The Trinity Strand Trail is a proposed 7.8-mile, hike/bike commuter and recreational trail that will run along the course of the original Trinity River in

Dallas Dallas () is the List of municipalities in Texas, third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of metropolitan statistical areas, fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

(

USA The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

), also known as Old Meanders. This part of the Trinity River flows through the heart of the Dallas Design District. Trinity Strand Trail plays a key part in the vision for the Old Trinity River corridor. It will provide a recreational resource for the area and will also connect to

Katy Trail Katy Trail may refer to the following places in the United States: * Katy Trail (Dallas) The Katy Trail is a jogging, walking, inline skating, and bicycling path that runs through the Uptown and Oak Lawn areas of Dallas, Texas (USA), following ...

, the

Southwestern Medical District The Southwestern Medical District is an area or neighborhood located immediately to the northwest of downtown Dallas, Texas. It consists of of medical-related facilities between I-35 E and The Dallas North Tollway. The medical center includes m ...

Dallas Market Center Dallas Market Center is a 5 million square foot (460,000 m2) wholesale trade center in Dallas, Texas, the United States, located at 2200 Stemmons Freeway, housing showrooms which sells consumer products including gifts, lighting, home décor, ap ...

and several residential and commercial properties.

About

Nestled between Stemmons Freeway and the banks of the Trinity River, just northwest of downtown Dallas, are the Dallas Design District and the Old Trinity Industrial District. Like other neighborhoods near downtown Dallas, this area is being rediscovered by forward-thinking property owners, businesses and new residents. The neighborhood is growing with new developments, including restaurants (including Meddlesome Moth and Oak), bars, retail and residential units. Once the trail is complete, Dallas residents and visitors can walk or bike between homes, hotels, DART/TRE stations, and work places in downtown Dallas,

Oak Cliff Oak Cliff is a neighborhood of Dallas, Texas, that was formerly a separate town in Dallas County; Dallas annexed Oak Cliff in 1901. It has since retained a distinct neighborhood identity as one of Dallas' older established neighborhoods. Oak Cl ...

, Uptown, the Design District, and the Trinity Industrial District. The location of the “Strand” plays a key part of the redevelopment vision for the

Trinity River Corridor Project The Trinity River Project is a public works project undertaken in the 2000s in the city of Dallas, Texas, United States. Its goal is to redevelop the Trinity River. The project aims to turn the river's path into a collection of sports fields, trail ...

. The Strand will connect the

to the Trinity River Levee Trail and the entire Trinity River Greenbelt. This unites many

(

) neighborhoods and offers

pedestrian A pedestrian is a person traveling on foot, whether walking or running. In modern times, the term usually refers to someone walking on a road or pavement, but this was not the case historically. The meaning of pedestrian is displayed with ...

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

s, and commuters access to many business districts, in addition to the obvious recreational benefits of the trail.

Organization information and history

In 2002, a group of dedicated individuals formed the Friends of the Trinity Strand Trail, a

nonprofit corporation A nonprofit corporation is any legal entity which has been incorporated under the law of its jurisdiction for purposes other than making profits for its owners or shareholders. Depending on the laws of the jurisdiction, a nonprofit corporation may ...

to spearhead the planning, construction and enhancement of a 7.8 mile non-motorized hike and bike trail along the original Trinity River watercourse. This commuter and

recreational trail Cycling infrastructure is all infrastructure cyclists are allowed to use. Bikeways include bike paths, bike lanes, cycle tracks, rail trails and, where permitted, sidewalks. Roads used by Motor vehicle, motorists are also cycling infrastructu ...

will connect the

to the Trinity River and also provide Dallas citizens access to the

Stemmons Corridor The Stemmons Corridor or Lower Stemmons is a stretch of industrial and commercial property in northwest Dallas, Texas ( USA). From downtown north, Interstate 35E (I-35E) is known as the Stemmons Freeway, named so for Leslie Stemmons by his son, ...

businesses and the Dallas Design District. The trail will consist of 5.6 miles of paved concrete trail and 2.2 miles of soft surface trail, 10 bridges and 16 trailheads. The trail will connect 4.7 miles of existing and 7.9 miles of future sidewalks for a total of 20.4 total miles of non-motorized interconnected trails, bridges and sidewalks with a build-out cost of $30 million. The trail will not only reduce traffic congestion by providing an alternate method to commute to and from work, but it will also improve

air quality Air pollution is the contamination of air due to the presence of substances in the atmosphere that are harmful to the health of humans and other living beings, or cause damage to the climate or to materials. There are many different types ...

, provide

recreation Recreation is an activity of leisure, leisure being discretionary time. The "need to do something for recreation" is an essential element of human biology and psychology. Recreational activities are often done for enjoyment, amusement, or pleasur ...

and transportation opportunities for Dallas citizens and visitors to the city, promote

ecotourism Ecotourism is a form of tourism involving responsible travel (using sustainable transport) to natural areas, conserving the environment, and improving the well-being of the local people. Its purpose may be to educate the traveler, to provide funds ...

, and restore the natural

wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animal species (biology), species, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introduced by humans. Wildlife was also synonymous ...

habitat along the original meanders of the Trinity River. Additionally, the trail will present an opportunity for education and instruction by providing a

nature preserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or o ...

consisting of native wildflowers and

grasses Poaceae () or Gramineae () is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos and the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in lawns and ...

. It will also attract new business and residential projects to the neighborhood, which has been predominantly industrial and mostly forgotten until now. The Trinity Strand Trail will greatly enhance the range and benefits of the

and Trinity River Levee Trails by providing a non-motorized route for Dallas residents and visitors to travel easily from either the

(through Stemmons Park) or from

Victory Plaza Victory Plaza is a twin tower skyscraper complex in the Tianhe District of Guangzhou, Guangdong, China. Tower A is with 52 storeys, while Tower B is with 36 floors. Construction of Victory Plaza was completed in 2007. Tenants All Nippon Air ...

(along Hi Line Drive) to the many miles of levee trails.

Recent accomplishments

Trail construction began in 2009 with a trailhead at the end of Hi-Line Drive and followed with Turtle Creek Plaza, which was completed in May 2010 and celebrated with a dedication ceremony by former Mayor Leppert. The blue 14’ 7” I-beam at Turtle Creek Plaza represents the height of the Trinity River during the 1908 flood which prompted the re-directing of the Trinity River. Both of these trailheads are on the original Trinity River channel, also referred to as “Old Meanders”. Trinity Strand Trail has raised $5.5M in funding for Phase 1 (2.5 miles of concrete trail along the old river channel) and construction on this portion of the trail has been completed. Trinity Strand Trail has also funded $400K for Phase 2 through the Dallas Design District TIF. Phase 2 includes the design and construction of two miles of soft surface trail along the opposite side of the river channel with numerous low water crossings and bridges throughout the channel. Both trails will run alongside the old Trinity River channel, a beautiful and natural greenspace in Dallas that has been neglected and somewhat forgotten. Trinity Strand Trail is working to restore this area and bring it back to its natural state with the environmental restoration piece of our project. Unlike most trails that use abandoned railway corridors for their path, Trinity Strand Trail acquires land for its trail through landowner donations. Over 5 acres of land has been donated by area stakeholders for Phase 1. TST Hi Line Trailhead

Trinity Strand Trail is designated part of the Dallas County Veloweb Trail System and the master plan was adopted in July 2004 by the Dallas Park and Recreation Board and the

Dallas City Council The Dallas City Council serves as the legislative body in the City of Dallas. It consists of 14 members. City council members are chosen by Plurality voting, plurality elections in each of fourteen districts. The city operates under a Council-Mana ...

. In 2004, Trinity Strand Trail obtained city park designation from the

Trinity Strand Trail - Old Trinity River Channel

Trinity Strand Trail/Katy Trail Connection

Trinity Strand Trail has partnered with the Friends of the Katy Trail to connect both trails at Goat Hill and the land donation, valued at $2M, was secured in November 2007. The master plan for the Connection was approved by the City of Dallas Parks and Recreation Board in 2011, and 50% of the schematic design and 75% of the hydrology studies are also complete. The Trinity Strand Trail/Katy Trail Connection is a joint trail project between Trinity Strand Trail and Katy Trail. This project will connect 3.5 miles of Katy Trail with almost 8 miles of Trinity Strand Trail. The Connection will begin at Katy Trail’s Victory Overlook and travel over Houston Street, through Stemmons Park and underneath

Stemmons Freeway Interstate 35E (I-35E), an Interstate Highway, is the eastern half of I-35, where it splits to serve the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. I-35 splits into two branch routes, I-35W and I-35E, at Hillsboro. I-35E travels north for , mai ...

and Oak Lawn Avenue, connecting with the concrete spine of Trinity Strand Trail on the old Trinity River channel. When complete, this trail will join Uptown, downtown, the Dallas Design District,

, the

Infomart The Infomart is one of the largest buildings in Dallas, Texas (USA). It is the world's first and only information processing marketing center. It is located at 1950 N. Stemmons Freeway in the Market Center neighborhood between Oak Lawn and I ...

businesses, and hotels in the area. The Connection will also serve as an accessory connection to a future city park that will function as a landscaped gateway in the area, traveling through Stemmons Park, an undeveloped piece of land near the intersection of Stemmons Freeway and Oak Lawn Avenue. This park is rich with history and used to house

P.C. Cobb Stadium P.C. Cobb Stadium (previously Dal-Hi Stadium) was an outdoor athletic stadium near downtown Dallas, Texas. The 22,000 seat stadium, named in honor of the former Dallas Independent School District athletic director and coach, was built of reinforc ...

, a 23,000 seat arena for high school sports. Since the stadium was demolished in 1985, it has been used as a dumping ground and construction staging site, which has unfortunately destroyed the native habitat and vegetation in the area. In addition, a natural creek winds through the park. This portion of Turtle Creek is a small tributary of the Trinity River, with its headwaters located in University Park. Trinity Strand Trail will restore life back into this creek and the surrounding area and provide a natural space for relaxation within the highly urban Medical District,

, Design District and

downtown Dallas Downtown Dallas is the central business district (CBD) of Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States, located in the geographic center of the city. It is the second-largest business district in the state of Texas. The area termed "Downtown" has tradit ...

Market and customers

Trinity Strand Trail will serve the area’s 12+ hotels which supply 1 million room nights per year. The trail will also serve the 170,000 employees of major companies and smaller businesses in the area. In addition, there is an estimated 1,900 residential units which exist on or by the trail and approximately 600 more that are currently under construction. This project facilitates active lifestyles and provides appealing, safe transportation alternatives to these urban residents and commuters. Furthermore, the

has more than 15,000 participants per week and with the Trinity Strand Trail/Katy Trail Connection, it is estimated that the majority of those recreational users will also utilize Trinity Strand Trail. Notably, Trinity Strand Trail will serve the

which has over 24,000 employees and garners over 2.2 million visits to their facilities each year. Most of these visitors use public transit to travel to and from the area and our trail will provide safe and easy access to existing sidewalks and improved access to

DART Dart or DART may refer to: * Dart, the equipment in the game of darts Arts, entertainment and media * Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero * Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe'' * Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character * Dar ...

and TRE.

Environmental restoration

Trinity Strand Trail is developing an

environmental restoration Environmental restoration is closely allied with (or perhaps sometimes used interchangeably with) ecological restoration or environmental remediation. In the U.S., remediation is the term used more in the realms of industry, public policy, and c ...

strategy to bring the Old Meanders back to life and restore it to a native North Texas habitat, thereby attracting beneficial wildlife to this urban preserve. Over the years, the path of the river was changed to prevent flooding, leaving Old Meanders isolated and almost unknown to most residents. Trinity Strand Trail plans to make use of this 65 acre gem of hidden green space that exists. Through cooperative efforts with naturalists, environmental professionals, city staff and interested parties, we plan to create an environment that is enjoyable, educational and beneficial to residents and visitors of Dallas. Plans for Old Meanders include exploring the use of the channel to provide pollution filtration for storm water runoff, thus improving

habitat and the aesthetic beauty of the area. Additional plans include hands-on educational programs for local schools and organizations to educate Dallas citizens on the importance of

ecological restoration Restoration ecology is the scientific study supporting the practice of ecological restoration, which is the practice of renewing and restoring degraded, damaged, or destroyed ecosystems and habitats in the environment by active human interrupt ...

and keeping our water clean.

Dallas Jingle Bell Run

Over the past few years, Trinity Strand Trail has been developing the Dallas Jingle Bell Run. The Jingle Bell Run is an annual event that was held by Carter BloodCare for over twenty years, and it has recognition throughout the city. In 2009, Trinity Strand Trail partnered with Luke’s Locker and the Mavericks Foundation to take over this event. In recent years, the Jingle Bell Run had almost 6,000 runners, 150 volunteers and 35 sponsors supporting the event.

References

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External links

Trinity Strand Trail website

Jingle Bell Run website
Bike paths in Texas Transportation in Dallas