the.REC: a recreational subway

Bastrop County will soon be under even more developmental pressure with the rapid urbanization of the surrounding region. Bastrop County predominately consists of three towns: Elgin, Smithville and the County Seat, Bastrop. The current county population is 75,115 with projected growth to be 115,637 (Texas State Comptroller of Public Accounts) by 2020. Within Bastrop County and surrounding the city of Bastrop is the “Lost Pines”, a unique pine oak forest covering approximately 44,800 acres. Following a series of devastating wild fires over the 2011 Labor Day weekend, 34,068 acres were burned, including much of the Lost Pines Forest. Following the fires, many of the pines were destroyed but efforts are continually made for replanting them. The Colorado River runs through the town as well as throughout the County of Bastrop. The Bastrop County ecology is a mix of rich pines, prairies and river valleys. Bastrop is a Main Street City and was named a Distinctive Destination by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. It is also one of 14 cities in Texas to achieve the Scenic City certification and are known for being "Texas’s Most Historic Small Town". The city contains over 100 historic homes, many of which are listed on the National Register of History Places. This study is a creation of a recreational subway system throughout the county. Its purpose is to act as a catalyst for bridging the county community together during the county’s anticipated future growth.