Tuesday, March 8, 2022

As SXSW returns, know the best ways to get around Austin

Crowds convene downtown at South by Southwest 2019. The SXSW conference and festivals returns in person to Austin in 2022 for the first time in three years.
For the first time since 2019, South by Southwest is returning to Austin in person. The official program kicks off Friday, March 11 and go through Sunday, March 20, but downtown will be busy with activity this week as visitors begin arriving.

If you run a business or work downtown, consider teleworking options for you and your staff, or see if flex work hours could work for your business. Traffic is back to approximately 85-90% of pre-pandemic levels in Austin, and one of the best ways to avoid contributing to traffic is working from home or flexing your trips to avoid peak travel times, especially in the afternoon and evening.

If you are attending the festival, our interactive map can help you navigate your way through downtown. Map features include:
  • Pedestrian zones marked along Sixth, Red River and Rainey streets where vehicles are not allowed. You will have to walk your scooters and bicycles through these zones.
  • Major CapMetro stops. You can also use CapMetro’s Trip Planner to plan your public transportation ride.
  • Dockless parking boxes, or areas where you are encouraged to park your scooter or dockless bicycle to reduce congestion and improve safety.
  • MetroBike stations, pedicab staging areas and rideshare pick-up and drop-off zones.
Finally, if you are planning to have a drink while attending the festivals, please make a plan for a safe ride home. You can leave your vehicle parked at an on-street paid space, and if you show proof of your safe ride home, you will not have to pay a parking ticket. You can find more information on spring festivals at AustinTexas.Gov/SpringFestivalATX