Hike-bike trail to be named for Butlers

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Austin's popular 10-mile hike-and-bike trail will be named former Mayor Roy Butler and his wife, Ann, current Mayor Lee Leffingwell said Thursday.

“Ann and Roy Butler played a key role in the beautification of the hike and bike trail,” Leffingwell said. “Thanks to their leadership, Austin is one of just a few U.S. cities with a trail of this quality in the heart of downtown.”

Butler, who died at age 83 in November 2009, was elected Mayor of Austin in 1971 and was re-elected two years later.

During his time in office, he along with Lady Bird Johnson, Ann Butler, Les Gage, Betty Wilson, Carolyn Curtis, Lou Neff, and Joy Scott, among others, formed the Town Lake Beautification Committee, aimed at beautifying the banks of what was then known as “Town Lake.” At that time, the banks of Lady Bird Lake, as it is known today, were polluted, barren and covered with weeds.

The Austin City Council is expected to vote on the proposed name-change to The Ann and Roy Butler Hike and Bike Trail on Nov. 3.