SXSW Aftermath Continues

SXSW responds as City of Austin launches official festival evaluation

Earlier this week, Austin City Council Member and mayoral candidate Mike Martinez announced he would bring forth a resolution asking for an official evaluation of SXSW. On Thursday, March 27, the City Council voted 7-0 to approve the resolution, paving the way for City Manager Marc Ott to helm a 90-day analysis of everything from crowd control to event sprawl.

Martinez defended his decision saying, "I think it’s time we take a comprehensive look at how SXSW weaves into the fabric of the city every year, and consider whether there are steps we could and should take as a city to help ensure the festival’s sustainable success — not just for organizers and attendees, but for everyone in the community who’s impacted."

During the evaluation, the Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission will look into alcohol-related issues, the City will hold public forums for neighborhoods most affected by SXSW, and the Urban Transportation Commission will oversee traffic management related to the event.

After a particularly chaotic SXSW, one that received international criticism, it appears Martinez's fellow council members agree, passing the resolution unanimously.

SXSW was quick to respond to the news, sending a statement via email saying,

We fully support this 360-degree examination of the ways in which the City of Austin, SXSW and all involved parties can better improve the event. It's a terrific initiative, and we're eager to incorporate the results to produce the best possible event for all SXSW attendees — global and local alike. We look forward to the discussion and ongoing collaboration.

The resolution passed just moments before it was announced that a fourth victim died from injuries sustained after Rashad Owens allegedly plowed a car into a crowd of revelers on Red River Street during the festival. De'Andre Tatum was pronounced dead on March 27 University Medical Center Brackenridge, where he had been in a medically induced coma since the accident. Tatum was just 18 years old.

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Self-driving Roller Coaster

More self-driving cars expected to roll out in Austin for 2025

Photo courtesy of Waymo via KVUE

Various brands offering self-driving cars are on-and-off in Austin.

Expect to see more self-driving rideshare vehicles, also known as robotaxis, on Austin roads next year.

Robotaxi company Waymo, which you may have already seen on Austin's roads, is partnering with Uber. At some point next year, customers will be able to use the Uber app to call a self-driving ride.

Austin-based company Avride is in the testing phase and plans to roll out its robotaxis next year.

Currently, Volkswagen ADMT and Amazon's Zoox are in the testing phase in Austin, while Hyundai's Motional is in the mapping phase.

Last year, robotaxi company Cruise paused operations in Austin after the California Department of Motor Vehicles revoked the company's permits to operate driverless vehicles in the state. And last week, General Motors said it would no longer fund the company because of the time and resources needed.

This way of getting around has come with its safety concerns and issues. The city is tracking those concerns. According to the Transportation Department, the problems span from blocking the roads and parking in front of people's homes for weeks with lights beaming through their windows, to actual wrecks.

Since July 2023, robotaxis have been involved in 75 incidents. Only 21 of those incidents happened in 2024. It's important to note that Cruise has not been operating in Austin this year.

Since July 2023, driverless rideshare vehicles have been involved in 22 near collisions, eight collisions and seven instances where driverless taxis ignored directions from the Austin Police Department (APD).

According to the data, at least four of those Austin police incidents happened in recent months. The issues varied from driving through police checkpoints, to malfunctioning and getting stuck at an APD road closure near pedestrians, causing safety concerns.

A Waymo spokesperson said their vehicles have gesture recognition capabilities, which they've been training APD officers on using.

As the report shows, sometimes it does not work and Waymo said it is working to improve that. The spokesperson said that as of just last week, Waymo's First Responder Program has been independently verified by TÜV SÜD, making Waymo the first autonomous vehicle (AV) company to receive third-party validation for our emergency response protocols. They also said the data to date indicates the Waymo Driver is already reducing traffic injuries and fatalities in the places where the company currently operates.

Read the full story and watch the video at KVUE.com.

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