Cellphone Ban Passes In Austin

Don't use your cellphone while driving (or biking) in Austin; new ban passed

City of Austin considers banning all cellphone use while driving.

If you're in Austin next year, you'd better not use your cellphone while driving.

On Thursday afternoon, Austin Mayor Lee Leffingwell and City Council members unanimously passed a distracted driving ordinance, banning the use of cellphones and other electronic devices while driving a vehicle or riding a bicycle.

The new ordinance allows motorists and cyclists to use devices while at a complete stop. There are other exceptions, too.

This ordinance adds restrictions to an existing ordinance that bans texting while driving and includes activities associated with cellphones and handheld devices, such as taking calls, browsing the Internet and playing games.

The revised ordinance also applies to cyclists and motorists. Leffingwell stressed that cyclists will be subject to the same laws if they share the road with motorized vehicles.

On July 28, a city-commissioned group released several recommendations to the City of Austin regarding the use of phones while driving. Initial recommendations included banning cellphone use even while the vehicle was stopped in traffic or at a stoplight. The new ordinance allows motorists and cyclists to use devices while at a complete stop.

Other exceptions include using cellphones in a hands-free mode of operation, using a navigation system that is affixed to the vehicle or using a phone to report a crime or emergency.

The ordinance will take effect on January 1, 2015.

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breaking ground

Pharmacy giant Bristol Myers Squibb to build $2.3B Houston factory

Bristol Myers Squibb Houston factory rendering

Courtesy of Bristol Myers Squibb

The 60,000-square-foot facility is expected to open in 2030.

New Jersey-based pharmaceutical giant Bristol Myers Squibb Co. has officially named Houston as the home of its new state-of-the-art manufacturing site.

The 60,000-square-foot facility represents a $2.3 billion investment, according to a news release. It is expected to create 500 skilled jobs and will be located in Houston's Generation Park.

BMS first announced that it was considering Houston among 16 other cities for the facility in May. The new hub will manufacture small molecule, biologic and antibody-drug conjugates and is part of a $40 billion commitment to invest in the United States over five years. Construction is slated to begin next year, with the facility coming online in 2030.

"We're building the domestic manufacturing capabilities needed to deliver the next generation of medicines and support future scientific breakthroughs. Houston and the state of Texas offer the talent, infrastructure, and partnership needed to help bring that vision to life," Christopher Boerner, CEO and board chair of BMS, said in the release.

The new facility will feature a modular, multi-modal design, which will allow the company to reconfigure and add to its manufacturing capabilities over time. BMS says it expects the facility to "(grow) in scale and capability well beyond its opening configuration."

"Our decision to build this state-of-the-art manufacturing campus in Houston, Texas, reflects our confidence in the region’s ability to support a world-class, digitally advanced supply operation,” Karin Shanahan, EVP and chief supply chain and operations officer of BMS, added in the release. “This facility is designed to deliver the speed, quality, and reliability that patients depend on, combining flexible, modular manufacturing with advanced digital capabilities to ensure consistent supply across multiple modalities. It strengthens our ability to operate with resilience and positions us to reliably deliver medicines to patients today while adapting future demands.”

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott shared that the state has granted BMS a $4.89 million Texas Enterprise Fund (TEF) grant for the project. TEF grants, administered by the Texas Economic Development & Tourism Office, support business relocation or expansion projects that create "new, good-paying jobs in the community and attract significant new capital investment to the state." The development is also a qualified project under the Texas Jobs, Energy, Technology, and Innovation (JETI) program.

“Texas is a global hub for life sciences, where today’s innovations shape the future of healthcare,” Abbott said in a news release. “This $2.3 billion investment by Bristol Myers Squibb in the dynamic biotech ecosystem in Houston is a testament to the depth of our skilled workforce and the pipeline of talent coming through our nation-leading technical colleges and research universities. With lower operating costs and easy access to markets across the U.S. and the world, Texas drives affordability for consumers.”

"Bristol Myers Squibb’s announcement is a tremendous win for Texas and the Houston region, further reinforcing our position as a premier destination for life sciences and advanced manufacturing,” added Greater Houston Partnership President and CEO Steve Kean.

Last fall, Eli Lilly and Co. selected Generation Park, a 4,300-acre, master-planned commercial district near Lake Houston, for its $6.5 billion manufacturing plant. More than 300 locations in the U.S. competed for the factory. Read more here.

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This story was first published on our sister site InnovationMap.