Fort Worth and Arlington will soon be connected by more than just major highways.
The City of Fort Worth is working to expand the Trinity Trails, rounding off the remaining 4 miles left to connect Fort Worth and Arlington.
The trails currently cover over 72 miles of Fort Worth ground and have been serving the community since construction first started in the 1970s.
The Fort Worth City Council set aside $148,000 for the first step of expansion, an alignment study.
“During the course of this study, we look at possible trail routes and consider land ownership, topography and major street, rail and waterway crossings,” said Joel McElhany, capital program manager of the parks and recreation department of the City of Fort Worth.
The city is also examining the need for specific permits and will come up with a cost estimate for the trail. Funding for the study comes from the 2014 Bond Program, which has provided for many of Fort Worth’s recreation and transportation projects.
Fort Worth has partnered with Halff Associates, a sustainability-focused engineering firm, for the study.
The city hopes the trails will encourage more local bikers and athletes. A North Texas study found that lack of facilities were a major reason that people didn’t bike more, second only to hot weather.
Construction for the project is expected to start in November 2020 and finish in February 2022.