Thanks for tuning in. We have one of our most important action alerts below, and need your help.
Travis County Bond Action Alert
Over the last few months, we’ve been pursuing Red Line Parkway funding opportunities in the Travis County bond election planned for this November. We’re also working closely with allies at Austin Outside, Safe Streets Austin, and others to include safe walking, bicycling, and transit access throughout the proposed Transportation package. (There will also be a Parks, Trails, and Open Space package.)
The great news is that there is now a tentative item in the package for the Red Line Parkway that will also close an existing major gap in our bike/walk network. The proposal is a shared-use path (SUP) along Howard Lane under Travis County jurisdiction that would connect existing bicycling accommodations, and would also provide a portion of the Red Line Parkway. This would provide new safe access to numerous destinations within a 15-minute bike ride of Howard Station, including McNeil High School, YMCA, plus many commercial destinations and residences in the Parmer Lane and McNeil Drive area.
You can view the item listed in this potential project list on line 14 titled “Howard Lane SUP”. You can view the context of this proposed SUP in the overall Red Line Parkway project in this map.
We encourage you to tell your story about why this shared-use path is important to you. We also encourage you to tell your stories about why safe walking and bicycling access is important to you throughout the unincorporated areas of Travis County, especially how you would use this new connection to access a part of our region that is currently impossible or challenging to get to.
Share your stories in-person at a public outreach meeting beginning tomorrow through next Wednesday, or online, preferably by the end of next week (though no firm deadline has yet been provided). The bond committee members and county staff need to hear the lived experience of those navigating our county outside of cars.
Please also feel free to be in touch with us with any questions, but note that we will likely respond early next week.
Volunteer Opportunity on Bike To Work Day
Are you a chatty early riser? We will be tabling at a Bike To Work Day fueling station at Parque Zaragoza on Friday, May 19th, 7-9am. We need a few people to hand out fruit and talk with commuters about the Red Line Parkway. Contact Jennifer Potter-Miller if you’re interested in lending a hand!
Construction of Austin to Manor Trail Begins
Construction has begun on the remainder of the Austin to Manor Trail, due to be completed Spring 2024. This urban trail will provide a continuous trail connection from Govalle Park in East Austin via the Southern Walnut Creek Trail into Manor. This trail route closely follows the future Capital Metro Green Line, and will provide walk and bike connectivity to transit, much as the Red Line Parkway does.
And speaking of the Southern Walnut Creek Trail…
Thanks to you, our supporters, we successfully caught an ominous proposal that would have essentially destroyed one of our city’s most treasured urban trails. During a routine review of our metro government’s board agenda earlier this month, we noticed an item that would have replaced much of the Southern Walnut Creek Trail (and future connection to the Northern Walnut Creek Trail) with a four-lane highway. Thanks to over 1000 email comments, the item was removed from the agenda and is indefinitely postponed for now.
Our first Keep Austin Beautiful Day cleanup was a success! Earlier this month, volunteers picked up about 30 bags of trash near Crestview Station, and the trail is ready to be enjoyed by Austinites on foot or bike this spring!
We celebrated Earth Day and Celebrate Trails Day last Saturday with a bike ride from Crestview Station to Downtown Station. It was a beautiful day to spend on the Red Line Trail, and we were glad to participate in this nationwide annual event for the first time.
