The recently passed city bonds won’t be the only thing pumping up alternatives to auto transportation here in Austin. The National Park Service announced Sunday that the Montopolis Tributary Trail Association has been selected to receive technical assistance in creating a 2-mile, multimodal trail in Southeast Austin, north of Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. MTTA will also get help with restoring 40 acres of land to a more natural state in hopes of reducing pollution going into Carson Creek. “This plan has strong community support, and provides an opportunity to link some of the last remaining undeveloped open space in the area to Austin’s growing network of trails,” said Kathryn Nichols of the National Park Service’s Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program in a press release. “We want a trail near our creek tributary and urban woods instead of dumped tires and trash,” said MTTA member Pam Thompson. Another MTTA member, Stefan Wray, said, “One of the exciting prospects of NPS staff support will be their help in organizing a design charrette or workshop involving community stakeholders, Austin nonprofits, and city staff to develop a plan for the highest and best use of 40 acres of existing and newly acquired public land.”
This article appears in November 19 • 2010.