Austin Trails: New and Proposed

The Austin Transportation Study will consider funding the following trails this month:

1. Boggy Creek. This 2.6-mile trail would link the Downs-Mabson baseball field north of 12th Street in East Austin to the Town Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail via Zaragosa Park. The city is requesting $428,580 to repair an existing trail along Boggy Creek, and to build bike lanes on Pedernales Street connecting the trail from Zaragosa Park to Town Lake.

2. Blunn Creek. The city wants $724,317 to extend the trail running through Stacy Park in Travis Heights to Town Lake. The extension would take cyclists and pedestrians under busy Riverside Drive to sidewalks on the other side of the street. Eventually the trail could connect with a boardwalk that is planned to close the gap on the Town Lake Hike-and-Bike Trail's south side. Considered to be "highest potential" by the AMTC, the trail would eventually connect the Town Lake trail to
St. Edward's University and McKinney Falls State Park.

3. Gilleland Creek. Travis County is asking for $768,000 to build a 10-foot-wide concrete trail from I-35 to Pflugerville Park. The trail would connect two parks, three schools, and a baseball field to residential areas.

4. Slaughter Creek. Travis County's request for $660,800 for this trail between Slaughter Creek Park and Mary Moore Searight Park in south Austin is likely to be withdrawn because of opposition from creekside residents (see main story).

5. Walnut Creek. The city might ask the ATS for part of the $2.75 million needed to build this 4.3-mile trail that connects schools, parks, and major employers near Walnut Creek in north Austin.

Two new trails are already in the works:

6. Bull Creek. The Bull Creek Foundation is building a 3-mile trail with volunteer workers as a demonstration project to show how trails can be built without public funding. It follows Bull Creek through mostly public parkland from the
Loop 360/Spicewood Springs intersection to
Bull Creek District Park.

7. Gaines Creek. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept., recently awarded $11,979 to build a 1.5-mile dirt trail along scenic Gaines Creek from Southwest Parkway to the Barton Creek greenbelt, just downstream of the MoPac bridge. Construction will be performed, without public funding, by 13 members of the National Civilian Community Corps, a national service organization for young people created by Congress in 1993. -- N.E.