Note: Holly's words are in pink. Supporting evidence is green. Urgent new information for Council Members is in red. Our proposed amendments to the plan are blue.
Link to compendium of our ASKS and RECOMMENDATIONS: https://dp-supplemental-pages.blogspot.com/p/compendium-of-asks-and-amendments.html
The Zilker Park Vision Plan is the product of three years of intensive work by Austin Parks and Recreation Department supported by the DesignWorkshop, public input, commercial park vendors, and many area non-profits. It has drawn upon many years of work by previous groups (list) and studies (list). The final vision plan attempts to address many current deficiencies in Zilker Park while preparing it for the next 100 years.
While it has made some outstanding recommendations in some areas, we (listed below) believe there are several deficiencies in the Vision Plan that need to be corrected to ensure it meets its ambitious goals. These changes are based on current and evolving best practices, technologies, transportation trends, and the realistic needs of Austin today and for the next fifty years.
A LETTER FROM HOLLY REED:
The WHOLE POINT of what the Zilker Park Working Group was trying to achieve was to stop people from parking on the Polo Fields in order to restore the fields to a more NATURAL state! How is excavating the entire site and putting concrete impervious walls and floors achieving this goal?? [https://www.austintexas.gov/
They should have kept going with the original goals:
1. Gradually remove parking from Polo Fields in phases.
2. TEMPORARILY replace Polo Field parking with green organized (not paved) surface parking at the Butler Landfill, that works to reduce car pollution.
3. All the while be working and expending every effort to encourage public transportation from parking OUTSIDE of Zilker.
4. Eventually restore Butler Landfill area to a natural state, when it’s NO LONGER NEEDED for parking or event staging.
The letter from Judith Craft (page 40) makes the most sense for how to replace Polo Field parking in the SHORT TERM. [https://www.
The other letters oppose this solution but until ACL no longer stages at Butler, the area CANNOT be restored as green park space. Putting a parking garage at Butler in no way restores it as parkland. That is a stupid idea and goes against all the goals of reducing impervious cover, pollution, and encouraging people to take a shuttle from outside the park.
Yes, it would be great to remove parking from BOTH Polo Fields and Butler Landfill and this can be achieved eventually if MORE EFFORT IS MADE TO FIND OUTSIDE PARKING SOLUTIONS and reliable continuous shuttle service.
PARKING GARAGES are PERMANENT STRUCTURES. Surface parking areas are NOT PERMANENT STRUCTURES. They can be naturally restored someday.
PARKING GARAGES WILL ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO DRIVE to Zilker, NOT take public transportation from outside the park!
It’s really pretty simple.
The preciousness of Zilker Park is that it is a green oasis in an urban area.
Zilker Park provides psychologically uplifting experiences because of its green and natural spaces. It is a unique experience to have in an urban environment. It is not the experience that can be found on nearly every block of the urban core: cement, parking garages, food trailers and amphitheaters. Mental health in an urban context requires access to natural areas and experiences.
“Our minds need the psychological relief of green spaces.” [Anonymous Zilker Park User]
KEEP ZILKER PARK DISTINCTIVE AS A “NATURE PARK.”
There is a “cost” of building cement infrastructure, but the value of undeveloped natural land — with healthy ecological root systems and surfaces — is priceless.
If you allow cement surfaces to be added to Zilker Park, you are degrading the value of this finite resource of natural land.
The natural ecosystem of Zilker Park’s spring waters and earthen surfaces is priceless.
We understand and agree that Zilker Park has a peak-use problem for about 80 days of the year. These peak-use days need real, working solutions that solve strategic problems for both recreational visitors and special events concession operators.
Therefore, the vision plan for Zilker Park should focus heavily on restoration of natural elements and encouragie people who come from further parts of the City to take public transportation and not try to park at Zilker.
If the vision plan is to “phase out” so many cars at Zilker, then the near term should be to have green surface parking at Butler Landfill lot, stop parking on the Polo Field, while ramping up transportation from garages OUTSIDE the park into the park. Eventually the Landfill can be restored but not until:
1. Large events do not need it to stage
2. Public transportation from outside the park is working and the parking in the park can be reduced!
WE ARE REALISTS.
We believe that we have practical ideas to arrive at the common goal of preserving Zilker Park as a “nature park” while solving existing parking and mobility issues.
Diana Prechter has collected and analyzed real, practical data by counting cars in parking lots on both peak-use days and non-peak days. [see https://www.
Prechter tells us: Zilker Park does not have a peak-use problem for 270 days of the year. On non-peak days, only 45% maximum of both the formal (paved lots) and informal (Butler Landfill Gravel Lot) parking is occupied by cars. On such days, the Polo Field Grass Lot is empty.
In other words, even on low-season weekend days (Saturdays and Sundays and holidays), an estimated peak capacity is likely to be only 973 parked cars in the park overall. Doing the math, this implies that there are 1,189 spaces empty on an off-season Saturday/Sunday weekend day. (This projected capacity was counted honestly: DP counted ALL parked cars -- whether on formal or informal surfaces -- located in the main park area between Barton Creek and Lade Bird Lake.) A summary of my data collection is here: [https://dp-supplemental-
We can expect that further study would confirm that low-season weekday occupancy rates are even lower.
We can assure you — with both real data and our personal experiences as year-round visitors to Zilker Park — that there are at least 1,189 empty parking places in the entire Zilker Park daily for 270 days of the year.
Zilker Park doesn’t have a car-capacity problem.
Zilker Park needs a few constructive ideas to address real peak-use problems for both recreational-users and event-users of the park.
With the involvement of our elected City Council Members, we can “do not harm” to Zilker Park.
We want to be certain that Zilker Park remains “a nature park” and the “Star Jewel of Austin’s Parks” by offering green escapes for urban residents and visitors.
WE MUST ADDRESS THE NEGATIVE ASPECTS OF THE ZILKER PARK VISION PLAN prior to Council review and possible approval on July 20, 2023.
We believe that you can vote-to-approve the ZPVP with confidence after you make a few essential amendments to the Plan. Our minimum recommendations are:
• Remove the parking garage on the existing Polo Field (it should be restored to be a natural surface as per City Council recommendations to PARD and the Zilker Park Collective recommendations 1/7/22),
• Remove the plan to narrow Barton Springs Road (it creates congestion which makes visiting the park less attractive, as per www.
• Remove the 5,000 seat amphitheater on the Great Lawn (it encourages "free" entertainment on the spill-areas of the Great Lawn, resulting in trash and wear-and-tear on the lawn),
• Remove the Welcome Center (destroys surface parking lots for the historic Pecan Grove WPA picnic grounds and the Childrens' Playscape; preservation of those lots was recommended by the Zilker Park Collective 1/7/22),
• Remove the Unified Non-Profit (which is just a way to make large private donors invisible to the public).
• Preserve the two surface lots adjacent to the playscape, the boat rental, the spillway and the historic Pecan Grove WPA picnic grounds. This was recommended by the Zilker Park Collective on 1/7/22 and ignored by the ZPVP.
• Continue to encourage a future of Austin transportation where citizens are incentivized to NOT drive their cars. This is a stated goal of the Austin Transportation Department.
WE ARE BEING REALISTIC.
WE SUPPORT THE REALITY OF ZILKER PARK IN THE PRESENT.
Though it contributes to over-use of the park — both now and in the near future— we accept that the ZPVP has spent a lot of intellectual effort to establish that the “equitable” parking capacity inside the park is regarded to be 2,450 parked cars.
We also believe that there are ways to address over-parking and over-use through a nuanced plan that creates new systems-and-policies implemented exclusively on peak-use days. (See our suggestions below.) These solutions are the only scalable ones: If there are more peak-use days of the year as the City’s population grows, the established mobility systems would already be in place to resolve over-use of Zilker Park.
We believe that by creating a scalable robust solution — through park rules and transportation management — our community-wide shared common goal can be achieved: The naturalization of the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot to a healthy, green pervious surface.
Regarding the future of the Polo Field
• The Polo Field has received strong mandates in the recent past (from City Council, ZPWG and the ZPC) to be restored as an ecologically natural surface in the near-term.
• PARD is operating a peak-use shuttle program from One Texas Center to allow the eventual complete closing of the Polo Field.
Although the Planners of the ZPVP have chosen the Polo Field for the location of the underground parking garage, we believe that the garage is unbuildable for several reasons (see below). When the City Council Members come to that realization as well, we will be able to make this recommendation:
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: THE POLO FIELD SHALL BE RETURNED TO A NATURAL SURFACE IN THE NEAR-TERM, WITH FULL ECOLOGICAL STABILITY AND ROOT SYSTEMS TO BENEFIT NEW PLANTINGS AND ADJACENT MATURE TREES.
Supporting recommendations:
Directive from City Council: On June 28, 2018, City Council directed the City Manager to form the Zilker Park working group to, inter alia, “Make recommendations to establish a plan to permanently remove parking on the Polo Fields, taking into consideration possible strategies to reduce parking demand and utilization of transportation demand management strategies.” Resolution number 20180628–072. (Zilker Park Working Group Final Report, June 2019; page 8) [https://www.austintexas.gov/
Retaining the Great Lawn as a lawn (some ecological uplift without removing the opportunities for the current uses of the space).
Converting the Polo Field to additional lawn space or sports fields IF alternative parking is found. Ecological uplift of landfill and Polo Field areas, either as mowed lawn area or natural area IF the parking spaces here are replicated somewhere nearby. (Zilker Park Collective Comments on Interactive Map, January 7, 2022, page 1) [https://www.austintexas.gov/
To provide additional transportation options for park visitors, we agree with the idea of exploring “shared parking” opportunities with entities that own or operate parking structures near Zilker Park, such as Dougherty Arts Center or Barton Oaks Plaza Garage. These should connect with park circulators to get people where they need to go. (Zilker Park Collective Comments on Interactive Map, January 7, 2022, page 3) [https://www.austintexas.gov/
Regarding the future of the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot
This letter from Judith Craft (page 40) makes the most sense for how to replace Polo Field parking in the SHORT TERM. [https://www.
• We accept the Zilker Park Vision Plan’s definition of equity as 2450 car parking places in the near-term. This is “reality” for current parking (even though it results in over-use of the park by damaging natural surfaces of the Polo Field and Butler Landfill.)
• The Butler Landfill Gravel Lot is also under pressure to be re-naturalized (watershed law, illegal-parking laws, PARD's own "use-and-restore-to-grass" past policies with ACL and Trail of Lights concessions.) We suggest that this be done for the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot but in a similar process to the “reduction to 0% parking” planned for the Polo Field.
• If the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot is temporarily renovated (say for the next 7 years) to an improved ecological surface but still suitable for use for parked cars and staging large trailers, then the current parking lot capacity inside Zilker Park (without the Polo Field grass parking) = 2,163. We agree with Craft:
• The current park capacity, including the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot, = 2,163. [https://www.
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: THE BUTLER LANDFILL GRAVEL LOT SHALL BE RETURNED TO A NATURAL SURFACE AT A FUTURE DATE WHEN IT IS NO LONGER NEEDED FOR STRATEGIC STAGING FOR LARGE-SCALE EVENTS IN ZILKER PARK.
ALSO, THE BUTLER LANDFILL GRAVEL LOT SHALL BE RENOVATED IN THE NEAR-TERM IN A MANNER THAT EMPLOYS BEST-PRACTICES OF GREEN PARKING LOT TECHNIQUES, MAINTAINING THE LOT AS A SURFACE SUITABLE FOR PARKING CARS ON A DAILY BASIS.
HOW THIS DOCUMENT IS STRUCTURED:
Under “TRANSIT” we offer:
[a quick summary for Council Members is below the titles, in red.]
1. LET’S ADDRESS THE INTRINSIC PROBLEMS OF ADDING INTERNAL CAPACITY TO A METROPOLITAN PARK BY BUILDING PARKING GARAGES
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: It’s much larger than expected. [see map with size of elements proposed for construction in the ZPVP: https://www.
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members. It’s a public safety and health issue. Because of its urban location, Zilker Park is not the place for the City’s first inside-the-park “parking garage experiment.” [https://abcnews4.com/news/
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: An underground parking garage is impervious cover in every sense of the term: it doesn’t allow water to penetrate.
Therefore, we propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: NO PARKING GARAGES SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED ON EXISTING ZILKER PARK LAND, EITHER ON EXISTING PERVIOUS OR IMPERVIOUS COVER.
The City may continue to explore increasing car capacity under the two MoPac overpasses, both north and south of Zilker Botanical Gardens. (i.e. at Roberta Crenshaw Pedestrian Bridge and the intersection of Rollingwood Drive and MoPac access road.)
2. LET’S ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF ADDING EXTERNAL PARKING CAPACITY; IT REQUIRES A ROBUST MASS TRANSIT SOLUTION
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: We have a resource-guide to City-owned parking garages and their capacities with maps, below. A few new sources emerge as contenders, in addition to One Texas Center: The COA Permitting and Development Center (a 17-minute shuttle ride to Zilker Park on a sample Sunday afternoon); and Austin Energy Headquarters at the Mueller Development (a 16-minute shuttle ride to Zilker Park on a sample Sunday afternoon).
3. CONSIDER MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF VISITORS WITHOUT CARS
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: Riders of rented bikes and scooters are required to park their vehicles along legal paved roadways; these roadways allow visitors on rented vehicles to reach-and-park scooters and rented bikes at the recreational areas inside the park. DO NOT DESTROY LOU NEFF ROAD OR ANDREW ZILKER ROAD.
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: PRESERVE LOU NEFF ROAD AND ANDREW ZILKER ROAD AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO ALLOW CONVENIENT ACCESS FOR RENTED BIKES AND SCOOTERS TO PARK THEIR VEHICLES NEAR THE PERIMETER RECREATIONAL AREAS OF ZILKER PARK.
Under “SAFETY” we offer:
1. PRESERVE EMS ACCESSIBILITY
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: The safety issues for Zilker Park visitors is greater than at most other parks for several reasons:
• periodic large events;
• tourist access to the deep waters of Barton Springs Pool (tourists come to the pool because it is a main tourist attraction of Austin but many do not know how to swim);
• the after-hours “gate-hopping” to the pool and bathhouses by anyone -- including neighborhood-resident homeless people -- with potential for injury or drowning.
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: PRESERVE LOU NEFF ROAD, ANDREW ZILKER ROAD AND BARTON SPRINGS ROAD IN THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATIONS TO ENSURE SAFETY FOR EMS ACCESS.
2. IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FROM POTENTIAL INJURIES BY CARS, BIKES AND SCOOTERS
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: Bikes are dangerous when ridden on the Butler Hike & Bike Trail — on the perimeter of Zilker Park — as congestion increases during peak-use days. This is a safety concern for both bicyclists and pedestrians. Bikes generate large amounts of airborne dust and can throw stones which diminishes the healthful experience of pedestrians on the congested trail during peak times.
However, there is a need to address improvements in safety for pedestrians to cross Barton Springs Road.
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: REMOVE THE “LAND BRIDGE” DUE TO EXPENSE, POTENTIAL ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE (WITH ADDED CEMENT AND LARGER FOOTING), AND THE LAND BRIDGE’S REQUIRED ONGOING MAINTENANCE; AND REPLACE “LAND BRIDGE” WITH “EXPLORE MULTIPLE ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR INCREASING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FROM ALL VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.”
To increase safety of pedestrians from bikes and scooters:
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ON THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL ON THE PERIMETER OF ZILKER PARK, PRESERVE LOU NEFF ROAD AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO OFF-LOAD PRIVATELY-OWNED BIKES, RENTED BIKES AND RENTED SCOOTERS FROM THE BUTLER HIKE & BIKE TRAIL .
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TRANSIT
1. LET’S ADDRESS THE INTRINSIC PROBLEMS OF ADDING INTERNAL CAPACITY TO A METROPOLITAN PARK BY BUILDING PARKING GARAGES
(A) It’s a bigger footprint than we have been led to believe. It’s a lot of cement impervious cover. The proposed underground parking garage for 1,000-cars on 2-levels occupies the space of 3.6 football fields. [https://dp-supplemental-pages.blogspot.com/p/garage-size-as-per-professional.html]. This is 208,800 SF.
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: It’s much larger than expected. [see map: https://www.
Here is a map showing the sizes of (a) the proposed 5K-seat amphitheater; (b) the proposed 1,000-car 2-level underground parking garage, and (c) the size of the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot). [https://dp-supplemental-
(B) A parking garage in an urban area afflicted with homeless issues, especially a garage located in a park where the garage is likely to be empty overnight with minimal supervision, creates hidden places where sleeping, urination and potential theft by window-smashing might occur more frequently.
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members. It’s a public safety and health issue.
Because of its urban location, Zilker Park is not the place for the City’s first inside-the-park “parking garage experiment.” [https://abcnews4.com/news/
Do urban parking garages suffer from homeless people?
Yes, urban parking garages can suffer from homeless people. As the cost of housing continues to rise, more and more people are being forced to live in their cars. This can lead to problems in parking garages, such as:
- Increased crime: Homeless people may be more likely to commit crimes, such as theft or vandalism, in order to survive.
- Health hazards: Homeless people may be more likely to spread disease, such as hepatitis or HIV, if they are not able to properly clean themselves or their belongings.
- Public safety hazards: Homeless people may be more likely to start fires or cause other hazards if they are not able to find a safe place to sleep.
In order to address these problems, some cities have started to implement safe parking programs. These programs allow homeless people to park their cars in designated areas, where they can receive access to services such as showers, laundry facilities, and case management. Safe parking programs have been shown to be effective in reducing crime, improving public safety, and helping homeless people get back on their feet.
Here are some of the things that urban parking garages can do to help prevent and address the problem of homeless people:
- Enforce parking regulations: This will help to discourage people from living in their cars in parking garages.
- Install security cameras: This will help to deter crime and identify suspects.
- Clean up graffiti and debris: This will make the garage look more inviting and discourage people from loitering.
- Work with local homeless shelters and service providers: This will help to connect homeless people with the resources they need.
By taking these steps, urban parking garages can help to create a safer and more welcoming environment for everyone. [BARD AI]
(B) An underground garage is so ecologically damaging that it will probably never be built anywhere inside Zilker Park.
We have this “off-the-record” emailed message from Dr. Laurie Dries, PhD: [https://dp-supplemental-
“…it would not be ecologically sound because it will damage the underground environment of the aquifer and compromise the stability of the whole terrain. It could change underground flow paths that feed Barton Springs. We know there are connections from Cold Springs to Barton Springs."
(C) An underground parking garage is impervious cover, even if it has a natural earth-topped surface.
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: An underground parking garage is impervious cover in every sense of the term: it doesn’t allow water to penetrate. “It will also damage the surface environment by altering the depth of soil available for root systems of any vegetation in the area. It could easily compromise root systems of the old growth trees, but also of the grasses. In order for the vegetation to be drought tolerant and fire resistant, it needs deep and wide root systems.”
A supporting reference from BARD AI:
Question: is an underground parking garage impervious cover?
Answer: Yes, an underground parking garage is considered impervious cover. Impervious cover is any surface that does not allow water to penetrate, such as concrete, asphalt, and roofing materials. This type of cover prevents rainwater from soaking into the ground, which can lead to a number of problems, including:
- Increased stormwater runoff, which can cause flooding and erosion
- Reduced groundwater recharge, which can lead to water shortages
- Increased pollution of waterways, as stormwater runoff picks up pollutants from roads, parking lots, and other impervious surfaces
Underground parking garages are typically built with concrete floors and walls, which are both impervious materials. This means that rainwater that falls on an underground parking garage will not be able to soak into the ground, and will instead flow into storm drains or sewer systems. [BARD AI]
Just the first thoughts regarding the impact of adding impervious cover in an ecologically sensitive area: [https://www.traviscountytx.gov/tnr/environmental-quality/stormwater/guide/impervious-cover#:~:text=Impervious%20cover%20allows%20more%20pollutants,streambed%20scouring%2C%20and%20flash%20flooding.]
Therefore, we propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: NO PARKING GARAGES SHALL BE CONSTRUCTED ON EXISTING ZILKER PARK LAND, EITHER ON EXISTING PERVIOUS OR IMPERVIOUS COVER.
The City may continue to explore increasing car capacity under the two MoPac overpasses, both north and south of Zilker Botanical Gardens. (i.e. at Roberta Crenshaw Pedestrian Bridge and the intersection of Rollingwood Drive and MoPac access road.)
2. LET’S ADDRESS THE PROBLEMS OF ADDING EXTERNAL PARKING CAPACITY; IT REQUIRES A ROBUST MASS TRANSIT SOLUTION
The Zilker Park Working Group recommended that the shuttle ride be 20-minutes or less for park visitors. There is a need to locate suitable (free or leasable) external garages or surface lots; and then developing a robust mass transit connection. The design and implementation of a robust shuttle system to Zilker Park on peak-use days should be managed by the Transportation Department, not PARD, to ensure connectivity with wider transporation elements.
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: We have a resource-guide to City-owned parking garages and their capacities with maps, below*. In addition to One Texas Center, a few new sources emerge as contenders: The COA Permitting and Development Center (a 17-minute shuttle ride to Zilker Park on a sample Sunday afternoon); and Austin Energy Headquarters at the Mueller Development (a 16-minute shuttle ride to Zilker Park on a sample Sunday afternoon).
*This is a comprehensive list of all City of Austin-owned parking garages and their capacities as of June 2023.
- One Texas Center Garage has 750 parking spaces. The surface lot has 120 spaces. (https://austintexas.gov/
otcparking) - City Hall (724 spaces) (https://www.austintexas.gov/
cityhallparking) managed by
ABM - Central Library (200 spaces) (https://library.austintexas.
gov/central/parking)
managed by ABM - Permitting and Development Center Garage (961 spaces) (https://www.austintexas.gov/pdcparking
) managed by ABM - Seaholm (320 spaces) (https://www.austintexas.gov/
page/seaholm-garage)
managed by Metropolis (Premier). - Austin Energy Garage (361 space
- Waller Creek (286 spaces)
- Palmer Events (1,197 spaces)
- Convention Center - 1 (1,014 spaces)
- Convention Center - 2 (674 spaces)
- Austin Airport Garage (not pictured on my maps)
CLICK to view these COA external parking garages on a Google Map: https://www.google.com/maps/d/
CLICK to view DP’s design for new multimodal transit hubs: [https://dp-supplemental-
CLICK then download to see DP's complete proposal to renovate the MoPac Lot as a multimodal transit hub, similar to the new bridge park under 183 at Cesar Chavez: [https://drive.google.com/file/
DP NOTE:
I counted the number of cars parking at One Texas Center on Friday June 2, 2023.
Out of 750 garage spaces, only 132 spaces were occupied. That is only 18% occupancy and 618 spaces were UNOCCUPIED on a weekday (Friday 6/2/23).
More research is needed, but there is very strong indication that the summer Zilker Shuttle service from One Texas Center might be able to expand to more days of the week during peak-use days.
IT REQUIRES A ROBUST MASS TRANSIT SOLUTION
Diana Prechter has made a proposal in her Zilker Park Mobility Study: [https://www.
She is proposing a strategy that will reduce the number of cars inside the park on selected peak-use days by asking the COA to designate “Green Days in Zilker Park” when the number of cars are limited.
Green Days in Zilker Park
• Reduce car traffic on selected peak-use days: Create “Green Days in Zilker Park” where parking is exclusively by pre-paid permit with a fixed limit (we suggest 90% of formal capacity, which = 1,226 cars allowed to park in the entire park) (if the gate is only able to restrict the entrances/exits from the park between Barton Creek and Lady Bird Lake, that number of parking permits becomes 709 cars maximum). Gates must be monitored to check parking passes; also, on Green Days you close the park for through-traffic so that pedestrians, bikes and scooters have safer experiences resulting from fewer cars inside the park.
On peak use days, do some or all of the following:
• Separate bike traffic from pedestrian traffic on the existing Butler Hike & Bike Trail by enforcing a new rule: “No bikes on peak-use days on the Zilker Park portion of the Butler H&B Trail” and forcing bicyclists to ride on Lou Neff Road on peak-use days; no need to stripe Lou Neff Road, instead create educational signage about the “new rule.”
• Create a “no parallel parking” rule on Lou Neff Road on peak-use days. Reserve Lou Neff Road exclusively for recreational uses and reduced-car through-traffic to connect the 3 surface lots and provide access to the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot.
Here is a map of a proposed robust shuttle design as it moves to-and-through Zilker Park from external parking sources: [https://dp-supplemental-
• Current PARD shuttle service could be improved by moving management from PARD to the COA Transportation Department. This makes sense just simply to create greater opportunities to partner with CapMetro. But also, transportation is not in the expertise of PARD. For example, I rode the shuttle bus to Zilker Park during the first weekend of operation in 2023. The drivers were instructed by PARD to tell the riders that the bus operates “On the hour, top of the hour, departing One Texas Center.” DP's NOTE: With 2 buses and the 25 minute round-trip transit time, PARD could be delivering a circulator from One Texas Center (with capacity of 870 cars) every 15 minutes. If the bus is empty, it doesn’t matter: Just displaying the “shuttle bus to Zilker Park” sign on Barton Springs Road is excellent advertising.
3. CONSIDER MULTIPLE SOLUTIONS TO INCREASE CAPACITY OF VISITORS WITHOUT CARS
The City can improve “to-and-through” resources that connect visitors who arrive at the park on privately-owned bikes, rented bikes and rented scooters. Riders of rented bikes and scooters are required to park their vehicles along legal paved roadways; these roadways allow visitors on rented vehicles to reach-and-park scooters and rented bikes at the recreational areas inside the park. DO NOT DESTROY LOU NEFF ROAD OR ANDREW ZILKER ROAD.
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: PRESERVE LOU NEFF ROAD AND ANDREW ZILKER ROAD AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO ALLOW CONVENIENT ACCESS FOR RENTED BIKES AND SCOOTERS TO PARK THEIR VEHICLES NEAR THE PERIMETER RECREATIONAL AREAS OF ZILKER PARK.
• Add a multimodal transit hub (pads for rented bikes and scooters) at the Zilker Park side of the Roberta Crenshaw Pedestrian Bridge (at the current MoPac Lot). This allows people to park on the north side of Lady Bird Lake (near or on the lot for Austin High School), and connect to a multimodal transit vehicle immediately upon entering the park.
• Add a multimodal transit hub (pads for rented bikes and scooters) at the newly-installed pedestrian crosswalk on Barton Springs Road across from Zilker Botanical Gardens.
A few more suggestions come to mind:
• CapMetro has surface parking at the Westgate Transit Hub. it has a regular stop at Barton Creek Mall. From the mall to Zilker Park is a 20-minute ride, an appropriate ride-time as per the ZPWG. This could capture park visitors originating in South and Southwest Austin. CapMetro could operate the #30 route every 15 minutes during peak-use days: [https://dp-supplemental-
• The City already has occasional “FREE ADMISSION” days to Barton Springs Pool. This is a marketing opportunity: the City can say “Ride the shuttle on the weekends and — with your stamped parking ticket — receive one free admission to Barton Springs Pool.” This could be repeated for: Zilker Botanical Gardens, Austin Nature Center.
SAFETY
1. PRESERVE EMS ACCESSIBILITY
Safety is a concern of “higher-than-average” scale due to two current uses of Zilker Park: (a) all special events that attract a higher number of attendees, and (b) the potential for drowning in Barton Springs Pool (You may not be aware, but the Springs, which are an acclaimed natural wonder deserving to be “seen and experienced” attract a great number of tourist who do NOT know how to swim; they stand in the shallows which are slippery and frequently encounter sudden drop-offs where lifeguards must rescue them).
The gates to the swimming pool are easily broached after-hours: This is witnessed frequently in the Barton Springs Pool locker/dressing areas where evidence of overnight camping can often be found.
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: The safety issues for Zilker Park visitors is greater than at most other parks for several reasons:
• periodic large events;
• tourist access to the deep waters of Barton Springs Pool (tourists come to the pool because it is a main tourist attraction of Austin but many do not know how to swim);
• the after-hours “gate-hopping” to the pool and bathhouses by anyone -- including neighborhood-resident homeless people -- with potential for injury or drowning..
Lou Neff Road (preserved as an asphalt surface) and an un-congested Barton Springs Road are valuable “partners” in delivering safety to park visitors. EMS access to-and-through the park is essential 365-days/year. Since EMS access would be impeded by traffic congestion on peak-use days and during large special-events, it is essential that the City preserve the roadway infrastructure of Lou Neff Road and Barton Springs Road “as-is.” If Barton Springs Road is reduced to 1-lane each way with parallel parking alongside it, there is no shoulder or lane for divers to “to get out of the way.”
Reference source, BARD AI:
QUESTION: How can EMS arrive if the roads are congested?
ANSWER: There are a few ways that EMS can arrive in congested roads.
- Use alternate routes. If the main roads are congested, EMS may be able to use alternate routes to get to the scene of the emergency. This may involve taking side streets, back roads, or even driving through parking lots. [Not possible in Zilker Park - no alternate streets.]
- Use sirens and lights. EMS vehicles are equipped with sirens and lights to help them get through traffic. When responding to an emergency, EMS drivers will use these signals to let other drivers know that they need to get out of the way. [Not possible if Barton Springs Road is reduced to 1-lane each direction with parallel parking alongside it.]
- Coordinate with other agencies. EMS may coordinate with other agencies, such as the police or fire department, to help clear traffic and get to the scene of the emergency as quickly as possible.
In some cases, even with these measures, EMS may not be able to arrive at the scene of the emergency as quickly as they would like. This is especially true during major events, such as sporting events or concerts, when traffic can be very congested. [Zilker Park experiences peak car congestion during special events in the park; the danger is therefore increased due to reduced EMS accessibility.]
Therefore, we propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: PRESERVE LOU NEFF ROAD, ANDREW ZILKER ROAD AND BARTON SPRINGS ROAD IN THEIR CURRENT CONFIGURATIONS TO ENSURE SAFETY FOR EMS ACCESS.
2. IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FROM POTENTIAL INJURIES BY CARS, BIKES AND SCOOTERS
Pedestrians vs. cars:
We are not opposed of the construction of a pedestrian bridge over Barton Springs Road, but there is no reason to construct a “land-bridge” which would create an added burden of larger excavation for footings, more cement, and greater upkeep from PARD staff. The “land bridge” creates both a short-term cost of capitol expenditure but also a long-term cost for maintenance. We have several suggestions below that should be explored prior to approving a "land bridge" over Barton Springs Road.
Pedestrians vs. privately-owned bikes, rented bikes and rented scooters:
Regarding pedestrian safety, the issue is twofold: (a) privately-owned bikes which can ride and park anywhere, and (b) rented bikes and scooters which are required to park on legal roadways to allow management by their owning companies.
Remember: Bicyclists are also at a safety risk when riding in congested areas.
The Butler Hike & Bike Trail, alongside Zilker Park, experiences a dangerous blend of bikes and pedestrians on peak-use days (or "rush hour" times of day, everyday). The Zilker Park section of the Butler Hike & Bike Trail is often used by parents with strollers: Fast-moving bikes create anxiety and generate large amounts of dust and potentially throw rocks around pedestrians.
By putting a new rule into effect during peak-use times (days/hours to-be-determined), Lou Neff Road can be utilized to off-load bikes from the Butler Hike & Bike Trail along the perimeter of Zilker Park. Moving bikes and scooters to Lou Neff Road will make the pedestrian experience safer and more healthful.
This is new-and-critical information for City Council Members: Bikes are dangerous when ridden on the Butler Hike & Bike Trail — on the perimeter of Zilker Park — as congestion increases during peak-use days. This is a safety concern for both bicyclists and pedestrians. Lou Neff Road can be utilized to off-load bikes from the Butler Hike & Bike Trail in the perimeter of Zilker Park, making the pedestrian experience safer and more healthful.
We recommend both peak-use day and non-peak-use day improvements for pedestrian safety.
(A) On peak use days, do some or all of the following:
• Slow traffic on Barton Springs Road with periodic slower speed limits (controlled by electric signage during peak-use days announcing lower-than-usual speed limits).
• Separate bike traffic from pedestrian traffic on the existing Butler Hike & Bike Trail by enforcing a new rule: “No bikes on peak-use days on the Zilker Park portion of the Butler Hike &Bike Trail” and forcing bicyclists to ride on Lou Neff Road on peak-use days; there is no need to stripe Lou Neff Road, instead create educational signage about the “new rule.” We do not need 100% compliance: the suggestion may be sufficient for cyclists to choose the alternate route of Lou Neff Road.
• Create a “no parallel parking” rule on Lou Neff Road on peak-use days. Reserve Lou Neff Road exclusively for recreational uses and reduced-car through-traffic to connect the 3 surface lots and provide access to the Butler Landfill Gravel Lot.
• Reduce car traffic on peak-use days: Create “Green Days in Zilker Park” where parking is exclusively by pre-paid permit with a fixed limit (we suggest 90% of formal capacity, which = 1,226 cars allowed to park). Gates must be monitored to check parking passes; also, on Green Days you close the park for through-traffic so that pedestrians, bikes and scooters have safer experiences resulting from fewer cars inside the park.
(B) On non-peak use days, do some or all of the following:
• Slow traffic on Barton Springs Road by adding another lighted pedestrian crosswalk at Rollingwood Drive. This currently "uncontrolled" pedestrian crossing is already frequently made on foot by disc golf players. The City can formalize the pedestrian crossing and make it safer.
• Slow traffic on Barton Springs Road by adding speed bumps inside the park.
Since the proposed land bridge may not be essential, is expensive, and adds a larger footing of a bridge than a normal pedestrian bridge; and since numerous other methods (above) remain to be explored to improve pedestrian safety from vehicles inside the park:
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: REMOVE THE “LAND BRIDGE” DUE TO EXPENSE, POTENTIAL ECOLOGICAL DAMAGE (WITH ADDED CEMENT AND LARGER FOOTING), AND THE LAND BRIDGE’S REQUIRED ONGOING MAINTENANCE; AND REPLACE “LAND BRIDGE” WITH “EXPLORE MULTIPLE ALTERNATIVE METHODS FOR INCREASING PEDESTRIAN SAFETY FROM ALL VEHICULAR TRAFFIC.”
We propose the following Amendment to the ZPVP: PRESERVE LOU NEFF ROAD AS A VALUABLE RESOURCE TO OFF-LOAD PRIVATELY-OWNED BIKES, RENTED BIKES AND RENTED SCOOTERS FROM THE BUTLER HIKE & BIKE TRAIL TO IMPROVE PEDESTRIAN SAFETY ON THE TRAIL IN THE PERIMETER OF ZILKER PARK.
