No Talking While Driving

City of Austin considers banning all cellphone use while driving

City of Austin considers banning all cellphone use while driving.

A city-commissioned research group says that in order to make Austin roads safer for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians, drivers need to put down the phone for good.

The Distracted Driving Study Group was created in February by City Manager Marc Ott, under direction of the Austin City Council. On Monday, the group released its recommendations, suggesting the City expand its current ban on texting while driving to include all cellphone use. Under the group's suggestion, it would be illegal to make phones calls, view traffic maps or use any other phone applications, but hands-free devices would still be allowed.

A memo from Deputy City Manager Michael McDonald stated the group's recommendation:

The Working Group recommends the City Council strengthen the current texting while driving ordinance to a hands free ordinance. The new ordinance should make it illegal to 'use' a portable electronic device ... by hand while operating a motor vehicle or bicycle in an active travel lane.

Members of the DDSG come from various City of Austin departments, including the Public Safety Commission, the Austin Police Department and others. The group also considered input from a public survey. CultureMap spoke with Assistant Police Chief Brian Manley, who participated in the group, and stressed that the expanded ban on cellphone use while driving is still only a recommendation. There’s no guarantee that changes will be made to the current ordinance.

“The mayor and City Council have all options open to them now. They may choose to pick it up and have a series of public input meetings, but in the end they may look at these recommendations and feel like the current ordinance with texting may still be enough,” says Manley.

He states that the expanded ban would clarify how officers can enforce the cellphone ordinance and improve public safety overall. “The current ordinance can be challenging,” says Manley. “An officer on the street can’t really tell if a person is texting or if they are just dialing a phone number or using an app. If the ordinance were to include any cellphone device in their hand, enforcement would be easier.”

The broader ordinance would mean that drivers couldn't use a cellphone at an intersection or stoplight. “Initially, the Public Safety Commission only wanted to include vehicles that were in motion, but now they include vehicles both in motion at stopped while in traffic or waiting at a traffic light,” says Manley.

He reiterates that the distinction is important for cutting down distracted driving. “The major concern is drivers losing track of the change in the driving picture ahead of them, and when you are in control of a vehicle you have a greater responsibility for those around you. Plus, how many times have you been stopped at a red light and no one is able to move forward because the person in front is on a cellphone? That’s why the recommendations now include anyone behind the wheel of a vehicle on the road.”

The recommendations also extend to cyclists in bike lanes and roadways, but the City Bicycle Advisory Council has stated its opposition to including bicycles in a hands-free ordinance.

Manley says recommendations will be reviewed by the Public Safety Commission and the Austin City Council, which will then determine changes to the current ordinance. “Austin is commonly cited as one of the most congested cities, and we are taking steps to reduce crashes and the number of injuries,” explains Manley.

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San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio has pulled off something that the rest of Texas has yet to do, but it didn't come without some contentious conversations. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

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