On January 15, a press conference was held at Parkside to announce a pilot program aimed at reopening 6th Street to vehicular traffic during weekends. This initiative seeks to test new approaches that could positively impact public safety and inform future management of this historic area. Sheryl Sculley, a Downtown Alliance board member, expressed gratitude to Mayor Watson, APD Chief Davis, Public Works & Transportation Director Richard Mendoza, and City Manager TC Broadnax for their support in enhancing safety downtown, particularly in the E 6th Street District.
At the beginning of March, ACM Garcia released a memo detailing preliminary data on the opening of 6th Street to vehicles from Thursday to Sunday nights. The reopening marks the first step in transforming East 6th Street into an 18-hour retail and entertainment district. More information about the pilot's boundaries and rationale is available on the City's website.
The initial public safety data is promising. Compared to 2024, there has been a decrease in arrests, use of force incidents, and officer injuries. Specifically, arrests in the George sector have decreased by 5%, while those around 6th Street are down by 11%. Crimes against persons on 6th Street have dropped by 21%, simple assaults by 33%, and use of force incidents on 6th Street by 50%, with an overall reduction of use of force by 57%.
Year-to-date crime comparisons within the Public Improvement District (PID) show favorable trends as well. Crimes against persons within the PID are down by 46% (from 170 to 91 crimes), crimes against property have decreased by 62% (from 278 to 106 crimes), and crimes against society are down by 44% (from 129 to 74 crimes).
Foot traffic analysis around 6th Street using PlacerAI aims to understand visitation patterns and demographic shifts resulting from the pilot program. Although there is no planned end date for the pilot, it has been suspended during SXSW. The infrastructure improvements will remain during this suspension.
"Having a safe downtown is a top priority of ours," said a representative from Downtown Austin Alliance. "Improving safety on 6th Street is essential to improving the health and viability of this world-renowned destination. We support the pilot and look forward to seeing how this will help shape and enhance the future of the District."
Information from this article can be found here.