More than a year after the city reopened Sixth Street to weekend traffic, crime data suggest violent incidents in the entertainment district have remained steady, raising questions about whether the experiment is changing life on the strip. Hospitality workers who spend their nights on Sixth Street say the numbers reflect what they see on the ground.
“I don’t think it makes it worse or better,” said Lion Gonzalez, who works on Sixth Street at the Dizzy Rooster. “It seems like a waste of money.”
As violent crime started to climb during the pandemic and Sixth Street’s reputation as a late-night party destination hardened, the city began exploring ways to make the district both safer and more inviting. Following a 2021 mass shooting that killed one and injured 14 others, the city passed the Safer Sixth Street Initiative to kick-start the district’s evolution. Reopening the street to traffic on weekend nights has been one of the program’s most significant changes to date. An Austin Current review of police data shows the shift has made little difference so far, but city leaders contend it is working, if marginally, and fits into a larger plan for the area.
For years, the city closed Sixth Street to vehicular traffic on weekend nights, creating what felt like a block party where visitors could ping-pong between bars and clubs along the strip. Concerns about safety and crowd control eventually pushed police and city leaders to reverse course. By January 2025, cars were permitted to drive down the bustling street, and the pedestrian area was expanded to accommodate the crowds.
Downtown Austin Alliance Senior Vice President Bill Bryce said he and the Austin Police Department felt “reopening the traffic on the street could actually be a good measure, safety-wise.”
In terms of violent crime, data obtained by Austin Current show not much has changed. In 2025, APD recorded 78 violent crimes in the Sixth Street Entertainment District, which is bounded by Brazos, Fifth and Seventh streets and the I-35 Frontage Road. In 2024, the department recorded 67. The year-to-year increase is marginal, but it undercuts the hope that reopening the street to traffic would quickly reduce violence.
City says street design is part of longer play
APD stands behind the change, saying the new setup adds structure to the district and is aligned with the city’s long-term plans for reshaping the corridor.
Assistant Chief Mike Chancellor said the car-friendly streets allow officers “to move about a lot easier and get to where they need to be.”
While reports of violent crime in the district are similar, Chancellor pointed to other “safety indicators” that improved from 2024 to 2025. APD reports that use of force reports, arrests, officer injuries and minor assaults have all declined.
“It is easy to see that whenever you put structures in place… it’s not a free-for-all,” Chancellor said.
Bryce said he is encouraged by APD’s analysis of the pilot program and feels the department’s numbers reflect positive change from a plan that is still in its first steps.
What’s next for Sixth Street?
The barricades that now protect pedestrians are not permanent. Instead, they are placeholders until the city can execute its long-term plan.
“There’s been a long-term redesign plan for Sixth Street to widen the sidewalks, reduce traffic lanes and improve pedestrian and vehicular safety on the street,” Bryce said, acknowledging there’s now a question about exactly how that will be funded.
In December 2025, city staff selected a design for the district that builds on the safety pilot program that reopened the street to traffic on the weekends. The $68 million proposal includes about 25 feet of pedestrian-friendly sidewalk on both bar-lined sides of the street. It would also allow for two westbound vehicular lanes and one curb-access lane for deliveries and ride-share services to better manage traffic and foot traffic at the same time. Of the three design alternatives, city staff chose the only one without bike paths.
Bryce said funding for the project will likely come from a bond. He thinks the design will help advance his group’s long-term goal of making the space safer and more vibrant, attracting visitors at all times of day, not just on weekend nights.
“Before COVID, there were about 70 liquor licenses in seven blocks,” Bryce said. “Our objective — and I think that of most of the property owners — is to try and evolve the district to one that is happening 18 hours a day, seven days a week.”
