Yet another alphabet-soup organization for local public policy followers to remember: DATMA. That’s short for the Downtown Austin Transportation Management Association, and we’re guessing it will figure prominently in the upcoming debate over whether to build the proposed Mueller-Downtown-Bergstrom urban rail line. DATMA is a collaboration among the Downtown Austin Alliance, the city of Austin, Travis Coun­ty, and Capital Metro. It announced its birth with a press release citing the city study being used to justify the rail line and another by the Texas Transportation Institute saying that a transportation management association could reduce single-occupant vehicle trips Downtown by 2% to 10%. The organization will focus on various ways to get more people into Downtown with fewer car trips, including advocacy for bicycling, carpooling, and Car2Go use, in addition to mass transit. DATMA’s first-year budget will be $150,000, funded in equal parts by its four member entities. An executive director is expected to be hired “in the coming months.”

This article appears in May 6 • 2011.

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