Yep, goin' be a bit yet. "Not funded", "March 2026", "TBD".



But here's a wild and crazy: in maybe a year and a half one could (east to west) ride the new Delaware Creek to Irving's library, use a few neighborhood streets to get to Irby Lane & pick up the Rock Island to West Irving Transit, catch (six days a week) the TRE to Centre Point and ride trails the rest of the way to Panther City.

It's funny/sad how sometimes just a little section of trail will go missing for decades.

Here we are in Grand Prairie. This bit would connect several neighborhoods to the east with the 7.6 mile Fish Creek Trail that runs into Arlington.



This is the city limits of Plano and Allen. This absent couple o' hundred feet would connect miles of trails in Allen to the Plano network.



And between Allen and McKinney, samesame:



In this last case, I think if we cyclists had been on the ball several years back we could have gotten this incorporated into the construction of the Sam Rayburn Tollway.

Many delays and nothing-happenings around the metroplex, but work on the Trinity Forrest Spine North continues.

Placing the pre-fab bridge over WRC September 2022:



Teaser:
https://vimeo.com/770051835

Just finishing up some details then waiting for the city dignitaries to have a free slot on their schedules for a ribbon cutting, and this bad boy will be open.




Edit 9/28: ...and it's been open down to I30 (where it abruptly ends) for a while.




There is also a tie-in new connection to White Rock Hills Park @ Ferguson & Highland.

so true, just a few little sections would make a world of difference.

Aaaaand news reaches me that the City of Allen has approved connection of their westside trail system to Plano's trails.



To the south, Plano's Ed Sanders Trail, running along the route of the Silver Line to City Line and connecting to the Richardson trail system there, is closed until the Silver Line construction is finished in 2047 TBD.

"Bridgework nearly complete..."

...apart from there are no bridges over the 75 access roads and the signature bridge is sitting behind the strip mall.

"We are expecting to hold a grand opening celebration in late summer/early fall 2023."

Traditionally, that would be in a couple more weeks. I think they're using the modern Dallas definition of 'end of summer': Halloween.


IIWII.

From 'The Loop': "In the next six months 9 of the 11 miles needed to complete the (50-mile) Loop will be under construction or completed."

I saw a sign on 75 this morning that the freeway will be closed on September 9th. Hopefully that is to install the bridge!

I also saw pavement on a portion of the Campion trail by the Trinity View park which would be a huge help to get to the levees north of 114.

Nothaven Trail Bridge in place over US75 North Central Expressway. Lotta work left, though.

Doing it + how they did it


And the 'official' TexDOT video:


And a third perspective:

Nothing official on either the City of Dallas trails page or the Friends of Northhaven Trail page, but the barriers are down and folks are crossing.

The Northaven Path bridge over the freeway in the first week:

A car.



A group of motorcyclists:

In addition to the long-distance, long-awaited Ft. Worth to Dallas Trail, there's a Dallas to McKinney Trail and a Plano to Ft. Worth Trail.

Plano to Ft. Worth (a.k.a. Cotton Belt Corridor):

https://www.nctcog.org/getmedia/75ba...dor_011222.pdf

Dallas to McKinney:

https://www.nctcog.org/getmedia/4b1e...Trail_0123.pdf

The 'existing' markings on these maps are ever so slightly fanciful.

Does the trail from Fort Worth to Plano run alongside the train tracks? Is any of it on streets?
I would like to ride from NRH to Grapevine and back. That should be a scenic ride.

Of course, a fair amount of it doesn't exist yet. The trail does&will follow the DART Silver Line and the TexRail. I think the transit folks get fed money to build the trails to provide access to their stations.

Do you know if the trail from NRH to Grapevine is complete? That would be a nice ride.

Yep. You're good.

I found a map of the Cotton Belt Trail. I can park at NRH’s Smithfield Station and ride to the Grapevine Main Street Station. The map isn’t telling me distance but it can’t be too far. 10 miles?
Other a few interesting street crossings it looks like a nice ride. It has to be more scenic than riding around the streets of Blue Mound.

I finally got around to trying this trail. Up until now I just did laps through my little town. Wow I was missing out.
I rode the trail clockwise starting on the east side. I saw several other riders going counterclockwise. Near the end of my loop I saw why- there is some climbing going this way. I will try the other direction tomorrow.
The top of the dam is crushed hard packed brick(?). My Roubaix had no trouble with it but I was expecting concrete.
There are stretches on the west side they have construction going on including a short detour on asphalt. No problems but expect it.
It’s a nice scenic ride about 6 miles long.

Another tiny little piece of Ft. Worth -> Dallas. With no announcement, much less fanfare, Irving's Delaware Creek Trail has been completed down Nursery Lane to Mountain Creek Preserve (Lone Star Cricket Grounds) and the South Campion Trail.




The South Campion Trail, as we all know, connects to Dallas' Skyline Trail & points beyond.

The Delaware Creek Trail runs north to Centennial Park (South Irving Library). From there, with a short ride through the neighborhood, you can pick up the 2.4-mile Rock Island Trail @ Irby Ln.

Just to the southwest is Marion Sansom Park. From there west you can ride the trail along the north side of Lake Worth. In the other direction, Inspiration - Yale - Meandering will take you to the far NW end of Forth Worth's Trinity Trails network & that runs all over town.

Are those paved trails?

Yep

Several years ago (pre-COVID), Farmers Branch announced a new trail that would connect the DART station in the city to the Campion Trail. I heard nothing and saw no progress through the COVID years and reached out to the city about a year ago but didn't get a response. A quick Google search revealed to me that progress has begun again and they're targeting a Spring 2025 completion date. I don't have enough posts yet to post links, but it's called the Westside Art Trail if anyone is interested.

Any of you vintage riders looking to check out a fun ride between Austin and Houston in an area called Schulenburg.
Pretty scenery and the painted churches are beautiful.
Lots of classic rides and riders.
I plan to drive down from Dallas, did it last year.

Painted Churches Tour 2.0