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Safety on 6th Street: APD to install tall curb edges soon

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Published  January 3, 2025 9:58pm CST
Downtown
FOX 7 Austin

6th Street tall curb edges coming soon

Sixth Street has been blocked off to vehicles from sunset until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday for several decades. However, the new police chief plans to change all that, a concept the city has been testing out.

The Brief

    • APD has plans to reopen 6th Street on the weekends
    • Austin police chief believes it will help the city crackdown on crime
    • Another phase of their plan is to install curb edges that are 12-to-18 inches tall

AUSTIN, Texas - Sixth Street has been blocked off to vehicles from sunset until 2 a.m. Thursday through Saturday for several decades. However, the new police chief plans to change all that, a concept the city has been testing out. 

"The current phase is opening the street on Thursdays and Sundays, and that has been taking effect over the past three weekends and without any incident," said Chief of Austin police Lisa Davis. 

It is an area known for its historic charm, from live music venues and restaurants to weekend bar crawls attracting large crowds. 

"I know there are similarities when we talk about an entertainment district, and so we have Sixth Street with plans of reopening," said Lisa Davis. 

APD still looking at opening 6th Street to cars

Austin police say they are still planning to open Sixth Street to vehicular traffic, even after the deadly truck attack in New Orleans where 14 people were killed when a man drove a truck into a crowd of Bourbon Street revelers on New Year's Day.

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The Austin police chief aims to open Sixth Street to traffic because she believes it will help the city crackdown on crime. However, in the wake of the New Orleans terror attack, she added more barriers to block off the street, including large trucks. 

"Recognizing what happened in New Orleans and Las Vegas, we do need to take some steps," said Davis. "These next couple of weeks, we will see an increased presence of officers." 

But it would only be temporary. Chief Davis said she thinks allowing vehicles to drive through the pedestrian-filled street might improve security and prevent fights. 

APD talks safety on 6th St. in downtown Austin

Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis talks about plans to improve safety on 6th Street after the recent terror attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans.

"It is unbelievable the amount of injuries to officers and uses of force we have in this area," said Davis. "We have to look at doing things better." 

In addition to opening the roadway to traffic, she said another phase of their plan is to install curb edges that are 12-to-18 inches tall. 

"We originally ordered for the entire length of Sixth Street to Brazos to Red River," said Davis. "They are not in, so we have some that's coming, and we're going to block up. We're going to start with the 300-400 block of Sixth Street because that is where I'm most concentrated."

The added equipment on curbs is meant to block vehicles from driving onto the sidewalks and prevent something like what happened in New Orleans. 

The Source: Information from interviews conducted by FOX 7 Austin's Katie Pratt

DowntownCrime and Public Safety