# South 1st Alliance documentation index

**As of:** July 19, 2026  
**Purpose:** One safe map of the recovered source record, current research, and restart work. This index consolidates access and meaning without duplicating or rewriting the immutable archive.

## Bottom line

The recovered record is complete for the known South 1st Alliance Gmail history, the linked public Google Drive, and the attached or linked source documents identified in those records. The initiative has a credible historical record and a strong restart package, but it does not have an adopted street design, a current coalition mandate, validated corridor evidence, or authorization for public relaunch.

The durable agreement across the documentation is about outcomes: safety, accessibility, walkability, transit usefulness, business vitality, and neighborhood access. Lane configuration, corridor limits, bicycle routing, medians, transit operations, and the first formal ask remain open decisions.

## Live Google Drive verification

The public Drive was checked directly on July 19, 2026. Its live inventory matched [`archive/drive/manifest.json`](archive/drive/manifest.json): the same five root items and the same 27 media files, with matching IDs, names, sizes, and modification timestamps. Stable live exports also matched their local copies byte-for-byte:

- Lewis Leff call notes
- South First Community Vision Plan draft
- linked meeting-summaries spreadsheet
- South First Alliance logo
- credential-bearing administrative document, checked without displaying or summarizing its contents

This confirms that the local archive is current for the known public folder. It does **not** constitute an ownership, sharing, revision-history, account-activity, or recovery-method audit. The administrative document is isolated locally under `archive/private/`; it must not be quoted, linked, published, or added to Git. Retiring its legacy credential is housekeeping, not a gate on one-to-one re-engagement through the public-safe restart hub.

## Corpus at a glance

| Source | Recovered material | What it contributes |
|---|---:|---|
| Gmail | 14 threads, 106 messages, 12 unique attachments | Initiative origin, working-group decisions, partner signals, restart attempts, and the 2026 Group-delivery failure |
| Google Drive root | 3 Google Docs, 1 logo, 1 media folder | Administrative record, Lewis Leff notes, draft vision, identity asset, and original visual baseline |
| Linked Google Sheet | CSV and XLSX exports | Multiple machine-generated meeting summaries; useful as leads, not authoritative decisions |
| Historical media | 27 assets: 18 videos and 9 photos | Geolocated February 2024 before-condition baseline |
| Business-district attachments | 2 workshop-summary PDFs | Independent business priorities, boundary ideas, access concerns, branding, and walkability evidence |
| Restart work | Status, source inventory, historical and current baselines, research plan, stakeholder map, and operating plan | The evidence-qualified path from archive recovery to a responsible 30-day restart |

## Recommended reading order

1. [`PROJECT-STATUS.md`](PROJECT-STATUS.md) — current stage, blockers, working assumptions, and immediate decisions.
2. [`DOCUMENTATION-INDEX.md`](DOCUMENTATION-INDEX.md) — this consolidated map and summary.
3. [`preliminary/HISTORICAL-BASELINE.md`](preliminary/HISTORICAL-BASELINE.md) — source-linked chronology, claims ledger, contradictions, and reusable assets.
4. [`preliminary/CURRENT-PUBLIC-BASELINE.md`](preliminary/CURRENT-PUBLIC-BASELINE.md) — current City, CapMetro, construction, funding, partner, and data-access baseline as of July 19, 2026.
5. [`preliminary/RELAUNCH-OPERATING-PLAN.md`](preliminary/RELAUNCH-OPERATING-PLAN.md) — 30-day gates, governance, first-meeting kit, listening protocol, risk register, and unsent drafts.
6. [`RESEARCH-AND-UPDATE-PLAN.md`](RESEARCH-AND-UPDATE-PLAN.md) — remaining security, evidence, stakeholder, content, and funding work.

## Historical Drive documents

| Document | Status | Consolidated meaning |
|---|---|---|
| [`Lewis Leff call notes`](archive/drive/known-public-exports/lewis-leff-call-notes.txt) | Historical working notes | Established the original implementation thesis: paint and resurfacing may be easier than medians or right-of-way acquisition. Listed data, City, partner, committee, visualization, and web tasks. It was advice to investigate, not City approval. |
| [`Community vision draft`](archive/drive/known-public-exports/community-vision.txt) | Unfinished, never adopted | Proposed a vibrant, safe, accessible corridor and one-through-lane-each-way concept with managed turns, wider pedestrian space, identity, and alternative bicycle routes. It contains unresolved endpoints, comments, placeholders, unsupported claims, and an unfinished transit section. Preserve as source material; do not publish as a current position. |
| Administrative information | Private and security-sensitive | Contains a credential. The source remains in the public Drive and the local copy is isolated under `archive/private/`. Its operational content is intentionally excluded from this index. |
| [`Meeting summaries`](archive/drive/known-public-exports/meeting-summaries.csv) | Machine-generated and mixed-quality | Contains several versions of the South First meeting summary alongside unrelated records. Use it to locate topics and missing questions, not as sole evidence of decisions. The linked audio recording is unavailable. |
| [`South First Alliance logo`](archive/drive/known-public-exports/SOUTH-FIRST-ALLIANCE.png) | Historical identity asset | Evidence that an identity asset was produced. Reuse requires a later decision on name, governance, accessibility, and overlap with the South First Street District. |

## Gmail thread inventory

The complete readable archive is indexed in [`archive/gmail/README.md`](archive/gmail/README.md). The 14 relevant threads establish the following sequence:

| Date | Thread | What it establishes |
|---|---|---|
| Apr. 27–May 30, 2024 | [`BCNA Foxtrot discussion`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-04-27-re-bcnaforum-the-foxtrot-eyesore-18f1b8f20e6297a6.md) | The neighborhood problem and organizing origin: speed, poor pedestrian conditions, turning conflicts, transit friction, support and skepticism about lane reduction, and Sam's initial five-step plan. |
| May 21, 2024 | [`Google Group creation`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-05-21-group-south1stalliance-created-and-ready-to-use-18f98a9abee04704.md) | Confirms creation of the South1stAlliance Google Group. |
| May 21–Aug. 21, 2024 | [`Organizing follow-up`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-05-21-follow-up-from-meeting-18f98dfea814bcff.md) | Records the seven-person division of labor, Drive access, logo, vision assignment, partner leads, and City/council constraints. Relationships advanced, but no engineering review, adopted plan, or completed council meeting is documented. |
| May 22, 2024 | [`Photos`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-05-22-photos-18f9e0ec8a0abbea.md) | Adds four edited corridor photographs to the visual record. |
| May 23–25, 2024 | [`Barton Springs article discussion`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-05-23-interesting-article-18fa2e60991f3900.md) | Reinforces Barton Springs as the comparison case and records reported readiness from Farm&City; that support remains historical and unconfirmed. |
| May 26, 2024 | [`Meeting summary`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-05-26-meeting-summary-discussion-about-south-first-street-improvements-in-austin-18fb27a3dee3670a.md) | Machine-generated recap of transit, safety, data, outreach, and design topics. Links the now-unavailable meeting audio and the summaries spreadsheet. |
| June 7, 2024 | [`Towers correspondence`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-06-07-your-s1st-lane-reduction-article-is-timely-18ff4532bd8c23e6.md) | Documents an offer of supportive coverage when publishable materials existed; it is not current media authorization. |
| June 8, 2024 | [`Membership request`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-06-08-member-requesting-to-join-south1stalliance-18ff5fd697d1112e.md) | Shows at least one inbound request to join based on interest in a safer, more attractive corridor. |
| Oct. 16–Nov. 15, 2024 | [`Safe Streets / CityLeap thread`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-10-16-fwd-join-our-safe-streets-for-all-party---nov-20-192975fe82d12563.md) | Documents Safe Streets outreach, CityLeap coordination interest, and a reported future City study window. No completed Alliance planning session is recovered. |
| Nov. 4–6, 2024 | [`Restart discussion`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-11-04-re-announcing-our-new-executive-director-192df5b3d72c25bf.md) | Explicitly acknowledges lost momentum and uncertainty about goals, council engagement, and next steps. |
| Nov. 8, 2024 | [`Souly 1st documents`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-11-08-fwd-south-1st-souly-pdfs-1930c47cc4337e21.md) | Reveals the overlapping City-supported business-district process and attaches its two workshop reports. |
| Nov. 15, 2024 | [`Safe Streets event reminder`](archive/gmail/threads/2024-11-15-safe-streets-event-next-wednesday-1933079ab5d6b788.md) | Shows continued relationship maintenance, but no substantive Alliance decision. |
| Mar. 5–10, 2025 | [`Revival attempt`](archive/gmail/threads/2025-03-05-any-interest-in-reviving-this-effort-19566b3dc9cc1903.md) | Records renewed interest, a possible PTMD funding path, and a proposed March 25 meetup. No outcome is recovered. |
| May 25–26, 2026 | [`Freddie's City update`](archive/gmail/threads/2026-05-25-fwd-updated-coversation-coahowdy-19e6071eec69e7d4.md) | Provides the most recent historical City/Safe Streets leads, unverified traffic/diversion claims, and proof that the original Group message failed to deliver. Freddie was then made a manager. |

## Independent business-district documentation

- [`March 4, 2024 open-house summary`](archive/gmail/attachments/d3efe5c430d5-South-1st_Open-House-Summary_20240326.pdf): local businesses emphasized pedestrian safety, walkability, preserving local businesses and neighborhood character, access, branding, and community events. Suggested district boundaries varied from Gibson or Barton Springs to Oltorf or Live Oak.
- [`June 10, 2024 open-house summary`](archive/gmail/attachments/ba2d6bb3c39f-South-1st_District-Open-House-2-Summary.pdf): creating a walkable environment ranked first, followed by anti-displacement/local economic growth and promotion. Participants suggested road-diet, cycling, sidewalk, shade, landscaping, and cleanup ideas while also warning that reduced vehicle access could harm visitation. This is strong independent business evidence, not endorsement of the Alliance's design.

## Media record

[`preliminary/MEDIA-CATALOG.md`](preliminary/MEDIA-CATALOG.md) and the [`contact sheet`](preliminary/MEDIA-CONTACT-SHEET.jpg) consolidate the 27 Drive assets. All retain embedded coordinates; the nine photos retain February 24, 2024 timestamps, while reliable original timestamps for the 18 videos were not recovered. The imagery documents sidewalks, obstructions, crossings, traffic, transit, frontage, turning/access conditions, and corridor character in a narrow geolocated segment.

Use the media only as a 2024 baseline. Before public reuse, confirm locations and direction, screen faces and license plates, select no more than ten decision-relevant viewpoints, and create matched 2026 comparison shots.

## Current research and restart documents

| Document | Role |
|---|---|
| [`SOURCE-INVENTORY.md`](SOURCE-INVENTORY.md) | Provenance, counts, reproducibility, unavailable sources, and completeness boundary. |
| [`RESTART-BRIEF.md`](RESTART-BRIEF.md) | Executive account of what the initiative was, what it accomplished, where it stalled, and the recommended restart path. |
| [`STAKEHOLDERS.md`](STAKEHOLDERS.md) | Historical working group and relationship map; every role and contact must be reconfirmed. |
| [`RESEARCH-AND-UPDATE-PLAN.md`](RESEARCH-AND-UPDATE-PLAN.md) | P0–P4 work queue covering security, governance, corridor scope, public projects, funding, evidence, stakeholders, vision, identity, and media. |
| [`preliminary/HISTORICAL-BASELINE.md`](preliminary/HISTORICAL-BASELINE.md) | Best source-linked historical synthesis and claims ledger. |
| [`preliminary/CURRENT-PUBLIC-BASELINE.md`](preliminary/CURRENT-PUBLIC-BASELINE.md) | 33-link primary-source snapshot of City/CapMetro projects, construction, the bond process, partner activity, official access points, and data needs. |
| [`preliminary/RELAUNCH-OPERATING-PLAN.md`](preliminary/RELAUNCH-OPERATING-PLAN.md) | Gate-based 30-day operating plan, governance, meeting agenda, listening protocol, decision log, risk register, and unsent drafts. |
| [`PROJECT-STATUS.md`](PROJECT-STATUS.md) | Current stage, public-relaunch blockers, working assumptions, decision queue, and completion definition. |

## Consolidated narrative

### What happened

The initiative began in early 2024 with a practical question: could South First borrow from the Barton Springs safety-pilot approach, especially through lower-friction restriping coordinated with resurfacing? A BCNA discussion established real concern about traffic speed, pedestrian comfort, crossings, turning movements, transit, and access. A seven-person working group formed, created a Google Group and Drive, divided responsibilities, gathered imagery, drafted a vision, and opened relationships with advocates, City/council contacts, businesses, and media.

The work never crossed from interest into an evidence-backed decision. Corridor endpoints remained inconsistent. The vision remained unfinished. Traffic, crash, transit, ADA, business, and diversion claims were not validated. Partner interest did not become current commitments. Repeated restart attempts lacked a durable owner, cadence, and decision log. In May 2026, Freddie reopened City and Safe Streets conversations, but his message did not reach the Group.

### What is true now

Current public research shows that South First already intersects four City Transit Enhancement recommendations, Route 10 service, an active reclaimed-water project, nearby flood and sidewalk work, a recognized South First Street District, Safe Streets' CityLeap advocacy, and a live but unsettled 2026 bond process. These programs create coordination opportunities, but none proves that the Alliance's old geometry is funded, approved, or technically feasible.

### What the documentation supports

- A legitimate corridor problem exists and has been described by residents, businesses, advocates, and public planning sources.
- The strongest common ground is outcomes, not a particular cross-section.
- Barton Springs is a useful implementation comparison, not a copy-and-paste design answer.
- The business district is an existing parallel structure that should be coordinated with, not treated as a blank slate.
- Freddie is the first historical coordination point because his May 2026 activity is the newest recovered lead.
- The best first public deliverable is a sourced two-page current-state and next-action brief, not the old vision, logo, or a website.

### What the documentation does not support

- No adopted Alliance street design or corridor boundary
- No formal City, CapMetro, partner, neighborhood, business, or media commitment
- No verified traffic-diversion model, current crash package, transit analysis, or ADA/right-of-way audit
- No confirmed allocation or construction schedule for a South First redesign
- No present-day assignment of the 2024 working-group roles
- No authorization to publish, contact stakeholders, or represent public support

## Remaining gaps and decision queue

1. Review and publish the concise restart hub as the context link for one-to-one re-engagement.
2. Compare notes with Freddie on activity after May 2026.
3. Reconfirm the active team, convenor, and operations keeper.
4. Adopt a provisional research boundary; Barton Springs to Ben White, segmented at Oltorf, is the current recommendation.
5. Diagnose and test Google Group delivery or choose an owner-based alternative.
6. Reconcile the Alliance with the South First Street District, Safe Streets, Farm&City, and current City/CapMetro work.
7. Obtain the missing crash, speed, traffic, turning, transit, ADA, right-of-way, resurfacing, and business-impact evidence.
8. Run the gated 30-day listening and evidence sprint.
9. Choose one near-term decision request, then decide whether to continue independently, join or support an existing effort, or pause.
10. In parallel, retire the legacy credential and clean up Drive ownership, sharing, and revisions without treating that housekeeping as a relaunch gate.

## Completeness and privacy boundary

This index covers the named initiative, its Google Group history, the known public Drive, the linked meeting-summary sheet, recovered attachments, and the July 2026 project research. It does not claim to include emails or files that never named or linked the initiative, material in another owner's private Drive, the unavailable Dropbox audio, or undocumented conversations and meetings.

Historical support and roles are not current commitments. Current City, CapMetro, funding, contact, schedule, and project claims require dated primary-source verification before reuse. Private contact details and credential-bearing material remain outside this index.