R/UDAT Austin: A Call to Action

Downtown Austin is blessed by its environmental surroundings. Town Lake on the south, Waller Creek on the east and Shoal Creek on the west form a natural frame on three sides of Downtown. This report recommends future Downtown development should build on the significant investment in natural parks and open spaces which Austin has already made. The first priority is to protect the investment by repairing and maintaining existing facilities. The second priority is to improve and enhance existing facilities. Once these priorities have been addressed, new plans and new facilities should be considered.

The overall goal of the natural environment recommendations is to create environmental continuity while maintaining the natural diversity within the Downtown area. In order to achieve this goal, three subsidiary goals have been established.

EXISTING PLANS	The existing recommendations found in the Austin Convention Center District Design Guidelines (1990), Austinplan (1989), the Town Lake Comprehensive Plan (1987), C.I.P. priorities for Town Lake Park by the Waterfront Planning Advisory Board and by the Parks and Recreation Board (1989) and the Lower Waller Creek Development Plan (1976) are generally consistent with R/UDAT recommendations concerning the natural environment and, therefore, should be implemented subject to available funding.
NATURAL LINKAGES	Natural linkages between Town Lake, Waller Creek, Shoal Creek, the Convention Center, the State Capitol and other parts of Downtown Austin should be enhanced and maintained.
COORDINATION	City of Austin departments are encouraged to coordinate design and implementation of proposed projects to maximize efficient use of public resources and to ensure consistency with overall urban design objectives.
Specific short-term recommendations are:
MAINTENANCE	Increase landscaping and maintenance of Town Lake along the urban waterfront including frequent mowing, increased planting and irrigation of flower beds, and litter control and abatement in the park and in the lake. Increase hike and bike trail maintenance and erosion control measures. Clean and maintain Waller Creek from Town Lake to Martin Luther King Boulevard. Purchase and provide personnel for a "trash barge" for Town Lake. Increase planting and maintenance of Brush Square. Increase litter control and abatement in and around Shoal Creek.
PARK/TRAIL REPAIRS, IMPROVEMENTS	Implement basic landscape improvements to the Trask House area. Eliminate the City of Austin Street and Bridge Yard and make temporary improvements to the adjacent hike and bike trail. Make repairs to restore the Shoal Creek and Waller Creek trails to create continuous linkages through Downtown.
MAPS AND SIGNAGE	Develop comprehensive tourist maps of the Downtown area that include all parks, creeks, hike and bike trails, recreation/cultural facilities and other major attractions. Encourage use of Town Lake and the existing trail system through improved signage.
NEW CONSTRUCTION	Construct a separate bike trail around Town Lake. Create a significant open green space between Bouldin Avenue and Dawson Road from Riverside Drive to Barton Springs Road for cultural and recreational uses.
PROGRAMS	Reinstate the Urban Park Ranger Program to provide visitor information and security along hike and bike trails and in urban parks. Consider funding as part of Youth at Risk Program.
PLANNING	Update the Waller Creek Master Plan and develop plans for improvements to Palm Park and Trask House area, Brush Square, Waterloo Park, Shoal Creek, and the Rainey Street area.
Specific long-term recommendations are:
TOWN LAKE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN	Continue to implement the Town Lake Comprehensive Plan on a phased basis as funding becomes available.
RUNOFF CONTROL MEASURES	Develop urban runoff control measures, including regional detention and filtration for flood and pollution control and develop plans for addressing chlordane, nitrogen and phosphate contamination in Town Lake.
HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL COMPLETION	Complete the hike and bike trail on the south side of Town Lake between Congress Avenue and IH-35.
PLANNING CONSISTENCY	Review proposed development projects for consistency with the updated Waller Creek Master Plan, Convention Center District Design Guidelines, the Shoal Creek Master Plan, and the Rainey Street area plan.
PLAN IMPLEMENTATION	Implement the updated Waller Creek Master Plan and the plans for improvements to Palm Park and the Trask House area, Brush Square, Waterloo Park, Shoal Creek and the Rainey Street area.
FIRST STREET PROMENADE	Develop First Street Promenade along the urban waterfront as proposed in the Town Lake Comprehensive Plan and the Convention Center District Design Guidelines.
LINKAGES	Develop and implement plans for linking Wooldridge Park, Republic Square and Town Lake through a Guadalupe Street Green Finger.
RED RIVER STREET	Improve access to Town Lake and the Rainey Street area park by realigning Red River Street south of First Street and by improving signage.