AUSTIN, Texas — The City of Austin and community groups are taking more steps toward safety in local parks.
New lights have been installed to brighten a half-mile walking trail in Davis-White Northeast District Park.
The new lighting is the result of a collaboration between the City's Public Works Department's Neighbor Partnering Program and the Alliance for African American Health in Central Texas, the LBJ Neighborhood Association and the Davis-White Northeast District Park Adopters, in an effort to create a sense of safety and security for the park's visitors.
The lighting improvements include five pole-mounted solar lights along the walking trail. Community leaders held a ribbon cutting for the new lighting at the park at 11 a.m. Saturday.
These lighting improvements come shortly after temporary lights were installed on a trail along Lady Bird Lake, near Rainey Street. Those lights were installed to coincide with South by Southwest, but the changes came not too long after a man's body was pulled from the lake in February.
City officials have mentioned they have a more permanent plan in place for that area, which is set to start in June and involve installing hard-wired lights, cameras and fencing.