City Council approved a temporary pilot program to extend the number of hours the Red River Cultural District outdoor music venues can play amplified music.

The Austin Economic Development Department’s Music and Entertainment Division released the first sound data from the Red River Extended Hours Pilot for weekends throughout May and June.Using sound monitoring units on venue property lines, the department tracked the quietest and loudest time periods at five music venues on Red River Street between May 4 and June 24, as well as decibel levels in the interiors of surrounding hotels and residences.Sidewinder and Empire Control Room surpassed the city's legal decibel level of 85 decibels, or db, more than once, according to the data. Sidewinder surpassed the limit five times—at one point reaching almost 90 db—and Empire surpassed it twice, but never more than by a complete decibel. Sidewinder reached 90 decibels the night the venue hosted one of Solstice Festival after-parties.The Extended Hours Pilot Program allows Red River Cultural District music venues to play amplified music until midnight on Thursdays and until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. The program will run May 1 to Nov. 1.At the conclusion of the pilot, City Council will provide an evaluation summarizing the data collected, identifying stakeholder feedback and including any recommended code changes.The city code states “a person may not operate sound equipment that produces sound” in either “excess of 85 decibels between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m., as measured at the property line of the business or is audible at the property line of the business between 2 a.m. and 10 a.m.”Citizens with sound complaints or general comments can call the hotline 512-593-9221. Residents can also view sound measurement levels in real time online at https://sentinel.bksv.com/cityofaustin/redriver or by downloading the NSStakeholder app on iTunes or Android.All data from May 4 to June 24 is available here