Austin is replacing the orange cones and barrels on its Living Streets with planters, curb blocks and flexible posts, and it's using the program to test designs for permanent street redesigns, said Matt Macioge, Capital Improvement Program manager for Austin Transportation and Public Works' Community Services Division.

More than 32 streets covering about 24 miles are now in the program, Macioge said.

"We used to literally chase the barrels and cones all over the street," Macioge said.

What's changing: In March, the city began testing four equipment designs on four streets, Macioge said. The most effective were simple layouts that narrow the road, shift traffic from side to side and keep neighborhood entrances open, he said.

Looking ahead: Living Streets now feeds into the city's Shared Streets program, which permanently redesigns streets without sidewalks so people walking, biking and driving can share the road at slow speeds, Macioge said.

The first street to make the transition is in South Austin near South Fifth and West Oltorf streets, according to the city's project page.

Austin residents can find several new businesses opening up on the south side, including restaurant and retail updates:

• Mendocino Farms opened a new location on South Lamar Boulevard on Sept. 22, selling specialty sandwiches, salads, wraps, soups and sides.

• Casa Fina, a Spanish tapas restaurant and bar, is coming to Josephine Street in September 2026.

• Three businesses are coming to The Code on South Lamar: boutique fashion store Manhattan Cowgirl in fall 2026, wellness franchise Pure Sweat + Float Studio in winter 2026 and ISI® Elite Training in winter 2026.

• A second location of Bartlett's is planned for West Riverside Drive, with construction estimated to wrap up in late September 2027.

• Perla's temporarily closed following a kitchen fire on Sept. 6.

• Little Nishi is closing its South Congress trailer on Oct. 1 before opening a brick-and-mortar location.

A Round Rock hospital is the first in the greater Austin area to offer a new, minimally invasive treatment for artery blockages.

The overview: St. David's Round Rock Medical Center announced Sept. 1 that it began offering the percutaneous transmural arterial bypass procedure, which creates an alternate pathway for blood to flow around a blocked artery, according to a news release.

The PTAB procedure was first performed by vascular surgeons Drs. Nicolas Zea and Kofi Quaye at St. David's Round Rock.

The treatment is generally recommended for patients with peripheral artery disease, a condition that limits blood flow to the legs, the release states.

What they're saying: “This milestone reflects our commitment to bringing advanced, innovative vascular care to the communities we serve,” JW Newman, chief executive officer of St. David’s Round Rock Medical Center, said in the release. “By offering the latest medical innovations to our patients, we are expanding access to advanced treatment options and improving quality of care for those who previously had limited options.”

Check out the latest transportation project updates across the Austin metro.

Austin leaders look to local preparations as air taxis take off in Texas: New mobility options like electric vertical take-off and landing vehicles are now being evaluated for uses from passenger and cargo transportation to emergency response. Local officials are now moving ahead with extensive planning and outreach before the aircraft arrive.

Georgetown to reduce rideGTX operation hours, increase base cost: RideGTX, the city of Georgetown's ride voucher service, will soon eliminate overnight hours and increase its base price to combat rising costs. Once the changes go into effect, rideGTX will operate from 6 a.m. to midnight and cost a base fee of $5.

TxDOT, Mobility Authority seek public input on 290 Toll extension into Bastrop County: The two agencies are accepting comments on proposed improvements to about 15 miles of Hwy. 290 until Oct. 30. The entities are evaluating the feasibility of extending tolled main lanes alongside existing nontolled lanes, adding signalized intersections, and enhancing pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure.