City of Denton Scores 18 out of 100 for Its Bicycle Network
June 28, 2023
The City of Denton scored 18 out of 100 in the PeopleForBikes City Ratings.
Denton scored 18 out of 100 for its bicycle network in its first appearance of the PeopleForBikes City Ratings. The average network score of all cities in 2022 was 27. Of all cities scored, Denton ranked 424 out of 624 midsized cities and 1087 out of 1733 cities total.
PeopleForBikes City Ratings defines a bike network as “a connected system of protected bike lanes, off-street paths, slow shared streets, and safe crossing that enables people to comfortably bike around a city.” Ratings are based on data analysis software called Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA), which focuses on six factors:
Safe speeds
Protected bike lanes
Intersection treatments
Network connections
Reallocated space
Trusted data
A score of 0-20 out of 100 indicates a weak bike network, according to PeopleForBikes’ description of their rating program. A score below 20 means a city lacks safe bikeways or has too many gaps in the network. Scores above 80 indicates that most key destinations are accessible by safe, comfortable bike routes for people of all ages and abilities.
The top five midsized cities in the U.S. south are:
Arlington, Virginia (54/100)
Fayetteville, Arkansas (47/100)
Bentonville, Arkansas (40/100)
The Woodlands, Texas (39/100)
Bowling Green, Kentucky (37/100)
Bicycle improvements in Northwest Arkansas, which includes Fayetteville and Bentonville, have supported economic growth in the region. In 2022, bicycle-related jobs, tourism, and tax revenue generated an estimated $159 million in economic impacts for the region, according to a recent study from the University of Arkansas.
How Other DFW Cities Scored
Other DFW cities are included in the city ratings. Here’s how midsized DFW cities scored compared to Denton:
Flower Mound (32/100)
McKinney (24/100)
Allen (23/100)
Mesquite (21/100)
Mansfield (21/100)
Frisco (20/100)
Denton (18/100)
Grapevine (17/100)
Lewisville (15/100)
Richardson (13/100)
North Richland Hills (12/100)
Desoto (11/100)
Carrollton (10/100)
For large DFW cities, Dallas scored 10/100, Fort Worth scored 9/100 and Arlington scored 8/100.
Denton’s Network Score and Analysis
The City of Denton Scored between 14 and 25 out of 100 on all scoring categories, which include people, opportunity, core services, recreation, retail and transit.
City of Denton’s detailed network score (Source: City Ratings, Denton, TX)
Most areas in the City of Denton received poor network scores due to lack of safe, comfortable bicycle access to daily needs. Areas of town with higher scores are located near UNT, along the DCTA Rail Trail, the Mayhill sidepath, and off-road trails in north Denton.
Denton’s Bicycle Network Analysis (BNA) score by area.
A more detailed map of Denton’s bicycle network analysis better identifies where the high-stress and low-stress routes are located across the city. Many routes do not yet connect to each other, which reduces their usefulness for the average person wanting to travel somewhere by bicycle.
Locations of Denton’s high-stress and lower-stress bicycle routes. (Source: Bicycle Network Analysis)
Improving Denton’s Score
PeopleForBikes provides strategies for cities wanting to improve their bicycle network and overall score.
Build a bike network, not a bike project - Group connected corridor projects that prioritize safe biking to popular destination.
Complete your bike network quickly - Identify gaps in your bike network and create a six-month plan for connecting all the pieces.
Upgrade your existing bike lanes - Using low-cost materials initially, create separation between bikes, cars and sidewalks.
Keep traffic speeds low by design - Slow streets are safe streets - target 25 mph on residential roads and improve intersections.
Equitable biking is a right - In partnership with community members, develop an equity program for safe biking.
Change the way you talk about bikes - Review your communication tools to align with tested strategies that build public support.
PeopleForBikes includes more detailed strategies on their webpage titled Improve Your City’s Score.
Denton’s Upcoming Bicycle Projects
The City of Denton updated its Bike Plan in 2022 as part of its Mobility Plan update. However, it has not yet released a bicycle work plan to prioritize which bicycle projects to tackle first. However, several projects are in progress:
Sycamore / Welch
The City of Denton received external funding in 2014 to construct a sidepath along Sycamore Street from Welch on the UNT campus to the Downtown Denton Transit Center. The project will also include the completion of the bike lanes on Welch Street from Eagle Drive to W Hickory Street.
General location of the Sycamore-Welch project. (Source: Denton Capital Improvement Map)
The project has been repeatedly delayed, but the most recent update on February 7, 2023 suggested that construction could begin as early as the third quarter of this year.
University / US 380 Sidepath
TxDOT is currently constructing a 10-foot sidepath on the north side of US 380 from Mayhill Drive to the Greenbelt. Construction is ongoing.
The sidepath on US 380 ended at Trinity Road as of June 4, 2023. Construction is ongoing.
Because the project is not complete, the pedestrian signals to cross US 380 at Mayhill are not functional, making the intersection more dangerous than normal for anyone crossing US 380 outside of an automobile. Three people have been killed on US 380 in Denton so far in 2023: two people in cars and one person on a motorcycle.
Pecan Creek Trail
Pecan Creek Trail is anticipated as Denton’s next major trail. Denton Parks and Recreation has been actively getting trails projects “shovel ready.” This means they’re completing necessary plans to prepare and be competitive for external funding for trails.
Proposed alignment of Pecan Creek Trail. (Source: Discuss Denton)
Denton Parks and Recreation recently submitted a grant proposal through TxDOT to construct roughly $15 million of the Pecan Creek Trail. TxDOT plans to announce the grant winners in late summer. If Denton is awarded a grant, TxDOT would fund 80 percent of the total cost while Denton would fund the remaining 20 percent.
If Denton is not awarded the grant through TxDOT, Parks and Recreation staff hope to acquire $15 million in funding through a bond election that may go to voters in November 2023. A citizen bond committee is meeting during the summer to decide, among other things, whether trail funding will go to voters and whether the proposed trail funding will be less or more than the proposed $15 million.
If funded and built, Pecan Creek Trail could serve as a valuable piece of a low-stress network connecting downtown Denton, Carl Young Sr. Park and neighborhoods and destinations along Pecan Creek. Currently, the only east-west travel options are McKinney Street or Shady Oaks Drive.
Hickory Creek Trail
Another major trail that is in the planning stage is Hickory Creek Trail in south Denton. The trail would span from US 380 to Old Alton Bridge.
Denton Parks and Recreation staff hope to use bond funding to construct part of this trail if trail funding is included in the bond election and voters approve it. If voters approve bond funding for trails, staff can use this funding to apply for external grants and have up to 80 percent of the total project cost covered by external funding.
Hickory Creek Trail would run along Hickory Creek from US 380 to Old Alton Bridge. (Source: Denton Parks and Recreation Master Plan, Page 133)
The Hickory Creek Trail is a planned route in the DFW Regional 2045 Veloweb to connect the region together and make it possible for someone to travel from one city to another without a motor vehicle. The inclusion of the Hickory Creek Trail in the 2045 Veloweb increases its chance of winning external grant funding.
Green lines indicate the 2045 Regional Veloweb. The pinkish-purple arrows indicate the start and end of the planned Hickory Creek Trail. (Source: NCTCOG Interactive Map of Trails and On-Street Bikeways)
Sidepaths
The City is building more 10-foot sidepaths as part of major road expansion projects.
Bonnie Brae - While it may be several years before it’s complete, a 10-foot sidepath will be constructed on one side of Bonnie Brae as the City widens the roadway.
Mingo Road - A project to widen Mingo Road is currently unfunded. However, it is among the many proposed projects for a possible bond election in November. If this projects receives bond funding, city staff plan to construct a 10-foot sidepath on one side of the street.
Ruddell Street - A project to widen Ruddell from Mingo Drive to University Drive is currently unfunded. However, it is bundled with the Mingo Road expansion as a proposed project for a possible bond election. Like Mingo, staff plan to construct a 10-foot sidepath on one side of the road.
Mayhill Road - A gap currently exists between the existing 10-foot sidepath on Mayhill Road and the existing 10-foot DCTA Rail Trail. The City is currently building a new alignment of Mayhill Road on its southern portion and plans to add sidewalks and a small amount of sidepath. However, the City plans to use a narrow five-foot sidewalk to fill the gap between the two 10-foot facilities.
Can Denton Improve Its Bicycle Network Score?
Whether Denton can improve its score and ranking in the PeopleForBikes City Ratings depends on many factors. However, City’s score is likely to improve if Denton:
Continues its Vision Zero / Safe Systems work to reduce roadway fatalities and serious injuries and takes these efforts seriously.
Prioritizes safety over speed in all roadway design and policies.
Fills in gaps between existing bicycle facilities to begin creating a network rather than a collection of segments that don’t connect to anything.
Assesses existing bicycle facilities, identifies improvements for these facilities and implements them.
Develops an equitable bicycle work plan to prioritize which projects to build first and allocates sufficient funding to implement the plan.
How Can You Help?
Denton residents can help make the city more accessible to more people by:
Voting for bicycle-friendly candidates during Denton City Council elections every May.
Voting in bond elections for projects that fund bicycle and pedestrian facilities.
Participating in public input opportunities to express your support for safer pedestrian and bicycle facilities and projects that improve these transportation options.
Sharing your experiences with anyone who will listen to express why safe, connected bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure is important to you.
