AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Council has approved a resolution to direct Interim City Manager Jesús Garza to draft a safety and viewing plan as the city prepares for the upcoming total solar eclipse on April 8.
The city council said in a memorandum that it intends to implement lessons learned during the October 2023 annular eclipse into its plan, as Austin is expected to see potentially thousands of visitors for this year's event.
Part of the city's access plan highlights an expected increase in traffic, so officials are encouraging people to view the eclipse from a location near their homes or places of work.
During the eclipse event, park rules will be in place across the city. It is worth noting that the city of Austin prohibits camping in municipal parks, with Emma Long Metropolitan Park being the one exception.
Beginning on March 11, the Austin Parks and Recreation Department will begin distributing 10,000 free eclipse glasses at the Austin Nature & Science Center, as well as various recreation centers and senior centers.
Austin Public Library will also distribute eclipse glasses at branches on a first-come, first-serve basis starting April 4. The library will also host "do-it-yourself" eclipse viewer or pinhole projector programs at four of its branches.
The city said 911 emergency communications will increase staffing throughout the weekend starting Friday, April 6, through the morning of Tuesday, April 9, to handle an anticipated heavier call load.
The Austin Fire Department and Austin-Travis County Emergency Medical Service are prepared to increase staffing and support the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) as needed. The memo further states that the Austin Police Department (APD) will have 100% staffing and will authorize overtime from April 5 through April 9.
Officials with Austin's airport say they do not expect operational impacts from the eclipse, but APD will still utilize 100% staffing from April 5 through April 9 to respond to an expected increase in visitor traffic.
The office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management and the Travis County Office of Emergency Management will coordinate with Texas Division of Emergency Management, TXDoT, CAPCOG and other regional entities to coordinate before and during the event. A team will also monitor conditions at the EOC.
The Travis County Amateur Radio Emergency Service team will be positioned throughout the line of totality to provide back-up radio support in the region, in case of potential impact to cellphone towers.
The full memo on the city's pans can be read here.
A full list of places to safely view the eclipse can be found here.