In the next few weeks, the Austin City Council will consider the proposed concept plan for the Riverside Boardwalk Trail. Work on design and possible routes has been underway since this past summer and we hope that you’ve been able to attend the many open houses and public meetings. Specifically, the conceptual plan seeks to close the 1.3 mile gap in the trail, stretching from just east of the Austin American Statesman property to parkland near the intersection of E. Riverside and S. Lakeshore.
Completing the trail has been an active project for the past 12 years when the City Parks department staff started working on a series of possible designs and pursuing state and federal funding opportunities. We are thrilled to see the work on the conceptual plan progress to this stage.
On February 12, the Council will receive a briefing on the project from the Parks and Recreation Department and the Public Works Department. On February 26, the City Council will vote on the concept plan.
There are still issues of construction methods, segment routes, environmental impacts, and funding to be considered in the months ahead during the design stage. Advancing the concept plan to the next stage does not mean the work of designing, funding and building the best boardwalk trail for Austin and Lady Bird Lake is finished. But it will mean we would be closer than we have ever been to providing safe, continuous pedestrian access along the entire lakefront.
The Trail around Lady Bird Lake is the most popular park in Austin with hundreds of thousands of visits each year. Further, it is the number one tourist attraction in Austin. Please help make the Trail the best it can be for all of Austin. Show your support on or before the 12th and mark February 26 on your calendar and plan to attend the Council meeting.
Please show your support for completing the Trail by emailing our City Council today:
will.wynn@ci.austin.tx.us
lee.leffingwell@ci.austin.tx.us
mike.martinez@ci.austin.tx.us
randi.shade@ci.austin.tx.us
brewster.mccracken@ci.austin.tx.us
sheryl.cole@ci.austin.tx.us
laura.morrison@ci.austin.tx.us
