Thousands of visitors create crowded sidewalks, long lines and congested streets during the South by Southwest festivals every March, but Austin is about to find out what happens when you add hundreds of electric stand-up scooters to that mix.

Scooters will be banned from pedestrian zones along Sixth Street, Red River Street and Rainey Street, which will be barricaded off during the festivals that run March 8-17, Austin Transportation Director Robert Spillar said Wednesday.

Austin police officers in patrol cars will be stationed at those barricades and will control access for emergency vehicles, Police Chief Brian Manley said. But scooter users should not leave devices piled up outside the barricades, he said.

Bicycle and skateboard riders will be told to pick up their wheels and walk through the pedestrian zones, but scooters are not allowed to be dragged through those areas, Spillar said.

If you zoom through a pedestrian zone on a scooter or bike, ignoring a police officer's warning, you could be charged with failure to obey a lawful order, which is a Class C misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500, police Cmdr. Kurtis Krause said. Other charges could be filed if the situation escalates, he said.

Parking zones for scooters and bikes will be marked with signs and outlined in white paint on sidewalks, but they are not mandatory to use.

"As a community, we're learning what to do with these new shared devices," Spillar said.

Scooter companies have been told by the city Transportation Department that they should not deploy more scooters than they can manage during the event, department spokeswoman Marissa Monroy said.

While it might seem like a lot of scooters already are on downtown streets, it's possible the devices will alleviate auto traffic brought on by South by Southwest.

"I think so! Fingers crossed, right? This is all new territory for everybody," Spillar said. "I believe those new shared devices have increased travel, which means they're meeting the needs of people who might not have made trips otherwise. I think they're taking trips off the transportation system, out of cars."

About 400 pedicabs also will be available to SXSW attendees after the city's fleet was cut by nearly a fifth when 100 carriages were damaged in a Feb. 19 fire.

"I don't think that is going to necessarily affect us on the street level at all," said Jacob Culberson, who oversees mobility services for the Transportation Department. "Being down 100 does effect the marketplace to a certain degree, but not to a degree that would be highly noticeable."

Culberson said the owners of the damaged pedicabs are working to get some of them running again before SXSW. Those looking to rent a pedicab can find them near the intersection of Sixth Street and Red River Street, and Sixth Street and Sabine Street, and other areas downtown. Pickup and drop-off zones for ride-hailing services also have been designated on certain streets downtown.

Spillar suggested getting dropped off a little way from downtown and walking to avoid traffic.

"We're going to ask people to be patient," Manley said. "We know we're going to have some traffic backups and congestion."

With the ever-present threat of mass shootings and terrorism at large events like SXSW, police are urging attendees to call 911 if there's an emergency situation, and if they see something, to say something. Nonemergency incidents can be reported to 311.

"We prepare, as we do this event, as with other major events that take place in the city, for what may occur, what has occurred in other communities around the country, and we have a response plan in place for how we would respond to an incident that may take place," Manley said.

Both SXSW weekends, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., will be no-refusal periods in which police can more easily obtain a warrant for a blood or breath sample from suspected drunken drivers who refuse to take blood alcohol tests.

"There is never an excuse to drive drunk; there are too many other ways to have safe transport, plan ahead," Manley said. "Call a cab, call a friend, do not get behind the wheel."