AUSTIN (KXAN) -- During a meeting Monday between city leaders and downtown stakeholders, city officials said new infrastructure construction could potentially start on Sixth Street in 2027. That date is subject to change.
This comes after major moves earlier this year to open the street up to car traffic on weekend nights. Prior to this, APD would close down the street to allow people to walk freely in the middle of the road.
The change came about as an effort to curb violence caused by late-night crowds. The department said the change has led to a decrease in arrests and officer injuries.
According to a city memo, Monday's meeting is the first of a series set to take place to discuss what the permanent infrastructure of the street will consist of now that cars are allowed to drive through. This includes things like wider sidewalks and permanent bollards.
A primary criticism of the way the street is currently set up - with water-filled white and yellow barriers - is the lack of accessibilty.
"Ultimately, the people impacted most, are the service employees," said Bradley, who we spoke with on Sixth Street. "It's really hard to move around Sixth right now. And so the people whose income depends on it, the people who are the backbone of the live music capital of the world, aren't going to be able to [make a living.]"
Some business owners who attended the meeting said they recommended retractable steel bollards to help fix the problem.
Monday's meeting was not open to the public.
