Promoting Conversations About An Age-Friendly Austin

Austin Mayor Steve Adler drew a smidgeon of laughter from a crowd of about 120 Central Texas AARP members when he told them that not everyone needs to give up their cars and ride city buses in HOV lanes. Rather, he said, just enough motorists should do so to speed up the lane he likes to drive.

Callie Richmond

With a pinch of humor, Adler made a serious case to the AARP-member audience for staggered work hours and telecommuting, expanded transit and rideshare offerings. He said the fast-growing Austin area needs to be open to adopting new modes of transportation to reduce rush-hour traffic.

Adler’s policy-laden comments came during a more than hour-long “Meet and Greet” in late May that AARP Texas hosted in partnership with AustinUP, a local senior-advocacy group. The event was the latest in a series of sessions AARP is presenting this year to help Austin residents learn more about their elected municipal leaders.

A new system of governance is in place in Austin, one that involves 10 City Council members elected from geographic districts and Adler’s position as citywide-elected mayor. AARP is trying to foster communication between these and other city officials and the public and to grow conversations throughout the community about how Austin can become an even greater place for people of all ages.

Jessica Lemann, an associate state director of outreach and advocacy for AARP Texas, is organizing the council member meetings. She said they’re intended to be “intimate opportunities to discover and discuss Austin City Council members’ vision for the city” and how, in turn, the city government can work to “meet the needs of a rapidly aging population.”

Callie Richmond

In the first few weeks of the program, AARP members heard from two City Council members who represent districts in south Austin: Ann Kitchen, a former state representative, and Ellen Troxclair, one of the youngest-elected officials in Central Texas. They both said age-inclusive policies are priorities for the new City Council. They mentioned concerns of adequate transportation, affordable housing, and access to home-based services for seniors. Another City Council Member, Leslie Pool, who serves a North Austin district, will meet with AARP members on June 29, and similar events will continue throughout the year.

Rob Schneider, a manager of outreach and advocacy at AARP Texas, said at the Mayor Adler event that AARP is invested in helping to promote age-friendly living in communities around the state. He said an age-friendly place is one with affordable and safe transportation options. He said it’s one where housing is built or can be modified to accommodate people with changing physical needs as they age. It’s one with accessible and safe recreation and parks, he added. And it’s inclusive and supports diverse cultural and ethnic programs. “Mostly, it’s whatever people in the community want it to be,” Schneider said.

Adler struck heavily on the age-friendly theme in his remarks. He addressed mobility, affordability, inequality, and characterized Central Texas’ fast growth as both a blessing and a curse. He also urged Austinites to support a proposed a homestead exemption on property taxes, and he praised the Council for working effectively despite predictions by some observers that they’d be derailed in their first months by ward-style politics.

-- By Mark Hollis