Monday, April 29, 2024
Granbury’s hike-and-bike trail is a favorite amenity among people who were surveyed for the city’s Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Master Plan.
But imagine a bigger, better trail system — one that even crosses the someday-to-be-widened U.S. Highway 377, but with safety measures, of course.
Envision a hike-and-bike trail design that connects new developments that have parks to other developments that have parks.
Picture a cohesive trail system that offers the ability to get to shopping spots or entertainment venues by walking or riding a bike in fresh air rather than fighting traffic and burning gasoline.
Granbury city officials envision a day when that will be a reality, and they are inviting members of the public to share in that dream.
The city will host an Open House event Thursday evening — Aug. 18 — from 6-7:30 p.m. in council chambers at Granbury City Hall. Attendees will hear a presentation, view informational displays, and share their views on how best to create a sidewalk and trail system that will enhance quality of life in their lake community.
The presentation will be by Halff Associates, Inc., the company that created the Master Plan.
The topic for the meeting is being billed as the “Active Transportation & Recreation Plan.”
In this context, “active transportation” refers to bicycles and walking/running, not vehicles and highways.
“The Parks Master Plan really showed that we needed to start concentrating in great detail on sidewalks and trails — the expansion and completion of sidewalks — and start thinking about the future as far as getting people from Point A to Point B by foot or bike — even trying to entice people to shop, go to work, or get to parks or entertainment without using a car (because of) the traffic issues we’re having,” said Parks Director Aaron McLain.
He said that Halff Associates is doing an inventory of the city’s sidewalks and trail system and is also “looking at on-street bikeways, which can be bike lanes or bicycle boulevards or even just signed bike routes within traffic areas where the speed limit allows.”
Grant funding might cover some of the costs.
McLain cited as an example of connectivity the coming Lakeview Landing, a 48-acre, multi-use lakefront development south of the 377 lake bridge behind Home Depot and PetSmart.
Plans by Irving-based Realty Capital Management include single-family homes, multi-story buildings with retail on the ground floor and residential units on upper floors, assisted living, and waterfront dining. There will be trails, a boardwalk and a park that will be available for use by the public, not just people who live there.
That development, like others, could be connected to a citywide trail system for easier accessibility.
The city wants the public’s help in planning it all.
“It’s their opportunity,” McLain said, “to tell us what they want.”
