The construction of Onion Creek Trail, a multi-use trail spanning approximately 7,700 feet along Onion Creek, is underway and expected to be completed by May 2025, according to Buda’s bond website.
What’s happening?
The trail, according to a Buda interactive map, is going to be 12 to 14 feet wide and is planned to be a sustainable connective concrete trail from the RM 967 bridge on the south end to the southern-end entry point of Garison Park, according to Nov. 6 city agenda documents.
The trail will eventually continue through Garison Park, but is not included in this scope of work and is included as part of the construction of the Garison Park project instead.
According to agenda documents, the trail’s total budget is around $1.1 million, which includes $550 thousand that Hays County has contributed through, according to the Buda bond website, the 2020 Parks & Open Space Bond.
The backstory
Onion Creek Trail was originally identified in Buda’s 2021 Parks Master Plan as part of the goal to create a citywide and regionally connected trail and pedestrian network linking parks and community destinations. The master plan states, “Onion Creek is a center-city river corridor that connects several key parks and destinations.”
Public input highlighted Onion Creek trails as a priority for short-term projects, according to the master plan.
The construction of the trail is being partly funded by general obligation bonds approved in 2021, specifically under Proposition B, which allocates funds for parks and recreation projects. According to a city news release, Proposition B received support from 63.39% of voters.
Previous reporting by Community Impact states that Buda currently has 2.8 miles of existing trails, with more than 2.85 miles of new trails planned. Additionally, 55% of Buda residents live within a 10-minute walk of a park—an 18% deficit compared to Kyle.
