Add this to one of the many ways our world is changing because of COVID-19.

Today, the City of Austin officially launched its Healthy Streets program, designed to give us all more space to walk, run, and ride our bikes by closing certain city streets to through traffic. The idea here is to make it easier for Austinites to exercise safely (and 6 feet apart from each other).

First advocated for by a broad coalition of community advocacy groups (led by Walk Austin), the program was approved by City Council earlier this month.

Now, just a few weeks later, the first round of Healthy Streets are now live. They include:

• Bouldin Ave. / S 3^rd St. / Garden Villa Ln. between Banister Ln. and Barton Springs Rd.

• Comal St. between Manor Rd. and Lady Bird Lake

• Country Club Creek Trail extension (Trail, Wickersham Ln., Ventura Dr., Madera Dr.) between Mabel Davis Park and Lakeshore Dr.

Love this idea? Want to help make it even better?

Here’s how you can help:

• Bring the Healthy Streets program to your neighborhood by making suggestions for future Healthy Streets.

• Sign up to be a Block Captain – inform your neighbors about the Healthy Streets program and maintain temporary signage and barricades by emailing HealthyStreets@austintexas.gov

• This program is still fairly new for the city. Help make it as strong as possible by filling out this survey.