New barriers will soon be in place along a stretch of Sixth Street as part of an ongoing initiative to reopen the area to vehicular traffic on weekends – part of a larger effort to preserve the legacy of Austin’s Historic Sixth Street District and make it a safer and more connected, vibrant part of downtown.

The project launched in December with the goal of moving pedestrians out of the roadway and onto widened, protected sidewalks. For decades, a portion of Sixth Street, between Red River Street and Congress Avenue, has been closed to vehicular traffic Thursday through Sunday, allowing huge crowds to gather in the street, creating an unsafe environment and requiring a massive amount of Austin Police Department resources. The City installed safety equipment to widen the sidewalks and placed fencing between the sidewalks and street.

Since the launch of the project, preliminary APD data shows several positive outcomes, including reductions in arrests, use of force incidents, and officer injuries in the Sixth Street area.

Use of force incidents have decreased by 50% regardless of the time or day of the week, and the number of individuals who had force used against them is down by 57%. Anecdotally, APD officers have observed a noticeable decrease in fights in the entertainment district.

The rubber curbs, white flex posts, and fencing installed in January were never meant to be permanent, but a temporary safety measure as the City assessed the results of the changes and explored permanent barrier solutions. After several months in use, the temporary fencing has weakened due to vehicles running over the fence footings and crowds leaning against it during peak hours. Last weekend, some of the fencing fell into the roadway.

The damaged fencing was removed on Thursday and staff members with the City’s Transportation and Public Works Department are working quickly to replace them with more durable barricades. The new temporary barricades will serve as a stronger, more cost-effective mid-term solution as decisions on permanent structures are being made.

Sixth Street will remain open to vehicular traffic but, as always, APD may close the street at any time if deemed necessary for safety reasons. Frequently on crowded Friday or Saturday evenings, APD has made the call to close the street to traffic at certain times in the interest of safety. City leaders urge all Sixth Street visitors to follow traffic safety laws, stay within designated pedestrian areas, and respect any barricades or barriers in place.  

“We’re encouraged by the results so far and excited to see the project moving into the next phase of finding intermittent infrastructure and then the final phase of permanent infrastructure,” Deputy City Manager Jon Fortune said. “We are that much closer to achieving the goal shared by Mayor Kirk Watson, our City Council, and many business and property owners along Sixth Street of reinvigorating and revitalizing this iconic district, and making it a place where everyone feels welcome, safe and can have great time.”

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