APD to deploy Meridian barricades; East Sixth Street reopens westbound to improve pedestrian safety

At its Jan. 15 meeting, the Downtown Commission heard Austin Police Department (APD) officials describe immediate and near-term steps to reduce vehicle threats and improve safety on East Sixth Street, including deployment of Meridian vehicle barriers and an operational change that will limit traffic to westbound flow on weekend nights.

The announcement came as APD Lieutenant Christopher Gisola, the department’s downtown operations lieutenant, and APD Chief Davis said the city had identified funds to buy movable Meridian barricades and that the city council purchased more devices than the commission had originally recommended. Michael Boschler, a Meridian representative present at the meeting, said typical delivery is 45 to 60 days and that he is holding a temporary kit on Sixth Street while production ships equipment.

Commissioners said the changes matter because of recent high-profile vehicle and mass-casualty incidents nationwide and the concentra tion of nightlife activity on Sixth Street. The planned measures aim to reduce fights and prevent pedestrians from spilling into vehicle lanes, officials said.

APD briefed the commission on staffing and crime trends before describing street-level changes. The department reported 1,488 sworn officers citywide and…