Downtown Public Improvement District (PID)

Downtown Austin Rangers

The Rangers serve as eyes and ears for APD and as goodwill ambassadors for the downtown Austin area. The Austin Downtown Rangers dress in easily distinguishable uniforms and carry two-way communication equipment to be in constant contact with Austin Police dispatch. The Rangers were trained by APD in police patrol techniques. The Rangers are not peace officers, do not carry weapons, and do not make arrests. They report situations requiring Police Officer attention to the Austin Police dispatch office.
The Rangers are also trained by ACVB in their ambassadorship responsibilities. The Downtown Rangers serve as guides for the public; they are trained to answer questions about points of interest in downtown Austin. They carry maps and other materials to guide guests of our city to their destinations.
The Austin Downtown Rangers program assists both the Downtown Austin Alliance in implementing its Security Service Plan element, and satisfy a current APD goal to increase the number of women and minorities in its ranks. All of the Austin Downtown Rangers are City of Austin employees, funded by a grant from the Downtown Austin Alliance.
The principal purpose of the Austin Downtown Ranger program is security. Therefore, the Rangers are directly responsible to the Supervisor of the Walking/Bicycle Beat in Downtown Austin. That Supervisor works closely with the Executive Director of the Downtown Austin Alliance and the ACVB Director to develop the deployment schedules and areas of security coverage throughout the year. This coordination will be on a continuing basis to satisfy the security needs of downtown Austin.
The Rangers integration into the Downtown Security network has proven to be a slow and tedious process. The immediate role of assuming the "goodwill ambassadors" duties was aided greatly by the training and expertise provided by the Austin Convention and Visitor's Bureau (ACVB) staff. However, the burden of training groups of four (4) or more new Rangers every quarter has occupied a very large amount of time for the Supervisor and the two (2) Lead Rangers. A proposed hourly salary increase has been approved by the Executive Committee of the Downtown Austin Alliance and is anticipated to be implemented along with the new FY 1996-97 budget for the City of Austin in September 1997. This pay increase is designed to attract more experienced, mature and stable Rangers to the program. The decrease from the present twelve (12) Full Time Equivalent (FTE) positions to the proposed ten (10) FTE positions is considered vital to staying with the approved FY 1996-97 Downtown Austin Alliance budget.

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First Tuesday Downtown

First Tuesday Downtown is a new type of event for Austin, coordinated and produced by the Downtown Austin Alliance. This is a monthly "evening on the downtown" showcasing Austin's unique, diverse, creative and thriving Downtown neighborhood, as well as bring families, students, seniors, and singles Downtown, where they may stroll from theaters to art exhibits in large buildings, hotel lobbies, and galleries, and into businesses, retail and gift shops, and restaurants along the way. Venues along Congress Avenue throughout the Downtown area participate by remaining open and possibly having special activities inside and along the sidewalk. Capital Metro provides extended free 'Dillo bus service.
This is a well-rounded event to create and promote a well-rounded Downtown. It incorporates many different types of businesses and artists and all of the Alliance's various resources, committees, and members. Artists and arts groups, merchants, businesses, and large property owners all play a part in promoting Downtown and its economic vitality and viability.
The Alliance is committed to producing First Tuesday Downtown the first Tuesday of each month through December, from 5:00-9:00 p.m. Venues remain open after hours and there are many sidewalk activities until 9 p.m. Attendance reports have been between 3,500 and 5,000 for the initial July and August events.

Upcoming First Tuesdays are:

• October 1
• November 5 (Election Day)
• December 3

Supporters for the events have been:

• KGSR-FM Radio (107.1)
• Austin American-Statesman
• Austin Federation of Musicians
• Capital Metro
• City of Austin
• Southern Union Gas

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Grafitti Removal

Since the City of Austin has assumed responsibility for graffiti removal in the public right-of-way, the Downtown Austin Alliance has re-allocated its resources to private property graffiti removal. The Downtown Austin Alliance has contracted with "Off the Wall" Graffiti, Inc. for graffiti removal on private property within the Public Improvement District. Only member parcels for which the Alliance has a signed release of liability are included in this program.
All graffiti should be reported to the City Graffiti Hotline: 473-4125.

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Litter Removal

The Downtown Austin Alliance has contracted with the City of Austin Youth Corps to perform litter removal from sidewalks, curb, and gutters in the Downtown Austin Public Improvement District. Litter is picked up between 7 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday and Sunday mornings. This service is in addition to the city's regular maintenance program, and is not intended to replace them. In May, 1996, the Youth Corps picked up over 500 bags of trash in downtown.
The areas being cleaned falls within the boundaries of the Downtown Austin Public Improvement District. Within that area, the sidewalks will be cleaned from the private property line to the street curb except that alcoves will also be cleaned (alley cleaning is not a part of this contract).

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Destination Downtown Arts and Entertainment Map

The Downtown Austin Alliance has produced the Destination Downtown Arts and Entertainment Map. The map shows off the many avenues of interest Downtown offers, and promotes Downtown's arts industry. The map is available from the Downtown Austin Alliance. Over 40,000 copies have been distributed since October 1995. This map has been in demand by realty and title companies, Downtown commercial leasing agents and managers, large Austin corporations (for inclusion in their employment relocation packets), tourists, convention planners, and by many Austin arts organizations. The map shows 80 restaurants, 50 performing arts venues, 42 visual arts venues, as well as museums, libraries, parks, hotels and lodging, annual arts events, and University of Texas at Austin facilities. The map also shows Downtown public transportation routes and off-street parking available to the public, including State of Texas parking facilities.

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Noontime Concerts

The Downtown Austin Alliance and the Austin Federation of Musicians have co-sponsored two years of free Tuesday noontime concerts at Regents Plaza, at 6th and Colorado. They are held in Spring (April-June) and Fall (September-October).

The concerts have been held every Tuesday each Spring and Fall since 1994. The Fall 1996 season will resume September 3, the Tuesday following Labor Day. Types of music performed in the past include: 60's and Motown, Cajun / Mexican, Urban Folk, Eclectic Bluegrass, Big Band Sound, Tejano / Conjunto, Irish Harp, New Orleans Dixieland jazz, original Austin progressive country, jazz, original soul and top 40 cover tunes, South American vocals and multi-instrumental, and rock-a-billy with a horn section.

The September schedule is:

• September 3 - Susanna Sharpe and the Samba Police
• September 10 - Derailers (rock-a-billy)
• September 17 - The Little Big Band (7-piece big band)
• September 24 - Mike Landschoot & The Paul Glass Band (bluegrass)

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Great Streets Program

The Downtown Austin Alliance, Inc. has established a Great Streets Program. This program has as its mission the improvement of the physical design of Downtown streetscapes.
Funding for the Driskill corner in now complete. The Alliance is working with the Department of Public Works and Transportation and the Driskill on design development of the project. The pink sidewalk is in place on the Second Street project. It was completed when Texas Redbud trees were placed in the tree grates. The Alliance has also written three ISTEA grant applications for three other Great Streets projects - the 200 block of Congress, Red River from César Chávez to Sixth Street, and Fourth Street from Congress to Lavaca.
The Alliance will create an advisory committee, consisting of representatives from the Downtown Austin Alliance, Capital Metro, City of Austin, the U.T. Austin School of Architecture, and interested citizens. The advisory committee will select and prioritize projects. The list of projects will then be presented to the Alliance Board of Directors and the Austin City Council for approval.
Funding for projects selected as part of the Great Streets program will come from a variety of sources. If parking meter revenues in Downtown increase, the increase should be allocated to the Great Streets program. Other sources of funding, both public and private, are being sought. Possible sources include Capital Metro's Build Greater Austin program, the Historic Landmark Commission's Bricks and Mortar fund, ISTEA, contributions from adjacent property owners.

Basic Data

• Project Contact: Dave Kreider, Assistant Director, Planning, Environmental and Conservation Services Department, 499-6381
• Project Manager: Lucy Buck, Associate Director, Downtown Austin Alliance, 469-1766 / fax 477-7456,
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