Austin neighbors connect through City's Living Streets program
"Our streets can do more than just carry cars, our streets can create community," Austin City Council Member Chito Vela said at a ceremony.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A neighborhood in north Austin is one of the first to experience the City of Austin's Living Streets program.
The Living Streets program launched in 2021 as a low-cost initiative created to make neighborhood streets around Austin safer for families to walk, bike and connect with their neighbors.
To qualify for the program, a street must meet certain criteria, like an incomplete sidewalk and the need for safe recreational space. The program also requires 60% of neighbors to agree to implementation.
If approved, no construction is necessary. The Austin Transportation Department sets up construction cones and barrels with signs limiting vehicle traffic on neighborhood streets.
North Austin neighbors feel safer walking, biking and creating community on their street thanks to the City of Austin Transportation Department's Living Streets Program. (KXAN Photo) 
North Austin neighbors feel safer walking, biking and creating community on their street thanks to the City of Austin Transportation Department's Living Streets Program. (KXAN Photo) 
North Austin neighbors feel safer walking, biking and creating community on their street thanks to the City of Austin Transportation Department's Living Streets Program. (KXAN Photo) 
In the Wooten neighborhood, a crowd came out to celebrate the official opening of their new living street.
"Our streets can do more than just carry cars, our streets can create community," Austin City Council Member Chito Vela said at a ceremony.
Neile Edens and Carol Bohumolski, who live off Wooten Drive, said "The traffic calming has been great for kids, old people, dog walkers, for everyone, it has been fantastic.”
Click here to apply for a living street in your neighborhood.