Part of the existing Cotton Belt Trail [Photo: NCTCOG]
A bicycle-pedestrian trail being built alongside DART’s recently opened Silver Line is moving closer to completion after the project received a financial boost from the state. The Texas Transportation Commission recently awarded Dallas Area Rapid Transit $25 million for construction of Phase 3A of the Cotton Belt Trail as part of a statewide effort to improve active transportation infrastructure through the Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program.
“We’re deeply appreciative to the Texas Department of Transportation and the Texas Transportation Commission for supporting the Cotton Belt Trail and other initiatives that help expand multimodal travel in our region,” Kevin Kokes, a program manager for the North Central Texas Council of Governments’ Land Use and Mobility Options team, said in a statement. “By improving connections to employment, housing, education facilities, and recreational opportunities, these projects help build a stronger, more accessible future for everyone.”
A key east-to-west trail connector
The Cotton Belt Trail has long been envisioned as a key east-to-west connector in North Texas’ expanding regional trail network. The eastern portion spans 26 miles from Plano to Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. The trail will follow DART’s new Silver Line commuter rail and is designed to give users a continuous, safe option for walking and biking across multiple cities. Another section of the existing Cotton Belt Trail runs along TEXRail in Tarrant County from Grapevine to Watauga, with future plans to extend it to Fort Worth.
DART is overseeing the new trail construction, including 11 miles in Phase 2 currently under construction from western Addison to the Shiloh Road Station in Plano. The $25 million awarded to construct Phase 3A of the Cotton Belt Trail will help provide walking and bicycling access directly to the Cypress Waters (Dallas), Addison, and Downtown Carrollton stations, three of the 10 stops along the DART Silver Line, which began serving passengers in October.
Phase 3A trail construction is slated to begin by mid-2027.
Bigger trail picture and new regional funding
Running along the former St. Louis Southwestern Railway corridor, known by its nickname of “The Cotton Belt Route,” the trail preserves the legacy of the Cotton Belt Line, a route that operated for decades from Texas to St. Louis, Missouri.
The trail represents part of a long-term transportation vision led by NCTCOG to connect cities in the Dallas-Fort Worth region through an integrated network of shared-use paths, the organization said. Other major efforts include the DFW Discovery Trail, a developing 60-mile corridor linking Fort Worth, Arlington, Grand Prairie, Irving, and Dallas. These ongoing projects reflect a coordinated strategy to provide North Texas residents and visitors with more options to travel safely by foot or bike, while also improving regional mobility and quality of life, NCTCOG said.
In addition to the Cotton Belt Trail Phase 3A, the Commission awarded almost $30 million to six other projects across the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area as part of a $285 million infusion for bicycle and pedestrian transportation projects across Texas. Those projects include:
Trinity Forest Spine Trail – Bike/Pedestrian Bridge in Dallas received $10.9 million
Midtown Dallas shared use trail received $10.5 million
Southeast Trail (Phase 1A) in Balch Springs received $6.4 million
Park Row Drive pedestrian improvements in Pantego received $791,200
King’s Gate and Meadow Place bike lanes in Willow Park received $552,800
City of Azle Active Transportation Plan received $440,000
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