Latest / Austin Signal / Austin’s Bikeshare program set to return

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Austin’s Bikeshare program set to return · Austin Signal

0:08
Cap Metro's system of
0:09
electric-assisted bicycles will soon
0:11
be back on Austin's roadways, but
0:13
it's going to be returning in
0:14
phases, starting small.
0:16
The latest on bike share, and the
0:17
fire that hindered its service.
0:19
And we're a couple weeks removed
0:21
from the World Cup, but the
0:22
organization behind the tournament
0:23
has remained in the headlines.
0:25
The reason? A proposal to sell
0:27
shares of the quadrennial event.
0:29
We've got more context, and latest
0:31
on Austin soccer team, that's
0:33
coming up on today's show.
0:35
The Austin Signal is a production
0:37
of KUT News, hosted by
0:39
Jerry Quijano.
0:40
Plus, deaf children and families
0:42
will have more options for
0:43
accessible TV programming after one
0:45
platform announced plans for more
0:47
American sign language
0:48
interpretations.
0:50
We're gonna catch up with a local
0:51
performer who is participating in
0:53
the project.
0:54
Those stories and more up
0:55
next right here on Austin
0:57
Signal.
1:08
Howdy out there, this is Austin
1:10
Signal, thank you for tuning in, I'm
1:12
your host Jerry Keconnell.
1:13
It is Tuesday, August 4th.
1:16
CapMetro Bikeshare is coming back to
1:18
the streets of Austin, that's one
1:20
week from today, but it's doing so
1:22
in a limited way, at least at first.
1:25
The rentable electric bike service
1:27
has been shut down since Memorial
1:28
Day weekend, that's when a fire at
1:30
a CapMeto facility destroyed a bunch
1:32
of batteries and chargers.
1:34
As KUT's Nathan Bernier reports,
1:37
several questions about that fire
1:38
are still unanswered.
1:41
We've got a hose on directly to
1:43
the fire.
1:44
We believe it's batteries while
1:46
they're popping off.
1:47
Firefighters communicating by radio
1:49
as they fought the flames and
1:51
heat at a cap metro facility on East
1:53
Menwied Boulevard.
1:54
That was the night of May 23rd.
1:56
The fire was traced to a room
1:58
filled with bike-share batteries.
2:00
About a quarter of those batteries
2:02
were destroyed, and most
2:04
of the chargers were damaged.
2:05
Is there any chance that we're going
2:06
to be able to get coverage under
2:08
our insurance to get some of
2:10
the lost batteries and bikes?
2:13
The material within the building,
2:15
the contents of the building is not
2:16
covered by insurance.
2:17
Is not? Is not covered insurance.
2:19
That was Cap Metro board member Eric
2:21
Stratton questioning Chief Operating
2:23
Officer Andy Skabowski last week.
2:25
Cap Metro still has not publicly
2:27
said how much it will cost to
2:29
replace everything, nor has the
2:31
transit agency announced what caused
2:32
the fire.
2:33
Cap Metro hired a forensic
2:35
investigator called Rimkus to look
2:36
into it, and that report has not
2:38
been released yet.
2:39
But Skabowsky says some of the
2:41
electric-assist bikes will start
2:43
appearing in docks again starting
2:45
Tuesday, August 11th.
2:46
We're looking at putting out about a
2:48
quarter of our fleet,
2:50
about 150 bikes,
2:52
and a lot fewer stations, with the
2:54
core focus being on the UT campus
2:56
and the rides that occur within that
2:57
campus.
2:58
People will be able to drop off
3:00
their bikes at any of the 80 or so
3:02
bike share stations, but Cap
3:03
Metro workers may move them back
3:05
to the UT campus area, or
3:07
take the bikes to the dozen or
3:09
so bikeshare docks that can actually
3:12
charge them.
3:13
Once Cap Metro gets its central
3:15
charging facility on Ben White back
3:16
up and running, more bikes will
3:18
roll out.
3:19
Full bike share service is expected
3:21
to be restored sometime before
3:23
the end of the year.
3:25
I'm Nathan Bernier in Austin.
3:31
People in South Central Texas are
3:33
still cleaning up after another
3:35
round of intense flooding last
3:36
month.
3:37
It came just days after residents
3:39
marked the one-year anniversary of
3:41
2025's devastating July
3:43
4th flood.
3:44
That tore through the Texas Hill
3:45
Country and killed more than 130
3:47
people, mostly in Kerr County.
3:50
We have been documenting the
3:52
aftermath in After the Flood,
3:54
that's a new podcast from the Texas
3:56
Newsroom and PBS Frontline.
3:58
The five-part series is hosted by
4:00
Houston Public Media reporter
4:02
Dominic Anthony Walsh, and
4:03
the last episode was just released.
4:06
We have a preview here for you
4:07
today.
4:08
Stuart Gross and his wife have
4:10
lived in a home overlooking the
4:11
Guadalupe River in Kerr County for
4:13
40 years, and in
4:15
the early morning hours of July 4th,
4:18
2025, something happened
4:19
that he never could have imagined.
4:21
We heard it rain all night long,
4:23
you know, it was pouring all night,
4:25
and I thought I heard
4:27
evacuate.
4:29
Around 4 in the morning, someone on
4:30
his quiet street in the tiny
4:32
town of Ingram, Texas yelling
4:35
evacuate.
4:36
I stumbled to the kitchen window and
4:38
I see flashes of
4:40
emergency lights and I'm like,
4:42
what's the small town?
4:43
I'll be
4:43
Chief, right?
4:45
Called the town's fire chief.
4:46
Stewart was the code enforcement
4:47
officer in this town of fewer
4:49
than 2,000 people.
4:51
So he had the fire chief's number.
4:53
But just as he was about to call.
4:56
Phone rings.
4:56
The assistant chief.
4:58
Called him.
5:12
It was hard to process what was
5:13
happening.
5:14
Stuart and his wife live 37
5:16
feet above the river, and
5:18
yet...
5:19
Coming to the neighborhood.
5:20
You could feel the house shake, you
5:21
could hear the roar.
5:22
It was a very, very
5:24
traumatic time.
5:26
Stewart, his wife, their dogs,
5:28
and their cats were all able to get
5:30
out safely that day.
5:31
After all, they got a personal phone
5:33
call from the town's assistant fire
5:35
chief.
5:36
Their home didn't end up flooding
5:37
because it's on relatively high
5:39
ground.
5:40
But you can't stop thinking about
5:41
what happened at the two RV parks
5:43
just down the road from him, a
5:45
little closer to the banks of the
5:46
river.
5:47
There's a huge clump of cypress
5:49
and we pulled, I don't know, I think
5:50
it was like 12 RVs wrapped around
5:52
one tree.
5:53
On top of each other, boom, boom
5:54
boom boom.
5:56
That's scary.
5:57
My mother nature don't play.
5:59
The Blue Oak RV Park was about a
6:01
quarter mile down the road from
6:02
Stewart's home.
6:03
You heard about it in episode 1.
6:05
It's where a family, including a
6:07
21-month-old, was swept away
6:09
and died last year.
6:14
Right next to Blue Oak was HDR
6:16
Texas Hill Country RV Park,
6:18
where more than 30 people died.
6:20
HDR is actually the place in the
6:22
Hill Country where the most people
6:23
died last year, even more than at
6:25
Camp Mystic.
6:26
Unless you were down there digging
6:28
under things with your hands,
6:29
looking for people, you don't
6:31
quite grasp it.
6:37
This is After the Flood, a podcast
6:39
from the Texas Newsroom and PBS's
6:41
Frontline. I'm Dominic Anthony
6:43
Walsh.
6:44
On July 4th, 2025,
6:46
the Texas Hill Country was hit by
6:47
one of the deadliest floods in U.S.
6:49
History.
6:50
At least 130 people died.
6:52
Throughout this podcast, we've heard
6:53
harrowing stories from people who
6:55
barely survived.
6:56
We've talked to a grieving father
6:58
who turned his sorrow into action.
7:00
We've taken you through changes the
7:02
state made.
7:03
For this episode, the final in the
7:04
podcast.
7:05
We planned to explore whether this
7:07
part of Texas was more prepared for
7:09
the next flood.
7:11
And then...
7:12
Deadly flooding in Texas.
7:13
More than two feet of rain.
7:15
Almost exactly a year later...
7:17
Texas declaring a major disaster
7:19
after more catastrophic floods.
7:21
There was another one.
7:22
A quote, large and deadly flood
7:24
wave is barreling down the Guadalupe
7:26
River, according to forecasters.
7:28
That's the very same river that took
7:29
so many lives last summer at Camp
7:31
Mystic.
7:32
In mid-July, a massive storm
7:34
dumped rain on the hill country in
7:36
south-central Texas, swelling
7:38
rivers and destroying hundreds of
7:40
homes, roads, and businesses.
7:42
At least three people died.
7:43
And once again, Stuart Gross was
7:45
right in the middle of it all.
7:48
You just heard a selection from
7:50
episode five of After the Flood,
7:52
that's a podcast from the Texas
7:53
newsroom and PBS frontline
7:55
examining the aftermath of
7:57
last July's deadly flooding.
7:59
You can hear more of Stuart's story,
8:02
including how this year's flood
8:03
compared to 2025's
8:05
in the final episode, which is out
8:07
now.
8:08
Listen to After the flood wherever
8:10
you get your podcasts.
8:13
All right, we have a quick Austin
8:15
ISD headline for you before we
8:16
take a break.
8:17
More than 8,200 actionable
8:20
student safety incidents
8:22
were flagged on Austin Independent
8:23
School District-issued devices last
8:25
school year.
8:27
Austin Current reports that's the
8:28
highest number since the district
8:29
began releasing the data with a
8:31
third-party partner, and
8:33
that increase included more than
8:34
1,000 additional incidents involving
8:36
violence toward others, and about
8:38
700 more involving talks of suicide
8:41
compared to the school year before.
8:43
We have more about that reporting at
8:45
KUT.org and
8:47
on the KUT app, you're listening
8:49
to the Austin Signal.
8:51
We will be back after a break.
9:00
This is Austin Signal, welcome back.
9:03
Deaf children and families will now
9:04
have more options for accessible
9:06
TV programming.
9:08
That's after Netflix announced this
9:09
summer that it's partnering with
9:11
Sign Up Media to add American
9:13
Sign Language interpretations to
9:15
some 200 hours worth of kids
9:16
and family shows.
9:18
Joanne Benfield is an Austin-based
9:20
performer and American Sign language
9:22
interpreter who is part of that
9:24
project.
9:24
She spoke with host Miles Bloxson.
9:27
So tell us a bit about your
9:29
involvement in this project with
9:31
Netflix and sign up media.
9:33
What show have you been working on?
9:35
So I've been working on the Magic
9:37
School Bus.
9:39
Actually the Magic school bus
9:40
returns. It's actually like an
9:43
extension of the original Magic
9:44
School bus, but it's more modern.
9:47
I did their season one and two and
9:50
three of their short movies.
9:53
Yeah, that's pretty much what I've
9:54
been doing over the past couple of
9:56
months. And I'm so excited that it's
9:58
finally being released to
10:00
the deaf community.
10:02
That's so cool.
10:03
And this was sort of a like a full
10:05
circle moment.
10:06
You also did ASL interpretation
10:08
for the original Magic
10:10
School Bus series, correct?
10:12
Yes, that's correct.
10:14
So what is it like revisiting the
10:16
series with this new spin to it?
10:18
It's actually.
10:19
It's really different.
10:20
Because I
10:22
think these days a lot of the
10:24
cartoons are sped
10:26
up they're like faster they're
10:28
more colorful they're modern
10:30
so interpreting
10:32
it this time around was
10:34
a little bit more challenging
10:35
than the original season just
10:38
because the speed is so different
10:40
and I'm like oh my gosh but
10:42
it's incredible like I've so
10:44
much just by interpreting
10:46
and performing these.
10:49
Episodes like it.
10:50
It was just so much fun.
10:52
And you said it is different.
10:53
So in terms of the viewing
10:55
experience, what are the differences
10:57
in having a show interpreted into
10:59
American Sign Language versus
11:01
just having captions?
11:03
And why is it so important for folks
11:04
to have that option?
11:06
Yes, well, the viewing experience
11:09
is probably different this time
11:10
around. I think it's more of having
11:12
access to sign language.
11:14
We don't typically have that
11:17
readily available.
11:19
So having this opportunity to
11:20
provide that, it's
11:23
just amazing.
11:24
Because these days, technology is
11:27
off the charts. We have the
11:28
technology.
11:29
Why don't you just use it?
11:31
So being able to do that for
11:34
Netflix is just...
11:36
I'm just grateful for it.
11:38
What? I'm Just grateful.
11:40
No, it's it's amazing.
11:42
So why do you feel like it's
11:43
important for folks to have that
11:45
option though?
11:47
Well, because language is
11:50
not exactly universal.
11:52
We all have different languages that
11:54
we communicate in.
11:57
And having American sign language as
11:59
part of what we're
12:01
watching makes everything so
12:03
much more accessible.
12:06
Like deaf children, deaf and hard of
12:07
hearing children are typically
12:09
language deprived because they
12:11
don't have sign language at
12:13
home. So they don't have that access
12:14
to constant communication
12:17
but providing this
12:19
like the match school
12:21
bus for example or
12:22
giving them access to
12:24
their language that they eventually
12:26
pick up and they're
12:29
able to learn the same
12:31
type of content that hearing
12:32
children are learning at
12:34
the same time.
12:36
So giving them the opportunity to
12:38
be included I think that's like
12:40
the hugest thing ever.
12:42
It's so important and your work goes
12:44
beyond TV.
12:45
You also interpret music and
12:47
concerts and there really seems to
12:49
be an art to not just interpreting
12:51
performances into ASL
12:53
as a language, but also to
12:55
bringing those interpretations to
12:57
life with soul and emotion.
12:59
What is your process and approach
13:01
when you take on these various
13:03
roles?
13:04
Well, there's research we
13:06
have to do the research you also
13:08
have to love what you do if you
13:10
don't have a passion for it It
13:11
doesn't come as easily
13:13
But knowing what we're
13:16
doing like what the song
13:18
is about what the episode is talking
13:20
about That takes research
13:22
like you have to really dig into
13:24
it Like when I was doing magic
13:26
the magic school, but that's heavily
13:27
science-based.
13:29
So there's a lot of scientific
13:30
terminology that we don't
13:32
typically use on a daily basis, and
13:34
that includes the actual
13:36
sign language for those scientific
13:38
terms.
13:39
So it takes a lot of time
13:41
to really get into it, do the
13:42
research, make sure that
13:44
I'm signing things accurately
13:46
or everything is
13:48
conceptually accurate, and this goes
13:50
for music and concerts and
13:52
all that stuff too.
13:53
You really have to take the time to
13:56
understand what you're producing.
13:58
How long did it take you to prepare
14:00
for each episode?
14:02
Depending on the episode it
14:04
takes a couple of hours to
14:06
more than a few hours like
14:08
honestly that's that's a long time
14:10
to take just for one episode
14:11
but again science-based
14:14
it's not common you
14:16
have to take that extra time to do
14:18
the work plus you have to prep too
14:20
like i have to watch these
14:22
episodes like multiple times
14:25
practice it make sure i'm signing
14:27
it correctly it's
14:29
yeah That's a lot,
14:31
but again, it's worth it.
14:32
Yeah, I can only imagine.
14:34
Well, how can folks watch your
14:35
performance on Magic School Bus
14:37
Rides again?
14:38
Well, there's sign up media.
14:39
If you have to go to their web link,
14:41
they have a Chrome extension that
14:43
you can add to your Google Chrome.
14:45
And they do have instructions
14:47
on how to set it up,
14:49
how to open their titles.
14:51
They have a bunch of titles from
14:53
different streaming platforms.
14:55
So I do encourage you all to
14:57
download it, add it to your, Google
14:59
Chrome and.
15:01
Just enjoy it.
15:02
And if you have deaf and hard of
15:04
hearing children, make the most of
15:06
it. Like, this is such an amazing
15:08
tool. It's an amazing accessibility
15:11
point.
15:11
Like finally they get to
15:13
be included.
15:15
Joanne Benfield is an Austin-based
15:17
American Sign Language interpreter
15:19
and performer.
15:20
Joanne, thanks so much for your time
15:22
today.
15:23
You know, thank you for inviting me.
15:24
I appreciate it. And I hope you all
15:26
enjoy the Magic School Bus return.
15:37
All right, well, the World Cup is
15:40
over, but news about the World's
15:41
game is sticking in the headlines as
15:43
Europe's top leagues prepare
15:45
for their competitions to
15:47
resume this month.
15:48
And our local club is also
15:50
staying plenty busy.
15:52
For more about that, we are joined
15:53
now by Juan Diego Garcia.
15:55
He is one half of the hosting duo
15:57
behind the Vamos a Verdad podcast,
15:59
all about Austin FC.
16:01
Juan, it's always great to talk with
16:02
you. Always a pleasure, Jerry.
16:04
So we're definitely gonna talk some
16:05
Austin FC But I'm
16:07
still basking in the glow or the
16:09
afterglow I guess of the World Cup
16:11
and there's been some big news in
16:12
that arena Over the past
16:14
week week and a half that has
16:16
been the reaction to Gianni
16:18
Infantino's proposal to sell
16:20
Shares of the world cup who is
16:23
Gianni infantino.
16:24
Tell us a little bit about this
16:25
proposal
16:25
Yeah, so Gianni Infantino is the
16:27
head of FIFA.
16:29
FIFA is the global organization that
16:31
sets up and runs the World Cup,
16:33
as well as other large international
16:35
tournaments, such as the Club World
16:36
Cup. The Women's World Cup and
16:38
he had this idea to try to
16:41
monetize the commercial aspects
16:42
of the World cup.
16:44
He put forth this plan to
16:46
essentially create a separate
16:48
private company that would take in
16:50
private investors.
16:51
And the idea is
16:53
that when they put up the World Cup,
16:55
they take over the commercial
16:57
rights and everyone makes a lot of
16:59
money.
17:00
That proposal got pretty
17:02
much universal blowback
17:04
from the world of soccer
17:06
and all of the different corners
17:08
of it.
17:09
There are host cities that are still
17:11
waiting for money from FIFA just to
17:13
have hosted the World cup.
17:15
So for them to then say, hey,
17:16
yeah, we're gonna try to make a lot
17:18
more money out of this.
17:19
Monetize something that, you
17:21
know, FIFA is a non-profit
17:22
organization.
17:24
The money that the World Cup makes
17:26
realistically should be distributed
17:27
back through the member nations.
17:30
Infantino proposed it as a way for
17:32
some of the smaller nations, like
17:34
some of African nations, or some
17:36
of Asian confederations, to
17:38
make more money from their
17:39
participation in the World Cup.
17:42
But yeah, folks have not been too
17:44
happy with the idea of the proposal,
17:46
and it blew up pretty.
17:48
Spectacularly in infantino's
17:51
There's always discussion about how
17:53
much pushback fans can have,
17:55
especially here in America.
17:56
European soccer fans seem to have a
17:58
little bit more pushback on what
17:59
they can demand of the organizations
18:02
that represent them.
18:04
So I think some people were shocked
18:06
that this proposal from
18:08
Infantino kind of fell flat.
18:09
Were you shocked by it?
18:11
I was not, no.
18:12
As soon as the plan came through,
18:14
I had my doubts, I had my questions,
18:16
and the response to it has
18:18
been, you know,
18:20
maybe stronger than I would have
18:21
anticipated. But it is in line with
18:23
what I expected from a proposal
18:25
like this for something like
18:27
the World Cup.
18:28
Okay, well let's switch from the
18:30
World Cup and look a little more
18:32
locally.
18:33
There has been an absence of World
18:34
Cup games, but there has been a
18:35
plethora of Austin FC games,
18:37
so tell us how have they been doing
18:39
in the two, two and a half weeks
18:40
since the World Cup ended.
18:41
They've played three games and they
18:43
actually got off to a good start.
18:45
They had a 3-1 win at
18:47
home against Seattle.
18:48
It was a very exciting game to be
18:50
at.
18:51
But since then, they've kind of
18:53
tailed off. They've lost two on
18:55
the bounce.
18:56
One was a 3 nil loss in
18:58
Houston to the in-state rival, the
18:59
Dynamo, which is never a
19:02
good thing for a fan base to
19:04
take. Um, you know, there have been
19:05
some encouraging signs, but,
19:07
uh... You know, they got a long way
19:09
to go if they're gonna make a push
19:11
for the playoffs, and it still feels
19:12
like the team is,
19:14
you know, have some good parts,
19:16
but the whole hasn't come together
19:18
and these parts aren't
19:20
quite playing along with one another
19:22
to the degree that you really
19:24
need them to if you wanna, you
19:26
know compete for something.
19:27
Yeah, it's got to be kind of funky,
19:28
I would imagine, to play half a
19:30
season, then go on this extended
19:32
break, and then to come back to
19:34
find a little bit of rhythm.
19:35
Maybe you found something before the
19:37
first half of the season ended, but
19:38
kind of hard to get things going.
19:40
The good thing is that they have
19:41
more opportunities on the pitch to
19:43
maybe find that rhythm.
19:45
They're participating in the League
19:46
Cup this year. Remind us what that
19:47
is, and how are they set up for
19:49
that tournament? Yeah, the Leagues.
19:52
Leagues a cup, okay.
19:54
Because it pits Major
19:56
League Soccer clubs against Liga y
19:58
Mequis clubs, that's a Mexican
19:59
league. It's 18 teams from
20:02
both sides of the
20:04
border, if you will.
20:05
Obviously, Canadian teams are also
20:07
included in Major League soccer.
20:09
And, you know, the recent
20:11
run from Austin might not inspire
20:13
a lot of confidence, but
20:15
This version of Austin has
20:17
stepped up for big games and big
20:19
tournaments in the past.
20:20
Last year they made it all the way
20:21
to the finals of the U.S.
20:23
Open Cup, another one of those sort
20:24
of in-season tournaments.
20:27
The year before that they competed
20:28
in the League's Cup, they hosted
20:30
games against two big Mexican
20:32
clubs, Pumas and Monterrey,
20:35
Rallados, and they got victories
20:37
in both games.
20:38
The performances were really good.
20:40
So, you know, hope springs eternal
20:42
when it comes to tournament season.
20:44
And, uh, you could be having a
20:46
terrible season in your regular
20:47
season, if you will.
20:48
Your irregular campaign?
20:49
Right in your domestic league, but
20:51
you know those tournaments they can
20:52
always bring some some decent
20:53
surprises
20:54
Okay, well, you got a nice little
20:56
surprise coming up this Thursday,
20:58
that is a new interview airing on
21:00
Vamos Verde, who are you going to be
21:01
talking with?
21:02
Forgive me if you are Polish,
21:04
I am doing my best and I got
21:06
coaching, but we're speaking with
21:08
the new winger that arrived on a
21:10
free transfer in the summer from
21:11
Oxford United, an English
21:13
club.
21:14
His name is Przemysław
21:16
Blacheta, but he's
21:18
made things easy on us and he just
21:19
goes by Blachi, for short.
21:22
And we talked about a
21:24
lot of cool stuff.
21:25
I asked him what he would prefer,
21:27
a cold, rainy English night
21:29
to play soccer.
21:30
Or a hot Austin Summer,
21:33
I know my pick, and it's not what he
21:35
chose. He picked Austin Summer
21:37
over a cold, rainy night in
21:39
England.
21:40
I can see the logic,
21:42
I personally disagree, but I
21:44
yield to the professionals in this
21:45
because I've never played a
21:46
professional soccer match.
21:47
All right, all right, that's true.
21:49
Okay, that is Juan Diego Garcia.
21:51
He is a professional host for
21:53
the Vamos Verde podcast.
21:54
That is one thing that is for sure.
21:56
Their new episode drops on Thursday.
21:59
Juan, always great to talk with you.
22:00
Always a pleasure, Jerry.
22:02
And speaking on that heat, it is the
22:04
hottest month of the year, and
22:05
yesterday brought the total number
22:07
of Austin days at or above
22:08
100 degrees this year to seven,
22:11
and the National Weather Service is
22:13
expecting today to be the eighth.
22:15
With the possibility of reaching
22:16
that 100 degree mark tomorrow and
22:18
Thursday as well.
22:20
The normal high in the capital city
22:22
right now is the highest it gets.
22:24
That is 99 degrees through
22:26
the first half of the month.
22:28
So stay cool, stay hydrated,
22:31
and stay on the lookout for
22:33
the well-being of our community
22:35
out there.
22:36
That is it for us today here
22:37
on Austin Signal.
22:39
There's more from us at kut.org
22:42
slash signal.
22:44
Rene Chavez is our technical
22:46
director, Alexandra Hart is our
22:47
producer, and Kristin Cabrera is
22:50
our managing producer.
22:51
I'm your host, Jerry Quijano.
22:53
We're gonna be back at the same time
22:54
tomorrow, and we'll talk to you
22:56
then.