Officials at the Texas Department of Transportation last week announced an historic investment in bike trails and pedestrian walkways as demand grows for more walkable neighborhoods across the region.
The Texas Transportation Commission approved $345 million in federal fundsfor projects that include Five Mile Creek Trail in Southern Dallas and the Cotton Belt/Silver Line Rail Trail that will run from the North Dallas suburbs to East Fort Worth.
The funding is about six times more than the $55 million TxDOT made available in 2021 for what it calls Transportation Alternatives.
“The huge increase is due in part to this significant impact on projects where the trails are seen as not just being for exercising, you know," said Alice Rios, spokesperson for TXDoT. "They're for multiple uses, including routes to and from area schools to make it a lot safer."
Projects are partially funded by local governments or transit agencies. For example, in Denton, the city is allocating more than $2 million for the Pecan Creek Trail on top of the nearly $11 million TxDOT awarded the project.
Rios said safety on bike trails and walkways is a significant factor in the funding as the state has seen a rise in pedestrian and cyclist fatalities.
"Over the last five years, both have risen nearly 30%," she said. "These new sidewalks and bikeways and other types of infrastructure going to help improve safety and enhance the quality of life in Texas communities."
In 2022, there were 830 pedestrian and 92 cyclist fatalities, according to TXDoT.
While the funding is significant, advocates like Bekah Kornblum with the Dallas Bicycle Coalition are saying it's still not enough. The coalition works towards safer trails and roads for cyclists across Dallas.
"The thing that stands out the most to me is that they're still putting $32 billion towards state highway projects," Kornblum said.
Kornblum said any increase in funding would better serve cyclists and pedestrians. She added that her coalition is pushing for an ambitious goal for the city to add 500 miles of bike paths in the next decade.
Rios said she acknowledges the concerns of advocates like Kornblum.
"TxDOT hears everyone who's saying we need more," Rios said. "The reality is, with the pace at which some of these communities are growing, it is so hard not only with the highways, but also with these projects, like the bicycle paths and the walking paths, to be able to provide the needs of every single area of the state in one fell swoop."
Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect clarification from the Dallas Bicycle Coalition that they want to see 500 miles added bike paths in the next decade, not 50 miles.
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