Parker Welch
@parkerwelch.bsky.social
Transportation engineer, urbanist, Austinite, liberal patriot
Board Secretary @aura-atx.org
Poems & Essays: https://thisfaintfire.substack.com/
Board Secretary @aura-atx.org
Poems & Essays: https://thisfaintfire.substack.com/
Behold, contextual development
November 25, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Behold, contextual development
‘That kind of building’, you know, the kind where ‘those people’ live
November 21, 2025 at 11:45 PM
‘That kind of building’, you know, the kind where ‘those people’ live
No schematic plans included, but you can glean a little from the cost estimate—for instance, they were not planning to grade separate the tracks at Oltorf Street but they were planning one mile of double-tracking between Oltorf and Banister Lane (around where Barton Skyway dead-ends today)
November 21, 2025 at 3:59 PM
No schematic plans included, but you can glean a little from the cost estimate—for instance, they were not planning to grade separate the tracks at Oltorf Street but they were planning one mile of double-tracking between Oltorf and Banister Lane (around where Barton Skyway dead-ends today)
Oh boy, Bill's about to sue the squirrels in the City Hall oak trees for meeting without official notice
November 21, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Oh boy, Bill's about to sue the squirrels in the City Hall oak trees for meeting without official notice
Here are some diagrams from the slides we used to advocate for single-stair in Austin
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
November 19, 2025 at 5:28 AM
Here are some diagrams from the slides we used to advocate for single-stair in Austin
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
Left, an example lot with 5 different single-stair buildings
Right, an IBC-compliant two-stair building
These are obv different size lots, but I hope this gets across that single-stair buildings are *small*
Board from this TXDOT multimodal transit plan event in Cherrywood, sketching our implementation steps
One of the “priority steps” is identifying options to increase funding flexibility for transit projects, would be pretty cool if TXDOT asked the leg not to renew the Prop 7 restrictions! 🤞
One of the “priority steps” is identifying options to increase funding flexibility for transit projects, would be pretty cool if TXDOT asked the leg not to renew the Prop 7 restrictions! 🤞
November 14, 2025 at 12:39 AM
Board from this TXDOT multimodal transit plan event in Cherrywood, sketching our implementation steps
One of the “priority steps” is identifying options to increase funding flexibility for transit projects, would be pretty cool if TXDOT asked the leg not to renew the Prop 7 restrictions! 🤞
One of the “priority steps” is identifying options to increase funding flexibility for transit projects, would be pretty cool if TXDOT asked the leg not to renew the Prop 7 restrictions! 🤞
Compare those two buildings (which are, effectively, boxes) to the blotchy articulation-slop that planning guidelines produce
November 7, 2025 at 4:06 AM
Compare those two buildings (which are, effectively, boxes) to the blotchy articulation-slop that planning guidelines produce
Oh great more of these cookie cutter luxury units for textilebros
November 6, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Oh great more of these cookie cutter luxury units for textilebros
apnews.com/article/redi...
Oh huh, the republican speaker of the Kansas statehouse decided to announce they won't be doing mid-decade redistricting about 30 minutes after we started getting election results tonight
Weird!
Oh huh, the republican speaker of the Kansas statehouse decided to announce they won't be doing mid-decade redistricting about 30 minutes after we started getting election results tonight
Weird!
November 5, 2025 at 1:14 AM
apnews.com/article/redi...
Oh huh, the republican speaker of the Kansas statehouse decided to announce they won't be doing mid-decade redistricting about 30 minutes after we started getting election results tonight
Weird!
Oh huh, the republican speaker of the Kansas statehouse decided to announce they won't be doing mid-decade redistricting about 30 minutes after we started getting election results tonight
Weird!
Timeline is having a night
November 2, 2025 at 4:12 AM
Timeline is having a night
Did some Prop Q canvassing today for @aura-atx.org & my union @afscme1624.bsky.social
Met a lovely woman who early voted for Prop Q, told her how beautiful all the Monarch butterflies in her garden looked & she dug up this sprig of Gregg’s Mist to give me. She said it’s their favorite food!
Met a lovely woman who early voted for Prop Q, told her how beautiful all the Monarch butterflies in her garden looked & she dug up this sprig of Gregg’s Mist to give me. She said it’s their favorite food!
November 2, 2025 at 12:32 AM
Did some Prop Q canvassing today for @aura-atx.org & my union @afscme1624.bsky.social
Met a lovely woman who early voted for Prop Q, told her how beautiful all the Monarch butterflies in her garden looked & she dug up this sprig of Gregg’s Mist to give me. She said it’s their favorite food!
Met a lovely woman who early voted for Prop Q, told her how beautiful all the Monarch butterflies in her garden looked & she dug up this sprig of Gregg’s Mist to give me. She said it’s their favorite food!
Renders of a new six-story mass timber office building at 1100 E 5th St thoughtbarn.com/projects/110...
We’re seeing a lot of mass timber in Clarksville & Saltillo since it was added to the code (even the convention center will have a mass timber roof). Would be kinda neat to see it all on a map
We’re seeing a lot of mass timber in Clarksville & Saltillo since it was added to the code (even the convention center will have a mass timber roof). Would be kinda neat to see it all on a map
October 28, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Renders of a new six-story mass timber office building at 1100 E 5th St thoughtbarn.com/projects/110...
We’re seeing a lot of mass timber in Clarksville & Saltillo since it was added to the code (even the convention center will have a mass timber roof). Would be kinda neat to see it all on a map
We’re seeing a lot of mass timber in Clarksville & Saltillo since it was added to the code (even the convention center will have a mass timber roof). Would be kinda neat to see it all on a map
By the way y’all the link provided for that is a projected estimate for *just* CityLine station. The reporter misunderstood what they were reading.
I would assume the ridership model is unchanged, no real reason to change it after federal funding was secured
www.cor.net/home/showpub...
I would assume the ridership model is unchanged, no real reason to change it after federal funding was secured
www.cor.net/home/showpub...
October 26, 2025 at 3:35 AM
By the way y’all the link provided for that is a projected estimate for *just* CityLine station. The reporter misunderstood what they were reading.
I would assume the ridership model is unchanged, no real reason to change it after federal funding was secured
www.cor.net/home/showpub...
I would assume the ridership model is unchanged, no real reason to change it after federal funding was secured
www.cor.net/home/showpub...
Presentation from Oct 1st on the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center: services.austintexas.gov/edims/docume...
Looks like construction should wrap up next month with a re-opening in February. The teaching kitchen looks kinda fun
Looks like construction should wrap up next month with a re-opening in February. The teaching kitchen looks kinda fun
October 25, 2025 at 8:52 PM
Presentation from Oct 1st on the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center: services.austintexas.gov/edims/docume...
Looks like construction should wrap up next month with a re-opening in February. The teaching kitchen looks kinda fun
Looks like construction should wrap up next month with a re-opening in February. The teaching kitchen looks kinda fun
Like c’mon tell me I’m wrong
October 25, 2025 at 3:52 PM
Like c’mon tell me I’m wrong
Me watching Dallas and Kansas City having fun today, thinking about how great Austin Light Rail opening will be…in 2033 😮💨😔
October 24, 2025 at 4:04 PM
Me watching Dallas and Kansas City having fun today, thinking about how great Austin Light Rail opening will be…in 2033 😮💨😔
Honestly though, in the future Carrollton Station will be the only place in the metro with direct trips to UNT, UTD, DFW airport, and Downtown Dallas, so growth might pick up!
Also a short, direct trip to Bachman Station, which has the highest ridership on the system outside of Downtown Dallas
Also a short, direct trip to Bachman Station, which has the highest ridership on the system outside of Downtown Dallas
October 24, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Honestly though, in the future Carrollton Station will be the only place in the metro with direct trips to UNT, UTD, DFW airport, and Downtown Dallas, so growth might pick up!
Also a short, direct trip to Bachman Station, which has the highest ridership on the system outside of Downtown Dallas
Also a short, direct trip to Bachman Station, which has the highest ridership on the system outside of Downtown Dallas
First new rail line in Texas since its sister line, TEXRail, opened in January 2019
Here’s the map of the new line (only Plano & Dallas are subject to the SB-840 upzoning)
Here’s the map of the new line (only Plano & Dallas are subject to the SB-840 upzoning)
October 24, 2025 at 3:02 PM
First new rail line in Texas since its sister line, TEXRail, opened in January 2019
Here’s the map of the new line (only Plano & Dallas are subject to the SB-840 upzoning)
Here’s the map of the new line (only Plano & Dallas are subject to the SB-840 upzoning)
Kinda fun detail in this one—they turned the two-per-lot provision from Seattle’s code into a two-per-*building* limit lol
October 21, 2025 at 3:04 PM
Kinda fun detail in this one—they turned the two-per-lot provision from Seattle’s code into a two-per-*building* limit lol
From the flower shops in Amsterdam
October 21, 2025 at 2:44 AM
From the flower shops in Amsterdam
Some gardens in Salisbury
October 21, 2025 at 2:36 AM
Some gardens in Salisbury
communityimpact.com/austin/south...
Three towers proposed for the town lake YMCA site by the Amtrak station: 840 housing units, added trails & street connectivity, water recycling, restaurant, pre-school, & new YMCA building
Three towers proposed for the town lake YMCA site by the Amtrak station: 840 housing units, added trails & street connectivity, water recycling, restaurant, pre-school, & new YMCA building
October 19, 2025 at 7:32 PM
communityimpact.com/austin/south...
Three towers proposed for the town lake YMCA site by the Amtrak station: 840 housing units, added trails & street connectivity, water recycling, restaurant, pre-school, & new YMCA building
Three towers proposed for the town lake YMCA site by the Amtrak station: 840 housing units, added trails & street connectivity, water recycling, restaurant, pre-school, & new YMCA building