Can you imagine a more pedestrian-friendly Congress Avenue?

That's what the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative aims to create — and the group is ready to receive public feedback on the plan.

What's happening?

CAUDI wants to solidify Congress Avenue as Austin's "Main Street," and plans to do so by constructing vibrant public spaces that enhance the Capital City's distinctive charm.

In CAUDI's vision plan, the blocks between 7th and 11th streets would be transformed into public plazas, and vehicular traffic on Congress Avenue would end north of 7th Street.

Project leaders envision this area as a future community hub, featuring interactive art installations, live music performances, free programming, and pop-up exhibits.

Other plans for the proposed public plaza include:

Painting the asphalt with colorful murals
Replacing angled parking zones with wooden decks
Improving tree health by expanding soil volume

Murals painted onto Congress Avenue could change over time, according to CAUDI's plan. | Rendering via the City of Austin

As designed, cross traffic would still flow east and west on 7th-11th streets. Additionally, CAUDI proposes that all parking along Congress Avenue (except ADA-accessible parking spaces) be converted into pedestrian space, and bicycle lane barriers turned into concrete curbs to improve safety.

Funding + feedback

A large chunk of the project will be paid for by the 2020 Austin Mobility Bond. Two of the four plaza blocks, which are located between 9th and 11th streets, are already fully funded. The blocks between 7th and 9th streets await full funding and will be reconstructed in interim treatments.

You can voice your opinion on the designs during upcoming open houses at the Downtown Austin Space Activation:

Tuesday, Oct. 22 from 4 to 7 p.m.
Saturday, Oct. 26 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Learn more about the project.