Colleyville, Texas

On September 15, 1998, the City Council approved Resolution R-98-1414, which adopted the document Colleyville Pathways: A Citywide System, prepared by Bowman-Melton Associates, Inc., and established a plan for the long-range development of a sidewalk and trail system for the community. The 1998 plan represented one of the first efforts to develop a city-wide trail system that was configured specifically to coordinate with the network of neighborhood sidewalks in order to provide pedestrian connections with schools, parks and commercial centers.

Over the past seven years since the adoption of the 1998 plan, there have been a number of segments of new sidewalks and trails constructed in the community. In certain locations, these new trail and sidewalk segments have been constructed due to new residential and commercial developments that were required by codes and ordinances to construct new portions of these facilities adjacent to the new developments. Additionally, the City of Colleyville has constructed a number of sidewalks and trails in various locations around the community in response to neighborhood concerns for pedestrian traffic, particularly in those areas where school children walk to nearby school facilities. These sidewalk and trail facilities were constructed using funds available as a part of the City’s annual budgeting process or through special project funding that was provided by the City Council.

During the latter part of 2004, it became apparent that an update to the 1998 plan was needed to address new locations where future trail segments should be constructed in areas that were not originally identified in the 1998 plan and to evaluate the list of recommended sidewalk improvements. New and additional sidewalk and trail routes have become necessary as a result of changing conditions, such as unanticipated residential developments that have occurred or due to overall planning policy revisions associated with the adoption by the City Council of the 2004 Colleyville Master Plan.

The two primary goals of the 2005 Colleyville Pathways Plan are to (1) identify the future trail network that will serve pedestrians, bicyclists, and other trail users within the various neighborhoods of Colleyville, and (2) to provide connecting sidewalk links between neighborhood schools and the trail network. Those potential trail routes previously identified in the 1998 plan have been re-evaluated and revised where applicable based on current information. The 2005 Colleyville Pathways Plan will be used as a guide by the community for advising developers of future trail routes that may be required by new developments. The plan will also be used to identify high priority sidewalk segments that are needed to provide safe access to all of the school facilities in the community.

Through the use of this document, it is anticipated that local officials will be able to ensure the future availability of trail and sidewalk connections from residential neighborhoods to local schools, parks, and other key destinations within the community, such as shopping areas, work centers, or for recreational purposes.

This plan will also serve to coordinate trail projects which cross city boundaries, such as the Cottonbelt Trail, which continues through Hurst and North Richland Hills to the southwest and through Grapevine to the northeast, further enhancing recreational opportunities for trail users in Northeast Tarrant County. Additional opportunities exist for connecting Colleyville’s trail system with trails planned in the cities of Euless, Keller and Southlake.

The purpose of this document is to supplement the 1998 plan, not to replace it. This document represents an effort to update the 1998 plan by incorporating those additional sidewalk and trail segments that have been completed and to identify those new locations where trail routes and sidewalk facilities are proposed in order to meet the overall objective of establishing a trail and sidewalk system network that serves the entire community.

Project Team
In the fall of 2004, City staff determined that the most cost effective method for updating the 1998 Colleyville Pathways Plan was through the use of current staff to perform the necessary tasks, rather than the expenditure of funds to employ a private sector consultant. Initially, the reduced cost of using City staff to update the plan provided a definite advantage over the hiring of a consultant, since available funding for a private sector consultant was limited. It was felt that the local knowledge and on-site resources available from senior City staff-members would also produce a superior planning document over one prepared by an out of town consultant. The project planning team consisted of representatives from the Parks and Recreation Department, Engineering Department, Community Development Department and the City Manager’s Office.

The initial effort consisted of determining a scope of work. Subsequently, a planning schedule was prepared and work elements assigned to the various team members. The team began the process by reviewing related documents, such as the 1998 trail plan, Colleyville Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Open Space Master Plan and the 2004-2025 Comprehensive Master Plan. Additionally, reviews of trail system plans from other communities were conducted, which provided further information on trail system development proposals.

Sidewalk and Trails Inventory
An updated inventory of the existing system of sidewalks and trails was made as a part of this update effort. Engineering Department and Community Development Department staff conducted a field survey to update the inventory of sidewalks and trails. From field observations and review of trail resources, the team added new trails and ideas to the plan. These facilities are shown graphically on the Trails and Sidewalks System Map contained in the Appendix section of this report.

The project planning team subsequently completed an on-site review and evaluation of each of the future trail routes identified in the 1998 Colleyville Pathways Plan. Where appropriate, minor adjustments to the trail system plan were made based on the additional input from the on-site evaluations. Staff also met with the Colleyville Sidewalk Committee to obtain input on recommended sidewalks to complete the pedestrian network serving the community.

Citizen Participation and Priority Setting
An important element of the pathways planning effort is the inclusion of input from the public regarding the needs for future sidewalks and trails. Upon completion of the initial draft document, the planning team met on several occasions with the Colleyville Sidewalk Committee to solicit comments on the proposed plan update, particularly regarding the minor changes to the 1998 plan that have been incorporated into the final report of the 2005 update. Additionally, the planning team met with the Colleyville Parks and Recreation Advisory Board to obtain comments and input regarding the plan and to discuss how the plan coordinated with the overall park and recreation planning efforts for the future. The public hearing was also held during the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meeting. Finally, the plan was presented to the City Council for consideration and adoption as the official pathways planning document for the City of Colleyville.

During the development of the 1998 Colleyville Pathway Plan, the various trail segments comprising the future trail network were ranked and prioritized according to a logical plan for implementation. The proposed trails contained in this updated plan have retained their numerical ranking in order to provide continuity with the 1998 Colleyville Pathway Plan. New trail segments that were not on the 1998 Colleyville Pathway Plan have been placed at the bottom of the priority order. The Trails and Sidewalks System Map, contained in Appendix A, illustrates the general location of each trail segment. Proposed future trail segments have been assigned a numerical identifier, while existing trail segments are noted with alphabetical characters. The numbers assigned to the various trail segments corresponds to the numerical identifier affixed to the applicable section shown in the 1998 Pathways Plan.

A complete system-wide evaluation matrix is reflected in Appendix B. Each trail is listed by a priority and also includes a cost estimate for the trail. Priorities can be adjusted as deemed necessary for needs of the updated plan. Contained in Table 3 is an analysis of recommended sidewalk segments that have been reviewed and proposed by the Colleyville Sidewalk Committee.

The pathway system in Colleyville basically consists of a citywide network of sidewalks and trail facilities for pedestrians, including additional park trails. The majority of the sidewalks in Colleyville are located within residential subdivisions, and in most cases the sections of sidewalk within each development were constructed along the street frontage at the time the home was built on the lot. Most of these sidewalks are four feet in width, which is the minimum standard in Colleyville for a residential sidewalk. Sidewalks are generally constructed within the public street right-of-way, but situated immediately adjacent to the residential property line, which places the sidewalk as far from the actual street pavement as possible and thereby improving pedestrian safety for those using the sidewalk.

Occasionally, it becomes necessary to place a sidewalk immediately adjacent to the curb due to narrow parkway widths or due to some other development constraint. This usually occurs when no provision for a sidewalk was incorporated into the development, which is the case in many older neighborhoods constructed prior to the time when sidewalks became a requirement of a new development. When a sidewalk is constructed immediately adjacent to the curb, the sidewalk is widened to five feet to provide a wider pedestrian traveling lane and to minimize safety concerns.

In recent years, there has been some construction of concrete trail segments in various locations around the community. Trail segments are typically eight or ten feet in width. Colleyville offers a variety of existing trails that are accessible to many areas, but the trail network is largely incomplete and the lack of continuity is a problem for most trail users.

Hike and bike trails are high priorities for the citizens of Colleyville, according to the Comprehensive Parks and Recreation Open Space Master Plan. Furthermore, during the development of the 2004 Comprehensive Master Plan the City held a series of neighborhood meetings which confirmed the widespread community support that exists in Colleyville for completion of the trail system, including the provision of sidewalk access to the various neighborhood schools in Colleyville. Virtually every neighborhood in Colleyville identified the need to have trail connectivity with other neighborhoods and with the overall trail and sidewalk network. It is essential to implement this updated plan for the benefits of the citizens of Colleyville.

Over the past seven years, there has been a large amount of linear footage of sidewalks constructed in Colleyville since the previous Colleyville Pathways Plan was approved in 1998.

Those sidewalks that currently exist are identified on the Trails and Sidewalks System Map, contained in Appendix A.

There have also been considerable segments of the trail network constructed over the past seven years. Many portions of the trail system constructed in Colleyville in the past have generally been built as a result of new development, which has occurred through the application of the Colleyville Land Development Code. Some segments of the existing trail network have also been constructed using funds from the Parkland Dedication Fund.

In some locations, existing subdivision sidewalks have been incorporated into the trail network, which has received continued local resident support, as expressed at various neighborhood meetings and public hearings associated with new residential development proposals. In some cases, the alignment of the future trail network is not specifically identified due to inaccessibility or the absence of adequate trail right-of-way. For example, choices will need to be made in the future as development occurs as to which side of a collector roadway or creek channel will accommodate a trail segment.

The existing trail system is represented on the Trails and Sidewalks System Map with a solid dark blue line. At the present time, there are twenty-seven trails, both public and privately owned, totaling approximately 22 miles, which have been identified in this plan and are shown in the following Table 1.