City officials announced in a Wednesday press conference that 6th Street will now be open to vehicular traffic Thursdays through Sundays, reversing a decades-old norm of the street being closed to traffic during weekends.
As a weekend staple to locals and UT students alike, 6th Street is described as a “bustling array of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues” on Visit Austin’s website.
Lisa Davis, the Austin Police Department chief, said police worked with community members and business owners on 6th Street, as well as public safety officials, to develop a plan prioritizing the safety of pedestrians and officers during peak weekend hours.
In 2024, Davis and the Police Department conducted a trial of opening 6th Street to vehicular traffic on Thursdays and Sundays but paused the trial after a truck drove into a crowd in New Orleans on New Year’s Day, killing 14.
The Austin Police Department provided more security and barriers on the weekends following the New Orleans attack. Davis said the department ran the trial period without incident; however, she and other city officials will continue to monitor the situation as it unfolds during its first full weekend in effect.
When asked how the project makes pedestrians safer by reopening the street to vehicular traffic, Davis said the previous policy of blocking off the street was unsafe for pedestrians.
“These officers that do this every weekend, if you talk to them, what they say is they put these barricades up and get to work on what they need to do and pray nothing happens,” Davis said in a press conference. “The resources are not there to put those true barricades in place.”
Davis said 6th Street now includes wider sidewalks and rubber curbs. Anna Martin, assistant director at the city’s Transportation and Public Works Department, added that teams will also install fencing to prevent pedestrians from entering the street.
“If you are driving, make sure you maintain a slower speed and be aware of pedestrians,” Davis said in the press conference. “Also be aware of new signage in the area relating to parking and street closures.”
Sheryl Sculley, a Downtown Austin Alliance board member, said their organization supports the changes and praised Mayor Kirk Watson and city officials for providing a flexible plan.
“The changes we have made to the street space allow our public safety partners flexibility to ensure everyone’s safety on weekend nights in this area,” Martin said in the press conference. “Importantly, the changes also allow us to connect this area of 6th Street into the network of downtown Austin.”