Congress Avenue

Congress Avenue epitomizes the spirit of Austin. It’s a connector—connecting kayakers on Lady Bird Lake to policymakers at the Texas State Capitol, professionals in business attire to families grabbing a casual meal, the east to the west, the north to the south. 

We are also deeply connected to Congress Avenue through its past, present and future. In Our Austin Story, we walk through the cultural heritage and legacy of early Congress Avenue. Our Downtown Austin Ambassador team makes the avenue welcoming, beautiful, clean and safe. We pay attention to every detail—from retail to parking, planters, lighting and parklets. 

In 2017, we led the community-wide effort to create the Congress Avenue Vision and have worked diligently with our partners to implement it. We successfully advocated to move buses from Congress to dedicated lanes on Guadalupe and Lavaca Streets. We also supported the addition of pocket patios, added lighting and took over planting and over beautification projects. 

In partnership with the City of Austin, we helped champion for the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative, a plan to take Congress Avenue to the next level. Using urban and human-centric design, we’ll refine its identity, develop its influence and realize a grand vision for Congress Avenue. 

In Spring 2022, the Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative Vision Plan was finalized and updated to reflect funding for the project that voters approved in November 2020. Detailed design for the project is expected to begin in early Summer 2022. For more project updates and for future ways to give feedback and have your voice heard, head to the City of Austin’s Congress Avenue site.