Bexar County Commissioners approved more than $25 million Tuesday to design and construct two new Leon Creek Greenway trail extensions.
One segment will run 4.3 miles and connect the southern end of Pearsall Park to Spicewood Park, near State Highway 16. Commissioners approved $15 million for that project.
The second segment will run 2.6 miles between Dora Jordan Trailhead, at 8802 Military Dr. West, and Rodriguez County Park. That trail connection received $9.6 million.
Both projects are expected to be completed within three years.
The trails for pedestrians and cyclists are part of the Howard W. Peak Greenway Trails System, which now measures more than 100 miles. It’s expected eventually to make a complete loop around San Antonio.
“These are great return-on-investment projects,” said Collen Brownlow, an engineer at the San Antonio River Authority. “We’ve seen with the trail counters that we have a lot of participation on these trails, and connecting these will only increase the participation.”
Staff said the $25 million estimate is based on the cost of other recent projects, not a completed design proposal. They have pre-approved contractors who can begin the design process immediately, however, paid for by roughly $1.5 million of the $25 million approved Tuesday.
Commissioner Grant Moody (Pct. 3), the court’s lone Republican whose precinct covers most of the North Side, expressed skepticism about the continued investment in trails. He voted against a similar proposal in his own precinct in December.
“I still have concerns around all the other priorities that are competing for our taxpayer dollars here in the county,” Moody said, who pointed to problems at the county jail and elsewhere in the criminal justice system.
Commissioner Rebeca Clay-Flores (Pct. 1) defended the projects, the first of which would be in her precinct, saying the county had been left to address inequity created by the city.
Last year, the City of San Antonio and Bexar County agreed to work together on 26 projects aimed at connecting the network of trails. The largest remaining gaps in the loop are Southwest San Antonio, south of Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
“As usual, the city started projects on the northern part of Bexar County,” Clay-Flores said. “So we definitely are going to support making sure it’s connected in the southern part of Bexar County.”
Commissioners unanimously approved both projects Tuesday.
“Now that we’re focusing on the South and the West side, this is not the time to shortchange our community and our respective neighborhoods in those areas,” said Commissioner Justin Rodriguez (Pct. 2), whose precinct would receive the second extension.
This article has been updated to clarify the Bexar County precinct locations of the two trail extensions.
