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City outlines $47.8 million federal grant to reduce driving and boost multimodal travel; audience survey launches
Summary
Austin Transportation & Public Works staff presented the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (Moving Central Texas) and announced active audience research and survey work, including a regional survey and focus groups to inform a $9 million marketing effort within the $47.8 million EPA grant.
Kristen Pipkin, program director for the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant (CPRG) at Austin Transportation & Public Works, briefed the Urban Transportation Commission on Sept. 2 about the grant the city leads with six partner agencies.
Pipkin said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency awarded the City of Austin a $47,800,000 implementation grant called Moving Central Texas. The grant funds three broad measures: transit enhancements (measure 1), mobility hubs and infrastructure for active modes plus counters and monitoring (measure 2), and transportation demand management including marketing, incentives and trip‑planning (measure 3). Approximately $9,000,000 of the grant is earmarked for marketing and outreach to change travel behavior.
Pipkin introduced Reptellus, the audience research consultant hired to run a regional survey and focus groups. The consultant was onboarded in July and the audience research survey instrument launched the evening of the commission meeting; fieldwork and recruitment for focus groups will continue through mid‑November. Pipkin said the audience work will target three priority groups across the Central Texas region: regional commuters (for example, commuters from Manor or Bastrop), young professionals and gig workers, and tourists/recreational users and students.
The audience research aims to identify barriers to non‑single‑occupancy travel, the values that motivate modal shifts and the communication channels that would be most effective for outreach. Pipkin said results will be delivered in mid‑January and passed to a creative marketing firm that will develop targeted campaigns and incentives; the grant also includes development of a regional digital platform (CTX Go) for trip planning and incentives across transit and shared modes.
Commissioners asked about outreach beyond CapMetro’s service area and technical partnerships for the program’s digital tools. Pipkin and colleague Jacob Barrett said the grant intentionally covers a multi‑county Central Texas region and the team is coordinating with partners including TxDOT, CapMetro, CARTS and CAPCOG. Pipkin said the formal EPA partners listed in the grant application are not the only community partners and said staff will continue outreach to employers, nonprofits and others. She encouraged commissioners and community members to take the survey, sign up for focus groups, and share the QR code that launched the instrument that night.
