In a piece of good news – especially as recent sweltering temperatures have confirmed that summer doesn’t end till late September – Barton Springs is set to reopen today, on a Thursday, no less. During weekly pool maintenance Aug. 29, Parks and Recreation Department staff discovered leaks – caused by a hole that had grown […]
City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department
The city department responsible for the city’s park system, rec centers, and associated infrastructure.
Posted inParks
Barton Springs closed for weeks due to major leaks
Austinites looking forward to an end-of-summer celebratory Barton Springs dip this Labor Day weekend were disappointed, thanks to a safety hazard caused by two major leaks that has led to a weekslong indefinite closure of the pool. The pool has been out of commission since Aug. 29, when the city’s Parks and Recreation Department announced […]
Posted inBudget
Parks, pools, trees – and dogs – get a boost in new city budget
The new city budget City Council passed Wednesday delivered good news for parks and park lovers with the creation of a land acquisition fund, improved parks maintenance, additional funding for tree-planting projects and a dog park in Southwest Austin. Additionally, the Parks and Recreation Department withdrew its unpopular proposal to increase entry fees at specialty […]
Posted inBudget
Council will face tough budget decisions on parks, animal services and homelessness
City Council is anticipating a tight budget ahead and will have to balance funding for the Parks and Recreation Department as well as the Austin Animal Center, the Homeless Strategy Office and Human Resources. The Austin Animal Center is over capacity, with a shelter population of 123 percent of capacity for kittens and cats, 129 […]
Posted inBudget
Parks board recommends beefing up funding for city parks maintenance
With increasing challenges in maintaining grounds within Austin’s busy parks system, the Parks and Recreation Board voted Monday to recommend that City Council allocate an additional $2.62 million to the Parks and Recreation Department budget for the new fiscal year. Of that amount, the board requested that $2.24 million be allocated toward parks maintenance, including […]
Posted inAustin
Off-leash dogs are everywhere in Austin. What are the rules?
There are few things that bring dog owners more joy than watching their furry friend run toward them with tongue out and ears flapping. But, for nonlovers of dogs or other pet owners, this might not be as joyful. For some, it might even be scary. Austin is a pet-friendly city, and it’s common to […]
Posted inParks
After lake drownings, safety upgrades come to Rainey Street trailhead
Lee esta historia en español More than a year after community members called for better lighting and safety measures along a portion of Lady Bird Lake near Rainey Street, permanent upgrades are finally nearing completion. The pleas and demands came from family and friends of two men who drowned in the lake last spring near […]
Posted inParks
Parks Board hears from the public on the next (and former) PARD director
The Parks and Recreation Board got an earful of public testimony earlier this month regarding the city’s national search to replace former parks director Kimberly McNeeley. McNeeley recently left the Parks and Recreation Department after accepting the position of CEO of the Trail Conservancy, one of the department’s nonprofit partners. Several speakers, including some department […]
Posted inParks
Austin adds more than a dozen shade structures to recreation areas. Here’s where to find them.
In an effort to beat the heat, several shade structures are going up at public parks, playgrounds and pools around town. Austin dedicated $4 million to provide more shade in public places. City officials said it has become necessary as summer temperatures more frequently reach above normal, and falls and winters become more mild. Temperatures tend […]
Posted inTransportation
Parks Board recommends approval of Violet Crown trail funding
Anyone who tuned in last week to watch the Parks and Recreation Board deliberate a $900,000 contract agreement with a nonprofit may have been surprised by the rare absence of a live broadcast of the meeting. And they may have been equally surprised there was no archived recording of the meeting available on the city’s […]
Posted inParks
City launches free swim pilot program, eliminating fees at Walnut Creek Pool this summer
Austin is moving forward with a pilot program aimed at reducing pool fees as a way of increasing access this summer. The city will eliminate fees entirely at Walnut Creek Pool in North Austin and offer two free days at Bartholomew Pool near the Mueller Development and Garrison Pool in South Austin. Bartholomew Pool’s first […]
Posted inParks
Council members are looking into need for increased funds for parks maintenance
Austin’s parkland acreage is growing along with the population – however, staffing for maintenance of those parks has not kept pace, according to a report discussed Wednesday among City Council’s Audit and Finance Committee. After comparing the number of parks maintenance workers in 2014 to the current number, analysts at the Parks and Recreation Department […]