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Parks staff outline Greenway Trail expansions, maintenance needs and bond priorities
Summary
Parks officials updated the committee on the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System's history, current mileage and maintenance model, and said construction funding will rely on future bonds while operations remain a general-fund responsibility; staff flagged minimum near-term capital needs and safety measures.
Parks Department staff presented an update on the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trail System to the Community Health Committee on Feb. 2, outlining completed mileage, funding sources and safety and maintenance practices as the department seeks future capital to finish priority connectors.
Brandon Ross, capital programs manager, traced the program's roots to voter-approved sales tax elections beginning in 2000 and cited roughly $190 million collected across sales-tax funding cycles through 2015. He said the 2022 bond provided about $103.5 million for continued trail construction and that an interlocal agreement with Bexar County includes approximately $83.4 million in county support for trail projects.
Ross said the system now includes more than 103 miles of completed trail and about 1,700 acres of creekway acquisitions; 12.3 miles are under construction, roughly 30 miles are in design and seven miles are planned. He listed corridor mileages by creek system (Salado ~34 miles, Leon ~26.5 miles, West Side creeks ~12 miles, Medina River ~17.6 miles, plus about 13 miles of tributary connections).
On operations, staff said the city's general fund supports O&M and that requests for additional staffing and equipment are considered in the regular budget cycle. Ross described a multi-tier safety approach: park police and SAPD patrols, a Trail Stewards program, emergency call boxes at many trailheads, and a mile-marker system tied to 911 dispatch. Officials also noted limited trail lighting (primarily at trailheads) and the possibility of small, targeted lighting experiments on some West Side creek segments.
Committee members pressed staff on financing and safety. A member asked whether bond funds could be used for O&M; staff said bond counsel would need to advise, but the department views future bonds primarily as capital for construction and design. Ross estimated a minimum of $40 million–$50 million would cover essential near-term projects and cited a $30 million figure for a planned Port San Antonio connector. Staff said they are preparing shovel-ready projects for the 2027 bond program and will provide design-level breakdowns as the bond cycle approaches.
Council members also discussed trail safety and user awareness. One member suggested exploring small parking fees at some trailheads to generate revenue for maintenance; staff said collecting such fees would require infrastructure and had not been analyzed. Staff described existing volunteer engagement and stewardship: a Trail Watch volunteer program with more than 70 members and partnerships with groups such as River Aid and the Basura Bash clean-up efforts.
Staff did not request immediate council action; the presentation concluded with an offer to return with more detailed cost breakdowns and bond-ready packages for committee consideration.
