North Austin News

Five million dollars in new federal funding will help close gaps along the Walnut Creek Trail System in Austin. Rep. Lloyd Doggett announced Friday that the funding he secured will help complete the 3.5-mile span from the Southern Walnut Creek Trail to Braker Lane.

The extended trail will include a safe, dedicated crossing of US-290 and connect neighborhoods north of the highway to 15 miles of existing urban trails. It will also provide a connection to a large Samsung facility, offering employees more options on how to travel to work. Much of this segment is proposed within the abandoned MoKan Corridor, transforming an unused corridor into a vibrant urban trail.

The Walnut Creek Trail System was identified as a high priority in the 2014 Urban Trails Plan. The northern and southern ends of the trail are complete and open to the public, and an approximately eight-mile gap remains between the Northern and Southern Walnut Creek Trails. Once complete, the trail will be about 19 miles long. 

By completing the Walnut Creek Trail, Austinites will experience improved access to economic opportunities, improved bicyclist and pedestrian safety and mobility, and reduced vehicle traffic and related emissions.

The funding supports the Austin Strategic Mobility Plan's goal of achieving by 2039 that 50 percent of all commutes in Austin are made using public transit, biking, walking, carpooling or avoided altogether by working remotely. 

Original source can be found here.