BG Podcast Ep. 271: Preparing Cities for Air Taxis and eVTOLs with Austin Assistant City Manager Mike Rogers

Electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, commonly known as eVTOLs or air taxis, are moving from concept toward deployment. Recorded on March 18, 2026, Episode 271 of The BG Podcast features A.J. Bingham’s conversation with Austin Assistant City Manager Mike Rogers on a question cities increasingly need to answer: how do you prepare for a new transportation system before it arrives? The conversation followed the March announcement that Texas had been selected for the Federal Aviation Administration’s new eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, creating an early opportunity to examine what deployment could mean for local governments. Rogers focuses less on the aircraft themselves and more on what happens when new technology meets the city. The discussion covers vertiports, land use, zoning, charging and electrical infrastructure, airport connections, last-mile mobility, neighborhood impacts, and the potential for eVTOLs to reshape regional growth. Drawing lessons from the rollout of autonomous vehicles, Rogers argues that cities have more influence when they engage early, rather than waiting until technology and policy have already moved around them. That argument has only become more relevant. At an August 18 hearing, the Texas House Select Committee on General Aviation examined many of the same questions, including airport readiness, charging infrastructure, siting, zoning, land use, and community integration. The central takeaway from the episode is simple: the technology may arrive in the air, but many of its most important decisions will be made on the ground. // 🟪 The BG Podcast is produced by BG Media Group, LLC for The Bingham Group, LLC, a leading municipal lobbying and government affairs firm serving corporate, real estate and nonprofit clients across Central Texas. Learn more here: https://www.binghamgp.com/services