Community Input 

The City is gathering community feedback to understand community sentiment about potentially renaming César Chávez Street. 

There are a number of ways to participate:

The information gathered from the community input process will be shared with the City Council to help inform their decision and next steps.

Background  

The City Council requested the City begin this process in response to recent news concerning César Chávez and a history of sexual abuse. City staff provided a memo and presented the general process, costs, and timeline during the May 26, 2026 City Council Work Session.  

 

a group of cyclists in front of Selena mural on E. César Chávez Street

 

History of César Chávez Street 

The roadway along the north side of the Colorado River was first identified as Water Avenue in Austin’s original 1839 city plan. In 1887, it became First Street and was widely known by East Austin residents as La Primera, serving as a cultural and commercial center of neighborhood businesses, churches, homes, gathering places, and community organizing for generations of Mexican American, Chicano, and Latino Austinites. 

The corridor had a direct connection to farmworker organizing. César Chávez led a Labor Day march down East First Street on September 5, 1966 and supported South Texas farmworkers who marched to Austin seeking better wages and working conditions. In 1971, Chávez returned to Austin to support the predominantly Mexican American workers involved in the Economy Furniture strike, spoke at the Montopolis Community Center, and walked the picket line with local labor leader Lencho Hernandez. The Austin Chicano Huelga also maintained its boycott headquarters on East First Street, making the corridor part of the movement’s local organizing network.  

In 1993, following Chávez’s death, the City of Austin renamed First Street as César Chávez Street. The renaming represented public recognition of Chávez while also honoring Austin’s Mexican American, Chicano, and broader Latino communities and their connections to the farmworker movement, organized labor, civil rights, and civic life. 

  Location

street map of César Chávez Street with the length from N. Lamar to IH35 marked with green for TXDoT jurisdiction and from N. Lamar to MoPac and IH35 to Hwy 183 in red for City of Austin jurisdiction

César Chávez Street runs along the north side of the Colorado River, between MOPAC and Highway 183. This map shows the route from N. Lamar to IH35 marked in green for Texas Department of Transportation jurisdiction and from N. Lamar to MoPac and IH35 marked in red for City of Austin jurisdiction. 

Street Name Requirements 

Multiple teams across the City of Austin and partner agencies participate in the review and processing of street name changes to ensure they meet set criteria so that new street names do not interfere with wayfinding, postal delivery, emergency services, and other critical functions. 

Street names should be limited to 20 characters. Some criteria include:  

  • Cannot use a name that is similar to a nearby street name. 

  • Cannot contain numbers (Two Thousand Pennies Drive is not allowed)  

  • Cannot use complicated words or unconventional spellings. 

  • Cannot use offensive, derogatory, libelous, or copyrighted words. 

  • Cannot use long, difficult-to-remember-in-an-emergency names. 

  • Only characters of the standard English alphabet. No special characters are allowed. 

For a more thorough list of street name criteria, visit:  Austin and Travis County Street Name Standards 

Cost Analysis 

The following estimated costs are anticipated if the City moves forward with the name change.  

Item 

Estimated Cost to City 

Change City Street Signs 

$11,200 

Change TxDOT and CTRMA-owned Highway Signs  

$400,000 - $1,200,000 

Change Economic District Custom Street Signs  

$10,000 

Notification mailings to impacted businesses/residents 

$2,500 

Total Estimated Costs 

$413,700 - $1,223,700 

 

The above estimates do not include the costs for current community engagement efforts or costs to businesses on the roadway if the street name changes. 

Business and Economic Impact  

While the City would bear the cost of street signage replacement, businesses and residents along the corridor would incur their own costs associated with an address change. 

Based on prior street  renaming processes in Austin (e.g., Menchaca Road) and peer cities, business costs may include: 

Address Change Administrative Costs: 

  • Updating business licenses and tax filings 

  • Notifying banking institutions and updating financial records 

  • Updating utility accounts and vendor records 

  • Modifying contracts and legal documents 

Physical and Marketing Costs: 

  • Replacing storefront signage, awnings, and exterior branding 

  • Updating business cards, letterhead, and printed stationery 

  • Reprinting uniforms, vehicle wraps, and branded materials 

Digital and Online Costs: 

  • Website updates and SEO reconfiguration 

  • Google Maps, Yelp, and other directory updates 

  • Delivery platform and e-commerce integrations (Uber Eats, DoorDash, etc.) 

Opportunity Costs: 

  • Staff time required to coordinate and execute updates 

  • Potential customer confusion during transition period 

 

Accessibility & Language Services

The City of Austin is committed to accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Reasonable modifications, language access, and communication support are available upon request.

Relay Texas 7-1-1 For ADA assistance, translation or interpretation services, call Austin 3-1-1 or 512-974-2000

For questions or additional information, please contact: Doron.Silberstein@austintexas.gov 

Community Survey

To start the survey, please click Continue.