Ready, set, ride!

The city of New Braunfels launched its long-awaited microtransit service, “Ride the Rio!” on Nov. 18. There are several ways to book, plan and pay for the new on-demand ride service.

“Ride the Rio!” is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to enhance public transportation and meet the growing mobility needs of residents, as previously reported by Community Impact.

Via Partnership Principal Thomas De Ridder said the service maximizes flexibility and convenience.

“Rapid population growth and the need for more flexible, convenient public transit options make New Braunfels a strong fit for a microtransit service like Rio,” De Ridder said.

Check this out: The service area encompasses most of the city limits and parts of the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction but excludes extensions of city limits that run along Krueger Canyon Road and FM 306.

For community members outside of the service area, the Alamo Regional Transit system is still available, according to the city. 

A Texas-favorite burger joint is expanding in New Braunfels, opening a brand new location in the city.

In case you missed it: San Antonio-based burger chain Whataburger opened at 1825 Hwy. 46 on Dec. 15, according to a news release from the business. The new restaurant is the chain's fourth overall location in New Braunfels, according to its store locator.

“Opening our fourth location in New Braunfels is about more than growth—it’s about deepening our roots in an amazing community,” Operating Partner Michael Watts said in the release. “This city has shown us so much love, and now it’s our turn to make sure that every neighborhood has the same access to our fresh, made-to-order goodness."

More details: The chain was founded in Corpus Christi in 1950 and moved its headquarters to San Antonio in 2009, according to its website. The restaurant—which features a drive-thru, dining room and online ordering options—sells burgers, chicken sandwiches, taquitos, salads and more.

• 1825 Hwy. 46, New Braunfels

As New Braunfels High School prepares to open Phase 1 of its new campus in January and continues demolition of its original 1964 building, New Braunfels ISD is working to preserve memorabilia, traditions and campus history, according to an update to board trustees Dec. 8.

Some details: A preservation committee was formed, made up of current and former NBHS staff members, alumni, parents and administration staff, according to board documents.

Several memorials from the original campus will remain on display. Other keepsakes, including the running Unicorn glass and the iconic Unicorn mosaic from the original front entrance, will be relocated to prominent locations in the new building.

Some context: Completion of Phase 1 construction includes the new three-story main building, career and technical training classrooms, cafeteria and common areas, as previously reported by Community Impact.

As NBHS transitions into Phase 1 of the new campus, items not moved into the new building will be digitally archived and offered to the public as keepsakes, according to the district.

Texans now have a new database to track the results of local bond propositions and tax rate elections, or TREs, in their communities and across the state.

The details: Texas’ Local Government Bond, Tax, and Project Transparency Database was unveiled after state lawmakers passed House Bill 103 this spring. The new law requires the comptroller to compile information about all bonds, tax rate elections and maintenance tax rate changes proposed by local governments in an election, including:

• Ballot language for all tax-related proposals
• How each tax measure would impact the local tax rate or debt service
• The difference between the adopted tax rate and voter-approval tax rate, if applicable
• The entity’s tax rate for the prior year and the tax rate following the election
• A list of projects funded by each tax measure
• The results of each election, including votes for and against a measure