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Parks
A closer look at the park spaces included in Waterloo Greenway phase two
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board learned more this week about the park spaces included in the next construction phase of the Waterloo Greenway. Phase two, which kicks off this spring, will focus on the 14 acres along Waller Creek…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Mar 29, 2023
New plan will bring more art to hike-and-bike trail
Visitors to the Ann and Roy Butler Hike-and-Bike Trail may soon have the opportunity to enjoy more art along Lady Bird Lake, thanks to a new plan that lifts an almost decadelong moratorium on new public art. Monday’s regular meeting…
Parks • By Ava Garderet • Mar 23, 2023
Lifeguard hiring back on track after wage increase and dedicated outreach
Austin is on pace to hire a sufficient number of lifeguards to open all of its pools and splash pads this upcoming summer – aided by the city’s minimum wage increase to $20 an hour and dedicated outreach from its…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Mar 3, 2023
Parks board wants more public engagement on Zilker nonprofit idea
This week, the city’s Parks and Recreation Board recommended further public engagement surrounding the Zilker Vision Plan; in particular, the plan’s proposal to create a “unified umbrella nonprofit” to serve as a point of contact for the park . “The…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Mar 1, 2023
Austin misses goal of having direction signs on all urban trails
Austin failed to install directional signs, also known as wayfinding, on all urban trails by 2022, a specific target outlined in the city’s far-reaching transportation strategy. The Austin Strategic Mobility Plan was adopted unanimously by the City Council in 2019. The ASMP – two…
Parks • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Feb 28, 2023
Notley/Monitor Poll: Austinites can't agree on greatest park challenges or solutions
Austin residents regularly use city parks but are divided over how they should be maintained, according to a January/February poll of 429 voters commissioned by Notley and conducted by national pollster Change Research for the Austin Monitor. The poll comes…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Feb 15, 2023
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Parks board tables recommendation on Zilker vision plan after public debate
The city’s Parks and Recreation Board became an outlet for pent-up concern about the draft Zilker Park vision plan last week. For more than two hours, community members and organizations including the Texas Sierra Club and Save Our Springs Alliance testified…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 31, 2023
What happened to the Zilker Park mini-train?
Zilker Park, the crown jewel of Austin’s park system, used to be home to a miniature train amusement ride that delighted families for generations and became one of Austin’s most iconic attractions. “The first one I ever rode, I was…
Parks • By Nathan Bernier, KUT • Jan 26, 2023
Contract kicks off second phase of Waterloo Greenway parks project
The next phase of the Waterloo Greenway parks system will begin construction this spring, with Jay-Reese Contractors Inc. winning the contract for the two-year-plus project. The Waller Creek Local Government Corp., the entity that manages much of the administration for…
Parks • By Chad Swiatecki • Jan 25, 2023
PARD tries again to approve long-awaited cemetery rules update
For nearly a decade, the city has worked to overhaul the nearly half-century-old rules governing grave ornamentation and maintenance of Austin’s five municipal cemeteries, which are under the stewardship of the city’s Parks and Recreation Department. PARD says the new rules are…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Jan 10, 2023
Vision plan authors hope for a more sustainable future for Zilker
The current state of Zilker Park, from an ecological perspective, is about what you would expect for a 100-plus-year-old metropolitan park in a city with a population just shy of 1 million. With 2.6 million visitors enjoying nature and amenities…
Parks • By Nina Hernandez • Dec 21, 2022
Three finalists make a splash as they vie for position of Aquatic Division manager
Last Thursday, the Parks and Recreation Department held a public meeting to introduce the three remaining candidates in the running to become Austin’s next Aquatic Division manager, who the department expects to name in early January. The Aquatic Division manager…
