COVID-19 Watch

San Antonio closes all park facilities in effort to curb spread of COVID-19

San Antonio parks and trails are open, but officials are asking residents to be smart.

San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department/Facebook

Both the City of San Antonio and Bexar County have closed all park facilities, another step in curbing the spread of COVID-19. The city made the announcement on March 27, effective now through the current Stay Home/Work Safe order, which is scheduled to lift April 9.

The following city- and county-operated amenities are now closed to the public:

Basketball courts
Outdoor exercise equipment
Playgrounds
Skate plazas
Splash pads
Community center
Adult/senior centers

Green spaces and trails remain open, but officials urge residents to maintain at least six feet of distance in adherence to Centers for Disease Control regulations. Picnic tables, restrooms, and water fountains are still in use and will be sanitized at least two times a day, depending on use.

According to a release, park staff will continue to monitor and maintain grounds and offer reminders about social distancing.

Along with facility closures, the City of San Antonio is also suspending classes and programming and closing the reservation counter the Ron Darner Park Headquarters through at least April 19.

For those who are hitting the trail or heading to the park, local officials urge adherence to CDC guidelines, including maintaining the recommended six feet of social distancing, passing others on the trail with verbal warning, frequently washing hands and using hand sanitizer, avoiding group activities or sports, and not leaving your house if you are exhibiting any symptoms of illness.

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Hold Your Horses

San Antonio City Council considers plan to phase out horse-drawn carriages

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A scant majority of San Antonians like the idea of ending the practice.

In a special session on Thursday, October 31, the San Antonio City Council will deliberate on possibly phasing out horse-drawn carriages. A proposal called "A Just Transition from Horse Drawn Carriages" has led to a one-to-three-year plan for replacing the horses with electric carriages.

An early project proposal in November of 2022 — written by District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran — laid out concerns for the horses' wellbeing, quoting the Animal Welfare Institute. Concerns included exposure to traffic and pollution, long periods standing and walking on hard surfaces, and extreme weather, among other things. In addition to the effect on horses, the request also mentioned environmental effects from slowed traffic.

It proposed completely stopping any new use of horse drawn carriages and letting any existing permits expire. The request also mentioned pedicabs as an alternative alongside the electric carriages, but the pedicabs seem to have fallen away from the public discourse.

Following up on the proposal, a city survey that concluded in August of 2024 found that of 50,476 respondents, a scant majority (51.98 percent) said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." Other options like changing hours and location of horse-drawn carriage use were unpopular, and 29.01 percent said they wanted to continue with the current system of use.

A majority of respondents (53.83 percent) had never ridden in a horse drawn carriage at all, and an strong majority of those survey takers cited the treatment of the horse as the reason they hadn't tried it. Those who had ridden on the carriages mostly liked it for the "historical and cultural experience," with examples including feeling nostalgic and learning about San Antonio's history.

The survey did not disclose how many of the people who rode on the carriages were tourists, but tourists made up 21.66 percent of respondents.

In addition to the survey, council members also unanimously voted on August 19, 2024, to have a plan drafted by city staff that would phase out the horse-drawn carriages in one to three years.

The only item on the special session agenda (aside from approval of minutes) is a briefing and possible action on the proposal, meaning that a decision is not guaranteed.

More information about city council meetings is available at sa.gov.

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