Taking the Katy Trail

See and be seen -- Picture courtesy Friends of the Trail

by blogSpotter
As I sit here watching American Pie: Naked Mile, I’m reflecting on my discovery yesterday (at long last) of the Katy Trail. It’s ridiculous that I hadn’t already discovered this beautiful asset to our fair city (Dallas, TX if you’re unfamiliar w/ blogSpotter). It’s been open and highly publicized since 2000. Katy Trail is a concrete path, 12 feet wide, that extends 3.1 miles from Airline Drive in University Park all the way down to Victory Plaza in Uptown.

My initial walk was from Knox Street down to Lee Park and back on an unseasonably warm, beautiful Saturday in February. It took me 20 minutes each way, and my main regret was wearing Sketchers with thin soles; the other regret might be a venti Starbucks that gave me a need to go to the bathroom when I got back. The trail provided a straight shot to Lee Park – the same trip on foot and not using the trail would’ve been an hour of exhaust fumes and dodging cars on Cole Avenue.

The trail follows an abandoned railroad track donated to Dallas in 1993 by Union Pacific Railroad. It’s been beautifully landscaped and has frequent amenities such as benches, water fountains and ‘pooper scooper’ bag stands. It was crowded this day with what has to be the Who’s Who of trendy uptown couples (and some singles) walking their cairn terriers and talking about whatever the 30-something elite of Dallas talks about. If not for exercise, this trail is a great place just to see and be seen; walk the short section from Knox to Fitzhugh and back if you just want social exposure.

Along the way, you’ll see familiar streets from unfamiliar angles and upscale houses you didn’t know existed in all your 25 years of Dallas living. The Katy Trail is slated at some point to connect White Rock Park with Trinity Park – 17 miles in length. I can only imagine all the possibilities. The existing trail is already getting “trail oriented development” and is a great real estate incentive for nearby properties. Katy Trail joins these other Dallas offerings in it “word-classness”:

o DART Light Rail
o White Rock Park
o The Dallas Arboretum

One caution is that two women on the trail (in separate incidents) have been accosted recently -- during twilight hours, when the weather was cold and the trail was sparsely used. Coincidentally, a Hispanic woman was accosted by a group of young girls this weekend at the West End DART station. Both of these city attractions must be policed thoroughly so that they can fulfill their lifestyle-enhancing promises. Crime should not be allowed to destroy what we have. One track and trail at a time, Dallas will become a world-class city.

© 2008 blogSpotter