SW Trail and Greenbelt Project

NOTES FROM OCT. 2, 2004 DESIGN WORKSHOP

OVERALL ISSUES, as summarized in group notes and by UT Architecture School Dean Frederick Steiner:

• This can be done! We have lots of opportunities right now.
• We need a plan we can put into action.
• Existing large amounts of public open space means only modest land acquisitions are necessary.
• Recognize that there are two types of cyclists: commuters and recreational riders. Commuting to work on a bike, it is a totally different experience from recreation. Recognize and plan for the differences. Potential routes for both "commuter" or "recreational" trail use.
• Cat Quintanilla’s group described it as "Living" Plan, an "Organic" Plan, subject to change and growth.
• Groups did a good job of identifying problem areas
• Remember vehicular access for EMS.
• Be aware of the school service boundaries and hours.
• Private landowner PR – chance to make a Legacy gift to the Austin community.
• A PR campaign will have to be associated with this project to get landowners on board.
• Need an overall system of ADA accessibility.
• Crossings are the main challenges.
• Five miles of SW Trail to start with [ was he saying to begin with this goal?]

Strategies (identified by the seven small group workshop teams)

• Network using "hubs" and "links"
• Emerald lattice
• Rails to Trails – EVERY GROUP ID’ed this opportunity, especially on track parallel to Manchaca
• Improve existing trails to accommodate bicycles.
• Follow existing Pipeline easements– 6 out of 7 groups chose this option.
• Natural buffer setbacks from residential and commercial properties.
• Get kids to school on trail.
• Identify schools and churches in the area for possible pedestrian/bicycle connections.
• Find out what areas the schools serve, inside which specific boundaries, in order to know where to put trails - connecting with schools should be a priority.
• Trails can connect schools to parks.
• Include street links from schools to trails.
• Need cross town lanes for fast bikers.
• Get the main trail built first and then work on the underpasses and overpasses.
• Connect every existing park with some sort of trail system.
• Work with developers – often they will give trail easement if you take care of it – an easy partnership.
• Get bike lanes into any redevelopment of Mo-Pac.
• Incorporate bike lanes in Mo-Pac/William Cannon area.
• Keep Blowing Sink and Stephenson Park intact - Respect critical environmental features by putting trail on perimeters. Nearly all groups drew trails around the perimeter and one added a trail along the pipeline that intersects it.
• CLEARLY limit access to trails in preserves and conservation areas.
• Need to identify warbler habitat to minimize disturbance.
• Underpasses – not all that expensive to get pedestrians under the big roads.
• Study Properties should be developed with linkages to open space.
• Major links avoided through high density residential areas (group 3)
• All future residential development should have access points to the trail system.
• Multiple trails desired – look for 100 year floodplain areas where developers would be willing to set aside property.
• Every 10 houses should have access points to the trail/open-space network.
• Buffer zones on the perimeter of undeveloped tracts – Costco tract’s plan is an example.
• The re-development of Deer Lane – make larger for ped/trail.
• When they hit a problem with private property, then go to a public right-of-way immediately.
• What is the width of the pipeline easements?
• Identify utility easements which might be available for trail links.
• 75 foot setback recommended from trails to private property lines.
• Consider a new kind of easement – trail or access easement within new developments.
• Do the ¼ mile test – does everyone have access to a trail?
• Make trail access to the movie theater and markets.
• always placed trails far away from highways as possible – possible sound buffer.
• More important for ADA trails to link to activity centers.

Parking

• Use churches (weekday) and commercial (on weekend) for parking.
• Use schools on weekends; Tony Burger Center for parking, mixed use for parking.
• Enlarge some existing parking at "hub" areas.
• Parking areas- shared parking with commercial areas along the way.

Features

• Recommend dirt or crushed gravel pathways along creeks.
• Solar lighting
• Mile markers
• Figure out the cross-town travel times for bike commuters – post times on map.
• Natural interpretive signage
• Use native plants in revegetation projects.
• Add paths to get to water stations.
• Trails need sound buffers from major roads.
• A hostel on the trails
• bike racks and bike lock-up areas
• snack shack
• One side of Mopac can be commuter/handicap access and the other side a more rustic trail.
• Have half of trail loops ADA
• Add ADA accessibility at the Study Properties.
• Call boxes on trails with emergency access information
• Way stations – bike lock-ups, water, fruit juice, granola, overnight accommodations
• What will be the trail access during school hours at Bowie H.S.?
• Lighting for nightriders along the trails?

Intersections, Problem Areas & Concerns

• Survey Mopac underpasses, see if they are usable for trails
• Slope will have to be addressed for ADA challenges - Identify slippery slopes and rugged slopes.
• Descent down to Brodie tract problematic (slope issue)
• What are the problems with locating trails along creeks?
• Can mobility impaired trails go along creeks?
• Need for trail or sidewalks with disability access
• Concerned about intersections & road crossings
• William Cannon at Brush Country
• William Cannon @ Brodie
• Brodie at 290
• Lowes Access
• Brodie at Williamson Creek
• Mopac and Slaughter Creek
• West Gate @ William Cannon
• West Gate & 290
• Brodie @ Slaughter
• Mopac & 290
• ACC Intersection
• Ascent from Barton Creek through Gaines Park to 290 – aesthetics of water quality ponds the "pits".
• Brodie Lane needs to be safer for bikes.
• Sidewalk needed on LaCrosse.
• No good crossings across Brodie Lane, all intersections are difficult (there are creek crossings under it)
• Parking Accessibility
• Safety and Maintenance
• Private landowners’ perceptions?
• Where might the Wildflower Center let us start a trailhead?

Routes

GROUP 1 (view map 723KB)

Teresa Mook, Gwen Wyoming, Howie Richey, Bill Huie, Sharon Hernandez-Dorow, Sonya Lopez, Bill Glass, Cliff Anderson, Nancy Meredith

• Main trail runs along east of Mopac, crossing Mopac westward at Dick Nichols Park.
• Trail network has five Brodie Lane crossings.
• Trail loops around Mopac and William Cannon at SW Market Place and loops around HEB.
• An east-west trail follows the Longhorn pipeline.
• A trail follows Williamson Creek floodplains to Oak Hill ball field.
• Two trails – one on each side of Mopac going North.
• Preferred primary route from Wildflower Center to Barton Creek along rail-to-trail (Union Pacific RR).
• Preserved integrity of Blowing Sink and Stephenson by putting trail on perimeters.

GROUP 2 (view map 649KB)

Fritz Steiner, Matt Moore, April Watkins, Marjory Lokali Gentsch, Nancy Thompson, Steve Windhager, Alex Hendrex, William Chaffe, Kiley Dorton

• Lattice approach to developing trails.
• Main trail goes from Wildflower Center followed along the west side of Mopac to Dick Nichols through outer edge of Study Properties and crosses Mopac to continue east along Mopac then follows along the south branch of Williamson Creek.
• Trails go east-west along Longhorn and Phillips pipeline, right through Blowing Sink and connecting along the floodplain near Longhorn Pipeline.
• Seven Brodie Lane Crossings.
• UP tracks east of Manchaca Rd have trail.

GROUP 3 (view map 680KB)

Kevin Lewis, Patrice Schexnayder, Wayne Gronquist, Danielle Pierinunzi, Nina Hall

• All major hubs are connected (this network shows best example of hubs and links).
• Create a Veloway bike extension with parallel trails along roads – the veloway trail could extend eastward along the Slaughter Creek hike and bike trail, crossing Brodie Lane and then continuing on to connect Kocurek School.
• Regarding Blowing Sink, Group 3 shows a trail going along the outer perimeter of Blowing Sink and another trail going right through Blowing Sink along the Longhorn Pipeline right-of-way.
• Hiking trail that follows along the north and south branches of Williamson Creek within the floodplain (would need some acquisition of existing residential properties).
• Main trail goes east of Mopac as a commuter trail.
• The main trail also goes west of Mopac joining Dick Nichols Park as a nature trail
• There are five Brodie Lane trail crossings
• This network has loops within loops
• The main trail has a crossing @ Brodie and Hwy 290.
• There is a major crossing at Mopac and Williamson Creek.
• Network separates commuter from nature trails, the trail lanes along Mopac are more for commuters.

GROUP 4 (view map 668KB)

Cat Quintanilla, Martha Simmons, Colin Clark, Robin Rather, Bill Kemp, Jenn Galland

• Trail goes east along Slaughter Creek, crossing Slaughter Lane through the Study Properties.
• Trail goes along whole length of Brodie (presumably bike lane and improved sidewalk connection)
• Trail follows partially along the Kincheon (southern) branch of Williamson Creek
• Trail follows pipelines in some areas and then connects floodplains and creeks.
• Major crossing for the main trail at Brodie Ln and Hwy 290.
• Trail goes follows partly along Hwy 290.
• Trail connections considered for future ACC Campus.
• Does not connect all hubs, uses existing roadways more.
• Five Brodie Lane crossings

GROUP 5 (view map 666KB)

Tim Mahoney, Heidi Dues, Rene Tamez, Steve Williams, Shudde Fath, Fred Meredith, Bob Farr, Phil Panebshek

• Two main trails follow along both east and west of Mopac to avoid difficult crossings along Mopac.
• Trail makes use of Longhorn Pipeline for quick cross-town access.
• Trails follow along edge of most Study Properties.
• Trail follows Kincheon branch of Williamson Creek.
• Three Brodie Lane crossings.
• Trails connect all major parks.
• Need safe crossing at William Cannon and Mopac, maybe use a dual crossing light that shows bikes/peds.
• Trails crosses at Brodie and Hwy 290 behind Sams.

GROUP 6 (view map 764KB)

David Foster, Jacob Johnson, Anne-Marie Battikha, Cathy Mordstrom, Susan Jung, Kathleen Welder, Tim Costello, Paul Johnson, Jeff Thorne, Greg Kehob (map with multi-colored trails)

• Major trail goes along east side of Mopac through the Study Properties.
• Another trail follows along on the west side of Mopac to Dick Nichols Park.
• Lower (Kincheon) branch of Williamson Creek a trail connection.
• Major use of existing trails
• Three major Brodie crossings
• Three Mopac crossings
• Creek trail goes along northern (main) branch of Williamson Creek.
• Trail goes east-west through Stephenson Preserve.
• Pipelines NOT used as potential trails in this group.
• All trails are within loops and larger loops.
• Heavy reliance on existing Sunset Valley trails.

GROUP 7 (view map 737KB)

Jack Goodman, Lee Leffingwell, Katie Jensen, Nicole Sanford, Greg Kilon, Diane Miller, Linda DeGroot (map with sticky notes on it)

• Main trail goes along east of Mopac – as a commuter trail. Alternate trail goes west of Mopac.
• Blowing Sink remains intact with a nature trail going across Blowing Sink up through Stephenson Preserve, veering off along the floodplain to the right (east) and then connecting along the rail trail.
• Main trail goes along lower (Kincheon) branch of Williamson Creek.
• Trail follow partly along northern (main) branch of Williamson Creek.
• Major crossing at 290 and the Tony Burger Center – not at Brodie and Hwy 290 like many of the other groups (presumably requires over or under pass).
• Four Brodie crossings
• Four Mopac crossings
• Separate commuter and nature trails run parallel along Slaughter Creek going eastward and crossing Brodie Lane.
• First establish the main trail artery from the LBJ Wildflower Center.
• Trail stayed in wilderness areas until Brodie and 290 corner.
• Important crossings were marked on the map with a red star (see those along Mopac and marked existing crossings at creeks).
• Added a trail parallel on the west side of Mopac because Mopac is such a barrier.