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The Trail Foundation could take over Hike & Bike Trail parkland operations


atomheartbevo

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https://www.austin360.com/news/20190819/exclusive-trail-foundation-could-take-over-hike-amp-bike-trail-parkland-operations

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The Trail Foundation, which has spearheaded efforts to improve the Butler Hike and Bike Trail, could take over management of 200 acres of city parkland along the popular downtown pathway.

The city’s Parks and Recreation Department now serves as the primary steward of the 16-mile trail, made up of a 10-mile loop around Lady Bird Lake, plus six associated crossings and a handful of spurs. It spends about $1 million per year to maintain the crushed granite route, mow the grass and trim trees surrounding it, and manage storm water runoff.

Staff members from the foundation and the city say shifting the operations and management of the parkland could ease the pressure on a financially strained parks department. Trail Foundation officials say the transfer could also streamline the process for making improvements to the trail, where thousands of people go to run, bike and take in views of the city.

A panel of national experts representing the Urban Land Institute, a nonprofit organization that helps cities plan responsible land use, will gather in Austin starting Aug. 25 to study the feasibility of the transfer.

Can't be any worse than it currently is.  It's always hit-or-miss on whether you can find a working bathroom.

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So we have one of their first big changes - a couple of docks, one wet, one dry, under the First Street bridge.  The "dry" dock is floating, and rises/lowers with the lake level.  They are expanding the wetland area around there as well.

https://austin.towers.net/at-the-drake-bridge-commons-new-public-space-brings-docks-downtown/?%3Futm_medium=cpc

The translucent white area is the bridge:

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The wet area

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13 minutes ago, Deej said:

That dry dock rendering is missing the homeless camp.

And too many white people.

From something I read elsewhere, they are building it to raise up and down because the Shoal Creek outlet is pointed right at it.

I do like the overall goals.  It's a shame they can't keep the bacteria levels under control, and clear out a stretch of the waterfront for a swimming area.

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On 8/21/2019 at 11:36 AM, atomheartbevo said:

https://www.austin360.com/news/20190819/exclusive-trail-foundation-could-take-over-hike-amp-bike-trail-parkland-operations

Can't be any worse than it currently is.  It's always hit-or-miss on whether you can find a working bathroom.

That's a bit extreme.  I travel to 2 or 3 different cities every week and hardly any of them have an urban trail anywhere near as nice as the Austin hike and bike trail.  We are really lucky to have it and it could be way worse.  

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1 minute ago, Your Mom said:

That's a bit extreme.  I travel to 2 or 3 different cities every week and hardly any of them have an urban trail anywhere near as nice as the Austin hike and bike trail.  We are really lucky to have it and it could be way worse.  

Don't get me wrong - it's a great feature, along with some of the related trails (being able to follow Shoal Creek from around 45th-street area down to the lake, etc.).

I even like these new docks they have planned.

But I just think that Austinites will fuck it up somehow.

 

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12 minutes ago, Your Mom said:

That's a bit extreme.  I travel to 2 or 3 different cities every week and hardly any of them have an urban trail anywhere near as nice as the Austin hike and bike trail.  We are really lucky to have it and it could be way worse.  

no shit.  are people complaining about it?  other than OP

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2 hours ago, futureman said:

no shit.  are people complaining about it?  other than OP

I love the trails.  I didn’t give a shit about the bathrooms until we had kids.  I don’t want to be That Parent that had his kid piss or shit on the side of the trail.  

Edited by atomheartbevo
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4 minutes ago, atomheartbevo said:

I love the trails.  I didn’t give a shit about the bathrooms until we had kids.  I don’t want to be That Parent that had his kid piss or shir on the side of the trail.  

I had to shit in the bushes once.  just off the trail on the north side east of mopac, right before the community garden.  but I did not post in the shart thread that day. 

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On 8/22/2019 at 7:29 PM, Your Mom said:

That's a bit extreme.  I travel to 2 or 3 different cities every week and hardly any of them have an urban trail anywhere near as nice as the Austin hike and bike trail.  We are really lucky to have it and it could be way worse.  

Yes, living in Fort Worth now and every time I drive by their “trail” I miss Austin that much more. Austin is very lucky. 

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I have a question. I just moved back and they hadn't done whatever it is they did to Auditorium Shores yet when I left. Is there some reason they let all the shrubbery by the water along that stretch grow up to 15 feet so the view of the water and downtown are blocked from there? It struck me as odd.

 

Also, what is it exactly they are trying to accomplish with that whole part? 

 

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