Urban is Core - Austin Super Forum: Chris Riley

City Life

2. What is the city's role in creating jobs?

The city’s principal role in job creation is to create a level playing field, with reasonable costs and regulations, so that businesses are able to thrive. The city can also help by supporting small businesses, and working cooperatively with all businesses on job-creation initiatives that reflect our aspirations as a city. If we aspire to be a center for clean energy, efficient use of energy & water, local food, zero waste, or live music, then we should consider initiatives that support job creation in those areas.

3. What should the city do to address conflicts between music lovers and neighborhood residents? Should the city implement any recommendations of the Live Music Task Force that have not already been implemented?

The city should provide a forum for clubs and neighborhood residents to work toward resolving any conflicts. I’m looking forward to seeing how well the new sound permit process works. I support the Live Music Task Force’s recommendation regarding the creation of a Music Department, and I’d like to see if we could get there within our current budget constraints by reorganizing staff who are carrying out related functions, like those involved in considering sound permits.

4. What role do you think public art plays in the creation of the built environment? Do you consider public art an important part of urban development? If so, what are some ways to include and finance art in development?

Public art can play an important role in the urban environment. It can make development more humane, and enhance the local flavor of our public spaces. I support the Art in Public Places ordinance we have had since 1985, which provides that at least 2 percent of the budget of a city-funded capital project must be allocated to public art. We can also encourage private-sector efforts, like the artwork around Whole Foods, the murals on many Austin walls, the Lady Cannoneer statue on Congress, or the doggie rest area on Lady Bird Lake, near the mouth of Shoal Creek.

5. Sixth Street is arguably Austin's best-known brand, a National Registered Historic District, and the gateway between the Waller Creek District and the heart of downtown. Sixth Street is also primarily a nightlife district - crowded most nights, but quiet during the day. Are those in conflict? How should Sixth Street change?

Sixth Street is a tremendous asset, and it could be even better with a healthier mix of uses that maintained activity at all times of the day. More restaurants/cafes and retail uses, for example, could help enliven the street during the daytime.

6. The Waller Creek revitalization project could dramatically improve a sizable portion of downtown. As it stands today, which aspects of the plan are you for and which are you against?

I’m for the current tunnel design as I understand it; I might have chosen a somewhat different configuration for the outlet facility, but I respect the work that has been done to date. I’m looking forward to the Waller Creek District Master Plan process, which will provide an opportunity to develop a clearer community vision for the above-ground improvements along the creek.

Transportation

7. Access to downtown is difficult, and bound to become more difficult, due to congestion on our highways and arterial streets. What strategies would you support to make it easier for people to get downtown? How should those strategies be funded?

I would support a number of strategies aimed at building a more robust multi-modal transportation network, such as the following:

o a central-city circulator to connect the current Red Line terminus at the Convention Center with the heart of downtown, the Capitol Complex, the University of Texas, the Mueller development, and eventually Seaholm, the Long Center, and the airport;
o the proposed Green Line to Manor and Elgin, utilizing existing track that roughly parallels 290 East;
o rapid bus service on North Lamar/South Congress and Burnet/South Lamar, as well as other lines to be added in the future;
o improved conditions for bicycles and pedestrians, including completion of the Lance Armstrong Bikeway, the extension of the Pfluger Bridge, and the creation of a bicycle boulevard on Nueces.

As with any transportation project, funding would come from wherever we can get it: bond funds, CapMetro funds from the one-percent sales tax, stimulus funding, other federal funds, and potentially funds derived from local options that could be approved by the legislature this session.

8. Part of the Envision Central Texas "Vision"; is more transportation choices, including transit options such as commuter rail, light rail, and rapid bus. Will you support planning for and implementing transportation choices, both as connectors of towns and activity centers and as a tool to guide future land-use? Do you support the streetcar system proposed as part of the Downtown Plan?

Yes, I will support planning for and implementing transportation choices that connect population centers and guide future land use. I do support the concept of the streetcar system, and I support moving ahead with further work on it.

9. Bicycles are a cheap, effective way to meet many of our transportation, environmental and fitness goals. What are three things the City should do to encourage biking? Are you a cyclist? If so, how do you use your bike?

There are many things the City should do to encourage biking, including these:

o Update our bicycle plan, and set a realistic timeline for implementation;
o Improve our city-wide network of trails;
o Promote and install more bike racks, including racks designed by local artists.

These and nine other suggestions are described in more detail in the bicycle position paper on my website, at www.chrisforaustin.com/issues/bicycles/.

I am a cyclist; in fact I don’t own a car; I get around mainly by bike.

10. Most Austin residents pay about $5 a month for a transportation user fee on their utility bill to support transportation projects, but automobile projects get far more funding than bicycle projects. Would you support allowing bicyclists to opt for their user fee to go toward bike projects?

I support the concept of spending some part of the revenue from the transportation user fee on bike projects, and enabling bicyclists to have some option to that effect. The challenge would be to find a mechanism that works while still ensuring that we keep our roads properly maintained.

11. The Great Streets program has shown promise on many streets downtown, but other streets have not seen any improvements years after implementation of the program. How should we speed up progress improving the walkability of Austin's streets?

I would look for opportunities to increase Great Streets funding, potentially in connection with the proposed replacement of parking meters with pay station kiosks. Other potential funding sources include federal stimulus funding and future bond items. We can also continue to encourage Great Streets improvements as sites redevelop. I would also look to the ongoing Downtown Plan as an opportunity to identify priorities for sidewalk improvements, as well as funding sources for that work.

Parks

12. What are the elements of great urban parks? How should the City, or the City and private-sector partners, create and maintain quality parks and open space downtown and around transit centers?

I generally share the views Jane Jacobs set out on this subject in Chapter 5 of The Death and Life of Great American Cities (1961). The success of an urban park depends largely on the presence of “a wide functional mixture of users to populate and enliven [the] park through the day.” Attractors such as concerts, sporting events, or chess matches can help.

The City should work together with the county, the school district, and private-sector partners toward the goal of ensuring a healthy mix of uses surrounding our parks downtown and around transit centers. We should also continue working with private-sector partners such as the Austin Parks Foundation to support an ongoing program of improvements and activities.

13. In light of tight budgets, how can the City conserve, restore, and improve our parks and fulfill long-standing objectives like the Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake?

The City can continue to work with private-sector partners like the Austin Parks Foundation and the Trail Foundation, as well as nearby property owners. For larger projects such as the Boardwalk Trail, we can also consider future bond items.

Crime

14. Do you think Art Acevedo has done a good job so far as Police Chief? What changes do you think should be made to the ways Austin deals with crime?

I think Chief Acevedo has been doing a good job; I’m not a fan of involuntary blood withdrawals, but I appreciate the Chief’s willingness to talk with the community on that and other issues. I think Austin and other cities should be thinking carefully about ways to increase opportunities for education, housing, health care and employment, and reduce our current incarceration rates.

15. Many downtown businesses and visitors complain about panhandling. Should steps be taken to curb panhandling? Would you support adjusting current panhandling ordinances?

Yes, steps should be taken to curb panhandling. I am open to adjusting the current panhandling ordinance, and I would also look for other approaches to address the problem, such as efforts to promote referrals to local social service agencies.

Urban Development

16. Will Wynn estimated that 80% of the taxes generated by downtown are used to subsidize city services and maintenance in other parts of the city. Should more of the property taxes generated downtown be used to help downtown? How would you improve city services and maintenance services downtown?

There are needs for our property taxes all over the city. I’d support meeting our needs as best we can, whether they’re downtown or not. I would support more public awareness about the revenues arising from our downtown tax base. I would also support improvements in our infrastructure and services citywide, including downtown.

17. If you agree that sprawl is not a desirable development pattern and that a strong core is necessary for a strong city, what are some ways you would discourage sprawl, but encourage urban density and good urban design?

o Adhere to strong standards in the Drinking Water Protection Zone;
o Continue strategic acquisition of open space and conservation easements;
o Refine development regulations to create more appealing places in the core;
o Focus development along transit corridors.

18. There have been problems implementing some neighborhood plans. What will you do to ensure consistent and fair implementation of the comprehensive plan? How would you engage the public in the development of a comprehensive plan?

We need active public involvement at all stages of the comprehensive plan, and I would work to ensure that plans for implementation are addressed during the planning process. I support some form of sector planning that could engage the public in meaningful planning efforts across the city.

19. Most social services in Austin are concentrated downtown. How are the social service providers, their clients, downtown businesses, our community and visitors affected by the location of these services downtown? Would you change the existing conditions?

The providers downtown are within easy reach of their clients; the clients benefit from that proximity, but in some cases they may be negatively affected by their proximity to other, less healthy choices downtown. Downtown businesses, the community, and visitors tend to be negatively impacted by the persistence of public safety issues in the blocks around E. 7th and Neches. I would seek solutions that would change the existing conditions, and in finding appropriate solutions I would turn first to those currently providing services.

20. Are you committed to the concept of nodal (also referred to as activity centers) growth, as an alternative to sprawl development, as found in the Envision Central Texas "Vision"; and the CAMPO 2035 Draft Growth Concept?

Yes, I support the concept of nodal growth as an alternative to sprawl development.

21. Do you think tearing down an existing 100-unit apartment complex and replacing it with a 200-unit complex increases or decreases overall housing costs? What other relevant effects does this type of redevelopment have?

Redeveloping older complexes can result in a larger supply of housing, and in at least some cases the new development may be more environmentally responsible than the units it replaces (though generally there’s also some environmental benefit in reusing existing construction). Newer units tend to be more expensive than those they replace, and a project may tend to raise property values in the surrounding area. It would be hard to generalize about whether overall costs will be increased or decreased.

22. Do you think Austin is better now than it was 10 years ago? Do you think it will be better in 10 years than it is now?

Austin was a great city ten years ago, it remains a great city today, and it will still be a great city ten years from now. I think we are making progress in the way we grow as a city, and I’m excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.