TxDOT Completes 10-Foot Sidepath on US 380, Greenbelt Entrance Remains Closed
Two people ride on a five-foot sidewalk on US 380 east of the Greenbelt entrance.
The Texas Department on Transportation (TxDOT) wrapped up construction of a 10-foot sidepath for walking and biking on the north side of US 380 between Mayhill Road and the Greenbelt entrance on US 380. This Greenbelt entrance is closed, however, due to damage caused by flooding. The Greenbelt entrance on FM 428 is open.
Location of US 380 sidepath. (Source: Exhibit 6 of agenda attachments for ID 17-1193 from the Denton City Council meeting on 9/12/2017)
TxDOT began this project to improve safety along US 380 east of Loop 288 by adding sidewalks on both sides of the road. As part of the project, TxDOT also constructed a median in the center of the roadway to prevent head-on collisions.
Prior to construction of the sidewalks, people walking or biking along US 380 were forced to walk on the high-speed roadway or in the grass, which could be muddy or uneven. People without cars often cannot avoid traveling along dangerous, high-speed roadways, because these roads are either the only route or most direct route to other towns. People without cars also need to access businesses and critical services, which are primarily concentrated along wide, high-speed roads.
TxDOT originally planned for a five-foot sidewalk on each side of the roadway. The City of Denton approached TxDOT about widening one of the sidewalks to 10 feet in order to create a bicycle connection from the DCTA Rail Trail to the Greenbelt entrance on US 380. TxDOT agreed to widen one of the sidewalks to 10 feet if Denton would fund the additional width. The Denton City Council approved the additional funding in 2017.
The bicycle route between the DCTA Rail Trail and Greenbelt entrance on US 380 is fully complete except for a gap on Mayhill Road between Edwards Road and Leafy Road. A current project on Mayhill will add a five-foot sidewalk through this gap but will not provide a ten-foot path, which is the minimum width for a two-way bicycle facility.
Read More: Denton to Install Five-Foot Sidewalk between DCTA Rail Trail and Existing Mayhill Sidepath (Bike Denton, 03/20/2023)
Accessing the New Sidepath on US 380
Biking to the Greenbelt entrance on US 380 is not appropriate for inexperienced riders. The sidepath can be accessed from the north via Cooper Creek Road or from the south via Mayhill Road, which is a 10-foot sidepath on the east side.
Cooper Creek Road does not have any bicycle infrastructure. People on bicycles must ride in the same lanes with motor vehicles, which can be stressful.
Accessing the US 380 sidepath from Cooper Creek Road. Video has no sound.
While Mayhill Road has a 10-foot sidepath on the east side of the roadway, it also has hazards. Accessing the sidepath can be difficult and stressful due to the gap between the DCTA Rail Trail at Edwards Road and the beginning of the 10-foot Mayhill sidepath starting at Leafy Road. High traffic speeds on Mayhill make it more challenging for drivers to notice people on the sidepath when turning.
Finally, riders on Mayhill Road must complete a dangerous crossing of US 380 to access the new sidepath on the north side of the road. While there is pedestrian signal, it does not remove the danger of motorists running the red light at deadly speeds or turning across the crosswalk at dangerous speeds while a vulnerable person is in the crosswalk.
A crosswalk connects the side paths on US 380 and Mayhill Road.
Once on the new US 380 sidepath, riders must use caution. The sidepath will likely always have minor and moderate hazards like slippery silt or dirt, sharp objects like nails or broken glass, and larger litter which can be anything from pet crates to furniture.
Abandoned pet crate on the US 380 sidepath—likely fallen from a vehicle.
TxDOT does not prioritize maintenance or cleaning of sidewalks, so the sidepath will likely always have debris and overgrowth.
Motor vehicles are the most significant danger on the new sidepath. Many drivers will not pay attention to traffic on the sidepath and will enter and exit driveways and side roads across the sidepath without checking for people walking or biking. Extreme caution is required at all driveways and intersections to avoid a collision.
Greenbelt and Beyond
Closed gates at the Greenbelt entrance on US 380.
The US 380 entrance of the Greenbelt is closed again after reopening in October 2021.
The entrance had been closed since 2015 due to lack of funding from the State of Texas to repair damage caused by flooding and a massive logjam on the Greenbelt. State entities eventually found funding to clear a portion of the logjam and reopen the US 380 entrance of the Greenbelt.
The area continues to have flooding issues, which brings debris and damage to the Greenbelt parking lot and trail.
Though the Greenbelt entrance on US 380 remains closed, riders can continue traveling east of the entrance on a five-foot sidewalk. The City of Denton only funded a 10-foot sidewalk between Mayhill Road the the Greenbelt entrance. East of the Greenbelt, the path narrows back down to a five-foot sidewalk that connects to the intersection of Moseley/Fishtrap Road.
The sidepath features some scenic views near the Greenbelt.
A more complete view of the new sidepath on US 380 and routes to get there is available on Bike Denton’s Denton Bike Routes and Conditions Map.
