Progress North Texas 2011

Preserving Quality of Life for North Texans
Projects Focused on Sustainability, Strategic Enhancements

Recent Success, Remaining
Challenges >>>

Mobility 2035 >>>

Statewide, Federal Funding Shortfalls >>>

Air Quality Improving, More Work Needed >>>

Partnerships Keep Projects Moving
Forward >>>

Preserving Quality of Life for North Texas

Regional Collaboration Yields Local, Regional Benefits >>>

Economic Recovery Funds Building Transportation
Legacy >>>

Tell Us What You Think! >>>

Upgrades to roadways and rail systems are highly visible examples of changes to the region’s transportation system. But there is more needed to ensure mobility and quality of life enhancements for 6.5 million people.

North Texas has significantly improved its bicycle and pedestrian facilities as part of its multimodal transportation strategy. The region has added trails and extended others, in addition to on-street bicycle facilities, in an effort to offer reliable alternatives to traditional transportation modes.

One example of planning work that could transform parts of the region is the Dallas Bike Plan. The North Central Texas Council of Governments and the City of Dallas have worked together with the help of the public to develop a draft plan that includes over 550 miles of on-street facilities. The Dallas Bike Plan will produce the framework for a regional design template NCTCOG will develop further and distribute to local governments for assistance with on-street bicycle facility planning and design. This design template will assist in providing consistent guidelines for on-street bicycle facilities throughout the region. The Dallas City Council adopted the plan in June. The regional design template is expected to be available for distribution in the fall.

Bicycle and Pedestrian Projects

Six bicycle and pedestrian projects were selected during a recent Local Air Quality Call for Projects. All projects selected demonstrate an added local air quality benefit because they support reduced emissions throughout the region. Five of the six projects have been completed or are under way.

Read more about the projects
and the current status of each [PDF]

The Santa Fe Trail opened to cyclists in December 2010 and extends from Deep Ellum to White Rock Lake. The first portion of the trail, Deep Ellum to Woodrow Wilson High School, was completed in 2009 and the extension to White Rock Lake opened early in 2010. The bridge over Winsted Drive and Garland Road was the final piece. Plans for the next section of the trail will connect Deep Ellum to the DART Green Line at Fair Park.

What's Next:
Regional Veloweb Map Update

The Regional Veloweb is an interconnected network of off-street trails designed to provide safe, efficient mobility to pedestrians and cyclists.

Recommended routes and trails included in the Regional Veloweb are considered high priority projects and are often used as part of the evaluation process when funding becomes available for various programs.

The Regional Veloweb map was developed in 1997 and updates began in the summer of 2008 with a series of 10 county-wide workshops. At the completion of the updates, the network had more than doubled in size from 644 miles to 1,668 miles, of which 237 miles are existing and 31 miles nearing construction.

Map: Bicycle and Pedestrian Facilities

The Regional Veloweb mapping update was included as part of the new long-range transportation plan, Mobility 2035. The Regional Transportation Council approved the plan in March.

Additionally, the updated Regional Veloweb extends to 116 cities and 10 counties, while the previous network included connections to 50 cities and four counties.

Swapping a Four Wheels for Two Rewarding

Craig Herteg, cyclist

You often cycle to work. Describe your commute.
My commute by bicycle is 14 miles one way. I try to commute by bicycle several/many times per month. Each time, I probably save about 1.5 gallons of gasoline, along with wear and tear on the car, and I’m not contributing to pollution.

What do you find most advantageous about biking to work?

I get exercise.
I arrive at work awake, ready for the day
and in a good mood.
I save money on gasoline.

I'm not contributing to pollution.
It's a good example for others
And cycling is fun!

What advice do you have for those who would like to install cyclist amenities such as showers at their place of employment?
Get buy-in from company management. Start simple with facilities – bike racks at entrances. Showers come next. Capital expenditures will need to be planned for well in advance so start small and work up. Network with the right people and sell the ideas. Set up e-mail lists for cyclists at your company and track how many people are commuting by bicycle to show progress.

You coordinated Bike to Work Day at your company, Texas Instruments. How did you influence those around you to participate?
It started with word of mouth and e-mail lists. We have a large employee population here, so we already had a couple of cycling e-mail lists. I used those lists and also ‘advertised’ through our internal commuting website. Be persistent. Every chance I got, I worked to convince people to ride to work, even if it was just for that one day. Also, I organized folks so they can ride in to work in groups, when possible. A lot of people feel better about riding in with someone else. I also tracked the growth and advertised it.

What advice do you have for those who are considering biking to work?
Safety first! Make sure your bicycle is in good shape, aired up and tuned up. It is important to have the proper equipment, to plan your route with online maps and test it out on a weekend morning first. Also, drive as much of the route as you can. Don’t forget to plan the logistics – shower, bike lock, clothing, lunch plans and what happens if it starts to rain.

The contents of this report reflect the views of the authors who are responsible for the opinions, findings, and conclusions presented herein. The contents do not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the Federal Highway Administration, the Federal Transit Administration or the Texas Department of Transportation. This document was prepared in cooperation with the Texas Department of Transportation and the U.S. Department of Trasnportation, Federal Highway Administration and Federal Transit Administration.