AUSTIN, Texas — South By Southwest is bringing big crowds to downtown Austin, along with several road closures.
Whether you are attending SXSW or trying to avoid it altogether, several major roads will be closed until next Thursday.
Road closures include Red River Street from East Fifth to East 10th Streets, Sixth Street from Brazos to I-35, and Congress Avenue between 10th and Seventh Streets.
East of I-35, Closures will extend along East Sixth and East Seventh Streets between Medina and Onion Streets, where several other SXSW events will take place.
If you are heading to an event downtown, parking options are limited, and you will likely pay $20 to $25 at one of the downtown garages.
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Organizers suggest avoiding bringing your vehicle altogether, and with gas prices being higher than usual now, opt for a rideshare or use Austin’s public transit.
CapMetro is offering bus riders tap-to-pay options and extended services surrounding the festival.
Rapid Routes 800, 801, 803, and 837 will run until 12:30 a.m. during the week, midnight on Saturday, and 11:30 p.m. on Sunday. Night Owl service will run nightly until approximately 3 a.m., with downtown boarding at Sixth Street and Congress Avenue.
“Our bus service is running a normal schedule this year, but it is easier than ever to ride and to pay,” CapMetro program manager Blythe Nebeker said. “We do have, for the first year, tap to pay on our vehicles. So for our visitors, anyone in town, there is no need to download an app. You can just use one of your contactless credit cards.”
CapMetro’s bus service costs $2.50 per day for local commuters throughout Austin and downtown, and its rail service costs $7 per day for those traveling into central Austin.
One option is to hop on an E-bike or E-scooter to get from place to place, which could cost around 25 cents per minute.
If you are not attending SXSW, you will likely want to avoid downtown and parts of East Austin during peak hours, around 3:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.