A coalition of nonprofit, business and community leaders is beginning to map out an ambitious vision for Mobile: a connected system of walking and biking trails stretching from the city’s waterfront through downtown and out toward Municipal Park.
The Mobile Greenway Initiative is spearheading the effort, with the proposed Crepe Myrtle Trail forming a key piece of the broader plan. The trail would run along the western edge of Mobile Bay, cutting through the Mobile Aeroplex at Brookley before eventually reaching downtown near Interstate 165, with improvements to Three Mile Creek included as part of the vision.
This week, organizers held planning meetings inviting residents to help shape the route, encouraging attendees to suggest new loops, connections and amenities that could be built into the trail’s design as it develops.
A dedicated planning session for the Crepe Myrtle Trail segment, which would connect Three Mile Creek to Dog River for cyclists and runners, drew community members interested in the project’s direction. Organizers held a similar bike ride last year that gave more than 100 cyclists rare access to a stretch of waterfront property near the airport, with another ride planned for next month to keep the idea in front of residents.
The concept of a waterfront trail in Mobile dates back to the late 1990s, and a portion of an earlier route has already been paved, with the existing bike path currently ending at Doyle Park. The project gained new momentum last year after Mobile United, one of the partner organizations involved, received a National Park Service grant supporting trail planning and community engagement.
A National Park Service community planner assigned to the project says his focus over the coming months will be developing a trail layout and continuing to gather resident input on details like paving materials, lighting, landscaping and safety features.
Organizers say a complete build-out of the trail system is still years away, but they expect the planning groundwork laid this year to shape how the project comes together going forward.