Dallas County Commissioners Court Acknowledges Support for Northaven Trail

Maurine Dickey, Dallas County Commissioner District I, presented a Resolution at the January 25 County Commissioners Court formally acknowledging Dallas County’s support for the Northaven Trail. The Resolution expressed the Northaven Trail's importance as an alternate transportation route connecting the eastern and western neighborhoods of North Dallas as well as a vital link in the City of Dallas Trail System of bike and hiking trails. It will directly link to the White Rock Creek Trail, the Cottonwood Trail and the future Veloway Trail as well as DART's Red and Green Line transit stations that serve North Dallas. Dallas County will begin a planning study to connect the Northaven Trail to the White Rock Creek Trail and has agreed to fund the Trail's connection. This is a complex interagency project because the connection must cross US 75 (North Central Expressway) , DART's Red Line, White Rock Creek and an Oncor easement. Dallas County is particularly well suited for such interagency coordination. Friends of Northaven Trail board members Lee Kleinman, Warren Parham, Gwen Holmes and Martha Parks attended and were introduced to the Commissioners’ Court. Also attending were Michael Hellmann and Jared White of the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department who are actively involved in the planning, design and construction of the City's off street trail system. Max Kalhammer, the City of Dallas Bicycle Coordinator also attended.

The County awarded $109,000 for the study and has allocated up to $2.5 million for the construction of this connection. This grant matches the City of Dallas' commitment of the same amount from 2006 bond funds.

The FoNHT would like to thank Commissioner Dickey and the Commissioners Court as well as Dallas County staff members (Mike Pappas, Jonathan Toffer and several others) for their help and support of the Northaven Trail.