Safe Streets Austin urges conversion of downtown one‑way streets to two‑way, citing safety and economic gains

Adam Greenfield, advocacy director for Safe Streets Austin, urged the Downtown Commission to adopt a position supporting conversions of remaining downtown one‑way streets back to two‑way operation. Greenfield reviewed national precedent, case studies and local Austin history, arguing two‑way conversions typically yield safety and economic benefits.

He cited a Louisville study (49% fewer crashes and large property value gains) and examples in Vancouver, Washington and New Albany, Indiana where conversions coincided with retail improvements and better emergency access. Greenfield pointed to Austin's own experience: conversions such as 2nd Street and parts of Cesar Chavez have produced more vibrant, walkable blocks and that there are "no failed examples" in the city he could find.

Commissioners asked technical questions about left‑turn treatments, impacts to transit reliability, coordination with I‑35 or other highway redesigns, and how 6th Street's cultural uses factor into any conversion. Greenfield said conversions should be engineered carefully (left‑turn pockets, time‑of‑day restrictions, signal prioritization) and argued conversions should be bundled into the city's ACT plan engineering so designs can be staged with other planned street work.

A motion was proposed to table drafting a formal recommendation so commissioners could prepare a considered position; the commission voted to table the recommendation and to return the item at the next meeting with a proposed draft.