Woodlawn Lake Park is a big step closer to getting a dedicated bike loop, after San Antonio secured $2 million from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department to design and build a two‑way path around the popular West Side spot. City Council signed off on accepting the money at last Thursday's A session, shifting the project out of the study phase and into early design. If it all comes together, the funding could help pay for a protected circuit around the park’s 62 acres, where bikes have largely been kept off the lakeshore trail.
Council Approved Acceptance
Council members approved the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department award on the consent agenda, according to the San Antonio Express-News. One concept described in the report would place a two‑way, protected bike lane on Josephine Tobin Drive and nearby streets, separated from vehicle traffic by a raised median. The vote only accepts the funding; it does not lock in a construction start date, and city staff caution that more detailed design work and local matching dollars are still required.
Feasibility Study And Cost Estimate
The Transportation Department wrapped up a feasibility study for the route in January 2025 and presented its findings to the new Multimodal Transportation Commission, KSAT reported. Staff currently project the improvements will cost about $2.6 million. According to KSAT, the Transportation Department has committed roughly $230,000 toward the effort, and the District 7 council office is expected to cover the remaining local share.
The TPWD Local Park Grant program reimburses cities for eligible costs and requires a local match. San Antonio will need to show it has those matching funds in place before construction can move forward.
Design Concepts And Public Input
Early concept images and a brief survey are posted on the city’s SASpeakUp site, giving nearby residents a chance to weigh in on different alignments and street crossings. Planners say community responses will help shape the final layout. The idea lines up with priorities in the city’s Bike Network Plan to build more connected, protected routes between neighborhoods, the San Antonio Express-News noted. That public input will matter as the city decides whether to keep the bike facility in the surrounding streets or construct separate infrastructure closer to the lakeshore.
How This Fits Into Larger Park Work
The bike‑path funding ties into a broader push to overhaul Woodlawn Lake Park. It builds on a separate $3.25 million federal grant and bond dollars that together have steered about $6.5 million toward revitalizing the park, according to KSAT. District 7 Councilmember Marina Alderete Gavito, speaking at the council meeting, stressed the park’s role as a daily gathering space and urged that the upgrades help make Woodlawn “the people’s park,” as shown in the City Council meeting video.
City officials say the combined investments are intended to add elements such as terraced lakefront seating, improved fishing access and new trees, along with better access and safety features for people walking and biking.
What Comes Next
Accepting the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department grant clears a key administrative hurdle, but the project still has several steps ahead. Final design work, confirmation of the local match and a construction bidding process all need to be completed before any ground is broken.
In the meantime, residents can review concept drawings and respond to the city’s short survey on SASpeakUp, while staff continue working through design details and permitting timelines.
