Parks and Rec Board votes to permanently close Zilker Park overflow lot in September

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- The Austin Parks and Recreation Department Board on Monday night voted to permanently close one of Zilker Park's largest overflow parking options.

Polo Field, located between Andrew Zilker Road and Barton Springs Road, is currently open on weekends during the summer and some Fridays for special events or activities, according to the Austin Parks and Recreation Department.

The lot has about 750 spaces — equal to the amount of parking in the gravel lot on Stratford Drive. These are the two largest parking options at Zilker Park.

During its Monday night meeting, the board amended and approved a draft recommendation on closing the field permanently to parking starting Sept. 4, with the exception of use as an overflow parking area during advance-scheduled special events, detailed below.

The approved draft recommendations include the following:

• Austin City Council approve funding in the City’s 2023-2024 Budget for PARD to lease or purchase internal shuttles for use in Zilker Park.
• Austin City Council direct the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) to eliminate parking on the Polo Field permanently starting on September 4, 2023 except for use as an overflow parking area during advance-scheduled special events (including Zilker Hillside Theater, Blues on the Green, Zilker Tree Lighting, Trail of Lights, Zilker Kite Festival, Zilker Botanical Gardens Spring Event, and Austin YMBL Sunshine Camps events)
• Austin City Council fund at least 2-4 free shuttle busses, to be managed by PARD, to operate continuously between the Butler Gravel Lot and the south side of Zilker Park near Barton Springs Pool during peak use weekends, including Fridays (May through September 4).
• Austin City Council fund marketing efforts, to be managed by PARD, for the City’s other metropolitan parks in order to reduce demand on Zilker Metropolitan Park.
• Austin City Council fund amenities at other district and metropolitan parks, with an emphasis on district and metropolitan parks in underserved communities.
• Austin City Council fund a high-profile outreach campaign, to be managed by PARD, to city residents and visitors on various methods of transportation to Zilker Park including all changes and new opportunities.
• PARD direct Zilker Park visitors to park at the Butler Gravel Lot, instead of parking at the Polo Field on weekends, beginning May of 2024.
• PARD designate at least 22 staff parking places near Barton Springs Pool for lifeguards.
• Appropriate restoration of the Polo Field be performed as needed by PARD’s routine maintenance after special events are concluded.
• PARD collaborate with Austin Transportation and Public Works Dept. if transportation management such as establishing loading and unloading zones for shuttles, is required.
• PARD implement a tiered parking payment structure in which payment for parking closer to Barton Springs is the highest and payment for parking at the Butler Gravel Lot is the lowest.
• PARD encourage various forms of transportation (including but not limited to, walking, biking, scooters) to access Zilker Park.
• Upon closure of the Polo Field, environmentally suitable parking barriers and a semi-permanent parking enforcement mechanism be positioned around the Polo Fields by PARD to prevent vehicle access to the Polo Field.

The Polo Field lot closure was recommended in 2019 based on recommendations from a Zilker Park Working Group. At the time, the lot was recommended to close in phases with a full closure in May 2022.

Reasons to close the parking lot included “extensive environmental degradation” caused by parking and pedestrian circulation, possible pollution runoff issues and reduced parkland.

Closure of the lot is the latest change to Zilker Park parking after parking meters were added to previously free lots and parking costs increased by $2 in May.