trail
planning
Imagine getting from one part of town to just about any other
part of town without driving a motorized vehicle. Planning has
already begun to accomplish this vision. Development of a comprehensive
plan was initially conceived as two separate plans - one for
a comprehensive system of hike and bike trails and the other
for a system of bicycle-friendly streets.
It simply made good sense to
merge these two closely-related initiatives, since they both
address the movement of people across our city in a non-motorized
fashion. The resulting combination is the Allen Consolidated
Alternative Transportation and Recreational Trail Plan.
Allen currently has over 20 miles
of paved hike and bike trails. As each new trail segment is
built, Allen gets just a bit closer to having a genuine trail
system. The trail segments that will comprise the city-wide
trail system are:
Allen Parkway Loop - main loop 14 miles; includes Ridgeview,
Rowlett Creek, Cottonwood Creek and Mustang
Rowlett Creek Loop - 9 miles
Watters Branch Loop - 10 miles
Cottonwood Creek Loop - 7 miles
A downloadable Trail
Map is now available!
regional
connectivity
While we are primarily focused on developing our own city-wide
trail system, we are continually reminded that our neighboring
cities have trail systems of their own in the making and we
have seen the need to coordinate our efforts with theirs.
Allen is one of a six-city collaboration that also includes
Plano, McKinney, Richardson, Frisco and Garland in a regional
plan to interconnect our trail systems, creating an even broader
network of trails. Ultimately we will be part of a regional
trail system that will link Allen to Lake Ray Hubbard and
beyond and connect to the regional Veloweb, a bicycle-oriented
multi-county trail system being planned and developed for
both recreational and commuting uses.
The Six-Cities Trail Plan has
received numerous awards including the 2002 American Planning
Association Award, 2002 Merit Award by the American Society
of Landscape Architecture, 2002 Urban Design Dream/Vision
Award by the Greater Dallas Planning Council, and the 2001
Award of Excellence by the American Society of Landscape Architects.
implementation
Our trail system will take years to realize and implement.
Nonetheless, we foresee three general phases in which we want
to accomplish the system. Overall development of the trail
system includes trail construction, bridge construction, trailhead
and signage construction and signage development for the on
street bike route network and the trails themselves. Trails
are funded by several means: by developers, through grants
and in some cases through city funding.
Phase I proposes the completion
of the Rowlett Creek and Cottonwood Creek trail loops, the
construction of a trail along the DART r.o.w. as part of the
regional Veloweb and the further construction of the Watters
Branch trail loop.
Phase II proposes the
completion of the Watters Branch trail loop, and trail segments
along Exchange Parkway and Ridgeview Drive.
Phase III completes smaller
neighborhood loops that are not directly situated on the major
loop trail route.
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