Austin's streets are gearing up for a spring festival frenzy, with the Downtown Austin Alliance dusting off the welcome mat for throngs attending the South by Southwest (SXSW) Conference, Texas Relays, and for the first time organized outside of Nashville, the CMT Country Music Awards. The Alliance rang in the spring season with an informative session on Thursday, aiming to get the lowdown on logistical chaos.
The Alliance's Spring Forum, as KXAN reported, brought together the minds behind SXSW, the APD, and Austin's public transport savants to talk shop about the impact of these high-traffic events on Austin's downtown pulse. From foodie fests to beats bumping into the night, the Forum addressed crowd control and all the parking pandemonium that's expected to tag along.
At Tuesday's forum, the overture for the season's festivities played, with topics touching on schedules, closures, and an emphasis on security. CBS Austin highlighted APD Operations Lieutenant Christopher Juusola's comment, "You're going to see closures as normal on Sixth Street, but this year we're going to see more road closures along Sixth Street on Red River Street." Adding, "So that's going to create more congestion in the area of downtown."
APD's Juusola reassured that despite staffing shortages and lengthy 911 wait times, safety would not take a back seat. "So there is plenty of staffing of police officers and there should be no concern about not having enough police officers in the downtown area," Juusola told CBS Austin. Reflecting the city's spirit, James Russell from the CMT music awards said, "It’s our first time doing this outside of Nashville and they want to do things the Austin way and the right way."
Businesses bracing for the bustle can circle these dates: SXSW takes the stage March 10-19, Texas Relays sprint from March 29, and the CMT Music Awards strums chords on April 2. For Austinites, and visitors alike, managing the ins and outs of downtown Austin promises to be a juggle during the highly anticipated run of festivals – but one the city plans to handle with both preparation and panache.
