A dusty, neglected patch of land wedged between Bolm Road and CapMetro's train tracks has been converted to a trailhead, offering a place to sit and a fountain that can fill water bottles and offer dogs something to drink.
The triangular trailhead opened quietly this spring along the , which runs parallel to a section of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas rail line and connects to the . The site was previously an unmaintained parking area used by rail workers.
The project cost about $500,000. The money came from a 2016 voter-approved mobility bond. It's part of the city's effort to expand its urban trail network and make it easier for people to get around town without a car.
"It was a huge upgrade," said Casey Hartsfield, who lives nearby and regularly walks the trail. "It was kind of like ignored land, like a little bit dilapidated. [Now], it's lovely."
Still, on a Tuesday afternoon with temperatures in the upper 90s, Hartsfield said the pocket park could use more protection from the sun.
"If they added shade, it'd be damn near perfect," he said.
So far, shade is almost nonexistent. John Eastman, who manages the city's sidewalks and urban trails, said a permanent shade structure wasn't in the budget.
"Doing an engineered shade structure would have dramatically increased the cost," he said. "But the trees that are there, we did install an irrigation system. ... We're hopeful within a few years, there's going to be a significant level of shade."
Ten trees were planted at the site, a mix of crepe myrtles and cedar elms, species chosen for their drought tolerance and moderate growth rate. Cedar elms can grow up to 2.5 feet per year. The rest area includes drought-tolerant plants like prickly pear and blanket flower.
The trailhead's surface is covered with decomposed granite and recycled bricks from a downtown construction project, with a concrete pad and underground electrical current the city installed to accommodate a future station. There are no immediate plans to add one.
Next to the trailhead, between the train tracks and the road, is a vacant tract of land owned by the city. The property has been for affordable housing. Eastman said the plans for development helped justify the investment in a more permanent public space.
The city prioritized the trailhead project after residents told local officials they wanted amenities to make the trails more usable.
"They also would like to have a spot to sit down and catch their breath and be shaded, get a little bit of water, and have that really well-connected and well-integrated into the trail system," Eastman said of the public feedback that informed the .
When fully complete, likely by late 2026, the 1.5-mile MoKan Trail will connect Pedernales Street to the Southern Walnut Creek Trail. Long-term, the city plans for the pathway to become part of a 30-mile loop of urban trails circling much of Austin.
Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated the train tracks next to the trailhead belong to Union Pacific. They belong to Capital Metro. The land for the trailhead, however, was purchased from Union Pacific.
