From the time San Jac Saloon opens at 2 p.m., the country music bar at the corner of San Jacinto and East Sixth Street is usually buzzing with people. But lately, sales have declined.
While the start of the year can be slow, the bar’s owners said changes to traffic patterns and sidewalks on Sixth Street could be keeping customers away.
“I’ve seen sales come down compared to the same weeks last year,” Matt McDonald, one of the owners, said.
Earlier this year, the City of Austin began piloting a program officials hope will make the entertainment district safer and more vibrant. One change is reopening Sixth Street to traffic on weekend nights, putting pedestrians on newly protected and expanded sidewalks.
At a news conference last month, Police Chief Lisa Davis said a key reason for the initiative was to increase pedestrian safety and decrease the number of officers being injured. First responders said the reopened street would also allow them to respond more easily to calls.
And city officials said blocking the street to traffic requires a lot of resources from a short-staffed police department.
The changes are receiving mixed reviews from restaurant and bar owners.
Shawn Cirkiel, the chef and owner of Parkside Austin on East Sixth, said the entertainment district needs to be a place for everyone.
“The Sixth Street area has basically been held hostage by one block of bars and their traffic,” Cirkiel said. “And it’s time for the city, as a whole, to take back the district and create a safe and healthy environment for all of Austin, as opposed to just drunk people at 2 in the morning.”
Meanwhile, Dallas-based Stream Realty is working on a plan to revitalize the downtown strip into a place that preserves Austin’s identity as a center for music and art. It’s still in the early stages.
Mike DeBonville, who owns the bar Marlow, said he is excited the city is experimenting.
“It is hard to imagine this portion of Sixth Street being open to traffic, but West Sixth is, and the Eastside on East Sixth is and Rainey is,” DeBonville said. “So, it’s not unfathomable that it can’t work.”
Still, there are concerns about access.
McDonald said not allowing people in the street means more people are clustered on the sidewalks, impeding access to his bar. New barriers also take away parking in front of the building.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve seen something similar to this, but I think Sixth Street was fine the way it is,” he said. “There are always improvements to be made to make things safer and more efficient, but I don’t think these changes were warranted.”
Council Member Zo Qadri, who represents the area, said he is committed to addressing the concerns about access and parking while continuing to improve the district’s safety and vibe.
“I am a big fan of the concept of expanded sidewalks, I am a big fan of bringing diverse uses to the space, diverse people to the space, and having restaurants, apartments, hotels and retail on the street and just being a place that is walkable, diverse, vibrant and safe,” he said. “I just want it to be so full of life, and it’s not just a place that has a nighttime activation.”
The new traffic patterns and sidewalks have been in place for a few weeks; officials said they will continue to evaluate the program and make adjustments if needed.
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