Public Notice: Wednesdays

Wednesday is the day we go to press with our weekly print edition. It always has been, and likely always will be, and for that reason it's widely considered bad form to commit serious news on Wednesdays. (Not as bad as doing so on Thursdays, right after we hit the newsstands, but that's a different story.) So you can imagine my pique at the way things have been going recently: First the whiplash of Jan. 6 – from victory for democracy in the morning to seditious mayhem in the afternoon (see "Georgia on My Mind," News, Jan. 8) – then the emotional drainage of this morning's presidential inauguration, both the sort of events that make writing about anything else seem tawdry. (Plus, wow! Lady Gaga and J.Lo, doing F. Scott Key and Woody Guthrie, rocked!)

But okay, enough is enough, and I really must insist on holding Joe Biden to the promise he made early in his campaign: that I can go whole weeks without worrying about what he's going to do next. Especially on Wednesdays.

Back in River City:

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Veteran consumer advocate Paul Robbins is filing a complaint today with the City Auditor's Office "alleging waste and misallocation of funding for the City's Customer Assistance Program, which is meant for low-income customers" of the city-owned electric, water, and drainage utilities. He notes that CAP "will spend at least $20 million in 2020," giving discounts and emergency bill assistance to those in need. The problem, says Robbins, is that in many cases this utility assistance is going to wealthy people in very valuable homes. As usual, Robbins' complaint comes copiously documented; in fact, he says he's been flagging some of these cases for utility staff since "as long ago as September of 2014 when I initially alerted them, but these customers still continue to receive discounts meant for the poor." Robbins is asking the auditor's office to initiate an formal audit of the program; you can read his 37-page complaint here, and we'll have more, including perhaps the auditor's reaction, in next week's issue.

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A couple of interesting transportation projects are underway this week – minor but significant fixes that could mean a lot to drivers and bus riders in North Central Austin. Last week, Austin Transportation Depart­ment crews replaced the long-problematic bus stops on northbound Guadalupe, just south of Dean Keeton (26th St.) – moving them north of Dean Keeton, where they've installed a raised platform/ramp in the bike lane, some 120 feet long, so that buses don't have to pull partway out of the travel lane, passengers can board and disembark on a level footing, and cars wanting to turn right off Guadalupe don't have to pull dangerously around stopped buses to do so. A win-win-win? We'll see; it's a six-month trial, and if it goes well, you may be seeing more of these recycled rubber platforms around town.

Meanwhile, ATD is beginning construction this week on the intersection of North Lamar and Morrow St. – specifically, removing the "Morrow pork chop" median that has nettled the adjoining neighborhoods for decades. The pork chop "prevents drivers from entering the Crestview neighborhood via N. Lamar Blvd. or Morrow Street," as Austin Sanders noted last April when Council okayed its removal, and its traffic-calming intent was overshadowed by its real and symbolic status as a divider between east and west. Glad all that's behind us now. Construction is expected to last up to six months, and includes a variety of other improvements, including pedestrian and bicycle facilities, and relocated bus stops.