Urban/Commute/Paths/About Town

[June Bug]

TxDOT could put a four-lane road where Austin is building a trail

Looking at the photos and maps embedded in this article, I wondered how much could already be traversed by mountain bikes. 

[RedRider3141]

42 minutes ago, June Bug said:

TxDOT could put a four-lane road where Austin is building a trail

Looking at the photos and maps embedded in this article, I wondered how much could already be traversed by mountain bikes. 

I almost posted the same article earlier today. Seems like this issue is very divided. 

[June Bug]

Finally made it to Barkley Meadows Park at the intersection of 71 and 130 along Onion Creek.  It's an obscure spot that turned out to be quite interesting.  There's a small network of concrete paths, some fully shaded and some not, that ultimately lead...nowhere.  One path crosses under 130 and parallels a pond and what I think is an immense borrow pit for construction of 130.  It just dead ends, although the park map shows a loop. 

The other path dead ends at Hwy 71, very close to where the highway crosses Onion Creek.  Had conditions been drier, we would have gone under the bridge and connected up to SE Metropolitan Park. There is a bulldozed road that goes from the side of 71 down to Onion Creek. 

But, there are some amazing pecan trees, shaded picnic tables with a shaded playscape, Berdoll pond to fish for catch and release, a bridge along the Old Bastrop highway on a "closed" trail, an interpretive sign for an archaeological site, and a bazillion signs in large lettering that note to watch for SNAKES ON TRAIL.  We did see a snowy egret, a caracara and a hawk. 

The interpretive sign for the Old Bastrop Highway bridge notes that Fort Comanche (1849) was located nearby, but I can find no references to an historic fort or camp by that name, even on this quite extensive list on the Texas Forts website. 

It would be a great spot to spend an hour or two with small children able to ride a bike on the paths, picnic and play. 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2023 by June Bug

[June Bug]

KXAN news this evening had a brief mention of a bike rider down at Brushy Creek on Friday, so I looked it up online.  Around 3 pm wilderness first responders went to 10800-10825 Dodge Cattle Drive "attempting to find the person who was injured".  That paved trailhead takes off north from the cul de sac on the image below.  It wasn't clear if the bike rider was on the paved path or single track.  The person was STAR Flighted to St. David's Round Rock with life-threatening injuries. 

My first thought was a rider without a helmet going over the handlebars onto his/her head but other scenarios can cause severe injuries. 

 

[AustinBike]

Tree down on South Walnut Creek Trail, about .6 miles north of Govalle park.

[AntonioGG]

https://communityimpact.com/austin/north-northwest-austin/transportation/2023/05/26/5m-in-federal-funds-secured-for-walnut-creek-trail-extension/

[June Bug]

Work on the extension to Manor is underway from the north end of the Southern Walnut Creek Multi-use Path at Daffan Lane.  

When construction was underway on the now completed Southern Walnut Creek Path, we went with a group of friends on multiple trips to ride mtn bikes through the construction zone on Sundays to explore and chart progress.

I made a joking reference on Facebook about an overview of the route and construction corridor (there may be an existing rough two-track) and noted it would be fun to explore on a mtn bike. 

Pretty quickly, a City of Austin rep posted up, "Please don't do that..."

[Mattlikesbikes]

1 hour ago, June Bug said:

Work on the extension to Manor is underway from the north end of the Southern Walnut Creek Multi-use Path at Daffan Lane.  

When construction was underway on the now completed Southern Walnut Creek Path, we went with a group of friends on multiple trips to ride mtn bikes through the construction zone on Sundays to explore and chart progress.

I made a joking reference on Facebook about an overview of the route and construction corridor (there may be an existing rough two-track) and noted it would be fun to explore on a mtn bike. 

Pretty quickly, a City of Austin rep posted up, "Please don't do that..."

I agree with them, don't do that. Wanna explore future trails, go for it. But once the work has started it's a liability for the contractor and city for riders to enter construction areas. 

[AntonioGG]

Where will it continue from? The end at the RC/ trap & skeet clubs?

[Chongo Loco]

6 hours ago, AntonioGG said:

Where will it continue from? The end at the RC/ trap & skeet clubs?

I’m pretty sure the trailhead at Johnny Morris across from Brown Distributing is where SWC ends. It’s the Manor trail from that point to the RC airfield IIRC. Not quite sure where it will swing north, possibly further back in the field???

Edited June 12, 2023 by Chongo Loco

[mack_turtle]

I'm looking for more context, but this doesn't look good.

 

 

[Chongo Loco]

Thought that has been a done deal on this for several months. TXDoT is GIVING the park area adjacent to I-35 to the construction company for the duration of the I-35 redesign over townlake and thru downtown.  It's not some temporary closure while there's construction overhead, it's going to be their jobsite HQ for the duration of the project.

[mack_turtle]

Who has navigated around Roy Guerrero Park lately? I rode down there on Sunday after all the rain, when singletrack was too wet, and found that much of the trails were fenced off. I gave up and crossed the river on Pleasant Valley and wiggled my way up to Walnut Creek South. It looks like there's currently no point in entering the park, but crossing into the main trail from Lakeshore Blvd. to get to the Montopolis Bridge is still doable.

[GFisher]

21 hours ago, mack_turtle said:

Who has navigated around Roy Guerrero Park lately? I rode down there on Sunday after all the rain, when singletrack was too wet, and found that much of the trails were fenced off. I gave up and crossed the river on Pleasant Valley and wiggled my way up to Walnut Creek South. It looks like there's currently no point in entering the park, but crossing into the main trail from Lakeshore Blvd. to get to the Montopolis Bridge is still doable.

I tried one day last week too and had the same result. I knew there was an engineering project going on there but was surprised at the size. There is a bit of kind of fun rerouting (had to jump across a couple logs :)) but you can't get through realistically. This was my feeble attempt. The southern part of the little loop was in a sandy creek bed/trail basically. Best to not even bother for now I think.

 

[June Bug]

On 6/11/2023 at 7:43 PM, Chongo Loco said:

It’s the Manor trail from that point to the RC airfield IIRC. Not quite sure where it will swing north, possibly further back in the field???

After crossing Johnny Morris, the current trail continues as a side walk along Daffan Lane.  At Decker Lane,  there's a pedestrian/cyclist-friendly crossing signal and the trail continues along past the upper reaches of Lake Walter E. Long, to the current end at Lindell Lane, where a caliche road turns off to Capital City Clays and the RC field.  

The new section will parallel Lindell Lane for a little ways, cross Lindell Lane, and then continue to Manor.  There isn't much left to do; hoping it's good to go by the end of June.  The new trail is a little wider than the current trail. 

Edited May 3 by June Bug

[GFisher]

6 minutes ago, June Bug said:

After crossing Johnny Morris, the current trail continues as a side walk along Daffan Lane.  At Decker Lane,  there's a pedestrian/cyclist-friendly crossing signal and the trail continues along past the upper reaches of Lake Walter E. Long, to the current end at Lindell Lane, where a caliche road turns off to Capital City Clays and the RC field.  

The new section will parallel Lindell Lane for a little ways, cross Lindell Lane, and then continue to Manor.  There isn't much left to do; hoping it's good to go by the end of June.  The new trail is a little wider than the current trail. 

Thanks, I was thinking of asking for any updates. Nothing really opened past the rc field though eh? Looks like gravel and paved trails will be on the menu for the near term. 😐

[June Bug]

On 5/3/2024 at 1:52 PM, GFisher said:

Thanks, I was thinking of asking for any updates.

I'm a concerned that all of this rain has delayed things a bit.  

[June Bug]

Yup, why add in the little section of sidewalk?  This is where a side path from the Northern Walnut Multi-Use Path meets Park Bend Dr.   That little curb-cut ramp goes...nowhere. 

Edited July 4 by June Bug

[TheX]

That's...bizarre.

[June Bug]

18 hours ago, TheX said:

That's...bizarre.

Yup, most peculiar!  It's the mismatch that happens when different entities have different requirements and contractors. 

[TheX]

2 hours ago, June Bug said:

Yup, most peculiar!  It's the mismatch that happens when different entities have different requirements and contractors. 

And unfortunately, we end up losing most of the time.

[circuitbreaker]

Pavement Trail to Manor officially open yesterday.

What i found interesting from the facebook post was this Travis County Greenways map. Have yall seen these plans before? is there a better copy of this map somewhere?
 

Edited August 25 by circuitbreaker

[WhoAmI]

1 hour ago, circuitbreaker said:

Pavement Trail to Manor officially open yesterday.

What i found interesting from the facebook post was this Travis County Greenways map. Have yall seen these plans before? is there a better copy of this map somewhere?
 

 

Check page 25 of this document maybe.

[circuitbreaker]

some updates on construction dates for walnut creek north:
https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/austin-advancing-work-on-30-mile-big-loop-trail-system/?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=referral&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Nfwp0bANVf_9UOrJz4hLCoALgNCtJUoJenpqmf0EOccaFxwLQbeDakns_aem_BrgUbCPh_Uw0TMBaoMYC4w

Sections 2B and 3A are both funded and are at the 60% design completion stage, with 100% design work completion expected in the late springtime. Construction is then projected to begin next summer, officials said.

Section 3B is currently unfunded and in the feasibility review stage. Early stage design work is expected to kick off this winter, with bike lane improvements proposed on Shropshire Boulevard and Braker Lane to link up with the 3A north segment through the north end of the 3C section.