Big bucks are being shelled out in San Antonio as transportation planners give the green light to a massive $9 million trail connector project on the Brooks campus. The Alamo Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (AAMPO) recently passed plans to kickstart the Brooks Green Loop, a path aimed at bridging various high-profile spots across the South Side of the city. The eight-mile loop will spruce up the routes for pedestrians and cyclists, creating a safer way to reach well-trodden landmarks like the San Antonio missions and Greenline Park, as reported by the San Antonio Report.
According to the same source, this isn't just any old sidewalk. The loop includes a fully-paved trail right through the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and an innovative path that will run beneath I-37, crafted neatly in a drainage area. While upgrading some existing pathways at Brooks, pedestrians and bikers alike can look forward to a smoother jaunt across town. Set to dig into the AAMPO’s Transportation Improvement Program’s fiscal years 2025-28 budget, with an expected adoption coming up in June, the project's total bill will hit around $9.3 million.
Originating from an ambition to forge a link between the Greenline and the wider linear park system west of Brooks, the concept encountered its fair share of hurdles, especially to the east of I-37. In a statement to the San Antonio Report, Brooks CEO Leo Gomez recalled, "As we accomplished that, we began to think about doing the same to the east which was much more of a challenge.”
A pivotal stretch of the Brooks Green Loop is set to trail blaze by paving the San Juan Acequia Trail, which sneaks behind Mission San Juan. “Connecting World Heritage sites to the energetic Brooks campus and beyond will bring countless benefits to the thousands of annual visitors who visit the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park,” Karla Gurgiolo, executive director of Mission Heritage Partners, told the San Antonio Report, whose outfit is working in collaboration with Brooks on the project.
Since laying down its Greenline linear park and trails back in 2018 and extending the trail by a quarter-mile in 2021, which connected Brooks to a sprawling 30-mile hike-and-bike path, Brooks has been on a mission to green up the locale. And as if the Green Loop wasn’t enough, there’s chatter about an Arboretum San Antonio taking root on the Southeast Side near Brooks, with sights set on a grand opening somewhere between 2026 and 2027 after the land was snagged last year and money started pouring in for the project, as stated by the San Antonio Report.
