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The city is seeking public feedback on the potential renaming of Cesar Chavez Street following some City Council members' request for the change earlier this year.
What's happening
The city is asking residents whether the street should be renamed, and if so, what designation to use as a replacement. Council will take that input before making any final decisions.
Three public meetings about the renaming process will be held this summer:
Residents can also share their thoughts about the renaming, learn more about the meetings and subscribe to updates through Austin's public engagement website.
“Our goal is to always provide an equitable, inclusive, transparent and reliable engagement process that, in this particular case, will help us understand the community’s views on whether or not to change the street name. And then if so, identify the community-informed options for a new name," Jessica King, Austin's communications and engagement director, told council this spring.
The context
Council members' request to consider changing the street name stemmed from the public release of sexual abuse allegations against Cesar Chavez, the labor leader and activist. Chavez visited and demonstrated in Austin decades ago, according to the city, including for a 1966 march down what was then called East First Street. The street was renamed in Chavez's honor, and in broader recognition of local Latino communities, labor and civil rights issues, after his death in 1993.
Since the spring, the city moved to hear from residents, businesses, schools, churches, unions and community members tied to the Cesar Chavez Street corridor about the potential change. Austin must also coordinate with the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority and Texas Department of Transportation, which owns a portion of Cesar Chavez Street, for any updates to marked exits along MoPac, US 183 and I-35.
The specifics
Any official renaming would require council approval and could cost Austin tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars to complete.
Roughly 450 property owners along the street would have to be notified about a proposed name change, and get the chance to challenge it in a public hearing. Another recent high-profile roadway update, the city's 2019 renaming of Menchaca Road, was met with some resistance including legal action due to concerns about a lack of public notice and cost burdens associated with the change.
If a Cesar Chavez Street replacement does advance, Austin Transportation and Public Works estimated it could take three to six months to install new signage along the corridor. Community outreach, property owner notifications and new signage placements could cost more than $30,000.
Replacements by TxDOT and the Mobility Authority could be significantly costlier, estimated at between $400,000-$1.2 million for larger highway signs as well as related design planning and traffic coordination during installation. However, transportation Director Richard Mendoza previously said TxDOT could move ahead with temporary replacements at a lower cost.
"If we were to coordinate a name right now, they’re in a position to go apply stickers at no cost to the city," he said in May.
The city hasn't received any further information about potential signage replacements from TxDOT or the Mobility Authority since the spring, according to Austin Transportation and Public Works, and it remains to be seen how much that process would cost if it moves forward.
