Going Verde

Austin FC and Q2 Stadium go even greener with new initiative

Q2 Stadium received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in November 2021 for sustainability in construction and design.

Courtesy of Austin FC

Austin FC’s beloved Verde team is going green beyond the pitch, joining the Green Sports Alliance (GSA) in its mission to support sustainability.

In a timely statement released Friday, April 22, to align with Earth Day, the Major League Soccer team announced its new collaboration with GSA to promote sustainability initiatives in the club and at Q2 Stadium.

GSA inspires professional sports leagues and governing bodies to embrace sustainability, connecting members and partners to resources, guides, and an expert ‘sports greening’ network. Leveraging the power of sports to engage fans, athletes, and local communities, the Alliance focuses on seven key program initiatives: energy, food, procurement, transportation, venues, waste, and water.

The new partnership means that Austin FC will begin to collaborate with an experienced group of teams and venues to ensure that sustainability and environmental issues remain vital considerations in how Q2 Stadium operates.

“Implementation of sustainability practices which minimize the environmental impact of our operations is a priority to our staff, our partners, and our fans,” says Austin FC President Andy Loughnane in the release. “Austin FC is excited to further our commitment to sustainability as a member of the GSA, and our Club looks forward to collaborating with our peers as we continue to develop innovative solutions within our industry.”

Joining GSA aligns with both Earth Day and Major League Soccer’s Greener Goals Week of Service:.As part of Austin FC’s Go Verde! Week presented by Yeti, volunteers from the Club and Yeti front offices and club supporters will participate in Rowing Dock’s Earth Day lake and land cleanup on Austin’s iconic Lady Bird Lake.

Austin FC is already engaged in several activities and initiatives related to sustainability. Q2 Stadium received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council in November 2021 for its commitment to sustainability in the venue’s construction and design. Innovative sustainability features include electric vehicle charging stations, 140 solar panels, and a policy allowing fans to bring in reusable drinking vessels, eliminating the need for single-use plastic bottles.

"The Green Sports Alliance would like to congratulate Austin FC on earning the stadium Gold LEED certification," said Green Sports Alliance Executive Director, Roger McClendon. "The steps the club took to earn this prestigious award shows their commitment to creating a more sustainably focused organization and the Green Sports Alliance is excited to bolster these efforts through our new partnership."

Austin FC  joined Major League Soccer (MLS) as the league’s 27th club in January 2019. The team officially began competing in April 2021 and played its first match at home on June 19, 2021, in the new $260 million, state-of-the-art Q2 Stadium. In addition to professional sports, the new stadium is slated to host its first concert on July 4, 2022, when Willie Nelson's picnic comes to town.

sustainability sports

Inspections and Registrations

Here's how Texas' new car inspection law affects end-of-year stickers

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This was supposed to make things simpler, but raises a few new questions in the transition.

Beginning January 1, 2025, Texas vehicle owners will no longer be required to obtain a safety inspection prior to vehicle registration.

House Bill 3297, passed during the 88th Legislature in 2023, abolishes the vehicle safety inspection program for regular cars and trucks. (The Department of Motor Vehicles notes that commercial vehicles will still be required to undergo safety inspections.)

Texas will now join the 36 other states in the U.S. that do not require safety inspections. This change means that car or truck owners will now take personal responsibility for making sure that what they drive doesn’t pose a danger to anyone inside or outside of the vehicle.

Texas State Sen. Mayes Middleton spoke for us all in May 2023 when he said that “vehicle inspections are costly, time consuming and provide little benefit to public safety."

Fees
Drivers will still have to pay the annual $7.50 safety inspection fee, under a new name: Inspection Program Replacement Fee, as part of the registration fee. Those registering a new car will pay a $16.75 Inspection Program Replacement Fee to cover the first two years.

Emissions
While the safety inspection is a thing of the past, emissions is not: 17 counties will still have to submit to emissions inspections prior to registration.

Emissions inspection tests are still required in these 17 counties:

Houston-Galveston area: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Harris, and Montgomery counties
Dallas-Fort Worth area: Collin, Dallas, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Kaufman, Parker, Rockwall, and Tarrant counties
Austin area: Travis and Williamson counties
El Paso County

Slacker info
In a statement, Staff Sgt. Rob Mallory with the Texas Highway Patrol says that "if your inspection is expiring in the next couple of months, you still need to go down and get your state inspection done in order to renew your vehicle registration for another year."

And according to a representative from the DMV, you have five business days after your current sticker expires to get a new one. This refutes common urban legends such as "you have 10 days," "you have 30 days," and "you have 6 months."

However, let's say you're a slacker whose sticker expires in November or December, and you don't renew your registration until January. You could theoretically get away with not having to get an inspection. They won't make the safety inspection retroactive.

For non-slackers: Ensure your vehicle has passed an inspection no earlier than 90 days before renewal, and include a copy of the passing Vehicle Inspection Report (VIR) if it cannot be electronically verified. Plus a copy of current proof of insurance.

transportation politics