EastLink is an existing five-mil, urban trail from Bartholomew District Park to Lady Bird Lake. The trail connects residents to parks and pools, schools and recreation centers, grocery stores and community gardens, cultural and historic sites, local merchant districts, public transportation, and bike lanes. The Austin Parks and Recreation Department is partnering with Austin Parks Foundation to create an interpretive placemaking plan for the trail.
Project Background and Description
Throughout the years, many pathway infrastructure projects have been completed by City of Austin and its partners to close the missing segments of the trail. Now the 5.1 mile trail travels from Bartholomew District Park in the north through Mueller District, Manor Road, 12th Street Cooridor, Boggy Creek, Parque Zaragoza, the Holly Neighborhood, and ends at Metz Neighborhood Park next to the decommissioned Holly Power Plant.
Efforts are currently underway to achieve placemaking by collecting the histories and needs of the communityes along EastLink Trail. This will inform future physical and experiential improvements along the trail that are rooted in the community's values and histories.
Project Schedule
-
Internal Project Kick-off - May 2019
- Includes City of Austin staff members, neighborhood leaders, other organizations
-
Community Engagement - June to December 2019
- Includes PALS meetings, Trail Activations
- Deliver Draft Report - December 2019 to January 2020 (tentative)
Funding and Resources
Funding for the intepretive placemaking project is being provided by Austin Parks Foundation.
Community Engagement
Park Anchored Liaisons and Stakeholders (PALS) Meetings
PALS Meeting #1
July 24, 2019
- Meeting Notes (PDF)
PALS Meeting #2
September 25, 2019, 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Parque Zaragoza, 2608 Gonzales St., Austin, TX 78702
- Presentation (PDF)
- Meeting Notes (PDF)
Trail Activations
Explore the Trail: Activism
Sunday, November 3, 2019, 1 to 4 p.m.
Began at Metz Neighborhood Park
Explore the Trail: Culture
Saturday, November 9, 2019, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Began at Austin Film Society Creative Media Center
The Pillars Project: Our History, Our Trail
Sunday, November 24, 2 to 6 p.m.
Rosewood Park, Pleasant Valley "Pillars" Site
Technical Advisory Group (TAG) Meetings
TAG Meeting #1
May 29, 2019, 9 to 11 a.m.
AISD Performing Arts Center
- Meeting Notes (PDF)
TAG Meeting #2
September 11, 2019, 1 to 3 p.m.
Britton, Durst, Howard, and Spence Building
- Meeting Notes (PDF)
- Meeting Sign-in (PDF)
Contact
For questions about this project, please contact D'Anne Williams by email or phone at (512) 974-9456.
