Tag Archives: San Antonio

The Travis County study for an alternate Austin-to-San Antonio passenger rail line

Posted on August 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

We have two not great choices for something that would be really really useful if it could ever be made to happen. A passenger rail link between Austin and San Antonio, long dreamed about by local officials and commuters who would … Continue reading →

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TxDOT’s proposal for Austin-San Antonio passenger rail

Posted on July 19, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m actually kind of impressed. It still seems like a longshot, for reasons explained in the article, but it also feels like the most plausible and realistic scenario I’ve seen. If improvements are made to existing rail tracks between San … Continue reading →

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Brackenridge Park religious liberties plaintiffs petition SCOTUS

Posted on July 5, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’ll keep an eye on this. The legal fight over the future of a sacred Native American religious site at San Antonio’s Brackenridge Park is now headed to the U.S. Supreme Court. First Liberty Institute and the University of Texas … Continue reading →

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The rainbow crosswalk replacements

Posted on July 4, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

It’s something. Forced to remove rainbow crosswalks under a state edict to erase “political” messages from their streets, some Texas cities are finding new and colorful ways to celebrate Pride and their LGBTQ+ communities. In El Paso, street lamps have … Continue reading →

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More air taxi testing

Posted on June 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Going on now in San Antonio. Nearly a century ago, Maj. William Ocker and Capt. Charles Crane developed a new piloting technique at San Antonio’s Kelly Field called “blind flying,” where the pilot relied on new kinds of instruments to … Continue reading →

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A data center roundup

Posted on June 14, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

From Jeremy Wallace’s newsletter. A flood of new data centers trying to hook into the Texas electrical grid could force the state to significantly expand its power grid to accommodate the new demand. More than 480 “large” data centers have … Continue reading →

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SCOTx tosses cable franchise fees lawsuit

Posted on June 8, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Sheesh. Texas Supreme Court justices say they won’t decide whether two state laws give an illegal discount to telecommunication companies — because the nearly 60 cities challenging the statutes in a lawsuit shouldn’t have sued the state of Texas in the first … Continue reading →

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How cities can help mitigate floods

Posted on May 30, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Fascinating. A new study on rain events in Texas could help reduce urban flood risks and improve planning for extreme weather. The Texas A&M Urban Flood Study found that cities can actually change the weather, depending on the type of … Continue reading →

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No Waymos this weekend

Posted on May 23, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

News you might be able to use. Waymo has suspended service in Houston and other Texas cities since heavy rain is expected to hit the region over Memorial Day weekend and the company’s self-driving vehicles have struggled to navigate flooded … Continue reading →

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Waymo recalls robotaxis for flood fixes

Posted on May 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Waymo is recalling its U.S. fleet of robotaxis after one of the autonomous vehicles was swept away when it drove into floodwaters in San Antonio. The voluntary software recall stems from an incident during severe weather April 20, when a Waymo … Continue reading →

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Waymo to resume service in San Antonio after two flooding incidents

Posted on May 12, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest. Autonomous ride-hailing company Waymo is expected to resume service in San Antonio this week after suspending operations following two flood-related incidents involving its self-driving vehicles. Operations were paused after an April 20 incident in which a Waymo vehicle … Continue reading →

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Tesla robotaxis arrive in Houston

Posted on April 22, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

And in Dallas. Tesla’s Robotaxi service has taken to the streets of Houston. In a brief statement Saturday, April 18 on its X social media account, Tesla Robotaxi says the autonomous rideshare service just launched in Texas’ two biggest metro areas — … Continue reading →

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The Home Team Act

Posted on March 29, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I’m listening. Progressives on Capitol Hill want to make it harder for professional sports teams to jump to a new city, citing “billionaire” team owners who they say leverage relocation threats for big public subsidies. The so-called Home Team Act, … Continue reading →

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So how do first responders handle autonomous vehicles?

Posted on March 22, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This story raised more questions than it answered for me. A viral image from the March 1 shooting in downtown Austin — an autonomous vehicle blocking an ambulance from reaching the scene where a gunman fatally wounded three people and … Continue reading →

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Bexar County pushes back against a proposed ICE detention center

Posted on March 13, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Good. Bexar County Commissioners voted 3-1 Tuesday to formally oppose a proposed immigration detention facility on San Antonio’s East Side, approving a resolution that leaves the door open to join potential legal challenges against the project. The vote marks the governmental body’s … Continue reading →

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San Antonio to (maybe) study eliminating some bus fares

Posted on February 27, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Of interest, at least to me. San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones is asking VIA Metropolitan Transit to map out how the agency would test free bus rides on its busiest routes, a move supporters say could ease transportation burdens … Continue reading →

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Waymo arrives in Houston

Posted on February 25, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

As anticipated, and for a select group for now. Some riders can start boarding Waymo self-driving cars in Houston and two other Texas cities Tuesday, marking the latest launch for the nationwide fleet of robotaxis. The driverless vehicles debuted in … Continue reading →

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ICE is buying up warehouses

Posted on February 15, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

In San Antonio. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed Wednesday that the agency has purchased land and a facility in San Antonio to expand its detention operations, though officials declined to disclose the location of the property in question. In … Continue reading →

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SCOTx to hear cable franchise fees appeal

Posted on January 24, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

This is a big deal, with direct impacts on the finances of multiple cities. Texas Supreme Court justices will decide whether two state laws are giving unlawful discounts to cable and telecommunication service providers, resulting in millions in lost revenue … Continue reading →

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Dallas still needs to remove its rainbow crosswalks

Posted on January 23, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

They’ve tried to delay it but are probably running out of road. The Texas Department of Transportation gave Dallas until Jan. 31 to remove its decorative crosswalks, which include LGBTQ+ rainbow and Black Lives Matter designs, according to a memo … Continue reading →

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San Antonio to install rainbow sidewalks

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

Can’t have rainbow crosswalks, so this will have to do. The City of San Antonio has started preparing the sidewalks on N. Main Avenue to be painted in rainbow colors. The decision comes after the city was forced to remove … Continue reading →

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Who wants to take a “luxury commuter van” ride?

Posted on January 10, 2026 by Charles Kuffner

I dunno. Houstonians now have a new way to hop between cities, and it comes with Wi-Fi, leather seats, and a guaranteed Buc-ee’s stop. On November 17, mobility startup Shutto launched its luxury van service connecting San Antonio, Austin, and Houston, offering … Continue reading →

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Recycle those old Christmas lights

Posted on December 31, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

You’ve hopefully already made a plan to recycle your Christmas tree. Now you can do the same for old and broken Christmas lights. The Houston Zoo is accepting old and broken Christmas lights to recycle them and keep them out … Continue reading →

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San Antonio will move its elections to November

Posted on December 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good move. San Antonians will cast ballots for municipal elections in November of odd-numbered years — instead of May — beginning in 2029 after a fractured City Council approved the calendar change, a move championed by Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones. … Continue reading →

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Time for another Lone Star Rail update

Posted on December 19, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Because I will always write about Lone Star Rail updates. As Travis County Judge Andy Brown runs for reelection, one of his top campaign priorities is building a train between Austin and San Antonio. “You want trains; I want to … Continue reading →

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San Antonio rainbow crosswalk appeal denied

Posted on December 17, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. The Texas Department of Transportation has denied the City of San Antonio’s request to keep the pride district’s rainbow crosswalks after Gov. Greg Abbott’s order to remove “any and all political ideologies” from Texas streets. In an Oct. 8 news release from … Continue reading →

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San Antonio considers moving its elections to November

Posted on November 29, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They should! San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has asked City Council to move the city’s municipal elections from May to November, a move state lawmakers set the stage for earlier this year. The change would save taxpayers $1 million, … Continue reading →

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The rainbow crosswalk ban comes for student artwork

Posted on November 23, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Every day and in every way, this gets dumber and dumber. Two crosswalks painted by students in Bedford will be removed this month, in line with a new Texas state policy banning “non-standard surface markings, signage, and signals that do not directly support … Continue reading →

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Waymo coming to Houston, Zoox doing demos in San Francisco

Posted on November 22, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

A twofer here, beginning with the local news. You may have spotted Waymo’s self-driving cars across Houston since the company began testing in the city earlier this year. Now, the autonomous ride-hailing service is preparing to take off the training … Continue reading →

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Tesla robotaxis are coming to Houston

Posted on November 15, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Eventually. Real Soon Now. When Elon gets around to it. Tesla plans to bring its driverless robotaxi service to Houston, following CEO Elon Musk’s announcement that safety drivers will be phased out in Austin by the end of 2025. Musk … Continue reading →

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San Antonio and Dallas to fight the rainbow crosswalk ban

Posted on November 11, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them! San Antonio has formally asked the Texas Department of Transportation to approve an exemption allowing the city to keep its rainbow-colored crosswalks at North Main Avenue and East Evergreen Street, arguing that the intersection has become safer … Continue reading →

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Where the rainbow crosswalk ends

Posted on November 4, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

This is deeply stupid and deadly serious at the same time. At the intersection of North Main Avenue and West Evergreen Street just north of downtown San Antonio, semi-faded rainbows connect each street corner in place of standard, white crosswalks. … Continue reading →

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“Death Star” lawsuit filed in Dallas

Posted on November 2, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

Welp. Two years after state lawmakers passed a sweeping law aimed at preventing Texas cities from adopting progressive policies, that law may finally get its first major test. Three Dallas residents sued the city in Denton County District Court Wednesday … Continue reading →

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Michelin 2.0

Posted on October 30, 2025 by Charles Kuffner

They’re back, with more stars. The Michelin Guide announced its picks for top Texas restaurants at the Wortham Theater Center Tuesday night. Last year, 15 Texas restaurants earned a Michelin star, including six in the Houston area. Michelin recognized 117 restaurants in total last year. Stars … Continue reading →

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