In the first week of return-to-office in Austin, TxDOT employees end up parking in fire lanes

AUSTIN – KUT reports that just a week into a push to get workers back into the office, employees with Texas’ transportation agency are struggling to find parking. So, they’re parking illegally. An employee with the Texas Department of Transportation reached out to KUT on Thursday, saying the agency is allowing workers to park in fire lanes at its 1,600-employee campus near Stassney Lane and Burleson Road. The person asked to remain anonymous for fear of retaliation. Another person filed an Austin 311 complaint about the parking Thursday, but it was closed. A screenshot from the app that the complainant shared with KUT says “DPS [Department of Public Safety] supervisor did not allow [the] officer permission to enter and cite vehicles in the fire lane.” Austin Transportation Public Works confirmed in a statement to KUT that an officer was called out to TxDOT on Tuesday, but no tickets were issued. Under Austin’s city code and state law, it’s illegal to obstruct or park in front of a fire lane.

“The officer was granted access by security and noted the improperly parked vehicles were located on TxDOT’s private property,” the statement read. “Transportation and Public Works manages vehicle parking on public right-of-way and does not regulate parking on private property.” In a statement, TxDOT spokesperson Adam Hammons told KUT parked cars “maintained the required clearance standard on the road for emergency vehicles.” He said the agency anticipated parking issues. “TxDOT allowed some workers to park along the outside curb of the parking garage in anticipation of a possible overflow, which was not the case,” he said. “This did not impede emergency vehicles to access the facility.” Five TxDOT campuses were consolidated into a new 49-acre site that opened in South Austin in 2022. During planning for the site, TxDOT cited the ability for employees to work remotely as a reason to scale back plans for more parking.