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Austin’s supply of parks and open spaces is often referenced as one of its most cherished amenities. But after years of population growth, it’s become more challenging to meet rising recreational needs.

The details: Portions of city bond packages have been used to expand parkland, and Austin’s also relied on a parkland dedication system requiring developers to either pay fees or contribute land. But future acquisition funding is uncertain, especially under a 2023 state law that slashed dedication requirements.

The changes came as much of Austin lacks the parks access that’s a stated desire of residents and city planners. Less than 18.5 acres of parkland were available per 1,000 residents as of late 2025, 77% of the city’s per-resident goal and a gap that equates to a need of roughly 5,700 new acres, or almost 9 square miles.

City officials are looking to crack down on excessive vehicle noise and unsafe driving, particularly along west Austin's RM 2222 corridor where reports of complaints and safety issues have been surging for years.

The details: A new city ordinance could be enacted this spring to address what officials deem to be unreasonable engine noise, caused either by intentional actions or faulty equipment. The policy would target vehicle noise above 85 decibels, and would apply only after potential offenders receive an initial warning from law enforcement officials. Violations would be Class C misdemeanors like speeding or vehicle registration infractions.

Quote of note: "This is reckless driving, it’s noise, it’s racing—which to my understanding is a felony. And these are all things we can't enforce well right now. And my hope is that this tool and the other things we’re working to implement can get us there," said council member Marc Duchen, who represents west Austin, including affected neighborhoods near RM 2222.

CapMetro officials announced that the contactless payment option, tap to pay, is available on all bus services as of Feb. 1.

The details: According to the agency, customers can now tap their contactless debit or credit card or mobile wallet, such as Apple Pay or Google Pay, directly on the onboard fare validators to pay for rides. The service accepts most major credit card companies and banks, with the exception of American Express. 

Customers who use tap to pay will also have daily fare caps, meaning riders will never pay more than $2.50 in one day when using the same credit card or mobile wallet.

Officials also said CapMetro completed a system update to implement the new service, so existing Umo customers will need to re-enter payment details. Customers who add cash to the app or on a reloadable card will not be affected.

Something to note: Customers who qualify for discounted fares must continue to pay with their reduced fare ID, the Umo app, or the reloadable fare card linked to their Umo account.