The Austin City Council unanimously approved a resolution regarding safety on Sixth Street on April 10.
The resolution committed to continuing data collection and reporting regarding safety and crime on Sixth Street, as well as exploring the implementation of a year-round code enforcement team to monitor bars in the area. It also follows the Sixth Street Safety Plan implemented by the Austin Police Department in December 2024, which included opening the street to vehicle traffic on weekend nights, a time that previously had been limited to pedestrian use only.
“Austin deserves a Sixth Street that reflects who we are — vibrant, safe, and inclusive for everyone,” Council Member Zohaib Qadri said in a news release. “We’re not here to maintain the status quo.”
This change aimed to reduce violence and crime in the area, said APD Assistant Chief Michael Chancellor.
“It clearly delineates, here’s a sidewalk, here’s an area for vehicles,” said Chancellor, who is the patrol commander over the downtown area. “It’s not an area where people can just go wherever they want, do whatever they want to do … you’re just creating normal patterns.”
The resolution directs city officials to conduct further data reporting to evaluate the effectiveness of these new safety initiatives. Preliminary data from APD suggests the Sixth Street Safety Plan is having its intended effect.
Between Jan. 1 and Feb. 11, law enforcement made 113 arrests on Sixth Street compared to the 171 in the same period last year, according to a memo from Chief of Police Lisa Davis. During the same period, citywide arrests increased slightly, according to the memo. APD’s Public Information Office said in an email they would not be able to share any more recent data than the Feb. 28 memo.
English junior Riley Williams said she stopped going to Sixth Street entirely after the city opened it to vehicle traffic on the weekends.
“One of my friends was pretty drunk and she ran out into the road and almost got hit,” Williams said. “I was just like, ‘I cannot come back here.’”
Williams said she would be in favor of the more serious code enforcement outlined in the resolution.
“They should put more responsibility on the bars and have better individuals in security,” Williams said. “If they set more rules within the bars, it would just be a lot better.”
Originally published April 24, 2025, in The Daily Texan
By Jonathan Fredricks
