TXDOT Paves $6.6M Way for Five Mile Creek Greenbelt’s Oak Cliff Trail in Southern Dallas » Dallas Innovates

Rendering of Five Mile Creek Trail [Photo: Trust for Public Land]

The Five Mile Creek Greenbelt scored giant these days, planting $6.6 million in Texas Department of Transportation grant budget to develop a key connector path throughout Dallas’ Oak Cliff group. The inexperienced area mission is a crew effort between the Trust for Public Land and the City of Dallas.

The new TXDOT bucks will probably be matched through every other $1.65 million from native inexperienced supporters, totaling over $8 million to damage flooring on a 1.1-mile “shovel-ready” stretch of the deliberate 17-mile path. The Five Mile Creek Greenbelt expands get admission to to nature and more secure transportation choices for cycling and strolling in Oak Cliff.

With the investment now reliable, building on a piece of the path may just get started as early as subsequent yr, officers introduced.

TPL State Director Robert Kent calls the grant a “gamechanger” for the Five Mile Creek Greenbelt. In a observation, Kent stated the “dollars will go directly to construction of the trail, making the transportation benefits of this trail available to the community even sooner than planned.”

“We are grateful to TxDOT and our generous supporters for believing in this effort to connect the residents of Oak Cliff to the outdoors,” he stated.

Five Mile Creek in Southern Dallas [Photo: Trust for Public Land]

The Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside program budget locally-led strolling and cycling tasks throughout Texas. In December 2022, TXDOT introduced programs for this newest TA investment spherical.

In December 2022, TXDOT introduced a Call for Projects to use for this newest spherical of TA grant investment. During a contemporary assembly, the Texas Transportation Commission teed-up approval for the Five Mile Creek Greenbelt and different candidates to obtain budget.

Transportation Commissioner Robie Vaughn stated this system is a significant funding in communities around the Lone Star State to make strolling and cycling more secure and more straightforward.”

Texas Transportation Commissioner Alvin additionally highlighted the will for separate strolling and cycling areas: “People who walk and bike account for 1 in 5 traffic deaths in Texas,” stated Alvin in the news liberate. “These grant projects will help move our state toward zero deaths by creating spaces for people to walk and bike safely separated from traffic.”

Rendering of circle of relatives jogging on Five Mile Creek Trail. [Photo: Trust for Public Land]

When completed, the Five Mile Creek Greenbelt will create 17 miles of recent trails and 3 signature parks for the 200,000 citizens of Oak Cliff. The trails will attach the group to inexperienced area for psychological and bodily well being advantages, whilst additionally offering a transportation selection to get to retail, healthcare, colleges, and extra.

Many see this mission as a key piece of Dallas’ present center of attention on parks. “This is yet another exciting milestone for the Five Mile Creek Greenbelt and shows once again that Dallas is in the midst of a parks renaissance,” stated Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson.

“I look forward to seeing continued progress on this project that will help fulfill my vision of making Dallas the greenest and greatest city in Texas.”

Johnson’s sentiments have been echoed through Dallas Park & Recreation Board President Arun Agarwal, who used to be simply unanimously reappointed to a consecutive time period.

“The Five Mile Creek Greenbelt is a transformational project for Southern Dallas and will provide access to the benefits of parks and trails to thousands of residents,” stated Agarwal in a observation. “Our thanks to our partners at TxDOT for their commitment to this shared vision.”

The Trust for Public Land has raised over $35 million to this point towards the estimated $78 million general value of finishing the Five Mile Creek Greenbelt’s deliberate parks and trails. With this new TXDOT grant secured, TPL will quickly release a public marketing campaign to lift further philanthropic toughen and leverage different public investment for the mission.

Click here for a high-res version of the Five Mile Creek map. [Source: TPL]

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