Austin to Ban Cars From Popular Street on Weekends

The city of Austin will test a plan to deal with traffic safety and congestion issues on the entertainment hub of Rainey Street by blocking cars from the streets in the evening, Thursday through Sunday.

Mary Huber reports on the city's plans for the busy corridor, where pedestrians regularly overflow onto the street and mix with vehicles traffic. The city will test the idea from December 5 through March 8. The idea has supporters and detractors.

"But while some bar patrons and business owners support the plan, many of the residents who live in Rainey’s high-rise condo buildings have come out strongly against the street closure, saying that, in addition to being a major inconvenience for them as they try to get to their homes and condos, it also poses a safety concern as traffic builds up on the side streets of the dense neighborhood with only one north-south thoroughfare," writes Huber.

Local residents are pressing for a suite of other infrastructure changes, many of which are included in the Austin Core Transportation Plan, expected for release next year.