Georgetown council reviews Austin Avenue corridor schematic; pedestrian safety, parking and loading raise concerns

City of Georgetown staff and consultants presented a schematic of proposed changes to the Austin Avenue corridor at a council workshop, emphasizing safety, walkability and downtown placemaking while prompting questions from council and residents about pedestrian crossings, parking losses and delivery access.

The presentation, led by Lou and consultant Trey Sutton of KPA Engineers, included a rendered fly-through of the corridor and modeling the team said showed intersection improvements. "With the improvements ... we go to level of service D — we shave about 23 seconds off your time in the morning," Sutton said, adding the afternoon peak could see "almost 45 seconds" of reduced delay. The schematic proposes a road diet (a 3-lane cross-section with a center turn lane between 3rd and 21st), raised curb medians in limited locations and a one-way pairing of 7th (westbound) and 8th (eastbound) around the Square to create curb space for deliveries and outdoor seating.

Council members pressed staff about pedestrian safety where University crosses Highway 29 and Church Street. "Would it be safe to do a pedestrian crossing on '29 without a signal?" asked Amanda, a council member. The consultant replied, "No. From a safety standpoint ... there really isn't a safe way to maneuver pedestrian traffic across University without a signalized intersection." Council asked staff to evaluate alternative signal locations or hawk-style pedestrian treatments farther from the intersection.

Residents who signed up to speak during public comment voiced a mix of support and caution. "Thank you for listening to our concerns of turning Church Street into a major thoroughfare," said Cindy Lockett of Church Street, who praised staff for avoiding a signal at Church. Liz Weaver, who lives near University Avenue, said she feared the plan "completely ignores pedestrian safety and walkability" because the distance between controlled crossings would increase.

Council members also requested data and follow-up design work before committing to final layouts. Multiple members asked staff to provide an accounting of the number of parking spaces that would be removed around the Square and to re-evaluate whether parking on the west side of the courthouse should remain. Staff said the next phase is 100% final design after scope approval and that final design is expected to begin once grant funding and NEPA environmental clearance are secured; staff estimated a final schematic by April 2026.

The presentation did not include a formal vote. Staff said additional stakeholder meetings and technical design work will follow and that the council would see refined options for one-way lane configurations, loading zones for deliveries and drainage solutions during the design phase.