City officials presented Katy’s plan for the city’s first trail network system at a public meeting at the Katy Civic Center in the historic downtown square on September 10, with about 40 people attending.

A trail system is the number one requested amenity, said Katy Parks and Recreation Director Kevin Browne. The proposed network of trails will take residents from home to parks to downtown, he said, and will help alleviate traffic as well as provide “passive time in nature.”

The project will be funded through a $4.2 million parks improvement bond passed in 2021, Browne said. Additional funding will come from METRO, according to City Engineer David Kasper. “There will be no pressure on property tax,” said City Administrator Byron Hebert.

“A lot of thought has gone into this,” said Hebert. “Over 20 years ago I talked with David Kasper about this and a safer way to get people downtown.”

The proposed trail system will start near the intersection of Pitts and Morton, with construction of 12-foot sidewalks to begin in 2026, said Kasper. The system then will move south through Cane Island and will eventually connect to existing subdivision trails and then to10th Street. The system will end at the historic downtown square. The plan includes several pedestrian bridges and traffic signal upgrades.

Hebert said that the system is designed to be secluded and “away from houses” and will not include many parking lots except near Leyendecker Landing, to be located near Pitts and Morton. The trail will be composed of sidewalks of varying width, and at approximately every mile, there will be a “station” consisting of a bench, a dog station, and a trashcan. Lighting along the trail will be minimal at the request of the two MUD districts involved in the project, said Hebert. However, he said, the city would install wiring for lighting in anticipation of future needs.

Motorized vehicles will be prohibited on the trail, Hebert said during the question-answer session.

The project, now in the design phase, is expected to begin construction in 2025, with completion anticipated in 2027, said Kasper. The Leyendecker Landing project will begin after that, he added.