City Cast Austin

It’s been a decade since Austin pledged to eliminate traffic fatalities and serious injuries — but even after spending $125 million, the number of people dying in crashes hasn’t really changed. So is Vision Zero a failure? And will all of the autonomous vehicles now in Austin help? Joel Meyer, Austin’s Transportation Safety Officer, says there have been significant improvements, particularly on roadways deemed the most dangerous in town. 

Get more from City Cast Austin when you become a City Cast Austin Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Plus, if you join now, you could win a pair of tickets to the Paramount Theater for the Dec. 21 Rebecca Havemeyer and Stanley Roy show or for Bob Schneider's Great Big Spectacular New Years Eve Party! Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

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Homelessness services took center stage during Austin’s Proposition Q debate. After the measure’s resounding defeat, the city moved quickly to pass a new budget that maintains existing programs, but will it be enough? With Austin’s unhoused population continuing to grow, what comes next for the city and the people on the frontlines? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Mark Hilbelink, lead pastor and executive director of Sunrise Homeless Navigation Center; and Lenny Barszap, co-founder of Been There, to discuss the city’s current strategies, the challenges that remain, and ultimately, whose responsibility it is to care for our unhoused neighbors.

Get more from City Cast Austin when you become a City Cast Austin Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

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The Austin Independent School District is urging Waymo to pause its autonomous vehicle operations during school pick-up and drop-off hours after footage showed the cars illegally passing school buses 19 times since the beginning of the school year. This comes after the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration launched a probe into Waymo's vehicles after similar incidents occurred elsewhere. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by Hey Austin newsletter editor Kelsey Bradshow and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to discuss the safety concerns these vehicles pose on our roads and what might happen next. Plus, the team digs into why Austin's bar sales are dropping and discusses Hope Gallery's new outdoor space. 

Get more from City Cast Austin when you become a City Cast Austin Neighbor. You’ll enjoy perks like ad-free listening, invitations to members only events and more. Join now at https://membership.citycast.fm 

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‘Tis the season to spend a ton of money — but in Austin, it’s still possible to eat, drink and be merry on a budget. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by the City Cast Austin team to share our best recommendations for cheap eats, drinks and activities to help you and your pocketbook get through December. 

This episode was originally published on Aug. 14, 2025. 

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Austin’s nearly 200 years old, and in a state full of tall tales, it’s no surprise that this city is swirling with myths and legends. But can you tell the truth from fiction? Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by producers Elissa Castles and Eva Ruth Moravec to see who can do just that the best — in a game of Two Truths and a Lie. Play along to see how well you know Austin’s history, and remember, in this weird city, truth is always stranger than fiction! 

Share your favorite Austin legend via text or voicemail, and follow us @citycastaustin — we just might post your submissions. 

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When Austinites rejected Proposition Q on Election Day, they sent city council back to the drawing board to create a new budget — which Austin adopted in what seemed like record time. On today’s episode, executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec is joined by Amy Stansbury, editor-in-chief of the Austin Common, to recap what all council cut and funded to balance the budget; how efforts by Prop Q opponents to force an audit may be redundant to what the city’s already doing; and whether the city can regain the public’s trust when it comes to spending and austerity. 

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The holidays in Austin are full-throttle and upon us, and it’s time you made your plans. Host Nikki DaVaughn is joined by contributor Eric Webb and executive producer Eva Ruth Moravec to help Austinites fill out their calendars. We’re talking about must-sees and must-dos this December in Austin, like movie screenings, shows, neighborhood lights, and volunteer opportunities; December goings-on that might be skippable (do you really need a new selfie from  the tunnel at Trail of Lights or that sugary boozy bev that’s gonna make your head throb?); and things that we’re looking forward to trying this year, like the Holiday Sing-Along and Stroll, treats from all of Austin’s bakeries, and Chabad’s South Austin Hanukkah party.   

For even more tips on how to make the most of December in Austin, check out Hey Austin’s take on what to do this month. 

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City Cast Austin Host Nikki DaVaughn and all 12 other City Cast hosts (from Chicago, DC, Denver, Las Vegas, Madison, Nashville, Philly, Pittsburgh, Portland, Salt Lake, Seattle, and the Twin Cities) are coming together for a special episode that’ll help you knock out your holiday shopping early and support small businesses around the country. From a mount/app that turns your phone into a bike cam, to a mustard-of-the-month subscription box, our hosts are here to tell the stories of local businesses in their cities making cool stuff that you can order online right now. 

For a full list (and links!), go here: https://austin.citycast.fm/

Learn more about the sponsor of this November 26th episode:

DUER - Get 15% off at shopduer.com/ccaustin

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After Elon Musk won the ear of President Donald Trump and made it his job to slash the federal government’s budget, so-called Tesla Takedown groups sprouted up nationwide. Some grew less active after Musk was summoned back to his day job, but Austin’s group is different. Here, a group of folks takes their job watchdogging Musk’s business activities — and using very Austin-y tactics to protest them — very seriously, even if their demonstrations might make you laugh. And for good reason: Several of Musk’s businesses have footprints in Central Texas, his technology is tested on Austinites, he’s been active in state and local politics, and the county might owe his company millions of dollars. 

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Tax bills for Travis County residents are going out now, and on them is a big increase for the county, a one-year push to replenish the county’s disaster relief fund after they were depleted following this summer’s floods. Judge Andy Brown joins host Nikki DaVaughn to explain why the tax increase was necessary (and why it’s now facing a lawsuit); how the taxpayer-funded child care program is going; and why he and commissioners are now reviewing Tesla’s property tax rebate contract. Plus, hear why Brown’s now hopeful that a passenger rail line from Austin to San Antonio may actually come to fruition. 

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