AUSTIN, Texas — One of Austin’s best known streets for dancing, nightlife and live music will soon see changes to its accessibility for drivers.
On Wednesday, Austin city leaders held a media briefing to discuss updates to Sixth Street downtown. Starting Thursday, Jan. 16, the city will open the street to drivers Thursdays-Sundays, with additional safety measures in place.
“Sixth Street should be a place that is vibrant at all hours, that has ample walking space and restaurants, bars and retail that appeal to a wide range of people,” Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said. “Most of all, Sixth Street should be safe.”
Additional changes include expanded sidewalks and the installation of fencing and rubber curbs. This type of curb is often used to help calm traffic and protect pedestrians.
Austin Police Department (APD) Chief Lisa Davis said law enforcement will make necessary changes to the street reopening as needed. Plans will be influenced based on the overall success of the initiative.
The changes come roughly two weeks after a deadly attack in New Orleans, when a man from Houston purposefully crashed into pedestrians on New Year’s Day, killing 14 people in the process.
At the end of 2024, Austin began a “soft launch” of this initiative, opening Sixth Street to drivers on Thursdays and Saturdays. The initiative was temporarily halted at the start of 2025, but will restart this weekend. APD said it did not experience issues when the street was reopened to drivers in December.
The police department also recently ordered balusters, which are short pillars that often act as railings.