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Tom,
Each month or two (or three) we share the latest news and
opportunities on the Red Line Parkway. Opportunities include
how you can take action, whether through a survey, speaking up, or donating to help fund our work on behalf of the
Red Line Parkway.
State of the Parkway 2025 - Recap
Last Thursday's State of the Parkway was a great success!
We were joined by our largest audience ever, with over 120
attendees learning from Clyde Higgs of Atlanta Beltline, Inc. what is possible for the
Red Line Parkway.
"If you haven't been to the Beltline, the best way I
can perhaps describe it is combining a central business district with
Main Street, with Rainey Street, you know, on steroids, like a four
mile stretch, that that's kind of what the Beltline feels like. But
without cars. And to me, that is our super power. And when you get out
there, it is just joy and smiles." - Clyde Higgs (pictured, in
foreground)
And it's not just about providing more opportunities to center our
daily lives on public spaces away from cars, it's also about who is
drawn to these spaces and who feels welcome:
"It is the place. And not just for tourists. This is
where you see a real cross-section of Atlanta.... And it very much
looks like Atlanta from a racial perspective, from an age perspective,
from an income perspective, it really is Atlanta
now."
Currently, most of our region's public space is centered on sitting
in a car, typically in stressful traffic situations, and that's
typically how we interact with others. The Red Line Parkway
offers a new, positive vision and a local template that we can
continue to replicate in more parts of our region.
 We're grateful that so many of
you could attend, and grateful for your help in raising over $3500
through our silent auction. We also highlighted our 2025
budget deficit (and fundraising goal) of $150,000, and encourage you
to donate now, especially if you've never before made
a donation to the Red Line Parkway.
We're also grateful to Eric Goff for his outsized role in bringing
the resources needed to the Red Line Parkway effort. In fact,
we recognized Eric (pictured, left) with an award at the event for his
work to keep the Red Line Parkway Initiative going. We thank
Eric and his team at Goff Policy (pictured below) for being the top
sponsor of our State of the Parkway 2025!
If you would like to sponsor our State of the Parkway
2026, please reach out to Tom Wald, or reply to this
email.
We thank our State of the Parkway 2025
sponsors:
Gold Level - 
Silver Level -
CD&P • Austin Transit Partnership • H-E-B
Bronze Level -
Nelson\Nygaard •
McLean & Howard • Texas Gas Service • CapMetro • Asakura Robinson
• Sinclair Black Family Charitable Trust • Downtown Austin
Alliance
Collective Support Makes the Vision Happen
As announced at the State of the Parkway, we need your help to stay
on track to complete the Red Line Parkway. Before we can reach our
end-of-year fundraising goal, we need to reach $50,000. I
believe that you want the Red Line Parkway for your neighborhood and
our region, and that you will donate now to make that vision
happen.
Do your part to raise $50,000 for the Red Line Parkway by
the close of GivingTuesday—donate today. That's just under three
weeks away. If not today, when? If not you, who? And if your employer
donates or sponsors, that's not a reason to skip your own
donation—that's all the more reason for you to donate too!
Our State of the Parkway helped bring the message that we can
create space centered on walking, biking, and transit across our
region. Yet the fact is that our current reach is limited, so it's that much more important that you donate at
this stage.
So far, we have raised $591 toward our $50,000
goal. Can we count on you?
No donation is too small, and every donation by
GivingTuesday is entered to win a prize.
Pictured above: Trail
and linear park atop a freeway cap in Madrid, Spain
I-35 Northern Stitches Open House, Nov. 22nd
In May, Austin City Council approved initial funding for many of
the proposed caps over the to-be-expanded I-35. This included
funding for both Red Line Parkway crossings over I-35—a continuous cap
at 4th Street and a "stitch" for the northern crossing just south of
Airport Blvd. Another northern stitch will serve the new 41st
St. to Wilshire Blvd. crossing.
The basic design (the general shape) of the two I-35 Northern
Stitches is currently under development. You have an
opportunity to weigh in on the proposals at a City of Austin open house:
Date: Saturday, November 22,
2025
Time: 11 a.m.-1
p.m.
Location: Austin Public Library Carver Branch, 1161 Angelina
St., Austin TX 78702
We encourage you to save the date and attend. You can find more
information at the city's Our Future 35 website. Stay
tuned for our recommendations, coming next week.
More Public Input Opportunities
A key function of our periodic newsletter and of our
organization itself, is to connect the broader public with
opportunities to shape the city, region, and state that we live
in. We want to amplify your voices, as Red Line Parkway
supporters, and encourage you to take the following surveys that speak
to you, generally just a few minutes each.
• Central City District Plan: The City of
Austin is beginning its engagement for a new Central City District
Plan that expands on the downtown area, and goes beyond mobility into
land use, parks, economics, safety, and more. We recommend signing up there to receive updates, to ensure
that you receive news instantly. This planning effort could help
inform not just the Downtown Austin portion of the Red Line Parkway,
but other parts as well.
• Texas Statewide Multimodal Transit Plan (Texas
SMTP 2050): The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) is
seeking your input on transit, whether within our regions or across
the state. Their survey is open until Thu 11/20, and you can
even talk with TxDOT staff in person tonight Thu 11/13
5:30-7:30pm at Cherrywood Center.
• 2026 City of Austin Bond Program: It's
not too late to propose the Red Line Parkway, by name, for Austin's
next bond funding package. There are only a few required fields, and
don't worry about making it perfect or if you don't have much to say
right now.
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For "Describe the program or project you are proposing", be
sure to specify "Red Line Parkway". You are welcome to add specific
sections of the Red Line Parkway (e.g. in your neighborhood) and/or
speak to why it's important to you and the community.
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For "What type of project is it?", specify either
"Transportation or Mobility", "Parks and Recreation", or "Acquisition
of Open Space / Water Quality Protection Lands". All of these three
funding sources are needed to complete the Red Line Parkway, but if
you can't decide, choose "Transportation or Mobility".
Red Line Parkway Updates
Community Vision Plan Update
We're continuing to lay the groundwork to begin the co-creation of
the Community Vision Plan & Implementation Strategy, with a target
kickoff by the end of 2026. The plan will identify a 36-mile,
end-to-end trail and linear park alignment, extending the joy
manifested in the Boggy Creek Greenbelt to a vast stretch of Central
Texas. We will build off last year's pivotal CapMetro Red Line Trail Study, and are aiming for
initial results by early 2027 and adoption of the plan 2028. Stay
tuned for a very big announcement coming soon.
More Parkway and Vicinity Updates
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Burrell Drive: This Red Line Parkway connector is underway, and
due to be completed by next spring. A big thanks goes to those who
spoke up in support of this key, connecting project, and especially to
Austin City Council Member Chito Vela for his unwavering support.
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Shoal Creek Trail Extension: This new
shared-use path will extend the Shoal Creek Trail to the north,
connecting to the Red Line Parkway in North Burnet. We're grateful to
our friends at Shoal Creek Conservancy and the City of Austin for
advancing this project.
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Bridge over Country Club Creek: The
long-awaited bridge over Country Club Creek is ready to ride and walk!
The bridge completes a missing connection along the south shore of the
Colorado River from Pleasant Valley Road (and Longhorn Dam) to the
Montopolis Bridge (and US 183).
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Longhorn Dam Multimodal Improvements
Project: The "wishbone" bridge across the Colorado River
is on track to be substantially completed by the end of the year. It
will add to the Butler Trail and create a new, beautiful connection
from Southeast Austin to East Austin & the Red Line Parkway.
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North Burnet/Uptown Rail Station:
Construction is underway on the newest CapMetro Rail Red Line
Station!
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Congress Avenue Urban Design Initiative:
Learn the latest on the city effort to make
Congress Avenue downtown more walk / bike / stay friendly.
The weather is great this time of year! Use our interactive map to get outdoors and find a
good route to an Austin art studio this weekend.
Red Line Parkway Initiative
redlineparkway.org
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