The city of Austin is reaching out to its citizens, seeking their voices and opinions on the proposed transformation of Congress Avenue into a pedestrian plaza. The section in focus stretches from Cesar Chavez Street to 11th Street and is poised to undergo a significant shift from vehicle-centric to pedestrian-priority spaces. This includes the creation of a plaza north of Seventh Street, as part of the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative (CAUDI), as reported by the City of Austin.
According to an article on the city's official website, the proposed changes will have vehicular access on Congress Avenue ceasing north of Seventh Street, while still allowing cross traffic to flow on the connecting east and west streets. Misplaced as the city’s "Main Street," the vision for Congress Avenue draws on the successful transformation of other urban spaces, aiming to reflect Austin's distinctive character within its historic street.
Construction will begin with the blocks between Ninth Street and 11th Street being fully rebuilt, while interim treatments will improve the sections between Seventh Street and Ninth Street, setting the stage for future development. The city has secured $22 million for this first phase of the CAUDI project, a sum primarily sourced from the 2020 Austin Mobility Bond.
Residents of Austin are encouraged to engage with the design proposals through the project’s Virtual Open House. Set to close on November 24, this platform offers the community an opportunity to leave feedback, which will be collected and reported back at year’s end as part of a process to ensure the project’s alignment with the community's desires and the CAUDI Vision Plan's objectives.
