[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6678238,"mediaKeyId","2117032-7e3439fa002a952f63cee115bd65cc11","parentId",2117032,"title","APD to deploy Meridian barricades; East Sixth Street reopens westbound to improve pedestrian safety","audioSeconds",3876,"startMs",307000,"endMs",4183000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117032-7e3439fa002a952f63cee115bd65cc11&start=307&end=4183","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117032-7e3439fa002a952f63cee115bd65cc11/thumbnail_307000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6678238/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/APD-to-deploy-Meridian-barricades-East-Sixth-Street-reopens-westbound-to-improve-pedestrian-safety","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678238-75de1c1ca6e129beb39e59840c820f44/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166582&Signature=UCNgvoLUcxuNkBr-hCu1vWDoL~e0VNx0v8BzrTJzZb-dnZ-mdT8jneNFr~3MJ4lMgY2JQ2aWMO4oR5X5sMHOq79STt4POfoTYI-WEuQHoooqU0~tD~MeZUxCZBw-DYU1xmY0VSoE8Tsxog5C0nnkvPUkup22hsZ-ttTWg20C~MqKOsKLoICR9nVGzBkYDvp5muJrP1YlueNDbWBn6vJBAEGOxDgGnly2jSJn9QwUU~qWccJh52hztM80E281cvhlXHwQswhWBQyEjR23-icoimb9JhRudgPhoRuEaWsHyPQyD-QO39BLSePQdu1ZRK5UzQYY3P5UnG6ad0zMOT3wSQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Austin","date","2025-01-15T00:00:00Z","article","At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Downtown Commission heard Austin Police Department (APD) officials describe immediate and near-term steps to reduce vehicle threats and improve safety on East Sixth Street, including deployment of Meridian vehicle barriers and an operational change that will limit traffic to westbound flow on weekend nights.

The announcement came as APD Lieutenant Christopher Gisola, the department’s downtown operations lieutenant, and APD Chief Davis said the city had identified funds to buy movable Meridian barricades and that the city council purchased more devices than the commission had originally recommended. Michael Boschler, a Meridian representative present at the meeting, said typical delivery is 45 to 60 days and that he is holding a temporary kit on Sixth Street while production ships equipment.

Commissioners said the changes matter because of recent high-profile vehicle and mass-casualty incidents nationwide and the concentra tion of nightlife activity on Sixth Street. The planned measures aim to reduce fights and prevent pedestrians from spilling into vehicle lanes, officials said.

APD briefed the commission on staffing and crime trends before describing street-level changes. The department reported 1,488 sworn officers citywide and an operational vacancy of 332; the downtown area command staffing rate was reported at 65 percent. APD summarized property and violent crime as roughly stable year-to-year and said targeted enforcement reduced pickpocketing on West Sixth Street. APD also said it made increased arrests for drug and weapons offenses on Sixth Street during 2024 and has emphasized removing firearms.

On operations, Gisola outlined the East Sixth Street plan: from Red River to Brazos Street the city will permit westbound vehicular traffic only, with three travel lanes, wider painted crosswalks, rubber curbs roughly 1 foot high on the south side of the street and temporary fences (the same type used for South by Southwest) to create an expanded sidewalk. The city has already installed pylons, rubber curbs and repainting; fences were expected to be delivered shortly. APD said the plan, now implemented Thursdays through Sundays, will expand to four days per week beginning the coming Thursday.

Gisola described operational goals: slowing vehicle speeds via lane configuration and signal timing, creating continuous pedestrian space separated from traffic, and reducing officer uses of force by decreasing fights that occur in the street. APD said it will monitor outcomes using crime statistics, officer use-of-force incidents, officer injury rates, collision data and EMS/fire response metrics. Stakeholders also requested that APD examine sales figures to measure business impacts.

On equipment and logistics, Boschler of Meridian said he recommended an initial “sixth-street security wrap” to secure the eight-block area and a second kit to make the equipment available for other events citywide. He said deliveries remain at roughly 45 days and that his team has temporarily staged a kit on Sixth Street to provide interim protection while production completes shipments.

Commissioners asked about related issues the department expects to face. Gisola and Chief Davis said they will enforce traffic laws and focus on driving while intoxicated and illegal car- and street-club activity. Commission members asked about rideshare pickup locations and valet operations. Chief Davis said the city can provide suggestions to rideshare companies but cited a state law limiting local regulation of rideshare operations; she said the city will coordinate with private companies but cannot fully regulate their behavior. Gisola said valet access will be allowed on side streets and that stakeholders have discussed consolidated valet services to limit curb conflicts.

The commission also discussed scooters and geofencing. APD and staff said geofencing has been implemented for scooters in the past and that they will prioritize keeping scooters out of the fenced pedestrian area, while acknowledging geofences sometimes lapse and vendors must be re-engaged to maintain the restriction.

Action: Commission tables recommendation. The agenda contained a planned vote recommending immediate council funding for barricades and associated training; commissioners were informed the council had already purchased barricades and one commissioner moved to table the recommendation. The commission voted to table the item by voice vote, and the motion was carried. The chair withdrew the earlier recommendation for council action.

The APD presenters asked the commission to stay engaged and to return any time with requests or to review results from the metrics APD will track.

Ending: APD officials signaled the changes are an experiment with monitored metrics; they said the department and other city agencies will reassess after collecting data on crime, collisions, emergency responses and business impacts. Delivery schedules for the new barriers were reported as 45 to 60 days by the vendor, with interim protection staged on Sixth Street until units arrive.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Austin - Downtown Commission - Jan 15, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Downtown Commission heard Austin Police Department (APD) officials describe immediate and near-term steps to reduce vehicle threats and improve safety on East Sixth Street, including deployment of Meridian vehicle barriers and an operational change that will limit traffic to westbound flow on weekend nights.","taxTitle","Austin, Travis County, Texas","taxId",2819,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6678233,"Waterloo Greenway unveils Palm Park concept design; Confluence construction more than half complete",1337,2023000,3360000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2117032-7e3439fa002a952f63cee115bd65cc11&start=2023&end=3360","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2117032-7e3439fa002a952f63cee115bd65cc11/thumbnail_2023000.jpg","/articles/6678233/Austin/Travis-County/Texas/Waterloo-Greenway-unveils-Palm-Park-concept-design-Confluence-construction-more-than-half-complete","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6678233-37ff2d978ea2a77e141a55e2828f9918/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166582&Signature=UFT0ubPIicUUhW6ODdbADE9l4AIoFf-IVHr1FRlvrjAzd8dxoPxPUPRjQD1vtW2spq8BOqgREhn~pK4w6SS0KWHHM7x5eBPsHIPA~rg9msdzEyjpMkPU4G4MiIxiyMDcZjxjhIAHCoZGryOg7Yr5f~~YGo2WqkGrBmPS0HEWwt0GsvFSP9mqFrOAS7vL1uHXNK6dcqY02S3NHrM1e9hr6Z9lWY7QcXlNSwC~x6dpgXC-54ZSJf6W~uttT2gyx52P7XqNL8cPb0zf9Z0mh3sw9uO6ro3nWgTrLDoEXKWviAX8MXU40Q~fPv3t9H3ybl2ThXfwNxpQI2FPFUZ-AZuGpw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","At the Jan. 15 Downtown Commission meeting, Waterloo Greenway Conservancy representatives presented design updates for Palm Park and a construction progress report on the Confluence, the multi-acre creek and trail restoration that will link Fourth Street to Lady Bird Lake.

Melissa Ayala, vice president of government relations for the Conservancy, said the group completed a six-month community engagement process that reached roughly 2,000 people, including Palm School alumni and residents from downtown and Southeast Austin. Ayala said feedback emphasized honoring Palm Park’s history, creating family-friendly spaces and programming, and incorporating art and cultural interpretation into the park.

John Rigdon, the Conservancy’s chief planning and design officer, walked commissioners through the concept design and the Confluence construction. Rigdon said the Palm Park concept groups public comments into five themes — tree canopy and shade, family and play spaces, gathering areas, places of memory and community identity — and the design aims to preserve existing mature trees while adding new canopy, enclosed play areas for different ages and nature-based play, restored shelter-house facilities with accessible restrooms, and shade structures that visually honor the historic pool that once stood on the site.

Rigdon described a participatory element of the design process: local children, working with playscape designers Monstrum, created clay models and drawings that the design team is using to shape play structures. He said the project is approaching a schematic design milestone (about 30% complete) and that the Conservancy will continue to evolve details in later design phases.

On construction, the Conservancy said the Confluence, a roughly 13.5-acre project adjacent to Palm Park, is more than halfway complete. Rigdon described mobility and restoration work that includes nearly continuous off-street connectivity from Fourth Street to the Butler Trail, roughly 200,000 plants and 1,500 trees planned for planting (the Conservancy contrasted that with earlier planting totals in Waterloo Park), and new boardwalks and bridges that bypass dangerous intersections. He said an 800-foot boardwalk and three lattice truss bridges are being installed; one of the bridges is a 142-foot span and another 14-foot-wide bridge on the Butler Trail will open to the public in the coming weeks.

Commissioners asked about operations and maintenance, interpretive planning and how the planned highway cap at Cesar Chavez might affect connections to East Austin. Ayala said the Conservancy is responsible for long-term operations, maintenance and programming and has been developing an interpretive strategy and history report to inform signage and cultural interpretation. Rigdon said potential caps on the highway present an opportunity to reconnect East and West and the Conservancy is coordinating with city and project stakeholders on that issue.

Ayala and Rigdon also described coordination with adjacent property owners and businesses during construction to minimize disruption and to establish clear public-access connections; they said many businesses welcome increased daytime foot traffic outside evening entertainment hours. Conservancy representatives invited commissioners to tour the Confluence construction and to follow later design milestones for Palm Park.

Ending: The Conservancy said the Confluence bridges and boardwalks will open in phases and that Palm Park construction is intended to follow completion of the Confluence; a target completion date for the overall Confluence project was not specified in the presentation.","Waterloo Greenway Conservancy told the Downtown Commission that community engagement for Palm Park reached about 2,000 people, the design has advanced to schematic stages and the Confluence creek-and-trail construction is over halfway finished with extensive planting and multiple new bridges coming online.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

APD to deploy Meridian barricades; East Sixth Street reopens westbound to improve pedestrian safety

Waterloo Greenway unveils Palm Park concept design; Confluence construction more than half complete