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, Texas (USA), 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, the Southwestern Medical District, Dallas Market Center 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, 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 Strand will connect the Katy Trail to the Trinity River Levee Trail and the entire Trinity River Greenbelt. This unites many Dallas, Texas (USA) neighborhoods and offers pedestrians, cyclists, 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 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 will connect the Katy Trail to the Trinity River and also provide Dallas citizens access to the Southwestern Medical District, Dallas Market Center, Stemmons Corridor 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, provide recreation and transportation opportunities for Dallas citizens and visitors to the city, promote ecotourism, and restore the natural wildlife 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 consisting of native wildflowers and grasses. 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 Katy Trail and Trinity River Levee Trails by providing a non-motorized route for Dallas residents and visitors to travel easily from either the Katy Trail (through Stemmons Park) or from Victory Plaza (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.