Denton Wins Nearly $11 Million to Construct Pecan Creek Trail
Denton Parks and Recreation staff pose with a map of the planned Pecan Creek Trail. (Image from Denton Parks and Rec Facebook post)
Denton Parks and Recreation was awarded nearly $11 million to construct the new Pecan Creek Trail, according to a news flash on the City of Denton website.
The ten-foot wide, paved Pecan Creek Trail will begin at the DCTA Rail Trail and travel east toward Lake Lewisville. City staff divided the project into phases to ensure forward progress is made on construction of the trail.
Current funding will construct Phase 1, Phase 3, and Phase 4a. The City does not own all of the needed land to construct Phase 2 of the project, so this segment will be built at a later time with a different method or funding source.
Pecan Creek Trail Master Plan and Phases
Denton must pay 20 percent of the total project cost in order to receive the funding award that covers the remaining 80 percent of the cost. Denton Parks and Recreation will fund its $2.7 million portion with part of Denton’s allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) as well as Parks Dedication and Development fees. The remaining nearly $11 million will be covered by the funding award.
Denton voters will decide on Tuesday, November 7 whether to allocate $15 million in bond funding for trail development as part of Proposition C, Parks System. If approved, city staff can leverage the $15 million to apply for more external funding, which could develop $70 million in trails.
Voting information
Election Day is Tuesday, November 7, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Find where to vote on Election Day
Full list of propositions and projects for the 2023 Denton Bond Election
Where did this funding come from?
Denton competed with other cities and projects for this funding from the Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside program, a federal program established and funded by the U.S. Congress. In 2021, the U.S. Congress approved a record amount of funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects as part of its infrastructure funding bill, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA).
Federal infrastructure dollars are distributed to states, which are able to outline some of the rules in how the funds are distributed to projects across the state. The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) facilitated how the current round of TA funding was allocated in Texas. Denton’s Pecan Creek Trail project competed with dozens of other Texas cities for a pot of $345 million in funds.
National advocacy groups like the League of American Bicyclists are key to influencing how much funding the U.S. Congress gives to bicycle and pedestrian projects across the country.
State-level advocacy groups like Bike Texas are key to influencing government entities like the Texas Legislature and TxDOT on how federal dollars are distributed across the state. Bike Texas advocated for TxDOT to reserve a portion of TA funding for larger, more impactful projects rather than distributing all funding for smaller, less impactful projects. Denton’s funding award came from the pot of money reserved for larger projects of $5 million to $25 million.
Engaging with national and state advocacy organizations is important for anyone who wants to improve bicycle, pedestrian or public transit conditions locally.
How to get involved
Sign up for an organization’s newsletter. They will keep you updated on when they need you to contact your elected officials on an issue.
Contact elected officials when prompted. If you see a call to action from one of these organizations, act if you’re able. This usually means a quick message or phone call to your state or federal elected officials to tell them you support or oppose legislation that’s being considered. It may feel small to you as an individual, but every voter who reaches out to their elected official adds up.
Become a member of these organizations. Both Bike Texas and the League of American Bicyclists have paid staff whose time is dedicated to improving safety and conditions for people bicycling, walking and rolling. To pay and maintain these important staff, they need funding. Your financial support keeps these organizations running.
Join Bike Texas for as little as $5 per month for a sustaining membership or $30 per year for an annual membership.
Join the League of American Bicyclists for as little as $45 per year for an individual between 25-70 years of age or $25 per year for individuals younger than 25 or older than 70.
