Austinites and tourists alike love one of downtown’s biggest draws- Lady Bird Lake. The lake and its surrounding trail attract hundreds of thousands of bikers, walkers, runners, and naturalists every year.
But if you’ve ever made your way around the 10.1 mile hike-and-bike trail, you know there is a gap that breaks up the full loop around the lake. That 1.2 mile gap currently causes bikers, hikers, walkers, and runners to use the Riverside Drive sidewalk over 1-35 to complete the trail instead of making a complete loop as originally intended by Lady Bird Johnson.
The City of Austin, though, is now working on a plan that would close the southeastern gap of the Lady Bird Lake hike-and-bike trail. In the spring of 2008, City Council appropriated the funds for the preliminary design and this October authorized the funding for completion and design of the Boardwalk Plan.
The Boardwalk Trail at Lady Bird Lake would extend the hike-and-bike trail one more mile from the east side of the Austin American-Statesman building to Lakeshore Park. According to the plan, half of the trail will be on land and the other half will be over the water, in boardwalk fashion.
The Parks and Recreating Department and Public Works Department have comminsioned the task to Jacobs Engineering Group as “the professional consultant to complete the design,” according to the City of Austin website.
The City of Austin claims the trail extension will improve safety but some Austinites are undecided.
Some locals are very supportive of the proposal and are looking forward to this update for the safety, practicality, and aesthetic value of the boardwalk. Other Austinites are concerned, however. Residents along the route are opposed to the boardwalk and worry about the obtruction of waterfront views.
Residents aren’t the only citizens concerned; many enviromentals in the Austin area worry about the impact the trail will have on bird habitats and creek flow.
Austin City Council estimates the project will cost $15 million and hopes for plans to be complete by the end of the year.
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