Fort Worth’s Heritage Park received $8 million Thursday from the Regional Transportation Council to fund pedestrian improvements.
The funds will help pay for the second phase of a project making the park more pedestrian friendly. That phase includes a 1,236-foot pedestrian path connecting downtown Fort Worth with the Trinity Trails. The canopy walk will be designed with an emphasis on accessibility for everyone.
“It really fills this connectivity gap for accessibility that we have in this part of the region to get down to these amenities that the [council] has invested in before the Trinity Trails,” said Karla Windsor, a senior program manager.
The City of Fort Worth already contributed $2 million to the project.
Breaking News
Phase one began in August of 2020. The Regional Transportation Council approved funding for the first phase, which included intersection and road alignment safety requirements around the Tarrant County Courthouse. The project is currently 60% designed and is expected to be at 90% by early fall, Windsor said. Construction is expected to begin next year, with the project concluding in 2029.
“We’re working as hard as we can to shorten the timeline, but a lot of it has to do with governmental approvals,” said Andy Taft, president of Downtown Fort Worth Inc.
Windsor said the project prioritizes meeting standards set by the Americans with Disabilities Act when creating long-range transportation plans.
The proposed path in Heritage Park has a nearly 80-foot grade change from the street down to the Trinity Trails. The path would include an ADA-compliant ramp, which would be accessible for cyclists as well. A few different paths exist to get down to grade level but none are ADA-compliant or cyclist-friendly.
“Everything from the courthouse to the canopy walk needs to be brought up to ADA code,” Taft said.