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New Braunfels is working toward having a new hike and bike trail in the Gruene Historic District.
In a 5-1 vote, New Braunfels City Council approved an advance funding agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation, or TxDOT, to fund the Waterway Lane Hike and Bike Trail project during a meeting on Sept. 28.
New Braunfels Mayor Michael French was the single dissenting vote.
By the numbers
The $3,659,475 project, which will span 2.4 miles and connect FM 306 to Gruene Road, is being included as part of TxDOT's Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program, or TASA.
The city will fund about 20% of the project, or $728,600. TASA will fund the remaining 80% of the project's cost, or $2,914,400, according to agenda documents.
How we got here
In August 2021, the city proposed expanding Waterway Lane as a roadway, which received negative feedback from residents. After the feedback, the city pivoted to converting the roadway into a hike and bike trail, according to the city's website.
City officials held a public meeting in June 2025 to gather community feedback about the proposed project before submitting it to TxDOT for construction grant funding consideration, according to the city's website.
Next steps
City staff will finalize the advance funding agreement with TxDOT and then start project design, city officials said in an email to Community Impact.
