Austin and Travis County residents can get rid of their Christmas trees for free through public recycling opportunities starting Dec. 26.

What residents need to know: Austin Resource Recovery curbside customers can leave their trees out for composting collection, and residents have several opportunities to leave their trees at city and county drop-off sites in December and January.

All trees gathered will be turned into compost or mulch. Austin will make tree mulch available for free on a first-come, first-served basis Jan. 8. Free drop-off sites will be open from 7 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Dec. 26-Jan. 11 at several Travis County facilities. 

Also of note: Austinites can also drop their own trees off in person at Zilker Park. Tree recycling events will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 28 and Jan. 3.

Residents can also recycle their non-functional holiday lights at Austin's Recycle and Reuse Drop-off Center, located at 2514 Business Center Drive, Austin, or at county drop-off locations.

From new design plans and major contract bidding to legal hurdles and progress toward billions in federal funding, these six updates track how Austin’s light rail endeavor, Project Connect, advanced throughout 2025.

1. Light Rail preliminary design plans released
The agency tasked with building the city’s light rail, Austin Transit Partnership, released a draft of its environmental impact study Jan. 10, kicking off the first in a series of major milestones slated for the upcoming year.

The document outlines several proposed adaptations from the last plans released for the rail system, which date back to 2023, when transit officials reduced plans for the rail by roughly half.

2. ATP recognized for community focus
Project Connect was honored March 26 by local nonprofit Community Advancement Network for the initiative's work toward collaboratively addressing community needs.

3. ATP opens bidding for $3B Austin light rail contract
Austin Transit Partnership officially launched the agency’s official solicitation process for a design and construction contract worth an estimated $3 billion.

Taco N Maíz joined Austin’s dining scene with a brick-and-mortar location on Sixth Street and Sabine Street in downtown.

On the menu: Downtown Austin’s newest taco eatery serves tacos with bistec, pastor, chicken, chorizo, buche, tripa, lengua, nopal and mushrooms. Customers can also find quesadillas with various fillings, volcanes, burritos, loaded potatoes, tortas, nachos, alambres and tacotes.

The space is family owned by Andy Mendez and Paola Abarca, and its current hours are Thu.-Sun., 6 p.m.-2 a.m., with the exception of Fridays and Saturdays when the business remains open until 3 a.m.

• 603 Sabine St., Austin