Austin-Area Trails Network
News: April 24, 2008
A resolution (#64) on cooperating on city trail, bicycle routes and lanes planning was offered by Council member Cole and co-sponsored by Mayor Wynn and council member Brewster McCracken and was approved by council in the consent agenda on April 24, 2008, at City Council as part of the consent agenda at 10 am. This focuses on pulling together all trails/bike ways planning in the city. You can read through the resolution.Also on the agenda and approved was item #63, supporting the Street Smarts Task Force recommendations with a goal of attaining Gold status as a bike friendly city.
Approve a resolution supporting efforts to upgrade the City of Austin’s bicycle network by establishing the city’s intent to become the first Texas city to attain Gold level bike-friendly status from the League of American Bicyclists; supporting the work of the Street Smarts Task Force January 2008; and directing the City Manager to study and report back to Council with recommendations for inclusion of the Street Smarts Task Force findings into the Austin Bicycle Master Plan. (Mayor Will Wynn, Council Member Brewster McCracken, Council Member Sheryl Cole)
Older News
City Council approved a resolution directing city staff to help with developing easement / right of way for the rest of the Country Club Creek Trail running from its current end at Elmont Drive down to Mabel Davis park. City Parks, Watershed Protection and Public Works will respond within 90 days. A similar measure asking for assistance for the Bull Creek Greenbelt from Loop 360 to Lampasas Drive was approved on Jan 31st at City Council.
About the Network
Trails are the most popular parks facilities in Austin and Travis County. Polls conducted several times since 1995 have confirmed this. In Austin alone, we have over 117 miles of trails for walking, hiking, running, and biking. However, most of our trails don't connect. There are gaps and it can hard be hard to connect from one trail to another.
Back in 1996, a group working under the banner Austin Metro Trails Council (later Austin Metro Trails & Greenways) came together and proposed "Greenways and Trails: A Vision for Greater Austin." Included in the vision map were the Walnut Creek (Eastside) Trail, the Town Lake Boardwalk and the Bull Creek Trail. While some great progress has been made, especially in land acquisition and design for the Walnut Creek Trail, much remains to be done.
A group of citizens, non-profit groups and government representatives has begun to meet once again and lay out a revised Trails Vision plan. Our first step has been to identify trails (either whole or portions) that have the greatest potential to build and extend our long-distance trail network.
The 12 trails listed below could triple the miles of trail in the Austin area in the very near future:
- Town Lake Trail Boardwalk
- Walnut Creek (East-side) Trail
- Capital Metro Rails with Trails (Austin to Leander)
- Oak Hill Y to Downtown Trails (includes COA Ped & Bike program's proposed Barton Creek Bridge)
- Walk for A Day
- Waller Creek Trail
- Manor Rails with Trails
- Gilleland Creek Trail
- Country Club Creek Trail
- Colorado River Trail
- Bull Creek (Loop 360 to Old Lampasas along Old Spicewood Springs Road)
- Williamson Creek (Oak Hill) to Onion Creek Trail
We believe that a network of individuals, organizations and government representatives, working together, is the best way to push these efforts forward. We invite you to join us in this effort. You can find more information and sign up for notifications about meetings at http://groups.google.com/group/austintrailsnet
Trails in Austin of 1.5 Miles or More
Some shorter trails link together to form longer possible routes. These will not necessarily be noted below. Look for a comprehensive map of current and future trails coming soon.
| Barton Creek Greenbelt East | 3755-B Capital of Texas Hwy., 78704 |
| Bright Leaf Preserve | Creek Mountain Road, 78731 |
| Brushy Creek Lake Park | 3300 Brushy Creek Rd., 78717 |
| Bull Creek Greenbelt Lower | 7806 N. Capital of Texas Highway, 78731 |
| Circle C Ranch Metropolitan Park | 6301 W. Slaughter Ln., 78749 |
| Commons Ford Ranch Metropolitan Park | 614 Commons Ford Rd., 78733 |
| Emma Long Metropolitan Park | 1600 City Park Rd., 78730 |
| Gracywoods Park | 12133 Metric Blvd., 78758 |
| Irving & Hazeline Smith Trail | 5479 Old Spicewood Springs Rd, 78731 |
| Johnson Creek Greenbelt | 2100 Enfield Rd., 78703 |
| Latta Branch Greenbelt | 7910 Beckett Rd., 78749 |
| Mary Moore Searight Metropolitan Park | 907 Slaughter Ln., 78748 |
| McKinney Falls State Park | 5808 McKinney Falls Parkway, 78744 |
| Muleshoe Bend | County Road 414 and Muleshoe Bend, 78669 |
| Pace Bend Park | 2011 Pace Bend Rd N, 78669 |
| Reimers Ranch | 24100 Hamilton Pool Road, 78669 |
| Roy G. Guerrero Colorado River Park | 8200 Grove Dr., 78741 |
| Shoal Creek Greenbelt-Central | 2400 N. Lamar Blvd., 78705 |
| St. Edwards Park | 7301 Spicewood Springs Rd., 78759 |
| Stephenson Preserve | 7609 Longview Rd., 78745 |
| Town Lake - Auditorium Shores | 920 W. Riverside Drive, 78704 |
| Town Lake-Lamar Beach Metropolitan Park | 1200 W. Cesar Chavez St., 78703 |
| Turkey Creek at Emma Long | 1600 City Park Rd., 78730 |
| Veloway | 4900 La Crosse Ave., 78739 |
| Waller Creek Greenbelt | 703 E. 6th St., 78701 |
| Walnut Creek Metropolitan Park | 12138 N. Lamar Blvd., 78753 |
| Walnut Creek Trail (future) | tbd, 78758 |
| Walter E. Long Metropolitan Park | 6614 Blue Bluff Rd., 78724 |
| Wild Basin Preserve | 805 N. Capitol of Texas Hwy., 78746 |
Austin Parks Foundation 701 Brazos Street, Suite 170 Austin, TX 78701 tel 512.477.1566 fax 512.477.1586 Copyright © 2007 Austin Parks Foundation. All rights reserved. |
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