Austin used 'pedestrian scramble' to safely get ACL attendees home — here's how it works

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Austin Transportation and Austin Police used a traffic signal strategy to safely usher thousands of Austin City Limits Music Festival attendees out of Zilker Park this weekend.

In 2021, Austin Transportation said it started using a "pedestrian scramble," which adjusts the traffic signal timing at intersections and allows more pedestrians to quickly move out of the area.

"Pedestrians have longer green signals before a shorter vehicle green cycle," the City wrote in the release. The transportation department shared a video Monday of how the scramble worked during the first weekend of the festival. You can watch it in the video player above.

Austin Transportation Arterial Management Division staff worked with Austin Police officers to adjust the signal timing at South Lamar Boulevard and Barton Springs Road, the release said.

Before 2021, the City said "signals were set to flash or continued on their normal cycle, which left the traffic control solely in the hands of the officer" after the festival.

The second weekend of ACL kicks off Friday, Oct. 14.