Austin – Installation of new mile markers on the Town Lake Trail begins tomorrow along Lakeshore Boulevard and Pleasant Valley Road and is scheduled to be completed by Tuesday, November 22. The Town Lake Trail Foundation began raising funds for the Mile Marker Project in 2004 and, with generous individual and corporate support, counsel from The City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, and in-kind design by Yellow Fin Studios, the mile markers are now complete and ready for installation.

Thirty old mile markers that were originally installed along the Town Lake Trail in the mid-eighties will be removed. These pieces have been declared valueless by the City of Austin Parks and Recreation Department, however the mile markers are historic and valuable for many trail users. Town Lake Trail Foundation is offering them for sale to the public at $500 each and nearly half have already been reserved for purchase. All proceeds go toward additional Town Lake Trail improvements. Interested parties should contact Town Lake Trail Foundation Executive Director Dan Garrison at 512-302-0608 or dan@townlaketrail.org.

About the New Mile Markers

The primary mile marker design criteria were: 1) to ensure that the natural, primitive nature of the trail was not disturbed, 2) to ensure long-term durability and ease of maintenance, and 3) to make the distances more accurate.

The design integrates with intrinsic architecture along the trail such as the new City Hall building and Palmer Auditorium. The markers are constructed of 1/2 inch thick bronze and steel-colored plates surrounded by a stained concrete base.  The aluminum is etched with an acidic primer and painted with acrylic polyurethane paint and sealed with a thick clear-coat for protection.  The mile markers
were manufactured to endure the natural elements, accidental contact and vandalism. The Parks and Recreation Department will be responsible for maintenance. It is anticipated that the mile markers will remain presentable along the trail with few observable defects or damage for at least 25 to 50 years.

Distance accuracy between markers is also assured. The Town Lake Trail Foundation contracted with USA Track & Field, the organization that certifies distances for most major road races nationally, to precisely measure the distances around the trail. The 0 Mile Marker will remain at Auditorium Shores and the markers will retain their clock-wise pattern around the trail with the final 10 Mile Marker located next to the Hyatt Hotel on Lake Austin.

Initially, only ½ mile and full mile markers are being installed. However, thanks to generous funding the Town Lake Trail has received from the Austin Runners Club (the Trail Foundation has been the beneficiary of the Decker Challenge three year’s running) and our very own "Racing for the Trail" program, new ¼ and ¾ mile markers are already under construction and will be installed soon.

The new mile markers are phase one of a three-phase initiative to improve signage and maps along the trail. New maps for the major trailheads, phase two of the program, are already under construction. A helpful system of directional signs is also being developed. Generous seed funding for the project was provided by the Alice Kleberg Reynolds Foundation. The remainder was raised at the Town Lake Trail Foundation’s mile marker auction last spring where individuals and businesses were asked to underwrite the new mile markers. Major contributors to the project include Affiniscape, Austaco, Austin Runners Club, The Burrus Family, Griffin Davis, Kathleen Mabley, Don Sansom, David Jamail and David Sikora, George Reynolds, The Garrison Family, Jorge Gutierrez, Joe Warner, Heather Keating, Sunset Printing, Sentient Services LP, Door Number 3, and Yellow Fin Studios.

About the Town Lake Trail Foundation

The Town Lake Trail Foundation was formed in 2003 with a mission to restore, maintain, improve, beautify and expand the Town Lake Hike and Bike Trail. The Foundation works to ensure that the trail remains the most beautiful, natural, fitness-friendly hike and bike path in any urban area in the United States. Financial contributions, information and trail improvement ideas are welcome and appreciated. For more information, visit www.townlaketrail.org.