AUSTIN (KXAN) — Making the streets of downtown Austin a modern destination for people who live and visit is getting renewed focus. The city is reworking the Great Streets Plan, updating standards 25 years after they were set.
The plan is to make the downtown area between Cesar Chavez Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and from Lamar Boulevard to Interstate 35, more pedestrian-friendly by updating sidewalks with new benches, trees, bus stops and bike racks.
“As part of Great Streets, we have specific standards, like bike racks, benches, artwork that we have some ideas for, but we would like the community’s specific feedback on these standards to help us inform the recommendations for the update,” said Jill Amezcua, the program manager for Great Streets with the city of Austin.
There are currently 230 blocks throughout downtown where you can find these Great Streets.
On some blocks, the updates have eliminated parking spaces. To create a more liveable space in downtown, reducing traffic lanes is not off the table.
“As part of the Great Streets update, we’re potentially looking at taking out some travel lanes and reallocating them to other areas, as well as parking, and working with the Transportation Public Works Department to identify how Great Streets work,” said Amezcua.
While not everyone wants to see that change, others welcome the upgrades.
“What works is when you have some street trees to reduce the heat in the summer, which lasts a really long time around here, and at night, the lighting is so important when you have young people out, or anyone out after dark, the pedestrian scale lighting that really lights the sidewalk,” said Austin resident Cathy Norman.
The city of Austin survey is officially open through Sept. 10 for community feedback. Tap here to take the survey.
Some of the work is paid for by revenue collected from downtown parking meters.