City leaders gathered this week to kick off the spring festival season, which brings tens of thousands of attendees to Austin starting on Thursday.
The city offered information on transportation adjustments, safety tips, and other services available during this time. View a replay of the city press conference on ATXN.
Austin Transportation and Public Works
When it comes to moving around, use the Spring Festival Season Mobility Guide to find street closures, rideshare staging areas and loading zones, public transit stations and routes, bicycle routes, and more.
Festival attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the city’s downtown mobility options, including the CapMetro Bikeshare system, walking, and public transit.
Since June, the city has installed more than 640 leading pedestrian interval signals, which show a walk signal for a few seconds before a green light for cars appears. The change has contributed to an 18% drop in crashes involving left turning vehicles.
Drivers are asked to slow down, stay alert, and eliminate distractions when traveling near event locations. Pedestrians and cyclists are reminded to follow signals, stay aware of their surroundings, and make eye contact with drivers when possible.
Austin Police Department
The Austin Police Department will be highly visible throughout the downtown area throughout the festival. It asks attendees to drink responsibly and have a plan to get home safely.
The department will start a no-refusal initiative on March 12 that will run evenings and nights through March 18.
Follow traffic signals, signage, and officer instructions. Street closures will be clearly marked, and the department advises against ignoring or attempting to drive around them.
There will be limited parking in certain areas of downtown and many residential areas near downtown require parking permits. All “no parking” and “tow-away” rules will be enforced.
Austin-Travis County EMS
ACTEMS will have multiple dedicated response units and personnel assigned to the downtown entertainment district, including areas around 6th Street, the Warehouse District, Rainey Street, and East Austin. An ATCEMS commander and tactical dispatchers will coordinate medical response from the city’s Event Operations Center.
The ATCEMS Patient Collection Point will be in operation during the busiest festival hours to allow teams to quickly evaluate and treat patients within the event area. With warmer weather expected, the department reminds attendees to stay hydrated and use extra caution when riding scooters.
Austin Fire Department
The Austin Fire Special Events team from the Fire Marshal’s Office will permit and inspect all events submitted through the Austin Center for Events to ensure a safe festival week.
Inspectors will also be part of the multi-agency Public Assembly Code Enforcement (PACE) team to assist with permitting and safety issues, such as over-occupancy and lack of proper exiting at venues.
Despite recent rainfall, Central Texas remains in an overall drought status. Visitors to outdoors spaces should use caution with activities like outdoor cooking and refrain from throwing cigarette butts out of vehicle windows to minimize the risk of brush and grass fires.
Austin Parks and Recreation
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department is asking attendees to follow its Leave No Trace principles so that parks, trails, and green spaces can remain pristine.
Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Airport officials recommend travelers arrive 2.5 hours prior to domestic flights and three hours prior to international flights. Text “travel” to AskTSA for questions on what items may be prohibited to bring through security checkpoints.
Austin Public Health
The city’s health authority encourages attendees to arrive up-to-date on their vaccinations, use hand sanitizer, and stay home (or at the hotel) if they feel sick.