City Council adopts improvements to Bicycle Master Plan

By Mariana Munoz

Nov. 12, 2014

Bicycles have become a main source of transportation for many
Austinites.

                                       

AUSTIN, TEXAS—

On any given day in Austin, you are likely to see people getting around from place to place on bikes. In a city known for its efforts to “go green,” however, there is still much public concern for the safety of riders and the improvement of bicycle infrastructure.

The Austin City Council unanimously adopted new changes to the Bicycle Master Plan on Thursday, Nov. 6. The changes to this plan, which was first implemented in 2009, aim to significantly increase bike use and improve bike safety throughout the city.

The council listened to plan supporters discuss benefits of the
expanded bicycle network.

The new plan calls for more protected bike lanes, which include a physical barrier between motor vehicles and bikers as well as pedestrians. Austin was already one of six cities in the U.S. chosen to participate in the Green Lane Project, an effort to encourage the construction of protected bike lanes used in bike-friendly European countries. The program can be seen on places such as Guadalupe Street, South Congress Avenue and Barton Springs Road where lanes are marked with bright green paint.

The Green Lane Project can be seen on Guadalupe Street, among
other popular areas.

The new bike lanes would first be constructed   on main roads with heavy traffic and then  expanded to other roads. The network is set to     be completed within the next 10 years and will cost the city $151 million.

Robert Spillar, city director of transportation, urged the council about Austin’s need for complete bicycle networks.

“Bicycle use will increase if we switch to a protected, connected network,” Spillar said. “The lanes we have right now just start and end.”

UTPD launches new biking unit

By Mariana Munoz

Oct. 15, 2014

AUSTIN, TEXAS—They wear bright blue uniforms and patrol around campus on bikes. Their mission: to make students feel more comfortable and less afraid to approach them.

To improve the way safety is attained, the University of Texas Police Department launched a new officer bike patrol unit on Sept.17.

UTPD Chief David Carter said the bike unit will make it easier for officers to respond quickly to incidents and get to areas where patrol cars have a hard time getting to.

“There are three kinds of street congestions— traffic, pedestrian and bicycle,” Carter said. “We’re looking to focus this unit in areas that are difficult to access with a patrol car, like the West Mall. These guys on bikes will be able to get through quicker,” he said.

Carter said the program also aims to make students feel more comfortable in approaching officers.

“Sometimes, students may notice something suspicious but don’t report it. This is a way to encourage students to let officers know what’s going on,” he said.

The new unit has a fleet of 20 bikes. According to Carter, five full-time officers are patrolling on them.

“We’ll be patrolling a whole lot of areas,” Carter said. “If we see a rising trend in incidents in a certain area, we’ll focus on that area,” he said.

Carter also said officers will patrol on and near campus, especially during times when students are on campus.

Slackliners face new Austin Parks and Recreation regulations

By Mariana Munoz

Sept. 24, 2014

                          The crowd watches in amazement as Tarzen successfully walks the line without a problem.

AUSTIN, TEXAS--The crowd is silent and tension is in the air as Curtis Jackson, better known as Tarzen, concentrates on walking across a nylon rope fastened to opposing sides of the boardwalk at Lady Bird Lake. In theory, the objective of slacklining is simple: you walk across a nylon rope and make it to the other side. In practice, it’s much more complicated—just like the discussion that revolves around it.

The Austin Parks and Recreation Department published a new set of proposed rules on August 25, which makes slacklining a permit-required activity. While some consider slacklining to be a recreational activity, others consider it to be a threat to both human life and nature.

Mike Johnson, an Austin Parks and Recreation officer, says the concern for the activity is largely focused on nature because the tension of the lines on trees damages the bark and exposes it to disease.

“There is a concern for the trees; as human beings, we are responsible for protecting vegetation,” Johnson said.

According to the new set of rules, if a slackliner does acquire a permit, they may not use a tree as an anchor post if the tree is less than one foot in diameter, is a heritage tree, or if it is posted as “not for use” for slacklining.

                           Shane Poe, part of “Keep Austin Slacklining,” concentrates as he walks the final line portion.

From Central America to Austin

By Mariana Munoz
Sep. 5, 2014

Jeana & Juan Carlos Ureña and Guadalupe Urbina collaborate in a song
on stage at the 2014 Centroamericanto Fest.

AUSTIN, TEXAS— The lights are dim and all eyes are on the three figures behind the microphones at the Cactus Café. For one night, the spotlight is on Central American music, which with little music industry to speak of, has long awaited its opportunity to take the stage.

The Centroamericanto Fest exhibits artists from Central America and is in its fourth year in Austin. Mauricio Callejas, singer-songwriter from El Salvador and founder of the fest, aimed to form a virtual community around the concept of Central American music.

“When I moved to Austin 12 years ago, I decided to stay in contact with my musician friends in El Salvador. I started “Centroamericanto.net, an online radio show,” he said.  

What started as an online opportunity for Central American artists to gain exposure eventually evolved into a festival. His first attempt at organizing a festival was in 2005 while he was visiting family in El Salvador.

“Performers exchanged ideas and gave each other advice; it was a very enriching opportunity. We wanted to repeat the experience but this time, in Austin,” Callejas said.

The lack of infrastructure for a music industry in Central America has been a great obstacle for musicians who suffer from the lack of mainstream exposure.

Artist to Watch: Tony G

If there's something we all love, it's good music. Even better, music that lifts the spirits and accompanies a great day or night.

This is what Tony G accomplishes; a euphoria that is felt through every beat of his music.

The singer-songwriter-producer from Dallas, TX recently released his debut solo album, titled,  "Call Me Tony G." It offers a variety of song styles, including pop, EDM, and acoustic--sung in both Spanish and English, giving you the best of both worlds. It took the artist about a year to produce the record and the work has surely paid off.

I could definitely pick up some David Guetta/Ke$ha characteristics in his music, which was personally one of my favorite things in listening to the album for the first time.

"Fighting For Love" was the first single off the album and it's something I could listen to on repeat. What's good about it? The lyrics, chorus, the intro beat--everything. Take a listen; you'll see why it's the perfect song to jam out to.

If you are in search of some new music, check out the album. It's perfect for working out, dancing, or just listening for enjoyment. You can now download the album on iTunes.


Get to know Tony G: 



Visit his official webpage!

UT Slideshow

Moody College of Communication

As seen through the eyes of a witness to the SXSW tragedy

A good friend of mine told me that I should write down everything I saw the day of the SXSW tragedy because it would help me repress it. After having some time to reflect these past few days, I feel ready to spill these words in order to try and get the images out of my mind.

No one prepares you for it. One moment, you're tending to your duties as a volunteer and the next you're surrounded by motionless bodies lying in blood spread across the cold street.

Wednesday, March 12, 2014. It was my second day volunteering at The Mohawk as part of my work with SXSW. My job? Stage Crew, which pretty much consisted of helping musicians load and unload equipment. I was scheduled Tuesday through Saturday with 6 p.m.-2 a.m. shifts.

I was particularly excited to work that day because Tyler, the Creator, would be performing at one in the morning. Outside the venue, lines had already started forming when I arrived for my shift. I sensed it would be a busy night.

At around 11:40 p.m., I took a break to go get something to eat. I walked a few blocks up Red River St. to a food truck, bought a slice of pizza, and sat down for about 30 minutes. I checked Twitter and saw that Tyler had posted a tweet that said The Mohawk would let him bring 100 fans in for the show and encouraged them to be outside at 12:30 a.m. 

I knew this would cause chaos outside the venue, so I headed back at around 12:10 a.m. From the distance, I could see the crowd had built up outside the venue. My plan was to help outside, so I went inside the venue to make sure it was okay with my stage manager. "Hey Ernie, I know Tyler is getting here soon so if you don't need me here, I'll be outside seeing if they need help." "Yeah, that's fine. Go ahead." And with that, I walked out of the venue again. 

Coldplay recently released a new music video off their upcoming album, Ghost Stories, available on the iTunes store May 19.

Bio

I'm a 19 year-old aspiring journalist originally from Brownsville, TX born of immigrant Mexican parents. My native language is Spanish but I've picked up the English, French, and German languages as well. 

I'm a sophomore at The University of Texas at Austin where I've grown to love the city, the different cultures, and its people. 

On my down time, I enjoy watching documentaries, reading, writing, making music, practicing photography, art, and attending concerts. 

My career plans currently include working as a music journalist as well as a SXSW festival coordinator. 

I believe in the value of knowledge, the power of music, and the importance of justice.