As part of a newly adopted recreation master plan, the Trinity Trails system is set to upgrade safety measures and apply usage rules.
The Tarrant Regional Water District is pouring $200,000 into upgrading safety standards and etiquette guidelines for the 100-mile trail system, including signage, striping and speed limit signs, the agency announced in a July 17 news release.
The investment into the Trinity River trails comes after the water district’s board of directors adopted a revised recreational master plan in January.
The master plan outlines a framework to help the district better align with the missions of its partners, taking community input into account and defining the district’s role in recreation through public use of the water and land under its purview, former Chief Operations Officer Darrell Beason said in January.
The water district maintains the Trinity Trails system, manages Panther Island Pavilion in downtown Fort Worth and owns reservoirs in East and North Texas, including the Marine Creek Lake Reservoir.
Which parks and lakes does the water district manage?
- Bridgeport Lake
- Cedar Creek Lake
- Eagle Mountain Lake
- Richland-Chambers Lake
- Marine Creek Lake
- Eagle Mountain Park
- Twin Points Park
- Airfield Falls
In partnership with the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, the district also manages the George W. Shannon Wetlands.
Expanding the system and adding increased safety measures to the water district’s trails were among frequent requests made by residents in community meetings hosted by the agency to craft the master plan.
Aside from the $200,000 from the water district, its board of directors accepted a $35,000 donation in July 2024 from Jesca Arnold, co-founder of the nonprofit organization Safe + Happy Trails, who was attacked while walking on the Trinity Trails.
The donation allowed the water district to test a smart pole, a device equipped with 24-hour surveillance, video, gunshot detection and emergency call buttons and tracking.
The agency also considered improving visibility on the trails through solar lighting, according to district documents from 2024.
Trail upgrades will also include signage on rules and etiquette, caution and hazard warnings, yielding and equestrian-specific signage. Water district staff will add street and sidewalk striping to indicate slow zones in congested areas.
A water district spokesperson did not immediately respond to the Fort Worth Report’s request for details on when trail users can expect to see upgraded safety signage.
Usage of the Trinity Trails grew during the COVID-19 pandemic and has skyrocketed along with the population growth and increased development along the Trinity River, said Lexi McCalip, the district’s director of floodway and construction, in the news release.
About 1 million people, including pedestrians and cyclists, use the Trinity Trails every year, according to data from the water district.
Nicole Lopez is the environment reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at nicole.lopez@fortworthreport.org.
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