A New Future for I-35: ULI Progress Report // July 2022
Existing Conditions at Sir Swante Palm Neighborhood Park
ABOUT THIS PROGRESS REPORT
With the knowledge that TxDOT would be advancing the reconstruction of I-35, the Downtown Austin Alliance commissioned an Urban Land Institute (ULI) National Advisory Services Panel report to explore opportunities to build upon this major investment.
The resulting roadmap for Austin outlined a new way to rebuild I-35. The recommendations, rooted in community values, advised for growth that is inclusive and equitable and builds on the promise of future innovations in technology and transportation.
Following the publication, community leaders, the Downtown Austin Alliance and City of Austin coalesced to advance the report recommendations. This progress report celebrates the significant accomplishments partners have achieved so far, and highlights next steps for I-35 that partners will continue to champion together in the future.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
City of Austin
East Austin Brain Trust
Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette & Linda Guerrero
I-35 Task Force & Leadership Group Members
Our Future 35 Scoping Working Group Members
Texas Department of Transportation
Urban Land Institute Advisory Service Panel
The ULI panel organized the recommendations into five focus areas that cover all aspects of the project, from engagement and design to implementation and management. FIVE FOCUS AREAS:
Broad and Inclusive Community Engagement
Designing for Connectivity and Mobility
Workplan and Timeline for Engagement in TxDOT / NEPA Process
HOW TO READ THIS REPORT
COMPLETED
Tasks completed to date; or incorporated into next phase.
IN PROGRESS
Project Cost and Funding Opportunities
Implementation and Governance
Tasks currently underway.
UPCOMING NEXT STEP
Forthcoming tasks yet to be achieved.
Given the role I-35 has played in the city’s history, the panel recommended co-creating an inclusive community process as the top priority. The Downtown Austin Alliance, an I-35 Task Force and an East Austin Community Brain Trust initiated this effort after the ULI panel week.
ULI PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS
CO-CREATE A VISION FOR THE FUTURE
A diverse coalition of community advocates, neighborhood leaders, businesses, institutions, and organizations co-created five desired outcomes for I-35 Capital Express Central. Work to implement and achieve the co-created outcomes is ongoing.
CREATE THE SCOPING
WORKING GROUP
Our Future 35 was co-chaired by Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette and Linda Guerrero. The Scoping Working Group consisted of 50+ members who met 9 times during 2020-2021.
I-35 CAPITAL EXPRESS
CENTRAL ENGAGEMENT
Since 2020, TxDOT engaged 18,000 citizens and gathered 9,000 comments on its I-35 Capital Express Central project.
BUILD TRUST AMONG STAKEHOLDERS
The Our Future 35 Engagement Series began with acknowledging past injustices. The community identified six shared values: trust, accountability, equitable access, intentional/measurable outcomes, deconstruct oppressive measures, and quality of life. Work remains ongoing to ensure that any future process for I-35 embodies these values.
ESTABLISH DESIGN PRINCIPLES
Our Future 35 Scoping Working Group established a list of evaluation criteria for NEPA that will continue to guide the upcoming phases.
ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
CITY-WIDE OUTREACH
The City of Austin released the first public community survey and launched the Cap & Stitch project website.
LIVE35 AESTHETICS
PROGRAM KICK-OFF
TxDOT kicked-off a new Locally Influenced Visual Enhancements (Live35) program to ensure designs reflect community context.
DESIGNING FOR CONNECTIVITY AND MOBILITY
TxDOT’s proposed redesign of I-35 includes lowering travel lanes through central Austin, which would allow innovative solutions like caps and stitches that enhance the public realm and quality of life for all Austinites. The ULI design framework promotes multi-modal travel, including Project Connect’s rail and rapid bus initiative.
ULI PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS
COMMITMENT TO LOWER CENTRAL I-35
TxDOT agreed to lower the highway below grade throughout the central segment of I-35 in all of it’s NEPA build alternatives.
EXPLORE A BOULEVARD DESIGN CONCEPT
TxDOT incorporated the ULI-recommended boulevard frontage road concept into its Modified Alternative 3 after strong community feedback and advocacy.
INCORPORATE CAPS & STITCHES THROUGHOUT
The Urban Land Institute report recommended 11+ acres of caps and stitches along the central corridor, all of which are incorporated into TxDOT’s plans, as well as several new cap opportunities not identified by ULI.
IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN ROUTES & ACCESS
TxDOT’s plans for I-35 will add 16.6 miles of shared use hike and bike paths. Trail connections and new amenities for people of all ages who walk, bike, and roll will be designed based on citizen input.
ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
FEASIBILITY STUDY LAUNCHED
City of Austin commissioned a structural feasibility study to better understand each potential cap and stitch opportunity.
CAP & STITCH PROJECT SCOPE INCREASES
The City and TxDOT identified an additional 22 acres of potential space for caps and stitches along the highway.
CONCEPT DESIGN CONSULTANT TEAM SECURED
The project consultant team and scope finalized, including engagement, design and implementation strategies.
PROJECT COSTS AND FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
Drawing on local and national precedents, the panel analyzed the cost of potential public realm improvements and identified a range of potential financing tools. Realizing a redesign for I-35 will likely require funding and financing from multiple programs and sources.
ULI PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS
ESTABLISH NEW TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REVENUES
The City of Austin has engaged consultants to help research and identify equitable development options and funding tools based on community engagement and feedback.
SECURE STATE / LOCAL FUNDING
The Texas Transportation Commission approved $4.9B for I-35 roadway improvements that will include cap and stitch enhancements. Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO) committed $633M to the project.
SECURE FEDERAL FUNDING
Downtown Austin Alliance has hired a federal funding consultant to work with local leaders to create a cap and stitch funding strategy. Chamber officials and city leaders are traveling to Washington to meet with the current administration.
ENGAGE PRIVATE PHILANTHROPY
The Downtown Austin Alliance is working to identify prominent and local philanthropic leaders to champion the cap and stitch project.
ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
FUNDING STRATEGY LEADERSHIP GROUP CONVENED
Local, state and federal funding strategy outlined. An Austin leadership group formed to advise the project.
CITY COMMITS FUNDING FOR NEXT PHASES OF CAP & STITCH
City of Austin commits $3 million in funding to complete feasibility study, preliminary design and engineering phases.
CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED EARMARK
Congressman Lloyd Doggett awards funding to City of Austin for Our Future 35 Cap & Stitch project planning.
POLICY ACT (NEPA) WORKPLAN AND TIMELINE
Austinites needed to organize quickly and actively participate in the National Environmental Policy Act scoping phase for I-35. NEPA documentation is required for projects seeking to gain federal funding. NEPA ensures that people’s quality-of-life and the natural environment are not adversely impacted by the infrastructure project. ULI outlined key milestones, inputs, and decision points for NEPA.
ULI PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS
PHASE I: PRE-NEPA ENGAGEMENT
Key stakeholders and community members participated in a series of public workshops to provide input on TxDOT’s design options for I-35.
OUR FUTURE 35 PRE-NEPA RESPONSE
The Our Future 35 coalition collectively issued 1,296 letters to TxDOT during the early scoping phase for I-35.
PHASE II: PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
Partners are working to transition the 2021 Scoping Working Group into a steering committee that advises City of Austin and TxDOT staff on cap and stitch implementation.
PHASE III: PROGRAMMING AND GOVERNANCE
Public engagement to continue as the work transitions from design to detailed discussions about the implementation of governance and programming.
ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
CITY, CHAMBER, DOWNTOWN
RELEASE JOINT STATEMENT
Leaders released a unified NEPA statement. Downtown Austin also published a city-wide op-ed response during NEPA scoping.
TxDOT COMMENT PERIOD EXTENSION & CapEx V.O.I.C.E.
To promote more transparency and collaboration, TxDOT extended its timeline for comments and added a new Volunteer Opportunity in their Community Engagement program.
IMPLEMENTATION AND GOVERNANCE
Given the scope and magnitude of the I-35 project, it is critical to consider the various aspects of project implementation, including ownership, governance and long-term management and operations of the caps and stitches to be created. Each cap and stitch should be programmed to benefit the community.
ULI PANEL RECOMMENDATIONS
OPERATIONS & MAINTENANCE STRATEGY
TxDOT and the City of Austin are working on a strategy for the maintenance of new features and enhancements using Aesthetics Guidelines.
POLICY COORDINATION AND ADVOCACY
City and local leaders are collaborating with regional partners throughout to identify project-specific goals that could align. For example: Palm District Planning Initiative and the Austin Core Transportation Plan.
MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE
COORDINATION
TxDOT and the City of Austin are coordinating to align both horizontal and vertical infrastructure engineering needed to support both the tunneled highway and proposed caps.
PROGRAMMING OF CAPS & STITCHES
The programmatic features of the caps and stitches will be developed through extensive community input and feedback on the hyper-local needs of adjacent communities.
ADDITIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
OUR FUTURE 35 COALITION
Our Future 35 coalition evolves into a steering committee that advises the City’s design process.
AUSTIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION
Austin Economic Development Corporation begins contract to help the City of Austin with researching equitable development options.
PROJECT TEAM VISIT DALLAS CAP PROJECTS
The project team visited Klyde Warren Park and Southern Gateway to understand their challenges and opportunities.
CONCLUSION
The ULI panel emphasized the importance of the I-35 project and its potential to reflect the values and needs of Austinites. The project creates the opportunity to heal historic harms to minority communities, increase safety and health, and improve connectivity and mobility.
While we celebrate the many milestones achieved to date, project partners recognize that there is still critical work to be done to ensure equitable outcomes that benefit the Austin community.
