Welcome to our first newsletter of 2023! There is a lot going on already, and even more to come this year.
2022 Recap
With your support in 2022, we were active all along the corridor. Read more in our blog about our 2022 progress on the Parkway Plan, connectors, charrettes, McKalla Station, other hotspots, Cedar Park bond funding, Parkway to Downtown series, grant funds for community engagement, Project Parkway, and I-35.
Welcome Jennifer to the Initiative
Jennifer Potter-Miller began at the start of the year as our new Community Engagement Manager! Jennifer brings to the Red Line Parkway Initiative a background in community engagement on parks. She led the adopt-a-park group Friends of Patterson Park through a neighborhood park planning process and served as the chair for seven years. During this time the group organized dozens of community events and raised funds for several park improvement projects. Jennifer also served on the board of the Austin Parks Foundation for three years and has loved trails and hiking all her life. Stop by one of our events this spring to meet her in person!
Supporting Red Line Parkway via Amplify Austin
Your donation makes possible our work on behalf of the Red Line Parkway. The official city-wide day of giving begins Wednesday, March 1st at 6pm and goes for 24 hours, but... the Amplify Austin Day donor portal is already open, and you can beat the rush and make your 2023 donation now.
We’ll mark the start of Amplify Austin with an ice cream social on Wednesday, March 1st from 4-6pm at Bruning Green in the North Loop Neighborhood. Join us for face painting, refreshments, and games.
It’s My Park(way) Day
We’re participating in our first It’s My Park Day on Saturday, March 4th, 2-4pm. Come join us on the Boggy Creek Trail section of the Red Line Parkway, next to Downs-Mabson Fields. Stop by for ice cream, games, a scavenger hunt and more! Register via Austin Parks Foundation to get one of this year’s artist-designed t-shirts!
Stay tuned for other upcoming events this spring.
Take Action
Three big opportunities await your input:
- ATX Walk Bike Roll: The City of Austin just released its first full drafts of updates to three city plans: Urban Trails; Bikeways; and Sidewalks, Crossings, and Shared Streets. You can provide your input to the city until March 20th.
- I-35 Capital Express Central: The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) released their draft environmental impact statement in late December for the proposed I-35 Capital Express Central project. This covers the portion from SH 71 to US 290 East (i.e. Ben White to Koenig Lane), including both Red Line crossings. You can provide your input to TxDOT by March 7th, including at an in-person public hearing this Thursday, February 9th at 5pm at the Millennium Youth Entertainment Complex along the Red Line Parkway.
- Austin Core Transportation Plan: The City of Austin is updating its Downtown Austin transportation plan, and just released their Phase 2 draft of the plan. You can visit their virtual open house and survey to provide your feedback.
Trail Openings
Have you been outside today? If you’re looking for new places to ride, walk, or roll, check out these fresh facilities:
- The City of Austin Corridor Program just added a shared-use path along Airport Boulevard at Koenig Lane. This provides near-term Red Line Parkway connectivity between North Loop and Highland, creating a newly continuous route from Downtown Austin to Crestview!
- A nearby developer completed a new MoKan Trail section under Airport Boulevard from Springdale Road to Govalle Park and the Southern Walnut Creek Trail. This provides upgraded connectivity between the nearby Red Line Parkway to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail, creating another piece of the Big Loop.
- The City of Austin Urban Trails Program just completed Northern Walnut Creek Phase 2A! This new section connects neighborhoods along Walnut Creek in North Austin to the future Red Line Parkway, and is part of the future Big Loop. We’re joining the City of Austin on Saturday, March 4th 11am for a grand opening celebration.
