When I saw the yellow stripe painted down the middle of the new Trinity Strand Trail, I decided it was time to take my bike out and try it. While it’s still a work in progress, the trail’s a great place for a bike ride. Unlike the nearby, overcrowded Katherine Trail (Katy, to those of you who have a better relationship with her), I had the entire length of the Trinity Strand to myself.
At one point, I had to get off my bike and walk across an underpass where concrete has yet to be poured. Other places I had to steer around the debris on the trail.
Note to Councilman Adam Medrano: please get a street sweeper over to my new Trinity Strand Trail so I can ride it more comfortably. Hey, I don’t ask for much. If you’re going to build me my own bike trail, you can damn well keep it clean for me. Need I remind you, young man, this was one of your aunt’s pet projects. Don’t make me call Pauline on you.
The trail will eventually connect with the Katy Trail that separates Uptown from Oak Lawn. This trail wanders through the Design District. Currently, it begins at Oak Lawn Avenue and I-35. Ahh, the truck fumes! It wanders past our new office building. The “trail head” is across from our building. (See slideshow below).
The map on the trail head shows a loop. Pretty close, except it doesn’t make a loop. Maybe eventually it will. It runs along Turtle Creek, behind Mama’s Daughters Diner, across the creek from the Anatole Hotel and ends up on Farrington at Medical Center drives.
Unlike the Katy, this trail is actually not designed for big crowds. Several sharp turns require a bike rider to cross the yellow line. On the Katy, that would be deadly — and by sharp, I mean greater than 90 degree turns. But since the trail is virtually unused — so far — it’s great for speed without having to stop for any traffic crossings.
So stay off. Those sharp turns are dangerous. And Adam just won’t keep it clean. To hell with all that nature along the Trinity and those great views of downtown. You don’t want to use the Trinity Strand Trail.