Editor’s note: This story has been updated to reflect an additional comment from the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department received after initial publication.

Over 50 organizations signed a letter asking Austin City Council to include protected bike lanes in its Sixth Street redesign. The petition, sent on Dec. 22, was organized by Safe Streets Austin, a nonprofit organization focused on keeping Austin streets, walkways and bike lanes safe.

On Dec. 29, the Austin Transportation and Public Works Department released its official preference for the construction plan. Staff recommended Alternative 3, which prioritizes foot traffic by creating the widest pedestrian zones of any potential design option through the exclusion of protected bike lanes. The city has gathered input for its Sixth Street Mobility and Revitalization Project since June 2025. 

However, in a ​​city survey about the redesign from October 2025, Alternative 3 had the least support from Austin citizens polled, with 47% of respondents strongly against it. Alternative 1, which featured protected bike lanes on both sides of the street, had the most support out of the three, with 50% of citizens polled saying they strongly support the design.

“People will be biking and scooting on Sixth Street,” said Adam Greenfield, interim executive director of Safe Streets Austin. “The question for the city is, ‘What are they going to do about that? Is it just going to let people do that dangerously, or is it going to provide a safe facility for them to do so?’” 

In 2019, the city set a goal to decrease the percentage of people who drive to work to 50% by 2039, according to the Austin Transportation and Public Works department’s Transportation Demand Management Strategic Plan 2025-2029. Part of this plan is to increase the percentage of people who bike to 5%. As of 2019, 1% of Austinites bike to work, according to the document.

Greenfield says the city should be “taking every opportunity possible” to increase the number of people who bike, and to accomplish that, it “has to involve Sixth Street.” Greenfield is not the only one who feels this way. In a statement, Zohaib “Zo” Qadri, who represents UT and West Campus in the City Council, also said he supports protected bikeways, and the city’s mobility recommendation. 

“As this project moves forward, I remain committed to supporting funding and implementation of protected bikeways alongside the Sixth Street improvements so we are improving safety, access and mobility together,” Qadri said. 

According to Greenfield, the coalition letter continues to update as more organizations and businesses sign. The city has not announced any official plans to change its preference. 

“Sixth Street is part of a larger network and, when analyzed holistically, Austin Transportation and Public Works staff found a strong need for increased pedestrian amenities in this area and reduce(d) conflicts between travel modes,” a city spokesperson said in a statement. 

“The City’s All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network includes the Lance Armstrong Bikeway just two blocks south of this area, as well as the two-way bikeway on Third Street and plans to incorporate more network options across Downtown Austin,” the spokesperson wrote. “The City’s All Ages and Abilities Bicycle Network includes the Lance Armstrong Bikeway just two blocks south of this area, as well as the two-way bikeway on Third Street and plans to incorporate more network options across Downtown Austin.”