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Bexar County commissioners this week approved a resolution to support the 100-mile Great Springs Project, a trail network between San Antonio and Austin that aims to link the region's iconic springs.
They also directed county staff to collaborate between the leaders of the project and San Antonio stakeholders on one stretch of the proposed trail to connect the Hays Street Bridge to Salado Creek. A trail there would also be part of the county's initiative to redevelop the Frost Bank Center, Freeman Coliseum, and surrounding areas.
Garry Merritt, the CEO of the non-profit Great Springs Project, said the massive project is in the early stages but will gain momentum after an 18-month study that identifies all the possible trail routes that could be included.
"The key to all of this is connecting communities and connecting neighborhoods to assets," he told commissioners.
Merritt said the goal of the trails is also to protect the water quality. Precinct 2 Bexar County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez voiced his support for that aspect of the trails.
"These are also opportunities to preserve areas that are over the aquifer, for example, and continue the preservation efforts of our community," he said.
The trails could cover areas of the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone. Those are areas where the runoff from rain can enter the underground reservoir, a key source of water for the region.
Commissioners approved no funding for the project, and Merritt said it's so early in the process that a total cost estimate or project timeline was not yet available.
He added that the overall system would be built by working with cities, counties, and others.
Merritt explained that they would connect existing trails with proposed trails across the entire county and across the entire 100-mile system in a "hub and spoke" manner.
