Completing San Antonio’s Greenway System

October 14, 2021 - (4 min read)

Within the bustling city of San Antonio, the Howard W. Peak Greenway is a hidden gem that offers local residents a natural retreat into the green space of the city with 82 miles of accessible and developed trails. However, segments are still needed to fully connect the trails into a cohesive whole. One of those uncompleted segments is the Zarzamora Creek Greenway Trail to the Leon Creek and West Side Trails. If we can complete it, it will loop the region and connect all the way to the city center and a very important multi-modal transit center.

How the Greenway Serves Our Residents

There are multiple ways to enjoy the Greenway’s miles of accessible and developed trails which stay open from sunrise to sunset. Under a dense tree canopy, trail riders and walkers are able to connect with nature and share the path with our local wildlife, which are often found ambling along the trails. The bridges and creeks interweave to provide an experience that is not your average daily commute.

By slowly bringing in the other trails to connect to the city’s center, the Greenway connections can also bridge the gaps within our communities – with access to nature, options for exercise, and better access to economic opportunities. The Greenway adds to the city’s charm and invites nature into its neighborhoods in ways that few cities can. Once completed, this Greenway project is poised to become one of San Antonio’s most important public works in its history – just the type of transformational project that deserves a federal partner.

Next Steps in Completing San Antonio’s Greenways

San Antonio has been making progress on the vision for the Greenway of our former mayor, Howard W. Peak. With the new addition of a 2-mile trail at Eisenhower Park on the North Side, this small but mighty section allows for 40 miles of uninterrupted trails that keep both runners and riders safe. The city also has an application pending for an additional $25 million RAISE federal grant to complete the Zarzamora Creek Greenway Trail to the Leon Creek and West Side Trails, which would allow for users of these trails to connect to it in a way that no existing traditional road can do.

Now, by putting the Greenway funding on the top of city’s $1.2 billion bond issue for 2022-2027, the City of San Antonio is asking our voters to approve completing this project and finish this project. Also, with the approval by the Bexar County’s Commissioners Court for $85 million in trail extensions and connections, the end goal would be for the City of San Antonio to take over the maintenance and stewardship of the trails. This partnership between the city and county to advance such a large and essential public works project shows that we can work together to benefit the communities we serve.

Join San Antonio and NLC in Urging Congress to Pass the Infrastructure Package

Cities like San Antonio are stepping up on our infrastructure vision, but from the smallest to largest communities, Congress can support our goals by finishing their Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Cities are Ready to Rebuild, and infrastructure is a job worth doing!

Join NLC as we call on Congress to directly invest in local infrastructure and finish the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act before October 31^st.

Join Us

Would you like to join us in highlighting your city’s infrastructure efforts? Take a few minutes to fill out NLC’s Ready to Rebuild form to share your priority projects.

About the Author:

Mayor Ron Nirenberg is the mayor of San Antonio, which has the 7th largest population in the United States and is one of the nation’s fastest-growing cities.