Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy
New concepts for the future of a busy thoroughfare in Downtown Austin
The Downtown Austin Alliance partnered with the Shoal Creek Conservancy and the City of Austin to enhance the area around 3rd Street and Shoal Creek.
The Cypress & Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy aims to make the area safer, more connected, and more inviting through better bikeways, new trail connections, and pedestrian plazas woven together with urban greenery. Through the Cypress & Shoal Public Space Strategy, it is possible to transform forgotten urban pockets into a beautiful, usable, breathable public realm. The name for the strategy is inspired by the historic name for Third Street, originally known as “Cypress Street.”
“The Cypress & Shoal district is a busy yet important gateway for many downtown destinations including the Central Library, a variety of retail shops, and the Butler Hike and Bike Trail. This is a great opportunity to improve safety and connectivity for everyone who lives, visits, or works in this area.”
— Dewitt Peart, President and CEO
Public Space Strategy
Final design concepts have been released following over a year of community engagement and site analysis. Informed by the active engagement of over one hundred community stakeholder groups, the plan calls for a seamless, connected network of hike and bike trails along the 11-mile Shoal Creek corridor with connections to other urban trails city-wide.
2024 Updates
The Cypress and Shoal project has now found a major source of funding for the expansion of the bicycle and pedestrian bridge across Shoal Creek, the new segment of the Shoal Creek Trail under the bridge, and a study of the historic railroad trestle rehabilitation. 12.5 million dollars of funding was allocated from the closure of the Seaholm TIRZ in December of 2023 to complete an alternative to the Bowie Street Underpass, which is no longer feasible. The Downtown Austin Alliance and Shoal Creek Conservancy were vital in securing this funding through their advocacy efforts.
The projects identified as the alternative (shown below) also include upgrades along the south curb of Cesar Chavez from the Pfluger bridge to San Antonio Street, crossings at Cesar Chavez and Walter Seaholm Drive and West Avenue, and improvements to the West Avenue and 3rd Street intersection. These projects will be completed by the City of Austin Transportation and Public Works department and are collectively referred to as the Seaholm Area Multimodal Connectivity Improvements.
Late this summer, the City will be collecting feedback from stakeholders and the community for the project and presenting options for design and scope of the improvements. The Shoal Creek Conservancy and the Downtown Austin Alliance, who worked together to develop the Cypress and Shoal Public Space Strategy, will continue to champion this project and help the community engage in this effort. Check here or subscribe to our newsletter for updates and opportunities to engage with this project.
Partner Highlight: Shoal Creek Conservancy
The Shoal Creek Conservancy is a proud steward of the 13-square-mile Shoal Creek watershed and works to champion the watershed in order to create a healthy and vibrant community. The Conservancy is partnering with the Downtown Alliance on this initiative.
Visit Conservancy's Project Page⟶Stay Connected
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