The Shoal Creek Conservancy, the nonprofit behind the Shoal Creek Trail system in Central and North Austin, celebrated the installation of new lighting on the historic Sixth Street Bridge in downtown Austin on Nov. 12. The project, completed in partnership with the city of Austin, joins an initiative aimed at improving accessibility and safety for trail users.

The overview

The 11-mile Shoal Creek Trail built in 1839 is Austin’s first and oldest hike and bike trail, according to Conservancy officials. Once the western border of the city, the trail today plods through Austin's urban core, beginning at Lady Bird Lake and stretching north up near The Domain.



The recent project added trail lighting both beneath the bridge along the trailway, as well as along the bridge’s sidewalk above. This added lighting is intended to enhance safety and comfort for users both above and below the downtown bridge, said Ivey Kaiser, executive director of the Shoal Creek Conservancy.


“This is more than just a lighting project. It is an investment in the continued vitality of the Shoal Creek Trail,” Kaiser said.

The project joins a string of similar initiatives to increase accessibility, experience and safety along trails across the city. Additional bridge lighting, trash bins, seating, pet waste stations and more are currently planned for other segments of the Shoal Creek trailway, Kaiser said.

Looking ahead, the Shoal Creek Conservancy is actively working on the following improvements:
  • Construction of a 12-foot wide shared-use path along North Lamar Boulevard north of 24th Street
  • Big Loop connection to the Red Line Trail at Rutland Drive
  • Cypress and Shoal Creek Public Space Strategy to improve the Shoal Creek Trail and neighboring public places in the area around Third Street and Shoal Creek
  • Bicycle/pedestrian underpass at the intersection of 2222 and Shoal Creek Boulevard
Future priorities include greater connectivity with other regional trail systems.
Priorities for future trail improvements along Shoal Creek Trail includes expanded seating, trash cans and pet waste stations. (Rendering courtesy Shoal Creek Conservancy)
Of note

The project was completed in partnership with Austin’s Transportation and Public Works Neighborhood Partnering Program, which teams up with residents to improve city-owned spaces. The program supports neighborhoods with planning, funding and construction, while local groups share in the costs and help maintain the finished project.


The city program has assisted on over 80 community projects since first launched in 2010, program manager Preston Stewart said.

“This [program] allows people to take an active role, with the city, improving their spaces,” Stewart said. “... It's the community's vision for their own spaces, their parks, their streets and their public spaces that can come to life.”

The Sixth Street Bridge lighting project was funded in part by a grant from the Neighborhood Partnering Program as well as through donations from Whole Foods Market, a news release states. Those interested in the Neighborhood Partnering Program can find more information about the program here.

Fun facts


The Sixth Street Bridge was constructed in 1887. It's one of the state's oldest masonry arches—older than the state Capitol building. The site represents the first bridge in Austin that opened up the city to westward development. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2014 and is remembered as one of the first major east-west roadway connectors in Austin.