# South First Alliance: current public baseline

**As of July 19, 2026**  
**Scope:** Publicly available, primary-source baseline for a first restart conversation. This is not a design recommendation, and no historical email claim is treated as current unless independently confirmed below.

## What a first partner meeting needs to know

1. **South First already appears in a City transit-infrastructure program.** Austin's live Transit Enhancement Infrastructure Report lists four South First projects, including a planning-level proposal covering Ben White Boulevard to Barton Springs Road. The report says every recommendation still requires analysis, design, community engagement, and partner coordination; its “short” and “medium” labels are planning horizons from the April 2024 report, not confirmed 2026 construction schedules. [City of Austin: Transit Enhancement Infrastructure Report](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report)
2. **The central corridor is already under construction pressure.** Austin Water lists the South First reclaimed-water main as active construction from spring 2026 through fall 2028. The Annie Street flood project, immediately east of South First, would include street repair and new sidewalks; its June 24, 2026 status is a pending federal grant application. [Austin Water: South 1st Street Reclaimed Water Main](https://www.austintexas.gov/water/projects/south-1st-st-reclaimed-water-main) and [Watershed Protection: Annie Street Flood Risk Reduction](https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/projects/local-flooding)
3. **The 2026 bond is a live but unsettled funding path.** Council directed staff to use a $390 million package as the baseline for a potential November election and to return for Council action July 23. A July 21 work-session agenda also includes bond measures, categories, and amounts. As of this date, a South First project is not confirmed in the package and the bond has not been confirmed for the ballot. [Council Resolution 20260528-097 and meeting record](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260528-reg), [July 21 work-session agenda](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260721-wrk), and [July 23 regular-meeting page](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260723-reg)
4. **There is an official business-district effort with substantially overlapping goals.** The City's Economic Development page recognizes the South First Street District, identifies the South 1st Street Merchants Association as its management entity, and publishes the 2024 district strategy. That strategy calls for a South First Complete Streets corridor feasibility study, but the public sources reviewed do not confirm that the study is funded or underway. [City Economic and Cultural District Development and strategy resource](https://www.austintexas.gov/economic-development/programs/economic-and-cultural-district-development)
5. **Route 10 remains the corridor's core transit service.** CapMetro's current page identifies Route 10 South 1st/Red River as a high-frequency route serving South First to Southpark Meadows. Transit Plan 2035 was approved in October 2025. CapMetro has also approved a minor Route 10 schedule adjustment for August 16, 2026; no South First route restructuring was confirmed in the public sources reviewed. [CapMetro Route 10](https://www.capmetro.org/high-frequency/route10), [Transit Plan 2035](https://www.capmetro.org/transit-plan-2035), and [approved August 2026 service changes](https://www.capmetro.org/servicechange/august-2026-service-changes)

## Corridor and civic overlap

The historical initiative never settled its boundary. That decision now changes which projects, districts, datasets, and offices apply.

- The **Bouldin/core segment** around Riverside/Barton Springs through Oltorf is in the civic area represented by District 9: the official District 9 page includes Bouldin Creek, and the City identifies the Monroe-to-Riverside reclaimed-water project as affecting District 9. [District 9](https://www.austintexas.gov/district-9) and [May 28, 2026 Council item 64](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260528-reg)
- The City's recognized **South First Street District** grew from a merchant-led process and its linked 2024 strategy centers the Texas School for the Deaf-to-Oltorf area. It is the most obvious operating overlap for a Bouldin-scale relaunch. [City district page and strategy resource](https://www.austintexas.gov/economic-development/programs/economic-and-cultural-district-development)
- A broader **Ben White, Stassney, William Cannon, or Southpark Meadows** scope reaches different neighborhoods and may reach other Council districts. Do not infer district ownership from the street name; resolve the boundary, then verify every address using the official [Council District Lookup Map](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/district-map).
- The City's transit report treats South First as several different project segments rather than one corridor-wide capital project. That supports a segment-specific strategy unless partners decide otherwise. [Transit Enhancement Infrastructure Report](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report)

**Decision needed before public relaunch:** choose one of (a) Riverside/Barton Springs–Oltorf, aligned to Bouldin and the merchant district; (b) Barton Springs–Ben White, aligned to the City's Transit Enhancement Project 17; or (c) a whole-corridor alliance with explicitly separate project segments.

## Public project and funding map

| Public program or project | Confirmed public scope | Funding/status as of July 19, 2026 | Confirmed date or deadline | What remains unconfirmed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Transit Enhancement Project 7 | South First bridge, Barton Springs Road–Cesar Chavez: transit-priority lane, turn-lane, bike-lane, and bus-stop improvements | Planning estimate **$0.8M**; “short” horizon in the April 2024 report. The program can use 2020 Mobility Bond and CapMetro interlocal-agreement funds, but the report's $53M total exceeds available funds. [Official report](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report) | The report defines short as 0–2 years from its planning context; projects using 2020 bond funds should be complete by **2028** | Current project manager, allocation, design percentage, engagement window, and construction date are **not confirmed** |
| Transit Enhancement Project 17 | South First, Ben White–Barton Springs: access management, pedestrian crossings, and bus-stop improvements | Planning estimate **$0.8M**; “medium” horizon. It remains a planning-level recommendation requiring analysis, design, and engagement. [Official report](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report) | Medium was defined as 2–5 years in the 2024 report; this is **not a current construction commitment** | Allocation, design scope, resurfacing coordination, and outreach dates are **not confirmed** |
| Transit Enhancement Project 16 | South First at Ben White interchange: bus-stop improvements | Planning estimate **$25K**; “medium” horizon. [Official report](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report) | No current delivery date confirmed | Exact stop, TxDOT coordination, design, and funding are **not confirmed** |
| Transit Enhancement Project 6 | South First, William Cannon–Stassney: pedestrian crossings and bus-stop improvements | Planning estimate **$0.6M**; “short” horizon. [Official report](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report) | No current delivery date confirmed | Relevance depends on choosing a whole-corridor scope; current delivery status is **not confirmed** |
| Oltorf Transit Enhancement Projects 2b/2c | Oltorf on both sides of South First: crossings, stops, a traffic signal, and a transit-priority feasibility study | Planning estimates **$1.4M** east of South First and **$1.1M** west; both “medium.” [Official report](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report) | No current delivery date confirmed | Whether improvements include the South First intersection and how they coordinate with Route 10 are **not confirmed** |
| South First reclaimed-water main | About 5,500 feet along Monroe and South First; directional drilling is intended to reduce open-cut impacts | City project page says **active construction**, spring 2026–fall 2028. Council also authorized property acquisition at 1503 South First and describes the route as Monroe–Riverside. [Austin Water project page](https://www.austintexas.gov/water/projects/south-1st-st-reclaimed-water-main) and [Council item 64](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260528-reg) | **Spring 2026–fall 2028** | Block-by-block traffic control, pavement restoration, and opportunities to coordinate permanent street improvements need confirmation from the project team |
| Annie Street flood-risk reduction | East Bouldin, South First–Congress and Annie–Live Oak; storm drains, water/wastewater work, street repairs, and new sidewalks | June 24 status: federal grant application in preparation. Phase 1 estimated **$5.5M**, Phase 2 **$8.1M**; without the grant, Phase 2 would be on hold. [Watershed project page](https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/projects/local-flooding) | Grant decision and construction dates **not confirmed** | Final funding, phasing, exact sidewalk tie-ins to South First, and engagement dates |
| Oltorf/Travis Heights pressure-zone project | Water-pressure improvements near the Oltorf corridor; potentially relevant to a boundary that includes Oltorf | Construction anticipated to start summer 2026 and last about 18 months. [Austin Water project page](https://www.austintexas.gov/water/oltorf-travis-heights-pressure-zone) | **Summer 2026**, about **18 months** anticipated | Exact South First right-of-way impacts are **not confirmed** |
| South First Street District strategy | Merchant district strategy prioritizes a Complete Streets feasibility study covering lane configuration, speeds, walking, bicycling, access management, streetscape, and placemaking | Strategy estimates **$300K–$350K** and assigns advocacy/liaison roles to the district. The City currently identifies the South 1st Street Merchants Association as management entity and publishes the strategy as a resource. [Current City district page and strategy resource](https://www.austintexas.gov/economic-development/programs/economic-and-cultural-district-development) | Strategy labels the study “Years 3–4,” but no funded start date is confirmed | Whether funding has been requested or secured, who currently leads the association, and whether a scope exists |
| Potential 2026 GO bond | Council's May 28 direction used a **$390M** staff alternative as the baseline: **$92M** transportation, including bikeways, sidewalks, urban trails, ACT Plan, Neighborhood Partnering, and safety programs. The resolution also requested advice on interim active-transportation and watershed funding. [May staff/BEATF recommendations](https://austin.widen.net/s/qlmgwcgkft/2026-bond-staff-recommendations_20261905) and [Council action](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/2026/20260528-reg) | Potential package, not an approved bond. No South First-specific line item is confirmed. | Work session **July 21**; action scheduled **July 23**; election date would be **November 3, 2026** if Council orders the bond election. [City election page](https://www.austintexas.gov/clerk/november-2026-election) | Final package, ballot order, proposition text, program amounts, and South First eligibility |

### Funding interpretation

- The Transit Enhancement report says up to **$19 million** of the 2020 Mobility Bond may be used for transit enhancements and that CapMetro contributes up to **$1 million each fiscal year** under the interlocal agreement. It also says CapMetro concurrence is required and projects using 2020 funds should be complete by 2028. These are program-level sources, not proof that any South First line has an allocation. [Transit Enhancement implementation section](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report)
- The May 2026 BEATF recommendation included $6 million for Transit Enhancements, but the $390 million staff alternative that Council selected as its baseline did **not** list Transit Enhancements as a separate program. The July Council decisions could still change categories or use another funding mechanism. [May 2026 staff and BEATF recommendation packet](https://austin.widen.net/s/qlmgwcgkft/2026-bond-staff-recommendations_20261905)
- The prior general public-input phases are closed. The practical near-term access point is the Council process, followed by program-level conversations with Transportation and Public Works—not a claim that a named South First bond project can still be added.

## Transit baseline

- [Route 10 South 1st/Red River](https://www.capmetro.org/high-frequency/route10) currently runs along South First to Southpark Meadows and is categorized by CapMetro as high-frequency.
- [Transit Plan 2035](https://www.capmetro.org/transit-plan-2035) is the current ten-year service blueprint, approved by the CapMetro board in October 2025. Its route flipbook, route matrix, and 0–5-year/5+-year maps are the right sources for interpreting future changes; the public overview alone is not enough to conclude what will happen at each South First stop.
- [Approved August 2026 changes](https://www.capmetro.org/servicechange/august-2026-service-changes) list Route 10 among routes receiving minor schedule adjustments beginning August 16. That does not by itself establish a frequency, stop, or alignment change.
- The City's Transit Enhancement recommendations were developed using bus delay, reliability, stop activity, mapped operator/rider comments, crossing gaps, traffic counts, and other inputs. Those underlying South First extracts are not published as a corridor dataset on the report page and should be requested. [Transit Enhancement methodology](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/transit-enhancement-infrastructure-report)

## Official access points

Use roles and official channels first; ask each office to identify the current accountable project owner rather than relying on names from old email.

| Need | Official access point |
|---|---|
| Transit Enhancement Projects 7, 16, 17, and 6; current counts; resurfacing/restriping; area engineer | [Transportation and Public Works contact](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/contact), 512-974-1150; Austin 3-1-1 for an engineering service request; use the City's [public-information request portal](https://www.austintexas.gov/services/submit-public-information-request) for existing records |
| South First reclaimed-water construction | The [official project page](https://www.austintexas.gov/water/projects/south-1st-st-reclaimed-water-main) lists the current Capital Delivery project manager, Austin Water sponsor, and community-outreach contact, plus a project-update signup |
| Annie Street flood project and mailing list | The [official Watershed page](https://www.austintexas.gov/watershed-protection/projects/local-flooding) lists the project sponsor, manager, and distribution-list access |
| Oltorf pressure-zone work | The [official project page](https://www.austintexas.gov/water/oltorf-travis-heights-pressure-zone) lists the current Capital Delivery project manager and Austin Water public-information contact |
| Route 10 operations and ordinary feedback | [CapMetro Route 10/contact page](https://www.capmetro.org/high-frequency/route10): GO Line 512-474-1200 and customer.service@capmetro.org |
| Existing stop-level ridership, on-time performance, dwell, delay, and planning records | [CapMetro Public Information Request Center](https://www.capmetro.org/aboutus/public-information---assistance/public-information-act) or PIR@capmetro.org |
| Core Bouldin civic representation | [District 9 official page](https://www.austintexas.gov/district-9); use its “Get Information or Assistance” channel. Verify any expanded corridor against the [district map](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/district-map) before adding offices. |
| Merchant-district coordination and current study status | [Economic and Cultural District Development](https://www.austintexas.gov/economic-development/programs/economic-and-cultural-district-development), which identifies the South 1st Street Merchants Association as management entity; use Economic Development's official contact route to request the current district liaison |
| 2026 bond status | [2026 Bond Development](https://www.austintexas.gov/capital-delivery/2026-bond-development), the [Council meeting center](https://www.austintexas.gov/council/meetings), and the City Clerk's [November 2026 election page](https://www.austintexas.gov/clerk/november-2026-election) |

## Data-acquisition checklist

### 1. Freeze the study geography

- Choose endpoints and identify intersections to include.
- Create a centerline plus a defensible crash buffer, and separately list every Route 10 stop and every driveway/unsignalized crossing in the segment.
- Resolve Council districts, neighborhood associations, the South First Street District boundary, and City/TxDOT ownership by segment before assigning contacts.

### 2. Crash and serious-injury baseline

- Export the most recent five complete years plus current year-to-date from Austin's [Crash-Level Records dataset](https://datahub.austintexas.gov/Transportation-and-Mobility/Austin-Crash-Report-Data-Crash-Level-Records/y2wy-tgr5). The dataset covers crashes inside current full-purpose Austin boundaries, is derived from TxDOT CRIS, covers the prior ten years, and warns of an approximately two-week minimum reporting lag.
- Use the [Vision Zero Viewer and High-Injury Network](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/programs/vision-zero) for visual validation, not as a substitute for a reproducible extract.
- Classify fatal/serious injury, pedestrian, bicyclist, motorcyclist, transit-related, turning, driveway, intersection, lighting, time, direction, and exact location. Preserve the query date and geometry.
- If the final corridor extends beyond the City's dataset boundary or an extract needs statewide fields, use TxDOT's public [CRIS query and crash-data request tools](https://www.txdot.gov/data-maps/crash-reports-records/crash-data-analysis-statistics.html).

### 3. Current traffic, turning, and speed evidence

- Do **not** use the old alliance's daily-volume claims as fact.
- Check the City's [Camera Traffic Counts dataset](https://data.austintexas.gov/Transportation-and-Mobility/Camera-Traffic-Counts/sh59-i6y9) for relevant historic observations, but label them historical: the City says the devices are no longer maintained, the dataset is no longer updated, data ends in July 2024, speeds may be uncalibrated, and observations were not validated.
- Do not use the [Radar Traffic Counts](https://data.austintexas.gov/Transportation-and-Mobility/Radar-Traffic-Counts/i626-g7ub) as current; the City says that series ended in September 2021.
- Submit one tightly scoped City records request for the newest South First average daily traffic, 15-minute turning movements, pedestrian/bicycle counts, speed studies/85th percentile speeds, traffic-signal timing, Synchro or other capacity files, and the source extracts used for Transit Enhancement Projects 7/16/17 and the South First District technical analysis. Specify segment, intersections, date range, file formats, and that raw plus summarized data are requested. Use the City's [PIR instructions](https://www.austintexas.gov/services/submit-public-information-request).
- If the City has no count less than two years old, commission or request counts during a normal school week and document weather, construction, special events, and collection methodology. The City's [Transportation Development Services page and linked TIA guidelines](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/divisions/transportation-development-services) explain why collection date and conditions matter.

### 4. Sidewalk, crossing, and ADA baseline

- Export South First features from the City's [Sidewalks dataset](https://data.austintexas.gov/Transportation-and-Mobility/Sidewalks/vchz-d9ng), retaining facility type, functional condition, overall rating, and modified date.
- Treat it as screening data, not proof of ADA compliance: its description traces the inventory to the 2006/2007 sidewalk master-plan collection even though the hosted layer is refreshed. Validate every block in the field.
- Cross-reference the 2023 [Sidewalks, Crossings and Shared Streets Plan](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/sidewalks-crossings-and-shared-streets-plan), the City's 2026 [Pedestrian Crossings ADA Transition Plan](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/programs/pedestrian-program), and the [Pedestrian Crossing Prioritization Map](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works/programs/pedestrian-program).
- Perform a block-by-block audit of clear width, cross-slope, surface, curb ramps, detectable warnings, pushbuttons, signal timing, crossing distance, obstructions, lighting, shade, driveway conflicts, bus-stop access, and construction detours. Record coordinates and photos.
- Submit 3-1-1 requests for discrete defects or a new crossing; use a PIR for existing ADA evaluations, complaints, work orders, schedules, and design files.

### 5. Transit operations and accessibility

- Use CapMetro's current GTFS/schedule data to inventory stops and service, then confirm the August 16 schedule after it takes effect.
- Request at least 24 months of Route 10 stop-level boardings/alightings, passenger loads, on-time performance, run time, dwell, passenger delay, wheelchair-ramp deployment, pass-ups, and stop closures for the selected South First stops. Request weekday/weekend and time-of-day cuts, definitions, suppression rules, and source tables through the [CapMetro PIR Center](https://www.capmetro.org/aboutus/public-information---assistance/public-information-act).
- Ask the City/CapMetro project team which stops and intersections are included in Projects 7, 16, 17, and 6, and what decisions remain open to community input.

### 6. Construction and capital coordination

- Obtain current maps, traffic-control plans, restoration limits, milestones, and engagement lists for the reclaimed-water, Annie Street, and Oltorf projects.
- Ask whether trench restoration, curb-ramp work, sidewalks, crossings, signals, bus-stop pads, or striping can be coordinated without delaying funded utility work. This is a question, not an assumed opportunity.
- Review the City's [street-maintenance map](https://www.austintexas.gov/transportation-public-works) after the corridor boundary is fixed; request the six-year pavement treatment/reconstruction schedule when the public map does not provide a committed date.

## Partner activity confirmed in public sources

### Safe Streets Austin

Safe Streets Austin's current CityLeap materials explicitly use South First as an example arterial and publish “today” and “after CityLeap” South First visuals. CityLeap advocates converting one or more general-purpose lanes on Austin-owned arterials to transit or active transportation, and its FAQ says road-specific details may need City staff judgment. This is direct evidence of an active advocacy concept, **not** evidence that the City has adopted a South First lane conversion. [CityLeap South First assets](https://www.safestreetsaustin.org/cityleap-assets), [CityLeap FAQ](https://www.safestreetsaustin.org/cityleap-faq), and [CityLeap proposal](https://www.safestreetsaustin.org/news-1/9etz45nnklkdbboz6lzruwi7ezetx0)

### Farm&City

No current, South First-specific commitment from Farm&City was confirmed on its own public site in this review. Treat the archived relationship as a lead to reconfirm, not as current partner support.

### South 1st Street Merchants Association

The City's current Economic and Cultural District page identifies the association as the South First Street District's management entity and publishes the official 2024 strategy, which assigns the district a lead stakeholder and business-liaison role for a future Complete Streets study. Current officers, capacity, and study activity remain to be confirmed through the City's district liaison and the association. [City district page and strategy resource](https://www.austintexas.gov/economic-development/programs/economic-and-cultural-district-development)

## Confirmed fact versus inference

### Confirmed

- The City has four planning-level Transit Enhancement projects located on South First and two adjacent Oltorf projects.
- The Ben White–Barton Springs project explicitly includes access management, pedestrian crossings, and bus-stop improvements.
- Route 10 currently serves South First to Southpark Meadows.
- The reclaimed-water project is listed as active through fall 2028.
- The Annie Street project includes street repair and sidewalks and was pursuing federal grant funding as of June 24.
- Council has directed preparation of a potential $390 million baseline bond package for July consideration; a November bond election is not yet confirmed.
- The City recognizes a South First Street District managed by the South 1st Street Merchants Association, and its strategy proposes a Complete Streets study.
- Safe Streets Austin publicly includes South First in CityLeap materials.

### Inference or working hypothesis

- **Inference:** A revived alliance can add the most value as the resident/accessibility/transit complement to the merchant district, rather than creating a second competing corridor brand.
- **Inference:** The strongest near-term opportunity may be influencing the scope and engagement of existing Transit Enhancement Project 17 and coordinating with active construction, rather than immediately demanding one settled lane geometry.
- **Hypothesis to test:** Utility restoration and the Annie Street sidewalk work could lower the cost or disruption of compatible pedestrian/transit improvements.
- **Not confirmed:** The current South First transit projects have allocated construction money, an assigned public project manager, or an open design-engagement window.
- **Not confirmed:** A South First project will appear in a 2026 bond package.
- **Not confirmed:** Safe Streets Austin, Farm&City, the merchants association, BCNA, or any historical participant has agreed to a renewed coalition.

## Recommended first-partner-meeting agenda

1. Select a working corridor boundary for the next 30 days.
2. Ask the merchants association whether the Complete Streets study is active, funded, or owned by anyone.
3. Ask Transportation and Public Works for the current status and decision windows for Projects 7, 16, and 17.
4. Compare CityLeap's South First concept with the City's narrower transit-enhancement scopes; list agreements and unresolved tradeoffs without selecting geometry.
5. Assign one person to the City/CapMetro data request and one to construction coordination.
6. Decide whether the July bond process calls for monitoring, testimony about programmatic funding, or no immediate action; do not frame South First as an approved bond project.
7. Set the next decision: a two-page corridor problem statement backed by current crash, traffic, transit, and ADA evidence.

## Source-quality boundary

This baseline uses City of Austin, CapMetro, TxDOT, and partner-owned pages. Project schedules are only called “confirmed” when a current official page provides a date. The Transit Enhancement project costs and horizons remain 2024 planning estimates. Public-page absence is not proof that no internal work exists; missing allocation, design, contact, count, and ridership information should be obtained through the official access points above.