Date: November 18, 2008
Contact: Kelly Irvin/207-6122

Completion of $2.45 million Salado Creek trail project
is first of 14 in creekway program

Hiking enthusiasts, along with biking aficionados, will join City officials in an inaugural hike and bike along the newly completed first phase of the Salado Creek Greenway in Voelcker Park at 9 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 22.

City Council members Diane Cibrian, District 8, and Louis Rowe, District 9, along with Parks and Recreation Department Interim Director Xavier Urrutia and Howard Peak, chairman of the Linear Creekway Parks Advisory Board, are expected to attend the celebration on the banks of Salado Creek at 1021 Voelcker Lane.

The project, runs from Huebner Road to Blanco Road along the creek, includes include hike and bike trails, low water crossings, a bridge structure, pedestrian access features and signage. It was designed and constructed at a cost of $2.45 million.

The trails are a component of the larger Linear Park Development Program for Salado Creek, Leon Creek, Medina River and the San Antonio River. Voters approved sales tax funding in 2000 (Proposition 3) and 2005 (Proposition 2) for this purpose. Approximately 980 acres of property on San Antonio’s creekways have been acquired for the program with another 200 acres planned for acquisition. In addition to land acquisitions, design is complete or underway for approximately half of the projects and four additional trail segments are currently under construction.

“This is just the beginning,” Special Projects Manager Brandon Ross, who oversaw the project, says. “Park patrons will have a great time hiking and biking along Salado Creek between Huebner and Blanco. Additionally, we plan to have over seven miles of greenway trails open to the public by the end of the year. They can expect to see even more progress in 2009 as we continue to add greenway trail mileage across the city. These trails will be a tremendous addition to our park system.”

The trails on the greenways serve all non-motorized modes of transportation, including bicycles, rollerblades, pedestrians and wheelchairs. The ten-foot width allows for travel in two directions on paths that will be shared by pedestrian and bicycle travel.

The next segment to be completed will be from Loop 410 to Eisenhauer Road in John L.B. Tobin Park. It is set to open in mid-December.

Comments can be sent to kirvin@sanantonio.gov.