The annual bike ride on the first Saturday of South by Southwest returned for its fifth year.
AUSTIN, Texas — Hundreds of Austinites took to the streets on Saturday morning for a 4-mile bike ride highlighting downtown parks and public art.
The free Art & Parks Tour, organized by the Downtown Austin Alliance, rolled out of Waterloo Park on the first Saturday of the South by Southwest festival.
The annual ride takes advantage of road closures tied to SXSW, giving cyclists a rare opportunity to explore downtown streets without cars.
This year marks the fifth year for the event, which organizers say is designed to showcase alternative ways to experience the city.
“With this being the fifth annual, we really wanted to make it something big,” said Amanda Baez, active urbanism coordinator for the Downtown Austin Alliance. “We wanted to address some of the issues in Austin like construction mitigation. We’re using the bike tour to show there are other ways to come downtown that are easy, safe and full of hidden gems you don’t see if you’re not walking the ground.”
The route included stops at Brush Square and the new Unity Underpass near Longhorn Dam.
Baez said this year’s tour focused heavily on parks and public art popping up throughout downtown during SXSW.
“This is a very parks-heavy tour this year,” Baez said. “There’s so much art popping up around our route. We’re excited to see things that even I don’t know are there yet because things pop up every day, especially during South By.”
Organizers say riding bikes allows people to experience the city in a way they can’t from inside a car.
“Riding in a car, you’re in a window going by really fast,” said Raasin McIntosh, vice president of urban activation for the Downtown Austin Alliance. “But the bike slows you down. You’re able to take in the air, the voices. You can slap hands with people riding with you. It becomes a social thing, a community thing.”
The tour also offered pedicabs for people who wanted to participate but couldn’t ride a bike.
People interested in exploring the route on their own can find a public art map on the Downtown Austin Alliance website.