Imagine getting on a trail and traveling for 20 miles along a pristine creek, going from one city to the next, to the next. Imagine going to college via bike or just going to a nearby trail from your neighborhood. This is the vision of the Six Cities Trail Plan, one of the best examples of interjurisdictional trail planning in Texas.

 

In 1999 Park Department staff members from the participating cities first conceived the Six Cities Trail Plan. Those staff members saw the need for area cities to work together to establish a joint plan that would link the trail systems created in each individual city. The Landscape Architecture team, with input from city staff, then led the efforts of identifying specific goals for the plan that would address.

 

Specific Goals of the Plan

The Landscape Architect's role was to ascertain the needs and desires of each of the participating cities while addressing the current need for an increase in recreational amenities to strengthen and improve the quality of life for area residents.

 

Throughout the planning process, specific goals for the Six Cities Trail Plan were identified. These are as follows:

·        To define specific high priority corridors that connect two or more of the participating cities, so that these could be planned in an interjurisdictional manner;

·        To identify and consider key crossing points between cities, so that uniform interconnecting points can be established, and so that points of intersection can be determined and built by each city;

·        Where feasible, to recommend uniform design standards, materials and trail widths for trails that cross two or more cities; and

·        To produce a regional trail guidance plan that is endorsed and ratified by all participating cities, and that can serve to guide long range trail planning throughout the six cities and Collin and Dallas Counties.

·        To allow the cities to peruse funding sources together, thereby maximizing the efficient use of public funds.

 

All of the participating cities have current citywide Park Master Plans or Trail Master Plans that emphasize trail planning and corridor acquisition. Those trail plans have been incorporated into the Six Cities Trail plan as a base source of localized planning. This plan does not supercede local trail plans, but rather reinforces them by linking trails from city to city, therefore making local trail plans even more relevant and significant.

 

Methodology

The planning process included:

·        Integration of existing trails planning from all participating cities;

·        Identification of key trail corridors throughout the participating six cities;

·        Review of existing park master plans and citizen goals and input related to trails in each of those plans;

·        Development of general alignment for each of the major trail corridors;

·        Development of potential alignments and intersecting points for each of the key connection points between participating cities;

·        Refinement based on input received from each participating city;

·        Preparation of a draft plan for final review, approval and endorsement by each city;

      And

·        Preparation of a final report and mapping for each city.

 

The Plan uses pictures to convey connection ideas and issues, and is intended to facilitate the planning and design of trails. Working together, the six cities can create one of the finest trail systems anywhere.

 

The resulting maps and document exceeded the expectations of the cities involved. The extensive mapping that was created provided the clients with a clear tool to help refine their individual trail plans so as to take into consideration the regional recreational and transportation goals. The plan and document will help city staff in studying alternative future trail routes so that they may compare and select the alignments that would most suit their cities individual needs while conforming to the regional necessities.

 

Purpose of the Six Cities Trail Plan

The plan was created with the following purposes in mind:

·        Foster interjurisdictional planning between the area cities.

·        To further emphasize the regional transportation goals established by the governing regional planning entity, the North Central Texas Council of Governments.

·        Establish key corridors as a "spine" system between the participating cities.

·        Maximize the efficiency of planning funding by collaborating on an interjurisdictional planning effort.

·        Through the planning effort, recommend uniform standards for trail segments so that a sense of consistency is maintained as one travels from city to city.

·        Create an additional regional emphasis on trails that would allow the participating cities to compete for regional recreational grant opportunities.

 

The Six Cities Trail Plan took exceptional effort from the part of each of the cities. Successful coordination of city staff and documentation, communication of individual municipal needs and desires made it all possible. It is certain to have long lasting impact on the quality of life for local communities.