Think of it this way. It's Saturday morning. You could sleep some more. Oh, wait, you're awake. That's why you're lying here thinking. So you need something to do.
You could go to NorthPark Center and buy a monogrammed mother-of-pearl hairbrush that's also an antique music box that plays "God Save the Queen" for 400 bucks. Oh, wait, you don't have any money. And you're not English.
What if you could put on some grubby clothes, get on your bike, ride down the street, away from your apartment or house, slip past tall buildings and industrial plants, then pedal hard over a rise and suddenly find yourself looking down on a bike trail winding through more than 2,000 acres of forest and grassland?
What if that could be your Saturday morning in Dallas, Texas? Imagine riding lonely miles along the banks of Trinity River where herons stalk, then cruising past cheering throngs at soccer fields, and then it's only the sound of your breathing and the soft buzz of the bicycle tires carrying you deep into a vine-tangled forest? And then you go home and take a shower. Who needs a monogrammed mother-of-pearl whatever?
You know what? This is actually going to happen. Soon. Fast. It is about to start happening. It is going to be here while you are here. It will not cost huge money. There will not be a huge political fight and elections. There will not be endless newspaper columns about it by me, although there could be a few, because I still have to pay the rent.
East Dallas city council member Angela Hunt and soon-to-be-seated new Oak Cliff member Scott Griggs are putting together a plan for a system of trails along the Trinity River downtown, trails that will be created quickly and at low cost with a lot of volunteer labor.
The trails will get in the way of absolutely nothing. They will interfere with no plans for anything else. The trails will be made by turning sod, amending it with some other kind of dirt and then tamping it down.
Simple. Quick. Cheap. And all of a sudden, the whole experience of living in the center of Dallas becomes an entirely new and different thing.
You know what I mean. Too many of us for too long have accepted this notion that you can't really get out into nature in Dallas, because we don't have an ocean or mountains.
But look at what we do have. Depending on how you measure it, we've got between two and four thousand acres of natural area at our fingertips. Central Park in New York is only 843 acres.
And this isn't Central Park, built and planned and under control. The land along the Trinity is wild, because the city has ignored it since the city's inception in the mid-19th century. That's the best part. The people who go out there now and help to create these trails will be pioneers on virgin terrain.
Dallas has been locked in a battle for 14 years over a huge multi-billion dollar program called the Trinity River Project, which was supposed to involve man-made lakes, a super highway, parks, amphitheaters, fake suspension bridges, fake rapids in the river, on and on. It was as if Madam Dallas went down to the river one day, put her chin on her hand, played with her pearls, looked out at the river, pondered, and then said to herself, "I shall turn this into Switzerland!"
It turns out there was one thing missing from Madam's plan: A magic wand. Well, a magic wand and about $2 billion we don't have.
In spite of having spent tens of millions of dollars already, almost nothing from the original plan has been accomplished. Every year the grand plan seems to sink deeper and deeper into debt, controversy and enmity. People on all sides just get crazier and crazier with each other. The environmental issues are almost worse than the money problems.
But now this. This is so utterly new and different. It's not just a new approach to the Trinity River. It's a new approach to life in the city.
I talked with both Griggs and Hunt about it last week. They're serious. They're talking to people who know how to build durable trails using very low-tech methods at an extremely modest cost. Griggs told me that the three most important ingredients in the whole scheme are that it can be done quickly, cheaply and on a human scale.
"The only way to move things forward," he said, "is to do things that are small and quick."
He said getting people out there right away on their bikes will be a much more powerful and important agent of change than any amount of planning or high finance. The trick is to get things done fast enough to change the lives of people right away, on a scale modest enough for everyone to comprehend but significant enough to make a real difference.
"Experience is so much more important than planning," he told me. "It demonstrates that change can be pertinent to people's lives."
MY THOUGHTS,Fear makes people couch potatoes. Build the trail. The police will come in droves on their bikes and horses just to get a chance to spend the day riding along the Trinity. Close the trail at night if you must. Just get it built, it's way over due. Dallas might actualy have something worth bragging about. Do something that enrichs the live of the people, instead of the developers. It's worth doing. A hex on the nay sayers.Where do I sign up?
I'm all for it ! Just find out where they can find the police to patrol it ! They can't patrol the city/ talk about the bottem ! give me a break !!
In another article on this site, the author trashes Austin, but doesn't mention the hike and bike trail around Lady Bird Lake (Town Lake). That draws people from all around the Austin area and didn't cost much to build. Not sure if something like that would work in Dallas, but if the cost is really low, it sure seems like it's worth a try.
Will there by park police security? I remember the "Trinity River Bottom" is where people used to have people drive to when they'd hijacked them in their cars, and then they'd shoot them there. Why? Because it was deserted and the police would never find anybody there.
Nice idea, but it seems like an inordinate amount of unpatrolled space. And you have the prior poster who wants to take his ATV & dirt bike. Kinda scary for a hiker or bicyclist, not to mention the wildlife. These are legit issues that need to be addressed.
http://www.groundworkdallas.or... (.org NOT .com) is the correct url.Sounds like the 2 people interviewed in this article need to contact the 2 people listed on that web site and coordinate their efforts.dorba.org would be a great organization to get involved in this too. Dallas Off Road Biking Association.
Actualy all that used to exist along with deep woods beer BBQ joints , Ahh the good old days, then dallas got envolved , locks everywhere trails ,access closed, say that to fork up worms is jail time per code now. Do your work in winter all those pretty vines are poison ivy an oak/ sumac, Used to ride from lewisville to south dallas squirle an duck shooting never leave river bank/
I'm excited about the new trails. I have to ride my dirtbike or four wheeler to enjoy the Trinity River.
WOOHOO! I love Dallas for changing! I'm so glad there are people considering, talking, and discussing practical possibilities for the Trinity River. I know I will be one of the first trail-bikers to enjoy it. Thanks for considering alternative solutions for an immediate impact on peoples lives, such as mine.
Check out www.groundworkdallas.com for what we at Groundworkdallas are working towards as far as the biking and hiking trails go. All of this costs volunteers (bunches) and donations. As a board member of Groundworkdallas I want to encourage the citizens of our community to help out and build toward the can be beauty of the Great Trinity Forest. Wanna know more? Come join us at the Green Elephant on Saturday, June 25 for a crayfish broil, beer and the music of the Bryan Hughes Band....just one of our campaigns for contributions. Cost for fun and drink on Saturday? 20 Bucks at the Door....if you will call the Groundworkdallas office ahead of time to help us with a head count -- it would assist in our not running out of all that good stuff!Stephanie Garmon
Yep . Another Boondoggle perpetrated on the Tax Payers . Pure waste of Taxpayers money . And that over priced ugly thing called a bridge is definitely included in this Boondoggle . Clean up the " Dumper's messes " all along the sewer infested waters from the head waters to the Houston Ship channel before ya spend any more money on studies and such . Clean & dredge the river for better flow all the way to the Houston Ship Channel before ya spend any more money on this monster mess . Then put the money into rebuilding the styreets / highways in Dallas County . Priorities by the political leaders are totally against the People who pay the taxes and need the benefits that good infrastructure would bring . D. H.
I believe that there have been a number of people advocating this plan for some time - really nice to see it now getting some push.
Why does it have to be Mexicans selling ice cream? Why not Americans selling ice cream?
He didn't say "Mexicans" selling ice cream. He referred to "Hispanic pushcart guys." Hispanics, whether pushcart guys or not, can be Americans too.
Bob Americans aren't going to sell ice cream because Americans are to lazy that's why. Americans are spoiled people that don't like to work very hard.
"The people who go out there now and help to create these trails will be pioneers on virgin terrain." Remember that a lot of pioneers back in the day were scalped (with mean weapons) or mauled (by mean animals). Pioneering the Trinity may not be a picnic. The city better plan to manage some protections to keep the river inviting. Facing down an alligator gar (or gator for that matter) beneath the kayaker fodder flume is nothing like being face to face with a 300 pound mama pig in the backwoods. Also, dirt erodes - compacted or not. I hope they plan on a continual rebuilding plan for the trail after the annual floods.
Genious. I'd like to ride from Bachman Lake all the way down to downtown. When I get there, I'd like to drink some water (Perrier if I were to choose). Then ride the Green Line on the way back.If you get me to this....I think its a success!!!This is real grass roots and I think if marketed properly, it could be triumphant.
You can already do this.
From Bachman Lake, go down Shorecrest about 2 blocks till it dead ends at Harry Hines.
Go down this dirt road, where the levees start:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=...
At the Westmoreland Bridge use the old bridge underneath the new one to cross the river. Head down to Corinth Street Dart Station if you want to take the train back. Faster to just ride your bike back along the lower levee road though. You would be amazed how fast you can get from one place to another along the levees since there are not any stop lights or traffic to deal with.
The only stumbling blocks are how would they get around the scrap metal yards on the north side of the river, downstream of the Corinth Street Bridge. On the south side is the massive wastewater treatment facility that takes up all of the real estate between the Cedar Crest Bridge and I-45. That is the major hurdle in connecting the levee trail, Katy Trail on the north side of the river and the Coombs Creek Trail in Oak Cliff with the trails downstream.
Trails, some really nice, already exist that start as far south as I-20@ Dowdy Ferry, north to McCommas Bluff Preserve on the north bank, to the Trinity River Audubon Center, across some old abandoned roads to the future Texas Horse Park. From there things get a little murky in the trespassing department because while the city has recently purchased the land between Elam Road and Rochester Park, the former owners still treat it as their own land, graze livestock, plant crops etc.
At any rate, one can ride a bicycle or walk from the Buckeye Trailhead at Bexar Street and go all the way to I-20 and never cross a road other than the Trinity River Audubon Center driveway.
On the southside of the river, one can ride a bike, today, from where Overton Road dead ends into Old Central Expressway, down the Chain of Wetlands, across Loop 12, down the brand new Trinity River Trail(paved) and into the Joppa Preserve all the way to a place where you can view McCommas Bluff.
The northern trailheads for all of this can be reached in less than 30 minutes from the Spillway at White Rock Lake or even the south end of the Katy Trail.
Dallas government leaders are insane.As the Trinity River is really beautiful during times of flooding, those seemingly beautiful bayous down in Houston are truly ugly during such horrific events. They also see ugly warehouses in and around central Dallas when those single story buildings are equally beautiful in producing small companies and jobs. Instead, they want to raze those ugly warehouses and their jobs so that they can visualize developing highrise condominiums no one can afford and skyscrapers that will never be filled. Insane.The city of Dallas has become like a chimp who is carrying too many bananas in its arms. Because it has too many, it can't eat any of them.
You are not wrong.
When Madame Dallas and her friends return from Bern (usually in late August) they will do all they can to stop this crazy subversive plan because they know the power of urban patterns, at work in the human mind and heart, translate directly into political power. I suspect that Ms. Hunt and Mr. Griggs know the same thing.
He who writes the pattern language of the city shall control the city. Check www.patternlanguage.com for the source code.
I admit, I like the idea of just building some dirt trails and postponing/canceling most of the other projects. They could take the money saved and actually repair the levees.
As to getting people outside, good luck with that. To many people can not handle the heat. But, I would enjoy riding my bike down the many miles of empty trails.
The financial burden of the Levee repairs is probably the real reason behind this "low cost" approach.
Hell of lot easier to go to tat shop for river tat to fish in than getting small wheel chair pad and ramp , Placed in callifornia crossing park. For the few that go there and get dumped accessing the shade By the way theres fair bike trails across the street. TP@W will not even drop few fish for kids. to catch, Says they rely on natural mother nature to move fish.. Guess she took up trail riding instead/
I cannot believe that you people don't think we need another performing arts amphetheater. Or another dog park or childrens play area with hot metal things for the little dears to slide on. Crape Mertles. Are we not going to have rows of Creap Mertles? Im sure Dean Fearing or Monica would do a 4 star restaurant. Oh, dont forget the concrete. Lots of concrete and public art picked by a commettee of HP houswives, developers and cleargy. I just don't see a natural park with just trees and grasses. I mean, damn, this is Dallas, this is Glitter Gulch
Scott Griggs is going to rock on the city council. He is not intimidated by anyone and does not back down.
I think I'll be opening up several shops offering Concealed to Carry licenses for the bicyclists living in the West End and Uptown...
Well, that's the thing, isn't it?We don't do ANYTHING in this city unless it will make someone richer. The thought of doing something for the average citizen of Dallas, simply because it will improve the quality of life for everyone, regardless of their contribution to the local economy....that simply isn't a good enough reason to initiate capital improvement. And yet, these are EXACTLY the types of improvements that impact 'quality of life' most profoundly. The power-brokers in this city are obsessed with monoliths of shiny metal and glass, and they are convinced that Dallas will only emerge as an "international city" if the birth canal is designed by someone named Calatrava.
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