Pecan Creek Trail Master Plan Approved, Staff Seek Funding
Denton is one step closer to constructing a new major trail after the Denton City Council approved the master plan for the Pecan Creek Trail during their meeting on January 24. The Pecan Creek Trail will be about eight miles long with the ultimate goal of connecting the DCTA rail trail to the eastern city limits towards Lewisville Lake.
Read more: Pecan Creek Trail Master Plan Informal Staff Report [Link downloads a PDF file]
Final alignment of Pecan Creek Trail.
In addition to providing recreational opportunities in central and eastern Denton, the trail would provide safe east-west connectivity for people traveling car-free. The main east-west roads on the east side of Denton include McKinney Street, Shady Oaks Drive and Morse Street. None of these streets have safe or cohesive infrastructure for pedestrian and bicycle traffic.
McKinney Street has four travel lanes, spotty sidewalks and no bicycle infrastructure.
Shady Oaks has two-to-four travel lanes, no sidewalks and no bicycle infrastructure.
Trail Funding
City staff divided the Pecan Creek Trail project into multiple phases to allow more flexibility in funding and construction. Staff anticipate a total cost of about $18.8 million to design and construct all phases of the trail.
Trail projects are eligible for external funding through state and federal programs. With the adoption of the Pecan Creek Trail master plan, city staff submitted a preliminary application for a Transportation Alternatives grant through TxDOT. These grants can range from $5 million to $25 million, covering up to 80 percent of the total project cost.
Most external funding opportunities require cities to pay at least 20 percent of the total project cost. Staff have already identified $1 million in funding for the Pecan Creek Trail. They have also proposed $15 million in bond funding to help design and construct the Pecan Creek Trail as well as others.
Denton voters may have the opportunity in November to approve the proposed $15 million for trail funding if it is included in the final bond package. However, the funding is at risk of being removed or reduced, as reported in a previous Bike Denton post.
If Denton allocates $15 million for trail funding, we could potentially attract up to $60 million in external funding for trails, enabling us to complete nearly $75 million in trail projects.
Project Timeline
Until sufficient funding is allocated to construct the Pecan Creek Trail, there is no start or completion date for the project.
According to city staff, the next phase of the Pecan Creek Trail is to develop construction documents while also applying for available grants and other external funding. Once sufficient funding is allocated, staff can begin the construction process.
Check for updates or subscribe to email alerts about the Pecan Creek Trail on the Discuss Denton website.
