If all goes according to plan, Bee Cave residents will soon be able to commute along portions of RM 620 by biking or walking.
Bee Cave City Council unanimously approved June 13 an agreement with the city’s economic development board to begin the city’s connectivity project with the construction of a 10-foot-wide concrete hike and bike trail along RM 620 and improvement of the existing trail that runs along Bee Cave Parkway.
According to a May 23 update regarding the proposed new trail, the city’s economic development board will reimburse the city for its trail expenses.
“It is a critical agreement for two priority trails,” City Manager Travis Askey said.
During its May 23 meeting, the board debated which pedestrian routes would be given priority as the city begins its connectivity plan.
The RM 620 trail connects Falconhead Blvd. to Bee Cave Parkway and City Park—an important stretch of trail for walkers and bike riders—and the city’s current Bee Cave Parkway trail is deteriorating, reasoned board members for prioritizing the
two pathways.
RM 620 trail construction
Additional agreements to purchase rights of way to begin the trail construction are still needed to construct the RM 620 trail, Askey said.
“We’ve been in conversations with Target and The Home Depot to secure easements for the [RM 620] trail,” he said.
Agenda documents for the meeting stated the board finalized text for the easement with The Home Depot and will obtain signatures upon a final survey of the area.
Board members said the group would approach Christopher Milam, a co-developer of The Terraces planned development district off Bee Cave Parkway, to reimburse the city’s costs to develop the relevant trail portion. Members discussed that The Terraces developers had an obligation to construct a trail on the project’s property to connect with the city’s trail system.
Bee Cave Parkway trail
“The [Bee Cave Parkway] trail is an eyesore,” said Bill Goodwin, Bee Cave City Council mayor pro tem and economic development board member.
Parts of older trails in the city are only 5 feet wide and constructed of decomposed granite, Askey said. The new trails approved by City Council are slated to be 10 feet across and composed of concrete, necessitating the change in the older Bee Cave Parkway trail, he said.
Although cost estimates for both projects have not yet been finalized, Askey said the Bee Cave Parkway trail renovation is expected to cost around $50,000-$75,000.
