Illuminating West Campus

In an effort to boost safety in West Campus, the city is upgrading the street lighting, retrofitting 500 additional older streetlights with LED inserts – called relamping – by the end of 2022. UT campus safety groups have long complained about crime and safety in the area, which according to a city news release, “has historically experienced a higher-than-average rate of property crime compared to the city of Austin as a whole.” Assistant City Manager Stephanie Hayden-Howard said the city is taking a multipronged approach to improving safety “through a combination of better and more lighting, increased police patrols and ongoing support to help our homeless neighbors find housing.” City departments participating in the West Campus safety boost include Austin Energy, Austin Transportation, Public Works, Austin Police and the Homeless Strategy Office.