been profiled in a short but interesting piece in The New Yorker, and local Twitter sensation Evil Mopac has been interviewed by MySanAntonio.com.

Leander-area editor Eddie Harbour breaks down the city's upcoming vote on whether to leave Capital Metro's transit system. Reporter Grace Dickens discusses climatologists' warnings that Travis County should prepare for future megadrought. The CI Morning Breakdown is a production of Community Impact Newspaper. It is produced by Olivia Aldridge with editing by Marie Leonard. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather.

Local COVID hospitalizations are now very close to crossing into Stage 4 range, but dropping slower than previously expected - the Omicron subvariant BA.2 could be a factor. University of Texas faculty are alarmed at Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick's comments about The Liberty Institute - a new conservative-backed think tank at UT - and worry that it is aimed at suppressing the accurate teaching of history. Austin Water has been flushing lines in south Austin after residents complained of foul smelling and tasting water - it apparently has nothing to do with the recent boil-water notice. Capital Metro expects to restore local transit service to full capacity by late this summer. Austin Bergstrom International Airport saw its fourth-busiest year in 2021 and its busiest December ever at the end of last year. Houston's Fajita Pete's opens it first Austin location with goals to open five more. The Health Alliance for Austin Musicians or HAAM has purchased an office building on South First and expects to open it by this fall. The DeLorean sportscar is making a comeback as an electric vehicle and its HQ will be in San Antonio - Austin is a possibility for the location of DeLorean manufacturing. Nine local craft brewers take gold medals in the first Texas Craft Brewers Cup with Black Star Co-op winning Best Small Brewery and Real Ale Brewing winning Best Large Brewery. And a cold front is inbound, cooling down our Friday, prior to a weirdly warm Monday and Tuesday next week.

Local COVID hospitalization stats keep dropping, but are still quite high - we're now at about the same level as the peak of the second wave last winter, which was the all time record prior to the Omicron wave. The big freeze is here: temps will hit freezing around 7am Thursday and hard re-freezes will happen nightly thru Saturday night. Widespread shutdowns Thursday include most area school districts, UT Austin's main campus, We Are Blood, and Capital Metro. Austin Bergstrom International Airport will remain open, but individual flight delays and cancellations are likely. Government and energy sector officials remain optimistic that the Texas power grid will perform smoothly thru this winter event, but localized problems with power lines are also a potential service interruption, while Austin Water would rather you didn't drip your pipes. The leader of an acclaimed bone marrow registry at Texas State University is under investigation for inappropriate spending of program funds. The ownership of SeaWorld has made an offer to buy the Schiltterbahn waterpark chain. New pedestrian improvements are under consideration for Zilker Park. Nutty Brown Amphitheater changes its name to Round Rock Amp to go with their new Williamson County location, and announces its inaugural slate of shows starting this April. And SXSW Film has dropped a star-studded rundown of its programming for 2022.

A new council member is elected to Austin's District 4, an open-air food and entertainment development moves in next to Austin FC and suburbs consider their ties to Capital Metro. The CI Morning Breakdown is a production of Community Impact Newspaper. It is produced by Olivia Aldridge with editing by Marie Leonard. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather. Learn more at www.communityimpact.com/podcast/morning-breakdown.

Rodeo Austin announces its 2022 concert lineup. Plus, the city of Austin looks for funding for a project to add crossings over I-35 and Leander considers breaking from Capital Metro. The CI Morning Breakdown is a production of Community Impact Newspaper. It is produced by Olivia Aldridge with editing by Marie Leonard. Weather and allergy reports are sourced from www.weather.com and AccuWeather. Learn more at www.communityimpact.com/podcast/morning-breakdown.

Show #1231 If you get any value from this podcast please consider supporting my work on Patreon. Plus all Patreon supporters get their own unique ad-free podcast feed. Good morning, good afternoon and good evening wherever you are in the world, welcome to EV News Daily for Saturday 2nd October. It's Martyn Lee here and I go through every EV story so you don't have to. Thank you to MYEV.com for helping make this show, they've built the first marketplace specifically for Electric Vehicles. It's a totally free marketplace that simplifies the buying and selling process, and help you learn about EVs along the way too. Welcome to EXECUTIVE PRODUCER ADAM BREWTON NORWAY'S EVS BREAK THROUGH THE 90% BARRIER "Norway's plugin electric vehicle market share in September broke new ground, hitting 91.5% with full electrics alone taking 77.5% share. Diesels lost more than half their share year-on-year, falling to just 2.3%, with petrol and plugless hybrids not faring much better. Overall auto market volume was 17992 units, slightly above seasonal norms. The Tesla Model Y and Tesla Model 3 took the top two spots." writes Dr Max Holland for CleanTechnica: "September's combined plugin result of 91.5% consisted mainly of full battery electrics (BEVs) at a new record share of 77.5%, with plugin hybrids taking a modest 13.9%. Last year, September saw 61.5% BEVs and 20.1% PHEVs." 13,946 BEVs for September. Read more: https://cleantechnica.com/2021/10/02/norways-evs-break-through-the-90-barrier-tesla-takes-top-two-trophies LORDSTOWN SELLING FACTORY TO FOXCONN "Electric truck startup Lordstown Motors was once viewed as a promising startup with its rugged electric pickup trucks targeting the commercial market. The company launched its U.S. IPO last October in a high profile merger with blank-check company Diamond Peak Holdings. Lordstown's shares trade on the Nasdaq." reports Futurecar: "Lordstown Motors claimed that it had more than 100,000 preorders for the Endurance pickup worth a total of $1.4 billion, which wasn't true. With a falling stock price, the fallout led to the sudden resignation of Burns along with Chief Financial Officer Julio Rodriguez in June, leaving the company's future uncertain.  Lordstown is reportedly in talks to sell its Ohio EV factory that it acquired from General Motors to Taiwan contract manufacturer Foxconn. Foxconn's Chairman, Young Liu, confirmed to news outlet Nikkei Asia in August that the company plans to build an EV factory in the U.S. and another in Thailand." Read more: https://www.futurecar.com/4898/Lordstown-Motors-in-Talks-to-Sell-its-Ohio-EV-Factory-to-Foxconn WHEN LAMBORGHINI'S ELECTRIC GRAND TOURER WILL ARRIVE "By the end of 2024, Lamborghini will electrify its entire lineup. Lamborghini's first-ever dedicated EV will then arrive in the second half of the decade. Lamborghini has previewed its first EV in a shadowy teaser image on a slide showing its future product roadmap, but details are being kept under wraps." according to CarBuzz: "a new report by Automotive News suggests Lamborghini's first EV will take the form of an electric grand tourer with a practical 2+2 seating layout so the whole family can come along for the ride. Details are still scarce, but the electric grand tourer is reportedly being developed in collaboration with Audi and Porsche and be underpinned by Volkswagen Group's new Scalable Systems Platform entering production in 2024. According to the report, Lamborghini's first fully electric car will launch between 2025 and 2027. Lamborghini could utilize Rimac's battery technology since Porsche owns a 45 percent stake in the recently formed Bugatti Rimac." Read more: https://carbuzz.com/news/this-is-when-lamborghinis-electric-grand-tourer-will-arrive TESLA-POWERED PORSCHE IS THE BEST ELECTRIC CAR JAY LENO HAS EVER DRIVEN " One company that specializes in converting European classic sports cars into modern EVs is called Zelectric. The California-based company has electrified everything from a Volkswagen Beetle to a Microbus, but is perhaps best known for its Tesla-powered Porsche 912. Jay Leno took one for a spin in the latest episode of Jay Leno's Garage, and to say he was impressed with the electric conversion is an understatement." say CarBuzz: "Fortunately, the electric motor and battery haven't ruined the original car's agile handling. Weighing just 2,505 pounds, the electric Porsche 912 is only 130 pounds heavier than the stock version. In fact, it's even more enjoyable to drive since it has better weight distribution and upgraded suspension. For the electric conversion, Zelectric has added a 32-kWh battery and an electric motor from a Tesla Model S rated at 536 hp. On a full charge, the Tesla-powered Porsche will last around 120-145 miles depending on how conservatively you drive." Read more: https://carbuzz.com/news/this-tesla-powered-porsche-is-the-best-electric-car-jay-leno-has-ever-driven TESLA DELAYING WIDER RELEASE OF FSD BETA Elon Musk tweeted: "Wow, lot of interest in FSD beta! Plan is to roll out version 10.2 midnight Friday, then on-ramp ~1000 owners/day, prioritized by safety rating. Apologies, 10.2 release will be a week from Friday" "Tesla will hold off on rolling out a beta version of its so-called “Full Self-Driving” system to more customers by a week to align with a delayed software update, Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said. The carmaker will expand access to what it refers to as “FSD beta” when it releases version 10.2 of the software, Musk wrote Friday on Twitter. He announced earlier in the week that this will take place on October 8." writes driving.ca: "A week ago, Tesla released a button to customers allowing them to request to participate in the beta-testing program. They must agree to let the company assess their driving behavior for seven days and acknowledge they're responsible for remaining alert and keeping their hands on the wheel." https://driving.ca/auto-news/technology-news/tesla-delaying-wider-release-of-fsd-beta-by-one-week-musk-says NEW ENERGY DENSITY RECORD FOR A LFP BATTERY "According to the some recent MIIT (Ministry of Industry and Information Technology) documents, a pure electric dump truck from the XCMG Group now holds the record for having the most energy dense LFP (LiFePO4) battery." write PushEVs: "The XCMG Group is the leading Chinese construction machinery manufacturer and one of the world's largest. an energy density of 176,1 Wh/kg is impressive for a LFP battery pack. In the coming months we might see this kind of energy density also in LFP batteries for electric passenger cars." Read more: https://pushevs.com/2021/09/30/new-energy-density-record-for-a-lfp-battery/ EARTH RIDES IS A RIDE-HAILING APP DEDICATED TO EVS "The Nashville fleet is almost entirely comprised of Tesla vehicles, including several Model X SUVs and some Model S sedans that were purchased used (there's an early S that's accrued over 250,000 miles requiring little other than tires, and it's extra valuable because of the free supercharging). Most of the Model 3s and Ys in the Earth Rides fleet were purchased new. Ys are purchased with the optional third-row seat to accommodate larger ride parties." reports Motor Trend: "The fleet also includes Audi E-Tron, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Polestar 2 models, and other higher-end models will join the fleet (but probably no Nissan Leafs or Chevy Bolts). The local charging infrastructure affects purchases—Nashville is well served by Tesla Superchargers; Austin is less so. Hence there are more non-Teslas in the Texas fleet. In addition to driver training, new employees are schooled to be conversant in the technology of the cars they're driving, so they can answer all the frequently asked questions riders might have. And Earth Rides has worked out some sweetheart lease deals with Polestar to both expose the public to the nascent brand and to accumulate mileage more quickly than retail customers would and thereby provide fast-tracked used-vehicle stocK" Read more: https://www.motortrend.com/news/earth-rideshare-app-evs/ AUSTIN TEXAS ORDERS 26 PROTERRA E-BUSES Proterra has announced that Capital Metro in Austin, Texas is purchasing 26 40-foot Proterra ZX5 Max electric transit buses, with an option for another 126 of these buses plus chargers over the next 5 years. The first 26 electric buses should be delivered in 2022." says electrive: "In the announcement about the new electric bus purchase, it is said that Capital Metro aims to transition its entire fleet of more than 400 transit vehicles with zero-emission vehicles. According to its website, the Austin public transport provider currently has a fleet of 368 MetroBuses, which are presumably fossil-fuelled, since they list their 12 electric buses separately. " Read more: https://www.electrive.com/2021/09/29/austin-texas-orders-26-proterra-e-buses/ CHARIN WELCOMES WiTRICITY "WiTricity announced today that it has joined the Charging Interface Initiative (CharIN) as a core member. WiTricity is the pioneer in wireless charging technologies for electric vehicles (EVs), and has long been committed to the development of common standards and interoperability of EV wireless charging and will continue those efforts as a CharIN member. CharIN is a leading global association with over 200 members dedicated to promoting e-mobility charging interoperability based on the Combined Charging System (CCS) as the global standard for charging vehicles of all kinds. Cross-industry stakeholders like automakers, charging station manufacturers, component suppliers, energy providers, grid operators and more are CharIN members whose goal, through making e-mobility charging solutions interoperable, is to make the EV user experience reliable, easy, and smooth to accelerate adoption. Read more: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20210930005272/en/WiTricity-Joins-the-Charging-Interface-Initiative-CharIN-as-a-Core-Member EURO CAR MAKERS SEEK TO MITIGATE RELIANCE ON CHINA "European automakers are in discussions with Australian rare earths explorer Arafura Resources Ltd. about sourcing elements that help power electric cars from outside China, which dominates global supply." reports Autoblog: "The miner is developing the A$1 billion ($728 million) Nolans project in Australia's Northern Territory that will cover as much as 10% of global demand for the type of rare earths used in permanent magnets for electric motors. Crucially, Arafura plans to process ores close to its site, ensuring direct oversight of the treatment of toxic waste products at the project it bought in 2001. China, which controls two-thirds of mining and 85% of refining of rare earths, according to BloombergNEF, is expected to put much of its production to use domestically in future." https://www.autoblog.com/2021/09/26/rare-earth-metal-alternatives/ WORLD RX ANNOUNCES 14-CAR GRID FOR FIRST FULLY ELECTRIC SEASON https://www.motorsport.com/world-rx/news/world-rallycross-14-electric-cars-2022/6678742/ NEW QUESTION OF THE WEEK WITH EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM If you have gone back to fossil cars, or play along, imagine you HAD decided to switch back from EV to combustion, what's the reason?  Email me your thoughts and I'll read them out on Sunday – hello@evnewsdaily.com It would mean a lot if you could take 2mins to leave a quick review on whichever platform you download the podcast. And  if you have an Amazon Echo, download our Alexa Skill, search for EV News Daily and add it as a flash briefing. Come and say hi on Facebook, LinkedIn or Twitter just search EV News Daily, have a wonderful day, I'll catch you tomorrow and remember…there's no such thing as a self-charging hybrid. PREMIUM PARTNERS PHIL ROBERTS / ELECTRIC FUTURE BRAD CROSBY PORSCHE OF THE VILLAGE CINCINNATI AUDI CINCINNATI EAST VOLVO CARS CINCINNATI EAST NATIONAL CAR CHARGING ON THE US MAINLAND AND ALOHA CHARGE IN HAWAII DEREK REILLY FROM THE EV REVIEW IRELAND YOUTUBE CHANNEL RICHARD AT RSEV.CO.UK – FOR BUYING AND SELLING EVS IN THE UK EMOBILITYNORWAY.COM/

Capital Metro will temporarily suspend its rail service July 10-18 for construction and maintenance work, tropical storm Elsa approaches Florida, and Dr. Fauci says COVID deaths in June were preventable as over 92% of them were unvaccinated. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Safety needs to be a constant consideration in every job, especially in the transportation industry. This week's guest is Gardner Tabon, EVP and Chief Safety Officer for Capital Metro. He shares valuable insights on incorporating safety into the day-to-day of all workers – not just those working in the safety team. Take a listen to learn how to be a safety “solutionist” and engage, inform and educate your employees in all things safety. About the Guest Gardner Tabon, Capital Metro's Executive Vice President and Chief Safety Officer has served the industry he has come to love, globally, for over 34 years. Gardner has been with Capital Metro since July 2018, and is responsible for the research, development, implementation, and management of all corporate, occupational, commuter rail, bus, Demand Response, and construction safety, emergency management, and public safety-related programs and initiatives. As a part of an industry-wide leadership role and demonstration of his overall commitment to safety and security excellence, he serves as the American Public Transportation Association's Commuter Rail Safety and Security Subcommittee chair. He is a member of the American Society of Safety Engineers, National Fire Protection Association, Conference of Minority Transportation Officials, and World Safety Organization. He is certified by the World Safety Organization as a certified safety executive and holds a USDOT-required Transit Safety and Security Program or TSSP certification. More Episodes: https://thesafetyculture.guru/ Powered By Propulo Consulting: https://propulo.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Austin ParksCast, we talked with Brian Carter, CXO of Capital Metro, about our partnership! We chat about how the COVID-19 pandemic affected public transportation, our Fitness in the Park series, the Zilker Eagle, the best taco in Austin, and more. Music & transitions provided by Honey Son. Check out his music on Spotify and YouTube! The Austin ParksCast is a production of Austin Parks Foundation. Find out more information about the work we do to improve parks for every Austinite at austinparks.org.

The New York Times reports companies including Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft and Unilever are set to call for expanded voting access in Texas after weeks of silence from national businesses on Republicans' voting bills there, Capital Metro is considering the creation of its own transit police department, 1/3 of unvaccinated people say they will get vaccinated for $100 according to a UCLA survey, and much more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Feeling like a "normal" Monday - or closer to it, anyway - as Austin Water lifts the boil-water notice from parts of central and southeast Austin, meanwhile free drinking water is available again today. Capital Metro transit services will operate normally (and also free) starting today. The power's back on citywide, and Austin Energy reassures customers that huge bills are NOT on the way. Austin Public Health begins making up a backlog of COVID vaccinations and tests today. Several Austin City Council Members are criticizing our City Manager over his storm disaster response for their districts. Austin's community of musicians loses one of their own to the crisis, Texas Longhorns baseball prepares for the opening of home play at Disch Faulk Field, and Matthew McConaughey has a storm relief benefit for Texas brewing.

Capital Metro opens new downtown station ahead of schedule and under budget after more than a year and a half of construction, according to a new poll Starburst has been voted as the #1 candy for Halloween in Texas, and Don tells us about his weekend in Houston. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today’s Comfort’s Corner episode, we hear from Sam Sargent, Deputy Chief of Staff at Capital Metro, a messaging minute from Elea Carey on the importance of internal messaging, and a new Mike’s Minute on the power of kindness. Plus, learn Paul’s top ten ways to future proof your transit agency!   Sam Sargent, Deputy Chief of Staff at Capital Metro, shares the impact that COVID-19 has had on transit ridership in Austin, Texas. Capital Metro has approached COVID in 3 phases: responding, recovering, and long-term plans for resiliency. Sam shares more about the agency’s approach in these phases, and what the agency is focused on looking beyond COVID-19.

TexPIRG is an advocate for the public interest. They speak out for a healthier, safer world in which we’re freer to pursue individual well-being and the common good. As part of a national network, TexPIRG advocates for improved public transportation and safer streets for walking and biking here in Texas. Our guest is Bay Scoggin, the Director of TexasPIRG discussing the recent approval by Capital Metro’s board and the Austin City Council to a $9.8 billion transit plan that would fund three light rail lines through Austin. The plan is called Project Connect.

Capital metro in Austin is rolling out six electric buses for public transportation, with two already on the streets! How does one do this kind of public transportation project in a pandemic? What does such a process look like from the inside to potentially be modeled by other transit agencies? We wanted the answers to these questions as well, so we brought on Sam Sargent, Deputy Chief of Staff at Capital Metro, and Lauren Scoville, Senior Director of Sales at Proterra to discuss the project front-to-back! Music by bensound.com

Today's BG Podcast features, Randy Clarke, President & CEO, Capital Metro (Austin's public transportation provider) Colloquially known as CapMetro, Randy and Bingham Group CEO A.J. Bingham discuss how the agency adapted to a COVID-19 world, the Project Connect transit plan, and national public transit trends. ABOUT RANDY CLARKE: Randy Clarke is president and CEO. Prior to this, Clarke held key leadership positions in public transportation in both Boston and Washington, D.C., and earned a master's degree in public policy from the University of Southern Maine. Since he joined Capital Metro and following the 2018 redesign of its bus network, transit ridership has been on the rise in the Austin area. Clarke sees the operation through the eyes of his customer by using the service every day, giving him insight that's fueled his challenge to “do more” in providing quality transportation options to the growing region. That familiarity with the service led Clarke to put in place multimillion dollar investments to the system and a renewed focus on improving customer experience When away from the office, Clarke  enjoys traveling and competitive running with his wife, Kimberley, whom he met, as fate would have it, while riding a train. Connect with him on Twitter at -> @CapMetroCEO This episode was recorded remotely on May 27, 2020. REFERENCE LINKS: Capital Metro Main Page -> https://capmetro.org/ Project Connect (CapMetro) -> https://capmetro.org/projectconnect/ RELATED EPISODES: BG Podcast Episode 87: Mobility Policy in a COVID19 World feat. Pete Gould of Catapult Policy Strategies -> https://www.bgmediagp.com/bgpodcast/episode87 You can listen to this episode and previous ones on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, and Stitcher. We would appreciate a review and rating!

John provides an update on how he's doing with...you know...everything. Also, he talks mad shit about stereotypical tech bros for no real reason.

Why it took Travis County almost till 4 a.m. to finish counting election results. Plus, Capital Metro crunches the numbers on future transit plans. And why you might see tarantulas around town. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Why it took Travis County almost till 4 a.m. to finish counting election results. Plus, Capital Metro crunches the numbers on future transit plans. And why you might see tarantulas around town. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at https://weekend.kut.org

Why it took Travis County almost till 4 a.m. to finish counting election results. Plus, Capital Metro crunches the numbers on future transit plans. And why you might see tarantulas around town. Those stories and more in this edition of KUT Weekend! Subscribe at http://weekend.kut.org

Welcome back to another installment featuring our latest guest, Fresh Knight, a radio personnel in Austin Texas! This week the guys and Fresh go into a disarray of topics such as what it's like for Fresh to be a late night radio host DJ (5:33), new music or singles that came out (22:54), they talk about weather they rather be blind or deaf for some reason (48:36), talk about some dating stories and types (50:57), and go into Fresh's relationship with Capital Metro (54:46).OUTRO SONG:Intro - DaBabyTwitter:@IDKTHATSPERFECTInstagram:@FRESHXKNIGHT@IDKTHATSPERFECT1@LUNAXTICK@SOLEMARKS@FLAKONIMALThanks for listening, subscribe share and follow!!

On Episode 50 we take a quick recap of past odd twelve months since launching on May 26, 2018. It has been a journey of development in terms of show and production development. A BIG THANKS to all our past guests, viewers, and the team who makes the show possible! Bingham Group CEO A.J. Bingham also introduces our newest Senior Consultant, Tina Bui. A trusted collaborator and strategic adviser, Tina is a local government insider having spent some 20 years of her career at the City of Austin and Capital Metro working on both public policy and administration. Her work has covered countless issue areas, including land use planning; transportation, public transit and smart mobility; water and waste management utilities; and general government administration. We're taking a short hiatus and will be back in August. Stay tuned for re-posts of some of our favorite episodes in the interim.

“I love what we do as an industry. What we do really matters.” Today's guest originally hails from the neighbor to the North in the province of Nova Scotia. But after making his way to the USA, he spent some time at MBTA before settling in at Capital Metro (CapMetro) in Austin, Texas. Randy Clarke, President and CEO of CapMetro, joins Transit Unplugged to discuss CapMetro’s Project Connect plan which is set to transform the future of transit for Central Texas. He also goes into their Cap Remap program which redefined the routes in Austin by focusing on a grid style network, reflecting the new development of the city, and frequency - which has helped increase ridership in Austin.  If you want to know more about CapMetro, you can check out their website.   Remember to check out transitunplugged.com to learn from top transit professionals and stay up to date to catch all the latest episodes.  

This week we're at the Shared Mobility Summit from earlier this year in Chicago. Laura Bliss of CityLab moderates a panel of agency leaders including Stephanie Pollack, CEO of MassDOT, Randy Clarke, President and CEO of Capital Metro in Austin, and Sadhu Johnston, City Manager from Vancouver British Columbia. The panel talks about whether it's too late to address climate change through transportation, how the introduction of ride hailing will work with local regulations in Vancouver, how Austin has been watching the evolution of shared mobility from TNCs to scooters, how buses matter for the future of transportation and much much more. If you'd like to skip to the conversation portion past the presentations, fast forward to 41 minutes.    

In this episode, Marc and Karen discuss her book. Taking the Work out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count.   Karen is a veteran connector, editor, and communicator and has worked in and around Silicon Valley long enough to have appeared in Wired 1.4. Even before that, she wrote one of the very first guides to what was called the World Wide Web. Now it’s an amusing relic of a more innocent time.   As a corporate writer, she has developed stories, styles, and cadences for Google, Twitter, and many startups. As an early ‘Googler,’ she joined when there were 500 employees. She left nine years later when there were 50,000. She has been in a fair share of war rooms and fire drills and has crafted scores of posts covering products, pivots, shake ups, corporate apologies, and company culture. More recently, she advised a range of companies that want a strategy or a reality check on their messages and the content they produce.   Sometimes, friends introduce her as someone who “knows everybody.” Not exactly true but usually, she does know who everyone is. That may be her secret power, along with common sense. She can see around corners and ask questions that matter, all in order to help get to the next steps and real solutions for teams, companies, and individuals.   Key Takeaways: [1:05] Marc welcomes you to Episode 114 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. CareerPivot.com brings you this podcast; it is one of the very few websites dedicated to those of us in the second half of life and our careers. Please take a moment to check out the blog and the other resources delivered to you free of charge. [1:35] If you are enjoying this podcast, please share it with other like-minded souls.  Subscribe on CareerPivot.com, iTunes, or any of the other apps that supply podcasts. Share it on social media or just tell your neighbors, and colleagues. The more people Marc can reach, the more he can help. [1:57] Next week, in Episode 115, Marc will interview Valerie Friesen from Blue Angel Solutions. Valerie is an early-stage Baby Boomer who moved with her husband to Mexico from Canada during the Great Recession, intending to teach English. She now has a successful business providing health insurance solutions to expats in Mexico. [2:27] This week, Marc interviews Karen Wickre, the author of Taking the Work out of Networking: An Introvert’s Guide to Making Connections That Count. Marc reads her bio by way of introduction. [4:09] Marc welcomes Karen to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Karen emphasizes the word “connector” from her bio; her ability to connect people is one of the reasons she wrote her book. [4:37] Karen is considered a social introvert. She likes meeting with people, but she has to avoid overscheduling. She needs time to regroup at home. [5:50] The difference between introverts and extroverts is in how they energize. Introverts energize in quiet spaces; extroverts energize from other people. [6:27] Chapter 1 of Karen’s book is “Unleashing the Introvert’s Secret Power.” Karen’s theory is that introverts have the three qualities that help make connections that matter. The first quality is listening (not just waiting for your turn to talk). Introverts don’t want to reveal too much until they feel safe. [7:41] Karen cites interviewer Terry Gross, saying “There’s no better question than ‘Tell me about yourself,’” when you’re getting acquainted with someone. [7:58] The second quality is the power of being a good observer of the scene and of how a person you are meeting presents themselves. Are they nervous, are they proud of their accomplishments, what’s their style? Do they talk about their family a lot? Being observant of things and of behaviors is very helpful for understanding your audience. [8:57] The third quality is curiosity. Be curious about people, their stories, and where they come from. Karen often tells anonymous stories that help people relate to the experiences of others. [9:43] These three qualities — listening, observing, and curiosity — are qualities introverts are likely to have and that people need, to make good connections. [9:56] Marc refers to Thom Singer of the Cool Things Entrepreneurs Do podcast. Thom’s observation about introverts is that they know how to listen. Marc always recommends introverts to have a set of questions to use to find something that you have in common. [10:25] Karen is on a nonprofit board and she recently did an exercise with them to go off in pairs and take five minutes to find what they had in common. [10:41] When Marc was living in Austin, he would start conversations by asking “How did you get to Austin?” People always had a story and they wanted to tell it. [11:02] Karen says keeping in “loose touch” is making occasional contact with people to whom you are connected in some fashion online. Send a link with “I saw this and thought of you. Hope you’re doing well. (Let’s catch up soon.)” You can do this on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, or text. It doesn’t require an immediate response. [13:25] It’s simply to say, “We’re both still out there and I’m thinking of you.” You might set aside a few minutes a day to make these loose touches. Marc refers to this as cultivating your network. [14:36] How should you reach out to your network? First, understand how they want to be touched. If you’re not connected on a platform, email may work. Marc notes that Baby Boomers are still getting used to texting people. Marc prefers a text to a phone call from an unknown number. [15:37] Karen calls email the killer app. Karen suggests using it when you don’t know who prefers what platform. She uses it in a three-step process to introduce one person to another. Send it to one, ask concisely, with details, for permission to introduce the other, wait for the response, and, if positive, make the connection in a new chain. [19:45] Marc advises that when you make an introduction, always make what you are asking for simple. He gives an example from emailing a connection at Capital Metro, where he asked, “Who can she talk to?” for information about working there. All his contact had to do was forward the email to the right person. [20:34] People often don’t ask for what they want, or they are not clear enough. Karen suggests asking, “If not you, is there someone else you can connect us with?” [21:17] Marc advises job seekers to send connection requests to recruiters, asking “Are you the right recruiter for this position? And if not, could you direct me to them?” [21:45] What is the next killer app after email? Karen suggests LinkedIn, used for a simple connection, and then pivoting to email. [23:17] Marc asks as an introvert, why he would need to network for his job search. Karen advises on the parameters of proper networking. It is a one-to-one connection with people who have leads and information for you, related to your question. It’s not a mass outreach but connecting to a few people who are, in part, experts on your need. [25:33] Your quest is to find selected people who have relevant information for you, get introductions to them, and follow up with some kind of exchange or conversation as needed. Karen advises how to tout your qualities without bragging. [27:00] Most of us Boomers got our jobs from other people. A lot of the people who pulled us along are no longer in power or are retired or dead. So, we need to build relationships with younger people. Marc sees LinkedIn as a database to find people he should network with before he needs a job. [28:05] Karen says the point of her book is to have informal, low-pressure outreach with people and connections all the time. When you actually need it, it is less daunting if you’ve already been cultivating your network. Karen shares a case study of a woman who had let her network go, over the years and now needs a new one. [29:03] Marc paraphrases Scott Ingram, “Networking doesn’t occur at networking events. It occurs afterward.” Karen tells people that getting the business card at an event is all about the follow-up. Karen gives people processes and strategies to try. Do what works for you. [30:41] Karen gives her final suggestions: LinkedIn gives canned language for making a connection Don’t rely on that. Use your own language. Make your own explanation of why you want to connect with them. Tell what you have in common or connections you share with them. Be specific about your need and your quest. Personalize. [32:05] It’s when it’s kind of vague and unstated and unclear, that it’s really hard to move ahead in any direction. Karen might wait a good long while to respond to a generic connection request. She may not reject it, but she lets it sit. She has a hundred or so that she will not do anything with unless they come up with a reason she should. [33:22] Marc refers to a conversation on this that he had with podcast host Mark Anthony Dyson, a frequent guest. Mark and Marc take different approaches. Marc will accept it, and respond back, “I accepted your connection, [first name]. How did you find me?” About 75% will respond. If they are selling services, he cuts them off. [34:27] Marc really, really enjoyed Karen’s book. See the link to it above. You can also connect to Karen on Karenwickre.com or @KVox on Twitter and KarenWickre on LinkedIn. Marc thanks Karen for being on the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [35:43] Susan Lahey and Marc are working on the next edition of Repurpose Your Career, and Marc is looking for your help. Marc has formed a release team of readers who will get access to pre-release chapters of the book to provide feedback. [35:56] You can be part of this team by going to CareerPivot.com/RYCTeam where you can sign up. [36:04] When you sign up, you’ll receive the pre-release versions of the chapters when they become available. What Marc asks in return is for you to provide feedback and be prepared to write a review on Amazon.com when the book is released. [36:20] Marc and Susan are adding about eight new chapters to the book and re-writing several others. Marc will release a new pre-release chapter on this podcast and to the team every four to six weeks in the coming months. [36:40] The CareerPivot.com/Community website has become a valuable resource for almost 50 members who are participating in the Beta phase of this project. Marc will be soliciting members for the next cohort, shortly. [36:56] If you are interested in the endeavor and would like to be put on the waiting list, please go to CareerPivot.com/Community. When you sign up you’ll receive information about the community as it evolves. [37:12] Those in the initial cohorts will get to set the direction for this endeavor. This is a paid membership community with group coaching and special content. More importantly, it will be a community where you can seek help. Go to CareerPivot.com/Community to learn more. [37:36] Marc invites you to connect with him on LinkedIn.com/in/mrmiller. Just include in the connection request that you heard Marc on this podcast. You can look for Career Pivot on Facebook, LinkedIn, or @CareerPivot on Twitter. [38:01] Please come back next week, when Marc will interview Valerie Friesen, owner of Blue Angel Solutions, in Mexico. [38:11] Marc thanks you for listening to the Repurpose Your Career podcast. [38:15] You will find the show notes for this episode at CareerPivot.com/episode-114. [38:24] Please hop over to CareerPivot.com and subscribe to get updates on this podcast and all the other happenings at Career Pivot. You can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Stitcher, the Google Podcasts app, Podbean, the Overcast app, or the Spotify app.

Austin Transportation agency, Capital Metro has made a commitment to be zero emissions in the future. The agency began testing electric buses in Austin and over the next six weeks, they will test electric buses from three manufacturers. The future of electric buses is an exciting technology for Austin commuters that will help reduce emissions and fossil fuel consumption. Capital Metro also is implementing an exciting pilot program to test an electric powered autonomous shuttle bus in downtown Austin. They will operate the pilot shuttle program, which has yet to be named, for 12 months, and rides will be free during that period. The agency will also be seeking bids from autonomous vehicle manufacturers to lease six vehicles for the program Our guests were: Karl Popham, Manager, Electric Vehicles and Emerging Technologies at Austin Energy. He is also a Department of Energy Principal Investigator on 3 separate initiatives that involve renewables, energy storage, and mobility. Dottie Watkins, Capital Metro’s Vice President, Bus Operation Services. Dottie is leading the program to test and implement the bus electrification program.

Austin’s more pressing environmental, social and economic issue is mobility for its citizens! Project Connect is a plan designed to create a system of high-capacity transit options that will connect people, places and opportunities in an affordable, efficient and sustainable way. High-capacity transit travels the entire trip, or a portion of its trip, on a dedicated lane or guideway. The goals of Project Connect are to identify and evaluate potential transit projects over the next two years. Capital Metro will work with local agencies, stakeholders and the public to identify high-capacity transit solutions that will offer options for travel into, out of and around Central Austin. Central Texas has seen many transportation studies done in recent years, by both public and private organizations. Project Connect isn’t another new beginning. We will take those ideas and — together with the people of the Austin area — decide which projects will move us all forward. Our guests on Shades of Green are integral leaders for Project Connect: Amy Peck - Communications Specialist with Capital Metro. Sam Sargent – Community Involvement Coordinator with Capital Metro.

Mobility in Austin, Texas – A Critical Issue for Our Livable City 03-02-2017 This week Shades of Green focuses on several transportation plans the City of Austin is developing. Plus, we discussed how citizens can get involved in the discussion and help chart the future Our guest was Melissa Ayala , the Communications Specialist with Capital Metro Austin’s prime mobility organization. • Melissa presented the new Connections 2025 plan (which is designed to boost ridership and increase frequency on our city's bus lines). The plan was just approved by Cap Metro's Board on Monday. • We also covered the re-launch of Project Connect. Project Connect is a plan designed to create a system of high-capacity transit options that will connect people, places and opportunities in an affordable, efficient and sustainable way. The goals of Project Connect are to identify and evaluate potential transit projects over the next two years. Capital Metro will work with local agencies, stakeholders and the public to identify high-capacity transit solutions that will offer options for travel into, out of and around Central Austin. • And last but not least, Melissa discussed Cap Metro's upcoming event - Traffic Jam, A Mobility Solutions Workshop on Saturday, March 4th from 8:30am to 1pm at the Bullock Museum

In this week's episode of InTransition, we interview Mandy Gyles. Mandy has over 25 years' experience in the communication and media industry. Mandy started her career as a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Mandy moved into the role of Communications Officer in the agricultural industry. She moved through various roles in PR, media and communication. Mandy worked for the Department of Agriculture and as Public Affairs Officer for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Mandy has now ceased working in-house and has become a Media and Communication Consultant for her own company. Her recent clients include Capital Metro, SBS Radio, International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research.In this episode, you will learn:4:10 What makes a good reporter?5:25 What are the hard things about telling stories about organisations?6:52 How do we improve public sector storytelling?8:45 What is the way forward to overcome the risk to tell stories?11:11 What tactics do you use to tell the senior management that the risk of telling stories is mitigated?12:40 What are the obstacles for doing well in government communications?19:32 What are the biggest challenges for public sector organisations to create a publishing mentality?22:15 What does it take to tell good stories about research?23:45 The changes in the way stories are told in research communications24:57 What is the best story you have ever told?30:13 What do you see is in the future and what advice can you give to the public sector? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode of InTransition, we interview Mandy Gyles. Mandy has over 25 years’ experience in the communication and media industry. Mandy started her career as a reporter for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Mandy moved into the role of Communications Officer in the agricultural industry. She moved through various roles in PR, media and communication. Mandy worked for the Department of Agriculture and as Public Affairs Officer for the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. Mandy has now ceased working in-house and has become a Media and Communication Consultant for her own company. Her recent clients include Capital Metro, SBS Radio, International Crops Research Institute for Semi-Arid Tropics, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research. In this episode, you will learn: 4:10 What makes a good reporter? 5:25 What are the hard things about telling stories about organisations? 6:52 How do we improve public sector storytelling? 8:45 What is the way forward to overcome the risk to tell stories? 11:11 What tactics do you use to tell the senior management that the risk of telling stories is mitigated? 12:40 What are the obstacles for doing well in government communications? 19:32 What are the biggest challenges for public sector organisations to create a publishing mentality? 22:15 What does it take to tell good stories about research? 23:45 The changes in the way stories are told in research communications 24:57 What is the best story you have ever told? 30:13 What do you see is in the future and what advice can you give to the public sector?